Potential vorticity regimes over East Asia during winter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wenyu; Chen, Ruyan; Wang, Bin; Wright, Jonathon S.; Yang, Zifan; Ma, Wenqian

2017-02-01

Nine potential vorticity (PV) regimes over East Asia are identified by applying a Self-Organizing Map and Hierarchical Ascendant Classification regime analysis to the daily PV reanalysis fields on the 300 K isentropic surface for December-March 1948-2014. According to the surface temperature anomalies over East Asia, these nine regimes are further classified into three classes, i.e., cold class (three regimes), warm class (four regimes), and neutral class (two regimes). The PV-based East Asian winter monsoon index (EAWMI) is used to study the relationship between PV distributions and the temperature anomalies. The magnitude of cold (warm) anomalies over the land areas of East Asia increases (decreases) quasi-linearly with the EAWMI. Regression analysis reveals that cold temperature anomalies preferentially occur when the EAWMI exceeds a threshold at ˜0.2 PVU (where 1 PVU ≡ 10-6 m2 K kg-1 s-1). PV inversion uncovers the mechanisms behind the relationships between the PV regimes and surface temperature anomalies and reveals that cold (warm) PV regimes are associated with significant warming (cooling) in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. On average, cold regimes have longer durations than warm regimes. Interclass transition probabilities are much higher for paths from warm/neutral regimes to cold regimes than for paths from cold regimes to warm/neutral regimes. Besides, intraclass transitions are rare within the warm or neutral regimes. The PV regime analysis provides insight into the causes of severe cold spells over East Asia, with blocking circulation patterns identified as the primary factor in initiating and maintaining these cold spells.

Winter monsoon variability and its impact on aerosol concentrations in East Asia.

PubMed

Jeong, Jaein I; Park, Rokjin J

2017-02-01

We investigate the relationship between winter aerosol concentrations over East Asia and variability in the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) using GEOS-Chem 3-D global chemical transport model simulations and ground-based aerosol concentration data. We find that both observed and modeled surface aerosol concentrations have strong relationships with the intensity of the EAWM over northern (30-50°N, 100-140°E) and southern (20-30°N, 100-140°E) East Asia. In strong winter monsoon years, compared to weak winter monsoon years, lower and higher surface PM 2.5 concentrations by up to 25% are shown over northern and southern East Asia, respectively. Analysis of the simulated results indicates that the southward transport of aerosols is a key process controlling changes in aerosol concentrations over East Asia associated with the EAWM. Variability in the EAWM is found to play a major role in interannual variations in aerosol concentrations; consequently, changes in the EAWM will be important for understanding future changes in wintertime air quality over East Asia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Selection of vaccine strains for serotype O foot-and-mouth disease viruses (2007-2012) circulating in Southeast Asia, East Asia and Far East.

PubMed

Mahapatra, Mana; Upadhyaya, Sasmita; Aviso, Sharie; Babu, Aravindh; Hutchings, Geoff; Parida, Satya

2017-12-18

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is endemic in Southeast Asia (SEA) and East Asia with circulation of multiple serotypes and multiple genotypes within each serotype of the virus. Although countries like Japan and South Korea in the Far East were free of FMD, in 2010 FMD serotype O (O/Mya-98) outbreaks were recorded and since then South Korea has experienced several FMD outbreaks despite regular vaccination. In this study a total of 85 serotype O FMD viruses (FMDV) isolated from 2007 to 2012 from SEA, East Asia and Far East were characterized by virus neutralisation tests using antisera to four existing (O/HKN/6/83, O/IND/R2/75, O/SKR/2010 and O/PanAsia-2) and one putative (O/MYA/2009) vaccine strains, and by full capsid sequencing. Serological studies revealed broad cross-reactivity with the vaccine strains; O/PanAsia-2 exhibited a good match with 95.3%, O/HKN/6/83 with 91.8%, O/IND/R2/75 with 80%, and the putative strain O/MYA/2009 with 89.4% isolates employed in this study. Similarly O/PanAsia-2 and O/IND/R2/75 vaccines showed a good match with all eight viruses belonging to O-Ind-2001d sublineage whereas the vaccines of O/Mya-98 lineage, O/MYA/2009 and O/SKR/2010 exhibited the lowest match indicating their unsuitability to protect infections from O-Ind-2001d viruses. A Bayesian analysis of the capsid sequence data indicated these circulating viruses (n = 85) to be of either SEA or Middle East-South Asian (ME-SA) topotype. The ME-SA topotype viruses were mainly detected in Lao PDR, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand reflecting the trade links with the Indian subcontinent, and also within the SEA countries. Implications of these results in the context of FMD control in SEA and East Asian countries are discussed. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

East Asia: A Bibliography for Undergraduate Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillin, Donald; And Others

This bibliography, similar to others on Asia and Africa, contains over 2000 titles relevant to the study of East Asia. Book, journal, and a few government citations -- the majority of which have been published within the last twenty years -- emphasize the humanities and social studies. Intended as a book selection guide, entries are graded as to…

JPRS Report, Near East & South Asia.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-07

Near East & South Asia JPRS-NEA-88-014 CONTENTS 7 MARCH 1988 NEAR EAST REGIONAL GCC Governments Give Purchase Priority to National Products ...Russians 8 SYRIA Nation’s Electricity Production , Waste Problems Reviewed 10 Reasons for Asad Romanian Visit Discussed [AL-MUSTAQBAL, 5 Dec 87...REGIONAL GCC Governments Give Purchase Priority to National Products 44000044 Dammam AL-IQTISAD in English Oct 87 pp 66-67 [Text] Following is the

JPRS Report, Near East & South Asia, Kuwait

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-08-21

in the stock market in the country, it is necessary to ascertain the number of [istimarat musa"arah] or direct investments [istimarat], foreign workers...commercial or industrial activities, [Al-Fassam] My view is simply that industry has a large or expanding foreign investment , for example? role in all...States from NTIS or Friday in eight volumes: China , East Europe, Soviet appointed foreign dealers. New subscribers should Union, East Asia, Near East

"(East) Asia" as a Platform for Debate: Grouping and Bioethics.

PubMed

Sleeboom-Faulkner, Margaret

This article examines the use of the notions of "Asian" and "East Asian" in definitions of bioethics. Using examples from East Asia, I argue that the verbal Asianization of bioethics is based on the notion of "Asia" as a family metaphor and serves as a platform of bioethical debate, networking, and political change. I maintain that the use of "Asia" and "East Asia" to shape bioethics is not so much a sign of inward-looking regionalism, but an attempt to build bridges among Asian countries, while putting up a common stance against what educated elites interpret as undesirable global trends of Westernization through bioethics. Using the notions of "grouping" and "segmentary systems" to show the performative nature of characterizations of (East) Asian bioethics, allowing users to mark regional identity, share meanings, take political positions, and network. Deploying Peter Haas's notion of "epistemic communities," I argue that academic and political elites translate "home" issues into "Asia speak," while at the same time, introducing and giving shape to "new" bioethical issues. Although the "Asianisms" and group-marking activities of Asian networks of bioethics are ideological, thereby engaging in the politics of in/exclusion, they succeed in putting politically sensitive topics on the agenda.

Prostate cancer in East Asia: evolving trend over the last decade

PubMed Central

Zhu, Yao; Wang, Hong-Kai; Qu, Yuan-Yuan; Ye, Ding-Wei

2015-01-01

Prostate cancer is now becoming an emerging health priority in East Asia. Most of our current knowledge on Prostate cancer has been generated from studies conducted in Western population; however, there is considerable heterogeneity of Prostate cancer between East and West. In this article, we reviewed epidemiologic trends, risk factors, disease characteristics and management of Prostate cancer in East Asian population over the last decade. Growing evidence from East Asia suggests an important role of genetic and environmental risk factors interactions in the carcinogenesis of Prostate cancer. Exposure to westernized diet and life style and improvement in health care in combination contribute substantially to the increasing epidemic in this region. Diagnostic and treatment guidelines in East Asia are largely based on Western knowledge. Although there is a remarkable improvement in the outcome over the last decade, ample evidence suggests an inneglectable difference in diagnostic accuracy, treatment efficacy and adverse events between different populations. The knowledge from western countries should be calibrated in the Asian setting to provide a better race-based treatment approach. In this review, we intend to reveal the evolving trend of Prostate cancer in the last decade, in order to gain evidence to improve Prostate cancer prevention and control in East Asia. PMID:25080928

Preliminary Bibliography on East Asia for Undergraduate Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ehrman, Edith; Morehouse, Ward

This classified bibliography on East Asia and similar bibliographies on Africa south of the Sahara (LI 000 882) and South Asia (LI 000 061) have been compiled under the first phase of a three-year cooperative project to strengthen bibliographical resources for undergraduate libraries on "neglected" foreign areas. The bibliography in its…

77 FR 52753 - U.S. Customs and Border Protection 2012 East Coast Trade Symposium: “Expanding 21st Century...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-30

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. Customs and Border Protection 2012 East Coast Trade Symposium: ``Expanding 21st Century Global Partnerships'' AGENCY: U.S... 21st Century Global Partnerships.'' The format of this year's East Coast Symposium will be held with...

Large-scale phytogeographical patterns in East Asia in relation to latitudinal and climatic gradients

USGS Publications Warehouse

Qian, H.; Song, J.-S.; Krestov, P.; Guo, Q.; Wu, Z.; Shen, X.; Guo, X.

2003-01-01

Aim: This paper aims at determining how different floristic elements (e.g. cosmopolitan, tropical, and temperate) change with latitude and major climate factors, and how latitude affects the floristic relationships between East Asia and the other parts of the world. Location: East Asia from the Arctic to tropical regions, an area crossing over 50?? of latitudes and covering the eastern part of China, Korea, Japan and the eastern part of Russia. Methods: East Asia is divided into forty-five geographical regions. Based on the similarity of their world-wide distributional patterns, a total of 2808 indigenous genera of seed plants found in East Asia were grouped into fourteen geographical elements, belonging to three major categories (cosmopolitan, tropical and temperate). The 50??-long latitudinal gradient of East Asia was divided into five latitudinal zones, each of c. 10??. Phytogeographical relationships of East Asia to latitude and climatic variables were examined based on the forty-five regional floras. Results: Among all geographical and climatic variables considered, latitude showed the strongest relationship to phytogeographical composition. Tropical genera (with pantropical, amphi-Pacific tropical, palaeotropical, tropical Asia-tropical Australia, tropical Asia-tropical Africa and tropical Asia geographical elements combined) accounted for c. 80% of the total genera at latitude 20??N and for c. 0% at latitude 55-60??N. In contrast, temperate genera (including holarctic, eastern Asia-North America, temperate Eurasia, temperate Asia, Mediterranean, western Asia to central Asia, central Asia and eastern Asia geographical elements) accounted for 15.5% in the southernmost latitude and for 80% at 55-60??N, from where northward the percentage tended to level off. The proportion of cosmopolitan genera increased gradually with latitude from 5% at the southernmost latitude to 21% at 55-60??N, where it levelled off northward. In general, the genera present in a more

Application of DNA barcodes in wildlife conservation in Tropical East Asia.

PubMed

Wilson, John-James; Sing, Kong-Wah; Lee, Ping-Shin; Wee, Alison K S

2016-10-01

Over the past 50 years, Tropical East Asia has lost more biodiversity than any tropical region. Tropical East Asia is a megadiverse region with an acute taxonomic impediment. DNA barcodes are short standardized DNA sequences used for taxonomic purposes and have the potential to lessen the challenges of biodiversity inventory and assessments in regions where they are most needed. We reviewed DNA barcoding efforts in Tropical East Asia relative to other tropical regions. We suggest DNA barcodes (or metabarcodes from next-generation sequencers) may be especially useful for characterizing and connecting species-level biodiversity units in inventories encompassing taxa lacking formal description (particularly arthropods) and in large-scale, minimal-impact approaches to vertebrate monitoring and population assessments through secondary sources of DNA (invertebrate derived DNA and environmental DNA). We suggest interest and capacity for DNA barcoding are slowly growing in Tropical East Asia, particularly among the younger generation of researchers who can connect with the barcoding analogy and understand the need for new approaches to the conservation challenges being faced. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

An overview of mineral dust modeling over East Asia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Siyu; Huang, Jianping; Qian, Yun

Dust aerosol, one of the most abundant aerosol species in the atmosphere, has significant impacts on the energy balance and climatic feedback of the Earth system through its influence on solar and terrestrial radiation as well as clouds. East Asia is the one of prominent regions of dust generation. The East Asia dust life cycle and associated radiative and climatic effects are the outstanding science issues in understanding climate change at regional and even global scale. In the past decades, numerous dust models have been developed and applied to comprehend a series of dust-related processes studies, including emission, transport, andmore » deposition, and to understand the effects of dust aerosol on the radiation and climate over East Asian. In this paper, we review the recent achievements and progresses in East Asian dust modeling research and discuss the potential challenges in future studies.« less

JPRS Report: East Asia, Southeast Asia, LPDR Criminal Code, Courts, and Criminal Procedure.

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-03-05

1941 - 1991 JPRS Repor East Asia Southeast Asia LPDR Criminal Code, Courts, and Criminal Procedure mom m £C QUALITY »ra^r...prostitution, will be impris- oned for three to five years. Article 124. Incest . Anyone who has sexual intercourse with parents, step- parents...This consists of facts which indicate whether there have been actions dangerous to society, the guilt of the per- sons who undertook the

Higher Education in South-East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Online Submission, 2006

2006-01-01

South-East Asia is a region of vast development diversity but also many commonalities. And the development of higher education in the region, stemmed from its different historical background is changing rapidly towards their respective socio-economic needs. The publication is a joint research study by UNESCO Bangkok and Southeast Asian Ministers…

The oldest Mahonia (Berberidaceae) fossil from East Asia and its biogeographic implications.

PubMed

Huang, Jian; Su, Tao; Lebereton-Anberrée, Julie; Zhang, Shi-Tao; Zhou, Zhe-Kun

2016-03-01

Interpretation of the biogeography of the genus Mahonia (Berberidaceae) is limited by the lack of fossil records in East Asia. Compressed fossil foliage, described here as Mahonia mioasiatica sp. nov., were collected from the Upper Miocene Xiaolongtan Formation in Wenshan, Yunnan, southwest China. These specimens represent the oldest reliable fossil record of Mahonia in East Asia. This new fossil species shows a general similarity to Group Orientales and is most similar to the extant eastern Asian Mahonia conferta. Considering other fossil evidence of Mahonia, we propose a migration route of this genus to Asia over the North Atlantic Land Bridge rather than the Bering Land Bridge. Our results also suggest that North America, Europe and East Asia have been successive centers of diversity for the genus, as a consequence of diversification in Group Orientales potentially related to historical climate change.

Changes in Marine Environments and Responses of Ecosystem Dynamics in the East Asian Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogawa, Hiroshi; Saito, Hiroaki; Ju, Se-Jong

2014-02-01

At an international symposium on the marine systems of the Pacific region of East Asia, scientists concluded that changes in the ocean environment are having a significant effect on biogeochemical cycles and ecosystems and, consequently, on humans and the food supply. The meeting, the 6th China-Japan-Korea (CJK) Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research symposium, was held in Japan at the University of Tokyo.

Genetic structure of wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations from East Asia based on microsatellite loci analyses

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Wild boar, Sus scrofa, is an extant wild ancestor of the domestic pig as an agro-economically important mammal. Wild boar has a worldwide distribution with its geographic origin in Southeast Asia, but genetic diversity and genetic structure of wild boar in East Asia are poorly understood. To characterize the pattern and amount of genetic variation and population structure of wild boar in East Asia, we genotyped and analyzed microsatellite loci for a total of 238 wild boar specimens from ten locations across six countries in East and Southeast Asia. Results Our data indicated that wild boar populations in East Asia are genetically diverse and structured, showing a significant correlation of genetic distance with geographic distance and implying a low level of gene flow at a regional scale. Bayesian-based clustering analysis was indicative of seven inferred genetic clusters in which wild boars in East Asia are geographically structured. The level of genetic diversity was relatively high in wild boars from Southeast Asia, compared with those from Northeast Asia. This gradient pattern of genetic diversity is consistent with an assumed ancestral population of wild boar in Southeast Asia. Genetic evidences from a relationship tree and structure analysis suggest that wild boar in Jeju Island, South Korea have a distinct genetic background from those in mainland Korea. Conclusions Our results reveal a diverse pattern of genetic diversity and the existence of genetic differentiation among wild boar populations inhabiting East Asia. This study highlights the potential contribution of genetic variation of wild boar to the high genetic diversity of local domestic pigs during domestication in East Asia. PMID:25034725

Relative Travel Time Tomography for East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, S. J.; CHO, S.

2016-12-01

Japan island region is one of the most seismically active region in the world. As a large number of earthquakes have recently occurred along circum-Pacific belt called the ring of fire, concern over earthquakes is increasing in South Korea close to Japan. In this study, we perform seismic imaging based on relative S-wave travel-times to examine S-wave velocity upper mantle structure of East Asia. We used teleseismic events recorded at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) network and F-net network operated by the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED). Relative travel-time residuals were obtained by a multi-channel cross-correlation method designed to automatically determine accurate relative phase arrival times. The resulting images show high-velocity anomalies along East and South side of Japan island region. These anomalies may indicate subducting Pacific and Philippine Sea plates, respectively. The velocity structure beneath southwest Japan is revealed very complex because the two slabs interact with each other there. Velocity structure of East Asia is useful to understand the tectonic evolution and the mechanism of earthquakes that occur in this region.

Asia Federation Report on International Symposium on Grid Computing (ISGC) 2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grey, Francois; Lin, Simon C.

This report provides an overview of developments in the Asia-Pacific region, based on presentations made at the International Symposium on Grid Computing 2010 (ISGC 2010), held 5-12 March at Academia Sinica, Taipei. The document includes a brief overview of the EUAsiaGrid project as well as progress reports by representatives of 13 Asian countries presented at ISGC 2010. In alphabetical order, these are: Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Genetic counseling/consultation in South-East Asia: a report from the workshop at the 10th Asia pacific conference on human genetics.

PubMed

Zayts, Olga; Sarangi, Srikant; Thong, Meow-Keong; Chung, Brian Hon-yin; Lo, Ivan Fao-man; Kan, Anita Sik-yau; Lee, Juliana Mei-har; Padilla, Carmencita David; Cutiongco-de la Paz, Eva Maria; Faradz, Sultana M H; Wasant, Pornswan

2013-12-01

This paper reports on the workshop 'Genetic Counseling/Consultations in South-East Asia' at the 10(th) Asia Pacific Conference on Human Genetics in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in December 2012. The workshop brought together professionals and language/communication scholars from South-East Asia, and the UK. The workshop aimed at addressing culture- and context-specific genetic counseling/consultation practices in South-East Asia. As a way of contextualizing genetic counseling/consultation in South-East Asia, we first offer an overview of communication-oriented research generally, drawing attention to consultation and counseling as part of a communicative continuum with distinctive interactional features. We then provide examples of genetic counseling/consultation research in Hong Kong. As other countries in South-East Asia have not yet embarked on communication-oriented empirical research, we report on the current practices of genetic counseling/consultation in these countries in order to identify similarities and differences as well as key obstacles that could be addressed through future research. Three issues emerged as 'problematic': language, religion and culture. We suggest that communication-oriented research can provide a starting point for evidence-based reflections on how to incorporate a counseling mentality in genetic consultation. To conclude, we discuss the need for creating a platform for targeted training of genetic counselors based on communication-oriented research findings.

Antenatal Depression in East Asia: A Review of the Literature

PubMed Central

Schatz, David Beck; Liu, Chia-Yih

2012-01-01

This current study's goal is to summarize the literature regarding Antenatal Depression (AD) in the East Asian countries of Taiwan, China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Japan, and Korea. The main search utilized a Pub med Chinese Electronic Periodical Service (CEPS) literature review using keywords 'AD', and 'Prenatal Depression' with searches for 'Japan', 'Korea', 'Taiwan', 'Hong Kong' and Macau'. The rates of AD in East Asia appear to be relatively close to those in the Western literature, although certain studies showed slightly decreased rates. Many of the risk factors for AD were the same in the Eastern and Western literature. These risk factors included demographic factors such as younger age, smoking, low education and income, and unemployment. Other risk factors were physical symptoms such as menstrual pains and nausea. Finally, psychological factors such as a poor response to the pregnancy, poor spousal support, and poor family support were associated with AD. With regard to treatment, there were no studies examining the administration of psychotropic medications for AD. The literature from East Asia both confirmed many Western findings and made unique contributions to the literature on AD. The treatment of AD in East Asia appears to be an entity which, despite its morbidity, has not been adequately studied. PMID:22707960

Outdoor Adventure Education in East Asia: Interpreting Data from Outward Bound Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sibthorp, Jim; Funnell, Aaron; Riley, Mike; Chan, Bacon; Meerts-Brandsma, Lisa

2018-01-01

Outdoor adventure education (OAE) is philosophically rooted in Western values, yet it has been implemented in non-Western cultures, such as East Asia. This paper examines how OAE functions in East Asia, through data from Hong Kong. Although some cultural differences are clear, there is no compelling evidence that OAE cannot provide benefits in…

Regimes of Diurnal Variation of Summer Rainfall over Subtropical East Asia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yuan W.; Lin W.; Yu, R.

2012-05-01

Using hourly rain gauge records and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission 3B42 from 1998 to 2006, the authors present an analysis of the diurnal characteristics of summer rainfall over subtropical East Asia. The study shows that there are four different regimes of distinct diurnal variation of rainfall in both the rain gauge and the satellite data. They are located over the Tibetan Plateau with late-afternoon and midnight peaks, in the western China plain with midnight to early-morning peaks, in the eastern China plain with double peaks in late afternoon and early morning, and over the East China Sea with an early-morningmore » peak. No propagation of diurnal phases is found from the land to the ocean across the coastlines. The different diurnal regimes are highly correlated with the inhomogeneous underlying surface, such as the plateau, plain, and ocean, with physical mechanisms consistent with the large-scale 'mountain-valley' and 'land-sea' breezes and convective instability. These diurnal characteristics over subtropical East Asia can be used as diagnostic metrics to evaluate the physical parameterization and hydrological cycle of climate models over East Asia.« less

Sub-seasonal prediction over East Asia during boreal summer using the ECCC monthly forecasting system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Ping; Lin, Hai

2018-02-01

A useful sub-seasonal forecast is of great societal and economical value in the highly populated East Asian region, especially during boreal summer when frequent extreme events such as heat waves and persistent heavy rainfalls occur. Despite recent interest and development in sub-seasonal prediction, it is still unclear how skillful dynamical forecasting systems are in East Asia beyond 2 weeks. In this study we evaluate the sub-seasonal prediction over East Asia during boreal summer in the operational monthly forecasting system of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).Results show that the climatological intra-seasonal oscillation (CISO) of East Asian summer monsoonis reasonably well captured. Statistically significant forecast skill of 2-meter air temperature (T2m) is achieved for all lead times up to week 4 (days 26-32) over East China and Northeast Asia, which is consistent with the skill in 500 hPa geopotential height (Z500). Significant forecast skill of precipitation, however, is limited to the week of days 5-11. Possible sources of predictability on the sub-seasonal time scale are analyzed. The weekly mean T2m anomaly over East China is found to be linked to an eastward propagating extratropical Rossby wave from the North Atlantic across Europe to East Asia. The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) and El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are also likely to influence the forecast skill of T2m at the sub-seasonal timescale over East Asia.

Distinct subtype distribution and somatic mutation spectrum of lymphomas in East Asia.

PubMed

Ren, Weicheng; Li, Wei; Ye, Xiaofei; Liu, Hui; Pan-Hammarström, Qiang

2017-07-01

Here, we give an updated overview of the subtype distribution of lymphomas in East Asia and also present the genome sequencing data on two major subtypes of these tumors. The distribution of lymphoma types/subtypes among East Asian countries is very similar, with a lower proportion of B-cell malignancies and a higher proportion of T/natural killer (NK)-cell lymphomas as compared to Western populations. Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma is more frequently observed in East Asia, whereas follicular lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, are proportionally lower. The incidence rate of lymphoma subtypes in Asians living in the US was generally intermediate to the general rate in US and Asia, suggesting that both genetic and environmental factors may underlie the geographical variations observed.Key cancer driver mutations have been identified in Asian patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma or extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma through genome sequencing. A distinct somatic mutation profile has also been observed in Chinese diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients. The incidence and distribution of lymphoma subtypes differed significantly between patients from East Asia and Western countries, suggesting subtype-specific etiologic mechanisms. Further studies on the mechanism underlying these geographical variations may give new insights into our understanding of lymphomagenesis.

Impact of EASMs on Precipitation over North East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, A.; Park, R. S.; Kwon, Y. C.; Hong, S. Y.

2017-12-01

East Asian Summer Monsoons (EASMs) are the most important climate systems of Indo-China, the Philippines, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan due to their high impact on precipitation pattern. On the other hands, EASMs are tightly affected by El Nino which is the longer-term climate variable. In this talk, impacts of El Niño on East Asian Summer Monsoons (EASMs) in recent decades will be discussed because effects of each El Niños in recent decades are unique. Over the North East Asia, the significant high rain was observed during 2013 summer monsoon, which is a non-El Nino year, while the weak precipitation was characterized during 2014, which is a border-line El Nino year with SST higher than the threshold value over all the Niño regions. Simulation of monsoons by the Global/Regional Integrated Model Systems (GRIMs) with 0.25o horizontal resolution shows that the warming over the West Pacific causes a dry season over North East Asia. This study also takes a new approach based on the satellite data to reduce the hydrometeors amount in the model. We will discuss the matter in detail in the talk.

Ecological and meteorological drought monitoring in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, J. B.; Um, M. J.; Kim, Y.; Chae, Y.

2016-12-01

This study aims to how well the ecological drought index can capture the drought status in the East Asia. We estimated the drought severe index (DSI), which uses the evapotranspiration, potential evapotranspiration and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), suggested by Mu et al. (2013) to define the ecological drought. In addition, the meteorological drought index, which is standardized precipitation and evapotranspiration index (SPEI), are estimated and compared to the DSI. The satellite data by moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) and advanced very-high-resolution radiometer (AVHRR) are used to analyze the DSI and the monthly precipitation and temperature data in the climate research unit (CRU) are applied to estimate the SPEI for 2000-2013 in the East Asia. We conducted the statistical analyses to investigate the drought characteristics of the ecological and meteorological drought indices (i.e. the DSI and SPEI, respectively) and then compared those characteristics drought indices depending on the drought status. We found the DSI did not well captured the drought status when the categories originally suggested by Mu et al. (2013) are applied to divide the drought status in the study area. Consequently, the modified categories for the DSI in this study is suggested and then applied to define the drought status. The modified categories in this study show the great improvement to capture the drought status in the East Asia even though the results cannot be acquired around Taklamakan desert due to the lack of the satellite data. These results illustrate the ecological drought index, such as the DSI, can be applied for the monitoring of the drought in the East Asia and then can give the detailed information of drought status because the satellite data have the relatively high spatial resolutions compared to the observations such as the CRU data. Reference Mu Q, Zhao M, Kimball JS, McDowell NG, Running SW (2013) A remotely sensed global

Language Education Policy and Practice in East and Southeast Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirkpatrick, Andy; Liddicoat, Anthony J.

2017-01-01

East and Southeast Asia represents a linguistically and culturally diverse region. For example, more than 700 languages are spoken in Indonesia alone. It is against this backdrop of diversity that the ten countries that comprise Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) have recently signed the ASEAN Charter which, while calling for respect…

Monitoring and Modeling the Tibetan Plateau's climate system and its impact on East Asia.

PubMed

Ma, Yaoming; Ma, Weiqiang; Zhong, Lei; Hu, Zeyong; Li, Maoshan; Zhu, Zhikun; Han, Cunbo; Wang, Binbin; Liu, Xin

2017-03-13

The Tibetan Plateau is an important water source in Asia. As the "Third Pole" of the Earth, the Tibetan Plateau has significant dynamic and thermal effects on East Asian climate patterns, the Asian monsoon process and atmospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere. However, little systematic knowledge is available regarding the changing climate system of the Tibetan Plateau and the mechanisms underlying its impact on East Asia. This study was based on "water-cryosphere-atmosphere-biology" multi-sphere interactions, primarily considering global climate change in relation to the Tibetan Plateau -East Asia climate system and its mechanisms. This study also analyzed the Tibetan Plateau to clarify global climate change by considering multi-sphere energy and water processes. Additionally, the impacts of climate change in East Asia and the associated impact mechanisms were revealed, and changes in water cycle processes and water conversion mechanisms were studied. The changes in surface thermal anomalies, vegetation, local circulation and the atmospheric heat source on the Tibetan Plateau were studied, specifically, their effects on the East Asian monsoon and energy balance mechanisms. Additionally, the relationships between heating mechanisms and monsoon changes were explored.

Education Indicators for East Asia and Pacific.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acedo, Clementina; Uemura, Mitsue

This set of education indicators for the World Bank's East Asia and Pacific Region is designed to provide key policy-oriented data for World Bank staff and clients. The framework is divided into six main chapters: (1) the demographic, social and economic context of education; (2) financial and human resources invested in education; (3) access to…

Radiative absorption enhancement of dust mixed with anthropogenic pollution over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Pengfei; Zhang, Lei; Ma, Jianmin; Tang, Kai; Xu, Lili; Wang, Yuan; Cao, Xianjie; Liang, Jiening; Ji, Yuemeng; Jiang, Jonathan H.; Yung, Yuk L.; Zhang, Renyi

2018-06-01

The particle mixing state plays a significant yet poorly quantified role in aerosol radiative forcing, especially for the mixing of dust (mineral absorbing) and anthropogenic pollution (black carbon absorbing) over East Asia. We have investigated the absorption enhancement of mixed-type aerosols over East Asia by using the Aerosol Robotic Network observations and radiative transfer model calculations. The mixed-type aerosols exhibit significantly enhanced absorbing ability than the corresponding unmixed dust and anthropogenic aerosols, as revealed in the spectral behavior of absorbing aerosol optical depth, single scattering albedo, and imaginary refractive index. The aerosol radiative efficiencies for the dust, mixed-type, and anthropogenic aerosols are -101.0, -112.9, and -98.3 Wm-2 τ-1 at the bottom of the atmosphere (BOA); -42.3, -22.5, and -39.8 Wm-2 τ-1 at the top of the atmosphere (TOA); and 58.7, 90.3, and 58.5 Wm-2 τ-1 in the atmosphere (ATM), respectively. The BOA cooling and ATM heating efficiencies of the mixed-type aerosols are significantly higher than those of the unmixed aerosol types over the East Asia region, resulting in atmospheric stabilization. In addition, the mixed-type aerosols correspond to a lower TOA cooling efficiency, indicating that the cooling effect by the corresponding individual aerosol components is partially counteracted. We conclude that the interaction between dust and anthropogenic pollution not only represents a viable aerosol formation pathway but also results in unfavorable dispersion conditions, both exacerbating the regional air pollution in East Asia. Our results highlight the necessity to accurately account for the mixing state of aerosols in atmospheric models over East Asia in order to better understand the formation mechanism for regional air pollution and to assess its impacts on human health, weather, and climate.

JPRS Report. East Asia, Southeast Asia, Vietnam: Tap Chi Cong San, No. 12, December 1989.

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-07-17

Vietnamese No 12 , Dec 89 pp 33-36 [Article by Nguyen Van Truong, high-level economic specialist ] [Text] Implementing the resolutions of the CPV [Com...Approved far public release; IJifttributioa Unlimited East Asia Southeast Asia Vietnam: TAP CHI CONG SAN No 12 , December 1989 KHC QUALITY...TAP CHI CONG SAN No 12 , December 1989 JPRS-ATC-90-006 CONTENTS 17 July 1990 [This report is a translation of the table of contents and selected

Aerosol impacts on climate and environment over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakata, M.; Sano, I.; Mukai, S.

2014-12-01

It is well known that the aerosol distribution in East Asia is complex due to both the increasing emissions of the anthropogenic aerosols associated with economic growth and the behavior of natural dusts. Therefore, detailed observations of atmospheric particles in East Asian are important. It is concerned about the change of concentration of aerosols causes various effects on the climate by directly and indirectly modifying the optical properties and lifetimes of cloud. In addition to radiation budget change, aerosol has a significant potential to change cloud and precipitation. These circulation fields change influence on emission of natural aerosols such as dust aerosols and sea salt aerosols. Also, air pollution in megacities in East Asia has become a serious problem. Especially problematic are fine particles called PM2.5, whose diameter is 2.5 mm or less. Particulate matter (PM) pollution as indicated by high PM2.5 readings will cause a spike in the mortality rate of patients suffering from heart and lung diseases. Because fine particles are much smaller than inhalable coarse particles, the can penetrate deeper into the lungs and cause more severe effects on human health. Anthropogenic sources of PM2.5 include automobiles, factories, coal-burning power plants, and heaters in homes. It is well known that the size of dust particles decreases during long-range transport via westerly winds, and the resulting dust storms can contain high concentrations of fine particles. Accordingly, PM2.5 concentrations correspond well to both anthropogenic and dust aerosols. This work intends to investigate impacts of aerosol on regional climate change and environment over East Asia using observations and model simulations.

Collaboration in Cultural Heritage Digitisation in East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Hyuk-Jin

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review the current status of collaboration in cultural heritage preservation in East Asia, including digital projects, and to suggest practical improvements based on a cultural structuralism perspective. Design/methodology/approach: Through exploratory research, the paper addresses aspects for successful…

Education in South-East Asia. Oxford Studies in Comparative Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brock, Colin, Ed.; Symaco, Lorraine Pe, Ed.

2011-01-01

This book on education in South-East Asia is the very first of its kind to comprehensively cover and discuss the education systems and issues in all the countries in the region--the ten member nations of the Association of South-East Asian nations (ASEAN) plus Timor Leste. The eleven chapters on country case studies are written by education…

Impact of the Dominant Large-scale Teleconnections on Winter Temperature Variability over East Asia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lim, Young-Kwon; Kim, Hae-Dong

2013-01-01

Monthly mean geopotential height for the past 33 DJF seasons archived in Modern Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications reanalysis is decomposed into the large-scale teleconnection patterns to explain their impacts on winter temperature variability over East Asia. Following Arctic Oscillation (AO) that explains the largest variance, East Atlantic/West Russia (EA/WR), West Pacific (WP) and El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) are identified as the first four leading modes that significantly explain East Asian winter temperature variation. While the northern part of East Asia north of 50N is prevailed by AO and EA/WR impacts, temperature in the midlatitudes (30N-50N), which include Mongolia, northeastern China, Shandong area, Korea, and Japan, is influenced by combined effect of the four leading teleconnections. ENSO impact on average over 33 winters is relatively weaker than the impact of the other three teleconnections. WP impact, which has received less attention than ENSO in earlier studies, characterizes winter temperatures over Korea, Japan, and central to southern China region south of 30N mainly by advective process from the Pacific. Upper level wave activity fluxes reveal that, for the AO case, the height and circulation anomalies affecting midlatitude East Asian winter temperature is mainly located at higher latitudes north of East Asia. Distribution of the fluxes also explains that the stationary wave train associated with EA/WR propagates southeastward from the western Russia, affecting the East Asian winter temperature. Investigation on the impact of each teleconnection for the selected years reveals that the most dominant teleconnection over East Asia is not the same at all years, indicating a great deal of interannual variability. Comparison in temperature anomaly distributions between observation and temperature anomaly constructed using the combined effect of four leading teleconnections clearly show a reasonable consistency between

A modeling study of the effects of aerosols on clouds and precipitation over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiaodong; Xie, Xiaoning; Yin, Zhi-Yong; Liu, Changhai; Gettelman, Andrew

2011-12-01

The National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Atmosphere Model (version 3.5) coupled with the Morrison-Gettelman two-moment cloud microphysics scheme is employed to simulate the aerosol effects on clouds and precipitation in two numerical experiments, one representing present-day conditions (year 2000) and the other the pre-industrial conditions (year 1750) over East Asia by considering both direct and indirect aerosol effects. To isolate the aerosol effects, we used the same set of boundary conditions and only altered the aerosol emissions in both experiments. The simulated results show that the cloud microphysical properties are markedly affected by the increase in aerosols, especially for the column cloud droplet number concentration (DNC), liquid water path (LWP), and the cloud droplet effective radius (DER). With increased aerosols, DNC and LWP have been increased by 137% and 28%, respectively, while DER is reduced by 20%. Precipitation rates in East Asia and East China are reduced by 5.8% and 13%, respectively, by both the aerosol's second indirect effect and the radiative forcing that enhanced atmospheric stability associated with the aerosol direct and first indirect effects. The significant reduction in summer precipitation in East Asia is also consistent with the weakening of the East Asian summer monsoon, resulting from the decreasing thermodynamic contrast between the Asian landmass and the surrounding oceans induced by the aerosol's radiative effects. The increase in aerosols reduces the surface net shortwave radiative flux over the East Asia landmass, which leads to the reduction of the land surface temperature. With minimal changes in the sea surface temperature, hence, the weakening of the East Asian summer monsoon further enhances the reduction of summer precipitation over East Asia.

Validation of YCAR algorithm over East Asia TCCON sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, W.; Kim, J.; Jung, Y.; Lee, H.; Goo, T. Y.; Cho, C. H.; Lee, S.

2016-12-01

In order to reduce the retrieval error of TANSO-FTS column averaged CO2 concentration (XCO2) induced by aerosol, we develop the Yonsei university CArbon Retrieval (YCAR) algorithm using aerosol information from TANSO-Cloud and Aerosol Imager (TANSO-CAI), providing simultaneous aerosol optical depth properties for the same geometry and optical path along with the FTS. Also we validate the retrieved results using ground-based TCCON measurement. Particularly this study first utilized the measurements at Anmyeondo, the only TCCON site located in South Korea, which can improve the quality of validation in East Asia. After the post screening process, YCAR algorithms have higher data availability by 33 - 85 % than other operational algorithms (NIES, ACOS, UoL). Although the YCAR algorithm has higher data availability, regression analysis with TCCON measurements are better or similar to other algorithms; Regression line of YCAR algorithm is close to linear identity function with RMSE of 2.05, bias of - 0.86 ppm. According to error analysis, retrieval error of YCAR algorithm is 1.394 - 1.478 ppm at East Asia. In addition, spatio-temporal sampling error of 0.324 - 0.358 ppm for each single sounding retrieval is also analyzed with Carbon Tracker - Asia data. These results of error analysis reveal the reliability and accuracy of latest version of our YCAR algorithm. Both XCO2 values retrieved using YCAR algorithm on TANSO-FTS and TCCON measurements show the consistent increasing trend about 2.3 - 2.6 ppm per year. Comparing to the increasing rate of global background CO2 amount measured in Mauna Loa, Hawaii (2 ppm per year), the increasing trend in East Asia shows about 30% higher trend due to the rapid increase of CO2 emission from the source region.

Monitoring and Modeling the Tibetan Plateau’s climate system and its impact on East Asia

PubMed Central

Ma, Yaoming; Ma, Weiqiang; Zhong, Lei; Hu, Zeyong; Li, Maoshan; Zhu, Zhikun; Han, Cunbo; Wang, Binbin; Liu, Xin

2017-01-01

The Tibetan Plateau is an important water source in Asia. As the “Third Pole” of the Earth, the Tibetan Plateau has significant dynamic and thermal effects on East Asian climate patterns, the Asian monsoon process and atmospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere. However, little systematic knowledge is available regarding the changing climate system of the Tibetan Plateau and the mechanisms underlying its impact on East Asia. This study was based on “water-cryosphere-atmosphere-biology” multi-sphere interactions, primarily considering global climate change in relation to the Tibetan Plateau -East Asia climate system and its mechanisms. This study also analyzed the Tibetan Plateau to clarify global climate change by considering multi-sphere energy and water processes. Additionally, the impacts of climate change in East Asia and the associated impact mechanisms were revealed, and changes in water cycle processes and water conversion mechanisms were studied. The changes in surface thermal anomalies, vegetation, local circulation and the atmospheric heat source on the Tibetan Plateau were studied, specifically, their effects on the East Asian monsoon and energy balance mechanisms. Additionally, the relationships between heating mechanisms and monsoon changes were explored. PMID:28287648

Scientific publications in anesthesiology journals from East Asia: a 10-year survey of the literature.

PubMed

Li, Zhi; Qiu, Li-Xin; Wu, Fei-Xiang; Yang, Li-Qun; Sun, Yu-Ming; Yu, Wei-Feng

2011-04-01

The scientific publications in anesthesiology research from East Asian authors have not been reported yet. The present study was designed to analyze the contribution of articles from East Asia to anesthesiology research. Articles published in 17 journals in anesthesiology originating from Japan, China, and South Korea from 2000 to 2009 were retrieved from the PubMed database and Web of Science. From 2000 to 2009, there were 3,076 articles published from East Asia. During this period, there were a notable decrease in publications from Japan and modest increases in publications from both China and South Korea. The average 5-year impact factor of the published articles was similar among the three regions, and China had the highest average number of citations to each article. Anesthesia & Analgesia published more articles than any other journal from all three regions. Our analysis showed that Japan was the most productive region in East Asia, but there was a notable decrease in publications from Japan in 2000-2009. The impact factor of the articles suggests similar levels of scholarship. Anesthesia & Analgesia was the most popular journal in East Asia.

Paternal Genetic Structure of Hainan Aborigines Isolated at the Entrance to East Asia

PubMed Central

Li, Dongna; Li, Hui; Ou, Caiying; Lu, Yan; Sun, Yuantian; Yang, Bo; Qin, Zhendong; Zhou, Zhenjian; Li, Shilin; Jin, Li

2008-01-01

Background At the southern entrance to East Asia, early population migration has affected most of the Y-chromosome variations of East Asians. Methodology/Principal Findings To assess the isolated genetic structure of Hainan Island and the original genetic structure at the southern entrance, we studied the Y chromosome diversity of 405 Hainan Island aborigines from all the six populations, who have little influence of the recent mainland population relocations and admixtures. Here we report that haplogroups O1a* and O2a* are dominant among Hainan aborigines. In addition, the frequency of the mainland dominant haplogroup O3 is quite low among these aborigines, indicating that they have lived rather isolated. Clustering analyses suggests that the Hainan aborigines have been segregated since about 20 thousand years ago, after two dominant haplogroups entered East Asia (31 to 36 thousand years ago). Conclusions/Significance Our results suggest that Hainan aborigines have been isolated at the entrance to East Asia for about 20 thousand years, whose distinctive genetic characteristics could be used as important controls in many population genetic studies. PMID:18478090

Rapid Decline in Carbon Monoxide Emissions and Export from East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, B.; Chevallier, F.; Ciais, P.; Yin, Y.; Wang, Y.; Zhang, Q.; He, K.

2017-12-01

MOPITT satellite- and ground-based measurements both suggest of a widespread downward trend in CO concentrations over East Asia during the period 2005-2016. This negative trend is inconsistent with bottom-up inventories of CO emissions, which show a small increase or stable emissions in this region, except for the Multi-resolution Emission Inventory for China (MEIC). We try to reconcile the observed CO trend with emission inventories using an inversion of the MOPITT CO data that provides emissions from primary sources, secondary CO production, and chemical sinks of CO. We find that the decreasing trend of -0.41% yr-1 for CO column concentrations over East Asia is mainly due to a -2.51% yr-1 decrease in emissions from primary sources over this region, or a cumulative decline of -32% from 2005 to 2016. This emission decrease is enough to counterbalance the effect of rising concentrations of CH4 in East Asia, that increase the secondary CO formation at a rate of 1.56% yr-1, according to our multispecies inversion. The reducing emissions are mainly contributed by China. The MEIC inventory is the only one to be consistent with the inversion-diagnosed regional decrease of CO emissions. According to this inventory, decreased CO emissions from four main sectors (iron and steel industries, residential sources, gasoline vehicles, and construction materials industries) in China explain 76% of the inversion-based trend of emissions from East Asia. This result suggests that global inventories underestimated the recent decrease of CO emission factors in China which occurred despite the increasing consumption of carbon-based fuels, and is driven by fast technological changes and emission control measures.

Model intra-comparison of transboundary sulfate loadings over springtime east Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goto, D.; Ohara, T.; Nakajima, T.; Takemura, T.; Kajino, M.; Dai, T.; Matsui, H.; Takami, A.; Hatakeyama, S.; Aoki, K.; Sugimoto, N.; Shimizu, A.

2013-12-01

Over east Asia, a spatial gradient of sulfate aerosols from source to outflow regions has not fully evaluated by simulations. In the present study, we executed a global aerosol-transport model (SPRINTARS) during April 2006 to investigate the spatial gradient of sulfate aerosols using multiple measurements including surface mass concentration, aerosol optical thickness, and vertical profiles of extinction coefficients for spherical particles. We also performed sensitivity experiments to estimate possible uncertainties of sulfate mass loadings caused by macrophysical processes; emission inventory, dynamic core, and spatial resolution. Among the experiments, although a difference in the surface sulfate mass concentrations over east Asia was large, none of the simulations in the present study as well as regional models reproduced the spatial gradient of the surface sulfate from the source over China to the outflow regions in Japan. The sensitivity of different macrophysical factors to the surface sulfate differs from that to sulfate loadings in the column especially in the marine boundary layers (MBL). Therefore, to properly simulate the transboundary air pollution over east Asia is required to use multiple measurements in both the source and outflow regions especially in the MBL during the polluted days.

Out of southern East Asia: the natural history of domestic dogs across the world

PubMed Central

Wang, Guo-Dong; Zhai, Weiwei; Yang, He-Chuan; Wang, Lu; Zhong, Li; Liu, Yan-Hu; Fan, Ruo-Xi; Yin, Ting-Ting; Zhu, Chun-Ling; Poyarkov, Andrei D; Irwin, David M; Hytönen, Marjo K; Lohi, Hannes; Wu, Chung-I; Savolainen, Peter; Zhang, Ya-Ping

2016-01-01

The origin and evolution of the domestic dog remains a controversial question for the scientific community, with basic aspects such as the place and date of origin, and the number of times dogs were domesticated, open to dispute. Using whole genome sequences from a total of 58 canids (12 gray wolves, 27 primitive dogs from Asia and Africa, and a collection of 19 diverse breeds from across the world), we find that dogs from southern East Asia have significantly higher genetic diversity compared to other populations, and are the most basal group relating to gray wolves, indicating an ancient origin of domestic dogs in southern East Asia 33 000 years ago. Around 15 000 years ago, a subset of ancestral dogs started migrating to the Middle East, Africa and Europe, arriving in Europe at about 10 000 years ago. One of the out of Asia lineages also migrated back to the east, creating a series of admixed populations with the endemic Asian lineages in northern China before migrating to the New World. For the first time, our study unravels an extraordinary journey that the domestic dog has traveled on earth. PMID:26667385

Out of southern East Asia: the natural history of domestic dogs across the world.

PubMed

Wang, Guo-Dong; Zhai, Weiwei; Yang, He-Chuan; Wang, Lu; Zhong, Li; Liu, Yan-Hu; Fan, Ruo-Xi; Yin, Ting-Ting; Zhu, Chun-Ling; Poyarkov, Andrei D; Irwin, David M; Hytönen, Marjo K; Lohi, Hannes; Wu, Chung-I; Savolainen, Peter; Zhang, Ya-Ping

2016-01-01

The origin and evolution of the domestic dog remains a controversial question for the scientific community, with basic aspects such as the place and date of origin, and the number of times dogs were domesticated, open to dispute. Using whole genome sequences from a total of 58 canids (12 gray wolves, 27 primitive dogs from Asia and Africa, and a collection of 19 diverse breeds from across the world), we find that dogs from southern East Asia have significantly higher genetic diversity compared to other populations, and are the most basal group relating to gray wolves, indicating an ancient origin of domestic dogs in southern East Asia 33 000 years ago. Around 15 000 years ago, a subset of ancestral dogs started migrating to the Middle East, Africa and Europe, arriving in Europe at about 10 000 years ago. One of the out of Asia lineages also migrated back to the east, creating a series of admixed populations with the endemic Asian lineages in northern China before migrating to the New World. For the first time, our study unravels an extraordinary journey that the domestic dog has traveled on earth.

Health and Climate Impacts of Ocean-Going Vessels in East Asia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Huan; Fu, Mingliang; Jin, Xinxin; Shang, Yi; Shindell, Drew; Faluvegi, Greg; Shindell, Cary; He, Kebin

2016-01-01

East Asia has the most rapidly growing shipping emissions of both CO2 and traditional air pollutants, but the least in-depth analysis. Full evaluation of all pollutants is needed to assess the impacts of shipping emissions. Here, using an advanced method based on detailed dynamic ship activity data, we show that shipping emissions in East Asia accounted for 16% of global shipping CO2 in 2013, compared to only 4-7% in 2002-2005. Increased emissions lead to large adverse health impacts, with 14,500-37,500 premature deaths per year. Global mean radiative forcing from East Asian shipping is initially negative, but would become positive after approximately eight years for constant current emissions. As a large fraction of vessels are registered elsewhere, joint efforts are necessary to reduce emissions and mitigate the climate and health impacts of shipping in the region.

Evaluation of biogenic emission flux and its impact on oxidants and inorganic aerosols in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, K. M.; Song, C. H.; Park, R. S.; Woo, J.; Kim, H.

2010-12-01

As a major precursor during the summer season, biogenic species are of primary importance in the ozone and SOAs (secondary organic aerosols) formations. Isoprene and mono-terpene also influence the level of inorganic aerosols (i.e. sulfate and nitrate) by controlling OH radicals. However, biogenic emission fluxes are highly uncertain in East Asia. While isoprene emission fluxes from the GEIA (Global Emissions Inventory Activity) and POET (Precursors of Ozone and their Effects in the Troposphere) inventories estimate approximately 20 Tg yr-1 in East Asia, those from the MEGAN (Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature) and MOHYCAN (MOdel for Hydrocarbon emissions by the CANopy) estimate approximately 10 Tg yr-1 and 5 Tg yr-1, respectively. In order to evaluate and/or quantify the magnitude of biogenic emission fluxes over East Asia, the tropospheric HCHO columns obtained from the GOME (Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment) observations were compared with the HCHO columns from the CMAQ (Community Multi-scale Air Quality) simulations over East Asia. In this study, US EPA Models-3/CMAQ v4.5.1 model simulation using the ACE-ASIA (Asia Pacific Regional Aerosol Characterization Experiment) emission inventory for anthropogenic pollutants and GEIA, POET, MEGAN, and MOHYCAN emission inventories for biogenic species was carried out in conjunction with the Meteorological fields generated from the PSU/NCAR MM5 (Pennsylvania state University/National Center for Atmospheric Research Meso-scale Model 5) model for the summer episodes of the year 2002. In addition to an evaluation of the biogenic emission flux, we investigated the impact of the uncertainty in biogenic emission inventory on inorganic aerosol formations and variations of oxidants (OH, O3, and H2O2) in East Asia. In this study, when the GEIA and POET emission inventories are used, the CMAQ-derived HCHO columns are highly overestimated over East Asia, particularly South China compared with GOME-derived HCHO

A(H5N1) Virus Evolution in South East Asia

PubMed Central

Gutiérrez, Ramona Alikiiteaga; Naughtin, Monica Jane; Horm, Srey Viseth; San, Sorn; Buchy, Philippe

2009-01-01

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus is an ongoing public health and socio-economic challenge, particularly in South East Asia. H5N1 is now endemic in poultry in many countries, and represents a major pandemic threat. Here, we describe the evolution of H5N1 virus in South East Asia, the reassortment events leading to high genetic diversity in the region, and factors responsible for virus spread. The virus has evolved with genetic variations affecting virulence, drug-resistance, and adaptation to new host species. The constant surveillance of these changes is of primary importance in the global efforts of the scientific community. PMID:21994553

State and change of Dryland East Asia (DEA)

Treesearch

Jiquan Chen; Ranjeet John; Guanghua Qiao; Ochirbat Batkhishig; Wenping Yuan; Yaoqi Zhang; Changliang Shao; Zutao Ouyang; Linghao Li; Ke Guo; Ge Sun

2013-01-01

Dry land East Asia (DEA) refers to a region with 4.81 million square kilometers (km²) and includes Mongolia and four provinces/regions in Northern China (hereafter called "administrative units" ): Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, and Xinjiang. This introduction chapter provides an overview of the DEA region from three perspectives: 1) geography,...

Challenging views on the peopling history of East Asia: the story according to HLA markers.

PubMed

Di, Da; Sanchez-Mazas, Alicia

2011-05-01

The peopling of East Asia by the first modern humans is strongly debated from a genetic point of view. A north-south genetic differentiation observed in this geographic area suggests different hypotheses on the origin of Northern East Asian (NEA) and Southern East Asian (SEA) populations. In this study, the highly polymorphic HLA markers were used to investigate East Asian genetic diversity. Our database covers a total of about 127,000 individuals belonging to 84 distinct Asian populations tested for HLA-A, -B, -C, -DPB1, and/or -DRB1 alleles. Many Chinese populations are represented, which have been sampled in the last 30 years but rarely taken into account in international research due to their data published in Chinese. By using different statistical methods, we found a significant correlation between genetics and geography and relevant genetic clines in East Asia. Additionally, HLA alleles appear to be unevenly distributed: some alleles observed in NEA populations are widespread at the global level, while some alleles observed in SEA populations are virtually unique in Asia. The HLA genetic variation in East Asia is also characterized by a decrease of diversity from north to south, although a reverse pattern appears when one only focuses on alleles restricted to Asia. These results reflect a more complex migration history than that illustrated by the "southern-origin" hypothesis, as genetic contribution of ancient human migrations through a northern route has probably been quite substantial. We thus suggest a new overlapping model where northward and southward opposite migrations occurring at different periods overlapped. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Letter from Seoul: Correspondence from the International Arts Education Symposium and the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aprill, Arnold; Schroeder-Yu, Gigi

2006-01-01

Arts educator Gigi Schroeder-Yu and Arnold Aprill arrived in Seoul, Korea to participate in the International Arts Education Symposium and in the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference that are part of the wind up for the pitch of the UNESCO World Conference on Arts Education to be held in Lisbon in March 2006. In this article, they reflect on their…

Do Atmospheric Rivers explain the extreme precipitation events over East Asia?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dairaku, K.; Nayak, S.

2017-12-01

Extreme precipitation events are now of serious concern due to their damaging societal impacts over last few decades. Thus, climate indices are widely used to identify and quantify variability and changes in particular aspects of the climate system, especially when considering extremes. In our study, we focus on few climate indices of annual precipitation extremes for the period 1979-2013 over East Asia to discuss some straightforward information and interpretation of certain aspects of extreme precipitation events that occur over the region. To do so, we first discuss different percentiles of precipitation and maximum length of wet spell with different thresholds from a regional climate model (NRAMS) simulation at 20km. Results indicate that the 99 percentile of precipitation events correspond to about 80mm/d over few regions of East Asia during 1979-2013 and maximum length of wet spell with minimum 20mm precipitation corresponds to about 10days (Figure 1). We then linked the extreme precipitation events with the intense moisture transport events associated with atmospheric rivers (ARs). The ARs are identified by computing the vertically integrated horizontal water vapor transport (IVT) between 1000hpa and 300hpa with IVT ≥ 250 kg/m/s and 2000 km minimum long. With this threshold and condition (set by previous research), our results indicate that some extreme propitiation events are associated with some ARs over East Asia, while some events are not associated with any ARs. Similarly, some ARs are associated with some extreme precipitation events, while some ARs are not associated with any events. Since the ARs are sensitive to the threshold and condition depending on region, so we will analyze the characteristics of ARs (frequency, duration, and annual variability) with different thresholds and discuss their relationship with extreme precipitation events over East Asia.

The East and Southeast Asia Initiatives: Aerosol Column Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsay, Si-Chee; Hsu, Christina N.; Li, Zhanqing

2003-01-01

Airborne dusts from northern China contribute a significant part of the air quality problem and, to some extent, regional climatic impact in Asia during spring- time. However, with the economical growth in China, increases in the emission of air pollutants generated from industrial and vehicular sources will not only impact the radiation balance, but adverse health effects to humans all year round. In addition, both of these dust and air pollution clouds can transport swiftly across the Pacific reaching North America within a few days, possessing an even larger scale effect. The Asian dust and air pollution aerosols can be detected by its colored appearance on current Earth observing satellites (e.g., MODIS, SeaWiFS, TOMS, etc.) and its evolution monitored by satellites and surface network. Biomass burning has been a regular practice for land clearing and land conversion in many countries, especially those in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. However, the unique climatology of Southeast Asia is very different than that of Africa and South America, such that large-scale biomass burning causes smoke to interact extensively with clouds during the peak-burning season of March to April. Significant global sources of greenhouse gases (e.g., CO2, CH4), chemically active gases (e.g., NO, CO, HC, CH3,Br), and atmospheric aerosols are produced by biomass burning processes. These gases influence the Earth- atmosphere system, impacting both global climate and tropospheric chemistry. Some aerosols can serve as cloud condensation nuclei, which play an important role in determining cloud lifetime and precipitation, hence, altering the earth's radiation and water budget. Biomass burning also affects the biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen and carbon compounds from the soil to the atmosphere; the hydrological cycle (i.e., run off and evaporation); land surface reflectivity and emissivity; as well as ecosystem biodiversity and stability. Two new initiatives, EAST-AIRE (East

Yellow fever, Asia and the East African slave trade.

PubMed

Cathey, John T; Marr, John S

2014-05-01

Yellow fever is endemic in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and South America, yet its principal vectors--species of mosquito of the genus Aedes--are found throughout tropical and subtropical latitudes. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that yellow fever originated in Africa and that its spread to the New World coincided with the slave trade, but why yellow fever has never appeared in Asia remains a mystery. None of several previously proposed explanations for its absence there is considered satisfactory. We contrast the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and trade across the Sahara and to the Arabian Peninsula and Mesopotamia, with that to Far East and Southeast Asian ports before abolition of the African slave trade, and before the scientific community understood the transmission vector of yellow fever and the viral life cycle, and the need for shipboard mosquito control. We propose that these differences in slave trading had a primary role in the avoidance of yellow fever transmission into Asia in the centuries before the 20(th) century. The relatively small volume of the Black African slave trade between Africa and East and Southeast Asia has heretofore been largely ignored. Although focal epidemics may have occurred, the volume was insufficient to reach the threshold for endemicity.

The burden of influenza in East and South-East Asia: a review of the English language literature.

PubMed

Simmerman, James M; Uyeki, Timothy M

2008-05-01

While human infections with avian influenza A (H5NI) viruses in Asia have prompted concerns about an influenza pandemic, the burden of human influenza in East and Southeast Asia has received far less attention. We conducted a review of English language articles on influenza in 18 countries in East and Southeast Asia published from 1980 to 2006 that were indexed on PubMed. Articles that described human influenza-associated illnesses among outpatients or hospitalized patients, influenza-associated deaths, or influenza-associated socioeconomic costs were reviewed. We found 35 articles from 9 countries that met criteria for inclusion in the review. The quality of articles varied substantially. Significant heterogeneity was noted in case definitions, sampling schemes and laboratory methods. Early studies relied on cell culture, had difficulties with specimen collection and handling, and reported a low burden of disease. The recent addition of PCR testing has greatly improved the proportion of respiratory illnesses diagnosed with influenza. These more recent studies reported that 11-26% of outpatient febrile illness and 6-14% of hospitalized pneumonia cases had laboratory-confirmed influenza infection. The influenza disease burden literature from East and Southeast Asia is limited but expanding. Recent studies using improved laboratory testing methods and indirect statistical approaches report a substantial burden of disease, similar to that of Europe and North America. Current increased international focus on influenza, coupled with unprecedented funding for surveillance and research, provide a unique opportunity to more comprehensively describe the burden of human influenza in the region.

Biogeography of Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in East and Southeast Asia

PubMed Central

Robert Liu, Fu-Guo; Tsaur, Shun-Chern; Huang, Hsiao-Ting

2015-01-01

The causes of high biological diversity in biodiversity hotspots have long been a major subject of study in conservation biology. To investigate this matter, we conducted a phylogeographic study of five Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae) species from East and Southeast Asia: Drosophila albomicans Duda, D. formosana Duda, D. immigrans Sturtevant, D. melanogaster Meigen, and D. simulans Sturtevant. We collected 185 samples from 28 localities in eight countries. From each collected individual, we sequenced the autosomal extra sex comb gene (esc) and seven mitochondrial genes, including nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrate-reductase dehydrogenase subunit 4 (ND4), ND4L, tRNA-His, tRNA-Pro, tRNA-Thr, partial ND5, and partial ND6. Phylogenetic analyses using maximum- likelihood and Bayesian methods revealed interesting population structure and identified the existence of two distinct D. formosana lineages (Southeast Asian and Taiwanese populations). Genetic differentiation among groups of D. immigrans suggests the possibility of endemic speciation in Taiwan. In contrast, D. melanogaster remained one extensively large population throughout East and Southeast Asia, including nearby islets. A molecular clock was used to estimate divergence times, which were compared with past geographical events to infer evolutionary scenarios. Our findings suggest that interglacial periods may have caused population isolation, thus enhancing population differentiation more strongly for some of the Drosophila species. The population structure of each Drosophila species in East and Southeast Asia has been influenced by past geographic events. PMID:26078303

Regional Modeling of Dust Mass Balance and Radiative Forcing over East Asia using WRF-Chem

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Siyu; Zhao, Chun; Qian, Yun

The Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) is used to investigate the seasonal and annual variations of mineral dust over East Asia during 2007-2011, with a focus on the dust mass balance and radiative forcing. A variety of measurements from in-stu and satellite observations have been used to evaluate simulation results. Generally, WRF-Chem reproduces not only the column variability but also the vertical profile and size distribution of mineral dust over and near the dust source regions of East Asia. We investigate the dust lifecycle and the factors that control the seasonal and spatial variations of dust massmore » balance and radiative forcing over the seven sub-regions of East Asia, i.e. source regions, the Tibetan Plateau, Northern China, Southern China, the ocean outflow region, and Korea-Japan regions. Results show that, over the source regions, transport and dry deposition are the two dominant sinks. Transport contributes to ~30% of the dust sink over the source regions. Dust results in a surface cooling of up to -14 and -10 W m-2, atmospheric warming of up to 20 and 15 W m-2, and TOA cooling of -5 and -8 W m-2 over the two major dust source regions of East Asia, respectively. Over the Tibetan Plateau, transport is the dominant source with a peak in summer. Over identified outflow regions, maximum dust mass loading in spring is contributed by the transport. Dry and wet depositions are the comparably dominant sinks, but wet deposition is larger than dry deposition over the Korea-Japan region, particularly in spring (70% versus 30%). The WRF-Chem simulations can generally capture the measured features of dust aerosols and its radaitve properties and dust mass balance over East Asia, which provides confidence for use in further investigation of dust impact on climate over East Asia.« less

Skin and subcutaneous infections in south-east Asia.

PubMed

Nor, Norazirah Md; Baseri, Mazlin M

2015-04-01

We reviewed current literature on four different skin and subcutaneous infections which are often touted as 'emerging diseases' of south-east Asia, namely melioidosis, penicilliosis, sporotrichosis and Mycobacterium marinum infection. Lack of consensus treatment guidelines, high treatment costs and limited investigative capability in certain endemic areas are among the challenges faced by managing physicians. With the increase in borderless travelling, it is hoped that this review will facilitate better understanding and heighten the clinical suspicion of such infections for clinicians in other parts of the world. An increasing number of cases of melioidosis and penicilliosis have been reported within and outside its endemic areas, but epidemiological data on sporotrichosis and M. marinum infections are still sparse. The clinical features of these infections remain historically unchanged and more disseminated infections are seen particularly amongst immunocompromised patients. Although tissue culture is still the gold standard, PCR provides more rapid and accurate diagnosis. Advances in therapeutics have improved outcome in certain diseases. The described spectrum of cutaneous infection in south-east Asia can be imported to other areas due to increases in worldwide travel. Clinicians from other parts of the world should be aware of the common presentations of these diseases.

Nation, Face, and Identity: An Initial Investigation of National Face in East Asia

PubMed Central

Chen, Rong; Hwang, Kwang-Kuo

2016-01-01

This research investigates a key concept in East Asia, face, and represents the first attempt to empirically examine the concept of face at the national level. Controlling for the level of national identification, Study 1 employed the scenario experiment method among samples of native Chinese and Taiwanese populations and revealed that national face exhibits patterns reverse of personal face. Using the experimental method, Study 2 replicated the findings of Study 1 and provided support for the different mechanisms underneath national face and personal face. Study 3 replicated the findings of Study 2 and additionally showed that national face exerts a significant inhibitory effect on face process. Findings are discussed in terms of possible implications for intergroup and international relations. Expanding on extant scholarship on face and across three studies with different experimental paradigms, this research turns our attention from face at the personal level to face at the national level by introducing the construct of national face and examining its manifestations in East Asia. The results advance our understanding of the psychological mechanism driving face concern in East Asia. They make a strong and unique case for the psychological existence of national face as an empirically distinct construct and an important psychological resource for East Asians. PMID:27774081

The Quest for an Entrepreneurial University in East Asia: Impact on Academics and Administrators in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mok, Ka Ho

2013-01-01

In the last decade, universities in East Asia have taken knowledge transfer more seriously, especially when the state funding for higher education was reduced while other private funding sources were diversified. Universities in East Asia collaborate with the industrial and business sectors on projects related to research, development, and…

Iran's Relations to the East: Nonproliferation and Regional Security in a Changing Southwest Asia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tehsin, Muhammad

This study attempts to answer the following questions: would a successful JPOA result in nuclear nonproliferation and regional security in Southwest Asia; and could the Middle East and South Asia work together to contain the threat of Salafi jihadism?

Plate tectonic reconstruction of South and East Asia since 43 Ma using seismic tomographic constraints: role of the subducted ';East Asia Sea' (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, J. E.; Suppe, J.; Renqi, L.; Kanda, R. V.

2013-12-01

Lithosphere that subducts at convergent plate boundaries provides a potentially decipherable plate tectonic record. In this study we use global seismic tomography to map subducted slabs in the upper and lower mantle under South and East Asia to constrain plate reconstructions. The mapped slabs include the Pacific, the Indian Ocean and Banda Sea, the Molucca Sea, Celebes Sea, the Philippine Sea and Eurasia, New Guinea and other lower mantle detached slabs. The mapped slabs were restored to the earth surface and used with Gplates software to constrain a globally-consistent, fully animated plate reconstruction of South and East Asia. Three principal slab elements dominate possible plate reconstructions: [1] The mapped Pacific slabs near the Izu-Bonin and the Marianas trenches form a subvertical slab curtain or wall extending down to 1500 km in the lower mantle. The ';slab curtain' geometry and restored slabs lengths indicate that the Pacific subduction zone has remained fixed within +/- 250 km of its present position since ~43 Ma. In contrast, the Tonga Pacific slab curtain records at least 1000 km trench rollback associated with expansion of back-arc basins. [2] West of the Pacific slab curtain, a set of flat slabs exist in the lower mantle and record a major 8000km by 2500-3000km ocean that existed at ~43 Ma. This now-subducted ocean, which we call the ';East Asian Sea', existed between the Ryukyu Asian margin and the Lord Howe hotspot, present-day eastern Australia, and fills a major gap in Cenozoic plate reconstructions between Indo-Australia, the Pacific Ocean and Asia. [3] An observed ';picture puzzle' fit between the restored edges of the Philippine Sea, Molucca Sea and Indian Ocean slabs suggests that the Philippine Sea was once part of a larger Indo-Australian Ocean. Previous models of Philippine Sea plate motions are in conflict with the location of the East Asian Sea lithosphere. Using the mapped slab constraints, we propose the following 43 Ma to 0 plate

Occurrence of and risk factors for Strongyloides stercoralis infection in South-East Asia.

PubMed

Schär, Fabian; Giardina, Federica; Khieu, Virak; Muth, Sinuon; Vounatsou, Penelope; Marti, Hanspeter; Odermatt, Peter

2016-07-01

The soil-transmitted nematode, Strongyloides stercoralis is one of the most-neglected of all neglected tropical diseases. It is globally distributed, favouring the humid, wet climates of the tropics and subtropics. Inadequate sanitary conditions promote the spread of S. stercoralis infection. In South-East Asia, many countries provide the ideal ecological and economic setting for high S. stercoralis infection rates. Yet, in most of these countries, little is known about the actual prevalence and distribution of S. stercoralis. One reason for this lack of knowledge pertains to the time- and resource-intensive diagnostic methods used to detect S. stercoralis infection. The Koga Agar culture method and the Baermann method are considered to be the best coprological diagnostic methods for field settings today. Both detect the parasite with high sensitivity. This sensitivity can be increased further by examining stool samples for several consecutive days, thereby increasing the chances of detecting low-intensity chronic infections. Diagnostic challenges, however, lead to the omission of S. stercoralis in studies of soil-transmitted helminths and few studies focus on S. stercoralis, specifically. These factors lead to an underreporting of the nematode's prevalence, not only in South-East Asia but worldwide. We have reviewed the scientific literature of the last 25 years and estimated country-wide prevalence rates for South-East Asia. We aim to summarise what is known today about the prevalence of S. stercoralis in South-East Asia, as well as to ascertain the risk factors and diagnostic methods most commonly applied. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ancient inland human dispersals from Myanmar into interior East Asia since the Late Pleistocene.

PubMed

Li, Yu-Chun; Wang, Hua-Wei; Tian, Jiao-Yang; Liu, Li-Na; Yang, Li-Qin; Zhu, Chun-Ling; Wu, Shi-Fang; Kong, Qing-Peng; Zhang, Ya-Ping

2015-03-26

Given the existence of plenty of river valleys connecting Southeast and East Asia, it is possible that some inland route(s) might have been adopted by the initial settlers to migrate into the interior of East Asia. Here we analyzed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) HVS variants of 845 newly collected individuals from 14 Myanmar populations and 5,907 published individuals from 115 populations from Myanmar and its surroundings. Enrichment of basal lineages with the highest genetic diversity in Myanmar suggests that Myanmar was likely one of the differentiation centers of the early modern humans. Intriguingly, some haplogroups were shared merely between Myanmar and southwestern China, hinting certain genetic connection between both regions. Further analyses revealed that such connection was in fact attributed to both recent gene flow and certain ancient dispersals from Myanmar to southwestern China during 25-10 kya, suggesting that, besides the coastal route, the early modern humans also adopted an inland dispersal route to populate the interior of East Asia.

Sulfur dioxide emissions in China and sulfur trends in East Asia since 2000.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lu, Z.; Streets, D. G.; Zhang, Q.

2010-01-01

With the rapid development of the economy, the sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) emission from China since 2000 is of increasing concern. In this study, we estimate the annual SO{sub 2} emission in China after 2000 using a technology-based methodology specifically for China. From 2000 to 2006, total SO{sub 2} emission in China increased by 53%, from 21.7 Tg to 33.2 Tg, at an annual growth rate of 7.3%. Emissions from power plants are the main sources of SO{sub 2} in China and they increased from 10.6 Tg to 18.6 Tg in the same period. Geographically, emission from north China increasedmore » by 85%, whereas that from the south increased by only 28%. The emission growth rate slowed around 2005, and emissions began to decrease after 2006 mainly due to the wide application of flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) devices in power plants in response to a new policy of China's government. This paper shows that the trend of estimated SO{sub 2} emission in China is consistent with the trends of SO{sub 2} concentration and acid rain pH and frequency in China, as well as with the increasing trends of background SO{sub 2} and sulfate concentration in East Asia. A longitudinal gradient in the percentage change of urban SO{sub 2} concentration in Japan is found during 2000-2007, indicating that the decrease of urban SO{sub 2} is lower in areas close to the Asian continent. This implies that the transport of increasing SO{sub 2} from the Asian continent partially counteracts the local reduction of SO{sub 2} emission downwind. The aerosol optical depth (AOD) products of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) are found to be highly correlated with the surface solar radiation (SSR) measurements in East Asia. Using MODIS AOD data as a surrogate of SSR, we found that China and East Asia excluding Japan underwent a continuous dimming after 2000, which is in line with the dramatic increase in SO{sub 2} emission in East Asia. The trends of AOD from both satellite retrievals and model

An Islamic University in Cape Town Grows from Roots in East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindow, Megan

2007-01-01

This article features the International Peace University South Africa in Cape Town. The university, which was established in 2004, resulted from the merger of two local "madrassas", or religious colleges, yet seeks to prepare its students for success in the secular world. Its Islamic roots are not in the Middle East, but in East Asia.…

DELP Symposium: Tectonics of eastern Asia and western Pacific Continental Margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eastern Asia and the western Pacific make up a broad region of active plate tectonic interaction. The area is a natural laboratory for studying the processes involved in the origin and evolution of volcanic island arcs, marginal basins, accretionary prisims, oceanic trenches, accreted terranes, ophiolite emplacement, and intracontinental deformation. Many of our working concepts of plate tectonics and intraplate deformation were developed in this region, even though details of the geology and geophysics there must be considered of a reconnaissance nature.During the past few years researchers have accumulated a vast amount of new and detailed information and have developed a better understanding of the processes that have shaped the tectonic elements in this region. To bring together scientists from many disciplines and to present the wide range of new data and ideas that offer a broader perspective on the interrelations of geological, geochemical, geophysical and geodetic studies, the symposium Tectonics of Eastern Asia and Western Pacific Continental Margin was held December 13-16, 1988, at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan, under the auspicies of DELP (Dynamics and Evolution of the Lithosphere Project).

An overview of mineral dust modeling over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Siyu; Huang, Jianping; Qian, Yun; Zhao, Chun; Kang, Litai; Yang, Ben; Wang, Yong; Liu, Yuzhi; Yuan, Tiangang; Wang, Tianhe; Ma, Xiaojun; Zhang, Guolong

2017-08-01

East Asian dust (EAD) exerts considerable impacts on the energy balance and climate/climate change of the earth system through its influence on solar and terrestrial radiation, cloud properties, and precipitation efficiency. Providing an accurate description of the life cycle and climate effects of EAD is therefore critical to better understanding of climate change and socioeconomic development in East Asia and even worldwide. Dust modeling has undergone substantial development since the late 1990s, associated with improved understanding of the role of EAD in the earth system. Here, we review the achievements and progress made in recent decades in terms of dust modeling research, including dust emissions, long-range transport, radiative forcing (RF), and climate effects of dust particles over East Asia. Numerous efforts in dust/EAD modeling have been directed towards furnishing more sophisticated physical and chemical processes into the models on higher spatial resolutions. Meanwhile, more systematic observations and more advanced retrieval methods for instruments that address EAD related science issues have made it possible to evaluate model results and quantify the role of EAD in the earth system, and to further reduce the uncertainties in EAD simulations. Though much progress has been made, large discrepancies and knowledge gaps still exist among EAD simulations. The deficiencies and limitations that pertain to the performance of the EAD simulations referred to in the present study are also discussed.

Ciguatera fish poisoning in East Asia and southeast Asia.

PubMed

Chan, Thomas Y K

2015-06-02

In the coastal countries of East Asia and Southeast Asia, ciguatera should be common because of the extensive tropical and subtropical coral reefs along the coasts and in the neighboring seas with ciguatoxic fishes. An extensive search of journal databases, the Internet and the government websites was performed to identify all reports of ciguatera from the regions. Based on the official data and large published case series, the incidence of ciguatera was higher in the coastal cities (Hong Kong, Foshan, Zhongshan) of southern China than in Japan (Okinawa Prefecture). In Singapore, ciguatera appeared to be almost unknown. In other countries, only isolated cases or small case series were reported, but under-reporting was assumed to be common. Ciguatera may cause severe acute illness and prolonged neurological symptoms. Ciguatera represents an important public health issue for endemic regions, with significant socio-economic impact. Coordinated strategies to improve risk assessment, risk management and risk communication are required. The systematic collection of accurate data on the incidence and epidemiology of ciguatera should enable better assessment and management of its risk. Much more work needs to be done to define the size threshold for important coral reef fish species from different regions, above which the risk of ciguatera significantly increases.

Ciguatera Fish Poisoning in East Asia and Southeast Asia

PubMed Central

Chan, Thomas Y. K.

2015-01-01

In the coastal countries of East Asia and Southeast Asia, ciguatera should be common because of the extensive tropical and subtropical coral reefs along the coasts and in the neighboring seas with ciguatoxic fishes. An extensive search of journal databases, the Internet and the government websites was performed to identify all reports of ciguatera from the regions. Based on the official data and large published case series, the incidence of ciguatera was higher in the coastal cities (Hong Kong, Foshan, Zhongshan) of southern China than in Japan (Okinawa Prefecture). In Singapore, ciguatera appeared to be almost unknown. In other countries, only isolated cases or small case series were reported, but under-reporting was assumed to be common. Ciguatera may cause severe acute illness and prolonged neurological symptoms. Ciguatera represents an important public health issue for endemic regions, with significant socio-economic impact. Coordinated strategies to improve risk assessment, risk management and risk communication are required. The systematic collection of accurate data on the incidence and epidemiology of ciguatera should enable better assessment and management of its risk. Much more work needs to be done to define the size threshold for important coral reef fish species from different regions, above which the risk of ciguatera significantly increases. PMID:26042615

Regional Security Arrangements in the East Asia Region.

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-03-16

ASEAN) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). Both are critical to effective multilateralism in the region but must overcome the dual handicaps of...encouragement and guidance of my research adviser, Dr John Garofano of the Strategic Studies Institute. I enjoyed his tutelage and learned much. I also...such as the Association of South East Asian Nations6 (ASEAN) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum to address regional issues

History Education and Reconciliation: Comparative Perspectives on East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, Un-suk, Ed.; Kondo, Takahiro, Ed.; Yang, Biao, Ed.; Pingel, Falk, Ed.

2012-01-01

The legacy of crimes committed during the Second World War in East Asia is still a stumbling block for reconciliation and trustful cultural relations between South Korea, China and Japan. The presentation of this issue in history school books is in the focus of a heated public and academic debate. This book written by historians and pedagogues…

GOSAT CO2 retrieval results using TANSO-CAI aerosol information over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

KIM, M.; Kim, W.; Jung, Y.; Lee, S.; Kim, J.; Lee, H.; Boesch, H.; Goo, T. Y.

2015-12-01

In the satellite remote sensing of CO2, incorrect aerosol information could induce large errors as previous studies suggested. Many factors, such as, aerosol type, wavelength dependency of AOD, aerosol polarization effect and etc. have been main error sources. Due to these aerosol effects, large number of data retrieved are screened out in quality control, or retrieval errors tend to increase if not screened out, especially in East Asia where aerosol concentrations are fairly high. To reduce these aerosol induced errors, a CO2 retrieval algorithm using the simultaneous TANSO-CAI aerosol information is developed. This algorithm adopts AOD and aerosol type information as a priori information from the CAI aerosol retrieval algorithm. The CO2 retrieval algorithm based on optimal estimation method and VLIDORT, a vector discrete ordinate radiative transfer model. The CO2 algorithm, developed with various state vectors to find accurate CO2 concentration, shows reasonable results when compared with other dataset. This study concentrates on the validation of retrieved results with the ground-based TCCON measurements in East Asia and the comparison with the previous retrieval from ACOS, NIES, and UoL. Although, the retrieved CO2 concentration is lower than previous results by ppm's, it shows similar trend and high correlation with previous results. Retrieved data and TCCON measurements data are compared at three stations of Tsukuba, Saga, Anmyeondo in East Asia, with the collocation criteria of ±2°in latitude/longitude and ±1 hours of GOSAT passing time. Compared results also show similar trend with good correlation. Based on the TCCON comparison results, bias correction equation is calculated and applied to the East Asia data.

Donor issues in Indonesia: A developing country in South East Asia.

PubMed

Soedarmono, Yuyun S M

2010-01-01

In most developing countries in South East Asia blood services have not been treated properly as an important service to support health program. Indonesia as a large archipelago country in South East Asia has specific obstacles in managing a blood service. To position the country blood service profile especially in term of donor issues, we compared our blood service with that in other South East Asia countries. Indonesia has 17 thousand islands with 220 million inhabitants. Blood services have been mostly run by the Indonesian Red Cross as a government assignment since 1950. Donor recruitment programs have been directed toward 100% of Voluntary Non Remunerated Blood Donor (VNRD), which now have reached 81.3%. Dissemination of information on VNRD, donor recruiter's training and VNRD appreciation programs are strategies to increase and maintain the VNRD. Limited female donors and insufficient blood supply during the fasting month and holidays constitute major challenges. Low hemoglobin level, low body weight and fear are reasons for low number of female donors. Poor management of blood stock during fasting month, long holidays and also poor networking of blood supply are reasons for insufficient blood supply during the year. Considering the great size of Indonesia with different ethnic groups and cultures, worsened by lack of infrastructure, decisive and effective strategies in donor recruitment and retention programs are needed. Copyright 2010 The International Association for Biologicals. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strongyloidiasis in Allied ex-prisoners of war in south-east Asia.

PubMed

Grove, D I

1980-03-01

One hundred and sixty ex-servicemen who had been prisoners of war in south-east Asia during 1942-5 were investigated for infection with Strongyloides stercoralis. Larvae were found in 44 (27.5%) of the men, who had therefore been infected for 34-37 years. Direct microscopy of the faeces was the most successful diagnostic method, giving a positive result in 37 cases (84%); multiple examinations were often necessary. Faecal culture was positive in 30 cases (68%), but examination of duodenal fluid obtained with the string test gave a positive result in only 17 (39%). The mean blood eosinophil count and mean serum IgE concentration were higher in the infected men, though normal values were often found in individual cases. Clinical manifestations of isolated strongyloides infection were analysed by comparing the infected men with control groups of ex-prisoners in south-east Asia without proved strongyloidiasis and ex-prisoners in Europe. Twenty-nine infected men (66%) complained of non-specific urticaria, and 13 (30%) had pathognomonic larva currens. Gastrointestinal symptoms significantly more common in the infected group were diarrhoea, indigestion, lower abdominal pain, pruritus ani, and weight loss (p <0.05-p <0.0005).The study group was thought to be reasonably representative of Allied ex-servicemen imprisoned in south-east Asia during the second world war. Probably there are many thousands of infected persons in several countries. The worm has an unusual ability to multiply, and larvae may spread throughout the body in immunosuppressed subjects.

Engaging East Asia’s Changing Defense Elites.

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-09-01

press, the Diet and other ministries, and other regional powers in East Asia. Japan’s uniformed military, the Japan Self Defense Forces (JSDF), have...Japan, there is a growing pluralization in defense policy making, with the Japan Defense Agency (JDA) and Japan Self Defense Forces (JSDF) growing...notes that the April 1996 U.S.-Japan Security Declaration resulted from a conscious DoD effort to engage this broader strategic community while working

Inland post-glacial dispersal in East Asia revealed by mitochondrial haplogroup M9a'b.

PubMed

Peng, Min-Sheng; Palanichamy, Malliya Gounder; Yao, Yong-Gang; Mitra, Bikash; Cheng, Yao-Ting; Zhao, Mian; Liu, Jia; Wang, Hua-Wei; Pan, Hui; Wang, Wen-Zhi; Zhang, A-Mei; Zhang, Wen; Wang, Dong; Zou, Yang; Yang, Yang; Chaudhuri, Tapas Kumar; Kong, Qing-Peng; Zhang, Ya-Ping

2011-01-10

Archaeological studies have revealed a series of cultural changes around the Last Glacial Maximum in East Asia; whether these changes left any signatures in the gene pool of East Asians remains poorly indicated. To achieve deeper insights into the demographic history of modern humans in East Asia around the Last Glacial Maximum, we extensively analyzed mitochondrial DNA haplogroup M9a'b, a specific haplogroup that was suggested to have some potential for tracing the migration around the Last Glacial Maximum in East Eurasia. A total of 837 M9a'b mitochondrial DNAs (583 from the literature, while the remaining 254 were newly collected in this study) pinpointed from over 28,000 subjects residing across East Eurasia were studied here. Fifty-nine representative samples were further selected for total mitochondrial DNA sequencing so we could better understand the phylogeny within M9a'b. Based on the updated phylogeny, an extensive phylogeographic analysis was carried out to reveal the differentiation of haplogroup M9a'b and to reconstruct the dispersal histories. Our results indicated that southern China and/or Southeast Asia likely served as the source of some post-Last Glacial Maximum dispersal(s). The detailed dissection of haplogroup M9a'b revealed the existence of an inland dispersal in mainland East Asia during the post-glacial period. It was this dispersal that expanded not only to western China but also to northeast India and the south Himalaya region. A similar phylogeographic distribution pattern was also observed for haplogroup F1c, thus substantiating our proposition. This inland post-glacial dispersal was in agreement with the spread of the Mesolithic culture originating in South China and northern Vietnam.

Trade in labour services and migrant worker protection with special reference to East Asia.

PubMed

Stahl, C W

1999-01-01

This article discusses the migrant worker protection policy of the East Asian international labor market. The labor-exporting countries of East Asia provide an onerous proportion of low-skilled migrant workers to the region and are responding to the perceived edge of a policy of labor export. Conversely, the movement of highly skilled and professional workers is the result of globalization and internationalization of education, training and professions, rather than the result of explicit labor export of certain countries. In view of the need of international bilateral arrangements for the protection and facilitation of low-skilled workers, the labor-exporting countries have introduced a number of policies aimed at protecting and promoting the welfare of the overseas workers. Thus, various policy measures are suggested to advance the cause of migrant worker protection in East Asia.

The impact of boreal autumn SST anomalies over the South Pacific on boreal winter precipitation over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ao, Juan; Sun, Jianqi

2016-05-01

The possible mechanism behind the variability in the dipole pattern of boreal winter precipitation over East Asia is analyzed in this study. The results show that the SST anomalies (SSTAs) over the South Pacific Ocean (SPO) in boreal autumn are closely related to the variability in the dipole pattern of boreal winter precipitation over East Asia. The physical link between the boreal autumn SPO SSTAs and the boreal winter East Asian precipitation dipole pattern is shown to mainly be the seasonal persistence of the SPO SSTAs themselves. The seasonal persistence of the SPO SSTAs can memorize and transport the signal of the boreal autumn SSTAs to the following winter, and then stimulates a meridional teleconnection pattern from the SH to the NH, resulting in a meridional dipole pattern of atmospheric circulation over East Asia in boreal winter. As a major influencing factor, this dipole pattern of the atmospheric circulation can finally lead to the anomalous precipitation dipole pattern over East Asia in boreal winter. These observed physical processes are further confirmed in this study through numerical simulation. The evidence from this study, showing the impact of the SPO SSTAs in boreal autumn, not only deepens our understanding of the variability in East Asian boreal winter precipitation, but also provides a potentially useful predictor for precipitation in the region.

Education and Training for Development in East Asia: The Political Economy of Skill Formation in East Asian Newly Industrialised Economies. ESRC Pacific Asia Programme [Series].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashton, David; Green, Francis; James, Donna; Sung, Johnny

This book provides a detailed analysis of the development of education and training systems in Asia and the relationship with the process of economic growth. Focus is on four impoverished agrarian economies--Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan--that were transformed in little more than a generation into East Asian "tigers":…

Long-range transport of mutagens and other air pollutants from mainland East Asia to western Japan.

PubMed

Coulibaly, Souleymane; Minami, Hiroki; Abe, Maho; Hasei, Tomohiro; Oro, Tadashi; Funasaka, Kunihiro; Asakawa, Daichi; Watanabe, Masanari; Honda, Naoko; Wakabayashi, Keiji; Watanabe, Tetsushi

2015-01-01

Asian dust events, transport of dust particles from arid and semi-arid areas in China and Mongolia to the east by prevailing westerlies, are often observed in Japan in spring. In recent decades, consumption of fossil fuels has markedly increased in mainland East Asia with rapid economic growth, and severe air pollution has occurred. A part of air pollutants including mutagens, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), generated in mainland East Asia are thought to be transported to Japan by the prevailing westerlies, like Asian dust, and winter monsoon. The objective of this study was to clarify the long-range transport of mutagens and other air pollutants in East Asia. Thus, we collected total suspended particles (TSP) at a rural town in western Japan, namely, Yurihama in Tottori Prefecture, for 1 year (June 2012-May 2013), and investigated their chemical constituents and mutagenicity. Many TSP collected from January to March showed high mutagenicity toward Salmonella typhimurium YG1024 with and without S9 mix, and high levels of lead (Pb) and sulfate ions (SO4 (2-)), which are indicators of transboundary air pollutions from mainland East Asia, were detected in those TSP. A large amount of iron, which is an indicator of sand, was found in highly mutagenic TSP collected in March, but not in TSP collected in January and February. High levels of PAHs were detected in highly mutagenic TSP collected from January to March. The ratios of the concentration of fluoranthene to those of fluoranthene and pyrene suggested that the main source of PAHs in TSP collected in winter and spring was coal and biomass combustion. Backward trajectories of air masses on days when high levels of mutagenicity were found indicated that these air masses had traveled from eastern or northern China to Yurihama. These results suggest that high levels of mutagens were transported from mainland East Asia to western Japan, and this transportation accompanied Asian dust in March, but not in

Reconstruction of regional mean temperature for East Asia since 1900s and its uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hua, W.

2017-12-01

Regional average surface air temperature (SAT) is one of the key variables often used to investigate climate change. Unfortunately, because of the limited observations over East Asia, there were also some gaps in the observation data sampling for regional mean SAT analysis, which was important to estimate past climate change. In this study, the regional average temperature of East Asia since 1900s is calculated by the Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF)-based optimal interpolation (OA) method with considering the data errors. The results show that our estimate is more precise and robust than the results from simple average, which provides a better way for past climate reconstruction. In addition to the reconstructed regional average SAT anomaly time series, we also estimated uncertainties of reconstruction. The root mean square error (RMSE) results show that the the error decreases with respect to time, and are not sufficiently large to alter the conclusions on the persist warming in East Asia during twenty-first century. Moreover, the test of influence of data error on reconstruction clearly shows the sensitivity of reconstruction to the size of the data error.

Inter-annual changes of Biomass Burning and Desert Dust and their impact over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DONG, X.; Fu, J. S.; Huang, K.

2014-12-01

Impact of mineral dust and biomass burning aerosols on air quality has been well documented in the last few decades, but the knowledge about their interactions with anthropogenic emission and their impacts on regional climate is very limited (IPCC, 2007). While East Asia is greatly affected by dust storms in spring from Taklamakan and Gobi deserts (Huang et al., 2010; Li et al., 2012), it also suffers from significant biomass burning emission from Southeast Asia during the same season. Observations from both surface monitoring and satellite data indicated that mineral dust and biomass burning aerosols may approach to coastal area of East Asia simultaneously, thus have a very unique impact on the local atmospheric environment and regional climate. In this study, we first investigated the inter-annual variations of biomass burning and dust aerosols emission for 5 consecutive years from 2006-2010 to estimate the upper and lower limits and correlation with meteorology conditions, and then evaluate their impacts with a chemical transport system. Our preliminary results indicated that biomass burning has a strong correlation with precipitation over Southeast Asia, which could drive the emission varying from 542 Tg in 2008 to 945 Tg in 2010, according to FLAMBE emission inventory (Reid et al., 2009). Mineral dust also demonstrated a strong dependence on wind filed. These inter-annual/annual variations will also lead to different findings and impacts on air quality in East Asia. Reference: Huang, K., et al. (2010), Mixing of Asian dust with pollution aerosol and the transformation of aerosol components during the dust storm over China in spring 2007, Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, 115. IPCC (2007), Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, New York. Li, J., et al. (2012), Mixing of Asian mineral dust with anthropogenic pollutants over East Asia: a model case study of a super-duststorm in

Scientific publications in critical care medicine journals from East Asia: A 10-year survey of the literature.

PubMed

Cao, Zhenyu; Ou, Chongyang; Teng, Hongfei; Liu, Xiguang; Tang, Hongxin

2016-01-01

The quantity and quality of publications in critical care medicine from East Asia haven't been reported. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of publications from East Asia. Articles from China, Japan and South Korea in 2005 to 2014 were retrieved from Web of Science and Pubmed. The number of publications, impact factor, citation, and article types were analyzed. There were 3076 publications from East Asia (1720 from China, 913 from Japan, and 443 from South Korea). There were a significant decrease in publications from Japan (p = 0.024) and significant increases from China (p = 0.000) and South Korea (p = 0.009). From 2006, the number of articles from China exceed Japan. China had the highest total impact factor (6618.48) and citation (18416), followed by Japan (4566.03; 15440) and South Korea (1998.19; 5599). Japan had the highest mean impact factor (5.00) and citations (16.91), followed by South Korea (4.51; 12.64) and China (3.85; 10.71). China and South Korea`s contributions to critical care medicine had significant increases during the past 10 years, while Japan had a significant decrease. China was the most productive region in East Asia since 2006. Japan had the highest quality research output.

How predictable is the winter extremely cold days over temperate East Asia?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Xiao; Wang, Bin

2017-04-01

Skillful seasonal prediction of the number of extremely cold day (NECD) has considerable benefits for climate risk management and economic planning. Yet, predictability of NECD associated with East Asia winter monsoon remains largely unexplored. The present work estimates the NECD predictability in temperate East Asia (TEA, 30°-50°N, 110°-140°E) where the current dynamical models exhibit limited prediction skill. We show that about 50 % of the total variance of the NECD in TEA region is likely predictable, which is estimated by using a physics-based empirical (P-E) model with three consequential autumn predictors, i.e., developing El Niño/La Niña, Eurasian Arctic Ocean temperature anomalies, and geopotential height anomalies over northern and eastern Asia. We find that the barotropic geopotential height anomaly over Asia can persist from autumn to winter, thereby serving as a predictor for winter NECD. Further analysis reveals that the sources of the NECD predictability and the physical basis for prediction of NECD are essentially the same as those for prediction of winter mean temperature over the same region. This finding implies that forecasting seasonal mean temperature can provide useful information for prediction of extreme cold events. Interpretation of the lead-lag linkages between the three predictors and the predictand is provided for stimulating further studies.

Summer rain events in south-east Asia: Spatial and temporal variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeung, Ming Chee; Lee, Sze Chung; Lun, Bit Hon; Tanner, Peter A.

2007-12-01

During the summer monsoon period in south-east Asia marine airstreams normally prevail at the south China coast. However, when tropical cyclones approach then polluted airmasses from south-eastern China can impart high ionic concentrations and high acidity to rainwater. This is illustrated by two examples and the small-scale horizontal variations in rainwater composition are minor during these episodes. Since long-term quality-assured studies of the composition of rainwater in south-east Asia are scarce, the results at three sampling sites in Hong Kong during summer monsoon periods are compared with previous data from the same season. The results for the mid- to end-1990's show a similar trend to those for the ambient concentrations of sulphate and nitrate in aerosol in Hong Kong, which show flattened trends from 1995 to 1999. A marked increase in acidity is found in the summer monsoon period of 2004 which is attributed to the greater proportion of approaching cyclone weather systems in the dataset, reflecting both the increased local emission sources and the burgeoning economic growth of the Pearl River Delta Region. Comparison of the rainwater composition with that at other south-east Asian cities during the summer monsoon period shows that it is most acidic in Hong Kong.

Embedding Research on International Development in the Discourse of Comparative Education in East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, I-Hsuan

2010-01-01

In the wake of the recent ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) launch in 2010, this paper argues for the greater scholarly contribution of international development studies in the discourse of comparative education in East Asia. The argument is based on three premises. The first acknowledges the growing relations of East Asian countries to…

Economy Over Security: Why Crises Fail to Impact Economic Behavior in East Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-01

SECURITY: WHY CRISES FAIL TO IMPACT ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR IN EAST ASIA by Aaron R. Sipos December 2017 Thesis Advisor: Michael Glosny Second...REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE ECONOMY OVER SECURITY: WHY CRISES FAIL TO IMPACT ECONOMIC BEHAVIOR IN EAST...release. Distribution is unlimited. 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) This study examines changes in economic behavior in

Japanese Comic Illustrations and Children's Picture/Illustrated Books of East Asia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ho, Laina

This paper examines the influence of Japanese comic illustrations on children's books in countries in East Asia. It has become increasingly obvious that recent children's books in countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, as well as China and Malaysia/Indonesia contain illustrations with some features of the Japanese comic illustrations. This…

Biomass-burning Aerosols in South East-Asia: Smoke Impact Assessment(BASE-ASIA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsay, Si-Chee; Hsu, Christina N.; King, Michael D.; Shu, Peter K.

2002-01-01

Biomass burning has been a regular practice for land clearing and land conversion in many countries, especially in Africa, South America, and South East Asia. Significant global sources of greenhouse gases (e.g., CO2, CH4), chemically active gases (e.g., NO, CO, HC, CH3Br), and atmospheric aerosols are produced by biomass-burning processes, which influence the Earth-atmosphere energetics and hence impact both global climate and tropospheric chemistry. Some gases and aerosols can serve as active cloud condensation nuclei, which play important role in determining the net radiation budget, precipitation rate, and cloud lifetime. Biomass burning also affects the biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen and carbon compounds from the soil to the atmosphere; the hydrological cycle (i.e., run off and evaporation); the reflectivity and emissivity of the land; and the stability of ecosystems and ecosystem biodiversity. Compared to Africa and South America, the climatology in South East Asia reveals quite different characteristics, showing distinct large-scale smoke and cloud sources and interaction regimes. The fresh water distribution in this region is highly dependent on monsoon rainfall; in fact, the predictability of the tropical climate system is much reduced during the boreal spring, which is associated with the peak season of biomass burning activities. Estimating the burning fuel (e.g., bark, branches, and wood), an important part of studying regional carbon cycle, may rely on utilizing a wide range of distinctive spectral features in the shortwave and longwave regions. Therefore, to accurately assess the impact of smoke aerosols in this region requires continuous observations from satellites, aircraft, networks of ground-based instruments and dedicated field experiments. A new initiative will be proposed and discussed.

Health risks of climate change in the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region.

PubMed

Bowen, Kathryn J; Ebi, Kristie L

2017-09-01

Countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region are particularly vulnerable to a changing climate. Changes in extreme weather events, undernutrition and the spread of infectious diseases are projected to increase the number of deaths due to climate change by 2030, indicating the need to strengthen activities for adaptation and mitigation. With support from the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia and others, countries have started to include climate change as a key consideration in their national public health policies. Further efforts are needed to develop evidence-based responses; garner the necessary support from partner ministries; and access funding for activities related to health and climate change. National action plans for climate change generally identify health as one of their priorities; however, limited information is available on implementation processes, including which ministries and departments would be involved; the time frame; stakeholder responsibilities; and how the projects would be financed. While progress is being made, efforts are needed to increase the capacity of health systems to manage the health risks of climate change in South-East Asia, if population health is to be protected and strengthened while addressing changing weather and climate patterns. Enhancing the resilience of health systems is key to ensuring a sustainable path to improved planetary and population health.

Old Borrowings and New Models of the University in East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Terri

2007-01-01

This paper illustrates the transfer of university models from Europe and America to East Asia and will consider how international power relations in different times transform ideas about the university, in the process of global transfer. These relations will be identified with different forms of the state: imperial, colonial, welfare and market…

Large-Scale Atmospheric Teleconnection Patterns Associated with the Interannual Variability of Heatwaves in East Asia and Its Decadal Changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, N.; Lee, M. I.; Lim, Y. K.; Kim, K. M.

2017-12-01

Heatwave is an extreme hot weather event which accompanies fatal damage to human health. The heatwave has a strong relationship with the large-scale atmospheric teleconnection patterns. In this study, we examine the spatial pattern of heatwave in East Asia by using the EOF analysis and the relationship between heatwave frequency and large-scale atmospheric teleconnection patterns. We also separate the time scale of heatwave frequency as the time scale longer than a decade and the interannual time scale. The long-term variation of heatwave frequency in East Asia shows a linkage with the sea surface temperature (SST) variability over the North Atlantic with a decadal time scale (a.k.a. the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation; AMO). On the other hands, the interannual variation of heatwave frequency is linked with the two dominant spatial patterns associated with the large-scale teleconnection patterns mimicking the Scandinavian teleconnection (SCAND-like) pattern and the circumglobal teleconnection (CGT-like) pattern, respectively. It is highlighted that the interannual variation of heatwave frequency in East Asia shows a remarkable change after mid-1990s. While the heatwave frequency was mainly associated with the CGT-like pattern before mid-1990s, the SCAND-like pattern becomes the most dominant one after mid-1990s, making the CGT-like pattern as the second. This study implies that the large-scale atmospheric teleconnection patterns play a key role in developing heatwave events in East Asia. This study further discusses possible mechanisms for the decadal change in the linkage between heatwave frequency and the large-scale teleconnection patterns in East Asia such as early melting of snow cover and/or weakening of East Asian jet stream due to global warming.

Natural positive selection and north-south genetic diversity in East Asia.

PubMed

Suo, Chen; Xu, Haiyan; Khor, Chiea-Chuen; Ong, Rick Th; Sim, Xueling; Chen, Jieming; Tay, Wan-Ting; Sim, Kar-Seng; Zeng, Yi-Xin; Zhang, Xuejun; Liu, Jianjun; Tai, E-Shyong; Wong, Tien-Yin; Chia, Kee-Seng; Teo, Yik-Ying

2012-01-01

Recent reports have identified a north-south cline in genetic variation in East and South-East Asia, but these studies have not formally explored the basis of these clinical differences. Understanding the origins of these variations may provide valuable insights in tracking down the functional variants in genomic regions identified by genetic association studies. Here we investigate the genetic basis of these differences with genome-wide data from the HapMap, the Human Genome Diversity Project and the Singapore Genome Variation Project. We implemented four bioinformatic measures to discover genomic regions that are considerably differentiated either between two Han Chinese populations in the north and south of China, or across 22 populations in East and South-East Asia. These measures prioritized genomic stretches with: (i) regional differences in the allelic spectrum for SNPs common to the two Han Chinese populations; (ii) differential evidence of positive selection between the two populations as quantified by integrated haplotype score (iHS) and cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH); (iii) significant correlation between allele frequencies and geographical latitudes of the 22 populations. We also explored the extent of linkage disequilibrium variations in these regions, which is important in combining genetic association studies from North and South Chinese. Two of the regions that emerged are found in HLA class I and II, suggesting that the HLA imputation panel from the HapMap may not be directly applicable to every Chinese sample. This has important implications to autoimmune studies that plan to impute the classical HLA alleles to fine map the SNP association signals.

Natural positive selection and north–south genetic diversity in East Asia

PubMed Central

Suo, Chen; Xu, Haiyan; Khor, Chiea-Chuen; Ong, Rick TH; Sim, Xueling; Chen, Jieming; Tay, Wan-Ting; Sim, Kar-Seng; Zeng, Yi-Xin; Zhang, Xuejun; Liu, Jianjun; Tai, E-Shyong; Wong, Tien-Yin; Chia, Kee-Seng; Teo, Yik-Ying

2012-01-01

Recent reports have identified a north–south cline in genetic variation in East and South-East Asia, but these studies have not formally explored the basis of these clinical differences. Understanding the origins of these variations may provide valuable insights in tracking down the functional variants in genomic regions identified by genetic association studies. Here we investigate the genetic basis of these differences with genome-wide data from the HapMap, the Human Genome Diversity Project and the Singapore Genome Variation Project. We implemented four bioinformatic measures to discover genomic regions that are considerably differentiated either between two Han Chinese populations in the north and south of China, or across 22 populations in East and South-East Asia. These measures prioritized genomic stretches with: (i) regional differences in the allelic spectrum for SNPs common to the two Han Chinese populations; (ii) differential evidence of positive selection between the two populations as quantified by integrated haplotype score (iHS) and cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH); (iii) significant correlation between allele frequencies and geographical latitudes of the 22 populations. We also explored the extent of linkage disequilibrium variations in these regions, which is important in combining genetic association studies from North and South Chinese. Two of the regions that emerged are found in HLA class I and II, suggesting that the HLA imputation panel from the HapMap may not be directly applicable to every Chinese sample. This has important implications to autoimmune studies that plan to impute the classical HLA alleles to fine map the SNP association signals. PMID:21792231

Contrasting early Holocene temperature variations between monsoonal East Asia and westerly dominated Central Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Jiaju; An, Chen-Bang; Huang, Yongsong; Morrill, Carrie; Chen, Fa-Hu

2017-12-01

Numerous studies have demonstrated that there are major differences in the timing of maximum Holocene precipitation between the monsoonal East Asia and westerly dominated Central Asia, but it is unclear if the moisture differences are also associated with corresponding temperature contrasts. Here we present the first alkenone-based paleotemperature reconstructions for the past 21 kyr from Lake Balikun, central Asia. We show, unlike the initiation of Holocene warm conditions at ∼11 kyr BP in the monsoon regions, the arid central Asia remained in a glacial-like cold condition prior to 8 kyr BP and experienced abrupt warming of ∼9 °C after the collapse of the Laurentide ice sheet. Comparison with pollen and other geochemical data indicates the abrupt warming is closely associated with major increase in the moisture supply to the region. Together, our multiproxy data indicate ∼2 thousand years delay of temperature and moisture optimum relative to local summer insolation maximum, suggesting major influence of the Laurentide ice sheet and other high latitude ice sheet forcings on the regional atmospheric circulation. In addition, our data reveal a temperature drop by ∼4 °C around 4 kyr BP lasting multiple centuries, coinciding with severe increases in aridity previously reported based on multiproxy data. In contrast, model simulations display a much less pronounced delay in the initiation of Holocene warm conditions, raising unresolved questions about the relative importance of local radiative forcing and high-latitude ice on temperature in this region.

Depth variations of P-wave azimuthal anisotropy beneath East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, W.; Zhao, D.; Xu, J.

2017-12-01

We present a new P-wave anisotropic tomographic model beneath East Asia by inverting a total of 1,488,531 P wave arrival-time data recorded by the regional seismic networks in East Asia and temporary seismic arrays deployed on the Tibetan Plateau. Our results provide important new insights into the subducting Indian, Pacific and Philippine Sea plates and mantle dynamics in East Asia. Our tomographic images show that the northern limit of the subducting Indian plate has reached the Jinsha River suture in eastern Tibet. A striking variation of P-wave azimuthal anisotropy is revealed in the Indian lithosphere: the fast velocity direction (FVD) is NE-SW beneath the Indian continent, whereas the FVD is arc parallel beneath the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau, which may reflect re-orientation of minerals due to lithospheric extension, in response to the India-Eurasia collision. The FVD in the subducting Philippine Sea plate beneath the Ryukyu arc is NE-SW(trench parallel), which is consistent with the spreading direction of the West Philippine Basin during its initial opening stage, suggesting that it may reflect the fossil anisotropy. A circular pattern of FVDs is revealed around the Philippine Sea slab beneath SE China. We suggest that it reflects asthenospheric strain caused by toroidal mantle flow around the edge of the subducting slab. We find a striking variation of the FVD with depth in the subducting Pacific slab beneath the Northeast Japan arc. It may be caused by slab dehydration that changed elastic properties of the slab with depth. The FVD in the mantle wedge beneath the Northeast Japan and Ryukyu arcs is trench normal, which reflects subduction-induced convection. Beneath the Kuril and Izu-Bonin arcs where oblique subduction occurs, the FVD in the mantle wedge is nearly normal to the moving direction of the downgoing Pacific plate, suggesting that the oblique subduction together with the complex slab morphology have disturbed the mantle flow.

Growing Typhoon Influence on East Asia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Liguang; Wang, BIn; Geng, Shuqin

2005-01-01

Numerical model studies have suggested that the ongoing global warming will likely affect tropical cyclone activity. But so far little observed evidence has been detected to support the projected future changes. Using satellite-supported best-track data from 1965 to 2003, we show for the first time that over the past four decades the two prevailing typhoon tracks in the western North Pacific (WNP) have shifted westward significantly; the typhoon activity over the South China Sea has considerably decreased; and East Asia has experienced increasing typhoon influence. Our trajectory model simulation indicates that the long-term shifts in the typhoon tracks result primarily from the changes in the mean translation velocity of typhoons or the large-scale steering flow, which is associated with the westward expansion and strengthening of the WNP subtropical high.

East Asian dust storm in May 2017: observations, modelling and its influence on Asia-Pacific region

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A severe dust storm event originated from the Gobi Desert in Central and East Asia during 2-7 May, 2017. Based on moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite products, hourly environmental monitoring measurements from 367 Chinese cities and more than 2000 East Asian meteorologica...

Holocene cultural history of Red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus) and its domestic descendant in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, Joris; Lebrasseur, Ophélie; Deng, Hui; Larson, Greger

2016-06-01

Nearly three decades ago, zooarchaeologists postulated that chicken husbandry was practiced in Northern China by ∼8.0 ka calBP. Recently, ancient mitogenome analyses of galliform remains suggested that Red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus) was already present in the Yellow River basin several millennia earlier, shortly after the onset of the Holocene. If these conclusions are correct, the origins of chicken domestication and husbandry in the region may have been spurred by agricultural innovations in the lower Yellow River basin including millet cultivation, pig husbandry, and dog breeding. In addition, the dispersal of poultry farming from East Asia to Asia Minor and Europe could therefore date to the Neolithic along ancient trade routes across Central Asia rather than via South Asia and Mesopotamia. For this scenario to be plausible, the post-Pleistocene climatic conditions must have been favourable to allow for a northward extension of the native distribution of tropical Red jungle fowl currently not found north of ∼25°N. This study combines Holocene palaeoclimate and archaeofaunal archives with new zooarchaeological insights alongside a discussion of methodological issues and cultural aspects in order to revisit the hypothesis of an early Holocene Gallus domestication and Neolithic poultry husbandry in Northern China. Our results regarding the natural and cultural history of Red jungle fowl and domestic chickens in East Asia, and the timing of chicken dispersal across the Old World suggest that an early Holocene domestication of chickens is problematic at best. We conclude by postulating an alternative model for the early exploitation of a key domestic species in present-day East Asia.

Impacts of Global Change on Water Resources in Dryland East Asia

Treesearch

Ge Sun; Xiaoming Feng; Jingfeng Xiao; Alex Shiklomanov; Shengping Wang; Zhiqiang Zhang; Nan Lu; Shuai Wang; Liding Chen; Bojie Fu; Yaning Chen; Jiquan Chen

2013-01-01

The vast Dryland East Asia (DEA) area consists of several large geographic regions including the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Loess Plateau, and Mongolia Plateau. T he region is of great importance to the functioning of the earth system under a changing climate. In the past three decades, due to the unprecedented land use/land cover change, urbanization, industrialization...

Mapping the Terrain of Educational Leadership and Management in East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallinger, Philip; Bryant, Darren

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to gain perspective on the extent to which the vision for knowledge production in East Asia set forth by Bajunid, Cheng, Hallinger, Walker, Dimmock and others almost 20 years ago has been fulfilled. The authors undertook an effort to map the terrain of knowledge production in educational leadership and…

Globalisation and the Changing Nature of the State in East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Andy

2007-01-01

Economic globalisation is the defining characteristic of our age and a process which is transforming the parameters of the national state and global power relations. However, it is also a contradictory, uneven and unpredictable phenomenon. East Asia has been at the epicenter of globalisation for the past 30 years and will continue to be so with…

The Continental Margin of East Asia: a collage of multiple plates formed by convergence and extension from multiple directions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, J.; Wang, T.; Ludington, S.; Qiu, Z.; Li, Z.

2017-12-01

East Asia is one of the most complex regions in the world. Its margin was divided into 4 parts: Northeast Asia, North China, South China and Southeast Asia. During the Phanerozoic, continental plates of East Asia have interacted successively with a) the Paleo Tethyan Ocean, b) the Tethyan and Paleo Pacific Oceans and c) the Pacific and Indian. In the Early Mesozoic, the Indosinian orogeny is characterized by the convergence and extension within multiple continental plates, whereas the Late Mesozoic Yanshanian orogeny is characterized by both convergence and compression due to oceanic subduction and by widespread extension. We propose this combination as "East Asia Continental Margin type." Except in Northeast Asia, where Jurassic and Cretaeous accretionary complexes are common, most magmatic rocks are the result of reworking of ancient margins of small continental plates; and oceanic island arc basalts and continental margin arc andesites are largely absent. Because South China is adjacent to the western margin of the Pacific Plate, some effects of its westward subduction must be unavoidable, but juvenile arc-related crust has not been identified. The East Asian Continental Margin is characterized by magmatic rocks that are the result of post-convergent tectonics, which differs markedly from the active continental margins of both South and North America. In summary, the chief characteristics of the East Asian Continental Margin are: 1) In Mesozoic, the periphery of multiple blocks experienced magmatism caused by lithospheric delamination and thinning in response to extension punctuated by shorter periods of convergence. 2) The main mechanism of magma generation was the partial melting of crustal rocks, due to underplating by upwelling mafic magma associated with the collapse of orogenic belts and both extension and compression between small continental blocks. 3) During orogeny, mostly high Sr/Y arc-related granitoids formed, whereas during post-orogenic times, A

Connection between the Silk Road Pattern in July and the following January temperature over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Shengping; Liu, Yang; Wang, Huijun

2017-04-01

This study investigates a cross-seasonal influence of the Silk Road Pattern (SRP) in July and discusses the related mechanism. Both the reanalysis and observational datasets indicate that the July SRP is closely related to the following January temperature over East Asia during 1958/59-2001/02. Linear regression results reveal that, following a higher-than-normal SRP index in July, the Siberian high, Aleutian low, Urals high, East Asian trough, and meridional shear of the East Asian jet intensify significantly in January. Such atmospheric circulation anomalies are favorable for northerly wind anomalies over East Asia, leading to more southward advection of cold air and causing a decrease in temperature. Further analysis indicates that the North Pacific sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) might play a critical role in storing the anomalous signal of the July SRP. The significant SSTAs related to the July SRP weaken in October and November, re-emerge in December, and strengthen in the following January. Such an SSTA pattern in January can induce a surface anomalous cyclone over North Pacific and lead to dominant convergence anomalies over northwestern Pacific. Correspondingly, significant divergence anomalies appear, collocated in the upper-level troposphere in situ. Due to the advection of vorticity by divergent wind, which can be regarded as a wave source, a stationary Rossby wave originates from North Pacific and propagates eastward to East Asia, leading to temperature anomalies through its influence on the large-scale atmospheric circulation.

Lithospheric structure of east Asia from ambient noise and two-station Rayleigh wave tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, M.; Song, X.; Li, J.; Bao, X.

2017-12-01

The complex tectonic background of east Asia makes it an ideal region to investigate the evolution of continental lithosphere. High-resolution lithospheric structure models are essential in this endeavor. Surface-wave tomography has been an important technique for constructing 3D lithospheric structure in global and regional scales. In this study, using event data recorded by more than 1000 seismic stations from multiple national and international networks in and surrounding China (CEArray, PASSCAL, GSN), we systematically measured Rayleigh-wave phase-velocity dispersion curves at periods 10-120 s and group-velocity dispersion curves at periods 10-140 s based on the traditional two-station method. The dispersion curves were extracted from the cross-correlation functions of the earthquake data at the two stations near the great circle path using frequency-time analysis method. The new measurements extend the phase and group dispersion data to longer periods (i.e. >70 s), which are difficult to extract from ambient noise cross-correlation. The longer-period data allow us to image deeper lithospheric velocity structure. We combined the new dispersion measurements with two previously obtained data sets: (1) data set from Bao et al. (2015) across the Chinese continent that includes group and phase dispersion measurements from ambient noise correlations and group velocity measurements from earthquakes, and (2) data set from Wang et al. (2017) across the marginal seas in east Asia from ambient noise correlations. We used the combined data set to invert for the phase velocity maps up to 120 s and group velocity maps up to 140 s at a grid spacing of 0.5°×0.5°and then invert for the 1D shear-wave velocity structure at each grid to obtain the new 3D shear-wave velocity model. The new model is generally consistent with that of Bao et al. (2015) but with improved resolution particularly in greater depths and in east-Asia marginal seas. We also derived crustal thickness and

Higher Education and Development in South-East Asia. Volume II, Country Profiles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayden, Howard; And Others

This document, the second of three volumes concerned with the role of institutions of higher education in the development of countries in South-East Asia, presents country profiles for Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Viet-Nam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The profile emphasizes background, higher education, educational…

Hepatitis B epidemiology in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

PubMed

André, F

2000-02-18

Asia and Africa have previously been classified as areas of high endemicity for hepatitis B virus (HBV), but in some countries highly effective vaccination programmes have shifted this pattern towards intermediate or low endemicity. Thus, China is now the only country in Asia where HBV endemicity is high. Countries with intermediate endemicity include India, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand, and those with low endemicity include Japan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Most countries in Africa have high HBV endemicity, with the exceptions of Tunisia and Morocco, which have intermediate endemicity. Zambia has borderline intermediate/high endemicity. In the Middle East, Bahrain, Iran, Israel and Kuwait are areas of low endemicity, Cyprus, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates have intermediate endemicity, and Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Palestine, Yemen and Saudi Arabia have high endemicity. All of these Middle East countries reach a large proportion of their population with hepatitis B vaccination, which is reducing the infection rate, particularly in Saudi Arabia. The vaccination programme in Taiwan has also greatly reduced the HBV infection rate. Future vaccination programmes must take into account the mode of transmission of HBV, the healthcare infrastructure to deliver vaccination, and the socioeconomic and political factors in each individual country, to determine the most cost-effective way of infection control.

WRF-Chem simulations of aerosols and anthropogenic aerosol radiative forcing in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yi; Zhao, Chun; Liu, Xiaohong; Zhang, Meigen; Leung, L. Ruby

2014-08-01

This study aims to provide a first comprehensive evaluation of WRF-Chem for modeling aerosols and anthropogenic aerosol radiative forcing (RF, including direct, semi-direct and indirect forcing) over East Asia. Several numerical experiments were conducted from November 2007 to December 2008. Comparison between model results and observations shows that the model can generally reproduce the observed spatial distributions of aerosol concentration, aerosol optical depth (AOD) and single scattering albedo (SSA) from measurements at many sites, including the relatively higher aerosol concentration and AOD over East China and the relatively lower AOD over Southeast Asia, Korea, and Japan. The model also depicts the seasonal variation and transport of pollutions over East Asia. Particulate matter of 10 μm or less in the aerodynamic diameter (PM10), black carbon (BC), sulfate (SO42-), nitrate (NO3-) and ammonium (NH4+) concentrations are higher in spring than other seasons in Japan, which indicates the possible influence of pollutant transport from polluted area of East Asia. The model underestimates SO42- and organic carbon (OC) concentrations over mainland China by about a factor of 2, while overestimates NO3- concentration in autumn along the Yangtze River. The model captures the dust events at the Zhangye site in the semi-arid region of China. AOD is high over Southwest and Central China in winter and spring and over North China in winter, spring and summer while is low over South China in summer due to monsoon precipitation. SSA is lowest in winter and highest in summer. Anthropogenic aerosol RF is estimated to range from -5 to -20 W m-2 over land and -20 to -40 W m-2 over adjacent oceans at the top of atmosphere (TOA), 5-30 W m-2 in the atmosphere (ATM) and -15 to -40 W m-2 at the bottom (BOT). The warming effect of anthropogenic aerosol in ATM results from BC aerosol while the negative aerosol RF at TOA is caused by scattering aerosols such as SO42-, NO3- and NH4

Changing patterns of HIV epidemic in 30 years in East Asia.

PubMed

Suguimoto, S Pilar; Techasrivichien, Teeranee; Musumari, Patou Masika; El-saaidi, Christina; Lukhele, Bhekumusa Wellington; Ono-Kihara, Masako; Kihara, Masahiro

2014-06-01

The HIV epidemic in East Asia started relatively late compared to the rest of the world. All countries or areas, except for North Korea, had reported HIV and AIDS cases, with China being the major contributor to the epidemic. Though initially driven by injecting drug use in China, East Asia did not experience an explosive spread. Strong commitment in China and early harm reduction programs in Taiwan managed to reduce transmission substantially among injecting drug users. In contrast to China and Taiwan, injection drug use has accounted just a little, if not at all, for the spread of HIV in other East Asian counties. However, following a global trend, sexual contact has become a major route of infection across the region. While much progress has been achieved in this region, with the epidemic among other key populations relatively stable, the emerging epidemic through sex between men is a growing concern. Recent estimates suggest that HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM) has reached 6.3 % in China, 7.5 % in Mongolia, and ranges between 8.1 %-10.7 % in Taiwan and between 2.7 %- 6.5 % in South Korea. In Japan, 74 % of male HIV cases were among MSM in 2012, while Hong Kong has witnessed a sharp increase of HIV cases among MSM since 2004. There is urgent need to address issues of discrimination and stigma toward homosexuality, and to strengthen the strategies to reach and care for this population.

Perceptions of International Teacher Turnover in East Asia Regional Council of Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tkachyk, Leon Michael

2017-01-01

High teacher turnover has become a serious problem globally, in many international schools, and is a growing concern in segments of the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS). This persistent problem has a detrimental effect on student learning and upsets the culture of school communities. Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory served as the…

A Synthesis of Reviews of Research on Principal Leadership in East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Allan; Hallinger, Philip

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to synthesize findings from five systematic reviews of research on principal leadership in East Asia contained in this special issue. The goal is to identify commonalities as well as differences concerning both approaches to research and the enactment of school leadership within this rapidly developing and…

Higher Education and Development in South-East Asia. Volume I, Director's Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayden, Howard

This document reports a study of the role of institutions of higher education in the development of countries in South-East Asia covering Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet-Nam. Emphasis is placed on the geographical, historical and social background; patterns of education within the region;…

Guided Socialization: Using U.S. Influence to Establish an Inter Elite Culture of Cooperation in East Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

the use of bilateral agreements and alliances to isolate and power balance in East Asia constitutes a schizophrenic presentation of strategy...military posture, despite prohibitions in the Japanese constitution .17 Importantly, this process is not limited to Japan. Nationalist and anti- Great...though some motivation exists to create an effective East Asian economic order, similar in structure to NAFTA , powerful East Asian actors

Winter to winter recurrence of atmospheric circulation anomalies over East Asia and its impact on winter surface air temperature anomalies

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The persistence of atmospheric circulation anomalies over East Asia shows a winter to winter recurrence (WTWR) phenomenon. Seasonal variations in sea level pressure anomalies and surface wind anomalies display significantly different characteristics between WTWR and non-WTWR years. The WTWR years are characterized by the recurrence of both a strong (weak) anomalous Siberian High and an East Asian winter monsoon over two successive winters without persistence through the intervening summer. However, anomalies during the non-WTWR years have the opposite sign between the current and ensuing winters. The WTWR of circulation anomalies contributes to that of surface air temperature anomalies (SATAs), which is useful information for improving seasonal and interannual climate predictions over East Asia and China. In the positive (negative) WTWR years, SATAs are cooler (warmer) over East Asia in two successive winters, but the signs of the SATAs are opposite in the preceding and subsequent winters during the non-WTWR years. PMID:28178351

Winter to winter recurrence of atmospheric circulation anomalies over East Asia and its impact on winter surface air temperature anomalies.

PubMed

Zhao, Xia; Yang, Guang

2017-01-01

The persistence of atmospheric circulation anomalies over East Asia shows a winter to winter recurrence (WTWR) phenomenon. Seasonal variations in sea level pressure anomalies and surface wind anomalies display significantly different characteristics between WTWR and non-WTWR years. The WTWR years are characterized by the recurrence of both a strong (weak) anomalous Siberian High and an East Asian winter monsoon over two successive winters without persistence through the intervening summer. However, anomalies during the non-WTWR years have the opposite sign between the current and ensuing winters. The WTWR of circulation anomalies contributes to that of surface air temperature anomalies (SATAs), which is useful information for improving seasonal and interannual climate predictions over East Asia and China. In the positive (negative) WTWR years, SATAs are cooler (warmer) over East Asia in two successive winters, but the signs of the SATAs are opposite in the preceding and subsequent winters during the non-WTWR years.

Nutrition therapy for critically ill patients across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions: A consensus statement.

PubMed

Sioson, Marianna S; Martindale, Robert; Abayadeera, Anuja; Abouchaleh, Nabil; Aditianingsih, Dita; Bhurayanontachai, Rungsun; Chiou, Wei-Chin; Higashibeppu, Naoki; Mat Nor, Mohd Basri; Osland, Emma; Palo, Jose Emmanuel; Ramakrishnan, Nagarajan; Shalabi, Medhat; Tam, Luu Ngan; Ern Tan, Jonathan Jit

2018-04-01

Guidance on managing the nutritional requirements of critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) has been issued by several international bodies. While these guidelines are consulted in ICUs across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions, there is little guidance available that is tailored to the unique healthcare environments and demographics across these regions. Furthermore, the lack of consistent data from randomized controlled clinical trials, reliance on expert consensus, and differing recommendations in international guidelines necessitate further expert guidance on regional best practice when providing nutrition therapy for critically ill patients in ICUs in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. The Asia-Pacific and Middle East Working Group on Nutrition in the ICU has identified major areas of uncertainty in clinical practice for healthcare professionals providing nutrition therapy in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and developed a series of consensus statements to guide nutrition therapy in the ICU in these regions. Accordingly, consensus statements have been provided on nutrition risk assessment and parenteral and enteral feeding strategies in the ICU, monitoring adequacy of, and tolerance to, nutrition in the ICU and institutional processes for nutrition therapy in the ICU. Furthermore, the Working Group has noted areas requiring additional research, including the most appropriate use of hypocaloric feeding in the ICU. The objective of the Working Group in formulating these statements is to guide healthcare professionals in practicing appropriate clinical nutrition in the ICU, with a focus on improving quality of care, which will translate into improved patient outcomes. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

A new urban landscape in East-Southeast Asia, 2000-2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, A.; Mertes, C. M.; Tatem, A. J.; Tan, B.; Sulla-Menashe, D.; Graves, S. J.; Patel, N. N.; Horton, J. A.; Gaughan, A. E.; Rollo, J. T.; Schelly, I. H.; Stevens, F. R.; Dastur, A.

2015-03-01

East-Southeast Asia is currently one of the fastest urbanizing regions in the world, with countries such as China climbing from 20 to 50% urbanized in just a few decades. By 2050, these countries are projected to add 1 billion people, with 90% of that growth occurring in cities. This population shift parallels an equally astounding amount of built-up land expansion. However, spatially-and temporally-detailed information on regional-scale changes in urban land or population distribution do not exist; previous efforts have been either sample-based, focused on one country, or drawn conclusions from datasets with substantial temporal/spatial mismatch and variability in urban definitions. Using consistent methodology, satellite imagery and census data for >1000 agglomerations in the East-Southeast Asian region, we show that urban land increased >22% between 2000 and 2010 (from 155 000 to 189 000 km2), an amount equivalent to the area of Taiwan, while urban populations climbed >31% (from 738 to 969 million). Although urban land expanded at unprecedented rates, urban populations grew more rapidly, resulting in increasing densities for the majority of urban agglomerations, including those in both more developed (Japan, South Korea) and industrializing nations (China, Vietnam, Indonesia). This result contrasts previous sample-based studies, which conclude that cities are universally declining in density. The patterns and rates of change uncovered by these datasets provide a unique record of the massive urban transition currently underway in East-Southeast Asia that is impacting local-regional climate, pollution levels, water quality/availability, arable land, as well as the livelihoods and vulnerability of populations in the region.

Developing a Knowledge Base for Educational Leadership and Management in East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallinger, Philip

2011-01-01

The role of school leadership in educational reform has reached the status of a truism, and led to major changes in school leader recruitment, selection, training and appraisal. While similar policy trends are evident in East Asia, the empirical knowledge base underlying these measures is distorted and lacking in validation. This paper begins by…

A climatology of extratropical cyclones over East Asia during 1958-2001

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yingxian; Ding, Yihui; Li, Qiaoping

2012-06-01

A climatology of extratropical cyclones (ECs) over East Asia (20°-75°N, 60°-160°E) is analyzed by applying an improved objective detection and tracking algorithm to the 4-time daily sea level pressure fields from the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis data. A total of 12914 EC processes for the period of 1958-2001 are identified, with an EC database integrated and EC activities reanalyzed using the objective algorithm. The results reveal that there are three major cyclogenesis regions: West Siberian Plain, Mongolia (to the south of Lake Baikal), and the coastal region of East China; whereas significant cyclolysis regions are observed in Siberia north of 60°N, Northeast China, and Okhotsk Sea-Northwest Pacific. It is found that the EC lifetime is largely 1-7 days while winter ECs have the shortest lifespan. The ECs are the weakest in summer among the four seasons. Strong ECs often appear in West Siberia, Northeast China, and Okhotsk Sea-Northwest Pacific. Statistical analysis based on k-means clustering has identified 6 dominating trajectories in the area south of 55°N and east of 80°E, among which 4 tracks have important impacts on weather/climate in China. ECs occurring in spring (summer) tend to travel the longest (shortest). They move the fastest in winter, and the slowest in summer. In winter, cyclones move fast in Northeast China, some areas of the Yangtze-Huaihe River region, and the south of Japan, with speed greater than 15 m s-1. Explosively-deepening cyclones are found to occur frequently along the east coast of China, Japan, and Northwest Pacific, but very few storms occur over the inland area. Bombs prefer to occur in winter, spring, and autumn. Their annual number and intensity in 1990 and 1992 in East Asia (EA) are smaller and weaker than their counterparts in North America.

Future Projection of Summer Extreme Precipitation from High Resolution Multi-RCMs over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Gayoung; Park, Changyong; Cha, Dong-Hyun; Lee, Dong-Kyou; Suh, Myoung-Seok; Ahn, Joong-Bae; Min, Seung-Ki; Hong, Song-You; Kang, Hyun-Suk

2017-04-01

Recently, the frequency and intensity of natural hazards have been increasing due to human-induced climate change. Because most damages of natural hazards over East Asia have been related to extreme precipitation events, it is important to estimate future change in extreme precipitation characteristics caused by climate change. We investigate future changes in extremal values of summer precipitation simulated by five regional climate models participating in the CORDEX-East Asia project (i.e., HadGEM3-RA, RegCM4, MM5, WRF, and GRIMs) over East Asia. 100-year return value calculated from the generalized extreme value (GEV) parameters is analysed as an indicator of extreme intensity. In the future climate, the mean values as well as the extreme values of daily precipitation tend to increase over land region. The increase of 100-year return value can be significantly associated with the changes in the location (intensity) and scale (variability) GEV parameters for extreme precipitation. It is expected that the results of this study can be used as fruitful references when making the policy of disaster management. Acknowledgements The research was supported by the Ministry of Public Safety and Security of Korean government and Development program under grant MPSS-NH-2013-63 and the National Research Foundation of Korea Grant funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning of Korea (NRF-2016M3C4A7952637) for its support and assistant in completion of the study.

JPRS Report, East Asia, Korea: Kulloja, No. 12, December 1985.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-23

the present regime," and launched an organized struggle. In particular, unlike in bygone days, the struggle of the workers of large key industrial ...2751Ü0 JPRS-AKU-87-001 23 JUNE 1987 ffflBBBl ■■■■>fl FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE JP/?S Repor WSfiffBimON STATEEv!EOT_A Approved...for p-jMic telease; Distribution Unlimited East Asia i Korea: KULLOJA No 12, DECEMBER 1985 REPRODUCED BY U.S. DEPARTMENTOF COMMERCE NATIONAL

The Ideological Construction of English: A Critical Review on the Discourse of English in East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Han-Yi

2014-01-01

This research investigates the ideological character of the English language in East Asia. It focuses on the prevailing beliefs, values and propositions relating to English as a global language and the spread of English in the non-English East Asian countries, namely China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. By analyzing how English is presented in…

SURVEY OF BIBLIOGRAPHIES AND REFERENCE WORKS ON ASIA, AFRICA, LATIN AMERICA, RUSSIA, AND EAST EUROPE--AND COMPILATION OF BIBLIOGRAPHIES ON EAST ASIA, SOUTH ASIA AND AFRICA SOUTH OF THE SAHARA FOR UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES. INTERIM REPORT, PHASE ONE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MOREHOUSE, WARD

THE PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT IS TO ASSIST UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES IN STRENGTHENING THEIR RESOURCES ON AREAS OUTSIDE THE PERIMETER OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION USUALLY GIVEN LITTLE ATTENTION BY AMERICAN COLLEGES, WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON EAST AND SOUTH ASIA AND AFRICA SOUTH OF THE SAHARA. UNDER THE PROJECT'S FIRST PHASE, A PANEL OF LIBRARY ADVISERS WAS…

Nuclear and isotopic techniques applied to supporting nutritional studies in East Asia and Pacific Countries: IAEA's contributions over 20 years.

PubMed

Kim, Seong-Ai; Miranda-da-Cruz, B; Mokhtar, Najat; Iyengar, Venkatesh

2004-01-01

The world's scientific community has recognized that isotopic techniques play a vital role in monitoring the effectiveness of nutrition intervention by providing precise data on absorption, bioavailablity and interaction of various micronutrients in a cost effective manner. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been supporting many such health related studies in Member States from developing countries using nuclear and isotopic methods for over 20 years. This report documents the Agency's support for a variety of projects in East Asia and Pacific countries to assess body composition, total energy expenditure, nutrient intake, osteoporosis, infection, vitamin and mineral bioavailability as well as food composition. The IAEA spent a total of 10,302,356 US dollars through Coordinated Research Projects (CRP) and Technical Cooperation Projects (TCP) over the past 20 years. Out of this only 2,732,802, US dollars or 26.5% was used by the East Asia and Pacific countries. While the participation of East Asia and Pacific countries was strong in CRPs and moderate in regional TCPs, they did not participate in national TCPs at all. The non-participation under national TCPs is a serious deficiency when compared with Latin American and African regions and therefore, more participation from the East Asia and Pacific countries in national TCPs is strongly encouraged in the future.

Progress Toward Measles Elimination - South-East Asia Region, 2003-2013.

PubMed

Thapa, Arun; Khanal, Sudhir; Sharapov, Umid; Swezy, Virginia; Sedai, Tika; Dabbagh, Alya; Rota, Paul; Goodson, James L; McFarland, Jeffrey

2015-06-12

In 2013, the 66th session of the Regional Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region adopted the goal of measles elimination and rubella and congenital rubella syndrome control by 2020 after rigorous prior consultations. The recommended strategies include 1) achieving and maintaining ≥95% coverage with 2 doses of measles- and rubella-containing vaccine in every district through routine or supplementary immunization activities (SIAs); 2) developing and sustaining a sensitive and timely case-based measles surveillance system that meets recommended performance indicators; 3) developing and maintaining an accredited measles laboratory network; and 4) achieving timely identification, investigation, and response to measles outbreaks. This report updates previous reports and summarizes progress toward measles elimination in the South-East Asia Region during 2003-2013. Within the region, coverage with the first dose of a measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) increased from 67% to 78%; an estimated 286 million children (95% of the target population) were vaccinated in SIAs; measles incidence decreased 73%, from 59 to 16 cases per million population; and estimated measles deaths decreased 63%. To achieve measles elimination in the region, additional efforts are needed in countries with <95% 2-dose routine MCV coverage, particularly in India and Indonesia, to strengthen routine immunization services, conduct periodic high-quality SIAs, and strengthen measles case-based surveillance and laboratory diagnosis of measles.

Heart Failure in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America: The INTER-CHF study.

PubMed

Dokainish, Hisham; Teo, Koon; Zhu, Jun; Roy, Ambuj; AlHabib, Khalid F; ElSayed, Ahmed; Palileo-Villaneuva, Lia; Lopez-Jaramillo, Patricio; Karaye, Kamilu; Yusoff, Khalid; Orlandini, Andres; Sliwa, Karen; Mondo, Charles; Lanas, Fernando; Prabhakaran, Dorairaj; Badr, Amr; Elmaghawry, Mohamed; Damasceno, Albertino; Tibazarwa, Kemi; Belley-Cote, Emilie; Balasubramanian, Kumar; Yacoub, Magdi H; Huffman, Mark D; Harkness, Karen; Grinvalds, Alex; McKelvie, Robert; Yusuf, Salim

2016-02-01

There are few data on heart failure (HF) patients from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America. INTER-CHF is a prospective study that enrolled HF patients in 108 centers in 16 countries from 2012 to 2014. Consecutive ambulatory or hospitalized adult patients with HF were enrolled. Baseline data were recorded on sociodemographics, clinical characteristics, HF etiology and treatments. Age- and sex-adjusted results are reported. We recruited 5813 HF patients: mean(SE) age=59(0.2)years, 39% female, 65% outpatients, 31% from rural areas, 26% with HF with preserved ejection fraction, with 1294 from Africa, 2661 from Asia, 1000 from the Middle-East, and 858 from South America. Participants from Africa-closely followed by Asians-were younger, had lower literacy levels, and were less likely to have health or medication insurance or be on beta-blockers compared with participants from other regions, but were most likely to be in NYHA class IV. Participants from South America were older, had higher insurance and literacy levels, and, along with Middle Eastern participants, were more likely to be on beta-blockers, but had the lowest proportion in NYHA IV. Ischemic heart disease was the most common HF etiology in all regions except Africa where hypertensive heart disease was most common. INTER-CHF describes significant regional variability in socioeconomic and clinical factors, etiologies and treatments in HF patients from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America. Opportunities exist for improvement in health/medication insurance rates and proportions of patients on beta blockers, particularly in Africa and Asia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regional modelling of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: WRF-Chem-PAH model development and East Asia case studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mu, Qing; Lammel, Gerhard; Gencarelli, Christian N.; Hedgecock, Ian M.; Chen, Ying; Přibylová, Petra; Teich, Monique; Zhang, Yuxuan; Zheng, Guangjie; van Pinxteren, Dominik; Zhang, Qiang; Herrmann, Hartmut; Shiraiwa, Manabu; Spichtinger, Peter; Su, Hang; Pöschl, Ulrich; Cheng, Yafang

2017-10-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are hazardous pollutants, with increasing emissions in pace with economic development in East Asia, but their distribution and fate in the atmosphere are not yet well understood. We extended the regional atmospheric chemistry model WRF-Chem (Weather Research Forecast model with Chemistry module) to comprehensively study the atmospheric distribution and the fate of low-concentration, slowly degrading semivolatile compounds. The WRF-Chem-PAH model reflects the state-of-the-art understanding of current PAHs studies with several new or updated features. It was applied for PAHs covering a wide range of volatility and hydrophobicity, i.e. phenanthrene, chrysene and benzo[a]pyrene, in East Asia. Temporally highly resolved PAH concentrations and particulate mass fractions were evaluated against observations. The WRF-Chem-PAH model is able to reasonably well simulate the concentration levels and particulate mass fractions of PAHs near the sources and at a remote outflow region of East Asia, in high spatial and temporal resolutions. Sensitivity study shows that the heterogeneous reaction with ozone and the homogeneous reaction with the nitrate radical significantly influence the fate and distributions of PAHs. The methods to implement new species and to correct the transport problems can be applied to other newly implemented species in WRF-Chem.

Phylogeography and genetic structure of the oriental river prawn Macrobrachium nipponense (Crustacea: Decapoda: Palaemonidae) in East Asia

PubMed Central

Chu, Ta-Jen; Lee, Ying-Chou

2017-01-01

The oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense) is mainly distributed in East Asia. The phylogeography, population genetic structure and historical demography of this species in the East Asia were examined by using partial sequences of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S rRNA in mitochondrial DNA. Ten populations that included 239 individuals were collected from Taiwan (Shihmen Reservoir, SMR, Mingte Reservoir, MTR and Chengching Lake Reservoir, CLR), mainland China (Taihu Lake, TLC, Min River, MRC, Jiulong River, JRC and Shenzhen Reservoir, SRC), Japan (Biwa Lake, BLJ and Kasumigaura Lake, KLJ) and Korea (Han River, HRK). The nucleotide diversity (π) of all individuals was 0.01134, with values ranging from 0.0089 (BLJ, Japan) to 0.01425 (MTR, Taiwan). A total of 83 haplotypes were obtained, and the haplotypes were divided into 2 main lineages: lineage A included the specimens from BLJ, KLJ, CLR, MTR, TLC, MRC and JRC, and lineage B comprised the ones from HRK, SRC, SMR, MTR, TLC, MRC and JRC. Lineage A could be further divided two sub-lineages (A1 and A2). Individuals of lineage A2 were only from TLC. Demographic expansion was observed in each lineage, starting within the second-to-latest interglacial period for lineage A and within the last glacial period for lineage B. All FST values among the ten populations were significantly different, except for the values between MRC and JRC, and SMR and SRC. The phylogeography and genetic structure of M. nipponense in East Asia might be influenced by Pleistocene glacial cycles, lake isolation and human introduction. The possible dispersal routes of M. nipponense in the East Asia were also discussed. PMID:28267807

University Outreach Programs on East Asia: Linkages with School and Community. Wingspread Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oxnam, Robert B.

The Wingspread conference was convened by the National Committee on United States-China Relations, Inc. and the Asia Society to consider how universities and centers for East Asian studies might make knowledge of Asian affairs more available. The intended audiences were secondary schools, the business community, persons interested in world affairs…

Mobility, Formation and Development of the Academic Profession in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in East and South East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yonezawa, Akiyoshi; Horta, Hugo; Osawa, Aki

2016-01-01

The academic profession contributes to shaping the capacity and identity of higher education systems. In East and Southeast Asia, there is a need for further discussion on the regional identity characteristics of the academic profession to account for its multiple origins and national and international dimensions. Data from two large-scale…

Teaching East Asia: China, Japan, Korea. Lesson Plans for Middle School Teachers. Volume II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beville, Francie; Boone, Mark; Chapman, Kelly; Crump, Claudia; Curtis, Lonnie; Erickson, Stacy; Kaiser-Polge, Tami; Klus, John A.; Luebbehusen, Mary Lou; Rea, Patrick S.; Ward, Mary E.

This volume contains 23 lesson plans that were written for middle school teachers to help students learn about East Asia. The lessons are organized across six themes: (1) "People, Places & Environment"; (2) "Technology, Production, Distribution & Consumption"; (3) "Cultures, Continuity, and Change"; (4)…

Cranes in East Asia; Proceedings of the symposium held in Harbin, People's Republic of China, June 9-18, 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Richard L.; Hongfei, Zou; Stendell, Rey C.

2001-01-01

Introductory Remarks (R.C. Stendell): I appreciate the opportunity to be in Harbin and participate in the International Scientific Workshop on Cranes in East Asia. I would like to provide some background information on how this meeting came to be. Almost one year ago, in July 1997, Dr. Kun John of the Seoul National University contacted the U.S. Geological Survey’s Midcontinent Ecological Science Center (MESC) requesting that we host a meeting of scientists from the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to discuss the biology and ecology of cranes on the Korean peninsula. Dr. John and his colleagues expressed concern about three species of cranes that migrate up and down the Korean peninsula and use the Demilitarized Zone. The species of interest are the Red-crowned Crane, White-naped Crane, and the Hooded Crane. The primary question was the conservation of these species in this part of the world. Another concern involved exploring potential economic values and opportunities associated with these species. Richard Johnson, an economist at MESC, assumed responsibility as the primary MESC contact to help bring about this meeting.

Distribution and air-sea exchange of current-use pesticides (CUPs) from East Asia to the high Arctic Ocean.

PubMed

Zhong, Guangcai; Xie, Zhiyong; Cai, Minghong; Möller, Axel; Sturm, Renate; Tang, Jianhui; Zhang, Gan; He, Jianfeng; Ebinghaus, Ralf

2012-01-03

Surface seawater and marine boundary layer air samples were collected on the ice-breaker R/V Xuelong (Snow Dragon) from the East China Sea to the high Arctic (33.23-84.5° N) in July to September 2010 and have been analyzed for six current-use pesticides (CUPs): trifluralin, endosulfan, chlorothalonil, chlorpyrifos, dacthal, and dicofol. In all oceanic air samples, the six CUPs were detected, showing highest level (>100 pg/m(3)) in the Sea of Japan. Gaseous CUPs basically decreased from East Asia (between 36.6 and 45.1° N) toward Bering and Chukchi Seas. The dissolved CUPs in ocean water ranged widely from East Asia. The air-sea gas exchange of CUPs was generally dominated by net deposition. Latitudinal trends of fugacity ratios of α-endosulfan, chlorothalonil, and dacthal showed stronger deposition of these compounds in East Asia than in Chukchi Sea, while trifluralin showed stronger deposition in Chukchi Sea (-455 ± 245 pg/m(2)/day) than in the North Pacific (-241 ± 158 pg/m(2)/day). Air-sea gas exchange of chlorpyrifos varied from net volatilizaiton in East Asia (<40° N) to equilibrium or net deposition in the North Pacific and the Arctic.

Role of Women in Teachers' Organizations in South and South-East Asia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession, Morges (Switzerland).

The role of women in teachers' organizations in South and South-East Asia was the subject of a workshop having two principal objectives: (1) a consideration of measures that can be taken by teachers' organizations to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and to secure for them human rights on the basis of equality with men; and (2)…

Analysis of ionospheric disturbances associated with powerful cyclones in East Asia and North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Wang; Yue, Jianping; Yang, Yang; Li, Zhen; Guo, Jinyun; Pan, Yi; Zhang, Kefei

2017-08-01

East Asia and North America are the regions most heavily affected by powerful cyclones. In this paper we investigate the morphological characteristics of ionospheric disturbances induced by cyclones in different continents. The global ionosphere map supplied by the Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE), International Reference Ionosphere Model (IRI) 2012, and Wallops Island ionosonde station data are used to analyse the ionospheric variations during powerful typhoons/hurricanes in East Asia and North America, respectively. After eliminating the ionospheric anomalies due to the solar-terrestrial environment, the total electron content (TEC) time series over the point with maximum wind speed is detected by the sliding interquartile range method. The results indicate that significant ionospheric disturbances are observed during powerful tropical cyclones in East Asia and North America, respectively, and that all the ionospheric anomalies are positive. In addition, the extent and magnitude of travelling ionospheric disturbances are associated with the category of tropical cyclone, and the extent of TEC anomalies in longitude is more pronounced than that in latitude. Furthermore, the maximum ionospheric anomaly does not coincide with the eye of the storm, but appears in the region adjacent to the centre. This implies that ionospheric disturbances at the edges of cyclones are larger than those in the eye of the winds. The phenomenon may be associated with the gravity waves which are generated by strong convective cells that occur in the spiral arms of tropical cyclones. This comprehensive analysis suggests that the presence of powerful typhoons/hurricanes may be a possible source mechanism for ionospheric anomalies.

Possible impacts of the Arctic oscillation on the interdecadal variation of summer monsoon rainfall in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jianhua, Ju; Junmei, Lü; Jie, Cao; Juzhang, Ren

2005-01-01

The influences of the wintertime AO (Arctic Oscillation) on the interdecadal variation of summer monsoon rainfall in East Asia were examined. An interdecadal abrupt change was found by the end of the 1970s in the variation of the AO index and the leading principal component time series of the summer rainfall in East Asia. The rainfall anomaly changed from below normal to above normal in central China, the southern part of northeastern China and the Korean peninsula around 1978. However, the opposite interdecadal variation was found in the rainfall anomaly in North China and South China. The interdecadal variation of summer rainfall is associated with the weakening of the East Asia summer monsoon circulation. It is indicated that the interdecadal variation of the AO exerts an influence on the weakening of the monsoon circulation. The recent trend in the AO toward its high-index polarity during the past two decades plays important roles in the land-sea contrast anomalies and wintertime precipitation anomaly. The mid- and high-latitude regions of the Asian continent are warming, while the low-latitude regions are cooling in winter and spring along with the AO entering its high-index polarity after the late 1970s. In the meantime, the precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau and South China is excessive, implying an increase of soil moisture. The cooling tendency of the land in the southern part of Asia will persist until summer because of the memory of soil moisture. So the warming of the Asian continent is relatively slow in summer. Moreover, the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean, which are located southward and eastward of the Asian land, are warming from winter to summer. This suggests that the contrast between the land and sea is decreased in summer. The interdecadal decrease of the land-sea heat contrast finally leads to the weakening of the East Asia summer monsoon circulation.

Importance of mineral dust and anthropogenic pollutants mixing during a long-lasting high PM event over East Asia.

PubMed

Wang, Zhe; Pan, Xiaole; Uno, Itsushi; Chen, Xueshun; Yamamoto, Shigekazu; Zheng, Haitao; Li, Jie; Wang, Zifa

2018-03-01

A long-lasting high particulate matter (PM) concentration episode persisted over East Asia from May 24 to June 3, 2014. The Nested Air Quality Prediction Model System (NAQPMS) was used to investigate the mixing of dust and anthropogenic pollutants during this episode. Comparison of observations revealed that the NAQPMS successfully reproduced the time series PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations, as well as the nitrate and sulfate concentrations in fine (aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm) and coarse mode (2.5 μm < aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm). This episode originated from two dust events that occurred in the inland desert areas of Mongolia and China, and then the long-range transported dust and anthropogenic pollutants were trapped over the downwind region of East Asia for more than one week due to the blocked north Pacific subtropical high-pressure system over the east of Japan. The model results showed that mineral dust accounted for 53-83% of PM 10 , and 39-67% of PM 2.5 over five cities in East Asia during this episode. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the Qingdao and Seoul regions experienced dust and pollution twice, by direct transport from the dust source region and from dust detoured over the Shanghai area. The results of the NAQPMS model confirmed the importance of dust heterogeneous reactions (HRs) over East Asia. Simulated dust NO 3 - concentrations accounted for 75% and 84% of total NO 3 - in fine and coarse mode, respectively, in Fukuoka, Japan. The horizontal distribution of model results revealed that the ratio of dust NO 3 - /dust concentration increased from about 1% over the Chinese land mass to a maximum of 8% and 6% respectively in fine and coarse mode over the ocean to the southeast of Japan, indicating that dust NO 3 - was mainly formed over the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea before reaching Japan. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethnic differences in survival after breast cancer in South East Asia.

PubMed

Bhoo-Pathy, Nirmala; Hartman, Mikael; Yip, Cheng-Har; Saxena, Nakul; Taib, Nur Aishah; Lim, Siew-Eng; Iau, Philip; Adami, Hans-Olov; Bulgiba, Awang M; Lee, Soo-Chin; Verkooijen, Helena M

2012-01-01

The burden of breast cancer in Asia is escalating. We evaluated the impact of ethnicity on survival after breast cancer in the multi-ethnic region of South East Asia. Using the Singapore-Malaysia hospital-based breast cancer registry, we analyzed the association between ethnicity and mortality following breast cancer in 5,264 patients diagnosed between 1990 and 2007 (Chinese: 71.6%, Malay: 18.4%, Indian: 10.0%). We compared survival rates between ethnic groups and calculated adjusted hazard ratios (HR) to estimate the independent effect of ethnicity on survival. Malays (n = 968) presented at a significantly younger age, with larger tumors, and at later stages than the Chinese and Indians. Malays were also more likely to have axillary lymph node metastasis at similar tumor sizes and to have hormone receptor negative and poorly differentiated tumors. Five year overall survival was highest in the Chinese women (75.8%; 95%CI: 74.4%-77.3%) followed by Indians (68.0%; 95%CI: 63.8%-72.2%), and Malays (58.5%; 95%CI: 55.2%-61.7%). Compared to the Chinese, Malay ethnicity was associated with significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.34; 95%CI: 1.19-1.51), independent of age, stage, tumor characteristics and treatment. Indian ethnicity was not significantly associated with risk of mortality after breast cancer compared to the Chinese (HR: 1.14; 95%CI: 0.98-1.34). In South East Asia, Malay ethnicity is independently associated with poorer survival after breast cancer. Research into underlying reasons, potentially including variations in tumor biology, psychosocial factors, treatment responsiveness and lifestyle after diagnosis, is warranted.

Applications of NASA GSFC's Land Information System (LIS) for water resources management in Korea and East-Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, D. H.; Hwang, E.; Jung, H. C.; Kim, E. J.; Peters-Lidard, C. D.; Kumar, S.; Chae, H.; Baeck, S. H.

2017-12-01

NASA has contributed to resolve global water issues by utilizing their long-term legacy of remote sensing technologies supported by a state of art software engineering. In this context, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has developed a land surface model framework to monitor and predict water hazards such as flood and drought with the Land Information System (hereafter LIS) applied to North America and beyond it to include a global coverage. However, it is still challenging to apply the LIS to East-Asia where a rice-paddy agriculture is prevalent compared to other parts of the world, but retains a high population density in this region. Thus, this paper introduces recent efforts from the Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) in S. Korea to establish the LIS in East-Asia including Korea, aiming at producing surface hydrology datasets in Asia. One of the ultimate goals of this project is to manage the water hazards in Korea and to provide the water resources dataset in East-Asia by adapting the LIS with their abundantly available hydrometeorological observations to support the LIS applications. Preliminary results from initiating efforts since the beginning of 2017 between NASA and K-water are addressed in the paper to review the possible outcomes after this ongoing project to benefit both entities. Acknowledgements This research was supported by a grant (17AWMP-B079625-04) from Water Management Research Program sponsored by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Korean government.

Gestational diabetes mellitus among women born in South East Asia: a review of the evidence.

PubMed

Carolan, Mary

2013-09-01

The aim of this paper was to examine rates of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) among women born in South East Asia, now residing in a developed country Established health databases including: SCOPUS, MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE and Maternity and Infant Care were searched for journal papers, published 2001-2011. Studies that examined GDM among women born in South East Asia (SEA) were sought. Keywords included gestational diabetes and a search term for Asian ethnicity (Asian, Asia, race, ethnic, and ethnicity). Further searches were based on citations and references found in located articles. Of 53 retrieved publications, five met inclusion criteria. Data were extracted and organised under the following headings: GDM rates among women born in SEA; screening for GDM; and characteristics of GDM risk for SEA born women. Study quality was assessed by using the CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Programme) guidelines. This review produced three main findings: (1) compared to combined Asian groups, GDM rates were lower among SEA women; (2) compared to other Asian sub-groups, GDM rates among SEA women were in the intermediate range; and (3) SEA born women demonstrated consistently higher rates of GDM than women from the same ethnic background who were born in countries such as the US, UK or Australia. From this review, it was clear that a 'one size fits all' approach to Asian ethnicity was not useful for estimating GDM rates among SEA women. There was also considerable difference among women of SEA ethnicity born in South East Asia, compared to women of the same ethnic background born in developed countries. Future research should explore the unique characteristics of GDM risk for these women. Such information is necessary for the development of strategies for the prevention and treatment of GDM among SEA women. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Uplifting of carbon monoxide from biomass burning and anthropogenic sources to the free troposphere in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Ke; Liu, Jane; Ding, Aijun; Liu, Qiang; Zhao, Tianliang; Shi, Jiancheng; Han, Yong; Wang, Hengmao; Jiang, Fei

2016-04-01

East Asia has experienced rapid development with increasing carbon monoxide (CO) emission in the past decades. Therefore, uplifting CO from the boundary layer to the free troposphere in East Asia can have great implications on regional air quality around the world. It can also influence global climate due to the longer lifetime of CO at higher altitudes. In this study, three cases of high CO episodes in the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan from 2003 to 2005 are examined with spaceborne Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) data, in combination with aircraft measurements from the Measurement of Ozone and Water Vapor by Airbus In-Service Aircraft (MOZAIC) program. Through analyses of the simulations from a chemical transport model GEOS-Chem and a trajectory dispersion model FLEXPART, we found different CO signatures in the elevated CO and distinct transport pathways and mechanisms for these cases.

Learner Centered Higher Education in East Asia: Assessing the Effects on Student Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallinger, Philip; Lu, Jiafang

2013-01-01

Purpose: The global expansion of higher education has brought about more ambitious educational goals that require new approaches to curriculum, teaching, and learning. While higher education in East Asia is no exception to this trend, it has been observed that both teachers and learners in the region have adhered to a strong tradition of…

Investigation on the variability of East Asia Boreal Summer Front Frequency and Linkage between Tropical Air Temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Eunho; Lim, Gyu-Ho

2016-04-01

Summer time front is one of the most significant phenomena over East Asia including China, Korea and Japan. Many efforts have been established to understand the nature of front. However, there was no research conducting identifying East Asia summer time fronts objectively. We have established objective front recognition method. The method follows next procedures : 1) We calculate vorticity on 850-hPa surface. 2) Any grid point that have horizontal gradient of equivalent potential temperature (EPT hereafter) on 850-hPa surface less than 4 'c / 100km set to zero. 3) Next, we smooth this field using 9-point smoothing technique. 4) Finally we extract the main axis of closed contour correspond to vorticity of 1.5 10-5s-5. Voronoi diagram used to extract this axis. We define this axis as front on 850-hPa pressure surface. We have applied the method on 1981-2010 ERA-Interim dataset. From the result, front frequency maximums are in around of East China Sea (34N, 122E), north (38N, 136E) and south (34N, 140E) of main island of Japan. Below 30N and above 40N, front frequency tends to decrease maybe due to decrease in the magnitude of gradient of EPT and the frequency of cyclonic weather disturbance. Two main regions affect the variability of East Asia Front Frequency. One is equatorial positive region especially over Taiwan (25N, 120E). The other one is East Sea next to Korea (40N, 135E). Humid warm air transported from southern China (20N-30N, 100E-110E) and dry cold air transported from northern China (30N-40N, 100E-110E) compressed by clockwise high system over Taiwan and counter-clockwise low system over East Sea). This compressed precipitation-making system or front moves by extratropical westerly and transported out to north-western Pacific. It looks like geopotential over Taiwan affected by tropical activity, especially vertical integration of temperature (VIT hereafter) over tropical region (30S-30N). When VIT is higher than normal, geopotential over Taiwan also

On the linkage between Arctic sea ice and Mid-latitude weather pattern: the situation in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, S.; Zhang, Y.; Wu, Q.

2017-12-01

The influence of Arctic changes on the weather patterns in the highly populated mid-latitude is a complex and controversial topic with considerable uncertainties such as the low signal-to-noise, ill-suited metrics of circulation changes and the missing of dynamical understanding. In this study, the possible linkage between the Arctic sea ice concentration (SIC) and the wintertime weather patterns in East Asia is investigated by comparing groups of statistical and diagnostic analyses. Our study shows a robust relationship between the early autumn SIC in Barents, Kara, Laptev and East Siberia Sea and the energies of wintertime transient activities corresponding to the weather patterns over East Asia on inter-annual time scales. With the reduction of SIC in autumn, the wintertime synoptic (2-10 day) kinetic energy in the north of Eurasia decreases while the low-frequency (10-30 days) kinetic energy, which corresponds to persistent weather patterns, exhibits an evident and dominant increase over the north of Caspian Sea, Lake Baikal and the Ural Mountain. With the reduction of SIC, the intra-seasonal temperature fluctuations present coherent changes over a broader region as well, with significant increase of the low-frequency variability in the vast north of Tibet Plateau and East Asia. The changes of the low-frequency transient activities may be attributed to the slowly southward propagating wave energies from polar regions. However, no consistent stratosphere signals are found associated with such linkage on inter-annual time scales.

A burrowing frog from the late Paleocene of Mongolia uncovers a deep history of spadefoot toads (Pelobatoidea) in East Asia.

PubMed

Chen, Jianye; Bever, Gaberiel S; Yi, Hong-Yu; Norell, Mark A

2016-01-11

Fossils are indispensible in understanding the evolutionary origins of the modern fauna. Crown-group spadefoot toads (Anura: Pelobatoidea) are the best-known fossorial frog clade to inhabit arid environments, with species utilizing a characteristic bony spade on their foot for burrowing. Endemic to the Northern Hemisphere, they are distributed across the Holarctic except East Asia. Here we report a rare fossil of a crown-group spadefoot toad from the late Paleocene of Mongolia. The phylogenetic analysis using both morphological and molecular information recovered this Asian fossil inside the modern North American pelobatoid clade Scaphiopodidae. The presence of a spade and the phylogenetic position of the new fossil frog strongly support its burrowing behavior. The late Paleocene age and other information suggestive of a mild climate cast doubt on the conventional assertion that burrowing evolved as an adaptation to aridity in spadefoot toads. Temporally and geographically, the new fossil provides the earliest record of Scaphiopodidae worldwide, and the only member of the group in Asia. Quantitative biogeographic analysis suggests that Scaphiopodidae, despite originating in North America, dispersed into East Asia via Beringia in the Early Cenozoic. The absence of spadefoot toads in East Asia today is a result of extinction.

Evaluating the cloud radiative forcing over East Asia during summer simulated by CMIP5 models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Z.; Wang, Y.; Liu, X.

2017-12-01

A large degree of uncertainty in global climate models (GCMs) can be attributed to the representation of clouds and its radiative forcing (CRF). In this study, the simulated CRFs, total cloud fraction (CF) and cloud properties over East Asia from 20 CMIP5 AMIP models are evaluated and compared with multiple satellite observations, and the possible causes for the CRF bias in the CMIP5 models are then investigated. Based on the satellite observation, strong Long wave CRF (LWCRF) and Short wave CRF (SWCRF) are found to be located over Southwestern China, with minimum SWCRF less than -130Wm-2 and this is associated with the large amount of cloud in the region. By contrast, weak CRFs are located over Northwest China and Western Pacific region because of less cloud amount. In Northeastern China, the strong SWCRF and week LWCRF can be found due to the dominant low-level cloud. In Eastern China, the CRFs is moderate due to the co-existence of the multi-layer cloud. CMIP5 models can basically capture the structure of CRFs in East Asia, with the spatial correlation coefficient between 0.5 and 0.9. But most models underestimate CRFs in East Asia, which is highly associated with the underestimation of cloud amount in the region. The performance of CMIP5 models varies in different part of East Asian region, with a larger deviation in Eastern China (EC). Further investigation suggests that, underestimation of the cloud amount in EC can lead to the weak bias of CRFs in EC, however, this CRF bias can be cancelled out by the overestimation effect of CRF due to excessive cloud optical depth (COD) simulated by the models. The annual cycle of simulated CRF over Eastern China is also examined, and it is found, CMIP models are unable to reproduce the northward migration of CRF in summer monsoon season, which is closely related with northward shift of East Asian summer monsoon rain belt.

Adjoint Sensitivity Analyses Of Sand And Dust Storms In East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kay, J.; Kim, H.

2008-12-01

Sand and Dust Storm (SDS) in East Asia, so called Asian dust, is a seasonal meteorological phenomenon. Mostly in spring, dust particles blown into atmosphere in the arid area over northern China desert and Manchuria are transported to East Asia by prevailing flows. Three SDS events in East Asia from 2005 to 2008 are chosen to investigate how sensitive the SDS forecasts to the initial condition uncertainties and thence to suggest the sensitive regions for adaptive observations of the SDS events. Adaptive observations are additional observations in sensitive regions where the observations may have the most impact on the forecast by decreasing the forecast error. Three SDS events are chosen to represent different transport passes from the dust source regions to the Korean peninsula. To investigate the sensitivities to the initial condition, adjoint sensitivities that calculate gradient of the forecast aspect (i.e., response function) with respect to the initial condition are used. The forecast aspects relevant to the SDS transport are forecast error of the surface pressure, surface pressure perturbation, and steering vector of winds in the lower troposphere. Because the surface low pressure system usually plays an important role for SDS transport, the forecast error of the surface pressure and the surface pressure perturbation are chosen as the response function of the adjoint calculation. Another response function relevant to SDS transport is the steering flow over the downstream region (i.e., Korean peninsula) because direction and intensity of the prevailing winds usually determine the intensity and occurrence of the SDS events at the destination. The results show that the sensitive regions for the forecast error of the surface pressure and surface pressure perturbation are initially located in the vicinity of the trough and then propagate eastward as the low system moves eastward. The vertical structures of the adjoint sensitivities are upshear tilted structures

JPRS Report, East Asia, Korea: Kulloja, Issue No. 12, December 1986.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-25

DiGlrib-uliori Unlimited East Asia Korea: KULLOJA ISSUE No 12 , DECEMBER 1986 REPRODUCED BY U S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NATIONAL TECHNICAL...INFORMATIONSERVICE SPRINGFIELD, VA 22161 .MIC QUALITY msp&JnsD i ro 10 JPRS-AKU-87-003 25 JUNE 1987 KOREAN AFFAIRS REPORT KULLOJA No 12 , DECEMBER...KULLOJA in Korean No 12 , Dec 86 pp 3-16 [Text] Recently, our people’s interest in sports and athletic activities has evermore been intensifying. I think

New ecology education: Preparing students for the complex human-environmental problems of dryland East Asia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Present-day environmental problems of Dryland East Asia are serious, and future prospects look especially disconcerting owing to current trends in population growth and economic development. Land degradation and desertification, invasive species, biodiversity losses, toxic waste and air pollution, a...

Resilience and Well-Being among Children of Migrant Parents in South-East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordan, Lucy P.; Graham, Elspeth

2012-01-01

There has been little systematic empirical research on the well-being of children in transnational households in South-East Asia--a major sending region for contract migrants. This study uses survey data collected in 2008 from children aged 9, 10, and 11 and their caregivers in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam (N = 1,498). Results indicate…

Planetary geology and terrestrial analogs in Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komatsu, Goro; Namiki, Noriyuki

2012-04-01

2011 PERC Planetary Geology Field Symposium;Kitakyushu City, Japan, 5-6 November 2011 In spite of the extremely diverse geological settings that exist in Asia, relatively little attention has previously been paid to this region in terms of terrestrial analog studies for planetary application. Asia is emerging as a major center of studies in planetary geology, but no attempt had been made in the past to organize a broadly based meeting that would allow planetary geologists in Asia to meet with ones from more advanced centers, such as the United States and Europe, and that would include the participation of many geologists working primarily on terrestrial research. The Planetary Exploration Research Center (PERC) of the Chiba Institute of Technology hosted the first planetary geology field symposium in Asia to present results from recent planetary geology studies and to exchange ideas regarding terrestrial analogs (http://www.perc.it-chiba.ac.jp/meetings/pgfs2011/index.html).

Nine-year spatial and temporal evolution of desert dust aerosols over South and East Asia as revealed by CALIOP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Proestakis, Emmanouil; Amiridis, Vassilis; Marinou, Eleni; Georgoulias, Aristeidis K.; Solomos, Stavros; Kazadzis, Stelios; Chimot, Julien; Che, Huizheng; Alexandri, Georgia; Binietoglou, Ioannis; Daskalopoulou, Vasiliki; Kourtidis, Konstantinos A.; de Leeuw, Gerrit; van der A, Ronald J.

2018-02-01

We present a 3-D climatology of the desert dust distribution over South and East Asia derived using CALIPSO (Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation) data. To distinguish desert dust from total aerosol load we apply a methodology developed in the framework of EARLINET (European Aerosol Research Lidar Network). The method involves the use of the particle linear depolarization ratio and updated lidar ratio values suitable for Asian dust, applied to multiyear CALIPSO observations (January 2007-December 2015). The resulting dust product provides information on the horizontal and vertical distribution of dust aerosols over South and East Asia along with the seasonal transition of dust transport pathways. Persistent high D_AOD (dust aerosol optical depth) values at 532 nm, of the order of 0.6, are present over the arid and semi-arid desert regions. Dust aerosol transport (range, height and intensity) is subject to high seasonality, with the highest values observed during spring for northern China (Taklimakan and Gobi deserts) and during summer over the Indian subcontinent (Thar Desert). Additionally, we decompose the CALIPSO AOD (aerosol optical depth) into dust and non-dust aerosol components to reveal the non-dust AOD over the highly industrialized and densely populated regions of South and East Asia, where the non-dust aerosols yield AOD values of the order of 0.5. Furthermore, the CALIPSO-based short-term AOD and D_AOD time series and trends between January 2007 and December 2015 are calculated over South and East Asia and over selected subregions. Positive trends are observed over northwest and east China and the Indian subcontinent, whereas over southeast China trends are mostly negative. The calculated AOD trends agree well with the trends derived from Aqua MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer), although significant differences are observed over specific regions.

Ethnic Differences in Survival after Breast Cancer in South East Asia

PubMed Central

Bhoo-Pathy, Nirmala; Hartman, Mikael; Yip, Cheng-Har; Saxena, Nakul; Taib, Nur Aishah; Lim, Siew-Eng; Iau, Philip; Adami, Hans-Olov; Bulgiba, Awang M.; Lee, Soo-Chin; Verkooijen, Helena M.

2012-01-01

Background The burden of breast cancer in Asia is escalating. We evaluated the impact of ethnicity on survival after breast cancer in the multi-ethnic region of South East Asia. Methodology/Principal Findings Using the Singapore-Malaysia hospital-based breast cancer registry, we analyzed the association between ethnicity and mortality following breast cancer in 5,264 patients diagnosed between 1990 and 2007 (Chinese: 71.6%, Malay: 18.4%, Indian: 10.0%). We compared survival rates between ethnic groups and calculated adjusted hazard ratios (HR) to estimate the independent effect of ethnicity on survival. Malays (n = 968) presented at a significantly younger age, with larger tumors, and at later stages than the Chinese and Indians. Malays were also more likely to have axillary lymph node metastasis at similar tumor sizes and to have hormone receptor negative and poorly differentiated tumors. Five year overall survival was highest in the Chinese women (75.8%; 95%CI: 74.4%–77.3%) followed by Indians (68.0%; 95%CI: 63.8%–72.2%), and Malays (58.5%; 95%CI: 55.2%–61.7%). Compared to the Chinese, Malay ethnicity was associated with significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.34; 95%CI: 1.19–1.51), independent of age, stage, tumor characteristics and treatment. Indian ethnicity was not significantly associated with risk of mortality after breast cancer compared to the Chinese (HR: 1.14; 95%CI: 0.98–1.34). Conclusion In South East Asia, Malay ethnicity is independently associated with poorer survival after breast cancer. Research into underlying reasons, potentially including variations in tumor biology, psychosocial factors, treatment responsiveness and lifestyle after diagnosis, is warranted. PMID:22363531

Spring Soil Temperature Anomalies over Tibetan Plateau and Summer Droughts/Floods in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Y.; Li, W.; LI, Q.; Diallo, I.; Chu, P. C.; Guo, W.; Fu, C.

2017-12-01

Recurrent extreme climate events, such as droughts and floods, are important features of the climate of East Asia, especially over the Yangtze River basin. Many studies have attributed these episodes to variability and anomaly of global sea surface temperatures (SST) anomaly. In addition, snow in the Tibetan Plateau has also been considered as one of the factors affecting the Asian monsoon variability. However, studies have consistently shown that SST along is unable to explain the extreme climate events fully and snow has difficulty to use as a predictor. Remote effects of observed large-scale land surface temperature (LST) and subsurface temperature variability in Tibetan Plateau (TP) on East Asian regional droughts/floods, however, have been largely ignored. We conjecture that a temporally filtered response to snow anomalies may be preserved in the LST anomaly. In this study, evidence from climate observations and model simulations addresses the LST/SUBT effects. The Maximum Covariance Analysis (MCA) of observational data identifies that a pronounce spring LST anomaly pattern over TP is closely associated with precipitation anomalies in East Asia with a dipole pattern, i.e., negative/positive TP spring LST anomaly is associated with the summer drought/flood over the region south of the Yangtze River and wet/dry conditions to the north of the Yangtze River. Climate models were used to demonstrate a causal relationship between spring cold LST anomaly in the TP and the severe 2003 drought over the southern part of the Yangtze River in eastern Asia. This severe drought resulted in 100 x 106 kg crop yield losses and an economic loss of 5.8 billion Chinese Yuan. The modeling study suggests that the LST effect produced about 58% of observed precipitation deficit; while the SST effect produced about 32% of the drought conditions. Meanwhile, the LST and SST effects also simulated the observed flood over to the north of the Yangtze River. This suggests that inclusion of

Contributions of radiative factors to enhanced dryland warming over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yanting; Guan, Xiaodan; Yu, Haipeng; Xie, Yongkun; Jin, Hongchun

2017-08-01

Enhanced near-surface atmospheric warming has occurred over East Asia in recent decades, especially in drylands. Although local factors have been confirmed to provide considerable contributions to this warming, such factors have not been sufficiently analyzed. In this study, we extracted the radiatively forced temperature (RFT) associated with the built-up greenhouse gases, aerosol emission, and various other radiative forcing over East Asia and found a close relationship between RFT and CO2. In addition, using climate model experiments, we explored the responses of temperature changes to black carbon (BC), CO2, and SO4 and found that the enhanced dryland warming induced by CO2 had the largest magnitude and was strengthened by the warming effect of BC. Moreover, the sensitivity of daily maximum and minimum temperature changes to BC, CO2, and SO4 was examined. It showed asymmetric responses of daily maximum and minimum temperature to radiative factors, which led to an obvious change of diurnal temperature range (DTR), especially in drylands. The DTR's response to CO2 is the most significant. Therefore, CO2 not only plays a dominant role in enhanced warming but also greatly affects the decrease of DTR in drylands. However, the mechanisms of these radiative factors' effects in the process of DTR change are not clear and require more investigation.

Understanding Emissions in East Asia - The KORUS 2015 Emissions Inventory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woo, J. H.; Kim, Y.; Park, R.; Choi, Y.; Simpson, I. J.; Emmons, L. K.; Streets, D. G.

2017-12-01

The air quality over Northeast Asia have been deteriorated for decades due to high population and energy use in the region. Despite of more stringent air pollution control policies by the governments, air quality over the region seems not been improved as much - even worse sometimes. The needs of more scientific understanding of inter-relationship among emissions, transport, chemistry over the region are much higher to effectively protect public health and ecosystems. Two aircraft filed campaigns targeting year 2016, MAPS-Seoul and KORUS-AQ, have been organized to study the air quality of over Korea and East Asia relating to chemical evolution, emission inventories, trans-boundary contribution, and satellite application. We developed a new East-Asia emissions inventory, named KORUS2015, based on NIER/KU-CREATE (Comprehensive Regional Emissions inventory for Atmospheric Transport Experiment), in support of the filed campaigns. For anthropogenic emissions, it has 54 fuel classes, 201 sub-sectors and 13 pollutants, including CO2, SO2, NOx, CO, NMVOC, NH3, PM10, and PM2.5. Since the KORUS2015 emissions framework was developed using the integrated climate and air quality assessment modeling framework (i.e. GAINS) and is fully connected with the comprehensive emission processing/modeling systems (i.e. SMOKE, KU-EPS, and MEGAN), it can be effectively used to support atmospheric field campaigns for science and policy. During the field campaigns, we are providing modeling emissions inventory to participating air quality models, such as CMAQ, WRF-Chem, CAMx, GEOS-Chem, MOZART, for forecasting and post-analysis modes. Based on initial assessment of those results, we are improving our emissions, such as VOC speciation, biogenic VOCs modeling. From the 2nditeration between emissions and modeling/measurement, further analysis results will be presented at the conference. Acknowledgements : This subject is supported by Korea Ministry of Environment as "Climate Change

Trading on the West's Strength: The Dilemmas of Transnational Higher Education in East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiang, Li-chuan

2012-01-01

Responding to the impacts of globalization and the knowledge economy, the increasing demand for higher education in East Asia is not only met by domestic higher education, but also by importing transnational higher education (TNHE). Importing TNHE becomes an export strategy to attract international students to contribute to capacity building for…

The Quest for Innovation and Entrepreneurship: The Changing Role of University in East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mok, Ka Ho

2012-01-01

This article critically reviews the national innovation systems of the four little tigers in East Asia, namely Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea, in fostering R&D and technological research. A national innovation system is characterised by the interactions between the state, industries and universities in promoting innovation. This…

Institutionalization of Lifelong Learning in Europe and East Asia: From the Complexity Systems Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Han, SoongHee

2017-01-01

East Asia shows newly emerging experiments in lifelong learning that contrast with European experiences. The concepts and ideas share a similar platform, while the trajectories of institutionalization reveal great differences. It is because the idea of lifelong learning was coined by international agencies, like UNESCO, to share, it rather shows…

Summertime land-sea thermal contrast and atmospheric circulation over East Asia in a warming climate—Part I: Past changes and future projections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamae, Youichi; Watanabe, Masahiro; Kimoto, Masahide; Shiogama, Hideo

2014-11-01

Land-sea surface air temperature (SAT) contrast, an index of tropospheric thermodynamic structure and dynamical circulation, has shown a significant increase in recent decades over East Asia during the boreal summer. In Part I of this two-part paper, observational data and the results of transient warming experiments conducted using coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (GCMs) are analyzed to examine changes in land-sea thermal contrast and the associated atmospheric circulation over East Asia from the past to the future. The interannual variability of the land-sea SAT contrast over the Far East for 1950-2012 was found to be tightly coupled with a characteristic tripolar pattern of tropospheric circulation over East Asia, which manifests as anticyclonic anomalies over the Okhotsk Sea and around the Philippines, and a cyclonic anomaly over Japan during a positive phase, and vice versa. In response to CO2 increase, the cold northeasterly winds off the east coast of northern Japan and the East Asian rainband were strengthened with the circulation pattern well projected on the observed interannual variability. These results are commonly found in GCMs regardless of future forcing scenarios, indicating the robustness of the East Asian climate response to global warming. The physical mechanisms responsible for the increase of the land-sea contrast are examined in Part II.

Survival rates of invasive breast cancer among ethnic Chinese women born in East Asia and the United States.

PubMed

Chuang, Shu-Chun; Chen, Wenping; Hashibe, Mia; Li, Gang; Zhang, Zuo-Feng

2006-01-01

Few studies have compared the breast cancer survival rates of US born ethnic Chinese women and the survival rates of Chinese immigrants. The main purpose of this study is to explore the difference of breast cancer survival rates between the two populations and compare the survival rates to those of Caucasians born in the US. Between 1973 and 2002, 365,215 women who had been diagnosed with primary invasive breast cancer (ICD-O-2 C500:C509) were recorded in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries. Of the 316,881 breast cancer patients who were white, 180,835 (57%) were born in the United States, 20,983 (7%) were born elsewhere, and 115,063 (36%) had unknown birthplaces. Among the 3,634 breast cancer patients who were ethnically Chinese, 952 (26%) patients were born in the US, 1,356 (37%) were born in East Asia, 146 (4%) were born elsewhere, and 1,180 (33%) had unknown birthplaces. We compared the survival rates and estimated the risk ratios (RRs) by the Kaplan-Meier estimates and the Cox proportional hazards models. A lower 5-year overall survival rate of breast cancer was observed among Chinese women born in East Asia (0.74, 95% CI=0.72-0.77) than those born in the U.S. (0.79, 95% CI=0.76-0.81), with an adjusted hazards ratio of 1.22 (95% CI=1.06-1.40). The 5-year survival rates for SEER stage were higher among Chinese women born in the U.S. (localized: 0.90, 95% CI=0.87-0.93; regional: 0.71, 95% CI=66-0.77; distant: 0.16, 95% CI=0.06-0.25) than that among Chinese women born in East Asia (localized: 0.86, 95% CI=0.83-0.89; regional: 0.68, 95% CI=0.63-0.73; distant: 0.16, 95% CI=0.07-0.25). Higher 5-year survival rates among Chinese women born in the U.S. in comparison to Chinese women born in East Asia were also observed in different calendar years (1973-1980, 1981-1990, 1991-2002), in surgery and radiation therapy. Our analysis showed that among the Chinese breast cancer patients, women born in East Asia had lower 5-year survival rates

Optimising reproductive and child health outcomes by building evidence-based research and practice in South East Asia (SEA-ORCHID): study protocol

PubMed Central

Henderson-Smart, David J; Lumbiganon, Pisake; Festin, Mario R; Ho, Jacqueline J; Mohammad, Hakimi; McDonald, Steve J; Green, Sally; Crowther, Caroline A

2007-01-01

Background Disorders related to pregnancy and childbirth are a major health issue in South East Asia. They represent one of the biggest health risk differentials between the developed and developing world. Our broad research question is: Can the health of mothers and babies in Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia be improved by increasing the local capacity for the synthesis of research, implementation of effective interventions, and identification of gaps in knowledge needing further research? Methods/Design The project is a before-after study which planned to benefit from and extend existing regional and international networks. Over five years the project was designed to comprise five phases; pre-study, pre-intervention, intervention, outcome assessment and reporting/dissemination. The study was proposed to be conducted across seven project nodes: four in South East Asia and three in Australia. Each South East Asian study node was planned to be established within an existing department of obstetrics and gynaecology or neonatology and was intended to form the project coordinating centre and focus for evidence-based practice activities within that region. Nine hospitals in South East Asia planned to participate, representing a range of clinical settings. The three project nodes in Australia were intended to provide project support. The intervention was planned to consist of capacity-strengthening activities targeted at three groups: generators of evidence, users of evidence and teachers of evidence. The primary outcome was established as changes in adherence to recommended clinical practices from baseline to completion of the project and impact on health outcomes. Discussion The SEA-ORCHID project was intended to improve care during pregnancy and the perinatal period of mothers and their babies in South East Asia. The possible benefits extend beyond this however, as at the end of this project there is hoped to be an existing network of South East Asian

Evaluation of aerosol optical properties of GEOS-Chem over East Asia during the DRAGON-Asia 2012 campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jo, D. S.; Park, R.; Kim, J.

2015-12-01

A nested version of 3-D chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem v9-01-02) is evaluated over East Asia during the Distributed Regional Aerosol Gridded Observation Networks (DRAGON)-Asia 2012 campaign period, focusing on fine-mode aerosol optical depth (fAOD) and single scattering albedo (SSA). Both are important to assess the effect of anthropogenic aerosols on climate. We compare the daily mean simulated optical properties of aerosols with the observations from DRAGON-Asia campaign for March-May, 2012 (provided in level 2.0: cloud screened and quality assured). We find that the model reproduces the observed daily variability of fAOD (R=0.67), but overestimates the magnitude by 30%, which is in general consistent with other global model comparisons from ACCMIP. However, a significant high bias in the model is found compared to the observed SSA at 440 nm, which is important for determining the sign of aerosol radiative forcing. In order to understand causes for this gap we conduct several sensitivity tests by changing source magnitudes and input parameters of aerosols, affecting the aerosol optical properties under various atmospheric conditions, which allows us to reduce the gap and to find the optimal values in the model.

Global distribution of Y-chromosome haplogroup C reveals the prehistoric migration routes of African exodus and early settlement in East Asia.

PubMed

Zhong, Hua; Shi, Hong; Qi, Xue-Bin; Xiao, Chun-Jie; Jin, Li; Ma, Runlin Z; Su, Bing

2010-07-01

The regional distribution of an ancient Y-chromosome haplogroup C-M130 (Hg C) in Asia provides an ideal tool of dissecting prehistoric migration events. We identified 465 Hg C individuals out of 4284 males from 140 East and Southeast Asian populations. We genotyped these Hg C individuals using 12 Y-chromosome biallelic markers and 8 commonly used Y-short tandem repeats (Y-STRs), and performed phylogeographic analysis in combination with the published data. The results show that most of the Hg C subhaplogroups have distinct geographical distribution and have undergone long-time isolation, although Hg C individuals are distributed widely across Eurasia. Furthermore, a general south-to-north and east-to-west cline of Y-STR diversity is observed with the highest diversity in Southeast Asia. The phylogeographic distribution pattern of Hg C supports a single coastal 'Out-of-Africa' route by way of the Indian subcontinent, which eventually led to the early settlement of modern humans in mainland Southeast Asia. The northward expansion of Hg C in East Asia started approximately 40 thousand of years ago (KYA) along the coastline of mainland China and reached Siberia approximately 15 KYA and finally made its way to the Americas.

Circulation responses to regional aerosol climate forcing in summer over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Guoxing; Wang, Wei-Chyung; Chen, Jen-Ping

2018-05-01

For East Asia, circulation responses to anthropogenic aerosol radiative forcing dominate aerosol-precipitation interactions. To gain insights, this study analyzed CESM simulated circulation changes related to the `north drought and south flood' pattern caused by aerosol increases between two cases. One case was driven by the year-1850 global emission inventory, whereas the other used identical emissions for all regions except East Asia where anthropogenic emissions of aerosols and precursors of the year-2000 were imposed. Results show that the cooling caused by increased aerosols, which peaks at the middle latitudes, induces two intervened anomalous circulations in the troposphere. Near the surface, the increased land pressure weakens the southerlies and reduces the moisture transport for the entire eastern China. Meanwhile, in the free troposphere, the anomalous circulation exhibits remarkable meridional variations. While convergence occurs over 25°-45°N which partially compensates the decrease of moisture transport from lower levels, divergence develops over regions to the north which enhances the moisture deficiency. In addition, the southward shift of the jet stream stimulates anomalous rising and sinking motions over the south and north of 32°N. The combination of these changes leads to precipitation increase in the Yangtze River Valley but decrease over North China.

Attitudes of International Music Students from East Asia toward U.S. Higher Education Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Jin Ho

2009-01-01

Nine universities in the United States with the greatest number of international students and having an accredited music program through the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) were selected. Survey research methodologies were used to identify the status of the international music students from East Asia in U.S. higher education…

Predictors and consequences of adherence to the treatment of pediatric patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in Central Europe and East Asia

PubMed Central

Hong, Jihyung; Novick, Diego; Treuer, Tamás; Montgomery, William; Haynes, Virginia S; Wu, Shenghu; Haro, Josep Maria

2013-01-01

Purpose To assess baseline predictors and consequences of medication non-adherence in the treatment of pediatric patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from Central Europe and East Asia. Patients and methods Data for this post-hoc analysis were taken from a 1-year prospective, observational study that included a total of 1,068 newly-diagnosed pediatric patients with ADHD symptoms from Central Europe and East Asia. Medication adherence during the week prior to each visit was assessed by treating physicians using a 5-point Likert scale, and then dichotomized into either adherent or non-adherent. Clinical severity was measured by the Clinical Global Impressions-ADHD-Severity (CGI-ADHD) scale and the Child Symptom Inventory-4 (CSI-4) Checklist. Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) was measured using the Child Health and Illness Profile-Child Edition (CHIP-CE). Regression analyses were used to assess baseline predictors of overall adherence during follow-up, and the impact of time-varying adherence on subsequent outcomes: response (defined as a decrease of at least 1 point in CGI), changes in CGI-ADHD, CSI-4, and the five dimensions of CHIP-CE. Results Of the 860 patients analyzed, 64.5% (71.6% in Central Europe and 55.5% in East Asia) were rated as adherent and 35.5% as non-adherent during follow-up. Being from East Asia was found to be a strong predictor of non-adherence. In East Asia, a family history of ADHD and parental emotional distress were associated with non-adherence, while having no other children living at home was associated with non-adherence in Central Europe as well as in the overall sample. Non-adherence was associated with poorer response and less improvement on CGI-ADHD and CSI-4, but not on CHIP-CE. Conclusion Non-adherence to medication is common in the treatment of ADHD, particularly in East Asia. Non-adherence was associated with poorer response and less improvement in clinical severity. A limitation of this study is that

Exploring the combined effects of the Arctic Oscillation and ENSO on the wintertime climate over East Asia using self-organizing maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Wenyu; Chen, Ruyan; Yang, Zifan; Wang, Bin; Ma, Wenqian

2017-09-01

To examine the combined effects of the different spatial patterns of the Arctic Oscillation (AO)-related sea level pressure (SLP) anomalies and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-related sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies on the wintertime surface temperature anomalies over East Asia, a nonlinear method based on self-organizing maps is employed. Investigation of identified regimes reveals that the AO can affect East Asian temperature anomalies when there are significant SLP anomalies over the Arctic Ocean and northern parts of Eurasian continent. Analogously, ENSO is found to affect East Asian temperature anomalies when significant SST anomalies are present over the tropical central Pacific. The regimes with the warmest and coldest temperature anomalies over East Asia are both associated with the negative phase of the AO. The ENSO-activated, Pacific-East Asian teleconnection pattern could affect the higher latitude continental regions when the impact of the AO is switched off. When the spatial patterns of the AO and ENSO have significant, but opposite, impacts on the coastal winds, no obvious temperature anomalies can be observed over south China. Further, the circulation state with nearly the same AO and Niño3 indices may drive rather different responses in surface temperature over East Asia. The well-known continuous weakening (recovery) of the East Asian winter monsoon that occurred around 1988 (2009) can be attributed to the transitions of the spatial patterns of the SLP anomalies over the Arctic Ocean and Eurasian continent, through their modulation on the occurrences of the Ural and central Siberian blocking events.

Dynamical downscaling of historical climate over CORDEX East Asia domain: A comparison of regional ocean-atmosphere coupled model to stand-alone RCM simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Liwei; Zhou, Tianjun; Peng, Dongdong

2016-02-01

The FROALS (flexible regional ocean-atmosphere-land system) model, a regional ocean-atmosphere coupled model, has been applied to the Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) East Asia domain. Driven by historical simulations from a global climate system model, dynamical downscaling for the period from 1980 to 2005 has been conducted at a uniform horizontal resolution of 50 km. The impacts of regional air-sea couplings on the simulations of East Asian summer monsoon rainfall have been investigated, and comparisons have been made to corresponding simulations performed using a stand-alone regional climate model (RCM). The added value of the FROALS model with respect to the driving global climate model was evident in terms of both climatology and the interannual variability of summer rainfall over East China by the contributions of both the high horizontal resolution and the reasonably simulated convergence of the moisture fluxes. Compared with the stand-alone RCM simulations, the spatial pattern of the simulated low-level monsoon flow over East Asia and the western North Pacific was improved in the FROALS model due to its inclusion of regional air-sea coupling. The results indicated that the simulated sea surface temperature (SSTs) resulting from the regional air-sea coupling were lower than those derived directly from the driving global model over the western North Pacific north of 15°N. These colder SSTs had both positive and negative effects. On the one hand, they strengthened the western Pacific subtropical high, which improved the simulation of the summer monsoon circulation over East Asia. On the other hand, the colder SSTs suppressed surface evaporation and favored weaker local interannual variability in the SST, which led to less summer rainfall and weaker interannual rainfall variability over the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Overall, the reference simulation performed using the FROALS model is reasonable in terms of rainfall over the land area of

The Role of Stigma and Denormalization in Suicide-Prevention Laws in East Asia: A Sociocultural, Historical, and Ethical Perspective.

PubMed

Chen, Justin A; Courtwright, Andrew; Wu, Kevin Chien-Chang

In many Western countries, the criminalization and stigmatization of suicide has given way to a biomedical approach aimed at destigmatizing suicide and treating underlying mental illness. By contrast, in many East Asian countries, suicide has never historically been criminalized or stigmatized. High rates of suicide in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan have recently led policy makers in those countries to pursue innovative suicide-prevention strategies. The intentional denormalization of harmful behaviors has been discussed in the public health and ethics literatures, particularly with regard to smoking cessation, and could represent a novel mechanism for preventing suicides in East Asia. Using examples from the sociocultural, historical, and legal discourses surrounding suicide in Western and East Asian contexts, we suggest that denormalization can be a justified, culturally relevant suicide-prevention strategy, but that care must be taken to avoid shaming or stigmatizing suicidal individuals. Specifically, we propose the term weak denormalization to refer to an ethically permissible strategy at the mildest end of a spectrum of denormalizing approaches-milder than the reintegrative shaming described in the criminal justice literature, and diametrically opposed to outright stigmatization, which is generally considered ethically impermissible. Given the severe stigma of mental illness in East Asia, adopting the dominant Western view of suicide as solely a psychiatric concern would not be justified. Weak denormalization strategies in East Asia should be culturally tailored and rigorously tested on a small scale. They should include social supports, praise for the bravery of those of who seek help, and strategies to reduce shame regarding perceived social failure.

Export of Atmospheric Mercury from East Asia Observed at Various Monitoring Sites in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheu, G.; Lin, N.; Wang, J.; Lee, C.; Chang, S.

2009-12-01

East Asia is the major atmospheric mercury (Hg) source region in the world due to the excessive coal combustion, industrial emission, and biomass burning in this area. Nonetheless, studies concerning the export of atmospheric Hg from East Asia are still limited. Accordingly, atmospheric Hg has been measured at various sites in Taiwan to study its temporal and spatial distribution, and the significance of long-range transport from the East Asian continent as well. Here we report the data collected in Fu-guei-jiao (121.97°E, 25.47°N, ~30 m a.s.l.), Mt. Bamboo (121.54°E, 25.19°N, 1025 m a.s.l.), and Lulin Atmospheric Background Station (LABS; 120.87°E, 23.47°N, 2862 m a.s.l.) to discuss the atmospheric Hg export from the East Asian continent. Twenty-four hour-integrated total atmospheric Hg (THg) samples were manually collected in Fu-guei-jiao and Mt. Bamboo in 2007-2008 and quantified by dual amalgamation CVAFS. On the other hand, continuous measurements of gaseous elemental Hg (GEM), reactive gaseous Hg (RGM), and particulate Hg (PHg) at LABS began since April 13, 2006 using the Tekran 2537A/1130/1135 speciation system. Mean(±S.D.) THg concentrations were 2.09±0.71 and 1.86±0.50 ng m-3 for Fu-guei-jiao and Mt. Bamboo, respectively. At LABS between April 2006 and April 2009, the mean(±S.D.) concentrations of GEM, RGM and PHg were 1.77±0.54 ng m-3, 22.4±43.8 pg m-3 and 6.3±10.9 pg m-3, respectively. Evident seasonal distribution in THg/GEM concentrations was observed at all sites with higher values usually occurred between fall and spring when the air masses were mainly from the East Asian continent, indicating the influence of the East Asian atmospheric Hg outflow. This also demonstrated that the atmospheric Hg export is occurring both in the boundary layer and in the free troposphere. Concentrations of PHg were usually low at LABS; however, elevated values were detected in spring when the Indochina Peninsula biomass burning plumes frequently affected

Sensitivity of Drought Processes to Runoff Parameterizations in East Asia with the Community Land Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, J. B.; Um, M. J.; Kim, Y.

2016-12-01

Drought is one of the most powerful and extensive disasters and has the highest annual average damage among all the disasters. Focusing on East Asia, where over one fifth of all the people in the world live, drought has impacted as well as been projected to impact the region significantly. .Therefore it is critical to reasonably simulate the drought phenomenon in the region and thus this study would focus on the reproducibility of drought with the NCAR CLM. In this study, we examine the propagation of drought processes with different runoff parameterization of CLM in East Asia. Two different schemes are used; TOPMODEL-based and VIC-based schemes, which differentiate the result of runoff through the surface and subsurface runoff parameterization. CLM with different runoff scheme are driven with two atmospheric forcings from CRU/NCEP and NCEP reanalysis data. Specifically, propagation of drought from meteorological, agricultural to hydrologic drought is investigated with different drought indices, estimated with not only model simulated results but also observational data. The indices include the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI), standardized runoff index (SRI) and standardized soil moisture index (SSMI). Based on these indices, the drought characteristics such as intensity, frequency and spatial extent are investigated. At last, such drought assessments would reveal the possible model deficiencies in East Asia. AcknowledgementsThis work was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning (2015R1C1A2A01054800) and the Korea Meteorological Administration R&D Program under Grant KMIPA 2015-6180.

Dust modeling over East Asia during the summer of 2010 using the WRF-Chem model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, B.; Huang, J.; Chen, S.

2017-12-01

An intense summer dust storm over East Asia during June 24-27, 2010, was systematically analyzed using the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) and a variety of in situ measurements and satellite retrievals. The results showed that the WRF-Chem model captured the spatial and temporal distributions of meteorological factors and dust aerosols over East Asia. This summer dust storm was initiated by the approach of a transverse trough in the northwestern Xinjiang. Because of the passage of the cutoff-low, a large amount of cold air was transported southward and further enhanced in the narrow valleys of the Altai and Tianshan Mountains, which resulted in higher wind speeds and huge dust emissions over the Taklimakan Desert (TD). Dust emission fluxes over the TD were as high as 54 μg m-2 s-1 on June 25th. The dust aerosols from the TD then swept across Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Mongolia, and some were also transported eastward to Beijing, Tianjin, the Hebei region, and even South Korea and Japan. The simulations further showed that summer dust over East Asia exerts an important influence on the radiation budget in the Earth-atmosphere system. Dust heat the atmosphere at a maximum heating rate of 0.14 k day-1, effectively changing the vertical stability of the atmosphere and affecting climate change at regional and even global scales. The dust event-averaged direct radiative forcing induced by dust particles over the TD at all-sky was -6.0, -16.8 and 10.8 W m-2 at the top of the atmosphere, the surface, and in the atmosphere, respectively.

Interannual variation, decadal trend, and future change in ozone outflow from East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Jia; Liao, Hong; Mao, Yuhao; Yang, Yang; Jiang, Hui

2017-03-01

We examine the past and future changes in the O3 outflow from East Asia using a global 3-D chemical transport model, GEOS-Chem. The simulations of Asian O3 outflow for 1986-2006 are driven by the assimilated GEOS-4 meteorological fields, and those for 2000-2050 are driven by the meteorological fields archived by the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) general circulation model (GCM) 3 under the IPCC SRES A1B scenario. The evaluation of the model results against measurements shows that the GEOS-Chem model captures the seasonal cycles and interannual variations of tropospheric O3 concentrations fairly well with high correlation coefficients of 0.82-0.93 at four ground-based sites and 0.55-0.88 at two ozonesonde sites where observations are available. The increasing trends in surface-layer O3 concentrations in East Asia over the past 2 decades are captured by the model, although the modeled O3 trends have low biases. Sensitivity studies are conducted to examine the respective impacts of meteorological parameters and emissions on the variations in the outflow flux of O3. When both meteorological parameters and anthropogenic emissions varied from 1986-2006, the simulated Asian O3 outflow fluxes exhibited a statistically insignificant decadal trend; however, they showed large interannual variations (IAVs) with seasonal values of 4-9 % for the absolute percent departure from the mean (APDM) and an annual APDM value of 3.3 %. The sensitivity simulations indicated that the large IAVs in O3 outflow fluxes were mainly caused by variations in the meteorological conditions. The variations in meteorological parameters drove the IAVs in O3 outflow fluxes by altering the O3 concentrations over East Asia and by altering the zonal winds; the latter was identified to be the key factor, since the O3 outflow was highly correlated with zonal winds from 1986-2006. The simulations of the 2000-2050 changes show that the annual outflow flux of O3 will increase by 2.0, 7.9, and

Health professional-patient communication practices in East Asia: An integrative review of an emerging field of research and practice in Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Mainland China.

PubMed

Pun, Jack K H; Chan, E Angela; Wang, Sophie; Slade, Diana

2018-07-01

To provide an integrative review of literature on health communication in East Asia and detail culturally-specific influences. Using PRISMA model, search of PubMed, PsychInfo, Web of Knowledge, ERIC and CINAHL databases were conducted for studies between January 2000 and March 2017, using the terms 'clinician/health professional-patient', 'nurse/doctor-patient, 'communication' and 'Asia'. 38 studies were included: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. The existing body of research on clinician patient communication in East Asia can be classified: 1) understanding the roles and expectations of the nurse, clinician, patient, and family in clinician-patient consultations: a) nurse-patient communication; b) doctor-patient communication; c) the role of family member; and 2) factors affecting quality of care: d) cultural attitudes towards death and terminal illnesses; e) communication preferences affecting trust, decision-making and patient satisfaction; f) the extent to which patient centred care is being implemented in practice; and g) communication practices in multilingual/multi-disciplinary environments. The review detailed the complexity and heterogeneity of clinician-patient communication across East Asia. The studies reviewed indicate that research in East Asia is starting to move beyond a preference for Western-based communication practices. There is a need to consider local culture in understanding and interpreting medical encounters in East Asia. The paper highlights the need for a specific culturally-appropriate model of health communication in East Asia which may significantly improve relationships between clinicians and patients. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Resolution dependence of cross-tropopause ozone transport over east Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Büker, M. L.; Hitchman, Matthew H.; Tripoli, Gregory J.; Pierce, R. B.; Browell, E. V.; Avery, M. A.

2005-02-01

Detailed analysis of mesoscale transport of ozone across the tropopause over east Asia during the spring of 2001 is conducted using regional simulations with the University of Wisconsin Nonhydrostatic Modeling System (UWNMS), in situ flight data, and a new two-scale approach to diagnosing this ozone flux. From late February to early April, synoptic activity regularly deformed the tropopause, leading to observations of ozone-rich (concentration exceeding 80 ppbv) stratospheric intrusions and filaments at tropospheric altitudes. Since model resolution is generally not sufficient to capture detailed small-scale mixing processes, an upper bound on the flux is proposed by assuming that there exists a dynamical division by spatial scale, above which the wind conservatively advects large-scale structures, while below it the wind leads to irreversible transport through nonconservative random strain. A formulation for this diagnosis is given and applied to ozone flux across the dynamical tropopause. Simulations were chosen to correspond with DC-8 flight 15 on 26-27 March over east Asia during the Transport and Chemical Evolution Over the Pacific (TRACE-P) campaign. Local and domain-averaged flux values using this method agree with other numerical and observational studies in similar synoptic environments. Sensitivity to numerical resolution, prescribed divisional spatial scale, and potential vorticity (PV) level is investigated. Divergent residual flow in regions of high ozone, and PV gradients tended to maximize flux magnitudes. We estimated the domain-integrated flow of ozone out of the lowermost stratosphere to be about 0.127 Tg/day. Spectral analysis of the wind field lends support for utilization of this dynamical division in this methodology.

Optimal nutrition therapy in paediatric critical care in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East: a consensus.

PubMed

Lee, Jan Hau; Rogers, Elizabeth; Chor, Yek Kee; Samransamruajkit, Rujipat; Koh, Pei Lin; Miqdady, Mohamad; Al-Mehaidib, Ali Ibrahim; Pudjiadi, Antonius; Singhi, Sunit; Mehta, Nilesh M

2016-12-01

Current practices and available resources for nutrition therapy in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) in the Asia Pacific-Middle East region are expected to differ from western countries. Existing guidelines for nutrition management in critically ill children may not be directly applicable in this region. This paper outlines consensus statements developed by the Asia Pacific-Middle East Consensus Working Group on Nutrition Therapy in the Paediatric Critical Care Environment. Challenges and recommendations unique to the region are described. Following a systematic literature search from 2004-2014, consensus statements were developed for key areas of nutrient delivery in the PICU. This review focused on evidence applicable to the Asia Pacific-Middle East region. Quality of evidence and strength of recommendations were rated according to the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. Enteral nutrition (EN) is the preferred mode of nutritional support. Feeding algorithms that optimize EN should be encouraged and must include: assessment and monitoring of nutritional status, selection of feeding route, time to initiate and advance EN, management strategies for EN intolerance and indications for using parenteral nutrition (PN). Despite heterogeneity in nutritional status of patients, availability of resources and diversity of cultures, PICUs in the region should consider involvement of dieticians and/or nutritional support teams. Robust evidence for several aspects of optimal nutrition therapy in PICUs is lacking. Nutritional assessment must be implemented to document prevalence and impact of malnutrition. Nutritional support must be given greater priority in PICUs, with particular emphasis in optimizing EN delivery.

Effects of wet deposition on the abundance and size distribution of black carbon in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kondo, Y.; Moteki, N.; Oshima, N.; Ohata, S.; Koike, M.; Shibano, Y.; Takegawa, N.; Kita, K.

2016-05-01

An improved understanding of the variations in the mass concentration and size distribution of black carbon (BC) in the free troposphere (FT) over East Asia, where BC emissions are very high, is needed to reliably estimate the radiative forcing of BC in climate models. We measured these parameters and the carbon monoxide (CO) concentration by conducting the Aerosol Radiative Forcing in East Asia (A-FORCE) 2013W aircraft campaign in East Asia in winter 2013 and compared these data with measurements made in the same region in spring 2009. The median BC concentrations in the FT originating from North China (NC) and South China (SC) showed different seasonal variations, which were primarily caused by variations in meteorological conditions. CO concentrations above the background were much higher in SC than in NC in both seasons, suggesting a more active upward transport of CO. In SC, precipitation greatly increased from winter to spring, leading to an increased wet deposition of BC. As a result, the median BC concentration in the FT was highest in SC air in winter. This season and region were optimal for the effective transport of BC from the planetary boundary layer to the FT. The count median diameters of the BC size distributions generally decreased with altitude via wet removal during upward transport. The altitude dependence of the BC size distributions was similar in winter and spring, in accord with the similarity in the BC mixing state. The observed BC concentrations and microphysical properties will be useful for evaluating the performance of climate models.

Building a risk-targeted regional seismic hazard model for South-East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woessner, J.; Nyst, M.; Seyhan, E.

2015-12-01

The last decade has tragically shown the social and economic vulnerability of countries in South-East Asia to earthquake hazard and risk. While many disaster mitigation programs and initiatives to improve societal earthquake resilience are under way with the focus on saving lives and livelihoods, the risk management sector is challenged to develop appropriate models to cope with the economic consequences and impact on the insurance business. We present the source model and ground motions model components suitable for a South-East Asia earthquake risk model covering Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indochine countries. The source model builds upon refined modelling approaches to characterize 1) seismic activity from geologic and geodetic data on crustal faults and 2) along the interface of subduction zones and within the slabs and 3) earthquakes not occurring on mapped fault structures. We elaborate on building a self-consistent rate model for the hazardous crustal fault systems (e.g. Sumatra fault zone, Philippine fault zone) as well as the subduction zones, showcase some characteristics and sensitivities due to existing uncertainties in the rate and hazard space using a well selected suite of ground motion prediction equations. Finally, we analyze the source model by quantifying the contribution by source type (e.g., subduction zone, crustal fault) to typical risk metrics (e.g.,return period losses, average annual loss) and reviewing their relative impact on various lines of businesses.

Health promotion in South East Asia.

PubMed

Mir, N S

1998-01-01

The countries of the South East Asia region, which includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan, Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, have undertaken a variety of strategies to address the health challenges in the region. The ever-growing pressure of population in the region has allowed rapid transmission of communicable diseases like malaria, tuberculosis (TB), leprosy, and HIV/AIDS. One of the innovative community-based health initiatives in response to this problem is Indonesia's Primary Health Care Project. This project aimed to develop a sustainable health infrastructure by training medical staff, coordinators, village cadres, midwives and those working for TB programs; provision of ongoing guidance and education in this area; and provision of medicines and funds. The project has pioneered a process towards positive changes. Another strategy is the collaboration of youth groups, island development committees, and health workers in Maldives which has led to the declaration of two islands (Madifushi and Haa Alif Berinmadhoo) as 'no smoking' islands. In addition, Sarvodaya has successfully developed a methodology to involve Buddhist monks in AIDS prevention and control through "the Buddhist approach to AIDS prevention in Sri Lanka."

Phylogeography of Quercus variabilis Based on Chloroplast DNA Sequence in East Asia: Multiple Glacial Refugia and Mainland-Migrated Island Populations

PubMed Central

Kang, Hongzhang; Sun, Xiao; Yin, Shan; Du, Hongmei; Yamanaka, Norikazu; Gapare, Washington; Wu, Harry X.; Liu, Chunjiang

2012-01-01

The biogeographical relationships between far-separated populations, in particular, those in the mainland and islands, remain unclear for widespread species in eastern Asia where the current distribution of plants was greatly influenced by the Quaternary climate. Deciduous Oriental oak (Quercus variabilis) is one of the most widely distributed species in eastern Asia. In this study, leaf material of 528 Q. variabilis trees from 50 populations across the whole distribution (Mainland China, Korea Peninsular as well as Japan, Zhoushan and Taiwan Islands) was collected, and three cpDNA intergenic spacer fragments were sequenced using universal primers. A total of 26 haplotypes were detected, and it showed a weak phylogeographical structure in eastern Asia populations at species level, however, in the central-eastern region of Mainland China, the populations had more haplotypes than those in other regions, with a significant phylogeographical structure (N ST = 0.751> G ST = 0.690, P<0.05). Q. variabilis displayed high interpopulation and low intrapopulation genetic diversity across the distribution range. Both unimodal mismatch distribution and significant negative Fu’s FS indicated a demographic expansion of Q. variabilis populations in East Asia. A fossil calibrated phylogenetic tree showed a rapid speciation during Pleistocene, with a population augment occurred in Middle Pleistocene. Both diversity patterns and ecological niche modelling indicated there could be multiple glacial refugia and possible bottleneck or founder effects occurred in the southern Japan. We dated major spatial expansion of Q. variabilis population in eastern Asia to the last glacial cycle(s), a period with sea-level fluctuations and land bridges in East China Sea as possible dispersal corridors. This study showed that geographical heterogeneity combined with climate and sea-level changes have shaped the genetic structure of this wide-ranging tree species in East Asia. PMID:23115642

Early Learning and Development Standards in East Asia and the Pacific: Experiences from Eight Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miyahara, Junko; Meyers, Cliff

2008-01-01

This paper analyses how countries in UNICEF's East Asia and Pacific Region (EAPR) have engaged in the Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS) process. ELDS has been developed by the governments of Cambodia, China, Fiji, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam over the last 3 years with technical and financial support from…

A Cultural Hybridization Perspective: Emerging Academic Subculture among International Students from East Asia in U.S.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Jian

2016-01-01

This research examines the emerging academic subculture of international students from East Asia in U.S. academics from the cultural hybridization perspective. In a knowledge-based economy, international education plays a pivotal role in the global educational environment. Advocacy of international student mobility is essential; international…

Dust modeling over East Asia during the summer of 2010 using the WRF-Chem model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Siyu; Yuan, Tiangang; Zhang, Xiaorui; Zhang, Guolong; Feng, Taichen; Zhao, Dan; Zang, Zhou; Liao, Shujie; Ma, Xiaojun; Jiang, Nanxuan; Zhang, Jie; Yang, Fan; Lu, Hui

2018-07-01

An intense summer dust storm over East Asia during June 24-27, 2010, was systematically analyzed based on the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) and a variety of in situ measurements and satellite retrievals. The results showed that the WRF-Chem model captures the spatial and temporal distributions of meteorological factors and dust aerosol in summer over East Asia well. This summer dust storm is initiated by the approach of a transverse trough in the northwestern Xinjiang. Because of the passage of the cutoff-low, a large amount of cold air is transported southward and further enhanced by the narrow valleys of the Altai and Tianshan Mountains, which results in higher wind speeds and huge dust emissions over the Taklimakan Desert (TD). Dust emission fluxes over the TD areas are high as 54 μg m-2 s-1 on June 25. The dust aerosol from the TD then sweeps across Inner Mongolia, Ningxia and Mongolia, and some are also transported eastward to Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, and even South Korea and Japan. The simulations further show that summer dust over East Asia exerts an important influence on the radiation budget in the Earth-atmosphere system. Dust heats the atmosphere at a maximum heating rate of 0.14 K day-1, effectively changing the vertical stability of the atmosphere and affecting climate change at regional and even global scales. The average direct radiative forcing induced by dust particles over the TD at all-sky is -6.0, -16.8 and 10.8 W m-2 at the top of the atmosphere, the surface, and in the atmosphere, respectively. The discussion about radiative forcing induced by summer dust provides confidence for future investigation of summer dust impact on cloud properties and precipitation efficiency in the eastern China.

Intraseasonal Cold Air Outbreak over East Asia and the preceding atmospheric condition over the Barents-Kara Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hori, M. E.; Inoue, J.

2011-12-01

Frequent occurrence of cold air outbreak is a dominant feature of the East Asian winter monsoon. A contributing factor for the this cold air outbreak is the role of stationary Rossby waves over the Eurasian continent which intensifies the surface Siberian High and the accompanying cold air outflow. Reduced sea ice and increase in turbulence heat flux is hypothesized as a source of such stationary waves (Honda et al. 2009). In particular, the winter of 2009/2010 saw a strong correlation of high pressure anomaly over the Barents/Kara sea and the following cold air buildup over the Eurasian continent and its advection towards East Asia (Hori et al. 2011). The lag correlation of surface temperature over Japan and the 850hPa geopotential height shows a cyclonic anomaly appearing over the Barents/Kara sea which creates a cold air advection over the Eurasian continent. The pressure anomaly subsequently shifted westward to mature into a blocking high which created a wave- train pattern downstream advecting the cold air buildup eastward toward East Asia and Japan (Fig1). We further examine this mechanism for other years including the 2005/2006, 2010/2011 winter and other winters with extreme cold air outbreaks. Overall, the existence of an anticyclonic anomaly over the Barents/Kara sea correlated well with the seasonal dominance of cold air over the Eurasian continent thereby creating a contrast of a warm Arctic and cold Eurasian continent.In the intraseasonal timescale, the existence of this anticyclone corresponds to a persisting atmospheric blocking in the high latitudes. In the presentation, we address the underlying chain of events leading up to a strong cold air outbreak over East Asia from an atmosphere - sea ice - land surafce interaction point of view for paritular cold winter years.

Tracing the origin of the east-west population admixture in the Altai region (Central Asia).

PubMed

González-Ruiz, Mercedes; Santos, Cristina; Jordana, Xavier; Simón, Marc; Lalueza-Fox, Carles; Gigli, Elena; Aluja, Maria Pilar; Malgosa, Assumpció

2012-01-01

A recent discovery of Iron Age burials (Pazyryk culture) in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia may shed light on the mode and tempo of the generation of the current genetic east-west population admixture in Central Asia. Studies on ancient mitochondrial DNA of this region suggest that the Altai Mountains played the role of a geographical barrier between West and East Eurasian lineages until the beginning of the Iron Age. After the 7th century BC, coinciding with Scythian expansion across the Eurasian steppes, a gradual influx of East Eurasian sequences in Western steppes is detected. However, the underlying events behind the genetic admixture in Altai during the Iron Age are still unresolved: 1) whether it was a result of migratory events (eastward firstly, westward secondly), or 2) whether it was a result of a local demographic expansion in a 'contact zone' between European and East Asian people. In the present work, we analyzed the mitochondrial DNA lineages in human remains from Bronze and Iron Age burials of Mongolian Altai. Here we present support to the hypothesis that the gene pool of Iron Age inhabitants of Mongolian Altai was similar to that of western Iron Age Altaians (Russia and Kazakhstan). Thus, this people not only shared the same culture (Pazyryk), but also shared the same genetic east-west population admixture. In turn, Pazyryks appear to have a similar gene pool that current Altaians. Our results further show that Iron Age Altaians displayed mitochondrial lineages already present around Altai region before the Iron Age. This would provide support for a demographic expansion of local people of Altai instead of westward or eastward migratory events, as the demographic event behind the high population genetic admixture and diversity in Central Asia.

Tracing the Origin of the East-West Population Admixture in the Altai Region (Central Asia)

PubMed Central

González-Ruiz, Mercedes; Santos, Cristina; Jordana, Xavier; Simón, Marc; Lalueza-Fox, Carles; Gigli, Elena; Aluja, Maria Pilar; Malgosa, Assumpció

2012-01-01

A recent discovery of Iron Age burials (Pazyryk culture) in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia may shed light on the mode and tempo of the generation of the current genetic east-west population admixture in Central Asia. Studies on ancient mitochondrial DNA of this region suggest that the Altai Mountains played the role of a geographical barrier between West and East Eurasian lineages until the beginning of the Iron Age. After the 7th century BC, coinciding with Scythian expansion across the Eurasian steppes, a gradual influx of East Eurasian sequences in Western steppes is detected. However, the underlying events behind the genetic admixture in Altai during the Iron Age are still unresolved: 1) whether it was a result of migratory events (eastward firstly, westward secondly), or 2) whether it was a result of a local demographic expansion in a ‘contact zone’ between European and East Asian people. In the present work, we analyzed the mitochondrial DNA lineages in human remains from Bronze and Iron Age burials of Mongolian Altai. Here we present support to the hypothesis that the gene pool of Iron Age inhabitants of Mongolian Altai was similar to that of western Iron Age Altaians (Russia and Kazakhstan). Thus, this people not only shared the same culture (Pazyryk), but also shared the same genetic east-west population admixture. In turn, Pazyryks appear to have a similar gene pool that current Altaians. Our results further show that Iron Age Altaians displayed mitochondrial lineages already present around Altai region before the Iron Age. This would provide support for a demographic expansion of local people of Altai instead of westward or eastward migratory events, as the demographic event behind the high population genetic admixture and diversity in Central Asia. PMID:23152818

The Future Strategic Environment of East Asia: Implications of a PRC-Taiwan Reunification

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

need to develop space and cyber capabilities.18 Thus, because China’s list of security concerns is ever growing, a number of high- level issues could...Asia and to attenuate U.S. regional alliances and friendships . Some analysts have also pointed to China’s enthusiastic participation in regional...confrontation with Japan over the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea In response to this perceived Chinese bullying , Asian nations drew

Higher Education in Southeast Asia: Blurring Borders, Changing Balance. Routledge Research on Public and Social Policy in Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welch, Anthony

2011-01-01

This is the first book to systematically chart and comparatively assess the trend towards private higher education in South East Asia. Caught between conflicting imperatives of spiralling demand, and limited resources, the balance between public and private higher education systems in South East, South, and East Asia has shifted markedly. The…

Heart Failure Clinical Trials in East and Southeast Asia: Understanding the Importance and Defining the Next Steps

PubMed Central

Mentz, Robert J.; Roessig, Lothar; Greenberg, Barry H.; Sato, Naoki; Shinagawa, Kaori; Yeo, Daniel; Kwok, Bernard W.K.; Reyes, Eugenio B.; Krum, Henry; Pieske, Burkert; Greene, Stephen J.; Ambrosy, Andrew P.; Kelly, Jacob P.; Zannad, Faiez; Pitt, Bertram; Lam, Carolyn S.P.

2016-01-01

Heart failure (HF) is a major and increasing global public health problem. In Asia, aging populations and recent increases in cardiovascular risk factors have contributed to a particularly high burden of HF with similarly poor outcomes compared to the rest of the world. Representation of Asians in landmark HF trials has been variable. In addition, HF patients from Asia demonstrate clinical differences from other geographic regions. Thus, the generalizability of some clinical trials results to the Asian population remains uncertain. In this manuscript, we review differences in the HF phenotype, management and outcomes in patients from East and Southeast Asia. We describe lessons learned in Asia from recent HF registries and clinical trial databases and outline strategies to improve the potential for success in future trials. This review is based on discussions between scientists, clinical trialists, industry representatives and regulatory representatives at the CardioVascular Clinical Trialist Asia Forum on July 4, 2014. PMID:27256745

Elimination of neglected tropical diseases in the South-East Asia Region of the World Health Organization.

PubMed

Narain, Jai P; Dash, A P; Parnell, B; Bhattacharya, S K; Barua, S; Bhatia, R; Savioli, L

2010-03-01

The neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which affect the very poor, pose a major public health problem in the South-East Asia Region of the World Health Organization (WHO). Although more than a dozen NTDs affect the region, over the past five years four of them in particular - leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar) and yaws - have been targeted for elimination. These four were selected for a number of reasons. First, they affect the WHO South-East Asia Region disproportionately. For example, every year around 67% of all new leprosy cases and 60% of all new cases of visceral leishmaniasis worldwide occur in countries of the region, where as many as 850 million inhabitants are at risk of contracting lymphatic filariasis. In addition, several epidemiological, technological and historical factors that are unique to the region make each of these four diseases amenable to elimination. Safe and effective tools and interventions to achieve these targets are available and concerted efforts to scale them up, singly or in an integrated manner, are likely to lead to success. The World Health Assembly and the WHO Regional Committee, through a series of resolutions, have already expressed regional and global commitments for the elimination of these diseases as public health problems. Such action is expected to have a quick and dramatic impact on poverty reduction and to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. This paper reviews the policy rationale for disease control in the WHO South-East Asia Region, the progress made so far, the lessons learnt along the way, and the remaining challenges and opportunities.

Asia-MIP: Multi Model-data Synthesis of Terrestrial Carbon Cycles in Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ichii, K.; Kondo, M.; Ito, A.; Kang, M.; Sasai, T.; SATO, H.; Ueyama, M.; Kobayashi, H.; Saigusa, N.; Kim, J.

2013-12-01

Asia, which is characterized by monsoon climate and intense human activities, is one of the prominent understudied regions in terms of terrestrial carbon budgets and mechanisms of carbon exchange. To better understand terrestrial carbon cycle in Asia, we initiated multi-model and data intercomparison project in Asia (Asia-MIP). We analyzed outputs from multiple approaches: satellite-based observations (AVHRR and MODIS) and related products, empirically upscaled estimations (Support Vector Regression) using eddy-covariance observation network in Asia (AsiaFlux, CarboEastAsia, FLUXNET), ~10 terrestrial biosphere models (e.g. BEAMS, Biome-BGC, LPJ, SEIB-DGVM, TRIFFID, VISIT models), and atmospheric inversion analysis (e.g. TransCom models). We focused on the two difference temporal coverage: long-term (30 years; 1982-2011) and decadal (10 years; 2001-2010; data intensive period) scales. The regions of covering Siberia, Far East Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia (60-80E, 10S-80N), was analyzed in this study for assessing the magnitudes, interannual variability, and key driving factors of carbon cycles. We will report the progress of synthesis effort to quantify terrestrial carbon budget in Asia. First, we analyzed the recent trends in Gross Primary Productivities (GPP) using satellite-based observation (AVHRR) and multiple terrestrial biosphere models. We found both model outputs and satellite-based observation consistently show an increasing trend in GPP in most of the regions in Asia. Mechanisms of the GPP increase were analyzed using models, and changes in temperature and precipitation play dominant roles in GPP increase in boreal and temperate regions, whereas changes in atmospheric CO2 and precipitation are important in tropical regions. However, their relative contributions were different. Second, in the decadal analysis (2001-2010), we found that the negative GPP and carbon uptake anomalies in 2003 summer in Far East Asia is one of the largest

What explains high plant richness in East Asia? Time and diversification in the tribe Lysimachieae (Primulaceae).

PubMed

Yan, Hai-Fei; Zhang, Cai-Yun; Anderberg, Arne A; Hao, Gang; Ge, Xue-Jun; Wiens, John J

2018-04-17

What causes the disparity in biodiversity among regions is a fundamental question in biogeography, ecology, and evolutionary biology. Evolutionary and biogeographic processes (speciation, extinction, dispersal) directly determine species richness patterns, and can be studied using integrative phylogenetic approaches. However, the strikingly high richness of East Asia relative to other Northern Hemisphere regions remains poorly understood from this perspective. Here, for the first time, we test two general hypotheses (older colonization time, faster diversification rate) to explain this pattern, using the plant tribe Lysimachieae (Primulaceae) as a model system. We generated a new time-calibrated phylogeny for Lysimachieae (13 genes, 126 species), to estimate colonization times and diversification rates for each region and to test the relative importance of these two factors for explaining regional richness patterns. We find that neither time nor diversification rates alone explain richness patterns among regions in Lysimachieae. Instead, a new index that combines both factors explains global richness patterns in the group and their high East Asian biodiversity. Based on our results from Lysimachieae, we suggest that the high richness of plants in East Asia may be explained by a combination of older colonization times and faster diversification rates in this region. © 2018 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust.

Multiple introductions of serotype O foot-and-mouth disease viruses into East Asia in 2010-2011.

PubMed

Valdazo-González, Begoña; Timina, Anna; Scherbakov, Alexey; Abdul-Hamid, Nor Faizah; Knowles, Nick J; King, Donald P

2013-09-05

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is a highly contagious and genetically variable virus. Sporadic introductions of this virus into FMD-free countries may cause outbreaks with devastating consequences. In 2010 and 2011, incursions of the FMDV O/SEA/Mya-98 strain, normally restricted to countries in mainland Southeast Asia, caused extensive outbreaks across East Asia. In this study, 12 full genome FMDV sequences for representative samples collected from the People's Republic of China (PR China) including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia and The Russian Federation were generated and compared with additional contemporary sequences from viruses within this lineage. These complete genomes were 8119 to 8193 nucleotides in length and differed at 1181 sites, sharing a nucleotide identity ≥ 91.0% and an amino acid identity ≥ 96.6%. An unexpected deletion of 70 nucleotides within the 5'-untranslated region which resulted in a shorter predicted RNA stem-loop for the S-fragment was revealed in two sequences from PR China and Hong Kong SAR and five additional related samples from the region. Statistical parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic analysis provide evidence that these outbreaks in East Asia were generated by two independent introductions of the O/SEA/Mya-98 lineage sometime between August 2008 and March 2010. The rapid emergence of these viruses from Southeast Asia highlights the importance of adopting approaches to closely monitor the spread of this lineage that now poses a threat to livestock industries in other regions.

Impacts of Long-Range Transport of Metals from East Asia in Bulk Aerosols Collected at the Okinawa Archipelago, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

A, Sotaro; S, Yuka; I, Moriaki; N, Fumiya; H, Daishi; A, Takemitsu; T, Akira

2010-05-01

Economy of East Asia has been growing rapidly, and atmospheric aerosols discharged from this region have been transported to Japan. Okinawa island is situated approximately 1500 km south of Tokyo, Japan, 2000 km southeast of Beijing, China, and 1000 km of south Korea. Its location in Asian is well suited for studying long-range transport of air pollutants in East Asia because maritime air mass prevails during summer, while continental air mass dominates during fall, winter, and spring. The maritime air mass data can be seen as background and can be compared with continental air mass which has been affected by anthropogenic activities. Therefore, Okinawa region is suitable area for studying impacts of air pollutants from East Asia. We simultaneously collected bulk aerosol samples by using the same type of high volume air samplers at Cape Hedo Atmospheric Aerosol Monitoring Station (CHAAMS, Okinawa island), Kume island (ca. 160 km south-west of CHAAMS), and Minami-Daitou island (ca. 320 km south-east of CHAAMS). We determined the concentrations of acid-digested metals using atomic absorption spectrometer and inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). We report and discuss spatial and temporal distribution of metals in the bulk atmospheric aerosols collected at CHAAMS, Kume island and Minami-Daitou island during June, 2008 to June 2009. We also determined 'background' concentration of metals in Okinawa archipelago. We then compare each chemical component among CHAAMS, Kume island and Minami-Daitou island to elucidate the influence of the transport processes and distances from Asian continent on metal concentrations.

JPRS Report, East Asia, Southeast Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-02-16

Boualai Sisomvang [PASASON 23 Nov] 16 National Construction Committee Member, Bounlap Gnoui-vanitsavong; [PASASON 23 Nov] 17 Social Welfare...JPRS-SEA-93-002 16 February 1993 2 Southeast Asia Provincial Committee Member, Khamphai Sou-outhai [PASASON 24 Nov] 20 National Construction ...Indonesian steel industry is increasingly stable. The Indonesian steel industry not only supports the domestic machinery and construction

Pneumonia in South-East Asia Region: Public health perspective

PubMed Central

Ghimire, M.; Bhattacharya, S.K.; Narain, J.P.

2012-01-01

Globally, pneumonia is the leading cause of death in young children and burden of disease is disproportionately high in South-East Asia Region of WHO. This review article presents the current status of pneumonia disease burden, risk factors and the ability of health infrastructure to deal with the situation. Literature survey was done for the last 20 years and data from country offices were also collected. The estimated incidence of pneumonia in under five children is 0.36 episodes per child, per year. Risk factors are malnutrition (40% in India), Indoor air pollution, non-breast feeding, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc. Strengthening of health care delivery system for early detection and treatment and as well as minimization of preventable risk factors can avert a large proportion of death due to pneumonia. PMID:22664492

Ozone and daily mortality rate in 21 cities of East Asia: how does season modify the association?

PubMed

Chen, Renjie; Cai, Jing; Meng, Xia; Kim, Ho; Honda, Yasushi; Guo, Yue Leon; Samoli, Evangelia; Yang, Xin; Kan, Haidong

2014-10-01

Previous studies in East Asia have revealed that the short-term associations between tropospheric ozone and daily mortality rate were strongest in winter, which is opposite to the findings in North America and Western Europe. Therefore, we investigated the season-varying association between ozone and daily mortality rate in 21 cities of East Asia from 1979 to 2010. Time-series Poisson regression models were used to analyze the association between ozone and daily nonaccidental mortality rate in each city, testing for different temperature lags. The best-fitting model was obtained after adjustment for temperature in the previous 2 weeks. Bayesian hierarchical models were applied to pool the city-specific estimates. An interquartile-range increase of the moving average concentrations of same-day and previous-day ozone was associated with an increase of 1.44% (95% posterior interval (PI): 1.08%, 1.80%) in daily total mortality rate after adjustment for temperature in the previous 2 weeks. The corresponding increases were 0.62% (95% PI: 0.08%, 1.16%) in winter, 1.46% (95% PI: 0.89%, 2.03%) in spring, 1.60% (95% PI: 1.03%, 2.17%) in summer, and 1.12% (95% PI: 0.73%, 1.51%) in fall. We found significant associations between short-term exposure to ozone and higher mortality rate in East Asia that varied considerably from season to season with a significant trough in winter. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Tropospheric ozone in east Asia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Phadnis, M.J.

1996-12-31

An analysis of the observed data for the tropospheric ozone at mid latitudes in east Asia is done. There are three ways by which the tropospheric ozone is calculated, namely: (1) Ozonesonde measurements, (2) Fishman`s method of Residual Ozone and (3) TOMS measurements - an indirect method of calculating tropospheric ozone. In addition the surface ozone values at the network sites in Japan is also considered. The analysis of data is carried out for a period of twelve years from 1979 to 1991. In general it is observed that the tropospheric ozone is more in summer than winter, obviously becausemore » of the larger tropopause height in summer. On an average for the period of the analysis, the ozone values are at a high of about 60 DU (dobson units). While in winter the values go down to around 30 DU. Also a time series analysis shows an increasing trend in the values over the years. The ozonesonde values are correlated more to the TOMS tropospheric ozone values. For the stations analyzed in Japan, the TOMS tropospheric ozone values are generally greater than the ozonesonde values. The analysis of the average monthly surface ozone in Japan shows highs in spring and lows in summer. This can be attributed to movement of pollutant laden fronts towards Japan during spring. The highs for surface ozone are about 50 DU while the lows are around 20 DU.« less

Counting the Full Cost: Parental and Community Financing of Education in East Asia. Directions in Development Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bray, Mark

This collaborative report focuses on nine countries in East Asia: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. While acknowledging that these countries share some common features, the report also highlights each country's particular characteristics and the implications of…

HRD Issues in Asia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1998

This document contains four papers from a symposium on human resource development (HRD) issues in Asia. "The Japanese Human Resource Development System" (Kiyoe Harada) provides a comprehensive model of the Japanese HRD system based on the current state of the art, including management practices and issues and trends in Japanese HRD.…

English Language Education among Young Learners in East Asia: A Review of Current Research (2004-2014)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butler, Yuko Goto

2015-01-01

The teaching of foreign languages to young learners is growing in popularity around the world. Research in this field, particularly of English as a second/foreign language education in East Asia, is a relatively new area of empirical inquiry, and it has the potential to make significant contributions to child second-language acquisition…

Virtual versus physical spaces: which facilitates greater HIV risk taking among men who have sex with men in East and South-East Asia?

PubMed

Wei, Chongyi; Lim, Sin How; Guadamuz, Thomas E; Koe, Stuart

2014-08-01

Increasing use of the Internet to seek sex partners is accompanied by rising HIV infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) in East and South-East Asia. We examined whether the Internet facilitates greater HIV risk taking among MSM in the region. A cross-sectional sample of 9,367 MSM was recruited via the Internet in 2010. We compared socio-demographic and HIV-related behavioral characteristics among MSM who met sex partners on the Internet only, who met sex partners offline only, and who met sex partners through both. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify independent correlates that were associated with differences in where participants met their male sex partners. Compared to MSM who met partners offline only, those who met partners online only were less likely to have multiple male sex partners, have paid for sex, have consumed recreational drugs, and have used alcohol before sex. MSM who met partners both online and offline appeared to be the riskiest group that they were more likely to have multiple male sex partners, have engaged in UIAI, and have consumed alcohol before sex. These findings suggest that social networking websites alone do not facilitate greater HIV risk taking among MSM. Rather, they provide additional venues for MSM who already engage in HIV-related high risk behaviors to seek sex partners. The Internet offers incredible opportunities to reach large numbers of MSM in East and South-East Asia for HIV prevention and research. Web-based outreach and prevention activities are needed to reach these men. In addition, mobile and application-based interventions should also be developed and disseminated.

Virtual vs. physical spaces: which facilitates greater HIV risk taking among men who have sex with men in East and South-East Asia?

PubMed Central

Wei, Chongyi; Lim, Sin How; Guadamuz, Thomas E.; Koe, Stuart

2013-01-01

Increasing use of the Internet to seek sex partners is accompanied by rising HIV infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) in East and South-East Asia. We examined whether the Internet facilitates greater HIV risk taking among MSM in the region. A cross-sectional sample of 9,367 MSM was recruited via the Internet in 2010. We compared socio-demographic and HIV-related behavioral characteristics among MSM who met sex partners on the Internet only, who met sex partners offline only, and who met sex partners through both. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify independent correlates that were associated with differences in where participants met their male sex partners. Compared to MSM who met partners offline only, those who met partners online only were less likely to have multiple male sex partners, have paid for sex, have consumed recreational drugs, and have used alcohol before sex. MSM who met partners both online and offline appeared to be the riskiest group that they were more likely to have multiple male sex partners, have engaged in UIAI, and have consumed alcohol before sex. These findings suggest that social networking websites alone do not facilitate greater HIV risk taking among MSM. Rather, they provide additional venues for MSM who already engage in HIV-related high risk behaviors to seek sex partners. The Internet offers incredible opportunities to reach large numbers of MSM in East and South-East Asia for HIV prevention and research. Web-based outreach and prevention activities are needed to reach these men. In addition, mobile and application-based interventions should also be developed and disseminated. PMID:24077974

Temporal correlation between opiate seizures in East/Southeast Asia and B.C. heroin deaths: a transoceanic model of heroin death risk.

PubMed

McLean, Mark E

2003-01-01

Because heroin supply changes cannot be measured directly, their impact on populations is poorly understood. British Columbia has experienced an injection drug use epidemic since the 1980s that resulted in 2,590 illicit drug deaths from 1990-1999. Since previous work indicates heroin seizures can correlate with supply and B.C. receives heroin only from Southeast Asia, this study examined B.C. heroin deaths against opiate seizures in East/Southeast Asia. Opiate seizures in East/Southeast Asia and data from two B.C. mortality datasets containing heroin deaths were examined. The Pearson correlation coefficient for seizures against each mortality dataset was determined. Opiate seizures, all illicit drug deaths and all opiate deaths concurrently increased twice and decreased twice from 1989-1999, and all reached new peak values in 1993. Three B.C. sub-regions exhibited illicit drug deaths rate trends concurrent with the three principal datasets studied. The Pearson correlation coefficient for opiate-induced deaths against opiate seizures from 1980-1999 was R=0.915 (p<0.0001), and for illicit drug deaths against opiate seizures from 1987-1999 was R=0.896 (p<0.0001). From 1980-1999, opiate seizures in East/Southeast Asia were very strongly correlated with B.C. opiate and illicit drug deaths. The number of B.C. heroin-related deaths may be strongly linked to heroin supply. Enforcement services are not effective in preventing harm caused by heroin in B.C.; therefore, Canada should examine other methods to prevent harm. The case for harm reduction is strengthened by the ineffectiveness of enforcement and the unlikelihood of imminent eradication of heroin production in Southeast Asia.

Predicting the potential distribution of the amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in East and Southeast Asia.

PubMed

Moriguchi, Sachiko; Tominaga, Atsushi; Irwin, Kelly J; Freake, Michael J; Suzuki, Kazutaka; Goka, Koichi

2015-04-08

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is the pathogen responsible for chytridiomycosis, a disease that is associated with a worldwide amphibian population decline. In this study, we predicted the potential distribution of Bd in East and Southeast Asia based on limited occurrence data. Our goal was to design an effective survey area where efforts to detect the pathogen can be focused. We generated ecological niche models using the maximum-entropy approach, with alleviation of multicollinearity and spatial autocorrelation. We applied eigenvector-based spatial filters as independent variables, in addition to environmental variables, to resolve spatial autocorrelation, and compared the model's accuracy and the degree of spatial autocorrelation with those of a model estimated using only environmental variables. We were able to identify areas of high suitability for Bd with accuracy. Among the environmental variables, factors related to temperature and precipitation were more effective in predicting the potential distribution of Bd than factors related to land use and cover type. Our study successfully predicted the potential distribution of Bd in East and Southeast Asia. This information should now be used to prioritize survey areas and generate a surveillance program to detect the pathogen.

Atmospheric transport of ozone between Southern and Eastern Asia.

PubMed

Chakraborty, T; Beig, G; Dentener, F J; Wild, O

2015-08-01

This study describes the effect of pollution transport between East Asia and South Asia on tropospheric ozone (O3) using model results from the Task Force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution (TF HTAP). Ensemble mean O3 concentrations are evaluated against satellite-data and ground observations of surface O3 at four stations in India. Although modeled surface O3 concentrations are 1020ppb higher than those observed, the relative magnitude of the seasonal cycle of O3 is reproduced well. Using 20% reductions in regional anthropogenic emissions, we quantify the seasonal variations in pollution transport between East Asia and South Asia. While there is only a difference of 0.05 to 0.1ppb in the magnitudes of the regional contributions from one region to the other, O3 from East Asian sources affects the most densely populated parts of South Asia while Southern Asian sources only partly affect the populated parts of East Asia. We show that emission changes over East Asia between 2000 and 2010 had a larger impact on populated parts of South Asia than vice versa. This study will help inform future decisions on emission control policy over these regions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Endangered Peoples of Southeast & East Asia: Struggles To Survive and Thrive. Endangered Peoples of the World Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sponsel, Leslie E., Ed.

This volume introduces 14 endangered cultures from Southeast and East Asia and describes the most pressing issues facing these marginalized groups, such as the impact of tourism, prohibition against whaling, or dislocation due to nuclear testing. The chapters are: (1) "Identities, Ecologies, Rights, and Features: All Endangered" (Leslie…

Rapid decline in carbon monoxide emissions and export from East Asia between years 2005 and 2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Bo; Chevallier, Frederic; Ciais, Philippe; Yin, Yi; Deeter, Merritt N.; Worden, Helen M.; Wang, Yilong; Zhang, Qiang; He, Kebin

2018-04-01

Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) satellite and ground-based carbon monoxide (CO) measurements both suggest a widespread downward trend in CO concentrations over East Asia during the period 2005–2016. This negative trend is inconsistent with global bottom-up inventories of CO emissions, which show a small increase or stable emissions in this region. We try to reconcile the observed CO trend with emission inventories using an atmospheric inversion of the MOPITT CO data that estimates emissions from primary sources, secondary production, and chemical sinks of CO. The atmospheric inversion indicates a ~ ‑2% yr‑1 decrease in emissions from primary sources in East Asia from 2005–2016. The decreasing emissions are mainly caused by source reductions in China. The regional MEIC inventory for China is the only bottom up estimate consistent with the inversion-diagnosed decrease of CO emissions. According to the MEIC data, decreasing CO emissions from four main sectors (iron and steel industries, residential sources, gasoline-powered vehicles, and construction materials industries) in China explain 76% of the inversion-based trend of East Asian CO emissions. This result suggests that global inventories underestimate the recent decrease of CO emission factors in China which occurred despite increasing consumption of carbon-based fuels, and is driven by rapid technological changes with improved combustion efficiency and emission control measures.

Multiple introductions of serotype O foot-and-mouth disease viruses into East Asia in 2010–2011

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is a highly contagious and genetically variable virus. Sporadic introductions of this virus into FMD-free countries may cause outbreaks with devastating consequences. In 2010 and 2011, incursions of the FMDV O/SEA/Mya-98 strain, normally restricted to countries in mainland Southeast Asia, caused extensive outbreaks across East Asia. In this study, 12 full genome FMDV sequences for representative samples collected from the People’s Republic of China (PR China) including the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia and The Russian Federation were generated and compared with additional contemporary sequences from viruses within this lineage. These complete genomes were 8119 to 8193 nucleotides in length and differed at 1181 sites, sharing a nucleotide identity ≥ 91.0% and an amino acid identity ≥ 96.6%. An unexpected deletion of 70 nucleotides within the 5′-untranslated region which resulted in a shorter predicted RNA stem-loop for the S-fragment was revealed in two sequences from PR China and Hong Kong SAR and five additional related samples from the region. Statistical parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic analysis provide evidence that these outbreaks in East Asia were generated by two independent introductions of the O/SEA/Mya-98 lineage sometime between August 2008 and March 2010. The rapid emergence of these viruses from Southeast Asia highlights the importance of adopting approaches to closely monitor the spread of this lineage that now poses a threat to livestock industries in other regions. PMID:24007643

A roaring trade? The legal trade in Panthera leo bones from Africa to East-Southeast Asia

PubMed Central

Loveridge, Andrew J.; Newton, David J.; Macdonald, David W.

2017-01-01

The African lion is the only big cat listed on CITES Appendix II, and the only one for which international commercial trade is legal under CITES. The trade in lion body parts, and especially the contentious trade in bones from South Africa to Asia, has raised concerns spanning continents and cultures. Debates were amplified at the 2016 CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP17) when a proposal to up-list lions to Appendix I was not supported and a compromise to keep them on Appendix II, with a bone trade quota for South Africa, was reached instead. CoP17 underscored a need for further information on the lion bone trade and the consequences for lions across the continent. Legal international trade in bones to Asia, allegedly to supply the substitute ‘tiger bone’ market, began in South Africa in February 2008 when the first CITES permits were issued. It was initially unclear the degree to which bones were sourced from captive-origin lions, and whether trade was a threat to wild lion populations. Our original assessment of the legal CITES-permitted lion bone trade from South Africa to East-Southeast Asia was for the period 2008–2011 (published 2015). In this paper, we consolidate new information that has become available for 2012–2016, including CITES reports from other African countries, and data on actual exports for three years to 2016 supplied by a freight forwarding company. Thus, we update the figures on the legal trade in lion bones from Africa to East-Southeast Asia in the period 2008–2016. We also contextualise the basis for global concerns by reviewing the history of the trade and its relation to tigers, poaching and wildlife trafficking. CITES permits issued to export bones escalated from ±314y-1 skeletons from 2008–2011, to ±1312y-1 skeletons from 2013–2015. South Africa was the only legal exporter of bones to Asia until 2013 when Namibia issued permits to export skeletons to Vietnam. While CITES permits to export ±5363 skeletons from Africa

A roaring trade? The legal trade in Panthera leo bones from Africa to East-Southeast Asia.

PubMed

Williams, Vivienne L; Loveridge, Andrew J; Newton, David J; Macdonald, David W

2017-01-01

The African lion is the only big cat listed on CITES Appendix II, and the only one for which international commercial trade is legal under CITES. The trade in lion body parts, and especially the contentious trade in bones from South Africa to Asia, has raised concerns spanning continents and cultures. Debates were amplified at the 2016 CITES Conference of the Parties (CoP17) when a proposal to up-list lions to Appendix I was not supported and a compromise to keep them on Appendix II, with a bone trade quota for South Africa, was reached instead. CoP17 underscored a need for further information on the lion bone trade and the consequences for lions across the continent. Legal international trade in bones to Asia, allegedly to supply the substitute 'tiger bone' market, began in South Africa in February 2008 when the first CITES permits were issued. It was initially unclear the degree to which bones were sourced from captive-origin lions, and whether trade was a threat to wild lion populations. Our original assessment of the legal CITES-permitted lion bone trade from South Africa to East-Southeast Asia was for the period 2008-2011 (published 2015). In this paper, we consolidate new information that has become available for 2012-2016, including CITES reports from other African countries, and data on actual exports for three years to 2016 supplied by a freight forwarding company. Thus, we update the figures on the legal trade in lion bones from Africa to East-Southeast Asia in the period 2008-2016. We also contextualise the basis for global concerns by reviewing the history of the trade and its relation to tigers, poaching and wildlife trafficking. CITES permits issued to export bones escalated from ±314y-1 skeletons from 2008-2011, to ±1312y-1 skeletons from 2013-2015. South Africa was the only legal exporter of bones to Asia until 2013 when Namibia issued permits to export skeletons to Vietnam. While CITES permits to export ±5363 skeletons from Africa to Asia from

Capabilities and prospects of the East Asia Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

An, T.; Sohn, B. W.; Imai, H.

2018-02-01

The very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) technique offers angular resolutions superior to any other instruments at other wavelengths, enabling unique science applications of high-resolution imaging of radio sources and high-precision astrometry. The East Asia VLBI Network (EAVN) is a collaborative effort in the East Asian region. The EAVN currently consists of 21 telescopes with diverse equipment configurations and frequency setups, allowing flexible subarrays for specific science projects. The EAVN provides the highest resolution of 0.5 mas at 22 GHz, allowing the fine imaging of jets in active galactic nuclei, high-accuracy astrometry of masers and pulsars, and precise spacecraft positioning. The soon-to-be-operational Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) will open a new era for the EAVN. This state-of-the-art VLBI array also provides easy access to and crucial training for the burgeoning Asian astronomical community. This Perspective summarizes the status, capabilities and prospects of the EAVN.

Behavioural interventions required in South East Asia to minimize infections with HIV.

PubMed

Dwyer, J M

1996-01-01

The World Health Organization expects the rate of new HIV infections to decline in all global regions before the year 2005, except in South East Asia. More than 3 million people become HIV infected each year in South East Asia. It is incorrect to discuss it as a whole since the cultures in the region are so different. For example, in Thailand, relatively relaxed attitudes toward sexuality make it relatively easy to openly discuss sexual matters, while in India men tend to disrespect women and discussion of sexual matters, even among middle class couples, is rare. So far, there have been few successful HIV/AIDS prevention programs in the region due to various obstacles. A lack of political commitment and a heavy-handed approach by governments are common. In many countries, it is impossible to introduce sex education in schools or HIV education in the workplace. In those cases where there is sex education, lack of frankness and a dearth of peer group discussion make the programs ineffectual. The cultural conservatism of the approach to HIV prevention is not matched by behavioral conservatism in many people. In Myanmar, there are more than 200,000 HIV-infected individuals, most of whom are injecting drug users. Commercial sex workers in Myanmar operate underground. HIV is spreading from Myanmar into Bangladesh and India in the north, into southern China (especially Yunnan Province) in the south, and Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia. In many South East Asian countries, governments hesitate to support nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) as well as to form partnerships with NGOs to plan and implement HIV prevention strategies. Testing blood and blood products for HIV infection continues to be sporadic throughout the region. Even in those cases where HIV testing of the blood supply is done, quality control is often absent. For example, in India, there are few adequate testing programs and paid donors, many of whom are HIV infected, supply 50% of all blood used. The

JPRS Report, East Asia, Southeast Asia.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-09

HCM City Fatherland Front Committee Plans Last-Quarter Work [SAIGON GIAI PHONG 23 Oct] „"ITX"’, II Trade Union Congress Reflects Renovation and... Union , Japan, West Ger- many, and China. Malaysia envisions this eye hospital to be the biggest and most up to date in Asia, and expects 80% of its...relations with socialist countries, Sen. Shahani said allegations that the Soviet Union is supporting the local insurgency movement contribute to

Whole-genome resequencing reveals world-wide ancestry and adaptive introgression events of domesticated cattle in East Asia.

PubMed

Chen, Ningbo; Cai, Yudong; Chen, Qiuming; Li, Ran; Wang, Kun; Huang, Yongzhen; Hu, Songmei; Huang, Shisheng; Zhang, Hucai; Zheng, Zhuqing; Song, Weining; Ma, Zhijie; Ma, Yun; Dang, Ruihua; Zhang, Zijing; Xu, Lei; Jia, Yutang; Liu, Shanzhai; Yue, Xiangpeng; Deng, Weidong; Zhang, Xiaoming; Sun, Zhouyong; Lan, Xianyong; Han, Jianlin; Chen, Hong; Bradley, Daniel G; Jiang, Yu; Lei, Chuzhao

2018-06-14

Cattle domestication and the complex histories of East Asian cattle breeds warrant further investigation. Through analysing the genomes of 49 modern breeds and eight East Asian ancient samples, worldwide cattle are consistently classified into five continental groups based on Y-chromosome haplotypes and autosomal variants. We find that East Asian cattle populations are mainly composed of three distinct ancestries, including an earlier East Asian taurine ancestry that reached China at least ~3.9 kya, a later introduced Eurasian taurine ancestry, and a novel Chinese indicine ancestry that diverged from Indian indicine approximately 36.6-49.6 kya. We also report historic introgression events that helped domestic cattle from southern China and the Tibetan Plateau achieve rapid adaptation by acquiring ~2.93% and ~1.22% of their genomes from banteng and yak, respectively. Our findings provide new insights into the evolutionary history of cattle and the importance of introgression in adaptation of cattle to new environmental challenges in East Asia.

Methane emissions in East Asia for 2000-2011 estimated using an atmospheric Bayesian inversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, R. L.; Stohl, A.; Zhou, L. X.; Dlugokencky, E.; Fukuyama, Y.; Tohjima, Y.; Kim, S.-Y.; Lee, H.; Nisbet, E. G.; Fisher, R. E.; Lowry, D.; Weiss, R. F.; Prinn, R. G.; O'Doherty, S.; Young, D.; White, J. W. C.

2015-05-01

We present methane (CH4) emissions for East Asia from a Bayesian inversion of CH4 mole fraction and stable isotope (δ13C-CH4) measurements. Emissions were estimated at monthly resolution from 2000 to 2011. A posteriori, the total emission for East Asia increased from 43 ± 4 to 59 ± 4 Tg yr-1 between 2000 and 2011, owing largely to the increase in emissions from China, from 39 ± 4 to 54 ± 4 Tg yr-1, while emissions in other East Asian countries remained relatively stable. For China, South Korea, and Japan, the total emissions were smaller than the prior estimates (i.e., Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research 4.2 FT2010 for anthropogenic emissions) by an average of 29%, 20%, and 23%, respectively. For Mongolia, Taiwan, and North Korea, the total emission was less than 2 Tg yr-1 and was not significantly different from the prior. The largest reductions in emissions, compared to the prior, occurred in summer in regions important for rice agriculture suggesting that this source is overestimated in the prior. Furthermore, an analysis of the isotope data suggests that the prior underestimates emissions from landfills and ruminant animals for winter 2010 to spring 2011 (no data available for other times). The inversion also found a lower average emission trend for China, 1.2 Tg yr-1 compared to 2.8 Tg yr-1 in the prior. This trend was not constant, however, and increased significantly after 2005, up to 2.0 Tg yr-1. Overall, the changes in emissions from China explain up to 40% of the increase in global emissions in the 2000s.

Food in health security in North East Asia.

PubMed

Moon, Hyun-Kyung

2009-01-01

Food and health security in North East Asia including South Korea, North Korea, China and Japan was compared. Because this region contains countries with many complex problems, it is worthwhile to study the current situation. With about 24% of the world's population, all North East Asian countries supply between 2400 and 3000 Kcal of energy. Regarding health status, two extreme problems exist. One is malnutrition in North Korea and China and the other is chronic degenerative disease in Japan, South Korea and China. Because quality, quantity and safety of the food supply have to be secured for health security, some topics are selected and discussed. 1) World food price can have an effect on food security for countries with a low food self sufficiency rate such as Japan and Korea; specially, for the urban poor. 2) Population aging can increase the number of aged people without food security. An aged population with less income and no support from their off-spring, because of disappearing traditional values, may have food insecurity. 3) Population growth and economic growth in this region may worsen food problems. Since a quarter of the world's population resides in this region, populations will continue to increase. With economic growth, people will consume more animal products. 4) Climate change generates food production problems. As the progress of industry continues, there will be less land for food and more pollutants in the environment. 5) Political instability will cause food insecurity and conflict will cause problems with regard to food aid.

Policy Coherence towards East Asia: Development Challenges for OECD Countries. OECD Development Centre Policy Brief No. 26

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fukasaku, K.; Kawai, M.; Plummer, M. G.; Trzeciak-Duval, A.

2005-01-01

Coherence issues drawn from specific country and regional cases can provide the most concrete information on the development implications of OECD-country policies. A first regional case study focused on East Asia, with financial support from the Policy Research Institute of the Japanese Ministry of Finance. The links between the region's…

Quality Assurance of Joint Degree Programs from the Perspective of Quality Assurance Agencies: Experience in East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hou, Yung-Chi; Ince, Martin; Tsai, Sandy; Wang, Wayne; Hung, Vicky; Lin Jiang, Chung; Chen, Karen Hui-Jung

2016-01-01

Joint degree programs have gained popularity in East Asia, due to the growth of transnational higher education in the region since 2000. However, the external quality assurance (QA) and accreditation of joint degree programs is a challenge for QA agencies, as it normally involves the engagement of several institutions and multiple national…

Tobacco control challenges in East Asia: proposals for change in the world's largest epidemic region

PubMed Central

Katanoda, Kota; Jiang, Yuan; Park, Sohee; Lim, Min Kyung; Qiao, You-Lin; Inoue, Manami

2014-01-01

East Asia is one of the world's largest tobacco epidemic regions. Although several international studies have evaluated the status of tobacco control in this region, the findings have not been integrated with knowledge on domestic activities at the national and municipal levels. We analysed the current tobacco control situation in three East Asian countries, Japan, China and the Republic of Korea, using both international and domestic data sources. We collected data between 2008 and 2011 in each country according to the framework of WHO's MPOWER (Monitoring, Protect, Offer, Warn, Enforcement and Raise) approach for guiding implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Analysis revealed that 37–53% of adult men were current smokers and that smoking prevalence among middle-aged men reached 63%. Less than 20% of male smokers plan to quit and the use of nicotine replacement drugs was 14% at maximum. Forty-six percent or more of men and 20% or more of women were exposed to passive smoking at workplaces and at home, respectively. Many tobacco industry activities remain unrestricted and prevalent. Our findings indicate an urgent need for the following set of policies: raise cigarette prices to increase the quit attempt rate, particularly among adult men; develop a multi-component quitting assistance system to provide adequate assistance for smoking cessation; implement effective smoke-free policies in workplaces and public places to reduce exposure to passive smoking; and rebuild the administrative structure to denormalise tobacco industry activities. The importance of these standard approaches should be reaffirmed by all tobacco control policymakers in East Asia. PMID:23596197

A synoptic and dynamical characterization of wave-train and blocking cold surge over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Tae-Won; Ho, Chang-Hoi; Deng, Yi

2014-08-01

Through an agglomerative hierarchical clustering method, cold surges over East Asia are classified into two distinct types based on the spatial pattern of the geopotential height anomalies at 300 hPa. One is the wave-train type that is associated with developing large-scale waves across the Eurasian continent. The other is the blocking type whose occurrence accompanies subarctic blocking. During the wave-train cold surge, growing baroclinic waves induce a southeastward expansion of the Siberian High and strong northerly winds over East Asia. Blocking cold surge, on the other hand, is associated with a southward expansion of the Siberian High and northeasterly winds inherent to a height dipole consisting of the subarctic blocking and the East Asian coastal trough. The blocking cold surge tends to be more intense and last longer compared to the wave-train type. The wave-train cold surge is associated with the formation of a negative upper tropospheric height anomaly southeast of Greenland approximately 12 days before the surge occurrence. Further analysis of isentropic potential vorticity reveals that this height anomaly could originate from the lower stratosphere over the North Atlantic. Cold surge of the blocking type occurs with an amplifying positive geopotential and a negative potential vorticity anomaly over the Arctic and the northern Eurasia in stratosphere. These anomalies resemble the stratospheric signature of a negative phase of the Arctic Oscillation. This stratospheric feature is further demonstrated by the observation that the blocking type cold surge occurs more often when the Arctic Oscillation is in its negative phase.

Progress in health-related millennium development goals in the WHO South-East Asia Region.

PubMed

Singh, Poonam Khetrapal

2012-01-01

Home to 25% of the world's population and bearing 30% of the Global disease burden, the South-East Asia Region [1] of the World Health Organization has an important role in the progress of global health. Three of the eight million development goal (MDG) goals that relate to health are MDG 4, 5, and 6. There is progress in all three goals within the countries of the region, although the progress varies across countries and even within countries. With concerted and accelerated efforts in some countries and certain specific areas, the region will achieve the targets of the three health MDGs. The key challenges are in sustainable scaling up of evidence-based interventions to improve maternal and child health and controlling communicable diseases. This will require continued focus and investments in strengthening health systems that provide individual and family centered comprehensive package of interventions with equitable reach and that which is provided free at the point of service delivery. Important lessons that have been learnt in implementing the MDG agenda in the past two decades will inform setting up of the post MDG global health agenda. This article provides a snap shot of progress thus far, key challenges and opportunities in WHO South-East Asia Region and lays down the way forward for the global health agenda post 2015.

Some maternal lineages of domestic horses may have origins in East Asia revealed with further evidence of mitochondrial genomes and HVR-1 sequences.

PubMed

Ma, Hongying; Wu, Yajiang; Xiang, Hai; Yang, Yunzhou; Wang, Min; Zhao, Chunjiang; Wu, Changxin

2018-01-01

There are large populations of indigenous horse ( Equus caballus ) in China and some other parts of East Asia. However, their matrilineal genetic diversity and origin remained poorly understood. Using a combination of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and hypervariable region (HVR-1) sequences, we aim to investigate the origin of matrilineal inheritance in these domestic horses. To investigate patterns of matrilineal inheritance in domestic horses, we conducted a phylogenetic study using 31 de novo mtDNA genomes together with 317 others from the GenBank. In terms of the updated phylogeny, a total of 5,180 horse mitochondrial HVR-1 sequences were analyzed. Eightteen haplogroups (Aw-Rw) were uncovered from the analysis of the whole mitochondrial genomes. Most of which have a divergence time before the earliest domestication of wild horses (about 5,800 years ago) and during the Upper Paleolithic (35-10 KYA). The distribution of some haplogroups shows geographic patterns. The Lw haplogroup contained a significantly higher proportion of European horses than the horses from other regions, while haplogroups Jw, Rw, and some maternal lineages of Cw, have a higher frequency in the horses from East Asia. The 5,180 sequences of horse mitochondrial HVR-1 form nine major haplogroups (A-I). We revealed a corresponding relationship between the haplotypes of HVR-1 and those of whole mitochondrial DNA sequences. The data of the HVR-1 sequences also suggests that Jw, Rw, and some haplotypes of Cw may have originated in East Asia while Lw probably formed in Europe. Our study supports the hypothesis of the multiple origins of the maternal lineage of domestic horses and some maternal lineages of domestic horses may have originated from East Asia.

Environmental contributions to gastrointestinal and liver cancer in the Asia-Pacific region.

PubMed

Ko, Kwang-Pil; Shin, Aesun; Cho, Sooyoung; Park, Sue K; Yoo, Keun-Young

2018-01-01

In the Asia-Pacific region, gastric, colorectal, and hepatocellular (liver) cancer show substantial regional variation in incidence consistent with the presence of important environmental factors. For gastric cancer, global incidence is concentrated in Asia with substantially higher rates in East Asia than in South-East Asia and Australia. The differences in incidence rates for gastric cancer in the Asia-Pacific region may be due, in part, to differences in the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection and the prevalence of H. pylori virulence factors. Smoking is also correlated with gastric cancer risk and is responsible for the highest population attributable fraction among men in East Asia. Colorectal cancer has increased rapidly in incidence to become the third most common digestive cancer in Asia. According to cohort studies in Asia, smoking, alcohol use, obesity, and physical inactivity increase the risk of colorectal cancer. Unlike West Asia, East Asia and Australia have high incidence rates for colorectal cancer that correlates to a high Human Development Index and a high prevalence of alcohol consumption and obesity. Liver cancer is the second most common digestive cancer in Asia. The high incidence of liver cancer in East Asia and South-East Asia is concordant with the high prevalence of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection. Other important risk factors include alcohol use, smoking, and diabetes. The identification of the earlier and other environmental factors (currently under investigation) is central to the development and implementation of effective cancer control programs for the region. © 2017 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Imagining School Autonomy in High-Performing Education Systems: East Asia as a Source of Policy Referencing in England

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

You, Yun; Morris, Paul

2016-01-01

Education reform is increasingly based on emulating the features of "world-class" systems that top international attainment surveys and, in England specifically, East Asia is referenced as the "inspiration" for their education reforms. However, the extent to which the features identified by the UK Government accord with the…

Rice Varieties in Archaic East Asia: Reduction of Its Diversity from Past to Present Times.

PubMed

Kumagai, Masahiko; Kanehara, Masaaki; Shoda, Shin'ya; Fujita, Saburo; Onuki, Shizuo; Ueda, Shintaroh; Wang, Li

2016-10-01

The Asian cultivated rice, Oryza sativa, is one of the most important crops feeding more than a third of global population. In spite of the studies for several decades, the origin and domestication history of rice varietal groups, japonica and indica, have not been fully unveiled. Genetic information of ancient rice remains is essential for direct and exclusive insight into the domestication history of rice. We performed ancient DNA analysis of 950- to 2,800-year-old rice remains excavated from Japan and Korea. We found the presence of both japonica- and indica-type varieties in the Yayoi period and the middle ages of Japan and the middle part of Korea Peninsula 2,000 years ago. It is popularly considered that japonica has been exclusively cultivated in northern part of East Asia including Japan and Korea. Our result disclosed unexpectedly wide diversity of rice varieties in archaic East Asia. The present results from ancient rice DNA reveal an exclusive insight for the domestication history of rice which is not provided as far as contemporary rice. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Review on occurrence and behavior of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs in atmosphere of East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trinh, Minh Man; Chang, Moo Been

2018-05-01

This paper reviews the data from studies mainly published after 2000 to provide the current understanding of the physicochemical properties, atmospheric occurrence, gas/particle partitioning, fate and temporal trends in atmospheric matrix of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs of East Asia. Ambient PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs concentrations in East Asia are found to be tens to hundreds times higher than that measured in Europe and North America. After strict regulations on PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs emissions are enacted, the concentrations of these compounds decrease dramatically in Eastern Asian countries. In general, most of PCDD/Fs distribute in particle phase while dl-PCBs majorly exist in gas phase. Three main factors including physicochemical properties of the compounds, properties of particle and atmospheric condition affect the gas/particle partitioning of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs. The accuracy of absorption and adsorption models on predicting gas/particle partitioning of PCDD/Fs and dl-PCBs is evaluated. Gas-phase compounds are mostly removed from the atmosphere via reactions with OH radicals while those in particle phase are majorly removed by wet/dry deposition processes. The effects of removing processes and long-range transport on gas/particle partitioning are also discussed.

An unrecognized major collision of the Okhotomorsk Block with East Asia during the Late Cretaceous, constraints on the plate reorganization of the Northwest Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yong-Tai

2013-11-01

Interactions at plate boundaries induce stresses that constitute critical controls on the structural evolution of intraplate regions. However, the traditional tectonic model for the East Asian margin during the Mesozoic, invoking successive episodes of paleo-Pacific oceanic subduction, does not provide an adequate context for important Late Cretaceous dynamics across East Asia, including: continental-scale orogenic processes, significant sinistral strike-slip faulting, and several others. The integration of numerous documented field relations requires a new tectonic model, as proposed here. The Okhotomorsk continental block, currently residing below the Okhotsk Sea in Northeast Asia, was located in the interior of the Izanagi Plate before the Late Cretaceous. It moved northwestward with the Izanagi Plate and collided with the South China Block at about 100 Ma. The indentation of the Okhotomorsk Block within East Asia resulted in the formation of a sinistral strike-slip fault system in South China, formation of a dextral strike-slip fault system in North China, and regional northwest-southeast shortening and orogenic uplift in East Asia. Northeast-striking mountain belts over 500 km wide extended from Southeast China to Southwest Japan and South Korea. The peak metamorphism at about 89 Ma of the Sanbagawa high-pressure metamorphic belt in Southwest Japan was probably related to the continental subduction of the Okhotomorsk Block beneath the East Asian margin. Subsequently, the north-northwestward change of motion direction of the Izanagi Plate led to the northward movement of the Okhotomorsk Block along the East Asian margin, forming a significant sinistral continental transform boundary similar to the San Andreas fault system in California. Sanbagawa metamorphic rocks in Southwest Japan were rapidly exhumed through the several-kilometer wide ductile shear zone at the lower crust and upper mantle level. Accretionary complexes successively accumulated along the East

The burden of child maltreatment in the East Asia and Pacific region.

PubMed

Fang, Xiangming; Fry, Deborah A; Brown, Derek S; Mercy, James A; Dunne, Michael P; Butchart, Alexander R; Corso, Phaedra S; Maynzyuk, Kateryna; Dzhygyr, Yuriy; Chen, Yu; McCoy, Amalee; Swales, Diane M

2015-04-01

This study estimated the health and economic burden of child maltreatment in the East Asia and Pacific region, addressing a significant gap in the current evidence base. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were conducted to estimate the prevalence of child physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and witnessing parental violence. Population Attributable Fractions were calculated and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lost from physical and mental health outcomes and health risk behaviors attributable to child maltreatment were estimated using the most recent comparable Global Burden of Disease data. DALY losses were converted into monetary value by assuming that one DALY is equal to the sub-region's per capita GDP. The estimated economic value of DALYs lost to violence against children as a percentage of GDP ranged from 1.24% to 3.46% across sub-regions defined by the World Health Organization. The estimated economic value of DALYs (in constant 2000 US$) lost to child maltreatment in the EAP region totaled US $151 billion, accounting for 1.88% of the region's GDP. Updated to 2012 dollars, the estimated economic burden totaled US $194 billion. In sensitivity analysis, the aggregate costs as a percentage of GDP range from 1.36% to 2.52%. The economic burden of child maltreatment in the East Asia and Pacific region is substantial, indicating the importance of preventing and responding to child maltreatment in this region. More comprehensive research into the impact of multiple types of childhood adversity on a wider range of putative health outcomes is needed to guide policy and programs for child protection in the region, and globally. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The burden of child maltreatment in the East Asia and Pacific region☆

PubMed Central

Fang, Xiangming; Fry, Deborah A.; Brown, Derek S.; Mercy, James A.; Dunne, Michael P.; Butchart, Alexander R.; Corso, Phaedra S.; Maynzyuk, Kateryna; Dzhygyr, Yuriy; Chen, Yu; McCoy, Amalee; Swales, Diane M.

2015-01-01

This study estimated the health and economic burden of child maltreatment in the East Asia and Pacific region, addressing a significant gap in the current evidence base. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were conducted to estimate the prevalence of child physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and witnessing parental violence. Population Attributable Fractions were calculated and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lost from physical and mental health outcomes and health risk behaviors attributable to child maltreatment were estimated using the most recent comparable Global Burden of Disease data. DALY losses were converted into monetary value by assuming that one DALY is equal to the sub-region’s per capita GDP. The estimated economic value of DALYs lost to violence against children as a percentage of GDP ranged from 1.24% to 3.46% across sub-regions defined by the World Health Organization. The estimated economic value of DALYs (in constant 2000 US$) lost to child maltreatment in the EAP region totaled US $151 billion, accounting for 1.88% of the region’s GDP. Updated to 2012 dollars, the estimated economic burden totaled US $194 billion. In sensitivity analysis, the aggregate costs as a percentage of GDP range from 1.36% to 2.52%. The economic burden of child maltreatment in the East Asia and Pacific region is substantial, indicating the importance of preventing and responding to child maltreatment in this region. More comprehensive research into the impact of multiple types of childhood adversity on a wider range of putative health outcomes is needed to guide policy and programs for child protection in the region, and globally. PMID:25757367

Higher Education and Development in South-East Asia. Volume III, Part 2, Language Policy and Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noss, Richard

This document, the second part of the third volume of a study concerned with the role of institutions of higher education in the development of countries in South-East Asia, discusses the problems aroused by language in the region. Chapters I-IV cover assumptions of the study, common problems of the region, current solutions, and future outlook.…

Natural and Anthropogenically Perturbed Biogenic Aerosol over Tropical South East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coe, H.; Robinson, N.; Allan, J. D.; Hewitt, C. N.

2014-12-01

Tropical forested regions are of interest as sources of atmospheric aerosol since they cover very large areas of the tropics and are a source of a large amount of volatile organic compounds which act as precursors for particle formation. Natural forest regions offer the potential to study the background state of the tropics and so potentially gain some insight into the pre-perturbed atmosphere. However, over the last decade in South East Asia, a considerable fraction of the native tropical deciduous forest has been deforested and replanted with palm oil plantations. This changes the range of volatile organic compounds that are emitted and act as sources of secondary organic aerosol. A suite of intensive ground and airborne measurements were made over both tropical forest and oil palm plantations in Sabah, Malaysia as part of the "Oxidant and Particle Photochemical Processes above a South East Asian tropical rainforest (OP3) during 2008. These data will be used together with recent improvements in our understanding of aerosol formation from biogenic compounds to discuss aerosol formation in tropical regions and the influence of human influence through widespread palm oil agriculture.

A New Automatic Method of Urban Areas Mapping in East Asia from LANDSAT Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

XU, R.; Jia, G.

2012-12-01

Cities, as places where human activities are concentrated, account for a small percent of global land cover but are frequently cited as the chief causes of, and solutions to, climate, biogeochemistry, and hydrology processes at local, regional, and global scales. Accompanying with uncontrolled economic growth, urban sprawl has been attributed to the accelerating integration of East Asia into the world economy and involved dramatic changes in its urban form and land use. To understand the impact of urban extent on biogeophysical processes, reliable mapping of built-up areas is particularly essential in eastern cities as a result of their characteristics of smaller patches, more fragile, and a lower fraction of the urban landscape which does not have natural than in the West. Segmentation of urban land from other land-cover types using remote sensing imagery can be done by standard classification processes as well as a logic rule calculation based on spectral indices and their derivations. Efforts to establish such a logic rule with no threshold for automatically mapping are highly worthwhile. Existing automatic methods are reviewed, and then a proposed approach is introduced including the calculation of the new index and the improved logic rule. Following this, existing automatic methods as well as the proposed approach are compared in a common context. Afterwards, the proposed approach is tested separately in cities of large, medium, and small scale in East Asia selected from different LANDSAT images. The results are promising as the approach can efficiently segment urban areas, even in the presence of more complex eastern cities. Key words: Urban extraction; Automatic Method; Logic Rule; LANDSAT images; East AisaThe Proposed Approach of Extraction of Urban Built-up Areas in Guangzhou, China

American Images of Asia: Myth and Reality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, James W.; Crabtree, Loren W.

1980-01-01

Suggests a unit to help students confront their misinformed perceptions of Asia. Students examine seven misconceptions: unchanging Asia, the spiritual East, the indistinct Asia, the inscrutable art of Asia, the unscientific Asian, oriental despotism, and modernization as Westernization. (Author/KC)

Emissions and transport of NOx over East Asia diagnosed by satellite and in-situ observations and chemical transport model results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, H.; Kim, S.; Brioude, J.; Cooper, O. R.; Frost, G. J.; Trainer, M.; Kim, C.

2012-12-01

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) columns observed from space have been useful in detecting the increase of NOx emissions over East Asia in accordance with rapid growth in its economy. In addition to emissions, transport can be an important factor to determine the observed satellite NO2 columns in this region. Satellite tropospheric NO2 columns showed maximum in winter and minimum in summer over the high emission areas in China, as lifetime of NO2 decreases with increase of sunlight. However, secondary peaks in the satellite NO2 columns were found in spring in both Korea and Japan, which may be influenced by transport of NOx within East Asia. Surface in-situ observations confirm the findings from the satellite measurements. The large-scale distribution of satellite NO2 columns over East Asia and the Pacific Ocean showed that the locations of NO2 column maxima coincided with wind convergence zones that change with seasons. In spring, the convergence zone is located over 30-40°N, leading to the most efficient transport of the emissions from southern China to downwind areas including Korea, Japan, and western coastal regions of the United States. We employed a Lagrangian particle dispersion model to identify the sources of the observed springtime maximum NO2. In order to understand chemical processing during the transport and quantify the roles of emissions and transport in local NOx budgets, we will also present the results from a regional chemical transport model.

[Characteristics of terrestrial ecosystem primary productivity in East Asia based on remote sensing and process-based model].

PubMed

Zhang, Fang-Min; Ju, Wei-Min; Chen, Jing-Ming; Wang, Shao-Qiang; Yu, Gui-Rui; Han, Shi-Jie

2012-02-01

Based on the bi-linearly interpolated meteorological reanalysis data from National Centers for Environmental Prediction, USA and by using the leaf area index data derived from the GIMMS NDVI to run the process-based Boreal Ecosystems Productivity Simulator (BEPS) model, this paper simulated and analyzed the spatiotemporal characteristics of the terrestrial ecosystem gross primary productivity (GPP) and net primary productivity (NPP) in East Asia in 2000-2005. Before regional simulating and calculating, the observation GPP data of different terrestrial ecosystem in 15 experimental stations of AsiaFlux network and the inventory measurements of NPP at 1300 sampling sites were applied to validate the BEPS GPP and NPP. The results showed that BEPS could well simulate the changes in GPP and NPP of different terrestrial ecosystems, with the R2 ranging from 0.86 to 0.99 and the root mean square error (RMSE) from 0.2 to 1.2 g C x m(-2) x d(-1). The simulated values by BEPS could explain 78% of the changes in annual NPP, and the RMSE was 118 g C x m(-2) x a(-1). In 2000-2005, the averaged total GPP and total NPP of the terrestrial ecosystems in East Asia were 21.7 and 10.5 Pg C x a(-1), respectively, and the GPP and NPP exhibited similar spatial and temporal variation patterns. During the six years, the total NPP of the terrestrial ecosystems varied from 10.2 to 10.7 Pg C x a(-1), with a coefficient of variation being 2. 2%. High NPP (above 1000 g C x m(-2) x a(-1)) occurred in the southeast island countries, while low NPP (below 30 g C x m(-2) x a(-1)) occurred in the desert area of Northwest China. The spatial patterns of NPP were mainly attributed to the differences in the climatic variables across East Asia. The NPP per capita also varied greatly among different countries, which was the highest (70217 kg C x a(-1)) in Mongolia, far higher than that (1921 kg C x a(-1)) in China, and the lowest (757 kg C x a(-1)) in India.

JPRS Report East Europe.

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-22

Latin America to West Europe. This has been made easier by the opening of our borders, the weakness of our customs and police ser- vices, Poland’s...past two years, two large drug shipments from Latin America were seized. They may have been the first attempts to open a route. UN experts who toured...Friday in eight volumes: China, East Europe, Central Eurasia, East Asia, Near East & South Asia, Sub- Saharan Africa, Latin America , and West

Distribution and radiative forcing of Asian dust and anthropogenic aerosols from East Asia simulated by SPRINTARS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takemura, T.; Nakajima, T.; Uno, I.

2002-12-01

A three-dimensional aerosol transport-radiation model, SPRINTARS (Spectral Radiation-Transport Model for Aerosol Species), has been developed based on an atmospheric general circulation model of the Center for Climate System Research, University of Tokyo/National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan to research the effects of aerosols on the climate system and atmospheric environment. SPRINTARS successfully simulates the long-range transport of the large-scale Asian dust storms from East Asia to North America by crossing the North Pacific Ocean in springtime 2001 and 2002. It is found from the calculated dust optical thickness that 10 to 20% of Asian dust around Japan reached North America. The simulation also reveals the importance of anthropogenic aerosols, which are carbonaceous and sulfate aerosols emitted from the industrialized areas in the East Asian continent, to air turbidity during the large-scale Asian dust storms. The simulated results are compared with a volume of observation data regarding the aerosol characteristics over East Asia in the spring of 2001 acquired by the intensive observation campaigns of ACE-Asia (Asian Pacific Regional Aerosol Characterization Experiment) and APEX (Asian Atmospheric Particulate Environmental Change Studies). The comparisons are carried out not only for aerosol concentrations but also for aerosol optical properties, such as optical thickness, Angstrom exponent which is a size index calculated by the log-slope exponent of the optical thickness between two wavelengths, and single scattering albedo. The consistence of Angstrom exponent between the simulation and observations means the reasonable simulation of the ratio of anthropogenic aerosols to Asian dust, which supports the suggestion by the simulation on the importance of anthropogenic aerosols to air turbidity during the large-scale Asian dust storms. SPRINTARS simultaneously calculates the aerosol direct and indirect radiative forcings. The direct radiative

Overview of surface ozone variability in East Asia-North Pacific region during IGAC/APARE (1994--1996).

PubMed

Lam, K S; Wang, T J; Wang, T; Tang, J; Kajii, Y; Liu, C M; Shim, S G

2004-01-01

Surface ozone (O3) was measured at Oki Island (Japan), Cheju Island (South Korea), Lanyu Island (Taiwan Province, China), Cape D'Aguilar (Hong Kong SAR) and Lin'an, Longfenshan, Waliguan (China mainland) during January 1994--December 1996 as a component of IGAC/APARE (International Global Atmospheric Chemistry/East Asia-North Pacific Regional Experiment). This paper gave a joint discussion on the observational results at these stations over the study region. Investigations showed that the average of surface O3 mixing ratios at the seven sites are 47.9+/-15.8, 48.1+/-17.9, 30.2+/-16.4, 31.6+/-17.5, 36.3+/-17.5, 34.8+/-11.5 and 48.2+/-9.5 ppbv, respectively. Significant diurnal variations of surface O3 have been observed at Oki, Cheju, D'Aguilar, Lin'an and Longfenshan. Their annual averaged diurnal differences range from 8 to 23 ppbv and differ in each season. Surface O3 at Lanyu and Waliguan do not show strong diurnal variability. Seasonal cycles of surface O3 showed difference at the temperate and the subtropical remote sites. Oki has a summer minimum-spring maximum, while Lanyu has a summer minimum-autumn maximum. The suburban sites at D'Aguilar and Lin'an report high-level O3 in autumn and low level O3 in summer. Surface O3 remains-high in autumn and low in winter at the rural site Longfenshan. For the global background station Waliguan, surface O3 exhibits a broad spring-summer maximum and autumn-winter minimum. The backward air trajectories to these sites have shown different pathways of long-range transport of air pollution from East Asia Continent to North Pacific Ocean. Surface O3 was found to be strongly and positively correlated with CO at Oki and Lanyu, especially in spring and autumn, reflecting the substantial photochemical buildup of O3 on a regional scale. It is believed that the regional sources of pollution in East Asia have enhanced the average surface O3 concentrations in the background atmosphere of North Pacific.

In Vitro Susceptibility of Malassezia pachydermatis Isolates from Canine Skin with Atopic Dermatitis to Ketoconazole and Itraconazole in East Asia

PubMed Central

WATANABE, Shion; KOIKE, Anna; KANO, Rui; NAGATA, Masahiko; CHEN, Charles; HWANG, Cheol-Yong; HASEGAWA, Atsuhiko; KAMATA, Hiroshi

2013-01-01

ABSTRACT Topical or oral azole antifungals are commonly used in canine atopic dermatitis (AD), as the lipophilic yeast Malassezia pachydermatis exacerbates canine AD. To examine whether canine AD lesions harbor azole-resistant M. pachydermatis isolates in East Asia, we investigated the in vitro susceptibility of M. pachydermatis isolates to ketoconazole (KTZ) and itraconazole (ITZ) obtained from AD lesions of canines in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of KTZ and ITZ were measured by the E-test using Sabouraud dextrose agar with 0.5% Tween 40. The MICs of KTZ and ITZ for isolates from canines with AD were significantly higher than the MICs for isolates from healthy canines. Our findings suggested that the clinical isolates from canine AD skin lesions were less susceptible to azoles than those from normal canine skin in East Asia. PMID:24334863

In vitro susceptibility of Malassezia pachydermatis isolates from canine skin with atopic dermatitis to ketoconazole and itraconazole in East Asia.

PubMed

Watanabe, Shion; Koike, Anna; Kano, Rui; Nagata, Masahiko; Chen, Charles; Hwang, Cheol-Yong; Hasegawa, Atsuhiko; Kamata, Hiroshi

2014-04-01

Topical or oral azole antifungals are commonly used in canine atopic dermatitis (AD), as the lipophilic yeast Malassezia pachydermatis exacerbates canine AD. To examine whether canine AD lesions harbor azole-resistant M. pachydermatis isolates in East Asia, we investigated the in vitro susceptibility of M. pachydermatis isolates to ketoconazole (KTZ) and itraconazole (ITZ) obtained from AD lesions of canines in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of KTZ and ITZ were measured by the E-test using Sabouraud dextrose agar with 0.5% Tween 40. The MICs of KTZ and ITZ for isolates from canines with AD were significantly higher than the MICs for isolates from healthy canines. Our findings suggested that the clinical isolates from canine AD skin lesions were less susceptible to azoles than those from normal canine skin in East Asia.

[Elimination in South-East Asia? The role of antimalarial drugs].

PubMed

Nosten, François

2016-03-01

Artemisinin resistance in P. falciparum is spreading in South East Asia and threatens the recent progresses made in the fight against malaria. A race against time has started to eliminate P.falciparum in this region before it becomes resistant to all available treatments. Antimalarials have a central role in the current elimination programme in eastern Burma on the border with Thailand. The combination of artemether and lumefantrine is used in association with primaquine for the early treatment of clinical cases. The slowly eliminated dihydro-artemisinin and piperaquine is the drug of choice in mass drug administration in the foci of high prevalence of sub-microscopic and asymptomatic infections. Initial results after 18 months of activities are promising: the participation of the population was excellent and there was a sharp reduction of P.falciparum incidence without evidence of worsening resistance.

Dispersal of H9N2 influenza A viruses between East Asia and North America by wild birds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ramey, Andy M.; Reeves, Andrew B.; Sonsthagen, Sarah A.; Teslaa, Joshua L.; Nashold, Sean W.; Donnelly, Tyrone F.; Casler, Bruce; Hall, Jeffrey S.

2015-01-01

Samples were collected from wild birds in western Alaska to assess dispersal of influenza A viruses between East Asia and North America. Two isolates shared nearly identical nucleotide identity at eight genomic segments with H9N2 viruses isolated from China and South Korea providing evidence for intercontinental dispersal by migratory birds.

Possible mechanisms for four regimes associated with cold events over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Zifan; Huang, Wenyu; Wang, Bin; Chen, Ruyan; Wright, Jonathon S.; Ma, Wenqian

2017-09-01

Circulation patterns associated with cold events over East Asia during the winter months of 1948-2014 are classified into four regimes by applying a k-means clustering method based on the area-weighted pattern correlation. The earliest precursor signals for two regimes are anticyclonic anomalies, which evolve into Ural and central Siberian blocking-like circulation patterns. The earliest precursor signals for the other two regimes are cyclonic anomalies, both of which evolve to amplify the East Asian trough (EAT). Both the blocking-like circulation patterns and amplified EAT favor the initialization of cold events. On average, the blocking-related regimes tend to last longer. The lead time of the earliest precursor signal for the central Siberian blocking-related regime is only 4 days, while those for the other regimes range from 16 to 18 days. The North Atlantic Oscillation plays essential roles both in triggering the precursor for the Ural blocking-related regime and in amplifying the precursors for all regimes. All regimes preferentially occur during the positive phase of the Eurasian teleconnection pattern and the negative phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. For three regimes, surface cooling is primarily due to reduced downward infrared radiation and enhanced cold advection. For the remaining regime, which is associated with the southernmost cooling center, sensible and latent heat release and horizontal cold advection dominate the East Asian cooling.

How Can We Mobilize Action to Realize UHC in Asia?

PubMed

Akaza, Hideyuki; Kawahara, Norie; Fukuda, Takashi; Horie, Shigeo; Thabrany, Hasbullah; Nozaki, Shinjiro

2017-11-26

The 2016 World Cancer Congress, organised by UICC, was held in Paris in November 2016, under the theme “Mobilizing action – Inspiring Change.” As part of Track 4 presentations on the theme of “Strengthening cancer control: optimizing outcomes of health systems,” UICC-Asian Regional Office (UICC-ARO) held a symposium to discuss the issue of mobilizing action to realize UHC in Asia. Introducing the symposium, Hideyuki Akaza noted that universal health coverage (UHC) is included in the Sustainable Development Goals and one of the key issues for achieving UHC will be how to balance patient needs with the economic burden of cancer. Speakers from Japan and Indonesia addressed various issues, including the current status and challenges for medical economic evaluation in Asia, the importance of resource stratification, prospects for precision medicine, and the outlook for cancer control and UHC in developing and emerging countries in Asia. Key issues raised included how to respond to the rising costs of treating cancer as new and increasingly expensive drugs come to the market. Speakers and participants noted that health technology assessment programs are being developed around Asia in order to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of drugs in the face of budgetary constraints within increasingly pressurized national health systems. The importance of screening and early detection was also noted as effective means that have the potential to reduce reliance on expensive drugs for advanced cancers. The symposium was chaired jointly by Hideyuki Akaza and Shinjiro Nozaki (WHO Kobe Centre). Creative Commons Attribution License

What Is Inner Asia? Teaching Aids for the Study of Inner Asia, No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinor, Denis

This pamphlet is the first of a series aimed at helping college and high school teachers incorporate facts pertaining to Inner Asia into their courses. Written in a narrative style, the pamphlet defines Inner Asia as a "cultural concept," part of the Eurasian continent lying outside the boundaries of Europe, the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia,…

Higher Education and Development in South-East Asia. Volume III, Part 1, High-level Manpower for Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Guy

This document, the first part of the third volume of a study concerned with the role of institutions of higher education in the development of countries in South-East Asia, appraises the high-level manpower needs of the region. The report is divided into two sections: the first includes the major comments on the position of high-level manpower in…

Precession and glacial-cycle controls of monsoon precipitation isotope changes over East Asia during the Pleistocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Enqing; Chen, Yunru; Schefuß, Enno; Steinke, Stephan; Liu, Jingjing; Tian, Jun; Martínez-Méndez, Gema; Mohtadi, Mahyar

2018-07-01

Precipitation isotope reconstructions derived from speleothems and plant waxes are important archives for understanding hydroclimate dynamics. Their climatic significance in East Asia, however, remains controversial. Here we present terrestrial plant-wax stable hydrogen isotope (δDwax) records over periods covering the last four interglacials and glacial terminations from sediment cores recovered from the northern South China Sea (SCS) as an archive of regionally-integrated precipitation isotope changes in Southeast China. Combined with previous precipitation isotope reconstructions from China, we find that the SCS δDwax and Southwest-Central China stalagmite δ18O records show relatively enriched and depleted isotopic values, respectively, during interglacial peaks; but relatively similar isotopic variations during most sub-interglacials and glacial periods over the past 430 thousand years. During interglacial peaks, strong summer insolation should have intensified the convection intensity, the isotopic fractionation along moisture trajectories and the seasonality, which are all in favor of causing isotopically-depleted rainfall over the East Asian monsoon regime. These effects in combination with a relatively high proportion of Indian Ocean- versus Pacific-sourced moisture influx should have resulted in strongly depleted precipitation isotopes (stalagmite δ18O) over most parts of China. However, Southeast China should have been affected by a relatively low ratio of Indian Ocean- versus Pacific-sourced moisture influx, which dominated over effects yielding depleted precipitation isotopes and led to enriched precipitation isotopes (δDwax). It is thus concluded that glacial boundary conditions and insolation forcing are the two most important factors for causing regional differences in precipitation isotope compositions over subtropical East Asia on orbital timescales.

Efficacy and safety of apixaban compared with warfarin for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation from East Asia: a subanalysis of the Apixaban for Reduction in Stroke and Other Thromboembolic Events in Atrial Fibrillation (ARISTOTLE) Trial.

PubMed

Goto, Shinya; Zhu, Jun; Liu, Lisheng; Oh, Byung-Hee; Wojdyla, Daniel M; Aylward, Philip; Bahit, M Cecilia; Gersh, Bernard J; Hanna, Michael; Horowitz, John; Lopes, Renato D; Wallentin, Lars; Xavier, Denis; Alexander, John H

2014-09-01

The perceived risk of serious bleeding is an obstacle to the use of oral anticoagulation in East Asia. The efficacy and safety of apixaban in East Asian patients with atrial fibrillation are unknown. ARISTOTLE included 18,201 patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation randomized to apixaban 5mg twice daily or warfarin. The efficacy and safety of apixaban and warfarin among patients recruited from East Asia (n = 1,993) were compared with those recruited from outside East Asia (n = 16,208). Compared with warfarin, apixaban resulted in a consistent reduction in stroke or systemic embolism in East Asian (hazard ratio [HR] 0.74, 95% CI 0.50-1.10) and non-East Asian (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.66-0.99) patients (interaction P = .70). Consistent benefits of apixaban over warfarin were also seen for major bleeding in East Asian (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.35-0.80) and non-East Asian (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.62-0.83) patients (interaction P = .17). There was a greater reduction in major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding with apixaban compared with warfarin in East Asian (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.35-0.67) than in non-East Asian (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.63-0.79) patients (interaction P = .03). Numerically higher rates of intracranial bleeding were seen in East Asian patients with warfarin but not with apixaban. Apixaban resulted in similar reductions in stroke or systemic embolism and major bleeding and greater reductions in major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding in patients from East Asia. Warfarin is associated with more intracranial bleeding, particularly in patients from East Asia. Copyright © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Regional trend analysis of surface ozone observations from monitoring networks in eastern North America, Europe and East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, K. L.; Petropavlovskikh, I. V.; Cooper, O. R.; Schultz, M.; Wang, T.

2017-12-01

Surface ozone is a greenhouse gas and pollutant detrimental to human health and crop and ecosystem productivity. The Tropospheric Ozone Assessment Report (TOAR) is designed to provide the research community with an up-to-date observation-based overview of tropospheric ozone's global distribution and trends. The TOAR Surface Ozone Database contains ozone metrics at thousands of monitoring sites around the world, densely clustered across mid-latitude North America, western Europe and East Asia. Calculating regional ozone trends across these locations is challenging due to the uneven spacing of the monitoring sites across urban and rural areas. To meet this challenge we conducted a spatial and temporal trend analysis of several TOAR ozone metrics across these three regions for summertime (April-September) 2000-2014, using the generalized additive mixed model (GAMM). Our analysis indicates that East Asia has the greatest human and plant exposure to ozone pollution among investigating regions, with increasing ozone levels through 2014. The results also show that ozone mixing ratios continue to decline significantly over eastern North America and Europe, however, there is less evidence for decreases of daytime average ozone at urban sites. The present-day spatial coverage of ozone monitors in East Asia (South Korea and Japan) and eastern North America is adequate for estimating regional trends by simply taking the average of the individual trends at each site. However the European network is more sparsely populated across its northern and eastern regions and therefore a simple average of the individual trends at each site does not yield an accurate regional trend. This analysis demonstrates that the GAMM technique can be used to assess the regional representativeness of existing monitoring networks, indicating those networks for which a regional trend can be obtained by simply averaging the trends of all individual sites and those networks that require a more

Acid deposition in east Asia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Phadnis, M.J.; Carmichael, G.R.; Ichikawa, Y.

1996-12-31

A comparison between transport models was done to study the acid deposition in east Asia. The two models in question were different in the way the treated the pollutant species and the way simulation was carried out. A single-layer, trajectory model with simple (developed by the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), Japan) was compared with a multi-layered, eulerian type model (Sulfur Transport Eulerian Model - II [STEM-II]) treating the chemical processes in detail. The acidic species used in the simulation were sulfur dioxide and sulfate. The comparison was done for two episodes: each a month long inmore » winter (February) and summer (August) of 1989. The predicted results from STEM-II were compared with the predicted results from the CRIEPI model as well as the observed data at twenty-one stations in Japan. The predicted values from STEM-II were similar to the ones from the CRIEPI results and the observed values in regards to the transport features. The average monthly values of SO{sub 2} in air, sulfate in air and sulfate in precipitation were in good agreement. Sensitivity studies were carried out under different scenarios of emissions, dry depositions velocities and mixing heights. The predicted values in these sensitivity studies showed a strong dependence on the mixing heights. The predicted wet deposition of sulfur for the two months is 0.7 gS/m2.mon, while the observed deposition is around 1.1 gS/m2.mon. It was also observed that the wet deposition on the Japan sea side of the islands is more than those on the Pacific side and the Okhotsk sea, mainly because of the continental outflow of pollutant air masses from mainland China and Korea. The effects of emissions from Russia and volcanoes were also evaluated.« less

The 13th Tihany Symposium on Radiation Chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wojnárovits, László; Takács, Erzsébet

2016-07-01

The Symposium was held in Balatonalmádi, a beautiful city by the Lake Balaton, Hungary, between August 29 and September 3, 2015. This time - to meet the expectations of many colleagues and friends - a place close to the village Tihany was selected, where the first Tihany Symposium was organized in 1962. The participants beside the excellent lectures could also enjoy the panorama of the Lake from the rooms and from the terrace of Hotel Ramada. The number of participants was close to 170 from about 33 countries. The highest number of participants arrived from Poland (14), followed by France (11), Turkey (9) and China (9). The Symposium had 6-6 colleagues from Brazil, Israel, and Romania. Beside China, Asia was represented by a few scientists from the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and from Saudi Arabia.

Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous continental convergence and intracontinental orogenesis in East Asia: A synthesis of the Yanshan Revolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Shuwen; Zhang, Yueqiao; Zhang, Fuqin; Cui, Jianjun; Chen, Xuanhua; Zhang, Shuanhong; Miao, Laicheng; Li, Jianhua; Shi, Wei; Li, Zhenhong; Huang, Shiqi; Li, Hailong

2015-12-01

The basic tectonic framework of continental East Asia was produced by a series of nearly contemporaneous orogenic events in the late Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous. Commonly, the Late Mesozoic orogenic processes were characterized by continent-continent collision, large-scale thrusting, strike-slip faulting and intense crustal shortening, crustal thickening, regional anatexis and metamorphism, followed by large-scale lithospheric extension, rifting and magmatism. To better understand the geological processes, this paper reviews and synthesizes existing multi-disciplinary geologic data related to sedimentation, tectonics, magmatism, metamorphism and geochemistry, and proposes a two-stage tectono-thermal evolutionary history of East Asia during the late Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous (ca. 170-120 Ma). In the first stage, three orogenic belts along the continental margins were formed coevally at ca. 170-135 Ma, i.e., the north Mongol-Okhotsk orogen, the east paleo-Pacific coastal orogen, and the west Bangong-Nujiang orogen. Tectonism related to the coastal orogen caused extensive intracontinental folding and thrusting that resulted in a depositional hiatus in the Late Jurassic, as well as crustal anatexis that generated syn-kinematic granites, adakites and migmatites. The lithosphere of the East Asian continent was thickened, reaching a maximum during the latest Jurassic or the earliest Cretaceous. In the second stage (ca. 135-120 Ma), delamination of the thickened lithosphere resulted in a remarkable (>120 km) lithospheric thinning and the development of mantle-derived magmatism, mineralization, metamorphic core complexes and rift basins. The Middle Jurassic-Early Cretaceous subduction of oceanic plates (paleo-Pacific, meso-Tethys, and Mongol-Okhotsk) and continent-continent collision (e.g. Lhasa and Qiangtang) along the East Asian continental margins produced broad coastal and intracontinental orogens. These significant tectonic activities, marked by

Epidemiological situation of malaria in South East Asia with focus on India.

PubMed

Garg, B S

1997-12-01

Malaria contributes a most stimulating chapter in the annals of biological parasitism. At present the disease is endemic in 91 countries with about 40% of world population at risk. Among all infections malaria continues to be one of the biggest contributors to disease burden in terms of morbidity, suffering and deaths specially in Africa. By lowering the productivity it is closely linked to poverty and contributes significantly to stunting social and economic development.We, in South East Asia, are living in paradoxical situation, on one side we spent large sums and energy to control/eradicate malaria and on the other hand we simultaneously create malariogenic conditions in the process of development efforts eg. irrigation canals, water supply scheme and urbanisation.The disease is endemic in all the seven countries of South East Asia with P.f.% ranging from 2.47% in Nepaa to 55% in Pakistan. In India although the total number of cases are almost static in last 10 years however the P.f. cases are on increasing trend.The malaria in tribal area is further posing a great threat. Annually 0.2% of the population suffers with malaria. However it is 1.5% in tribal area and 60% of deaths due to malaria are reported from tribal area. In 1984 there were 24% cases ofP. falciparum malaria out of them 57% were in tribal area however in 1995 the total cases increased to 36% and P.f. proportion to 75%. Technical side the chloroquine resistance and insecticidal resistance are also spreading in new area which also complicate the disease epidemiology.The migration of population, deforestation, inadequate resources increase in epidemic potential and neglect of epidemiology are other important factors responsible for changing epidemiological pattern of malaria.

Development of Future Scenario Emission Inventories for East Asia in Support of Multiple Modeling Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Y.; Woo, J. H.; Choi, K. C.; Lee, J. B.; Song, C. K.; Kim, S. K.; Hong, J.; Hong, S. C.; Zhang, Q.; Hong, C.; Tong, D.

2015-12-01

Future emission scenarios based on up-to-date regional socio-economic and control policy information were developed in support of climate-air quality integrated modeling research over East Asia. Two IPCC-participated Integrated Assessment Models(IAMs) were used to developed those scenario pathways. The two emission processing systems, KU-EPS and SMOKE-Asia, were used to convert these future scenario emissions to comprehensive chemical transport model-ready form. The NIER/KU-CREATE (Comprehensive Regional Emissions inventory for Atmospheric Transport Experiment) served as the regional base-year emission inventory. For anthropogenic emissions, it has 54 fuel classes, 201 sub-sectors and 13 pollutants, including CO2, CH4, N2O, SO2, NOx, CO, NMVOC, NH3, OC, BC, PM10, PM2.5, and mercury. Fast energy growth and aggressive penetration of the control measures make emissions projection very active for East Asia. Despite of more stringent air pollution control policies by the governments, however, air quality over the region seems not been improved as much - even worse in many cases. The needs of more scientific understanding of inter-relationship among emissions, transport, chemistry over the region are very high to effectively protect public health and ecosystems against ozone, fine particles, and other toxic pollutants in the air. After developing these long-term future emissions, therefore, we also tried to apply our future scenarios to develop the present emissions inventory for chemical weather forecasting and aircraft field campaign. On site, we will present; 1) the future scenario development framework and process methodologies, 2) initial development results of the future emission pathways, 3) present emission inventories from short-term projection, and 4) air quality modeling performance improvements over the region.

Chronic disease management in the South-East Asia Region: a need to do more.

PubMed

Sharma, Jayendra

2013-01-01

Chronic diseases account for a substantial proportion of deaths in the South-East Asia Region, ranging from 34% in Timor-Leste to 79% in Maldives. Fuelled by the epidemiological shift towards noncommunicable diseases, the burden of chronic conditions is steadily increasing. Care structures for chronic diseases in most of these countries focus only on certain conditions and are often oriented towards episodic illnesses. An opportunity exists for holistic, country-driven applications of the World Health Organization Innovative Care for Chronic Conditions framework to improve quality of care for chronic conditions in the region.

Limitations of BCC_CSM's ability to predict summer precipitation over East Asia and the Northwestern Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Zhiqiang; Dogar, Muhammad Mubashar Ahmad; Qiao, Shaobo; Hu, Po; Feng, Guolin

2017-09-01

This study examines the ability of the Beijing Climate Center Climate System Model (BCC_CSM) to predict the meridional pattern of summer precipitation over East Asia-Northwest Pacific (EA-NWP) and its East Asia-Pacific (EAP) teleconnection. The differences of summer precipitation modes of the empirical orthogonal function and the bias of atmospheric circulations over EA-NWP are analyzed to determine the reason for the precipitation prediction errors. Results indicate that the BCC_CSM could not reproduce the positive-negative-positive meridional tripole pattern from south to north that differs markedly from that observed over the last 20 years. This failure can be attributed to the bias of the BCC_CSM hindcasts of the summer EAP teleconnection and the low predictability of 500 hPa at the mid-high latitude lobe of the EAP. Meanwhile, the BCC_CSM hindcasts' deficiencies of atmospheric responses to SST anomalies over the Indonesia maritime continent (IMC) resulted in opposite and geographically shifted geopotential anomalies at 500 hPa as well as wind and vorticity anomalies at 850 hPa, rendering the BCC_CSM unable to correctly reproduce the EAP teleconnection pattern. Understanding these two problems will help further improve BCC_CSM's summer precipitation forecasting ability over EA-NWP.

Phylogeography of the Asian lesser white-toothed shrew, Crocidura shantungensis, in East Asia: role of the Korean Peninsula as refugium for small mammals.

PubMed

Lee, Seo-Jin; Lee, Mu-Yeong; Lin, Liang-Kong; Lin, Y Kirk; Li, Yuchun; Shin, E-Hyun; Han, Sang-Hoon; Min, Mi-Sook; Lee, Hang; Kim, Kyung Seok

2018-04-01

Many peninsulas in the temperate zone played an important role as refugia of various flora and fauna, and the southern Korean Peninsula also served as a refugium for many small mammals in East Asia during the Pleistocene. The Asian lesser white-toothed shrew, Crocidura shantungensis, is a widely distributed species in East Asia, and is an appropriate model organism for exploring the role of the Korean Peninsula as a refugium of small mammals. Here, we investigated phylogenetic relationships and genetic diversity based on the entire sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (1140 bp). A Bayesian tree for 98 haplotypes detected in 228 C. shantungensis specimens from East Asia revealed the presence of three major groups with at least 5 subgroups. Most haplotypes were distributed according to their geographic proximity. Pairwise F ST 's and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed a high degree of genetic differentiation and variance among regions as well as among populations within region, implying little gene flow among local populations. Genetic evidence from South Korean islands, Jeju-do Island of South Korea, and Taiwan leads us to reject the hypothesis of recent population expansion. We observed unique island-type genetic characteristics consistent with geographic isolation and resultant genetic drift. Phylogeographic inference, together with estimates of genetic differentiation and diversity, suggest that the southern most part the Korean Peninsula, including offshore islands, played an important role as a refugium for C. shantungensis during the Pleistocene. However, the presence of several refugia on the mainland of northeast Asia is also proposed.

CHRONICLE: Third International Symposium on Modern Optics, Budapest, September 1988

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bukhenskiĭ, M. F.; Nikitin, P. I.; Semenov, A. S.

1989-07-01

The Third International Symposium on Modern Optics (Optics-88), held in Budapest on 13-16 September 1988, was organized by the Hungarian Optical, Acoustic, and Cinematographic Society with the support of the International Commission on Optics and various scientific and industrial organizations in Hungary. The International Symposium Committee was composed of leading specialists from 11 countries in Asia, America, and Europe with A. M. Prokhorov (USSR) and N. Kroo (Hungary) as Co-chairmen. The purpose of this regular symposium is to summarize the scientific and technical progress underlying the developments in optics itself, discuss the branches of science where progress depends on optical methods in devices, and draw the attention of specialists to the most promising trends which should yield results in the immediate future.

Joint Symposium of Korean Cancer Association & UICC-ARO-Cross-boundary cancer studies: cancer and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Asia.

PubMed

Park, Eun-Cheol; Kawahara, Norie; Nozaki, Shinjiro; Thabrany, Hasbullah; Yoshimi, Shunya; Park, Sohee; Lee, Duk Hyoung; Akaza, Hideyuki; Roh, Jae Kyung

2017-09-01

On 16 June 2016, the Korean Cancer Association (KCA) and Union for International Cancer Control-Asia Regional Office (UICC-ARO) organized a joint symposium as part of the official program of the 42nd Annual Meeting of the Korean Cancer Association to discuss the topic 'Cross-boundary Cancer Studies: Cancer and Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Asia.' Universal Health Coverage is included in the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The objectives of UHC are to ensure that all people can receive high-quality medical services, are protected from public health risks, and are prevented from falling into poverty due to medical costs or loss of income arising from illness. The participants discussed the growing cost of cancer in the Asian region and the challenges that this poses to the establishment and deployment of UHC in the countries of Asia, all of which face budgetary and other systemic constraints in controlling cancer in the region. Representatives from Korea, Japan and Indonesia reported on the status of UHC in their countries and the challenges that are being faced, many of which are common to other countries in Asia. In addition to country-specific presentations about the progress of and challenges facing UHC, there were also presentations from WHO Kobe Centre concerning advancing UHC in non-communicable diseases and prospects for further collaboration and research on UHC. A presentation from the University of Tokyo also highlighted the need to focus on multidisciplinary studies in an age of globalization and digitization. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Molecular phylogenetics and biogeography of the mint tribe Elsholtzieae (Nepetoideae, Lamiaceae), with an emphasis on its diversification in East Asia.

PubMed

Li, Pan; Qi, Zhe-Chen; Liu, Lu-Xian; Ohi-Toma, Tetsuo; Lee, Joongku; Hsieh, Tsung-Hsin; Fu, Cheng-Xin; Cameron, Kenneth M; Qiu, Ying-Xiong

2017-05-17

Elsholtzia and its allied genera such as Collinsonia and Perilla (tribe Elsholtzieae, Lamiaceae) are an ecologically and economically important plant group consisting of ~71 species, with most species distributed in East and Southeast Asia, and several species in North America. Their phylogeny and historical biogeography resulting in a distant intercontinental disjunction are poorly understood. Here we use two nuclear (ETS, ITS) and five chloroplast (rbcL, matK, trnL-F, ycf1, ycf1-rps15) fragments to reconstruct the phylogeny, biogeographic history, and patterns of diversification of Elsholtzieae. The tribe Elsholtzieae is monophyletic and divided into five clades. The woody Elsholtzia species are nested within herbaceous ones and are inferred to have evolved from herbaceous ancestors. Molecular dating shows that the five major clades were established during the Eocene period, but most of the modern diversity did not originate until the Miocene. The divergence between the New World Collinsonia and the Old World Mosla-Keiskea-Perilla clade was dated to the mid-Miocene. Ancestral area reconstructions suggest that the tribe originated in East Asia, and then dispersed to Southeast Asia and North America. Overall, our findings highlight the important roles of the uplifts of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and climate changes from Middle Miocene onwards in promoting species diversification of Elsholtzieae.

Strategies to Improve Teacher Retention in American Overseas Schools in the Near East South Asia Region: A Qualitative Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mancuso, Steven V.; Roberts, Laura; White, George P.; Yoshida, Roland K.; Weston, David

2011-01-01

Using a qualitative analysis and drawing from sociological theory, this study examined reasons for teacher turnover and retention from a representative sample of 248 teachers in American overseas schools in the Near East South Asia region. Results suggested that the most important reasons to stay or move pertained to supportive leadership,…

Seasonal variation of the East Asian Subtropical Westerly Jet and its association with the heating field over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuang, Xueyuan; Zhang, Yaocun

2005-11-01

The structure and seasonal variation of the East Asian Subtropical Westerly Jet (EAWJ) and associations with heating fields over East Asia are examined by using NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. Obvious differences exist in the westerly jet intensity and location in different regions and seasons due to the ocean-land distribution and seasonal thermal contrast, as well as the dynamic and thermodynamic impacts of the Tibetan Plateau. In winter, the EAWJ center is situated over the western Pacific Ocean and the intensity is reduced gradually from east to west over the East Asian region. In summer, the EAWJ center is located over the north of the Tibetan Plateau and the jet intensity is reduced evidently compared with that in winter. The EAWJ seasonal evolution is characterized by the obvious longitudinal inconsistency of the northward migration and in-phase southward retreat of the EAWJ axis. A good correspondence between the seasonal variations of EAWJ and the meridional differences of air temperature (MDT) in the mid-upper troposphere demonstrates that the MDT is the basic reason for the seasonal variation of EAWJ. Correlation analyses indicate that the Kuroshio Current region to the south of Japan and the Tibetan Plateau are the key areas for the variations of the EAWJ intensities in winter and in summer, respectively. The strong sensible and latent heating in the Kuroshio Current region is closely related to the intensification of EAWJ in winter. In summer, strong sensible heating in the Tibetan Plateau corresponds to the EAWJ strengthening and southward shift, while the weak sensible heating in the Tibetan Plateau is consistent with the EAWJ weakening and northward migration.

Development of probabilistic regional climate scenario in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dairaku, K.; Ueno, G.; Ishizaki, N. N.

2015-12-01

Climate information and services for Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability (IAV) Assessments are of great concern. In order to develop probabilistic regional climate information that represents the uncertainty in climate scenario experiments in East Asia (CORDEX-EA and Japan), the probability distribution of 2m air temperature was estimated by using developed regression model. The method can be easily applicable to other regions and other physical quantities, and also to downscale to finer-scale dependent on availability of observation dataset. Probabilistic climate information in present (1969-1998) and future (2069-2098) climate was developed using CMIP3 SRES A1b scenarios 21 models and the observation data (CRU_TS3.22 & University of Delaware in CORDEX-EA, NIAES AMeDAS mesh data in Japan). The prototype of probabilistic information in CORDEX-EA and Japan represent the quantified structural uncertainties of multi-model ensemble experiments of climate change scenarios. Appropriate combination of statistical methods and optimization of climate ensemble experiments using multi-General Circulation Models (GCMs) and multi-regional climate models (RCMs) ensemble downscaling experiments are investigated.

Trans-Pacific transport of dust aerosols from East Asia: Insights gained from multiple observations and modeling.

PubMed

Guo, Jianping; Lou, Mengyun; Miao, Yucong; Wang, Yuan; Zeng, Zhaoliang; Liu, Huan; He, Jing; Xu, Hui; Wang, Fu; Min, Min; Zhai, Panmao

2017-11-01

East Asia is one of the world's largest sources of dust and anthropogenic pollution. Dust particles originating from East Asia have been recognized to travel across the Pacific to North America and beyond, thereby affecting the radiation incident on the surface as well as clouds aloft in the atmosphere. In this study, integrated analyses are performed focusing on one trans-Pacific dust episode during 12-22 March 2015, based on space-borne, ground-based observations, reanalysis data combined with Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model (HYSPLIT), and the Weather Research and Forecasting Model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem). From the perspective of synoptic patterns, the location and strength of Aleutian low pressure system largely determined the eastward transport of dust plumes towards western North America. Multi-sensor satellite observations reveal that dust aerosols in this episode originated from the Taklimakan and Gobi Deserts. Moreover, the satellite observations suggest that the dust particles can be transformed to polluted particles over the East Asian regions after encountering high concentration of anthropogenic pollutants. In terms of the vertical distribution of polluted dust particles, at the very beginning, they were mainly located in the altitudes ranging from 1 km to 7 km over the source region, then ascended to 2 km-9 km over the Pacific Ocean. The simulations confirm that these elevated dust particles in the lower free troposphere were largely transported along the prevailing westerly jet stream. Overall, observations and modeling demonstrate how a typical springtime dust episode develops and how the dust particles travel over the North Pacific Ocean all the way to North America. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vegetation Variability And Its Effect On Monsoon Rainfall Over South East Asia: Observational and Modeling Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, S.; Peters-Lidard, C.; Chiu, L.; Kafatos, M.

2005-12-01

Increasing population and urbanization have created stress on developing nations. The quickly shifting patterns of vegetation change in different parts of the world have given rise to the pertinent question of feedback on the climate prevailing on local to regional scales. It is now known with some certainty, that vegetation changes can affect the climate by influencing the heat and water balance. The hydrological cycle particularly is susceptible to changes in vegetation. The Monsoon rainfall forms a vital link in the hydrological cycle prevailing over South East Asia This work examines the variability of vegetation over South East Asia and assesses its impact on the monsoon rainfall. We explain the role of changing vegetation and show how this change has affected the heat and energy balance. We demonstrate the role of vegetation one season earlier in influencing rainfall intensity over specific areas in South East Asia and show the ramification of vegetation change on the summer rainfall behavior. The vegetation variability study specifically focuses on India and China, two of the largest and most populous nations. We have done an assessment to find out the key meteorological and human induced parameters affecting vegetation over the study area through a spatial analysis of monthly NDVI values. This study highlights the role of monsoon rainfall, regional climate dynamics and large scale human induced pollution to be the crucial factors governing the vegetation and vegetation distribution. The vegetation is seen to follow distinct spatial patterns that have been found to be crucial in its eventual impact on monsoon rainfall. We have carried out a series of sensitivity experiments using a land surface hydrologic modeling scheme. The vital energy and water balance parameters are identified and the daily climatological cycles are examined for possible change in behavior for different boundary conditions. It is found that the change from native deciduous forest

Foot-and-Mouth Disease in the Middle East Caused by an A/ASIA/G-VII Virus Lineage, 2015-2016.

PubMed

Bachanek-Bankowska, Katarzyna; Di Nardo, Antonello; Wadsworth, Jemma; Henry, Elisabeth K M; Parlak, Ünal; Timina, Anna; Mischenko, Alexey; Qasim, Ibrahim Ahmad; Abdollahi, Darab; Sultana, Munawar; Hossain, M Anwar; King, Donald P; Knowles, Nick J

2018-06-01

Phylogenetic analyses of foot-and-mouth disease type A viruses in the Middle East during 2015-2016 identified viruses belonging to the A/ASIA/G-VII lineage, which originated in the Indian subcontinent. Changes in a critical antigenic site within capsid viral protein 1 suggest possible evolutionary pressure caused by an intensive vaccination program.

JPRS Report, East Asia Southeast Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-18

forces invaded Cambodia in 1978, China sent an aircraft to take Prince Sihanouk from Phnom Penh to Bejing to prevent his capture by Vietnamese forces...changes may be implemented earlier if existing supplies of stock are depleted. The new cover colors will be as follows : CHINA aqua EAST EUROPE...have been kept in prison. Two weeks after Mrs Aquino came to power, the military launched vast repressive opera - tions against the population and

Three-Dimensional Distribution of a Major Desert Dust Outbreak over East Asia in March 2008 Derived from IASI Satellite Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cuesta, Juan; Eremenko, Maxim; Flamant, Cyrille; Dufour, Gaelle; Laurent, Benoît; Bergametti, Gilles; Hopfner, Michael; Orphal, Johannes; Zhou, Daniel

2015-01-01

We describe the daily evolution of the three-dimensional (3D) structure of a major dust outbreak initiated by an extratropical cyclone over East Asia in early March 2008, using new aerosol retrievals derived from satellite observations of IASI (Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer). A novel auto-adaptive Tikhonov-Phillips-type approach called AEROIASI is used to retrieve vertical profiles of dust extinction coefficient at 10 microns for most cloud-free IASI pixels, both over land and ocean. The dust vertical distribution derived from AEROIASI is shown to agree remarkably well with along-track transects of Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) spaceborne lidar vertical profiles (mean biases less than 110 meters, correlation of 0.95, and precision of 260 meters for mean altitudes of the dust layers). AEROIASI allows the daily characterization of the 3D transport pathways across East Asia of two dust plumes originating from the Gobi and North Chinese deserts. From AEROIASI retrievals, we provide evidence that (i) both dust plumes are transported over the Beijing region and the Yellow Sea as elevated layers above a shallow boundary layer, (ii) as they progress eastward, the dust layers are lifted up by the ascending motions near the core of the extratropical cyclone, and (iii) when being transported over the warm waters of the Japan Sea, turbulent mixing in the deep marine boundary layer leads to high dust concentrations down to the surface. AEROIASI observations and model simulations also show that the progression of the dust plumes across East Asia is tightly related to the advancing cold front of the extratropical cyclone.

Women are key players in the economies of East and Southeast Asia.

PubMed

Westley, S B; Mason, A

1998-01-01

In 1996, the East-West Center's Program on Population investigated the links between population change and economic growth in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia. This document discusses the findings pertaining to women's changing marriage and childbearing patterns, education attainment, and labor force participation as well as changes in family life. In eastern and southeastern Asia, women are delaying marriage and having fewer children as a result of their overwhelming acceptance of modern contraception. Concurrently, women's secondary school enrollment has increased dramatically since 1960, and women have accounted for steadily increasing proportions of total labor force growth. Economic development has led to fewer women employed in agriculture and more in clerical positions. Women continue to be marginalized in low-paying manufacturing jobs and to lose these jobs more frequently than do men. Women's labor force participation continues to be dependent upon their child care responsibilities, but women are beginning to combine both activities with the help of live-in grandparents. Women have made an important contribution to economic growth in Asia. Policies should address job discrimination against married women, wage discrimination, the problems faced by young women who leave home for employment in the manufacturing and service sectors, and the lack of child care facilities.

EDGARv4 Gridded Anthropogenic Emissions of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) from Power Generation, Residential and Transport Sectors: Regional Trends Analysis in East Asia.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muntean, M.; Janssens-Maenhout, G.; Guizzardi, D.; Crippa, M.; Schaaf, E.; Olivier, J. G.; Dentener, F. J.

2016-12-01

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are toxic substances and so harmful for human health. Mitigation of these emissions are internationally addressed by the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution and by the Stockholm Convention. A global insight on POPs emissions evolution is essential since they can be transported long distances, they bio-accumulate and damage the environment. The Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGARv4) is currently updated with POPs. We have estimated the global emissions of Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IcdP)) and Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) from fuel combustion in the power generation, residential and transport sectors. This emissions inventory has been developed by using as input to the EDGAR technology-based emissions calculation algorithm the fossil fuel consumption data from International Energy Agency (2014) and the emission factors from EMEP/EEA (2013). We provide a complete emission time series for the period 1970-2010 and discuss the trends. A comprehensive analysis of the contribution of East Asia region to the total global will be provided for each substance of the POPs group. An example is presented in Figure 1 for BaP emissions from residential sector; with emissions mainly from China, the East Asia region has a great share (32%) in the total global. We distributed the POPs emissions on gridmaps of 0.1°x0.1° resolution. Areas with high emissions in East Asia will be presented and discussed; Figure 2 shows the hot-spots in East Asia for BaP emissions from the residential sector. These emission gridmaps, used as input for the chemical transport models, contribute to the improvement of impact evaluation, which is a key element in measuring the effectiveness of mitigation

A New Era of Air Quality Monitoring from Space in East Asia: Korea's Geostationary Environmental Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) and an Integrated Korea-US Air Quality (KORUS-AQ) Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, J.; Hong, Y.; Song, C. K.; Kim, S. K.; Chang, L. S.; Lim, J.; Ahn, J.; Park, J. H.; Kim, J. Y.; Han, Y. J.; Kim, J.; Park, R.; Lee, G.; Lefer, B. L.; Al-Saadi, J. A.; Crawford, J. H.

2015-12-01

Due to remarkable economic growth over the last two decades, East Asia has become a region experiencing some of the poorest air quality in the world. In addition to local sources of pollution, the Korea peninsula is downwind of the largest emission sources in East Asia, complicating the understanding of air quality over Korea. Thus, knowing the factors controlling changes in air pollution across urban-rural and marine-continental interfaces, in addition to the contributions from local emissions and transboundary transport, is important for building effective management strategies and improving air quality in East Asia. GEMS (Geostationary Environmental Monitoring Spectrometer) is a satellite instrument planned for launch in 2019 by the Republic of Korea. The instrument will observe East Asia and the western Pacific region, providing real-time monitoring of air quality (e.g. O3, NO2, SO2, HCHO, AOD, etc.) and enabling better scientific understanding of the transboundary transport of air pollutants. The KORUS-AQ (the Korea and U.S. Air Quality) field campaign will take place in May - June 2016 and will employ an integrated observing strategy including multiplatform observations (i.e. ground stations, aircraft, ships, and satellites) and chemical transport models. This mission aims to not only strengthen our knowledge of atmospheric chemistry but also provide important data sets for validating GEMS retrieval algorithms. In preparation for KORUS-AQ, a pre-campaign has been successfully conducted in Korea during early summer 2015 with observations from multiple ground sites and a small aircraft. A brief summary of pre-field campaign results will be presented. Moving forward, the GEMS mission and KORUS-AQ study will lead to a new era of air quality monitoring in East Asia. GEMS will also make critical contributions to the global air quality perspective working in concert with geostationary missions launched by the U.S. (TEMPO: Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of

Synthesis of Findings from 15?years of Educational Reform in Thailand: Lessons on Leading Educational Change in East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallinger, Philip; Bryant, Darren A.

2013-01-01

The past two decades have been a period of active education reform throughout much of the world, and East Asia is no exception. This paper synthesizes findings from a series of empirical studies of educational reform in Thailand where an ambitious educational reform law was adopted in 1999. The purpose is to identify lessons learned about…

Effects of Parameterized Orographic Drag on Weather Forecasting and Simulated Climatology Over East Asia During Boreal Summer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Hyun-Joo; Choi, Suk-Jin; Koo, Myung-Seo; Kim, Jung-Eun; Kwon, Young Cheol; Hong, Song-You

2017-10-01

The impact of subgrid orographic drag on weather forecasting and simulated climatology over East Asia in boreal summer is examined using two parameterization schemes in a global forecast model. The schemes consider gravity wave drag (GWD) with and without lower-level wave breaking drag (LLWD) and flow-blocking drag (FBD). Simulation results from sensitivity experiments verify that the scheme with LLWD and FBD improves the intensity of a summertime continental high over the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, which is exaggerated with GWD only. This is because the enhanced lower tropospheric drag due to the effects of lower-level wave breaking and flow blocking slows down the wind flowing out of the high-pressure system in the lower troposphere. It is found that the decreased lower-level divergence induces a compensating weakening of middle- to upper-level convergence aloft. Extended experiments for medium-range forecasts for July 2013 and seasonal simulations for June to August of 2013-2015 are also conducted. Statistical skill scores for medium-range forecasting are improved not only in low-level winds but also in surface pressure when both LLWD and FBD are considered. A simulated climatology of summertime monsoon circulation in East Asia is also realistically reproduced.

Asthenospheric counterflows beneath the moving lithosphere of Central and East Asia in the past 90 Ma: volcanic and tomographic evidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasskazov, Sergei; Chuvashova, Irina; Kozhevnikov, Vladimir

2015-04-01

Asthenospheric counterflows, accompanied motions of the lithosphere in Central and East Asia, are defined on basis of spatial-temporal activity of mantle sources [Rasskazov et al., 2012; Rasskazov, Chuvashova, 2013; Chuvashova, Rasskazov, 2014] and the tomographic model of the Rayleigh wave group velocities [Kozhevnikov et al., 2014]. The opposite fluxes are defined relative to centers of convective instability (low-velocity anomalies), expressed by thinning of the mantle transition layer under Southwestern Gobi (44 °N, 95 °E) and Northern Baikal (52 °N, 108 °E). Cretaceous-Paleogene volcanic fields in Southern Gobi are shifted eastwards relative to the former anomaly over 600 km with the opposite sub-lithospheric flux at depths of 150-300 km. Likewise, the Late Tertiary Vitim volcanic field is shifted relative to the latter anomaly over 100-200 km. We suggest that the Gobi and Baikal asthenospheric counterflows contributed to the rollback mechanism of downgoing slab material from the Pacific under the eastern margin of Asia in the Cretaceous-Paleogene and Early-Middle Miocene. The east-west Gobi reverse flux, caused by differential block motions in front of the Indo-Asian convergence, resulted in the oblique Honshu-Korean flexure of the Pacific slab that propagated beneath the continental margin, while the Japan Sea was quickly opening at about 15 Ma. The Baikal N60°W reverse flux, originated due to oncoming traffic between Eurasia and the Pacific plate, entailed the formation of the Baikal Rift Zone and direct Hokkaido Amur slab flexure [Rasskazov et al., 2004]. The study is supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Grant 14-05-31328). References Chuvashova I.S., Rasskazov S.V. Magmatic sources in the mantle of the evolving Earth. Irkutsk: Publishing House of the Irkutsk State University, 2014. 310 p. (in Russian) Kozhevnikov V.M., Seredkina A.I., Solovei O.A. 3D mantle structure of Central Asia from Rayleigh wave group velocity dispersion

Women and AIDS in south and South-East Asia: the challenge and the response.

PubMed

Mboi, N

1996-01-01

South and South-East Asia are at the centre of the most aggressive advances of the AIDS epidemic today. The challenge this presents to the region is clear. While reported absolute numbers still lag behind the African region (11,160,900 in Africa; 3,081,235 in Asia) knowledgeable observers agree that the place of infection and potential devastation in this region exceed what we have seen in Africa. Those concerned with the welfare of the people of Asia, therefore, must make serious efforts to break the chain of HIV transmission as quickly and effectively as possible and identify and care for the infected. Women are entitled to protection by rights the same as men. However, for anatomical reasons, women are more vulnerable than men to infection by HIV. In addition, throughout the Asian region, women's "natural" vulnerability is vastly magnified by poverty and generally low levels of education and personal autonomy which make it difficult for them to gain access to information and appropriate services. Because of women's multiple roles in the epidemic-potential "infectee", care-giver, transmitter of infection-if we are to be successful in halting the spread of HIV/AIDS we must give particular attention to reaching, working with, and serving women. Meeting this challenge requires involvement of men as well as women, individuals and institutions, governments and NGOs, in four broad areas of activity: (i) HIV/AIDS education and information; (ii) basic education and economic activity to reduce gender inequities; (iii) improvements in policy and social environments; and (iv) provision of health and other services. Lack of commitment, skill, or persistence in meeting the challenge will cost lives across Asia.

South-East Asia's Trembling Rainforests.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laird, John

1991-01-01

This discussion focuses on potential solutions to the degradation of rainforests in Southeast Asia caused by indiscriminate logging, inappropriate road-construction techniques, forest fires, and the encroachment upon watersheds by both agricultural concerns and peasant farmers. Vignettes illustrate the impact of this degradation upon the animals,…

Land-atmosphere coupling strength determines impact of land cover change in South-East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toelle, M. H.

2017-12-01

In a previous modeling study of large-scale deforestation in South-East Asia, between 20° S and 20° N, a decrease of latent heat flux and an increase of sensible heat flux is found. This induced higher temperatures, and ultimately deepened the boundary layer with leading to less rainfall, but higher rainfall amounts and extreme temperatures. In order to attribute these differences to a feedback mechanism, a correlation analysis is performed. Therefore, the land-atmosphere coupling strength is compared with the impact of land cover change during seasonal periods and ENSO events. Hereby, ERA-Interim-driven COSMO-CLM simulations are analyzed for the period 1990 to 2004. The regional climate model is able to reproduce the overall soil moisture spatial pattern suggested by the observational Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model. However, COSMO-CLM shows more spatial variability and strength. By deforestation, the coupling strength between land and atmosphere is increased. Major changes in coupling strength occur during La Niña events. The impact due to deforestation depends non-linearly on the coupling strength exemplified by maximum temperature and evapotranspiration. It is shown that the magnitude of change in extreme temperature due to deforestation depends on the former coupling strength over the region. The rise in extreme temperatures due to deforestation occurs mainly over the mainland, where the coupling strength is strongest. The impact is less pronounced over the maritime islands due to the oceanic influence. It is suggested that the regional-scale impact depends on the model-specific coupling strength besides the physical reasoning over this region. Deforestation over South-East Asia will likely have consequences for the agricultural output and increase socio-economic vulnerability.

Overview of the International Symposium on Eurasian Ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus) Biology, Impacts, and Control

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gunderson, Jeffrey L.; Klepinger, Michael R.; Bronte, Charles R.; Marsden, J. Ellen

1998-01-01

The International Symposium on the Biology and Management of Ruffe was organized to address the potential threat ruffe pose to North American fisheries. Scientists in diverse disciplines from Eurasia and North America were brought together in an attempt to examine all aspects of the North American invasion of ruffe, and to highlight the effects of similar introductions in Europe and Asia. The symposium, sponsored by the Minnesota and Michigan Sea Grant College programs, featured 48 oral and poster presentations and was held in Ann Arbor, Michigan, during 21-23 March 1997. Papers from the symposium are published in a special section of this issue of the Journal of Great Lakes Research.

Sensitivity of the sea ice concentration over the Kara-Barents Sea in autumn to the winter temperature variability over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, K. H.; Chang, E. C.

2017-12-01

In this study, we performed sensitivity experiments by utilizing the Global/Regional Integrated Model system with different conditions of the sea ice concentration over the Kara-Barents (KB) Sea in autumn, which can affect winter temperature variability over East Asia. Prescribed sea ice conditions are 1) climatological autumn sea ice concentration obtained from 1982 to 2016, 2) reduced autumn sea ice concentration by 50% of the climatology, and 3) increased autumn sea ice concentration by 50% of climatology. Differently prescribed sea ice concentration changes surface albedo, which affects surface heat fluxes and near-surface air temperature. The reduced (increased) sea ice concentration over the KB sea increases (decreases) near-surface air temperature that leads the lower (higher) sea level pressure in autumn. These patterns are maintained from autumn to winter season. Furthermore, it is shown that the different sea ice concentration over the KB sea has remote effects on the sea level pressure patterns over the East Asian region. The lower (higher) sea level pressure over the KB sea by the locally decreased (increased) ice concentration is related to the higher (lower) pressure pattern over the Siberian region, which induces strengthened (weakened) cold advection over the East Asian region. From these sensitivity experiments it is clarified that the decreased (increased) sea ice concentration over the KB sea in autumn can lead the colder (warmer) surface air temperature over East Asia in winter.

Best practices in tobacco control in the South-East Asia Region.

PubMed

Zolty, B C; Sinha, P K; Sinha, D N

2012-01-01

The tobacco epidemic is an increasing threat to public health with the tobacco burden particularly high in WHO's South-East Asia Region (SEAR). The Region has many obstacles to tobacco control, but despite these challenges, significant progress has been made in many countries. Although much work still needs to be done, SEAR countries have nevertheless implemented strong and often innovative tobacco control measures that can be classified as "best practices," with some setting global precedents. The best practice measures implemented in SEAR include bans on gutka, reducing tobacco imagery in movies, and warning about the dangers of tobacco. In a time of scarce resources, countries in SEAR and elsewhere must ensure that the most effective and cost-efficient measures are implemented. It is hoped that countries can learn from these examples and as appropriate, adapt these measures to their own specific cultural, social and political realities.

Molecular data and ecological niche modelling reveal the Pleistocene history of a semi-aquatic bug (Microvelia douglasi douglasi) in East Asia.

PubMed

Ye, Zhen; Zhu, Gengping; Chen, Pingping; Zhang, Danli; Bu, Wenjun

2014-06-01

This study investigated the Pleistocene history of a semi-aquatic bug, Microvelia douglasi douglasi Scott, 1874 (Hemiptera: Veliidae) in East Asia. We used M. douglasi douglasi as a model species to explore the effects of historical climatic fluctuations on montane semi-aquatic invertebrate species. Two hypotheses were developed using ecological niche models (ENMs). First, we hypothesized that M. douglasi douglasi persisted in suitable habitats in southern Guizhou, southern Yunnan, Hainan, Taiwan and southeast China during the LIG. After that, the populations expanded (Hypothesis 1). As the spatial prediction in the LGM was significantly larger than in the LIG, we then hypothesized that the population expanded during the LIG to LGM transition (Hypothesis 2). We tested these hypotheses using mitochondrial data (COI+COII) and nuclear data (ITS1+5.8S+ITS2). Young lineages, relatively deep splits, lineage differentiation among mountain ranges in central, south and southwest China and high genetic diversities were observed in these suitable habitats. Evidence of mismatch distributions and neutrality tests indicate that a population expansion occurred in the late Pleistocene. The Bayesian skyline plot (BSP) revealed an unusual population expansion that likely happened during the cooling transition between LIG and LGM. The results of genetic data were mostly consistent with the spatial predictions from ENM, a finding that can profoundly improve phylogeographic research. The ecological requirements of M. douglasi douglasi, together with the geographical heterogeneity and climatic fluctuations of Pleistocene in East Asia, could have shaped this unusual demographic history. Our study contributes to our knowledge of semi-aquatic bug/invertebrate responses to Pleistocene climatic fluctuations in East Asia. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Phylogeography of the endangered orchid Dendrobium moniliforme in East Asia inferred from chloroplast DNA sequences.

PubMed

Ye, Meirong; Liu, Wei; Xue, Qingyun; Hou, Beiwei; Luo, Jing; Ding, Xiaoyu

2017-11-01

The aim of the current study was to elucidate the phylogeographic history of Dendrobium moniliforme, an endangered orchid species, based on two chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) markers (trnC-petN and trnE-trnT). One hundred and thirty-five samples were collected from 18 natural populations of D. moniliforme covering the entire range of the Sino-Japanese Floristic Region (SJFR) of East Asia. A total of 35 distinct cpDNA haplotypes were identified in these populations, of which 23 haplotypes were each present in only one sample and thus restricted to a single population. The significantly larger N ST value (0.586) than G ST (0.328) (p < 0.05) demonstrated the presence of strong phylogeographic structure. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that all haplotypes were clustered into two lineages. The genetic diversity of D. moniliforme was high at the species level, reflected in its haplotype diversity (H d =0.8862), nucleotide diversity (P i =0.00361), total genetic diversity (H T =0.9011), and significant differentiation (Φ ST =0.5482). Based on mismatch distribution analysis and neutrality tests, population expansion was evident in all sampled populations and also in all populations sampled in mainland China. Three refuge areas were identified, one each in southwestern China, central-southeastern China, and the CKJ (Taiwan, Japan and Korea) Islands. The results supported the hypothesis that glacial refugia were maintained on different spatial-temporal scales in the SJFR during the last glacial maximum or earlier cold periods, suggesting that Quaternary refugial isolation promoted allopatric speciation of D. moniliforme in East Asia.

Adaptive Capacity in Community Forest Management: A Systematic Review of Studies in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Eunju; Krasny, Marianne E.

2017-01-01

This study investigated the indicators of adaptive capacity along with disturbances in community forest management systems in the East Asian countries, China, Japan and South Korea. Although these countries have centuries-old traditions of community-based forest management, they have been less researched in light of adaptive capacity for resilient social-ecological systems. Recent social and ecological disturbances bring about new challenges and/or opportunities to the capacity of forest related communities to adapt to rapidly changing conditions. Through a systematic review of the community forestry and related adaptive capacity literature in three East Asian countries, this study addressed the role of diverse knowledge systems, such as traditional and Western scientific knowledge, and civic traditions of self-organization in local communities that characterized adaptive capacity of this region. This study extends our understanding of community-based conservation efforts and traditions of this region, and adds to the understandings gleaned from studies of community forestry in the West and sacred forests in other parts of Asia and Africa. Further research on ways to increase adaptive capacity is needed in a site-specific context.

Evaluation of VIIRS, GOCI, and MODIS Collection 6 AOD Retrievals Against Ground Sunphotometer Observations Over East Asia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xiao, Q.; Zhang, H.; Choi, M.; Li, S.; Kondragunta, S.; Kim, J.; Holben, B.; Levy, R. C.; Liu, Y.

2016-01-01

Persistent high aerosol loadings together with extremely high population densities have raised serious air quality and public health concerns in many urban centers in East Asia. However, ground-based air quality monitoring is relatively limited in this area. Recently, satellite-retrieved Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) at high resolution has become a powerful tool to characterize aerosol patterns in space and time. Using ground AOD observations from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) and the Distributed Regional Aerosol Gridded Observation Networks (DRAGON)-Asia Campaign, as well as from handheld sunphotometers, we evaluated emerging aerosol products from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP), the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) aboard the Communication, Ocean, and Meteorology Satellite (COMS), and Terra and Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) (Collection 6) in East Asia in 2012 and 2013. In the case study in Beijing, when compared with AOD observations from handheld sunphotometers, 51% of VIIRS Environmental Data Record (EDR) AOD, 37% of GOCI AOD, 33% of VIIRS Intermediate Product (IP) AOD, 26% of Terra MODIS C6 3km AOD, and 16% of Aqua MODIS C6 3km AOD fell within the reference expected error (EE) envelope (+/-0.05/+/- 0.15 AOD). Comparing against AERONET AOD over the JapanSouth Korea region, 64% of EDR, 37% of IP, 61% of GOCI, 39% of Terra MODIS, and 56% of Aqua MODIS C6 3km AOD fell within the EE. In general, satellite aerosol products performed better in tracking the day-to-day variability than tracking the spatial variability at high resolutions. The VIIRS EDR and GOCI products provided the most accurate AOD retrievals, while VIIRS IP and MODIS C6 3km products had positive biases.

Evaluation of VIIRS, GOCI, and MODIS Collection 6 AOD retrievals against ground sunphotometer observations over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Q.; Zhang, H.; Choi, M.; Li, S.; Kondragunta, S.; Kim, J.; Holben, B.; Levy, R. C.; Liu, Y.

2016-02-01

Persistent high aerosol loadings together with extremely high population densities have raised serious air quality and public health concerns in many urban centers in East Asia. However, ground-based air quality monitoring is relatively limited in this area. Recently, satellite-retrieved Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) at high resolution has become a powerful tool to characterize aerosol patterns in space and time. Using ground AOD observations from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) and the Distributed Regional Aerosol Gridded Observation Networks (DRAGON)-Asia Campaign, as well as from handheld sunphotometers, we evaluated emerging aerosol products from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP), the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) aboard the Communication, Ocean, and Meteorology Satellite (COMS), and Terra and Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) (Collection 6) in East Asia in 2012 and 2013. In the case study in Beijing, when compared with AOD observations from handheld sunphotometers, 51 % of VIIRS Environmental Data Record (EDR) AOD, 37 % of GOCI AOD, 33 % of VIIRS Intermediate Product (IP) AOD, 26 % of Terra MODIS C6 3 km AOD, and 16 % of Aqua MODIS C6 3 km AOD fell within the reference expected error (EE) envelope (±0.05 ± 0.15 AOD). Comparing against AERONET AOD over the Japan-South Korea region, 64 % of EDR, 37 % of IP, 61 % of GOCI, 39 % of Terra MODIS, and 56 % of Aqua MODIS C6 3 km AOD fell within the EE. In general, satellite aerosol products performed better in tracking the day-to-day variability than tracking the spatial variability at high resolutions. The VIIRS EDR and GOCI products provided the most accurate AOD retrievals, while VIIRS IP and MODIS C6 3 km products had positive biases.

Social, economic and legal dimensions of tobacco and its control in South-East Asia region.

PubMed

Kyaing, Nyo Nyo; Islam, Md Ashadul; Sinha, Dhirendra N; Rinchen, Sonam

2011-01-01

This paper examines the social, cultural, economic and legal dimensions of tobacco control in the South-East Asia Region in a holistic view through the review of findings from various studies on prevalence, tobacco economics, poverty alleviation, women and tobacco and tobacco control laws and regulations. Methods were Literature review of peer reviewed publications, country reports, WHO publications, and reports of national and international meetings on tobacco and findings from national level surveys and studies. Tobacco use has been a social and cultural part of the people of South-East Asia Region. Survey findings show that 30% to 60% of men and 1.8% to 15.6% of women in the Region use one or the other forms of tobacco products. The complex nature of tobacco use with both smoking and smokeless forms is a major challenge for implementing tobacco control measures. Prevalence of tobacco use is high among the poor and the illiterate. It is higher among males than females but studies show a rising trend among girls and women due to intensive marketing of tobacco products by the tobacco industry. Tobacco users spend a huge percent of their income on tobacco which deprives them and their families of proper nutrition, good education and health care. Some studies of the Region show that cost of treatment of diseases attributable to tobacco use was more than double the revenue that governments received from tobacco taxation. Another challenge the Region faces is the application of uniform tax to all forms of tobacco, which will reduce not only the availability of tobacco products in the market but also control people switching over to cheaper tobacco products. Ten out of eleven countries are Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and nine countries have tobacco control legislation. Enforcement of control measures is weak, particularly in areas such as smoke-free environments, advertisement at the point of sale and sale of tobacco to minors. Socio

Staphylococcus aureus disease and drug resistance in resource-limited countries in south and east Asia.

PubMed

Nickerson, Emma K; West, T Eoin; Day, Nicholas P; Peacock, Sharon J

2009-02-01

By contrast with high-income countries, Staphylococcus aureus disease ranks low on the public-health agenda in low-income countries. We undertook a literature review of S aureus disease in resource-limited countries in south and east Asia, and found that its neglected status as a developing world pathogen does not equate with low rates of disease. The incidence of the disease seems to be highest in neonates, its range of clinical manifestations is as broad as that seen in other settings, and the mortality rate associated with serious S aureus infection, such as bacteraemia, is as high as 50%. The prevalence of meticillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) infection across much of resource-limited Asia is largely unknown. Antibiotic drugs are readily and widely available from pharmacists in most parts of Asia, where ease of purchase and frequent self-medication are likely to be major drivers in the emergence of drug resistance. In our global culture, the epidemiology of important drug-resistant pathogens in resource-limited countries is inextricably linked with the health of both developing and developed communities. An initiative is needed to raise the profile of S aureus disease in developing countries, and to define a programme of research to find practical solutions to the health-care challenges posed by this important global pathogen.

Atmospheric chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in East Asia.

PubMed

Kakimoto, Kensaku; Nagayoshi, Haruna; Konishi, Yoshimasa; Kajimura, Keiji; Ohura, Takeshi; Hayakawa, Kazuichi; Toriba, Akira

2014-09-01

This study estimates atmospheric concentrations of chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (ClPAHs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in East Asia using a Gas Chromatograph with High Resolution Mass Spectrometer (GC-HRMS). ClPAHs are ubiquitously generated from PAHs through substitution, and some ClPAHs show higher aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-mediated activities than their parent PAHs. Atmospheric particles were collected using a high-volume air sampler equipped with a quartz-fiber filter. We determined the ClPAH concentrations of atmospheric particles collected in Japan (Sapporo, Sagamihara, Kanazawa, and Kitakyushu), Korea (Busan), and China (Beijing). The concentrations of ClPAHs were highest in the winter Beijing sample, where the total mean concentration was approximately 15-70 times higher than in the winter samples from Japan and Korea. The concentrations of Σ19ClPAHs and Σ9PAHs were significantly correlated in the Kanazawa and the Busan samples. This indicates that within those cities ClPAHs and PAHs share the same origin, implying direct chlorination of parent PAHs. Toxic equivalent concentrations (TEQs) of the total ClPAHs and PAHs were lowest in Kanazawa in the summer, reaching 1.18 and 2610fg-TEQm(-3) respectively, and highest in Beijing in the winter, reaching 627 and 4240000fg-TEQm(-3) respectively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nitrate transboundary heavy pollution over East Asia in winter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itahashi, Syuichi; Uno, Itsushi; Osada, Kazuo; Kamiguchi, Yusuke; Yamamoto, Shigekazu; Tamura, Kei; Wang, Zhe; Kurosaki, Yasunori; Kanaya, Yugo

2017-03-01

contrast, for type S, the production of SO42- led to the decomposition of NH4NO3, and more SO42- was transported. Notably, the type N transport pattern was limited to western Japan, especially the island of Kyushu. Transboundary air pollution dominated by SO42- (type S) has been recognized as a major pattern of pollution over East Asia. However, our study confirms the importance of transboundary air pollution dominated by NO3-, which will help refine our understanding of transboundary heavy PM2. 5 pollution in winter over East Asia.

International study on antidepressant prescription pattern at 20 teaching hospitals and major psychiatric institutions in East Asia: Analysis of 1898 cases from China, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.

PubMed

Uchida, Naoki; Chong, Mian-Yoon; Tan, Chay Hoon; Nagai, Hiroshi; Tanaka, Mariko; Lee, Min-Soo; Fujii, Senta; Yang, Shu-Yu; Si, Tainmei; Sim, Kang; Wei, Hao; Ling, He Yan; Nishimura, Ryoji; Kawaguchi, Yoshichika; Edwards, Glen; Sartorius, Norman; Shinfuku, Naotaka

2007-10-01

The purpose of the present study was to review the prescription patterns of antidepressants in different countries in East Asia. The survey was conducted in China, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan from October 2003 to March 2004 using the unified research protocol and questionnaire. Twenty teaching hospitals and major psychiatric hospitals participated and a total of 1898 patients receiving antidepressants were analyzed. The survey provided a number of interesting characteristics on the prescription patterns of antidepressant in East Asia. Out of 56 antidepressants listed in the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification (ATC) index by the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Drug Statistics Methodology (Oslo), only 26 antidepressants were prescribed in participating countries in East Asia. On average 38.4% of prescriptions of antidepressants were for patients with diagnoses other than depressive disorders. The availability and commonly prescribed antidepressants varied greatly by country. The selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) and other newer antidepressants were prescribed in approximately 77.0% of all cases. At the time of the survey, only two SSRI medications were available in Japan. However, five types of SSRI were available and were often prescribed in Korea.

Glaucoma in Asia: regional prevalence variations and future projections.

PubMed

Chan, Errol Wei'en; Li, Xiang; Tham, Yih-Chung; Liao, Jiemin; Wong, Tien Yin; Aung, Tin; Cheng, Ching-Yu

2016-01-01

To evaluate glaucoma prevalence and disease burden across Asian subregions from 2013 to 2040. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 23 population-based studies of 1318 primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) cases in 66,800 individuals and 691 primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) cases in 72,767 individuals in Asia. Regions in Asia were defined based on United Nations' (UN) classification of macro-geographic regions. PubMed, Medline and Web of Science databases were searched for population-based glaucoma prevalence studies using standardised criteria published to 31 December 2013. Pooled glaucoma prevalence for individuals aged 40-80 years was calculated using hierarchical Bayesian approaches. Prevalence differences by geographic subregion, subtype and habitation were examined with random effects meta-regression models. Estimates of individuals with glaucoma from 2013 to 2040 were based on the UN World Population Prospects. In 2013, pooled overall glaucoma prevalence was 3.54% (95% credible interval (CrI) 1.83 to 6.28). POAG (2.34%, 95% CrI 0.96 to 4.55) predominated over PACG (0.73%, 95% CrI 0.18 to 1.96). With age and gender adjustment, PACG prevalence was higher in East than South East Asia (OR 5.55, 95% CrI 1.52 to 14.73), and POAG prevalence was higher in urban than rural populations (OR 2.11, 95% CrI 1.57 to 2.38). From 2013 to 2040, South Central Asia will record the steepest increase in number of glaucoma individuals from 17.06 million to 32.90 million compared with other Asian subregions. In 2040, South-Central Asia is also projected to overtake East Asia for highest overall glaucoma and POAG burden, while PACG burden remains highest in East Asia. Across the Asian subregions, there was greater glaucoma burden in South-Central and East Asia. Sustainable public health strategies to combat glaucoma in Asia are needed. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to

Temporal and spatial characteristics of dust devils and their contribution to the aerosol budget in East Asia-An analysis using a new parameterization scheme for dust devils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Yaoguo; Han, Yongxiang; Liu, Zhaohuan

2018-06-01

Dust aerosols are the main aerosol components of the atmosphere that affect climate change, but the contribution of dust devils to the atmospheric dust aerosol budget is uncertain. In this study, a new parameterization scheme for dust devils was established and coupled with WRF-Chem, and the diurnal and monthly variations and the contribution of dust devils to the atmospheric dust aerosol budget in East Asia was simulated. The results show that 1) both the diurnal and monthly variations in dust devil emissions in East Asia had unimodal distributions, with peaks in the afternoon and the summer that were similar to the observations; 2) the simulated dust devils occurred frequently in deserts, including the Gobi. The distributed area and the intensity center of the dust devil moved from east to west during the day; 3) the ratio between the availability of convective buoyancy relative to the frictional dissipation was the main factor that limited the presence of dust devils. The position of the dust devil formation, the surface temperature, and the boundary layer height determined the dust devil intensity; 4) the contribution of dust devils to atmospheric dust aerosols determined in East Asia was 30.4 ± 13%, thereby suggesting that dust devils contribute significantly to the total amount of atmospheric dust aerosols. Although the new parameterization scheme for dust devils was rough, it was helpful for understanding the distribution of dust devils and their contribution to the dust aerosol budget.

Wet plume atop of the flattening slab: Insight into intraplate volcanism in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Lijuan

2017-08-01

Geophysical observations imply the intraplate volcanism in East Asia is related to dehydration of slab stagnating in the transition zone. To better understand the dynamics of such process, a thermochemical mantle convection model is constructed to simulate numerically the thermal evolution of slab and the transportation of water in the process of slab downgoing, flattening and stagnation. Equation of water transfer is included, and water effects on density and viscosity are considered. Model results indicate the warming of slab by surrounding mantle is rather slow. Water could be successfully dragged into the transition zone if the reference viscosity of the hydrous layer (with initial water of 2 wt%) is higher than 1017 Pa s and that of mantle is 1021 Pa s. Wet plumes could then originate in the flat-lying part of the slab, relatively far from the trench. Generally, the viscosity of the hydrous layer governs the initiation of wet plume, whereas the viscosity of the overlying mantle wedge controls the activity of the ascending wet plumes - they are more active in the weaker wedge. The complex fluid flow superposed by corner flow and free thermal convection influences greatly the water transport pattern in the upper mantle. Modeling results together with previous modeling infer three stages of water circulation in the big mantle wedge: 1) water is brought into the mantle transition zone by downward subducting slab under some specific thermo-rheological conditions, otherwise water is released at shallow depth near wedge tip; 2) wet plume generates from surface of the flattening slab warmed by surrounding mantle, and 3) water spreads over the big mantle wedge. Wet plume from the flattening Pacific Plate arrives at the lithospheric base and induces melting, which can explain the intraplate Cenozoic volcanoes in East Asia.

Inversion of the Erlian Basin (NE China) in the early Late Cretaceous: Implications for the collision of the Okhotomorsk Block with East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Zhi-Xin; Shi, Yuan-Peng; Yang, Yong-Tai; Jiang, Shuan-Qi; Li, Lin-Bo; Zhao, Zhi-Gang

2018-04-01

A significant transition in tectonic regime from extension to compression occurred throughout East Asia during the mid-Cretaceous and has stimulated much attention. However, the timing and driving mechanisms of the transition remain disputed. The Erlian Basin, a giant late Mesozoic intracontinental petroliferous basin located in the Inner Mongolia, Northeast China, contains important sedimentary and structural records related to the mid-Cretaceous compressional event. The stratigraphical, sedimentological and structural analyses reveal that a NW-SE compressional inversion occurred in the Erlian Basin between the depositions of the Lower Cretaceous Saihan and Upper Cretaceous Erlian formations, causing intense folding of the Saihan Formation and underlying strata, and the northwestward migration of the depocenters of the Erlian Formation. Based on the newly obtained detrital zircon U-Pb data and previously published paleomagnetism- and fossil-based ages, the Saihan and Erlian formations are suggested as latest Aptian-Albian and post-early Cenomanian in age, respectively, implying that the inversion in the Erlian Basin occurred in the early Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian time). Apatite fission-track thermochronological data record an early Late Cretaceous cooling/exhuming event in the basin, corresponding well with the aforementioned sedimentary, structural and chronological analyses. Combining with the tectono-sedimentary evolutions of the neighboring basins of the Erlian Basin, we suggest that the early Late Cretaceous inversional event in the Erlian Basin and the large scale tectonic transition in East Asia shared the common driving mechanism, probably resulting from the Okhotomorsk Block-East Asia collisional event at about 100-89 Ma.

Evidence for a bi-partition of the Younger Dryas Stadial in East Asia associated with inversed climate characteristics compared to Europe.

PubMed

Schlolaut, Gordon; Brauer, Achim; Nakagawa, Takeshi; Lamb, Henry F; Tyler, Jonathan J; Staff, Richard A; Marshall, Michael H; Bronk Ramsey, Christopher; Bryant, Charlotte L; Tarasov, Pavel E

2017-03-31

The Younger Dryas Stadial (YDS) was an episode of northern hemispheric cooling which occurred within the Last Glacial Interglacial Transition (LGIT). A major driver for the YDS climate was a weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). It has been inferred that the AMOC began to strengthen mid-YDS, producing a bipartite structure of the YDS in records from continental Europe. These records imply that the polar front and westerlies shifted northward, producing a warmer second phase of the YDS in Europe. Here we present multi-proxy data from the sediments of Lake Suigetsu (Japan), as evidence that a related bi-partition of the YDS also occurred in East Asia. Besides showing for the first time that the bi-partition was not limited to the North Atlantic/European region, the data also imply a climatic dipole between Europe and East Asia since the cold-warm characteristics are reversed at Lake Suigetsu. We suggest that changes in eastward moisture transport from the North Atlantic are the primary mechanism by which the teleconnection can be explained.

Overview of South‐east Asia land cover using a NOAA AVHRR one kilometer composite

USGS Publications Warehouse

Defourny, Pierre; Pradhan, Udai C.; Vinay, Sritharan; Johnson, Gary E.

1994-01-01

A cloud free AVHRR composite of South‐East Asia at one kilometer resolution has been produced from 38 selected daily NOAA‐11 AVHRR images. Geometric accuracy of about 1 pixel is achieved using a two‐step rectification algorithm (orbital model and transformation by ground control points). A spatial and spectral enhancement has been performed, the sea masked out and political boundaries included in the final product. This AVHRR composite is particularly useful for a comprehensive overview of land cover at a regional scale. Qualitative comparison between a monthly composite and the existing forest maps highlights the forest cover change and points out the hot spots where the maps have to be updated.

Spatiotemporal characteristics of regional drought occurrence in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, Su-Bin; Byun, Hi-Ryong; Kim, Do-Woo

2014-07-01

Droughts in the East Asian region (105-150°E, 20-50°N) are quantified using the effective drought index (EDI) over a period of 43 years, from 1962 to 2004, and the East Asian region was classified into six subregions on the basis of similarity in drought climate: (D1) South China; (D2) lower region of the Yangtze River, South Korea, and Central/South Japan; (D3) Central China and North Korea; (D4) Northwest China and middle region of the Yangtze River; (D5) North China; and (D6) Northeast China and North Japan. The EDI time series was then summarized for the different drought subregions and a drought map was created that shows the spatiotemporal characteristics of regional drought occurrence in East Asia. The map shows that in subregions, D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, and D6, there were 50 (11.63 per decade), 36 (8.37 per decade), 30 (6.98 per decade), 28 (6.51 per decade), 29 (6.74 per decade), and 33 (7.67 per decade) drought occurrences, respectively. The most common characteristic of droughts in the subregions is that short-term droughts (<200 days) which mainly occur in spring and summer, whereas long-term droughts (≥200 days) mainly occur in autumn and winter. D1 shows the highest frequency of short-term droughts. Short-term droughts occur more frequently than long-term droughts in D2 and D3, but D4 and D6 showed a higher frequency of long-term droughts than short-term droughts. D5 showed a similar frequency of short- and long-term droughts. Drought onset dates are evenly distributed throughout the year for D1, D2, and D3, but distributed mostly in spring and summer in D4, D5, and D6. All the differences are linked to variations in the precipitation cycle of each subregion. In terms of annual variations in drought occurrence, D2 showed weakening droughts (the annual lowest EDI shows a positive trend), whereas the other subregions showed intensifying droughts (the annual lowest EDI shows a negative trend). The greatest intensifying trend was observed in D5, followed

Impacts of historical climate and land cover changes on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air quality in East Asia between 1980 and 2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Yu; Tai, Amos P. K.; Liao, Hong

2016-08-01

To examine the effects of changes in climate, land cover and land use (LCLU), and anthropogenic emissions on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) between the 5-year periods 1981-1985 and 2007-2011 in East Asia, we perform a series of simulations using a global chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) driven by assimilated meteorological data and a suite of land cover and land use data. Our results indicate that climate change alone could lead to a decrease in wintertime PM2.5 concentration by 4.0-12.0 µg m-3 in northern China, but to an increase in summertime PM2.5 by 6.0-8.0 µg m-3 in those regions. These changes are attributable to the changing chemistry and transport of all PM2.5 components driven by long-term trends in temperature, wind speed and mixing depth. The concentration of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is simulated to increase by 0.2-0.8 µg m-3 in both summer and winter in most regions of East Asia due to climate change alone, mostly reflecting higher biogenic volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions under warming. The impacts of LCLU change alone on PM2.5 (-2.1 to +1.3 µg m-3) are smaller than that of climate change, but among the various components the sensitivity of SOA and thus organic carbon to LCLU change (-0.4 to +1.2 µg m-3) is quite significant especially in summer, which is driven mostly by changes in biogenic VOC emissions following cropland expansion and changing vegetation density. The combined impacts show that while the effect of climate change on PM2.5 air quality is more pronounced, LCLU change could offset part of the climate effect in some regions but exacerbate it in others. As a result of both climate and LCLU changes combined, PM2.5 levels are estimated to change by -12.0 to +12.0 µg m-3 across East Asia between the two periods. Changes in anthropogenic emissions remain the largest contributor to deteriorating PM2.5 air quality in East Asia during the study period, but climate and LCLU changes could lead to a substantial

A numerical study of tropospheric ozone in the springtime in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Meigen; Xu, Yongfu; Itsushi, Uno; Hajime, Akimoto

2004-04-01

The Models-3 Community Multi-scale Air Quality modeling system (CMAQ) coupled with the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) is applied to East Asia to study the transport and photochemical transformation of tropospheric ozone in March 1998. The calculated mixing ratios of ozone and carbon monoxide are compared with ground level observations at three remote sites in Japan and it is found that the model reproduces the observed features very well. Examination of several high episodes of ozone and carbon monoxide indicates that these elevated levels are found in association with continental outflow, demonstrating the critical role of the rapid transport of carbon monoxide and other ozone precursors from the continental boundary layer. In comparison with available ozonesonde data, it is found that the model-calculated ozone concentrations are generally in good agreement with the measurements, and the stratospheric contribution to surface ozone mixing ratios is quite limited.

Survey of contemporary feeding practices in critically ill children in the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

PubMed

Wong, Judith J M; Ong, Chengsi; Han, Wee Meng; Mehta, Nilesh M; Lee, Jan Hau

2016-01-01

Nutrition is a fundamental component of care of critically ill children. Determining variation in nutritional practices within paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) allows for review and improvement of nutrition practices. The aim was to survey the nutrition practices and perspectives of paediatric intensivists and dieticians in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. A questionnaire was developed to collect data on (1) the respondent's and institution's characteristics, (2) nutritional assessments and nutrient delivery practices, and (3) the perceived importance and barriers to optimal enteral feeding in the PICU. We analysed 47 responses from 35 centres in 18 different countries. Dedicated dietetic services were only present in 13 (37%) centres and regular nutrition assessments were conducted in only 12 (34%) centres. In centres with dedicated dieticians, we found greater use of carbohydrate, fat additives and special formulas. Two thirds [31 (66%)] of respondents used total fluids to estimate energy requirements. Only 11 (31%) centres utilized feeding protocols. These centres had higher use of small bowel feeding, acid suppressants, laxatives and gastric residual volume thresholds. When dealing with feed intolerance, they were also more likely to start a motility agent. There was also a lack of consensus on when feeding should start and the use of adjuncts. Nutrition practices and barriers are unique in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and strongly reflect a lack of dietetic services. Future effort should focus on developing a uniform approach on nutrition practices to drive paediatric critical care nutrition research in these regions.

Off to a good start: A comparative study of changes in men's first job prospects in East Asia.

PubMed

Yu, Wei-Hsin; Chiu, Chi-Tsun

2014-09-01

Research on young adults' transition to the labor market rarely investigates how nation-level institutional arrangements shape changes over time. In particular, a systematic comparison of shifts in young adults' job opportunities in East Asia is virtually absent. Using comparable data from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, we examine cohort differences in the timing, quality, and stability of men's first jobs. The results indicate overall declines in first occupational attainment for men in all three countries, but the main driving force for the decrease in Japan differs from that in Korea and Taiwan. Whereas macroeconomic pressure fully explains the decline in Japanese men's first occupational attainment, educational expansion accounts for a considerable part of the declines for men in Korea and Taiwan. Moreover, educational expansion has eroded better-educated men's advantages in speedily transitioning from school to work in Taiwan, but it has not had a similar effect on Japanese men. We argue that Japan's employment system, coupled with a fair amount of institutional ties between schools and firms, has shielded young men from the pressure of educational expansion, making the trends about their early-career outcomes different from those of their counterparts in Korea and Taiwan. The different degrees to which firm internal labor markets have been adopted in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan also explain how increasing macroeconomic pressure has different impacts on men's first job stability in East Asia.

HRD in Asia. Symposium 3. [AHRD Conference, 2001].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2001

This document contains three papers on human resource development (HRD) in Asia. "The Experiences of HRD Professionals Participating in Continuing Professional Development in Taiwan" (Yu-Shu [Jason] Chen) reports on a study that was based on the method of hermeneutic phenomenology and conducted to describe and interpret the experiences…

The near-eastern roots of the Neolithic in South Asia.

PubMed

Gangal, Kavita; Sarson, Graeme R; Shukurov, Anvar

2014-01-01

The Fertile Crescent in the Near East is one of the independent origins of the Neolithic, the source from which farming and pottery-making spread across Europe from 9,000 to 6,000 years ago at an average rate of about 1 km/yr. There is also strong evidence for causal connections between the Near-Eastern Neolithic and that further east, up to the Indus Valley. The Neolithic in South Asia has been far less explored than its European counterpart, especially in terms of absolute (14)C) dating; hence, there were no previous attempts to assess quantitatively its spread in Asia. We combine the available (14)C data with the archaeological evidence for early Neolithic sites in South Asia to analyze the spatio-temporal continuity of the Neolithic dispersal from the Near East through the Middle East and to the Indian subcontinent. We reveal an approximately linear dependence between the age and the geodesic distance from the Near East, suggesting a systematic (but not necessarily uniform) spread at an average speed of about 0.65 km/yr.

Variability of hydrological extreme events in East Asia and their dynamical control: a comparison between observations and two high-resolution global climate models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freychet, N.; Duchez, A.; Wu, C.-H.; Chen, C.-A.; Hsu, H.-H.; Hirschi, J.; Forryan, A.; Sinha, B.; New, A. L.; Graham, T.; Andrews, M. B.; Tu, C.-Y.; Lin, S.-J.

2017-02-01

This work investigates the variability of extreme weather events (drought spells, DS15, and daily heavy rainfall, PR99) over East Asia. It particularly focuses on the large scale atmospheric circulation associated with high levels of the occurrence of these extreme events. Two observational datasets (APHRODITE and PERSIANN) are compared with two high-resolution global climate models (HiRAM and HadGEM3-GC2) and an ensemble of other lower resolution climate models from CMIP5. We first evaluate the performance of the high resolution models. They both exhibit good skill in reproducing extreme events, especially when compared with CMIP5 results. Significant differences exist between the two observational datasets, highlighting the difficulty of having a clear estimate of extreme events. The link between the variability of the extremes and the large scale circulation is investigated, on monthly and interannual timescales, using composite and correlation analyses. Both extreme indices DS15 and PR99 are significantly linked to the low level wind intensity over East Asia, i.e. the monsoon circulation. It is also found that DS15 events are strongly linked to the surface temperature over the Siberian region and to the land-sea pressure contrast, while PR99 events are linked to the sea surface temperature anomalies over the West North Pacific. These results illustrate the importance of the monsoon circulation on extremes over East Asia. The dependencies on of the surface temperature over the continent and the sea surface temperature raise the question as to what extent they could affect the occurrence of extremes over tropical regions in future projections.

Source identification and apportionment of halogenated compounds observed at a remote site in East Asia.

PubMed

Li, Shanlan; Kim, Jooil; Park, Sunyoung; Kim, Seung-Kyu; Park, Mi-Kyung; Mühle, Jens; Lee, Gangwoong; Lee, Meehye; Jo, Chun Ok; Kim, Kyung-Ryul

2014-01-01

The sources of halogenated compounds in East Asia associated with stratospheric ozone depletion and climate change are relatively poorly understood. High-precision in situ measurements of 18 halogenated compounds and carbonyl sulfide (COS) made at Gosan, Jeju Island, Korea, from November 2007 to December 2011 were analyzed by a positive matrix factorization (PMF). Seven major industrial sources were identified from the enhanced concentrations of halogenated compounds observed at Gosan and corresponding concentration-based source contributions were also suggested: primary aluminum production explaining 37% of total concentration enhancements, solvent usage of which source apportionment is 25%, fugitive emissions from HCFC/HFC production with 11%, refrigerant replacements (9%), semiconductor/electronics industry (9%), foam blowing agents (6%), and fumigation (3%). Statistical trajectory analysis was applied to specify the potential emission regions for seven sources using back trajectories. Primary aluminum production, solvent usage and fugitive emission sources were mainly contributed by China. Semiconductor/electronics sources were dominantly located in Korea. Refrigerant replacement, fumigation and foam blowing agent sources were spread throughout East Asian countries. The specified potential source regions are consistent with country-based consumptions and emission patterns, verifying the PMF analysis results. The industry-based emission sources of halogenated compounds identified in this study help improve our understanding of the East Asian countries' industrial contributions to halogenated compound emissions.

An updated age for the Xujiayao hominin from the Nihewan Basin, North China: implications for Middle Pleistocene human evolution in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ao, H.

2017-12-01

With an inventory of >60 early Paleolithic sites, >100,000 in situ stone tools, and tons of mammal fossils, the Nihewan Basin in North China is one of the most important Paleolithic areas in East Asia. The Xujiayao site in the northwestern margin of Nihewan Basin is one of the most important Paleolithic sites worldwide. Twenty archaic Homo fossils have been excavated along with more than 30,000 lithic artifacts and 5000 mammalian fossil specimens. Dating of the Xujiayao hominin has been pursued since its excavation in the 1970s, but its age has remained controversial because of limitations of the previous dating techniques that have been applied to available materials. Here, we report new ages for the Xujiayao hominin based on combined electron spin resonance (ESR) dating of quartz in the sediments and high-resolution magnetostratigraphy of the fluvio-lacustrine sequence. The magnetostratigraphy suggests that the upper Matuyama and Brunhes polarity chrons are recorded at Xujiayao. The ESR dating results indicate a pooled average age of 260, 370 ka for the Homo-bearing layer, which is consistent with its position within the middle Brunhes normal polarity chron indicated by magnetostratigraphy. This age estimate makes the Xujiayao hominin among the oldest mid-Pleistocene hominins with derived Neanderthal traits in East Asia. Our updated age and the Neanderthal-like traits of the Xujiayao Homo fossils, particularly the Denisovan-like molar teeth, make it possible that the Xujiayao hominin could represent an early Denisovan, a sister group of Neanderthals. If this Homo species affiliation is documented by DNA study, it will imply that Neanderthals expanded to East Asia as early as 370 ka, just 60 ka after the origin of Neanderthals in West Europe at 430 ka, and then they further involved into typical Denisovans under local climatic and demographic pressure.

Model development of dust emission and heterogeneous chemistry within the Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system and its application over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Xinyi; Fu, Joshua S.; Huang, Kan; Tong, Daniel; Zhuang, Guoshun

2016-07-01

The Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model has been further developed in terms of simulating natural wind-blown dust in this study, with a series of modifications aimed at improving the model's capability to predict the emission, transport, and chemical reactions of dust. The default parameterization of initial threshold friction velocity constants are revised to correct the double counting of the impact of soil moisture in CMAQ by the reanalysis of field experiment data; source-dependent speciation profiles for dust emission are derived based on local measurements for the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts in East Asia; and dust heterogeneous chemistry is also implemented. The improved dust module in the CMAQ is applied over East Asia for March and April from 2006 to 2010. The model evaluation result shows that the simulation bias of PM10 and aerosol optical depth (AOD) is reduced, respectively, from -55.42 and -31.97 % by the original CMAQ to -16.05 and -22.1 % by the revised CMAQ. Comparison with observations at the nearby Gobi stations of Duolun and Yulin indicates that applying a source-dependent profile helps reduce simulation bias for trace metals. Implementing heterogeneous chemistry also results in better agreement with observations for sulfur dioxide (SO2), sulfate (SO42-), nitric acid (HNO3), nitrous oxides (NOx), and nitrate (NO3-). The investigation of a severe dust storm episode from 19 to 21 March 2010 suggests that the revised CMAQ is capable of capturing the spatial distribution and temporal variation of dust. The model evaluation also indicates potential uncertainty within the excessive soil moisture used by meteorological simulation. The mass contribution of fine-mode particles in dust emission may be underestimated by 50 %. The revised CMAQ model provides a useful tool for future studies to investigate the emission, transport, and impact of wind-blown dust over East Asia and elsewhere.

Maternal and neonatal service usage and determinants in fragile and conflict-affected situations: a systematic review of Asia and the Middle-East.

PubMed

Gopalan, Saji S; Das, Ashis; Howard, Natasha

2017-03-15

Fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS) in Asia and the Middle-East contribute significantly to global maternal and neonatal deaths. This systematic review explored maternal and neonatal health (MNH) services usage and determinants in FCS in Asia and the Middle-East to inform policy on health service provision in these challenging settings. This systematic review was conducted using a standardised protocol. Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, and selected development agency websites were searched for studies meeting inclusion criteria. Studies were assessed for methodological quality using an adapted evaluation tool. Qualitative and quantitative data were synthesized and pooled odds ratios generated for meta-analysis of service-usage determinants. Of 18 eligible peer-reviewed studies, eight were from Nepal, four from Afghanistan, and two each from Iraq, Yemen, and the Palestinian Territories. Fragile situations provide limited evidence on emergency obstetric care, postnatal care, and newborn services. Usage of MNH services was low in all FCS, irrespective of economic growth level. Demand-side determinants of service-usage were transportation, female education, autonomy, health awareness, and ability-to-pay. Supply-side determinants included service availability and quality, existence of community health-workers, costs, and informal payments in health facilities. Evidence is particularly sparse on MNH in acute crises, and remains limited in fragile situations generally. Findings emphasize that poor MNH status in FCS is a leading contributor to the burden of maternal and neonatal ill-health in Asia and the Middle-East. Essential services for skilled birth attendance and emergency obstetric, newborn, and postnatal care require improvement in FCS. FCS require additional resources and policy attention to address the barriers to appropriate MNH care. Authors discuss the 'targeted policy approach for vulnerable groups' as a means of addressing MNH service usage

Sex work and sexually transmitted infections in Asia: a biosocial analysis.

PubMed

Tucker, Joseph D; Kaufman, Joan; Bhabha, Jacqueline; Kleinman, Arthur

2011-12-01

The Harvard University Asia Center hosted a symposium in October 2010 focused on sex work and sexually transmitted infections in Asia, engaging a biosocial approach to promote sexual health in this region. Asia has an estimated 151 million cases of curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs; eg, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia) each year, with commercial sex interactions playing a large role in ongoing transmission. Substantial human movement and migration, gender inequalities, and incipient medical and legal systems in many states stymie effective STI control in Asia. The articles in this supplement provide theoretical and empirical pathways to improving the sexual health of those who sell and purchase commercial sex in Asia. The unintended health consequences of various forms of regulating commercial sex are also reviewed, emphasizing the need to carefully consider the medical and public health consequences of new and existing policies and laws.

Bridging East and West Educational Divides in Singapore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, Prem

2013-01-01

In Asia, we are witnessing an era where the pendulum of power is swaying towards the East with the rising economic strength of China and India. Singapore is at the "crossroads" between the East and West of these most populous nations on earth. Although Singapore may appear the most Westernised country in Asia, she is nevertheless a…

[Alternative medicine, from North America to East Asia: between persistent exclusion and embodied pluralism].

PubMed

Monnais, Laurence

2017-02-01

At a time of growing interest in integrative approaches to health and care, this article examines, from a historical perspective, the factors underlying the global popularity of so-called complementary and alternative medicines (CAM). Focusing on the multiple and changing meanings of the concepts used with reference to CAM since the nineteenth century, it emphasizes the agency of CAM practitioners' and calls into question a linear progression from outright exclusion to gradual inclusion into mainstream health care systems. This analysis concludes that biomedicine and "other" medical systems have mutually defined each other in a process of co-production that has had a significant impact on the medicalization of contemporary societies from North America to East Asia. © 2017 médecine/sciences – Inserm.

Transnational migration, changing care arrangements and left-behind children's responses in South-east Asia

PubMed Central

Hoang, Lan Anh; Lam, Theodora; Yeoh, Brenda S.A.; Graham, Elspeth

2015-01-01

Recent increases in the volume of labour migration from South-east Asia – and in particular the feminisation of these movements – suggest that millions of children are growing up in transnational families, separated from their migrant parents. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data collected in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, the study seeks to elucidate care arrangements for left-behind children and to understand the ways in which children respond to shifts in intimate family relations brought about by (re)configurations of their care. Our findings emphasise that children, through strategies of resistance, resilience and reworking, are conscious social actors and agents of their own development, albeit within constrained situations resulting from their parents’ migration. PMID:27134570

Politics and Health at the WHO Regional Office for South East Asia: The Case of Portuguese India, 1949-61.

PubMed

Saavedra, Monica

2017-07-01

This paper analyses how the 1950-61 conflict between Portugal and India over the territories that constituted Portuguese India (Goa, Daman and Diu) informed Portugal's relations with the World Health Organization's Regional Office for South East Asia (SEARO). The 'Goa question' determined the way international health policies were actually put into place locally and the meaning with which they were invested. This case study thus reveals the political production of SEARO as a dynamic space for disputes and negotiations between nation-states in decolonising Asia. In this context, health often came second in the face of contrasting nationalistic projects, both colonial and post-colonial.

Pathways to an East Asian Higher Education Area: A Comparative Analysis of East Asian and European Regionalization Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chao, Roger Y., Jr.

2014-01-01

The Author argues that historical regional developments in Europe and East Asia greatly influence the formation of an East Asian Higher Education Area. As such, this article compares European and East Asian regionalization and higher education regionalization processes to show this path dependency in East Asian regionalization of higher education…

JPRS Report, Near East & South Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-11-08

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS Undeclared Strategic Agendas in Gulf 91AE0085A Tel Aviv YEDI’OT AHARONOT in Hebrew 30 Oct 90 pp 7, 25 [Article by Ron Ben...faithful representative of the " bible belt" in the southern United States. It is currently difficult to know who initiated the Saudi deals. Was it the...state. JPRS-NEA-90-066 8 NOVEMBER 1990 NEAR EAST 13 ISRAEL Columnist Examines U.S. Middle East Policy 91AE0038B Tel Aviv MA’ARIV in Hebrew

Resilience and well-being among children of migrant parents in South-East Asia.

PubMed

Jordan, Lucy P; Graham, Elspeth

2012-01-01

There has been little systematic empirical research on the well-being of children in transnational households in South-East Asia-a major sending region for contract migrants. This study uses survey data collected in 2008 from children aged 9, 10, and 11 and their caregivers in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam (N=1,498). Results indicate that while children of migrant parents, especially migrant mothers, are less likely to be happy compared to children in nonmigrant households, greater resilience in child well-being is associated to longer durations of maternal absence. There is no evidence for a direct parental migration effect on school enjoyment and performance. The analyses highlight the sensitivity of results to the dimension of child well-being measured and who makes the assessment. © 2012 The Authors. Child Development © 2012 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Seasonal prediction of East Asian summer rainfall using a multi-model ensemble system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahn, Joong-Bae; Lee, Doo-Young; Yoo, Jin‑Ho

2015-04-01

Using the retrospective forecasts of seven state-of-the-art coupled models and their multi-model ensemble (MME) for boreal summers, the prediction skills of climate models in the western tropical Pacific (WTP) and East Asian region are assessed. The prediction of summer rainfall anomalies in East Asia is difficult, while the WTP has a strong correlation between model prediction and observation. We focus on developing a new approach to further enhance the seasonal prediction skill for summer rainfall in East Asia and investigate the influence of convective activity in the WTP on East Asian summer rainfall. By analyzing the characteristics of the WTP convection, two distinct patterns associated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation developing and decaying modes are identified. Based on the multiple linear regression method, the East Asia Rainfall Index (EARI) is developed by using the interannual variability of the normalized Maritime continent-WTP Indices (MPIs), as potentially useful predictors for rainfall prediction over East Asia, obtained from the above two main patterns. For East Asian summer rainfall, the EARI has superior performance to the East Asia summer monsoon index or each MPI. Therefore, the regressed rainfall from EARI also shows a strong relationship with the observed East Asian summer rainfall pattern. In addition, we evaluate the prediction skill of the East Asia reconstructed rainfall obtained by hybrid dynamical-statistical approach using the cross-validated EARI from the individual models and their MME. The results show that the rainfalls reconstructed from simulations capture the general features of observed precipitation in East Asia quite well. This study convincingly demonstrates that rainfall prediction skill is considerably improved by using a hybrid dynamical-statistical approach compared to the dynamical forecast alone. Acknowledgements This work was carried out with the support of Rural Development Administration Cooperative Research

Health Status, Cognitive and Motor Development of Young Children Adopted from China, East Asia, and Russia across the First 6 Months after Adoption

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pomerleau, Andree; Malcuit, Gerard; Chicoine, Jean-Francois; Seguin, Renee; Belhumeur, Celine; Germain, Patricia; Amyot, Isabelle; Jeliu, Gloria

2005-01-01

We compared health status, anthropometric and psychological development of 123 children adopted before 18 months of age from China, East Asia (Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Cambodia), and Eastern Europe (mostly Russia). Data were collected close to the time of arrival, and 3 and 6 months later. Anthropometric measures included weight,…

JPRS Report, Near East & South Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-01-30

of Agriculture, "Report by Presiden- tial Mission to Study Agricultural Development in Egypt," (Cairo: Cabinet, 1982). 34. Fahmi Bishay, "Toward...held for the coordination meetings in the provinces and then Mr Musa al- Reza , deputy for the JPRS-NEA-89-007 30 January 1989 66 SOUTH ASIA planning

Mid-Cretaceous aeolian desert systems in the Yunlong area of the Lanping Basin, China: Implications for palaeoatmosphere dynamics and paleoclimatic change in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Gaojie; Wu, Chihua; Rodríguez-López, Juan Pedro; Yi, Haisheng; Xia, Guoqing; Wagreich, Michael

2018-02-01

The mid-Cretaceous constitutes a period of worldwide atmospheric and oceanic change associated with slower thermohaline circulation and ocean anoxic events, possible polar glaciations and by a changing climate pattern becoming controlled by a zonal planetary wind system and an equatorial humid belt. During the mid-Cretaceous, the subtropical high-pressure arid climate belt of the planetary wind system controlled the palaeolatitude distribution of humid belts in Asia as well as the spatial distribution of rain belts over the massive continental blocks at mid-low latitudes in the southern and northern hemispheres. Additionally, the orographic effect of the Andean-type active continental margin in East Asia hindered the transportation of ocean moisture to inland regions. With rising temperatures and palaeoatmospheric conditions dominated by high pressure systems, desert climate environments expanded at the inland areas of East Asia including those accumulated in the mid-Cretaceous of the Simao Basin, the Sichuan Basin, and the Thailand's Khorat Basin, and leading the Late Cretaceous erg systems in the Xinjiang Basin and Jianghan Basin. This manuscript presents evidences that allow to reinterpret previously considered water-laid sediments to be accumulated as windblown deposits forming part of extensive erg (sandy desert) systems. Using a multidisciplinary approach including petrological, sedimentological and architectural observations, the mid-Cretaceous (Albian-Turonian) Nanxin Formation from the Yunlong region of Lanping Basin, formerly considered to aqueous deposits is here interpreted as representing aeolian deposits, showing local aeolian-fluvial interaction deposits. The palaeowind directions obtained from the analysis of aeolian dune cross-beddings indicates that inland deserts were compatible with a high-pressure cell (HPC) existing in the mid-low latitudes of East Asia during the mid-Cretaceous. Compared with the Early Cretaceous, the mid-Cretaceous had

Astronomy in Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soonthornthum, B.

2006-08-01

Astronomy in Asia has continuously developed. Local wisdom in many Asian countries reflects their interest in astronomy since the historical period. However, the astronomical development in each country is different which depends on their cultures, politics and economics. Astronomy in some Asian developing countries such as China and India are well-developed while some other countries especially in south-east Asia, with some supports such as telescopes, trainings, experts etc. from some developed countries, are trying to promote relevant research in astronomy as well as use astronomy as a tool to promote scientific awareness and understanding for the public. Recently, a new national research institute in astronomy with a 2.4-meter reflecting telescope has been established in Thailand. One of the major objectives of this research-emphasis institute would aim at a collaborative network among south-east Asian countries so as to be able to contribute new knowledge and research to the astronomical community.

The mechanism of growth of the low-frequency East Asia-Pacific teleconnection and the triggering role of tropical intraseasonal oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jiabao; Wen, Zhiping; Wu, Renguang; Guo, Yuanyuan; Chen, Zesheng

2016-06-01

The East Asia-Pacific (EAP) pattern is a well-known meridional teleconnection over East Asia during boreal summer. In this study, the mechanism for growth of the EAP on intraseasonal timescale is investigated through a vorticity budget. It is found that the beta-effect and high-frequency transient eddies have primary contributions to the growth of the low-frequency EAP. The former leads to a westward shift of disturbances associated with the low-frequency EAP and the latter favors an amplification of disturbances, respectively. The interaction between low-frequency disturbances and zonal flow has a damping effect by dragging disturbances eastward. The impact of boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation (BSISO) on the triggering of the low-frequency EAP is also examined in this study based on observational analysis and a linear model experiment. It is shown that an elongated anomalous convection band located in the vicinity of Philippines associated with the dominant mode of BSISO has a significant impact on the initiation of low-frequency EAP via Rossby wave propagation, whereas anomalous convection located over the North Indian Ocean has a limited impact. Based on the results of present study, the low-frequency EAP could be a self-sustained mode, and the BSISO plays a substantial role in triggering the low-frequency EAP.

Enhancement of seasonal prediction of East Asian summer rainfall related to western tropical Pacific convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Doo Young; Ahn, Joong-Bae; Yoo, Jin-Ho

2015-08-01

The prediction skills of climate model simulations in the western tropical Pacific (WTP) and East Asian region are assessed using the retrospective forecasts of seven state-of-the-art coupled models and their multi-model ensemble (MME) for boreal summers (June-August) during the period 1983-2005, along with corresponding observed and reanalyzed data. The prediction of summer rainfall anomalies in East Asia is difficult, while the WTP has a strong correlation between model prediction and observation. We focus on developing a new approach to further enhance the seasonal prediction skill for summer rainfall in East Asia and investigate the influence of convective activity in the WTP on East Asian summer rainfall. By analyzing the characteristics of the WTP convection, two distinct patterns associated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation developing and decaying modes are identified. Based on the multiple linear regression method, the East Asia Rainfall Index (EARI) is developed by using the interannual variability of the normalized Maritime continent-WTP Indices (MPIs), as potentially useful predictors for rainfall prediction over East Asia, obtained from the above two main patterns. For East Asian summer rainfall, the EARI has superior performance to the East Asia summer monsoon index or each MPI. Therefore, the regressed rainfall from EARI also shows a strong relationship with the observed East Asian summer rainfall pattern. In addition, we evaluate the prediction skill of the East Asia reconstructed rainfall obtained by hybrid dynamical-statistical approach using the cross-validated EARI from the individual models and their MME. The results show that the rainfalls reconstructed from simulations capture the general features of observed precipitation in East Asia quite well. This study convincingly demonstrates that rainfall prediction skill is considerably improved by using a hybrid dynamical-statistical approach compared to the dynamical forecast alone.

Late Cenozoic fire enhancement response to aridification in mid-latitude Asia: Evidence from microcharcoal records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, Yunfa; Fang, Xiaomin; Song, Chunhui; Yan, Xiaoli; Zhang, Ping; Meng, Qingquan; Li, Fang; Wu, Fuli; Yang, Shengli; Kang, Shuyuan; Wang, Yuanping

2016-05-01

Fire provides an important indicator of paleoclimatic change. However, little information relating to late Cenozoic fire history has been gathered in mid-latitude Asia (including Inner Asia and East Asia), a key region for understanding the development of the arid-monsoon climate system as well as the driving forces behind it. Here we first report the records of microcharcoal concentrations (MC) covering the Holocene (10-0 ka) and late Pleistocene (0.8-0 Ma), which we use to analyze the fire activity patterns at an orbital time scale; then we compile the late Cenozoic MC record to investigate the long-term fire history by analyzing four cores from the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) area, East Asia (representing 8-0 Ma) and three sites in Inner Asia (representing 18-2 Ma). The results show that the (i) MC remained higher during the relatively dry late Holocene/glacial stages than that during the humid middle Holocene/interglacial stages at individual sites; (ii) MC increased with time in both Inner Asia and East Asia after 18 and 8 Ma, respectively; and (iii) MC always remained higher in the dry Inner Asia than in the contemporaneous wet East Asia. All these characteristics imply that late Cenozoic fire occurrence in mid-latitude Asia experienced a gradual increasing trend along with the global temperature/ice volume change, and indicates a continuous aridification trend across mid-latitude Asia. The global cooling, rather than the Tibetan Plateau uplift, might have played a key role in this observed trend.

Real-world outcomes in patients with depression treated with duloxetine or a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in East Asia.

PubMed

Hong, Jihyung; Novick, Diego; Montgomery, William; Moneta, Maria Victoria; Dueñas, Héctor; Peng, Xiaomei; Haro, Josep Maria

2016-03-01

This study compared treatment outcomes in patients with major depressive disorder treated with either duloxetine with a daily dose of ≤60 mg or a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) as monotherapy for up to 6 months in a naturalistic setting in East Asia. In addition, this study examined the impact of painful physical symptoms (PPS) on the effects of these treatments. This post-hoc analysis of data from a 6-month prospective observational study involving 1,549 major depressive disorder patients without sexual dysfunction focused on a subgroup of patients from East Asia (n = 587). Depression severity was measured using the Clinical Global Impression of Severity and the 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report (QIDS-SR16 ), whereas quality of life (QoL) was measured using EuroQoL instruments. PPS were rated using the modified Somatic Symptom Inventory. Multiple regression analyses were performed to compare the treatment outcomes. Duloxetine-treated patients had higher odds of achieving remission (odds ratio = 2.578, P < 0.001) and response (odds ratio = 2.704, P < 0.001) during follow-up, compared with SSRI-treated patients. They also had lower levels of disease severity and higher levels of QoL during follow-up. A similar pattern was observed in each subgroup of patients with and without PPS at baseline, but the effects of duloxetine relative to SSRIs were in general greater in patients with PPS. Patients treated with duloxetine had better treatment outcomes in terms of remission, response, depressive symptoms, and QoL, compared with SSRIs. Treatment with duloxetine may have additional advantages for patients with concurrent PPS. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Toward Synchronous Evaluation of Source Apportionments for Atmospheric Concentration and Deposition of Sulfate Aerosol Over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Itahashi, S.

2018-03-01

Source apportionments for atmospheric concentration, dry deposition, and wet deposition of sulfate aerosol (SO42-) were synchronously evaluated over East Asia, a main source of anthropogenic sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. Estimating dry deposition was difficult owing to the difficulty of measuring deposition velocity directly; therefore, sensitivity simulations using two dry deposition schemes were conducted. Moreover, sensitivity simulations for different emission inventories, the largest uncertainty source in the air quality model, were also conducted. In total, four experimental settings were used. Model performance was verified for atmospheric concentration and wet deposition using a ground-based observation network in China, Korea, and Japan, and all four model settings captured the observations. The underestimation of wet deposition over China was improved by an adjusted approach that linearly scaled the modeled precipitation values to observations. The synchronous evaluation of source apportionments for atmospheric concentration and dry and wet deposition showed the dominant contribution of anthropogenic emissions from China to the atmospheric concentration and deposition in Japan. The contributions of emissions from volcanoes were more important for wet deposition than for atmospheric concentration. Differences in the dry deposition scheme and emission inventory did not substantially influence the relative ratio of source apportionments over Japan. Because the dry deposition was more attributed to local factors, the differences in dry deposition may be an important determinant of the source contributions from China to Japan. Verification of these findings, including the dry deposition velocity, is necessary for better understanding of the behavior of sulfur compound in East Asia.

Mental health policies in South-East Asia and the public health role of screening instruments for depression.

PubMed

Sharan, Pratap; Sagar, Rajesh; Kumar, Saurabh

2017-04-01

The World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region, which contributes one quarter of the world's population, has a significant burden due to mental illnesses. Mental health has been a low priority in most countries of the region. Although most of these countries have national mental health policies, implementation at ground level remains a huge challenge. Many countries in the region lack mental health legislation that can safeguard the rights of people with mental illnesses, and governments have allocated low budgets for mental health services. It is imperative that concerned authorities work towards scaling up both financial and human resources for effective delivery of mental health services. Policymakers should facilitate training in the field of mental health and aim towards integrating mental health services with primary health care, to reduce the treatment gap. Steps should also be taken to develop a robust mental health information system that can provide baseline information and insight about existing mental health services and help in prioritization of the mental health needs of the individual countries. Although evidence-based management protocols such as the WHO Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP) guidelines facilitate training and scaling up of care in resource-limited countries, the identification of mental disorders like depression in such settings remains a challenge. Development and validation of brief psychiatric screening instruments should be prioritized to support such models of care. This paper illustrates an approach towards the development of a new culturally adapted instrument to identify depression that has scope for wider use in the WHO South-East Asia Region.

Sex Work and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Asia: A Biosocial Analysis

PubMed Central

Kaufman, Joan; Bhabha, Jacqueline; Kleinman, Arthur

2011-01-01

The Harvard University Asia Center hosted a symposium in October 2010 focused on sex work and sexually transmitted infections in Asia, engaging a biosocial approach to promote sexual health in this region. Asia has an estimated 151 million cases of curable sexually transmitted infections (STIs; eg, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia) each year, with commercial sex interactions playing a large role in ongoing transmission. Substantial human movement and migration, gender inequalities, and incipient medical and legal systems in many states stymie effective STI control in Asia. The articles in this supplement provide theoretical and empirical pathways to improving the sexual health of those who sell and purchase commercial sex in Asia. The unintended health consequences of various forms of regulating commercial sex are also reviewed, emphasizing the need to carefully consider the medical and public health consequences of new and existing policies and laws. PMID:22043032

Neurology in Asia.

PubMed

Tan, Chong-Tin

2015-02-10

Asia is important as it accounts for more than half of the world population. The majority of Asian countries fall into the middle income category. As for cultural traditions, Asia is highly varied, with many languages spoken. The pattern of neurologic diseases in Asia is largely similar to the West, with some disease features being specific to Asia. Whereas Asia constitutes 60% of the world's population, it contains only 20% of the world's neurologists. This disparity is particularly evident in South and South East Asia. As for neurologic care, it is highly variable depending on whether it is an urban or rural setting, the level of economic development, and the system of health care financing. To help remedy the shortage of neurologists, most counties with larger populations have established training programs in neurology. These programs are diverse, with many areas of concern. There are regional organizations serving as a vehicle for networking in neurology and various subspecialties, as well as an official journal (Neurology Asia). The Asian Epilepsy Academy, with its emphasis on workshops in various locations, EEG certification examination, and fellowships, may provide a template of effective regional networking for improving neurology care in the region. © 2015 American Academy of Neurology.

Off to a good start: A comparative study of changes in men's first job prospects in East Asia

PubMed Central

Yu, Wei-hsin; Chiu, Chi-Tsun

2015-01-01

Research on young adults’ transition to the labor market rarely investigates how nation-level institutional arrangements shape changes over time. In particular, a systematic comparison of shifts in young adults’ job opportunities in East Asia is virtually absent. Using comparable data from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, we examine cohort differences in the timing, quality, and stability of men's first jobs. The results indicate overall declines in first occupational attainment for men in all three countries, but the main driving force for the decrease in Japan differs from that in Korea and Taiwan. Whereas macroeconomic pressure fully explains the decline in Japanese men's first occupational attainment, educational expansion accounts for a considerable part of the declines for men in Korea and Taiwan. Moreover, educational expansion has eroded better-educated men's advantages in speedily transitioning from school to work in Taiwan, but it has not had a similar effect on Japanese men. We argue that Japan's employment system, coupled with a fair amount of institutional ties between schools and firms, has shielded young men from the pressure of educational expansion, making the trends about their early-career outcomes different from those of their counterparts in Korea and Taiwan. The different degrees to which firm internal labor markets have been adopted in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan also explain how increasing macroeconomic pressure has different impacts on men's first job stability in East Asia. PMID:25999637

Turkey and Stability in East Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-01

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited. TURKEY AND...Postgraduate School Monterey, CA 93943-5000 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) N/A...SOUTHEAST ASIA, THE PACIFIC) from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL December 2016 Approved by: James A. Russell Thesis Advisor

Clinical Characteristics and Etiology of Travelers' Diarrhea among Korean Travelers Visiting South-East Asia

PubMed Central

Ahn, Ji Yong; Chang, Kyu-Jin; You, Myung Hwan; Chai, Jin Sung; Kang, Young A; Kim, Seong-Han; Jeoung, Hyesook; Cheon, Doosung; Jeoung, Ahyong; Choi, Eun Suk

2011-01-01

The morbidity of travelers' diarrhea (TD) is still high. This study examined the incidence of common pathogens and characteristics of TD among Korean travelers who visited South-East Asian countries. We performed a prospective study involving 479 Korean travelers with diarrheal disease from February 2009 to April 2009 and stool samples were examined and questionnaire surveys were done after arrival. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) was found in 36.0% of TD cases, as were the following: Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) in 27.0%, Vibrio parahaemolyticus in 13.1%, and Norovirus in 11.5%. The detected rate of classic TD was higher in men (P = 0.007), in patients who had a shorter duration trip (P = 0.023) and in patients who drank more than 1 liter of water per day (P = 0.037). Positive stool culture rates were higher in men (P = 0.005), in hospitalized patients (P = 0.013). and in those who consumed impure water or raw foods (P = 0.033). A higher severity of disease corresponded to a significantly higher culture positivity rate (P = 0.029). We should consider the possibility of other pathogens in addition to ETEC in patients with TD who visit South-East Asia. Travelers need to educate about risk factors associated with TD. PMID:21286009

Clinical characteristics and etiology of travelers' diarrhea among Korean travelers visiting South-East Asia.

PubMed

Ahn, Ji Yong; Chung, Jin-Won; Chang, Kyu-Jin; You, Myung Hwan; Chai, Jin Sung; Kang, Young A; Kim, Seong-Han; Jeoung, Hyesook; Cheon, Doosung; Jeoung, Ahyong; Choi, Eun Suk

2011-02-01

The morbidity of travelers' diarrhea (TD) is still high. This study examined the incidence of common pathogens and characteristics of TD among Korean travelers who visited South-East Asian countries. We performed a prospective study involving 479 Korean travelers with diarrheal disease from February 2009 to April 2009 and stool samples were examined and questionnaire surveys were done after arrival. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) was found in 36.0% of TD cases, as were the following: Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) in 27.0%, Vibrio parahaemolyticus in 13.1%, and Norovirus in 11.5%. The detected rate of classic TD was higher in men (P = 0.007), in patients who had a shorter duration trip (P = 0.023) and in patients who drank more than 1 liter of water per day (P = 0.037). Positive stool culture rates were higher in men (P = 0.005), in hospitalized patients (P = 0.013). and in those who consumed impure water or raw foods (P = 0.033). A higher severity of disease corresponded to a significantly higher culture positivity rate (P = 0.029). We should consider the possibility of other pathogens in addition to ETEC in patients with TD who visit South-East Asia. Travelers need to educate about risk factors associated with TD.

Integrated spatiotemporal characterization of dust sources and outbreaks in Central and East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darmenova, Kremena T.

The potential of atmospheric dust aerosols to modify the Earth's environment and climate has been recognized for some time. However, predicting the diverse impact of dust has several significant challenges. One is to quantify the complex spatial and temporal variability of dust burden in the atmosphere. Another is to quantify the fraction of dust originating from human-made sources. This thesis focuses on the spatiotemporal characterization of sources and dust outbreaks in Central and East Asia by integrating ground-based data, satellite multisensor observations, and modeling. A new regional dust modeling system capable of operating over a span of scales was developed. The modeling system consists of a dust module DuMo, which incorporates several dust emission schemes of different complexity, and the PSU/NCAR mesoscale model MM5, which offers a variety of physical parameterizations and flexible nesting capability. The modeling system was used to perform for the first time a comprehensive study of the timing, duration, and intensity of individual dust events in Central and East Asia. Determining the uncertainties caused by the choice of model physics, especially the boundary layer parameterization, and the dust production scheme was the focus of our study. Implications to assessments of the anthropogenic dust fraction in these regions were also addressed. Focusing on Spring 2001, an analysis of routine surface meteorological observations and satellite multi-sensor data was carried out in conjunction with modeling to determine the extent to which integrated data set can be used to characterize the spatiotemporal distribution of dust plumes at a range of temporal scales, addressing the active dust sources in China and Mongolia, mid-range transport and trans-Pacific, long-range transport of dust outbreaks on a case-by-case basis. This work demonstrates that adequate and consistent characterization of individual dust events is central to establishing a reliable

Politics and Health at the WHO Regional Office for South East Asia: The Case of Portuguese India, 1949–61

PubMed Central

Saavedra, Monica

2017-01-01

This paper analyses how the 1950–61 conflict between Portugal and India over the territories that constituted Portuguese India (Goa, Daman and Diu) informed Portugal’s relations with the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for South East Asia (SEARO). The ‘Goa question’ determined the way international health policies were actually put into place locally and the meaning with which they were invested. This case study thus reveals the political production of SEARO as a dynamic space for disputes and negotiations between nation-states in decolonising Asia. In this context, health often came second in the face of contrasting nationalistic projects, both colonial and post-colonial. PMID:28604290

Spatio-temporal variability of lightning and convective activity over South/South-East Asia with an emphasis during El Niño and La Niña

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saha, Upal; Siingh, Devendraa; Midya, S. K.; Singh, R. P.; Singh, A. K.; Kumar, S.

2017-11-01

The present analysis investigates the spatio-temporal variability of the convective parameters and associated lightning flash rates during the period 1997-2013 including the El Niño and La Niña episode. It reveals that north-western and north-eastern part along the foothills of Himalayas as well as Indo-China peninsular region and South China Sea are much convective prone zones over the South/South-East Asia. The terrain/orography of the Himalayan range, the influence of cross-equatorial low-level jet and large-scale circulation during pre-monsoon and active phase of monsoon, the western Pacific Warm Pool with increased sea surface temperature as well as the solar-heating-originated local instability instigate the convective anomaly to propagate over the north-western and north eastern Indian sub-continent along with the Indo-China peninsula and South China Sea respectively. The land surfaces of the Indian sub-continent and the sea surface of South China Sea possesses significant correlation with lightning flash rates and convective parameters whereas the sea surface surrounding Indian sub-continent do not show such good correlations among them. Although, the occurrence of convective activities during the El Niño (La Niña) gets reduced (increased), the occurrence of lightning flashes gets enhanced (diminished) during this period which may be the direct consequence of warming atmosphere in relation to changing patterns of regional climate. Fig. S2 Spatial trend distribution per year of (a) LFR, (b) CAPE, (c) SCP, (d) LI, (e) CINE and (f) AT anomaly over South/South-East Asia during January-December for the years 1997-2013 (Trend is significant at 95% confidence level). Fig. S3 Correlation maps of LFR with (a) CAPE, (b) SCP, (c) CINE and (d) LI over South/South-East Asia during January-December for the years 1997-2013. Fig. S4 Synoptic wind direction patterns during (a)-(b) El Niño (May 2002 - February 2003) conditions and (c)-(d) La Niña (July 1998 - March

Prostate cancer trends in Asia.

PubMed

Akaza, Hideyuki; Onozawa, Mizuki; Hinotsu, Shiro

2017-06-01

Differences in the incidence and mortality rates for prostate cancer between East and West are clearly defined, with higher rates in the West and lower rates in the East. Treatment methods are generally selected in accordance with general practice guidelines, but the current reality in Asia is that there is not sufficient clinical data to set Asia-specific guidelines for treatment. This leads to a situation whereby for the large part guidelines based on scientific evidence accumulated in Western countries are followed, but from time to time cases are encountered when such guidelines may not be considered to be the most appropriate for the case at hand. Although there is a relatively large volume of clinical evidence relating to endocrine therapy in Asia, the treatment choices and effects differ to those in the West. These regional differences are thought to be due to various factors, including not only differences in genetic background, but also distinct differences in the living and healthcare environments. If the differences between East and West in terms of trends in prostate cancer could be examined, with positive aspects being adopted and negative aspects being improved, this could also be expected to be of use in developing a better treatment strategy for prostate cancer. The exchanging of information on a broader, global level will enable improvements in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. It is in pursuit of this objective that it is important to promote high-quality clinical trials and joint epidemiological studies in Asia and work to accumulate data that are comparable to data available in Western countries.

Groundwater storage inferred from earthquake activities around East Asia and West Pacific Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shih, David Ching-Fang

2017-01-01

Groundwater is a necessary and indispensable resource in the gradual depletion of the amount in the world. Groundwater storage is an important indicator to evaluate the capability of volume of water can be released from the aquifer. This research highlights a new assessment to infer the storage of aquifer using earthquakes activated around East Asia and the ring of fire at West Pacific Ocean. Ten significant seismic events are used to evaluate the groundwater storage at an observation station. By analyzing the spectra of groundwater level and seismogram, it is evident that the period varied in 7-25 s of Rayleigh waves significantly dominate propagation from the epicenter of earthquakes to the observation station. The storage coefficient is then shown in the order of 10-4-10-3. The major innovation of this study suggests that to concretely deduce the groundwater storage by earthquake activity has become feasible.

Impact of Tropical Cyclones on Soil Moisture over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liess, S.

2016-12-01

A simulation of a series of three strong typhoons (Frankie, Gloria, and Herb) during the 1996 typhoon season shows that the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model is representing the general characteristics of each typhoon, including sharp right turns by Gloria and Herb over the Philippine Sea. These sharp right turns can be attributed to tropical easterly waves and they are responsible for landfall over Taiwan, instead of following the general direction toward the Philippines. A second simulation where the typhoon signal is removed before landfall over East Asia shows that both rainfall and soil moisture is increased by up to 30% in coastal regions after landfall, mostly to the north of the landfall region. However, despite the noisier signal in rainfall, significant increases in soil moisture related to the paths of the simulated typhoons occur as far west as western China and Myanmar. Strong winds associated with the typhoons can also increase local evaporation and thus locally reduce soil moisture, especially south of the landfall region. Detailed observations of hydrologic variables such as soil moisture are needed to evaluate these model studies not only over coastal regions but also further inland where typhoon signals are weaker but local moisture availability is still influenced by increased rainfall and stronger winds.

Challenges and opportunities in suicide prevention in South-East Asia.

PubMed

Vijayakumar, Lakshmi

2017-04-01

Suicide is a global public health problem, with over 800 000 people worldwide dying by suicide in 2012, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO South-East Asia Region is especially affected, with 39% of global suicides occurring in the 11 countries in this region. Women are a particularly vulnerable population, for a variety of social and cultural reasons. In India specifically, deaths by suicide for women peak in the age range 15-29 years. There is sufficient evidence to show that reduction of easy access to means of suicide is an effective prevention strategy. A common method of suicide in the region is by ingestion of pesticides. Strategies that have targeted limiting access to pesticides as a means of preventing suicide, such as the use of central storage and locked boxes, have shown promising results. Given the limited human and economic resources in these countries, it is essential to involve all stakeholders, including health services, voluntary and community organizations, teachers, social workers, traditional healers and other gatekeepers, in suicide prevention. A multisectoral approach, specifically targeting women and reducing easy access to pesticides, should be the way forward to reducing suicides in this region. In addition, more research is needed, to identify cost-effective and sustainable strategies.

Correlation between total precipitable water and precipitation over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keum, Wangho; Lim, Gyu-Ho

2017-04-01

The precipitation rate(PR) and the total precipitable water(TPW) interact with various physical mechanisms. The correlation of two variables changes with difference of domain resolution and characteristics of the region. This poster analyzes the correlation between PR and TPW over East Asia using Cyclostationary Empirical Orthogonal Function(CSEOF) which is one of the PCA analysis. The CSEOF is useful to search a periodic pattern of the data. The anomalies which is subtracted climatological mean from the original data are used to represent annual cycles. Two variances of ERA-Interim Monthly Total Column Water vapor and GPCP monthly precipitation amounts with 372 time since January, 1984 to December, 2014 are decomposed into several modes separately. The first mode which explain largest variance are used in analysis. PC of both PR and TPW increase recently on mean value and amplitude, and they show considerable correlation on phase. The correlation coefficient of PR and TPW is 0.61 and maintains the same values by month. The result of harmonic analysis shows 2 to 6 year oscillations. As result of decomposed modes of two variables, there is the relationship between TPW PC series and horizontal moisture gradient. The Horizontal moist gradient can change affect moisture flux convergence which is one of important variable of rainfall events.

Integrating the Holocene tephrostratigraphy for East Asia using a high-resolution cryptotephra study from Lake Suigetsu (SG14 core), central Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLean, Danielle; Albert, Paul G.; Nakagawa, Takeshi; Suzuki, Takehiko; Staff, Richard A.; Yamada, Keitaro; Kitaba, Ikuko; Haraguchi, Tsuyoshi; Kitagawa, Junko; Smith, Victoria C.; SG14 Project Members

2018-03-01

Tephra (volcanic ash) layers have the potential to synchronise disparate palaeoenvironmental archives on regional to hemispheric scales. Highly productive arc regions, like those in East Asia, offer a considerable number of widespread isochrons, but before records can be confidently correlated using these layers, a refined and integrated framework of these eruptive events is required. Here we present the first high-resolution Holocene cryptotephra study in East Asia, using the Lake Suigetsu sedimentary archive in central Japan. The Holocene tephrostratigraphy has been extended from four to twenty ash layers using cryptotephra extraction techniques, which integrates the deposits from explosive eruptions from North Korea/China, South Korea and along the Japanese arc. This Lake Suigetsu tephrostratigraphy is now the most comprehensive record of East Asian volcanism, and the linchpin site for correlating sequences across this region. Major element glass geochemical compositions are presented for the tephra layers in the sequence, which have been compared to proximal datasets to correlate them to their volcanic source and specific eruptions. This study has significantly extended the ash dispersal of many key Holocene marker layers, and has identified the first distal occurrence of isochrons from Ulleungdo and Changbaishan volcanoes. Utilising the high-precision Lake Suigetsu chronology, we are able to provide constrained eruption ages for the tephra layers, which can be transferred into other site-specific age models containing these markers. This new framework indicates that several isochrons stratigraphically bracket abrupt climate intervals in Japan, and could be used to precisely assess the regional and hemispheric synchronicity of these events.

Asynchronous marine-terrestrial signals of the last deglacial warming in East Asia associated with low- and high-latitude climate changes.

PubMed

Xu, Deke; Lu, Houyuan; Wu, Naiqin; Liu, Zhenxia; Li, Tiegang; Shen, Caiming; Wang, Luo

2013-06-11

A high-resolution multiproxy record, including pollen, foraminifera, and alkenone paleothermometry, obtained from a single core (DG9603) from the Okinawa Trough, East China Sea (ECS), provided unambiguous evidence for asynchronous climate change between the land and ocean over the past 40 ka. On land, the deglacial stage was characterized by rapid warming, as reflected by paleovegetation, and it began ca. 15 kaBP, consistent with the timing of the last deglacial warming in Greenland. However, sea surface temperature estimates from foraminifera and alkenone paleothermometry increased around 20-19 kaBP, as in the Western Pacific Warm Pool (WPWP). Sea surface temperatures in the Okinawa Trough were influenced mainly by heat transport from the tropical western Pacific Ocean by the Kuroshio Current, but the epicontinental vegetation of the ECS was influenced by atmospheric circulation linked to the northern high-latitude climate. Asynchronous terrestrial and marine signals of the last deglacial warming in East Asia were thus clearly related to ocean currents and atmospheric circulation. We argue that (i) early warming seawater of the WPWP, driven by low-latitude insolation and trade winds, moved northward via the Kuroshio Current and triggered marine warming along the ECS around 20-19 kaBP similar to that in the WPWP, and (ii) an almost complete shutdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation ca. 18-15 kaBP was associated with cold Heinrich stadial-1 and delayed terrestrial warming during the last deglacial warming until ca. 15 kaBP at northern high latitudes, and hence in East Asia. Terrestrial deglacial warming therefore lagged behind marine changes by ca. 3-4 ka.

Asynchronous marine-terrestrial signals of the last deglacial warming in East Asia associated with low- and high-latitude climate changes

PubMed Central

Xu, Deke; Lu, Houyuan; Wu, Naiqin; Liu, Zhenxia; Li, Tiegang; Shen, Caiming; Wang, Luo

2013-01-01

A high-resolution multiproxy record, including pollen, foraminifera, and alkenone paleothermometry, obtained from a single core (DG9603) from the Okinawa Trough, East China Sea (ECS), provided unambiguous evidence for asynchronous climate change between the land and ocean over the past 40 ka. On land, the deglacial stage was characterized by rapid warming, as reflected by paleovegetation, and it began ca. 15 kaBP, consistent with the timing of the last deglacial warming in Greenland. However, sea surface temperature estimates from foraminifera and alkenone paleothermometry increased around 20–19 kaBP, as in the Western Pacific Warm Pool (WPWP). Sea surface temperatures in the Okinawa Trough were influenced mainly by heat transport from the tropical western Pacific Ocean by the Kuroshio Current, but the epicontinental vegetation of the ECS was influenced by atmospheric circulation linked to the northern high-latitude climate. Asynchronous terrestrial and marine signals of the last deglacial warming in East Asia were thus clearly related to ocean currents and atmospheric circulation. We argue that (i) early warming seawater of the WPWP, driven by low-latitude insolation and trade winds, moved northward via the Kuroshio Current and triggered marine warming along the ECS around 20–19 kaBP similar to that in the WPWP, and (ii) an almost complete shutdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation ca. 18–15 kaBP was associated with cold Heinrich stadial-1 and delayed terrestrial warming during the last deglacial warming until ca. 15 kaBP at northern high latitudes, and hence in East Asia. Terrestrial deglacial warming therefore lagged behind marine changes by ca. 3–4 ka. PMID:23720306

Characteristics of stratospheric ozone intrusions into the lower free troposphere in subtropical East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ou-Yang, C. F.; Lin, J. R.; Yen, M. C.; Sheu, G. R.; Wang, J. L.; Lin, N. H.

2017-12-01

Stratospheric intrusion (SI) is mainly induced by tropopause folds, frontal passages, cutoff lows, and surface pressure systems. Ozone can be increased rapidly by the SI with decreased humidity and other primary air pollutants in the lower free troposphere. We present 5 years of ozone observed at Lulin Atmospheric Background Station (LABS, 23.47°N, 120.87°E, 2862 m a.s.l.) as a representative regional mountain site located in subtropical East Asia from April 2006 to March 2011. A fast-screening algorithm was proposed to sift the SI events at the LABS. The ozone was increased approximately 13.5±6.1 ppb on average during the 54 detected SI events, whereas the mean ozone mixing ratio was calculated to be 32.8±15.2 ppb over the 5 years. Distinct seasonal variation of ozone was observed with a maximum in spring and a minimum in summer, which was predominately shaped by the long-range transport of biomass burning air masses from Southeast Asia and oceanic influences from the Pacific, respectively. By contrast, the SI events were observed at the LABS mainly during wintertime. The characteristics of the SI events were also investigated in association with Modern Era Retrospective Analysis - 2 (MERRA-2) assimilated data provided by NASA/GSFC in this study.

The Low FODMAP Diet and Its Application in East and Southeast Asia.

PubMed

Iacovou, Marina; Tan, Victoria; Muir, Jane G; Gibson, Peter R

2015-10-01

There is growing interest in using food choice/dietary change to influence clinical outcomes in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The low fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) diet is an evidence-based approach that is gaining popularity in many Western countries. The low FODMAP diet is based on restricting dietary intake of short chain carbohydrates that are slowly absorbed or indigestible and not absorbed during passage through the small intestine. These are collectively described as "FODMAPs" and comprise oligosaccharides (mostly fructans, galacto-oligosaccharides), sugar polyols, fructose in excess of glucose, and lactose in lactose malabsorbers. The general strategy of the diet is to avoid foods high in FODMAPs and replace them with foods low in FODMAPs, with long-term restriction limited to what is required to control symptoms. The likely mechanism of action is minimisation of the stimulation of mechanoreceptors exerted by distension of the intestinal lumen with water from osmotic effects and gases from bacterial fermentation in those with visceral hypersensitivity. The success of this dietary approach greatly depends on detailed knowledge about the FODMAP composition of food com - monly consumed in that country. While the content of foods associated with East and Southeast Asian cuisines has not been fully explored, major high FODMAP sources are frequently used and include onion, garlic, shallots, legumes/pulses, and wheat-based products. Thus, this dietary approach holds great promise in treating IBS patients in East and Southeast Asia. The aim of this review is to highlight how the diet is implemented, its efficacy, and troublesome ingredients frequently used in Asian dishes.

JPRS Report, Near East & South Asia.

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-02-01

Dec] 35 OMAN Increase in Electricity, Water Production Observed [AL-WATAN 3 Dec] 37 SAUDI ARABIA Official Discusses Continued Economic Growth...SYRIA Officials Express Concern at Environmental Pollution [AL-THA WRAH 25 Nov] 41 SOUTH ASIA AFGHANISTAN Afghan-Soviet Economic Cooperation...Region; Scientific Study Stresses: Strategic, Political, and Economic Motives Are Behind Endeavor"] [Text] There are reasons that motivate a major

Cloud fractions estimated from shipboard whole-sky camera and ceilometer observations between East Asia and Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuji, M.; Hagiwara, M.; Hori, M.; Shiobara, M.

2017-12-01

Shipboard observations on cloud fraction were carried out along the round research cruise between East Asia and Antarctica from November 2015 to Aril 2016 using a whole-sky camera and a ceilometer onboard Research Vessel (R/V) Shirase. We retrieved cloud fraction from the whole-sky camera based on the brightness and color of the images, while we estimated cloud fraction from the ceilometer as a cloud frequency of occurrence. As a result, the average cloud fractions over outward open ocean, sea ice region, and returning openocean were approximately 56% (60%), 44% (64%), and 67% (72%), respectively, with the whole-sky camera (ceilometer). The comparison of the daily-averaged cloud fractions from the whole-sky camera and the ceilometer, it is found that the correlation coefficient was 0.73 for the 129 match-up dataset between East Asia and Antarctica including sea ice region as well as open ocean. The results are qualitatively consistent between the two observations as a whole, but there exists some underestimation with the whole-sky camera compared to the ceilometer. One of the reasons is possibly that the imager is apt to dismiss an optically thinner clouds that can be detected by the ceilometer. On the other hand, the difference of their view angles between the imager and the ceilometer possibly affects the estimation. Therefore, it is necessary to elucidate the cloud properties with detailed match-up analyses in future. Another future task is to compare the cloud fractions with satellite observation such as MODIS cloud products. Shipboard observations in themselves are very valuable for the validation of products from satellite observation, because we do not necessarily have many validation sites over Southern Ocean and sea ice region in particular.

February 27, 2010 Chilean Tsunami in Pacific and its Arrival to North East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaytsev, Andrey; Pelinovsky, EfiM.; Yalciner, Ahmet C.; Ozer, Ceren; Chernov, Anton; Kostenko, Irina; Shevchenko, Georgy

2010-05-01

The outskirts of the fault plane broken by the strong earthquake on February 27, 2010 in Chili with a magnitude 8.8 at the 35km depth of 35.909°S, 72.733°W coordinates generated a moderate size tsunami. The initial amplitude of the tsunami source is not so high because of the major area of the plane was at land. The tsunami waves propagated far distances in South and North directions to East Asia and Wet America coasts. The waves are also recorded by several gauges in Pacific during its propagation and arrival to coastal areas. The recorded and observed amplitudes of tsunami waves are important for the potential effects with the threatening amplitudes. The event also showed that a moderate size tsunami can be effective even if it propagates far distances in any ocean or a marginal sea. The far east coasts of Russia at North East Asia (Sakhalin, Kuriles, Kamchatka) are one of the important source (i.e. November 15, 2006, Kuril Island Tsunami) and target (i.e. February, 27, 2010 Chilean tsunami) areas of the Pacific tsunamis. Many efforts have been spent for establishment of the monitoring system and assessment of tsunamis and development of the mitigation strategies against tsunamis and other hazards in the region. Development of the computer technologies provided the advances in data collection, transfer, and processing. Furthermore it also contributed new developments in computational tools and made the computer modeling to be an efficient tool in tsunami warning systems. In this study the tsunami numerical model NAMI DANCE Nested version is used. NAMI-DANCE solves Nonlinear form of Long Wave (Shallow water) equations (with or without dispersion) using finite difference model in nested grid domains from the source to target areas in multiprocessor hardware environment. It is applied to 2010 Chilean tsunami and its propagation and coastal behavior at far distances near Sakhalin, Kuril and Kamchatka coasts. The main tide gauge records used in this study are from

Modeling East Asian Dust and Its Radiative Feedbacks in CAM4-BAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Xiaoning; Liu, Xiaodong; Che, Huizheng; Xie, Xiaoxun; Wang, Hongli; Li, Jiandong; Shi, Zhengguo; Liu, Yangang

2018-01-01

East Asian dust and its radiative feedbacks are analyzed by the use of the fourth version of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM4) with a bulk aerosol model parameterization (BAM) for the dust size distribution (CAM4-BAM). Two numerical experiments are conducted and intercompared: one with (Active) and one without (Passive) the radiative effects of dust aerosols. This CAM4-BAM captures the main spatial distribution of the dust aerosol optical depth (AOD) and the dust surface concentrations over East Asia, with positive correlations with the local observational data on annual and seasonal means. A comparative analysis of the Active and Passive experiments reveals that consideration of the dust-radiation interaction can significantly reduce dust emissions, loading, transport, and dry and wet depositions over East Asia, which is opposite to the enhanced dust cycle over North Africa. Further analysis of the contrasting dust-radiation feedbacks between North Africa and East Asia shows that over North Africa, the dust radiative forcing significantly increases the surface temperature and 10 m wind speed, whereas it decreases the surface temperature and the surface wind speeds over East Asia. These contrasting radiative effects, in turn, result in distinct dust cycle changes over these two regions. Mechanistic analysis reveals that the radiative contrasts between East Asia and North Africa are mainly due to the differences in their regional surface albedo, dust vertical distribution, and size distribution.

Field-evolved resistance to imidacloprid and ethiprole in populations of brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens collected from across South and East Asia.

PubMed

Garrood, William T; Zimmer, Christoph T; Gorman, Kevin J; Nauen, Ralf; Bass, Chris; Davies, Thomas G E

2016-01-01

We report on the status of imidacloprid and ethiprole resistance in Nilaparvata lugens Stål collected from across South and East Asia over the period 2005-2012. A resistance survey found that field populations had developed up to 220-fold resistance to imidacloprid and 223-fold resistance to ethiprole, and that many of the strains collected showed high levels of resistance to both insecticides. We also found that the cytochrome P450 CYP6ER1 was significantly overexpressed in 12 imidacloprid-resistant populations tested when compared with a laboratory susceptible strain, with fold changes ranging from ten- to 90-fold. In contrast, another cytochrome P450 CYP6AY1, also implicated in imidacloprid resistance, was underexpressed in ten of the populations and only significantly overexpressed (3.5-fold) in a single population from India compared with the same susceptible strain. Further selection of two of the imidacloprid-resistant field strains correlated with an approximate threefold increase in expression of CYP6ER1. We conclude that overexpression of CYP6ER1 is associated with field-evolved resistance to imidacloprid in brown planthopper populations in five countries in South and East Asia. © 2015 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Symposium on understanding and influencing consumer food behaviours for health: executive summary report.

PubMed

Amarra, Ma Sofia V; Yee, Yeong Boon; Drewnowski, Adam

2008-01-01

Food consumption patterns in Asia are rapidly changing. Urbanization and changing lifestyles have diminished the consumption of traditional meals based on cereals, vegetables and root crops. These changes are accompa-nied by an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases among Asian populations. ILSI Southeast Asia and CSIRO, Australia jointly organized the Symposium on Understanding and Influencing Food Behaviours for Health, focusing on the use of consumer science to improve food behaviour. The goals of the Symposium were to present an understanding of Asian consumers and their food choices, examine the use of consumer research to modify food choices towards better health, illustrate how health programs and food regulations can be utilized effectively to promote healthier choices, and identify knowledge gaps regarding the promotion of healthy food behaviour in Asian populations. There is no difference in taste perception among Asians, and Asian preference for certain tastes is determined by exposure and familiarity largely dictated by culture and its underlying values and beliefs. Cross-cultural validity of consumer science theories and tools derived from western populations need to be tested in Asia. Information on consumption levels and substitution behaviours for foods and food products, obtained using consumer research methods, can guide the development of food regulations and programs that will enable individuals to make healthier choices. Existing knowledge gaps include consumer research techniques appropriate for use in Asian settings, diet-health relationships from consumption of traditional Asian diets, and methods to address the increasing prevalence of over- and undernutrition within the same households in Asia.

Model development of dust emission and heterogeneous chemistry within the Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system and its application over East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, X.; Fu, J. S.; Huang, K.; Tong, D.

2015-12-01

The Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model has been further developed in terms of simulating natural wind-blown dust in this study, with a series of modifications aimed at improving the model's capability to predict the emission, transport, and chemical reactions of dust aerosols. The default parameterization of threshold friction velocity constants in the CMAQ are revised to avoid double counting of the impact of soil moisture based on the re-analysis of field experiment data; source-dependent speciation profiles for dust emission are derived based on local measurements for the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts in East Asia; and dust heterogeneous chemistry is implemented to simulate the reactions involving dust aerosol. The improved dust module in the CMAQ was applied over East Asia for March and April from 2006 to 2010. Evaluation against observations has demonstrated that simulation bias of PM10 and aerosol optical depth (AOD) is reduced from -55.42 and -31.97 % in the original CMAQ to -16.05 and -22.1 % in the revised CMAQ, respectively. Comparison with observations at the nearby Gobi stations of Duolun and Yulin indicates that applying a source-dependent profile helps reduce simulation bias for trace metals. Implementing heterogeneous chemistry is also found to result in better agreement with observations for sulfur dioxide (SO2), sulfate (SO42-), nitric acid (HNO3), nitrous oxides (NOx), and nitrate (NO3-). Investigation of a severe dust storm episode from 19 to 21 March 2010 suggests that the revised CMAQ is capable of capturing the spatial distribution and temporal variations of dust aerosols. Model evaluation indicates potential uncertainties within the excessive soil moisture fraction used by meteorological simulation. The mass contribution of fine mode aerosol in dust emission may be underestimated by 50 %. The revised revised CMAQ provides a useful tool for future studies to investigate the emission, transport, and impact of wind-blown dust over East

A panel of 74 AISNPs: Improved ancestry inference within Eastern Asia.

PubMed

Li, Cai-Xia; Pakstis, Andrew J; Jiang, Li; Wei, Yi-Liang; Sun, Qi-Fan; Wu, Hong; Bulbul, Ozlem; Wang, Ping; Kang, Long-Li; Kidd, Judith R; Kidd, Kenneth K

2016-07-01

Many ancestry informative SNP (AISNP) panels have been published. Ancestry resolution in them varies from three to eight continental clusters of populations depending on the panel used. However, none of these panels differentiates well among East Asian populations. To meet this need, we have developed a 74 AISNP panel after analyzing a much larger number of SNPs for Fst and allele frequency differences between two geographically close population groups within East Asia. The 74 AISNP panel can now distinguish at least 10 biogeographic groups of populations globally: Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, Europe, Southwest Asia, South Asia, North Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Pacific and Americas. Compared with our previous 55-AISNP panel, Southeast Asia and North Asia are two newly assignable clusters. For individual ancestry assignment, the likelihood ratio and ancestry components were analyzed on a different set of 500 test individuals from 11 populations. All individuals from five of the test populations - Yoruba (YRI), European (CEU), Han Chinese in Henan (CHNH), Rondonian Surui (SUR) and Ticuna (TIC) - were assigned to their appropriate geographical regions unambiguously. For the other test populations, most of the individuals were assigned to their self-identified geographical regions with a certain degree of overlap with adjacent populations. These alternative ancestry components for each individual thus help give a clearer picture of the possible group origins of the individual. We have demonstrated that the new AISNP panel can achieve a deeper resolution of global ancestry. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantitative bedrock geology of east and Southeast Asia (Brunei, Cambodia, eastern and southeastern China, East Timor, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, North Korea, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, far-eastern Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peucker-Ehrenbrink, Bernhard; Miller, Mark W.

2004-01-01

We quantitatively analyze the area-age distribution of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic bedrock based on data from the most recent digital geologic maps of East and Southeast Asia (Coordinating Committee for Coastal and Offshore Geosciences Programmes in East and Southeast Asia (CCOP) and the Geologic Survey of Japan, 1997; 1:2,000,000), published as Digital Geoscience Map G-2 by the Geological Survey of Japan. Sedimentary rocks, volcanic rocks, plutonic rocks, ultramafic rocks and metamorphic rocks cover 73.3%, 8.5%, 8.8%, 0.9%, and 8.6% of the surface area, respectively. The average ages of major lithologic units, weighted according to bedrock area, are as follows: sedimentary rocks (average stratigraphic age of 123 Myr/median age of 26 Myr), volcanic rocks (84 Myr/20 Myr), intrusive rocks (278 Myr/195 Myr), ultramafic rocks (unknown) and metamorphic rocks (1465 Myr/1118 Myr). The variability in lithologic composition and age structure of individual countries reflects the complex tectonic makeup of this region that ranges from Precambrian cratons (e.g., northeast China and North Korea) to Mesozoic-Cenozoic active margins (e.g., Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia and New Guinea). The spatial resolution of the data varies from 44 km2 per polygon (Japan) to 1659 km2 per polygon (Taiwan) and is, on average (490 km2/polygon), similar to our previous analyses of the United States of America and Canada. The temporal and spatial resolution is sufficiently high to perform age-area analyses of individual river basins larger than ˜10,000 km2 and to quantitatively evaluate the relationship between bedrock geology and river chemistry. As many rivers draining tropical, mountainous islands of East and Southeast Asia have a disproportionate effect on the dissolved and particulate load delivered to the world oceans, bedrock geology in such river drainage basins disproportionately affect ocean chemistry.

Observations and lessons learnt from more than a decade of water safety planning in South-East Asia.

PubMed

Sutherland, David

2017-09-01

In many countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region, drinking water is not used directly from the tap and faecal contamination of water sources is prevalent. As reflected in Sustainable Development Goal 6, access to safer drinking water is one of the most successful ways of preventing disease. The WHO Water Safety Framework promotes the use of water safety plans (WSPs), which are structured tools that help identify and mitigate potential risks throughout a water-supply system, from the water source to the point of use. WSPs not only help prevent outbreaks of acute and chronic waterborne diseases but also improve water-supply management and performance. During the past 12 years, through the direct and indirect work of a water quality partnership supported by the Australian Government, more than 5000 urban and rural WSPs have been implemented in the region. An impact assessment based on pre- and post-WSP surveys suggests that WSPs have improved system operations and management, infrastructure and performance; leveraged donor funds; increased stakeholder communication and collaboration; increased testing of water quality; and increased monitoring of consumer satisfaction. These achievements, and their sustainability, are being achieved through national legislation and regulatory frameworks for water supply, including quality standards for drinking water; national training tools and extensive training of sector professionals and creation of WSP experts; model WSPs; WSP auditing systems; and the institution of longterm training and support. More than a decade of water safety planning using the WSP approach has shown that supplying safe drinking water at the tap throughout the WHO South-East Asia Region is a realistic goal.

Radio Spectrum Management in the Asia-Pacific Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tzioumis, T.

2004-06-01

The Asia-Pacific region comprises countries in ITU-R Region 3 from South and East Asia, Oceania and the Pacific islands, while excluding the Americas. Organizations in the Asia- Pacific region face special challenges in coping with the very diverse cultures and languages of the different nations. Telecommunications in each country are usually administered by a single National Communications Administration. These administrations participate in a number of regional umbrella organizations which promote cooperation in the development of communications in the Asia-Pacific. Those with relevance to radio astronomy are briefly oulined in this paper.

Drivers for animal welfare policies in Asia, the Far East and Oceania.

PubMed

Murray, G; Ashley, K; Kolesar, R

2014-04-01

The complex and diverse nature of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) region for Asia, the Far East and Oceania presents both challenges and opportunities in implementing improved approaches to animal welfare. Drivers for improvements include social values, culture, religion, political interest, trade, an increasing global awareness of animal welfare issues, an increasing demand for meat and dairy products, the interest of non-governmental organisations, and the mandate given to the OIE to develop science-based standards for animal welfare. The outcomes-based OIE standards can be amended in the light of new scientific knowledge and implemented by countries in a manner best suited to meet their needs. A number of regional initiatives are described, including a regional strategy, examples of national activities, projects run by the OIE Collaborating Centre for Animal Welfare Science and Bioethical Analysis, and trade measures. Although the overall outlook for improvements in the region looks promising, implementation of standards over the longer-term will require ongoing political commitment, resources and cultural change to ensure sustained improvements.

Preliminary Bibliography on South Asia for Undergraduate Libraries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hay, Stephen N.; And Others

This classified bibliography on South Asia and similar bibliographies on Africa south of the Sahara (LI 000 882) and East Asia (LI 000 881) have been compiled under the first phase of a three-year cooperative project to strengthen bibliographical resources for undergraduate libraries on "neglected" foreign areas. The bibliography in its…

Association between body mass index and cardiovascular disease mortality in east Asians and south Asians: pooled analysis of prospective data from the Asia Cohort Consortium.

PubMed

Chen, Yu; Copeland, Wade K; Vedanthan, Rajesh; Grant, Eric; Lee, Jung Eun; Gu, Dongfeng; Gupta, Prakash C; Ramadas, Kunnambath; Inoue, Manami; Tsugane, Shoichiro; Tamakoshi, Akiko; Gao, Yu-Tang; Yuan, Jian-Min; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Ozasa, Kotaro; Tsuji, Ichiro; Kakizaki, Masako; Tanaka, Hideo; Nishino, Yoshikazu; Chen, Chien-Jen; Wang, Renwei; Yoo, Keun-Young; Ahn, Yoon-Ok; Ahsan, Habibul; Pan, Wen-Harn; Chen, Chung-Shiuan; Pednekar, Mangesh S; Sauvaget, Catherine; Sasazuki, Shizuka; Yang, Gong; Koh, Woon-Puay; Xiang, Yong-Bing; Ohishi, Waka; Watanabe, Takashi; Sugawara, Yumi; Matsuo, Keitaro; You, San-Lin; Park, Sue K; Kim, Dong-Hyun; Parvez, Faruque; Chuang, Shao-Yuan; Ge, Wenzhen; Rolland, Betsy; McLerran, Dale; Sinha, Rashmi; Thornquist, Mark; Kang, Daehee; Feng, Ziding; Boffetta, Paolo; Zheng, Wei; He, Jiang; Potter, John D

2013-10-01

To evaluate the association between body mass index and mortality from overall cardiovascular disease and specific subtypes of cardiovascular disease in east and south Asians. Pooled analyses of 20 prospective cohorts in Asia, including data from 835,082 east Asians and 289,815 south Asians. Cohorts were identified through a systematic search of the literature in early 2008, followed by a survey that was sent to each cohort to assess data availability. General populations in east Asia (China, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, and Korea) and south Asia (India and Bangladesh). 1,124,897 men and women (mean age 53.4 years at baseline). Risk of death from overall cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, and (in east Asians only) stroke subtypes. 49,184 cardiovascular deaths (40,791 in east Asians and 8393 in south Asians) were identified during a mean follow-up of 9.7 years. East Asians with a body mass index of 25 or above had a raised risk of death from overall cardiovascular disease, compared with the reference range of body mass index (values 22.5-24.9; hazard ratio 1.09 (95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.15), 1.27 (1.20 to 1.35), 1.59 (1.43 to 1.76), 1.74 (1.47 to 2.06), and 1.97 (1.44 to 2.71) for body mass index ranges 25.0-27.4, 27.5-29.9, 30.0-32.4, 32.5-34.9, and 35.0-50.0, respectively). This association was similar for risk of death from coronary heart disease and ischaemic stroke; for haemorrhagic stroke, the risk of death was higher at body mass index values of 27.5 and above. Elevated risk of death from cardiovascular disease was also observed at lower categories of body mass index (hazard ratio 1.19 (95% confidence interval 1.02 to 1.39) and 2.16 (1.37 to 3.40) for body mass index ranges 15.0-17.4 and <15.0, respectively), compared with the reference range. In south Asians, the association between body mass index and mortality from cardiovascular disease was less pronounced than that in east Asians. South Asians had an increased risk of death

Association between body mass index and cardiovascular disease mortality in east Asians and south Asians: pooled analysis of prospective data from the Asia Cohort Consortium

PubMed Central

Copeland, Wade K; Vedanthan, Rajesh; Grant, Eric; Lee, Jung Eun; Gu, Dongfeng; Gupta, Prakash C; Ramadas, Kunnambath; Inoue, Manami; Tsugane, Shoichiro; Tamakoshi, Akiko; Gao, Yu-Tang; Yuan, Jian-Min; Shu, Xiao-Ou; Ozasa, Kotaro; Tsuji, Ichiro; Kakizaki, Masako; Tanaka, Hideo; Nishino, Yoshikazu; Wang, Renwei; Yoo, Keun-Young; Ahn, Yoon-Ok; Ahsan, Habibul; Pan, Wen-Harn; Pednekar, Mangesh S; Sauvaget, Catherine; Sasazuki, Shizuka; Yang, Gong; Koh, Woon-Puay; Xiang, Yong-Bing; Ohishi, Waka; Watanabe, Takashi; Sugawara, Yumi; Matsuo, Keitaro; You, San-Lin; Park, Sue K; Kim, Dong-Hyun; Parvez, Faruque; Chuang, Shao-Yuan; Ge, Wenzhen; Rolland, Betsy; McLerran, Dale; Sinha, Rashmi; Thornquist, Mark; Kang, Daehee; Feng, Ziding; Boffetta, Paolo; Zheng, Wei

2013-01-01

Objective To evaluate the association between body mass index and mortality from overall cardiovascular disease and specific subtypes of cardiovascular disease in east and south Asians. Design Pooled analyses of 20 prospective cohorts in Asia, including data from 835 082 east Asians and 289 815 south Asians. Cohorts were identified through a systematic search of the literature in early 2008, followed by a survey that was sent to each cohort to assess data availability. Setting General populations in east Asia (China, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, and Korea) and south Asia (India and Bangladesh). Participants 1 124 897 men and women (mean age 53.4 years at baseline). Main outcome measures Risk of death from overall cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, and (in east Asians only) stroke subtypes. Results 49 184 cardiovascular deaths (40 791 in east Asians and 8393 in south Asians) were identified during a mean follow-up of 9.7 years. East Asians with a body mass index of 25 or above had a raised risk of death from overall cardiovascular disease, compared with the reference range of body mass index (values 22.5-24.9; hazard ratio 1.09 (95% confidence interval 1.03 to 1.15), 1.27 (1.20 to 1.35), 1.59 (1.43 to 1.76), 1.74 (1.47 to 2.06), and 1.97 (1.44 to 2.71) for body mass index ranges 25.0-27.4, 27.5-29.9, 30.0-32.4, 32.5-34.9, and 35.0-50.0, respectively). This association was similar for risk of death from coronary heart disease and ischaemic stroke; for haemorrhagic stroke, the risk of death was higher at body mass index values of 27.5 and above. Elevated risk of death from cardiovascular disease was also observed at lower categories of body mass index (hazard ratio 1.19 (95% confidence interval 1.02 to 1.39) and 2.16 (1.37 to 3.40) for body mass index ranges 15.0-17.4 and <15.0, respectively), compared with the reference range. In south Asians, the association between body mass index and mortality from cardiovascular disease was less

JPRS Report, Near East & South Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-20

AL-SIYASAH 19 Jan] 45 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Iran-EEC Dispute May Affect Dubayy Trading [GULF NEWS 22 Fcb] 46 SOUTH ASIA INDIA Gandhi Meets...Newsmen, Discusses Election Plans [THE STATESMAN 23 Fcb] 48 Gandhi Addresses Scheduled Tribes Meeting [THE TIMES OF INDIA 26 Fcb] 48 Congress Seeks...Contacts With Foreign Political Parties [PATRIOT 27 Fcb] 49 India Reported Making Overtures Toward Saudi Arabia [THE HINDU 13 Fcb] 50 Reports on

Drinking water vulnerability to climate change and alternatives for adaptation in coastal South and South East Asia.

PubMed

Hoque, M A; Scheelbeek, P F D; Vineis, P; Khan, A E; Ahmed, K M; Butler, A P

Drinking water in much of Asia, particularly in coastal and rural settings, is provided by a variety of sources, which are widely distributed and frequently managed at an individual or local community level. Coastal and near-inland drinking water sources in South and South East (SSE) Asia are vulnerable to contamination by seawater, most dramatically from tropical cyclone induced storm surges. This paper assesses spatial vulnerabilities to salinisation of drinking water sources due to meteorological variability and climate change along the (ca. 6000 km) coastline of SSE Asia. The risks of increasing climatic stresses are first considered, and then maps of relative vulnerability along the entire coastline are developed, using data from global scale land surface models, along with an overall vulnerability index. The results show that surface and near-surface drinking water in the coastal areas of the mega-deltas in Vietnam and Bangladesh-India are most vulnerable, putting more than 25 million people at risk of drinking 'saline' water. Climate change is likely to exacerbate this problem, with adverse consequences for health, such as prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. There is a need for identifying locations that are most at risk of salinisation in order for policy makers and local officials to implement strategies for reducing these health impacts. To counter the risks associated with these vulnerabilities, possible adaptation measures are also outlined. We conclude that detailed and fine scale vulnerability assessments may become crucial for planning targeted adaptation programmes along these coasts.

Cross-Border Higher Education for Regional Integration:Analysis of the JICA-RI Survey on Leading Universities in East Asia. JICA-RI Working Paper. No. 26

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuroda, Kazuo; Yuki, Takako; Kang, Kyuwon

2010-01-01

Set against the backdrop of increasing economic interdependence in East Asia, the idea of regional integration is now being discussed as a long-term political process in the region. As in the field of the international economy, de facto integration and interdependence exist with respect to the internationalization of the higher education system…

Atmospheric Circulation Patterns over East Asia and Their Connection with Summer Precipitation and Surface Air Temperature in Eastern China during 1961-2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shuping; Hou, Wei; Feng, Guolin

2018-04-01

Based on the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data and Chinese observational data during 1961-2013, atmospheric circulation patterns over East Asia in summer and their connection with precipitation and surface air temperature in eastern China as well as associated external forcing are investigated. Three patterns of the atmospheric circulation are identified, all with quasi-barotropic structures: (1) the East Asia/Pacific (EAP) pattern, (2) the Baikal Lake/Okhotsk Sea (BLOS) pattern, and (3) the eastern China/northern Okhotsk Sea (ECNOS) pattern. The positive EAP pattern significantly increases precipitation over the Yangtze River valley and favors cooling north of the Yangtze River and warming south of the Yangtze River in summer. The warm sea surface temperature anomalies over the tropical Indian Ocean suppress convection over the northwestern subtropical Pacific through the Ekman divergence induced by a Kelvin wave and excite the EAP pattern. The positive BLOS pattern is associated with below-average precipitation south of the Yangtze River and robust cooling over northeastern China. This pattern is triggered by anomalous spring sea ice concentration in the northern Barents Sea. The anomalous sea ice concentration contributes to a Rossby wave activity flux originating from the Greenland Sea, which propagates eastward to North Pacific. The positive ECNOS pattern leads to below-average precipitation and significant warming over northeastern China in summer. The reduced soil moisture associated with the earlier spring snowmelt enhances surface warming over Mongolia and northeastern China and the later spring snowmelt leads to surface cooling over Far East in summer, both of which are responsible for the formation of the ECNOS pattern.

Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies Annual Report 2010

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

focused symposium in the Maldives on combating terrorism involving officials from five South Asia nations; • A series of discussion periods in China on U.S...priorities and best practices among high-level security officials from the Republic of the Philippines, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Mongolia; • A...international security featured as prominently in 2010 in so wide a range of security-related discussions: whether traditional security ( sinking of the

Central Asia: Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-18

Representatives, Committee on International Relations, Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia, Assessing Energy and Security Issues in Central Asia...Akiner, Violence in Andijon, 13 May 2005: An Independent Assessment , Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, July 2005; AbduMannob Polat, Reassessing Andijan...observers warn that Islamic extremism could increase dramatically in the region, others discount the risk that the existing secular governments soon

Enhancement of seasonal prediction of East Asian summer rainfall related to the western tropical Pacific convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, D. Y.; Ahn, J. B.; Yoo, J. H.

2014-12-01

The prediction skills of climate model simulations in the western tropical Pacific (WTP) and East Asian region are assessed using the retrospective forecasts of seven state-of-the-art coupled models and their multi-model ensemble (MME) for boreal summers (June-August) during the period 1983-2005, along with corresponding observed and reanalyzed data. The prediction of summer rainfall anomalies in East Asia is difficult, while the WTP has a strong correlation between model prediction and observation. We focus on developing a new approach to further enhance the seasonal prediction skill for summer rainfall in East Asia and investigate the influence of convective activity in the WTP on East Asian summer rainfall. By analyzing the characteristics of the WTP convection, two distinct patterns associated with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) developing and decaying modes are identified. Based on the multiple linear regression method, the East Asia Rainfall Index (EARI) is developed by using the interannual variability of the normalized Maritime continent-WTP indices (MPIs), as potentially useful predictors for rainfall prediction over East Asia, obtained from the above two main patterns. For East Asian summer rainfall, the EARI has superior performance to the East Asia summer monsoon index (EASMI) or each MP index (MPI). Therefore, the regressed rainfall from EARI also shows a strong relationship with the observed East Asian summer rainfall pattern. In addition, we evaluate the prediction skill of the East Asia reconstructed rainfall obtained by statistical-empirical approach using the cross-validated EARI from the individual models and their MME. The results show that the rainfalls reconstructed from simulations capture the general features of observed precipitation in East Asia quite well. This study convincingly demonstrates that rainfall prediction skill is considerably improved by using the statistical-empirical method compared to the dynamical models

Report of the International Symposium on Phytochemicals in Medicine and Food (ISPMF 2015).

PubMed

Xiao, Jianbo

2016-08-01

The International Symposium on Phytochemicals in Medicine and Food (ISPMF2015) was held June 26-29, 2015, in Shanghai, China. This is the first time that a PSE meeting has been held in Asia and a PSE-PSA joint symposium provided an opportunity for communication between scientists from European and Asian countries. More than 270 scientists from 48 countries attended this meeting. ISPMF2015 assembled an exciting and diverse programme with 16 sessions, consisting of 12 plenary lectures, 20 invited talks, 55 short oral presentations, and in excess of 130 posters, dedicated to creating a podium for exchanging the latest research results on phytochemicals for food and human health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling East Asian Dust and Its Radiative Feedbacks in CAM4-BAM

DOE PAGES

Xie, Xiaoning; Liu, Xiaodong; Che, Huizheng; ...

2018-01-18

East Asian dust and its radiative feedbacks are analyzed by the use of the fourth version of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM4) with a bulk aerosol model parameterization (BAM) for the dust size distribution (CAM4-BAM). Two numerical experiments are conducted and intercompared: one with (Active) and one without (Passive) the radiative effects of dust aerosols. This CAM4-BAM captures the main spatial distribution of the dust aerosol optical depth (AOD) and the dust surface concentrations over East Asia, with positive correlations with the local observational data on annual and seasonal means. A comparative analysis of the Active and Passive experiments revealsmore » that consideration of the dust-radiation interaction can significantly reduce dust emissions, loading, transport, and dry and wet depositions over East Asia, which is opposite to the enhanced dust cycle over North Africa. Further analysis of the contrasting dust-radiation feedbacks between North Africa and East Asia shows that over North Africa, the dust radiative forcing significantly increases the surface temperature and 10-m wind speed, whereas it decreases the surface temperature and the surface wind speeds over East Asia. These contrasting radiative effects, in turn, result in distinct dust cycle changes over these two regions. Thus, mechanistic analysis reveals that the radiative contrasts between East Asia and North Africa are mainly due to the differences in their regional surface albedo, dust vertical distribution and size distribution.« less

Modeling East Asian Dust and Its Radiative Feedbacks in CAM4-BAM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xie, Xiaoning; Liu, Xiaodong; Che, Huizheng

East Asian dust and its radiative feedbacks are analyzed by the use of the fourth version of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM4) with a bulk aerosol model parameterization (BAM) for the dust size distribution (CAM4-BAM). Two numerical experiments are conducted and intercompared: one with (Active) and one without (Passive) the radiative effects of dust aerosols. This CAM4-BAM captures the main spatial distribution of the dust aerosol optical depth (AOD) and the dust surface concentrations over East Asia, with positive correlations with the local observational data on annual and seasonal means. A comparative analysis of the Active and Passive experiments revealsmore » that consideration of the dust-radiation interaction can significantly reduce dust emissions, loading, transport, and dry and wet depositions over East Asia, which is opposite to the enhanced dust cycle over North Africa. Further analysis of the contrasting dust-radiation feedbacks between North Africa and East Asia shows that over North Africa, the dust radiative forcing significantly increases the surface temperature and 10-m wind speed, whereas it decreases the surface temperature and the surface wind speeds over East Asia. These contrasting radiative effects, in turn, result in distinct dust cycle changes over these two regions. Thus, mechanistic analysis reveals that the radiative contrasts between East Asia and North Africa are mainly due to the differences in their regional surface albedo, dust vertical distribution and size distribution.« less

Changes of the transitional climate zone in East Asia: past and future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lin; Chen, Wen; Huang, Gang; Zeng, Gang

2017-08-01

The transitional climate zone (TCZ) between humid and arid regions in East Asia is characterized by sharp climate and biome gradients, interaction between the East Asian summer monsoon and the mid-latitude westerly winds and mixed agriculture-pasture activities. Consequently, it is highly vulnerable to natural disturbances and particularly human-driven global change. This study aims to illuminate the spatial and temporal variation of TCZ across both the retrospective and the prospective periods. In the historical period, both the front and rear edges of TCZ exhibit wide year-to-year excursions and have experienced coastward migration with increasing aridity throughout TCZ. Furthermore, precipitation fluctuation mainly contributes to interannual variability of TCZ whereas potential evaporation behavior dominates the long-term trends of TCZ. Models are capable of largely reproducing the shape and orientation of TCZ, although northwestward bias is apparent. In global warming scenario period, there will be continuing southeastward displacement for the front edge but the opposite northwestward movement is projected for the rear one, as a consequence of significant drying trends in the humid zone together with regime shifts towards humid conditions in the arid zone. Despite expanded TCZ sector, however, the available water resources inside it suffer little magnitude changes without preferential tendency towards either drier or wetter conditions, implying neither deleterious nor beneficial effects on the TCZ environment. Moreover, interannual variability of TCZ is expected to become stronger, resulting in more frequent occurrences of extreme swings. Finally, it is noted that uncertainty arising from climate models dominates in the TCZ than dispersed emission scenarios, in contrast to the situation in humid and arid zones.

The Low FODMAP Diet and Its Application in East and Southeast Asia

PubMed Central

Iacovou, Marina; Tan, Victoria; Muir, Jane G; Gibson, Peter R

2015-01-01

There is growing interest in using food choice/dietary change to influence clinical outcomes in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The low fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) diet is an evidence-based approach that is gaining popularity in many Western countries. The low FODMAP diet is based on restricting dietary intake of short chain carbohydrates that are slowly absorbed or indigestible and not absorbed during passage through the small intestine. These are collectively described as “FODMAPs” and comprise oligosaccharides (mostly fructans, galacto-oligosaccharides), sugar polyols, fructose in excess of glucose, and lactose in lactose malabsorbers. The general strategy of the diet is to avoid foods high in FODMAPs and replace them with foods low in FODMAPs, with long-term restriction limited to what is required to control symptoms. The likely mechanism of action is minimisation of the stimulation of mechanoreceptors exerted by distension of the intestinal lumen with water from osmotic effects and gases from bacterial fermentation in those with visceral hypersensitivity. The success of this dietary approach greatly depends on detailed knowledge about the FODMAP composition of food commonly consumed in that country. While the content of foods associated with East and Southeast Asian cuisines has not been fully explored, major high FODMAP sources are frequently used and include onion, garlic, shallots, legumes/pulses, and wheat-based products. Thus, this dietary approach holds great promise in treating IBS patients in East and Southeast Asia. The aim of this review is to highlight how the diet is implemented, its efficacy, and troublesome ingredients frequently used in Asian dishes. PMID:26350937

JPRS Report. Near East & South Asia.

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-11-02

Discussed [YEDI’OT AHARONOT17 Sep] 7 Economic Forecasts for New Year Given [MA’ARJV(Business Supplement) 18 Sep] 9 SOUTH ASIA INDIA Report...November Polls [THE TIMES OF INDIA 20 Sep] 18 Reservation Policy Seen Creating Discord, Divisions [ANANDA BAZAR PATRIKA 18 Aug] 18 Congress-BJP...8217Unrealistic’ [THE HINDU 20 Sep] 28 Officials Predict Record Foodgrain Production [THE TIMES OF INDIA 14 Sep] 29 Commentary Questions State

JPRS Report, Near East & South Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-10

would have to be considered were whether there would continue to be cinema showings and other public entertainment pro- grammes on Shabbat and...return for Iran’s purchase of Malaysian palm oil. Besides cooperation in scientific researches, it was also agreed to set up a direct shipping line...Musavi’s message to his Malaysian counterpart, Mahathir Muhammad. JPRS-NEA-89-029 10 April 1989 61 SOUTH ASIA State-Owned Companies Incur Losses

JPRS Report, Near East & South Asia.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-17

THAWRAH, 1 Feb 88] 37 Scientific Cooperation Agreement Signed With Bulgaria [AL-THAWRAH, 31 Jan 88] 38 SOUTH ASIA INDIA Urdu Papers Reject...Alternatives to Congress (I) [JANSATTA, 6 Jan 88] 40 Commentary Examines Opposition to Congress(I) [JANSATTA, 8 Jan 88] 41 IRAN Khomeyni’s Decree Said...To Pave Way for Dictatorship [London KEYHAN, 28 Jan 88] 42 PAKISTAN Political Parties’ Stance on Idea of Federation Examined 43 Report Questions

Archaeological Soybean (Glycine max) in East Asia: Does Size Matter?

PubMed Central

Lee, Gyoung-Ah; Crawford, Gary W.; Liu, Li; Sasaki, Yuka; Chen, Xuexiang

2011-01-01

The recently acquired archaeological record for soybean from Japan, China and Korea is shedding light on the context in which this important economic plant became associated with people and was domesticated. This paper examines archaeological (charred) soybean seed size variation to determine what insight can be gained from a comprehensive comparison of 949 specimens from 22 sites. Seed length alone appears to represent seed size change through time, although the length×width×thickness product has the potential to provide better size change resolution. A widespread early association of small seeded soybean is as old as 9000–8600 cal BP in northern China and 7000 cal BP in Japan. Direct AMS radiocarbon dates on charred soybean seeds indicate selection resulted in large seed sizes in Japan by 5000 cal BP (Middle Jomon) and in Korea by 3000 cal BP (Early Mumun). Soybean seeds recovered in China from the Shang through Han periods are similar in length to the large Korean and Japanese specimens, but the overall size of the large Middle and Late Jomon, Early Mumun through Three Kingdom seeds is significantly larger than any of the Chinese specimens. The archaeological record appears to disconfirm the hypothesis of a single domestication of soybean and supports the view informed by recent phyologenetic research that soybean was domesticated in several locations in East Asia. PMID:22073186

Resource use associated with type 2 diabetes in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa: results from the International Diabetes Management Practices Study (IDMPS).

PubMed

Ringborg, A; Cropet, C; Jönsson, B; Gagliardino, J J; Ramachandran, A; Lindgren, P

2009-07-01

To estimate diabetes-related resource use and investigate its predictors among individuals with type 2 diabetes in 24 countries in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. Cross-sectional observational data on diabetes-related resource use were collected from 15,016 individuals with type 2 diabetes within the second wave of International Diabetes Management Practices Study. Mean (SD) annual quantities were determined and predictors of diabetes-related hospitalisations, inpatient days, emergency room visits and absenteeism were investigated using negative binomial regression. Patients in Asia (n = 4678), Latin America (n = 6090) and the Middle East and Africa (n = 4248) made a mean (SD) of 3.4 (6.9), 5.4 (6.7) and 2.5 (4.4) General Practitioner visits per year. The mean (SD) number of inpatient days amounted to 3.8 (18.1), 2.2 (13.9) and 2.6 (13.5) per year. Results of the regression analysis showed the major influence of diabetes-related complications and inadequate glycaemic control on resource use. The expected annual rate of hospitalisation of patients with macrovascular complications compared with those without was 4.7 times greater in Asia [incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 4.7, 95% CI: 2.8-7.8, n = 2551], 5.4 times greater in Latin America (IRR = 5.4, 95% CI: 3.0-9.8, n = 3228) and 4.4 times greater in the Middle East and Africa (IRR = 4.4, 95% CI: 2.8-6.9, n = 2630). Micro- and macrovascular complications and inadequate glycaemic control are significant predictors of resource use in people with type 2 diabetes of developing countries. This knowledge confirms the health economic importance of early diagnosis of diabetes, education of patients and glycaemic control.

Arctic-Asian Mobile Belt - Global Structure in the North, Central, and East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shokalsky, Sergey; Petrov, Oleg; Pospelov, Igor; Kashubin, Sergey; Sobolev, Nikolay; Petrov, Evgeny

2014-05-01

Over the last decade under the international project of five countries, the geological surveys of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and the Republic of Korea, with the participation of national academies of sciences in these countries compiled a set of digital maps at 1:2.5 M scale. It includes geological, tectonic, metallogenic maps and map of energy resources with databases for North, Central, and East Asia, area of more than 30 million km2. Map compilation was supervised by the Subcommission for Northern Eurasia and Subcommission for Tectonic Maps of the Commission for the Geological Map of the World under the auspices of UNESCO (CGMW). The set of maps was displayed at the 33rd IGC (Oslo, 2008) and 34th IGC (Brisbane, 2012). One of the largest accretion collages of orogenic belts of different ages on the planet (from the Neoproterozoic to Early Mesozoic) is clearly shown in the tectonic map compiled under the joint project. Extended polychronous mobile belt is bounded in the west by the East European Craton, in the east, by the Siberian Craton, in the south, by a chain of Gondwana cratonic blocks - North China, Tarim, Tajik. In the north it can be traced as a broad band within the Circumpolar Region, where it is limited by the North American Craton. The central part of the accretionary belt is hidden under the Meso-Cenozoic sediments of Western Siberia. Analysis of vast geological material shows that the Arctic-Asian mobile belt was formed on place of an extensive paleo-ocean, which closed with a successive rejuvenation of suture ophiolite zones from the marginal to axial zone and along strike to the north and east of the South Siberian segment towards Paleopacific. Arctic-Asian mobile belt is characterized by a complex combination of accretionary and riftogenic tectonic-magmatic processes. At its early stages, accretionary tectonics with a wide development of volcanic belts dominated; at the late ones (in the Late Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic

Dual practice by doctors working in South and East Asia: a review of its origins, scope and impact, and the options for regulation.

PubMed

Hipgrave, David Barry; Hort, Krishna

2014-09-01

Health professionals often undertake private work whilst also employed by government. Such dual practice (DP) is found in both high-income and lower- and middle-income countries (LMIC) around the world, with varying degrees of tolerance. This review focuses on DP in South and East Asia in the context of the rapidly expanding mixed health systems in this region. Although good data are lacking, health service uptake in South and East Asia is increasing, particularly in the private sector. Appropriately regulated, DP can improve health service access, the range of services offered and doctors' satisfaction. By contrast, weakly regulated DP can negatively affect public health service access, quality, efficiency and equity, as doctors often pursue the balance of public and private work that maximizes their income and other benefits. The environment for regulation of DP is changing rapidly, with improved communications opportunities, increasing literacy and rising civil society, particularly in this region. Currently, the options for regulating DP include (1) those which restrict the opportunities for dual practitioners to prioritize income and other benefits over their responsibility to the public; these require a level of regulatory capacity often missing in LMIC governments; and (2) those which not only tolerate public-sector doctors' private work but also encourage adequate health services for the general public. Growth of the private sector and weak regulation in South and East Asia increases the risk that dual practitioners will ignore the poor. Responsive and decentred regulation of doctors involving professional associations, civil society and other stakeholders is increasingly recommended. Moreover, as governments in LMIC strive for universal health coverage, market and financing opportunities for regulation of DP may arise, particularly involving insurers. This may also help to improve the current imbalance in the urban-rural distribution of doctors. Published

Better way to measure ageing in East Asia that takes life expectancy into account.

PubMed

Scherbov, Sergei; Sanderson, Warren C; Gietel-Basten, Stuart

2016-06-01

The aim of the study was to improve the measurement of ageing taking into account characteristics of populations and in particular changes in life expectancy. Using projected life tables, we calculated prospective old age dependency ratios (POADRs) to 2060, placing the boundary to old age at a moving point with a fixed remaining life expectancy (RLE) for all countries of East Asia. POADRs grow less rapidly than old age dependency ratios (OADRs). For example, in the Republic of Korea, the OADR is forecast to increase from around 0.1 in 1980 to around 0.8 in 2060, while the POADR is forecast to increase from around 0.1 to 0.4 over the same period. Policy makers may wish to take into account the fact that the increases in measures of ageing will be slower when those measures are adjusted for changes in life expectancy. © 2016 AJA Inc.

Biomass-Burning Aerosols in South East-Asia: Smoke Impact Assessment (BASE-ASIA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsay, S.-C.; Hsu, N. C.; King, M. D.; Sun, W.-Y.

2004-01-01

Biomass burning has been a regular practice for land clearing and land conversion in many countries, especially those in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. However, the unique climatology of Southeast Asia is very different than that of Africa and South America, such that large-scale biomass burning causes smoke to interact extensively with clouds during the peak-burning season of March to April. Significant global sources of greenhouse gases (e.g., CO2, CH4), chemically active gases (e.g., NO, CO, HC, CH3Br), and atmospheric aerosols are produced by biomass burning processes. These gases influence the Earth- atmosphere system, impacting both global climate and tropospheric chemistry. Some aerosols can serve as cloud condensation nuclei, which play an important role in determining cloud lifetime and precipitation, hence, altering the earth s radiation and water budget. Analyses from satellite measurements reveal the reflected solar (emitted thermal) radiation from clouds due to smoke aerosols can be reduced (enhanced) by 100 (20) Watts per square meter over the month of March 2000. In addition, the reduction in cloud spectral reflectance is large enough to lead to significant errors in satellite retrievals of cloud properties (e.g., optical thickness and effective radius). The fresh water distribution in this region is highly dependent on monsoon rainfall; in fact, the predictability of the tropical climate system is much reduced during the boreal spring. Therefore, to accurately assess the impact of smoke aerosols in this region requires continuous observations from satellites, aircraft, ground-based networks and dedicated field experiments. BASE-ASIA initiative has been proposed and will be discussed.

Satellite-Based Assessment of Possible Dust Aerosols Semi-Direct Effect on Cloud Water Path over East Asia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huang, Jianping; Lin, Bing; Minnis, Patrick; Wang, Tainhe; Wang, Xin; Hu, Yongxiang; Yi, Yuhong; Ayers, J. Kirk

2006-01-01

The semi-direct effects of dust aerosols are analyzed over eastern Asia using 2 years (June 2002 to June 2004) of data from the Clouds and the Earth s Radiant Energy System (CERES) scanning radiometer and MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Aqua satellite, and 18 years (1984 to 2001) of International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) data. The results show that the water path of dust-contaminated clouds is considerably smaller than that of dust-free clouds. The mean ice water path (IWP) and liquid water path (LWP) of dusty clouds are less than their dust-free counterparts by 23.7% and 49.8%, respectively. The long-term statistical relationship derived from ISCCP also confirms that there is significant negative correlation between dust storm index and ISCCP cloud water path. These results suggest that dust aerosols warm clouds, increase the evaporation of cloud droplets and further reduce cloud water path, the so-called semi-direct effect. The semi-direct effect may play a role in cloud development over arid and semi-arid areas of East Asia and contribute to the reduction of precipitation.

Thermal evolution of flattening slab and formation of wet plume: Insight into intraplate volcanism in East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, L.

2016-12-01

Geophysical observations imply the intraplate volcanism in East Asia is related to dehydration of slab stagnating in the transition zone. To better understand the dynamics of such process, a thermochemical mantle convection model is constructed to simulate numerically the thermal evolution of slab and the transportation of water in the process of subduction. Equation of water transfer is explicitly included, and water effects on density and viscosity are considered. Modeling results indicate that behavior of water transport relates closely to the transient thermal state and viscosities both of the slab and the surrounding mantle. Generally, initiation of wet plume is mainly influenced by the viscosity of the wet layer in the uppermost slab, whereas the horizontal distance of water transport and its ascending rate is affected strongly by the viscosity of the big mantle wedge. Whether water can be carried successfully by slab into the mantle transition zone and trigger wet plume at the surface of flattening slab depends on the viscosity contrast between wet layer and surrounding mantle. The complex fluid flow superposed by corner flow and free thermal convection controls the water transport pattern in the upper mantle. Modeling results together with previous modeling infer three stages of water circulation in the big mantle wedge: 1) water is brought into the mantle transition zone by downward subducting slab when water layer viscosity is much higher than the wedge viscosity, otherwise water is released at shallow depth near wedge tip; 2) wet plume generates from surface of warm flattening slab if containing water, which arrives at the lithospheric base and induces melting; and 3) water spreads all over the big mantle wedge, mantle convection within the big mantle wedge becomes more active, leading to upwelling of asthenosphere and erosion of the overriding continental lithosphere. Wet plume from the flattening Pacific Plate can explain the intraplate Cenozoic

The Long Winding Road of Opioid Substitution Therapy Implementation in South-East Asia: Challenges to Scale Up

PubMed Central

Reid, Gary; Sharma, Mukta; Higgs, Peter

2014-01-01

The South-East Asia Region contains an estimated 400,000-500,000 people who inject drugs (PWID). HIV prevalence among PWID is commonly 20% or higher in Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar and some regions of India. Opioid substitution therapy (OST) is an important HIV prevention intervention in this part of the world. However, key challenges and barriers to scale up of OST exist, including: pervasive stigma and discrimination towards PWID; criminalisation of drug use overshadowing a public health response; lack of political will and national commitment; low financial investment; focus towards traditional treatment models of detoxification and rehabilitation; inadequate dosing of OST; and poor monitoring and evaluation of programmes. Our review of local evidence highlights that OST can be successful within the Asian context. Such evidence should be utilised more widely to advocate for policy change and increased political commitment to ensure OST reaches substantially more drug users. Significance for public health Several countries in the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region can be commended for introducing opioid substitution therapy (OST) to address the ongoing HIV epidemic among people who inject drugs (PWID). Local evidence shows OST is an effective drug treatment approach in the Asian context given sufficient technical and institutional support. However, despite much progress, the number of OST dispensing sites and recipients remains totally inadequate in terms of impact upon the current HIV epidemic among PWID. Ongoing advocacy is needed if countries are to achieve the WHO’s target of 40% of PWID being dosed with OST. Greater political commitment a strengthened policy environment, capacity building for OST clinics, lessening the criminalisation of drug use and promoting a public health response will give many more PWID access to OST and slow the advance of the HIV epidemic. PMID:25170509

Health spending, macroeconomics and fiscal space in countries of the World Health Organization South-East Asia Region.

PubMed

Gupta, Indrani; Mondal, Swadhin

2014-01-01

The paper examines the issues around mobilization of resources for the 11 countries of the South-East Asia Region of the World Health Organization (WHO), by analysing their macroeconomic situation, health spending, fiscal space and other determinants of health. With the exception of a few, most of these countries have made fair progress on their own Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets of maternal mortality ratio and mortality rate in children aged under 5 years. However, the achieved targets have been very modest - with the exception of Thailand and Sri Lanka - indicating the continued need for additional efforts to improve these indicators. The paper discusses the need for investment, by looking at evidence on economic growth, the availability of fiscal space, and improvements in "macroeconomic-plus" factors like poverty, female literacy, governance and efficiency of the health sector. The analysis indicates that, overall, the countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region are collectively in a position to make the transition from low public spending to moderate or even high health spending, which is required, in turn, for transition from lowcoverage-high out-of-pocket spending (OOPS) to highcoverage-low OOPS. However, explicit prioritization for health within the overall government budget for low spenders would require political will and champions who can argue the case of the health sector. Additional innovative avenues of raising resources, such as earmarked taxes or a health levy can be considered in countries with good macroeconomic fundamentals. With the exception of Thailand, this is applicable for all the countries of the region. However, countries with adverse macroeconomic-plus factors, as well as inefficient health systems, need to be alert to the possibility of overinvesting - and thereby wasting - resources for modest health gains, making the challenge of increasing health sector spending alongside competing demands for spending on other areas of

Ethnic Related Selection for an ADH Class I Variant within East Asia

PubMed Central

Li, Hui; Gu, Sheng; Cai, Xiaoyun; Speed, William C.; Pakstis, Andrew J.; Golub, Efim I.; Kidd, Judith R.; Kidd, Kenneth K.

2008-01-01

Background The alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) are widely studied enzymes and the evolution of the mammalian gene cluster encoding these enzymes is also well studied. Previous studies have shown that the ADH1B*47His allele at one of the seven genes in humans is associated with a decrease in the risk of alcoholism and the core molecular region with this allele has been selected for in some East Asian populations. As the frequency of ADH1B*47His is highest in East Asia, and very low in most of the rest of the world, we have undertaken more detailed investigation in this geographic region. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we report new data on 30 SNPs in the ADH7 and Class I ADH region in samples of 24 populations from China and Laos. These populations cover a wide geographic region and diverse ethnicities. Combined with our previously published East Asian data for these SNPs in 8 populations, we have typed populations from all of the 6 major linguistic phyla (Altaic including Korean-Japanese and inland Altaic, Sino-Tibetan, Hmong-Mien, Austro-Asiatic, Daic, and Austronesian). The ADH1B genotyping data are strongly related to ethnicity. Only some eastern ethnic phyla or subphyla (Korean-Japanese, Han Chinese, Hmong-Mien, Daic, and Austronesian) have a high frequency of ADH1B*47His. ADH1B haplotype data clustered the populations into linguistic subphyla, and divided the subphyla into eastern and western parts. In the Hmong-Mien and Altaic populations, the extended haplotype homozygosity (EHH) and relative EHH (REHH) tests for the ADH1B core were consistent with selection for the haplotype with derived SNP alleles. In the other ethnic phyla, the core showed only a weak signal of selection at best. Conclusions/Significance The selection distribution is more significantly correlated with the frequency of the derived ADH1B regulatory region polymorphism than the derived amino-acid altering allele ADH1B*47His. Thus, the real focus of selection may be the regulatory region

Ethnic related selection for an ADH Class I variant within East Asia.

PubMed

Li, Hui; Gu, Sheng; Cai, Xiaoyun; Speed, William C; Pakstis, Andrew J; Golub, Efim I; Kidd, Judith R; Kidd, Kenneth K

2008-04-02

The alcohol dehydrogenases (ADH) are widely studied enzymes and the evolution of the mammalian gene cluster encoding these enzymes is also well studied. Previous studies have shown that the ADH1B*47His allele at one of the seven genes in humans is associated with a decrease in the risk of alcoholism and the core molecular region with this allele has been selected for in some East Asian populations. As the frequency of ADH1B*47His is highest in East Asia, and very low in most of the rest of the world, we have undertaken more detailed investigation in this geographic region. Here we report new data on 30 SNPs in the ADH7 and Class I ADH region in samples of 24 populations from China and Laos. These populations cover a wide geographic region and diverse ethnicities. Combined with our previously published East Asian data for these SNPs in 8 populations, we have typed populations from all of the 6 major linguistic phyla (Altaic including Korean-Japanese and inland Altaic, Sino-Tibetan, Hmong-Mien, Austro-Asiatic, Daic, and Austronesian). The ADH1B genotyping data are strongly related to ethnicity. Only some eastern ethnic phyla or subphyla (Korean-Japanese, Han Chinese, Hmong-Mien, Daic, and Austronesian) have a high frequency of ADH1B*47His. ADH1B haplotype data clustered the populations into linguistic subphyla, and divided the subphyla into eastern and western parts. In the Hmong-Mien and Altaic populations, the extended haplotype homozygosity (EHH) and relative EHH (REHH) tests for the ADH1B core were consistent with selection for the haplotype with derived SNP alleles. In the other ethnic phyla, the core showed only a weak signal of selection at best. The selection distribution is more significantly correlated with the frequency of the derived ADH1B regulatory region polymorphism than the derived amino-acid altering allele ADH1B*47His. Thus, the real focus of selection may be the regulatory region. The obvious ethnicity-related distributions of ADH1B diversities

Special Relationship What are the Strategic Choices available to the UK after the US Pivot to Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-02-14

Emergency’ see Jones, Matthew, Conflict and Confrontation in South East Asia , 1961 – 1965, (Cambridge: CUP, 2002). 7 A spokesman at the Bureau of Asian...Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2010. Jones, Matthew. Conflict and Confrontation in South East Asia , 1961 – 1965. Cambridge: CUP, 2002...greater role in influencing events in the Asia -Pacific region. This strategic decision is complicated by the fact that the United States is trying to

Origins of domestic dog in southern East Asia is supported by analysis of Y-chromosome DNA.

PubMed

Ding, Z-L; Oskarsson, M; Ardalan, A; Angleby, H; Dahlgren, L-G; Tepeli, C; Kirkness, E; Savolainen, P; Zhang, Y-P

2012-05-01

Global mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data indicates that the dog originates from domestication of wolf in Asia South of Yangtze River (ASY), with minor genetic contributions from dog-wolf hybridisation elsewhere. Archaeological data and autosomal single nucleotide polymorphism data have instead suggested that dogs originate from Europe and/or South West Asia but, because these datasets lack data from ASY, evidence pointing to ASY may have been overlooked. Analyses of additional markers for global datasets, including ASY, are therefore necessary to test if mtDNA phylogeography reflects the actual dog history and not merely stochastic events or selection. Here, we analyse 14,437 bp of Y-chromosome DNA sequence in 151 dogs sampled worldwide. We found 28 haplotypes distributed in five haplogroups. Two haplogroups were universally shared and included three haplotypes carried by 46% of all dogs, but two other haplogroups were primarily restricted to East Asia. Highest genetic diversity and virtually complete phylogenetic coverage was found within ASY. The 151 dogs were estimated to originate from 13-24 wolf founders, but there was no indication of post-domestication dog-wolf hybridisations. Thus, Y-chromosome and mtDNA data give strikingly similar pictures of dog phylogeography, most importantly that roughly 50% of the gene pools are shared universally but only ASY has nearly the full range of genetic diversity, such that the gene pools in all other regions may derive from ASY. This corroborates that ASY was the principal, and possibly sole region of wolf domestication, that a large number of wolves were domesticated, and that subsequent dog-wolf hybridisation contributed modestly to the dog gene pool.

Origins of domestic dog in Southern East Asia is supported by analysis of Y-chromosome DNA

PubMed Central

Ding, Z-L; Oskarsson, M; Ardalan, A; Angleby, H; Dahlgren, L-G; Tepeli, C; Kirkness, E; Savolainen, P; Zhang, Y-P

2012-01-01

Global mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data indicates that the dog originates from domestication of wolf in Asia South of Yangtze River (ASY), with minor genetic contributions from dog–wolf hybridisation elsewhere. Archaeological data and autosomal single nucleotide polymorphism data have instead suggested that dogs originate from Europe and/or South West Asia but, because these datasets lack data from ASY, evidence pointing to ASY may have been overlooked. Analyses of additional markers for global datasets, including ASY, are therefore necessary to test if mtDNA phylogeography reflects the actual dog history and not merely stochastic events or selection. Here, we analyse 14 437 bp of Y-chromosome DNA sequence in 151 dogs sampled worldwide. We found 28 haplotypes distributed in five haplogroups. Two haplogroups were universally shared and included three haplotypes carried by 46% of all dogs, but two other haplogroups were primarily restricted to East Asia. Highest genetic diversity and virtually complete phylogenetic coverage was found within ASY. The 151 dogs were estimated to originate from 13–24 wolf founders, but there was no indication of post-domestication dog–wolf hybridisations. Thus, Y-chromosome and mtDNA data give strikingly similar pictures of dog phylogeography, most importantly that roughly 50% of the gene pools are shared universally but only ASY has nearly the full range of genetic diversity, such that the gene pools in all other regions may derive from ASY. This corroborates that ASY was the principal, and possibly sole region of wolf domestication, that a large number of wolves were domesticated, and that subsequent dog–wolf hybridisation contributed modestly to the dog gene pool. PMID:22108628

Overview of 2010-2013 spring campaigns of Seven South East Asian Studies (7-SEAS) in the northern Southeast Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, N.; Tsay, S.; Hsu, N. C.; Holben, B. N.; Anh, N.; Reid, J. S.; Sheu, G.; Chi, K.; Wang, S.; Lee, C.; Wang, L.; Wang, J.; Chen, W.; Welton, E. J.; Liang, S.; Sopajaree, K.; Maring, H. B.; Janjai, S.; Chantara, S.

2013-12-01

The Seven South East Asian Studies (7-SEAS) is a grass-root program and seeks to perform interdisciplinary research in the field of aerosol-meteorology and climate interaction in the Southeast Asian region, particularly for the impact of biomass burning on cloud, atmospheric radiation, hydrological cycle, and regional climate. Participating countries include Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, and USA. A series of field experiments have been conducted during springtime biomass burning seasons in northern Southeast Asia, i.e., Dongsha Experiment in 2010, Son La Campaigns in 2011 and 2012, and BASELInE (Biomass-burning Aerosols & Stratocumulus Environment: Lifecycles and Interactions Experiment) in 2013, respectively. Given an example, during 2010 Dongsha Experiment, a monitoring network for ground-based measurements was established, including five stations from northern Thailand and central Vietnam to Taiwan, with a supersite at the Dongsha Island (i.e. Pratas Island) in South China Sea (or East Sea). Aerosol chemistry sampling was performed for each station for characterizing the compositions of PM2.5/PM10 (some for TSP) including water-soluble ions, metal elements, BC/OC, Hg and dioxins. This experiment provides a relatively complete and first dataset of aerosol chemistry and physical observations conducted in the source/sink region for below marine boundary layer and lower free troposphere of biomass burning/air pollutants in the northern SE Asia. This presentation will give an overview of these 7-SEAS activities and their results, particularly for the characterization of biomass-burning aerosol at source regions in northern Thailand and northern Vietnam, and receptor stations in Taiwan, which is rarely studied.

JPRS Report, Near East & South Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-05-10

resourcefulness worthy of all praise. The team of sition to the censor ; the verdict in which the High Court Shamgar and Barak has succeeded in bringing about...Andrei inquired of not crazy about her face. A little while ago they saw the the immigration center mother if Israel had anything like film "Taxi...enforcing agencies, JPRS-NEA-91-028 60 SOUTH ASIA 10 May 1991 the Liberty International noted "discharge of their duties The Chairman who is from Malaysia

Himalayan uplift shaped biomes in Miocene temperate Asia: evidence from leguminous Caragana.

PubMed

Zhang, Ming-Li; Xiang, Xiao-Guo; Xue, Juan-Juan; Sanderson, Stewart C; Fritsch, Peter W

2016-11-09

Caragana, with distinctive variation in leaf and rachis characters, exhibits three centers of geographic distribution, i.e., Central Asia, the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), and East Asia, corresponding to distinct biomes. Because Caragana species are often ecologically dominant components of the vegetation in these regions, it is regarded as a key taxon for the study of floristic evolution in the dry regions of temperate Asia. Based on an expanded data set of taxa and gene regions from those previously generated, we employed molecular clock and biogeographical analyses to infer the evolutionary history of Caragana and link it to floristic patterns, paleovegetation, and paleoclimate. Results indicate that Caragana is of arid origin from the Junggar steppe. Diversification of crown group Caragana, dated to the early Miocene ca. 18 Ma and onwards, can be linked to the Himalayan Motion stage of QTP uplift. Diversification of the major clades in the genus corresponding to taxonomic sections and morphological variation is inferred to have been driven by the uplift, as well as Asian interior aridification and East Asian monsoon formation, in the middle to late Miocene ca. 12~6 Ma. These findings demonstrate a synchronous evolution among floristics, vegetation and climate change in arid Central Asia, cold arid alpine QTP, and mesophytic East Asia.

Literature of Southeast Asia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Echols, John M.

This paper provides a brief description of the literature of Southeast Asia. This area, which embraces the region south of China and east of India, includes the modern nations of Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. The earliest historical influence came from India around the beginnings of the…

Near East and South Asia.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-27

Al -Qassam, ’Abd al -Qadir al -Husayni, Ibra- him Abu Diyah, Dalai al - Mughrabi , Abu Jihad [Khalil al -Wazir], and Abu ’Ali Iyad. They are also rejected...Aims [Paris GAMK 10 Oct] 1 NEAR EAST REGIONAL Grand Mufti Calls For Restoration of Holy Places by Force [Cairo AL -AHRAR 21 Nov] 4 PALESTINIAN...Response [Jerusalem KOTERET RASHIT16 Nov] 4 PNSF Calls for Conference To Condemn PNC Resolutions [ Al -Quds Palestinian Radio] 6 Islamic Jihad

Satellite-observed NO2, SO2, and HCHO Vertical Column Densities in East Asia: Recent Changes and Comparisons with Regional Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, H. C.; Lee, P.; Kim, S.; Mok, J.; Yoo, H. L.; Bae, C.; Kim, B. U.; Lim, Y. K.; Woo, J. H.; Park, R.

2015-12-01

This study reports the recent changes in tropospheric NO2, SO2, and HCHO vertical column densities (VCD) in East Asia observed from multiple satellites, highlighting especially the annual trend changes of NO2 and SO2 over Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region of China since 2010. Tropospheric VCD data from Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME), SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY), Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and GOME-2, retrieved from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) and OMI National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) standard products, are utilized to investigate the annual trends of NO2, SO2, and HCHO VCDs from 2001 to 2015. They are also compared with simulations from Community Multi-scale Air Quality Model (CMAQ) based forecast system by the Integrated Multi-scale Air Quality System for Korea (IMAQS-K) of Ajou University. Until 2011, the changes in NO2 VCD over East Asian countries agree well with the findings of previous research, including the impact of the economic downturn during 2008-2009 and the subsequent quick recovery in China. After peaking in 2011, the NO2 VCD observations from active instruments (OMI and GOME-2) over China started to show a slower decreasing trend, mostly led by the rapid changes in the BTH region in northern China. On the other hand, SO2 started to decline earlier, from 2007, but inclined back from 2010 to 2012, and then back to declining trend since 2012. While satellite observations show dramatic recent changes, the model could not reproduce those changes mostly due to its use of fixed emission inventory. We conclude that rapid update of latest emission inventory is necessary for an accurate forecast of regional air quality in east Asia, especially for upcoming international sports events in PyeongChang (Korea), Tokyo (Japan) and Beijing (China) in 2018, 2020 and 2022, respectively.

Berries and human health: research highlights from the Fifth Biennial Berry Health Benefits Symposium.

PubMed

Seeram, Navindra P

2014-05-07

The fifth biennial Berry Health Benefits Symposium showcased recent research supporting the positive effects of berry consumption on human health and disease. Remarkably, the vast majority of oral papers covered data accumulated from in vivo studies, which underscores how berry health research has advanced since the inception of this symposium in 2005. Similar to the past, research presented at this meeting was primarily focused on the major commercially cultivated berries in North America, namely, blackberry, blueberry, black raspberry, cranberry, red raspberry, and strawberry. Despite this, on the basis of similar compositional chemistry, it is possible that similar biological effects may also be extended to other small soft-fleshed "berry-type" fruits popular in other parts of the world including Europe, Asia, and South America. Overall, this symposium continues to add to the growing body of data supporting the positive impact of berry fruit consumption on human health promotion and disease risk reduction.

Compulsory drug detention in East and Southeast Asia: evolving government, UN and donor responses.

PubMed

Amon, Joseph J; Pearshouse, Richard; Cohen, Jane E; Schleifer, Rebecca

2014-01-01

According to official accounts, more than 235,000 people are detained in over 1000 compulsory drug detention centers in East and South East Asia. Individuals in such centers are held for periods of months to years, and can experience a wide range of human rights abuses, including violation of the rights to freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment; freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention; a fair trial; privacy; the highest attainable standard of health; and freedom from forced labor. Since 2010, an increasing number of United Nations agencies, human rights experts, and others have expressed concerns about rights abuses associated with compulsory drug detention centers, and since 2012, called for their closure. Although they do not represent a complete break from the past, these calls mark a significant shift from past engagement with drug detention, which included direct and indirect funding of detention centers and activities in detention centers by some donors. However, the lack of transparent governance, restrictions on free speech and prohibitions on monitoring by independent, international human rights organizations make assessing the evolving laws, policies and practices, as well as the attitudes of key governments officials, difficult. Looking specifically at publicly announced reforms and statements by government officials in China, Cambodia, Vietnam and Lao PDR reveals possible improvements in respect for the rights of drug users, and on-going challenges. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantifying VOC emissions from East Asia using 10 years of satellite observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stavrakou, T.; Muller, J. F.; Bauwens, M.; De Smedt, I.; Van Roozendael, M.; Boersma, F.; van der A, R. J.; Pierre-Francois, C.; Clerbaux, C.

2016-12-01

China's emissions are in the spotlight of efforts to mitigate climate change and improve regional and city-scale air quality. Despite growing efforts to better quantify China's emissions, the current estimates are often poor or inadequate. Complementary to bottom-up inventories, inverse modeling of fluxes has the potential to improve those estimates through the use of atmospheric observations of trace gas compounds. As formaldehyde (HCHO) is a high-yield product in the oxidation of most volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by anthropogenic and natural sources, satellite observations of HCHO hold the potential to inform us on the spatial and temporal variability of the underlying VOC sources. The 10-year record of space-based HCHO column observations from the OMI instrument is used to constrain VOC emission fluxes in East Asia in a source inversion framework built on the IMAGES chemistry-transport model and its adjoint. The interannual and seasonal variability, spatial distribution and potential trends of the top-down VOC fluxes (anthropogenic, pyrogenic and biogenic) are presented and confronted to existing emission inventories, satellite observations of other species (e.g. glyoxal and nitrogen oxides), and past studies.

Adolescent fertility and family planning in East Asia and the Pacific: a review of DHS reports

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Adolescent pregnancy has significant health and socio-economic consequences for women, their families and communities. Efforts to prevent too-early pregnancy rely on accurate information about adolescents' knowledge, behaviours and access to family planning, however available data are limited in some settings. Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) reports are recognised as providing nationally representative data that are accessible to policymakers and programmers. This paper reviews DHS reports for low and lower middle income countries in East Asia and the Pacific to determine what information regarding adolescent fertility and family planning is available, and summarises key findings. Methods The most recent DHS reports were sought for the 33 low and lower middle income countries in the East Asia and Pacific region as defined by UNICEF and World Bank. Age-disaggregated data for all indicators relevant to fertility and current use, knowledge and access to family planning information and services were sought to identify accessible information. Reported data were analysed using an Excel database to determine outcomes for adolescents and compare with adult women. Results DHS reports were available for eleven countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu and Vietnam. Twenty seven of 40 relevant DHS indicators reported outcomes for adolescent women aged 15-19 years. There were limited data for unmarried adolescents. A significant proportion of women commence sexual activity and childbearing during adolescence in the context of low contraceptive prevalence and high unmet need for contraception. Adolescent women have lower use of contraception, poorer knowledge of family planning and less access to information and services than adult women. Conclusion DHS reports provide useful and accessible data, however, they are limited by the failure to report data for unmarried

Overview of players and information in the cancer epidemiology and control world in Asia.

PubMed

Moore, Malcolm A; Yoo, Keun-Young; Tuncer, Murat; Sobue, Tomotaka

2010-01-01

Cancer and related lifestyle diseases are on the increase across Asia and already account for over half the disease-associated mortality in the vast majority of the included countries. An understanding of the epidemiology is therefore of paramount importance. In addition, given the immensity of the problem, cooperation among all the interested parties is of the essence. The present series of reviews were complied with the aim of promoting better comprehension and interaction, focusing on cancer prevalence and the underlying risk and preventive factors in Asia. Data from Cancer Incidence in Five Continents and Globocan 2002, published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, as well as various other cancer registry sources, were thus married with research information in the public domain, accessible through PubMed. It is hoped that the comprehensive approach adopted for the different regions will help bring together all of the Asian community of individuals involved in cancer epidemiology and control and contribute to establishment of Asian networks for collaborative research. The major players and the overall picture for cancer control are covered in the present overview. Further details are then provided in seven separate regional reviews: for North-Western and Central Asia; South-West Asia; South Asia; Mainland South-East Asia; Peninsular and Island South-East Asia, the Pacific; and North-East Asia. The final section covers possible organ-based strategies for cancer control and, lastly, an Appendix has been included listing research institutes and staff in Asia to facilitate contacts between interested individuals.

Effect of Climate Change on Surface Ozone over North America, Europe, and East Asia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schnell, Jordan L.; Prather, Michael J.; Josse, Beatrice; Naik, Vaishali; Horowitz, Larry W.; Zeng, Guang; Shindell, Drew T.; Faluvegi, Greg

2016-01-01

The effect of future climate change on surface ozone over North America, Europe, and East Asia is evaluated using present-day (2000s) and future (2100s) hourly surface ozone simulated by four global models. Future climate follows RCP8.5, while methane and anthropogenic ozone precursors are fixed at year-2000 levels. Climate change shifts the seasonal surface ozone peak to earlier in the year and increases the amplitude of the annual cycle. Increases in mean summertime and high-percentile ozone are generally found in polluted environments, while decreases are found in clean environments. We propose climate change augments the efficiency of precursor emissions to generate surface ozone in polluted regions, thus reducing precursor export to neighboring downwind locations. Even with constant biogenic emissions, climate change causes the largest ozone increases at high percentiles. In most cases, air quality extreme episodes become larger and contain higher ozone levels relative to the rest of the distribution.

Hemodialysis in Asia

PubMed Central

Prasad, Narayan; Jha, Vivekanand

2015-01-01

Background Asia is the largest, most populous and most heterogeneous continent in the world. The number of patients with end-stage renal disease is growing rapidly in Asia. Summary A fully informed report on the status of dialysis therapies including hemodialysis (HD) is limited by the lack of systematic registries. Available data suggest remarkable heterogeneities, with some countries like Taiwan, Japan and Korea exhibiting well-established HD systems, high prevalence and universal access to all patients, while low- and low-middle income countries are unable to provide HD to eligible patients because of high cost and poor healthcare systems. Many Asian countries have unregulated dialysis units, with poor standards of delivery, quality control and outcome reporting. This leads to high mortality due to preventable complications like infections. Modeling data suggest that at least 2.9 million people need dialysis in Asia, which represents a gap in availability of dialysis to the tune of −66%. The population is projected to grow rapidly in the coming years. Several countries are expanding access to HD. Innovative modifications in dialysis practice are being made to optimize outcomes. It is important to develop robust systems of documentation and outcome reporting to evaluate the effects of such changes. HD needs to develop in conjunction with effective preventive programs and improvement of health systems. Key Messages The practice of HD in Asia is growing and evolving. Rapid expansion will improve the currently dismal access to care for large sections of the population. Quality issues need to be addressed if the full benefit of this therapy is to reach the population. Developed countries of Asia can provide substantial messages to developing economies. HD programs must develop in conjunction with prevention efforts. Facts from East and West (1) While developed Western and Asian countries provide end-stage renal disease patients full access to HD, healthcare systems

Rivaroxaban for stroke prevention in East Asian patients from the ROCKET AF trial.

PubMed

Wong, Ka Sing Lawrence; Hu, Dai Yi; Oomman, Abraham; Tan, Ru-San; Patel, Manesh R; Singer, Daniel E; Breithardt, Günter; Mahaffey, Kenneth W; Becker, Richard C; Califf, Robert; Fox, Keith A A; Berkowitz, Scott D; Hacke, Werner; Hankey, Graeme J

2014-06-01

In Rivaroxaban Once Daily Oral Direct Factor Xa Inhibitor Compared With Vitamin K Antagonism for Prevention of Stroke and Embolism Trial in Atrial Fibrillation (ROCKET AF) trial, rivaroxaban was noninferior to dose-adjusted warfarin in preventing stroke or systemic embolism among patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation at moderate to high stroke risk. Because of differences in patient demographics, epidemiology, and stroke risk management in East Asia, outcomes and relative effects of rivaroxaban versus warfarin were assessed to determine consistency among East Asians versus other ROCKET AF participants. Baseline demographics and interaction of treatment effects of rivaroxaban and warfarin among patients within East Asia and outside were assessed. A total of 932 (6.5%) ROCKET AF participants resided in East Asia. At baseline, East Asians had lower weight, creatinine clearance, and prior vitamin K antagonist use; higher prevalence of prior stroke; and less congestive heart failure and prior myocardial infarction than other participants. Despite higher absolute event rates for efficacy and safety outcomes in East Asians, the relative efficacy of rivaroxaban (20 mg once daily; 15 mg once daily for creatinine clearance of 30-49 mL/min) versus warfarin with respect to the primary efficacy end point (stroke/systemic embolism) was consistent among East Asians and non-East Asians (interaction P=0.666). Relative event rates for the major or nonmajor clinically relevant bleeding in patients treated with rivaroxaban and warfarin were consistent among East Asians and non-East Asians (interaction P=0.867). Observed relative efficacy and safety of rivaroxaban versus warfarin were similar among patients within and outside East Asia. Rivaroxaban, 20 mg once daily, is an alternative to warfarin for stroke prevention in East Asians with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Passive air monitoring of PCBs and PCNs across East Asia: a comprehensive congener evaluation for source characterization.

PubMed

Hogarh, Jonathan Nartey; Seike, Nobuyasu; Kobara, Yuso; Habib, Ahsan; Nam, Jae-Jak; Lee, Jong-Sik; Li, Qilu; Liu, Xiang; Li, Jun; Zhang, Gan; Masunaga, Shigeki

2012-02-01

A comprehensive congener specific evaluation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) in the atmosphere was conducted across East Asia in spring 2008, applying polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive air sampler (PAS) as monitoring device. Mean concentrations derived for Japan, China and Korea were 184 ± 24, 1100 ± 118, and 156 ± 20 pg m(-3) for ∑(202) PCBs, and 9.5 ± 1.5, 61 ± 6, and 16 ± 2.4 pg m(-3) for ∑(63) PCNs, respectively. Relative to reported data from 2004, the present results suggest that air PCBs concentrations have not changed much in Japan and Korea, while it has increased by one order of magnitude in China. From principal component analysis, combustion emerged highly culpable in contemporary emissions of both PCBs and PCNs across the East Asian sub-region. Another factor derived as important to air PCBs was re-emissions/volatilization. Signals from PCBs formulations were also picked, but their general importance was virtually consigned to the re-emissions/volatilization tendencies. On the contrary, counterpart PCNs formulations did not appear to contribute much to air PCNs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Earliest domestication of common millet (Panicum miliaceum) in East Asia extended to 10,000 years ago

PubMed Central

Lu, Houyuan; Zhang, Jianping; Liu, Kam-biu; Wu, Naiqin; Li, Yumei; Zhou, Kunshu; Ye, Maolin; Zhang, Tianyu; Zhang, Haijiang; Yang, Xiaoyan; Shen, Licheng; Xu, Deke; Li, Quan

2009-01-01

The origin of millet from Neolithic China has generally been accepted, but it remains unknown whether common millet (Panicum miliaceum) or foxtail millet (Setaria italica) was the first species domesticated. Nor do we know the timing of their domestication and their routes of dispersal. Here, we report the discovery of husk phytoliths and biomolecular components identifiable solely as common millet from newly excavated storage pits at the Neolithic Cishan site, China, dated to between ca. 10,300 and ca. 8,700 calibrated years before present (cal yr BP). After ca. 8,700 cal yr BP, the grain crops began to contain a small quantity of foxtail millet. Our research reveals that the common millet was the earliest dry farming crop in East Asia, which is probably attributed to its excellent resistance to drought. PMID:19383791

The impact of the Gulf war on migration and remittances in Asia and the Middle East.

PubMed

Addleton, J

1991-12-01

The author discusses the impact of the 1990 Gulf war on the migrant worker populations in the region, with a focus on migration and remittances in Asia and the Middle East. Both immediate and long-term effects are considered. "From the perspective of foreign migrant communities living in the Gulf...the war...was much more of a disaster for Arabs than for Asians....Arab migrant populations...were dramatically affected by the Gulf crisis. In contrast, the Asian migrant community was largely concentrated in Saudi Arabia and the [United Arab Emirates] and remained relatively less affected by the crisis. Subsequent polarization in the Arab world gives Asian labor-exporting countries an unexpected opportunity to increase their share of Gulf labor markets still further in the coming years." (SUMMARY IN FRE AND SPA) excerpt

South-East Asian strains of Plasmodium falciparum display higher ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous polymorphisms compared to African strains

PubMed Central

Singh, Gajinder Pal; Sharma, Amit

2016-01-01

Resistance to frontline anti-malarial drugs, including artemisinin, has repeatedly arisen in South-East Asia, but the reasons for this are not understood. Here we test whether evolutionary constraints on Plasmodium falciparum strains from South-East Asia differ from African strains. We find a significantly higher ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous polymorphisms in P. falciparum from South-East Asia compared to Africa, suggesting differences in the selective constraints on P. falciparum genome in these geographical regions. Furthermore, South-East Asian strains showed a higher proportion of non-synonymous polymorphism at conserved positions, suggesting reduced negative selection. There was a lower rate of mixed infection by multiple genotypes in samples from South-East Asia compared to Africa. We propose that a lower mixed infection rate in South-East Asia reduces intra-host competition between the parasite clones, reducing the efficiency of natural selection. This might increase the probability of fixation of fitness-reducing mutations including drug resistant ones. PMID:27853513

Clinical and virological dynamics of a serotype O 2010 South East Asia lineage foot-and-mouth disease virus in sheep using natural and simulated natural inoculation and exposure systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Infection dynamics of a recent field isolate of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), serotype O, topotype South East Asia, lineage Myamar ’98 were evaluated in sheep using four different systems for virus exposure. Two novel, simulated natural, inoculation systems consisting of intra-nasopharyngeal ...

Evaluation of East Asian climatology as simulated by seven coupled models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)