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…

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…

Global Discourses and Power/Knowledge: Theoretical Reflections on Futures of Higher Education during the Rise of Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geerlings, L. R. C.; Lundberg, A.

2018-01-01

This paper re-reads a selection of critical interdisciplinary theories in an attempt to open a space in higher education for cross-cultural dialogue during the rise of Asia. Theories of globalization, deterritorialization, power/knowledge and postcolonialism indicate that students and academics have the ability to re-imagine and influence…

Knowledge Production with Asia-Centric Research Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Jae

2017-01-01

Taiwanese cultural critic Kuan-Hsing Chen has elaborated and promoted an "Asia and the rest" worldview for over a decade. His "opus magnum" "Asia as Method" argues for a paradigm shift to observe Asian reality with a de-imperialized, de-colonized, and de-Cold War mentality. The work has produced academic discussions…

The cultural parameters of lead poisoning: A medical anthropologist's view of intervention in environmental lead exposure

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

Trotter, R.T. II

1990-11-01

This article identifies four culturally shaped sources of lead exposure in human societies: modern and historic technological sources; food habits; culturally defined health beliefs; and beauty practices. Examples of these potential sources of lead poisoning are presented from current cultures. They include the use of lead-glazed cooking pottery in Mexican-American households; folk medical use of lead in Hispanic, Arabic, South Asian, Chinese, and Hmong communities; as well as the use of lead as a cosmetic in the Near East, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. Four interacting cultural conditions that create barriers to the reduction of lead exposure and lead poisoningmore » are identified and discussed. These are knowledge deficiencies, communication resistance, cultural reinterpretations, and incongruity of explanatory models.« less

Will isomalto-oligosaccharides, a well-established functional food in Asia, break through the European and American market? The status of knowledge on these prebiotics.

PubMed

Goffin, Dorothee; Delzenne, Nathalie; Blecker, Christophe; Hanon, Emilien; Deroanne, Claude; Paquot, Michel

2011-05-01

This critical review article presents the current state of knowledge on isomalto-oligosaccharides, some well known functional oligosaccharides in Asia, to evaluate their potential as emergent prebiotics in the American and European functional food market. It includes first a unique inventory of the different families of compounds which have been considered as IMOs and their specific structure. A description has been given of the different production methods including the involved enzymes and their specific activities, the substrates, and the types of IMOs produced. Considering the structural complexity of IMO products, specific characterization methods are described, as well as purification methods which enable the body to get rid of digestible oligosaccharides. Finally, an extensive review of their techno-functional and nutritional properties enables placing IMOs inside the growing prebiotic market. This review is of particular interest considering that IMO commercialization in America and Europe is a topical subject due to the recent submission by Bioneutra Inc. (Canada) of a novel food file to the UK Food Standards Agency, as well as several patents for IMO production.

A Multicultural Social Studies Series. Book 2. Asia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwok, Irene; Sung, Robert

This text is designed for students continuing in the Chinese Bilingual Pilot Program, ESEA Title VII, at the seventh grade level. The text introduces different cultural aspects and general knowledge of Asia, and is divided into twenty-five lessons, having the following headings: Glimpses of Asia; Monsoon; Malaysia; Borneo; Asian Countries; Caste…

Snapshots of Primary and Secondary Education in Asia-Pacific. Educational Innovation for Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, John Dewar

In responding to the emerging challenges to education in Asia and the Pacific in this new century, this Asia-Pacific Programme of Educational Innovation for Development (APEID) book series, "Educational Innovation for Development," is launched to reflect a knowledge base of rethinking on roles of education in development. The series…

A current perspective on antimicrobial resistance in Southeast Asia

PubMed Central

Zellweger, Raphaël M; Carrique-Mas, Juan; Limmathurotsakul, Direk; Day, Nicholas P. J; Thwaites, Guy E; Baker, Stephen; Ashley, Elizabeth; de Balogh, Katinka; Baird, Kevin; Basnyat, Buddha; Benigno, Carolyne; Bodhidatta, Ladaporn; Chantratita, Narisara; Cooper, Ben; Dance, David; Dhorda, Mehul; van Doorn, Rogier; Dougan, Gordon; Hoa, Ngo Thi; Ip, Margaret; Lawley, Trevor; Lim, Cherry; Lin, Thong Kwai; Ling, Claire; Lubell, Yoel; Mather, Alison; Marks, Florian; Mohan, Venkata Raghava; Newton, Paul; Paris, Daniel; Thomson, Nicholas; Turner, Paul; Serichantalergs, Oralak; Smithuis, Frank; Wuthiekanun, Vanaporn; White, Nicholas; Li Yang, Hsu

2017-01-01

Abstract Southeast Asia, a vibrant region that has recently undergone unprecedented economic development, is regarded as a global hotspot for the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Understanding AMR in Southeast Asia is crucial for assessing how to control AMR on an international scale. Here we (i) describe the current AMR situation in Southeast Asia, (ii) explore the mechanisms that make Southeast Asia a focal region for the emergence of AMR, and (iii) propose ways in which Southeast Asia could contribute to a global solution. PMID:28961709

Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome: Pathogenesis and Clinical Picture.

PubMed

Jiang, Hong; Du, Hong; Wang, Li M; Wang, Ping Z; Bai, Xue F

2016-01-01

Hantaan virus (HTNV) causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which is a zoonosis endemic in eastern Asia, especially in China. The reservoir host of HTNV is field mouse (Apodemus agraricus). The main manifestation of HFRS, including acute kidney injury, increases vascular permeability, and coagulation abnormalities. In this paper, we review the current knowledge of the pathogenesis of HFRS including virus factor, immunity factor and host genetic factors. Furthermore, the treatment and prevention will be discussed.

Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome: Pathogenesis and Clinical Picture

PubMed Central

Jiang, Hong; Du, Hong; Wang, Li M.; Wang, Ping Z.; Bai, Xue F.

2016-01-01

Hantaan virus (HTNV) causes hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), which is a zoonosis endemic in eastern Asia, especially in China. The reservoir host of HTNV is field mouse (Apodemus agraricus). The main manifestation of HFRS, including acute kidney injury, increases vascular permeability, and coagulation abnormalities. In this paper, we review the current knowledge of the pathogenesis of HFRS including virus factor, immunity factor and host genetic factors. Furthermore, the treatment and prevention will be discussed. PMID:26870699

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…

Epidemiology of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus in Asia: Challenges and opportunities.

PubMed

Zhang, Tiejun; Wang, Linding

2017-04-01

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV) also referred to as human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8), is a gamma herpes virus and recently discovered human virus. Since its discovery, a myriad of studies has been conducted to explore its pathogenesis mechanisms. However, despite our consistently increasing understanding of KSHV biology and its clinical manifestations, only little progress has been made in understanding of its epidemiology characteristics which in turn hampered the management of KSHV-associated diseases and public health. Asia, the largest continent with a diversity of populations, has been thought to be with relative lower KSHV prevalence and diseases burden. The epidemiology of KSHV in this area is obscure either. The present review summarizes the current knowledge pertaining to the epidemiology of KSHV across Asian countries. Studies available in the literature have shown a substantial variation in this region indicating the virus is not ubiquitous in Asia countries as is the case with other human herpes viruses. Also, the MSM has been reconfirmed to be at the highest risk of KSHV infection in Asia highlighting the need for an increased focus on this previously marginalized population. Because of the paucity of data available, the epidemiologic characteristics of KSHV are difficult to determine in Asian countries. Future systematic collection of data to inform KSHV prevention strategies in Asia is urgently needed. J. Med. Virol. 89:563-570, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Towards Transformation of Knowledge and Subjectivity in Curriculum Inquiry: Insights from Chen Kuan-Hsing's "Asia as Method"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Angel M. Y.

2012-01-01

Chen's book, "Asia as Method" (Duke University Press, 2010), and his theorization on topics of de-imperialization, de-colonization, de-cold war, as well as on foregrounding epistemologies and frames of reference situated in the diverse contexts in Asia have contributed to empowering scholars and researchers situated not only in Taiwan,…

Current status of Plasmodium knowlesi vectors: a public health concern?

PubMed

Vythilingam, I; Wong, M L; Wan-Yussof, W S

2018-01-01

Plasmodium knowlesi a simian malaria parasite is currently affecting humans in Southeast Asia. Malaysia has reported the most number of cases and P. knowlesi is the predominant species occurring in humans. The vectors of P. knowlesi belong to the Leucosphyrus group of Anopheles mosquitoes. These are generally described as forest-dwelling mosquitoes. With deforestation and changes in land-use, some species have become predominant in farms and villages. However, knowledge on the distribution of these vectors in the country is sparse. From a public health point of view it is important to know the vectors, so that risk factors towards knowlesi malaria can be identified and control measures instituted where possible. Here, we review what is known about the knowlesi malaria vectors and ascertain the gaps in knowledge, so that future studies could concentrate on this paucity of data in-order to address this zoonotic problem.

Current status of home blood pressure monitoring in Asia: Statement from the HOPE Asia Network.

PubMed

Chia, Yook-Chin; Buranakitjaroen, Peera; Chen, Chen-Huan; Divinagracia, Romeo; Hoshide, Satoshi; Park, Sungha; Shin, Jinho; Siddique, Saulat; Sison, Jorge; Soenarta, Arieska Ann; Sogunuru, Guru Prasad; Tay, Jam Chin; Turana, Yuda; Wang, Ji-Guang; Wong, Lawrence; Zhang, Yuqing; Kario, Kazuomi

2017-11-01

Hypertension represents a major burden in Asia, with a high prevalence rate but poor level of awareness and control reported in many countries in the region. Home blood pressure monitoring has been validated as an accurate and reliable measure of blood pressure that can help guide hypertension treatment as well as identify masked and white-coat hypertension. Despite its benefits, there has been limited research into home blood pressure monitoring in Asia. The authors reviewed the current evidence on home blood pressure monitoring in Asia, including but not limited to published literature, data presented at congresses, and national hypertension management guidelines to determine the current utilization of home blood pressure monitoring in clinical practice in the region. Public policies to enable greater access to home blood pressure monitoring and its use in clinical care would add considerably to improving hypertension outcomes in Asia. ©2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Nurses' knowledge of prevention and management of pressure ulcer at a health insurance hospital in Alexandria.

PubMed

El Enein, Nagwa Younes Abou; Zaghloul, Ashraf Ahmad

2011-06-01

Nurses' knowledge of pressure ulcer prediction, prevention and management plays a very important role in the incidence and prevalence of pressure ulcers in health-care systems. The aim of the current study was to assess the nurse's knowledge about prevention and management of pressure ulcer at one of the largest health insurance hospitals in Alexandria. A descriptive cross-sectional study using an interview questionnaire format to assess the nurses' knowledge (n = 122) regarding prevention of pressure ulcers. The overall mean per cent score for nurses was below the minimum acceptable level. The mean per cent score for nurses was below 70% for nine measures of the 15 correct measures, which accounted for 60% of the measures of pressure ulcer prevention. Correct answers for non-useful measures for preventing pressure ulcers accounted for 66% of the non-useful measures on the questionnaire. It had been concluded that the nurses' knowledge regarding pressure ulcer prevention is below the acceptable levels. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Phylogeography of Francisella tularensis from Tibet, China: Evidence for an asian origin and radiation of holarctica-type Tularemia.

PubMed

Lu, Yongfeng; Yu, Yonghui; Feng, Le; Li, Yanwei; He, Jun; Zhu, Hong; Duan, Qing; Song, Lihua

2016-07-01

The geographical origin and radiation of holarctica-type tularemia, which has spread across the northern hemisphere, is open to scientific debate. Here, through phylogenetics, we show that five Tibetan Francisella tularensis isolates subsp. holarctica cluster between basal-positioned Japanese isolates and all other subspecies strains in the world, providing evidence for a previously unknown intermediate lineage next to the Japanese isolates. Importantly, identification of this new intermediate lineage complements current knowledge of tularemia epidemiology, supporting a geographical origin and radiation of the subsp. holarctica in Asia. In addition, thirteen Tibetan isolates belonging to a clade previously found only in North America and Scandinavia, further increases the diversity of holarctica strains in Asia. In summary, this study provides evidence for an Asian origin and radiation of holarctica-type tularemia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

The future of fish passage science, engineering, and practice

USGS Publications Warehouse

Silva, Ana T.; Lucas, Martyn C.; Castro-Santos, Theodore R.; Katopodis, Christos; Baumgartner, Lee J.; Thiem, Jason D.; Aarestrup, Kim; Pompeu, Paulo S.; O'Brien, Gordon C.; Braun, Douglas C.; Burnett, Nicholas J.; Zhu, David Z.; Fjeldstad, Hans-Petter; Forseth, Torbjorn; Rajarathnam, Nallamuthu; Williams, John G.; Cooke, Steven J.

2018-01-01

Much effort has been devoted to developing, constructing and refining fish passage facilities to enable target species to pass barriers on fluvial systems, and yet, fishway science, engineering and practice remain imperfect. In this review, 17 experts from different fish passage research fields (i.e., biology, ecology, physiology, ecohydraulics, engineering) and from different continents (i.e., North and South America, Europe, Africa, Australia) identified knowledge gaps and provided a roadmap for research priorities and technical developments. Once dominated by an engineering‐focused approach, fishway science today involves a wide range of disciplines from fish behaviour to socioeconomics to complex modelling of passage prioritization options in river networks. River barrier impacts on fish migration and dispersal are currently better understood than historically, but basic ecological knowledge underpinning the need for effective fish passage in many regions of the world, including in biodiversity hotspots (e.g., equatorial Africa, South‐East Asia), remains largely unknown. Designing efficient fishways, with minimal passage delay and post‐passage impacts, requires adaptive management and continued innovation. While the use of fishways in river restoration demands a transition towards fish passage at the community scale, advances in selective fishways are also needed to manage invasive fish colonization. Because of the erroneous view in some literature and communities of practice that fish passage is largely a proven technology, improved international collaboration, information sharing, method standardization and multidisciplinary training are needed. Further development of regional expertise is needed in South America, Asia and Africa where hydropower dams are currently being planned and constructed.

Is There an Enabling Environment for Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture in South Asia? Stakeholder Perspectives from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

PubMed

van den Bold, Mara; Kohli, Neha; Gillespie, Stuart; Zuberi, Samar; Rajeesh, Sangeetha; Chakraborty, Barnali

2015-06-01

Almost half of all children in South Asia are stunted. Although agriculture has the potential to be a strong driver of undernutrition reduction and serves as the main source of livelihood for over half of South Asia's population, its potential to reduce undernutrition is currently not being realized. The Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia (LANSA) research consortium seeks to understand how agriculture and agrifood systems can be better designed to improve nutrition in South Asia. In 2013 and 2014, LANSA carried out interviews with stakeholders influential in, and/or knowledgeable of, agriculture-nutrition policy in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, to gain a better understanding of the institutional and political factors surrounding the nutrition sensitivity of agriculture in the region. Semistructured interviews were carried out in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan with a total of 56 stakeholders representing international organizations, research, government, civil society, donors, and the private sector. The findings point to mixed perspectives on countries' policy sensitivity toward nutrition. There was consensus among stakeholders on the importance of political commitment to nutrition, improving nutrition literacy, strengthening capacities, and improving the use of financial resources. Although there are different ways in which South Asian agriculture can improve its impact on nutrition, sensitizing key influencers to the importance of nutrition for the health of a country's population appears as a critical issue. This should in turn serve as the premise for political commitment, intersectoral coordination to implement nutrition-relevant policies, adequately resourced nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programs, and sufficient capacities at all levels. © The Author(s) 2015.

46 CFR Sec. 7 - Operation under current GAA/MSTS Southeast Asia Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... provisions of NSA Order 35 (OPR-2) to the particular circumstances of the present GAA/MSTS Southeast Asia... General Agency operations not related to the current GAA/MSTS Southeast Asia Program, NSA Order 35 (OPR-2... lieu of those appearing in sections 3 and 4 of NSA Order 35 (OPR-2). Continental United States ports do...

46 CFR Sec. 7 - Operation under current GAA/MSTS Southeast Asia Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... provisions of NSA Order 35 (OPR-2) to the particular circumstances of the present GAA/MSTS Southeast Asia... General Agency operations not related to the current GAA/MSTS Southeast Asia Program, NSA Order 35 (OPR-2... lieu of those appearing in sections 3 and 4 of NSA Order 35 (OPR-2). Continental United States ports do...

46 CFR Sec. 7 - Operation under current GAA/MSTS Southeast Asia Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... provisions of NSA Order 35 (OPR-2) to the particular circumstances of the present GAA/MSTS Southeast Asia... General Agency operations not related to the current GAA/MSTS Southeast Asia Program, NSA Order 35 (OPR-2... lieu of those appearing in sections 3 and 4 of NSA Order 35 (OPR-2). Continental United States ports do...

46 CFR Sec. 7 - Operation under current GAA/MSTS Southeast Asia Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... provisions of NSA Order 35 (OPR-2) to the particular circumstances of the present GAA/MSTS Southeast Asia... General Agency operations not related to the current GAA/MSTS Southeast Asia Program, NSA Order 35 (OPR-2... lieu of those appearing in sections 3 and 4 of NSA Order 35 (OPR-2). Continental United States ports do...

46 CFR Sec. 7 - Operation under current GAA/MSTS Southeast Asia Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... provisions of NSA Order 35 (OPR-2) to the particular circumstances of the present GAA/MSTS Southeast Asia... General Agency operations not related to the current GAA/MSTS Southeast Asia Program, NSA Order 35 (OPR-2... lieu of those appearing in sections 3 and 4 of NSA Order 35 (OPR-2). Continental United States ports do...

Survey of knowledge and perception on the access to evidence-based practice and clinical practice change among maternal and infant health practitioners in South East Asia.

PubMed

Martis, Ruth; Ho, Jacqueline J; Crowther, Caroline A

2008-08-05

Evidence-based practice (EBP) can provide appropriate care for women and their babies; however implementation of EBP requires health professionals to have access to knowledge, the ability to interpret health care information and then strategies to apply care. The aim of this survey was to assess current knowledge of evidence-based practice, information seeking practices, perceptions and potential enablers and barriers to clinical practice change among maternal and infant health practitioners in South East Asia. Questionnaires about IT access for health information and evidence-based practice were administered during August to December 2005 to health care professionals working at the nine hospitals participating in the South East Asia Optimising Reproductive and Child Health in Developing countries (SEA-ORCHID) project in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and The Philippines. The survey was completed by 660 staff from six health professional groups. Overall, easy IT access for health care information was available to 46% of participants. However, over a fifth reported no IT access was available and over half of nurses and midwives never used IT health information. Evidence-based practice had been heard of by 58% but the majority did not understand the concept. The most frequent sites accessed were Google and PubMed. The Cochrane Library had been heard of by 47% of whom 51% had access although the majority did not use it or used it less than monthly. Only 27% had heard of the WHO Reproductive Health Library and 35% had been involved in a clinical practice change and were able to identify enablers and barriers to change. Only a third of participants had been actively involved in practice change with wide variation between the countries. Willingness to participate in professional development workshops on evidence-based practice was high. This survey has identified the need to improve IT access to health care information and health professionals' knowledge of evidence-based health care to assist in employing evidence base practice effectively.

Survey of knowledge and perception on the access to evidence-based practice and clinical practice change among maternal and infant health practitioners in South East Asia

PubMed Central

Martis, Ruth; Ho, Jacqueline J; Crowther, Caroline A

2008-01-01

Background Evidence-based practice (EBP) can provide appropriate care for women and their babies; however implementation of EBP requires health professionals to have access to knowledge, the ability to interpret health care information and then strategies to apply care. The aim of this survey was to assess current knowledge of evidence-based practice, information seeking practices, perceptions and potential enablers and barriers to clinical practice change among maternal and infant health practitioners in South East Asia. Methods Questionnaires about IT access for health information and evidence-based practice were administered during August to December 2005 to health care professionals working at the nine hospitals participating in the South East Asia Optimising Reproductive and Child Health in Developing countries (SEA-ORCHID) project in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and The Philippines. Results The survey was completed by 660 staff from six health professional groups. Overall, easy IT access for health care information was available to 46% of participants. However, over a fifth reported no IT access was available and over half of nurses and midwives never used IT health information. Evidence-based practice had been heard of by 58% but the majority did not understand the concept. The most frequent sites accessed were Google and PubMed. The Cochrane Library had been heard of by 47% of whom 51% had access although the majority did not use it or used it less than monthly. Only 27% had heard of the WHO Reproductive Health Library and 35% had been involved in a clinical practice change and were able to identify enablers and barriers to change. Only a third of participants had been actively involved in practice change with wide variation between the countries. Willingness to participate in professional development workshops on evidence-based practice was high. Conclusion This survey has identified the need to improve IT access to health care information and health professionals' knowledge of evidence-based health care to assist in employing evidence base practice effectively. PMID:18680603

InCoB2012 Conference: from biological data to knowledge to technological breakthroughs

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Ten years ago when Asia-Pacific Bioinformatics Network held the first International Conference on Bioinformatics (InCoB) in Bangkok its theme was North-South Networking. At that time InCoB aimed to provide biologists and bioinformatics researchers in the Asia-Pacific region a forum to meet, interact with, and disseminate knowledge about the burgeoning field of bioinformatics. Meanwhile InCoB has evolved into a major regional bioinformatics conference that attracts not only talented and established scientists from the region but increasingly also from East Asia, North America and Europe. Since 2006 InCoB yielded 114 articles in BMC Bioinformatics supplement issues that have been cited nearly 1,000 times to date. In part, these developments reflect the success of bioinformatics education and continuous efforts to integrate and utilize bioinformatics in biotechnology and biosciences in the Asia-Pacific region. A cross-section of research leading from biological data to knowledge and to technological applications, the InCoB2012 theme, is introduced in this editorial. Other highlights included sessions organized by the Pan-Asian Pacific Genome Initiative and a Machine Learning in Immunology competition. InCoB2013 is scheduled for September 18-21, 2013 at Suzhou, China. PMID:23281929

International Consultation and Training on Group Work in South Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ibrahim, Farah A.

2015-01-01

This article presents a consultation and training for faculty and graduate students in South Asia under the auspices of the United Nations' Transfer of Knowledge Through Expatriate Nationals (TOKTEN) Program. It describes the development of a consultation relationship and training on group work. Needs assessments focusing on both cultural…

Teacher Education: Crossing the Cultural Borders of Australia and Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salter, Peta

2009-01-01

Becoming "Asia literate" is a pivotal part of the federal government's "Education Revolution". The federal government asserts that "equipping young Australians with the knowledge and skills to communicate and work with our regional neighbours...such skills must be a core element of an Australian school curriculum"…

Molecular characterization of serotype Asia-1 foot-and-mouth disease viruses in Pakistan and Afghanistan; emergence of a new genetic Group and evidence for a novel recombinant virus.

PubMed

Jamal, Syed M; Ferrari, Giancarlo; Ahmed, Safia; Normann, Preben; Belsham, Graham J

2011-12-01

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The FMD virus serotypes O, A and Asia-1 are responsible for the outbreaks in these countries. Diverse strains of FMDV, even within the same serotype, co-circulate. Characterization of the viruses in circulation can facilitate appropriate vaccine selection and tracing of outbreaks. The present study characterized foot-and-mouth disease serotype Asia-1 viruses circulating in Pakistan and Afghanistan during the period 1998-2009. Phylogenetic analysis of FMDV type Asia-1 revealed that three different genetic Groups of serotype Asia-1 have circulated in Pakistan during this time. These are Group-II, -VI and, recently, a novel Group (designated here as Group-VII). This new Group has not been detected in neighbouring Afghanistan during the study period but viruses from Groups I and -II are in circulation there. Using near complete genome sequences, from FMD viruses of serotypes Asia-1 and A that are currently circulating in Pakistan, we have identified an interserotypic recombinant virus, which has the VP2-VP3-VP1-2A coding sequences derived from a Group-VII Asia-1 virus and the remainder of the genome from a serotype A virus of the A-Iran05(AFG-07) sub-lineage. The Asia-1 FMDVs currently circulating in Pakistan and Afghanistan are not efficiently neutralized by antisera raised against the Asia-1/Shamir vaccine strain. Thus, new Asia-1 vaccine strains may be required to block the spread of the current Asia-1 viruses. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Update on Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever

PubMed Central

Appannanavar, Suma B; Mishra, Baijayantimala

2011-01-01

Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is one of the deadly hemorrhagic fevers that are endemic in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. It is a tick-borne zoonotic viral disease caused by CCHF virus of genus Nairovirus (family Bunyaviridae). CCHF not only forms an important public health threat but has a significant effect on the healthcare personnel, especially in resource-poor countries. India was always a potentially endemic area until an outbreak hit parts of Gujarat, taking four lives including the treating medical team. The current review is an attempt to summarize the updated knowledge on the disease particularly in modern era, with special emphasis on nosocomial infections. The knowledge about the disease may help answer certain questions regarding entry of virus in India and future threat to community. PMID:21887063

Emigration dynamics from and within South Asia.

PubMed

Shah, N M

1995-01-01

This review of current knowledge about emigration dynamics from and within South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) opens with a brief history of the three phases of emigration from the area since the 1830s (plantation labor; postindependence to the UK, US, Canada, and Australia; and labor migration to the oil-exporting countries). The influence of the creation of Pakistan and Bangladesh is also covered as are British colonial and commonwealth policies. It is noted that migration data are incomplete and that India exhibits an ambivalence about collecting such information. The discussion then turns to emigration since 1970 and considers permanent migration from South Asia to the traditional receivers; South Asian asylum seekers in Europe; South Asian refugees, illegal migrants, migrant workers (flows and destinations), the stock of contract migrant workers (and their characteristics); returnee migrant workers; and skill levels. Analysis is provided of macro level determinants of emigrations such as gross national product (level and growth), the general demographic and social situation, labor force growth and structure, poverty and inequality, and internal and international migration. Environmental factors causing displacement in Southern Asia include floods, cyclones, river bank erosion, drought, and desertification. Global warming could displace millions of people in the region, and development projects have contributed to displacement. The remainder of the report covers political and ethnic factors, micro-factors influencing migration decision-making, the policies of sending and receiving countries, the consequences of emigration, and the potential for migration in the future.

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…

Design and Usability of Digital Libraries: Case Studies in the Asia Pacific

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Theng, Yin-Leng, Ed.; Foo, Schubert, Ed.

2005-01-01

This book showcases some of the best digital library practices from organizations in the Asia Pacific. Particular emphasis has been placed on the design, use and usability of digital libraries. Not only are digital libraries examined, but related technologies, the management of knowledge in digital libraries, and the associated usability and…

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

Interactions between biomass-burning aerosols and clouds over Southeast Asia: current status, challenges, and perspectives.

PubMed

Lin, Neng-Huei; Sayer, Andrew M; Wang, Sheng-Hsiang; Loftus, Adrian M; Hsiao, Ta-Chih; Sheu, Guey-Rong; Hsu, N Christina; Tsay, Si-Chee; Chantara, Somporn

2014-12-01

The interactions between aerosols, clouds, and precipitation remain among the largest sources of uncertainty in the Earth's energy budget. Biomass-burning aerosols are a key feature of the global aerosol system, with significant annually-repeating fires in several parts of the world, including Southeast Asia (SEA). SEA in particular provides a "natural laboratory" for these studies, as smoke travels from source regions downwind in which it is coupled to persistent stratocumulus decks. However, SEA has been under-exploited for these studies. This review summarizes previous related field campaigns in SEA, with a focus on the ongoing Seven South East Asian Studies (7-SEAS) and results from the most recent BASELInE deployment. Progress from remote sensing and modeling studies, along with the challenges faced for these studies, are also discussed. We suggest that improvements to our knowledge of these aerosol/cloud effects require the synergistic use of field measurements with remote sensing and modeling tools. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical characteristics and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease: A comparison of Eastern and Western perspectives

PubMed Central

Park, Soo Jung; Kim, Won Ho; Cheon, Jae Hee

2014-01-01

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, relapsing intestinal inflammatory disorder with unidentified causes. Both environmental factors and genetic aspects are believed to be crucial to the pathogenesis of IBD. The incidence and prevalence of IBD have recently been increasing throughout Asia, presumably secondary to environmental changes. This increasing trend in IBD epidemiology necessitates specific health care planning and education in Asia. To this end, we must gain a precise understanding of the distinctive clinical and therapeutic characteristics of Asian patients with IBD. The phenotypes of IBD reportedly differ considerably between Asians and Caucasians. Thus, use of the same management strategies for these different populations may not be appropriate. Moreover, investigation of the Asian-specific clinical aspects of IBD offers the possibility of identifying causative factors in the pathogenesis of IBD in this geographical area. Accordingly, this review summarizes current knowledge of the phenotypic manifestations and management practices of patients with IBD, with a special focus on a comparison of Eastern and Western perspectives. PMID:25206259

The Need for More Earthquake Science in Southeast Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sieh, K.

2015-12-01

Many regions within SE Asia have as great a density of active seismic structures as does the western US - Sumatra, Myanmar, Bangladesh, New Guinea and the Philippines come first to mind. Much of Earth's release of seismic energy in the current millennium has, in fact, come from these regions, with great losses of life and livelihoods. Unfortunately, the scientific progress upon which seismic-risk reduction in SE Asia ultimately depends has been and continues to be slow. Last year at AGU, for example, I counted 57 talks about the M6 Napa earthquake. In contrast, I can't recall hearing any talk on a SE Asian M6 earthquake at any venue in the past many years. In fact, even M7+ earthquakes often go unstudied. Not uncommonly, the region's earthquake scientists face high financial and political impediments to conducting earthquake research. Their slow speed in the development of scientific knowledge doesn't bode well for speedy progress in the science of seismic hazards, the sine qua non for substantially reducing seismic risk. There are two basic necessities for the region to evolve significantly from the current state of affairs. Both involve the development of regional infrastructure: 1) Data: Robust and accessible geophysical monitoring systems would need to be installed, maintained and utilized by the region's earth scientists and their results shared internationally. Concomitantly, geological mapping (sensu lato) would need to be undertaken. 2) People: The training, employment, and enduring support of a new, young, international corps of earth scientists would need to accelerate markedly. The United States could play an important role in achieving the goal of significant seismic risk reduction in the most seismically active countries of SE Asia by taking the lead in establishing a coalition to robustly fund a multi-decadal program that supports scientists and their research institutions to work alongside local expertise.

Early human impact in the forest ecotone of southern High Asia (Hindu Kush, Himalaya)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miehe, Georg; Miehe, Sabine; Schlütz, Frank

2009-05-01

The vegetation of the treeline ecotone of the southern declivity of arid High Asia (Hindu Kush, northern areas of Pakistan; Himalaya, northern central Nepal) is dominated by hedgehog-like open dwarf shrublands of thorny cushions. Since climatically sensitive ecotones are always also sensitive to human impact, the question arises whether the current lack of forests is a result of the Subboreal climate decline or of human impact. Due to inadequate knowledge of the pollen flora and of ecological indicator values of the plants, pollen analyses in High Asia have mainly been limited to the regional verification of globally known climatic impulses. However, the role of human impact on regional vegetation patterns has been widely neglected. We postulate that today's open dwarf shrublands replace woodlands and forests. Isolated vigorous juniper trees and successful reforestation appear to confirm our hypothesis. An abrupt decline of Pinus forests before 5700 and 5400 ka cal yr BP can be demonstrated. As the first indicator pollen of human impact appeared at both sites synchronous with the forest pollen decline, we infer human impact to be a more decisive cause for this environment change superimposing the effects of a climatic deterioration. The forests were displaced by open dwarf shrublands.

Assessing Strengths and Weaknesses of Teacher Knowledge in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Western Countries: Differential Item Functioning in TEDS-M

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blömeke, Sigrid; Suhl, Ute; Döhrmann, Martina

2013-01-01

The "Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics" assessed the knowledge of primary and lower-secondary teachers at the end of their training. The large-scale assessment represented the common denominator of what constitutes mathematics content knowledge and mathematics pedagogical content knowledge in the 16 participating…

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…

Questing for Internationalization of Universities in Asia: Critical Reflections

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mok, Ka Ho

2007-01-01

Globalization and the evolution of the knowledge-based economy have caused dramatic changes to the character and functions of higher education in most countries around the world. One major trend related to reforming and restructuring universities in Asia that has emerged is the adoption of strategies along the lines of the Anglo-Saxon paradigm in…

Asia: A Guide to Basic Books.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Embree, Ainslie T., Comp.; And Others

Three hundred and sixteen books dating from 1915 to 1966 with the majority published in the 1950s and 1960s are listed in this annotated bibliography. The purpose of the guide is to identify basic books on Asia which are especially useful for teachers, mature students, and adults who want to increase their knowledge and understanding of Asian…

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…

Formulating a Research Agenda in School Leadership and Organisational Change for School Improvement in Singapore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dimmock, Clive

2011-01-01

This paper argues that it is timely for educational researchers in Asia, and Singapore in particular, to generate cultural- and empirical-knowledge bases in school leadership that will speak to the specific interests of Asian students, educators and practitioners. As economic and social development across Asia gathers momentum, the more advanced…

An enquiry based on a standardised questionnaire into knowledge, awareness and preferences concerning the care of familial hypercholesterolaemia among primary care physicians in the Asia-Pacific region: the “Ten Countries Study”

PubMed Central

Pang, Jing; Hu, Miao; Lin, Jie; Miida, Takashi; Nawawi, Hapizah M; Park, Jeong Euy; Wu, Xue; Ramli, Anis S; Kim, Ngoc Thanh; Kwok, See; Gonzalez-Santos, Lourdes E; Su, Ta-Chen; Truong, Thanh Huong; Soran, Handrean; Yamashita, Shizuya; Tomlinson, Brian; Watts, Gerald F

2017-01-01

Objective To determine physicians’ knowledge, awareness and preferences regarding the care of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) in the Asia-Pacific region. Setting A formal questionnaire was anonymously completed by physicians from different countries/regions in the Asia-Pacific. The survey sought responses relating to general familiarity, awareness of management guidelines, identification (clinical characteristics and lipid profile), prevalence and inheritance, extent of elevation in risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and practice on screening and treatment. Participants Practising community physicians from Australia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Philippines, Hong Kong, China, Vietnam and Taiwan were recruited to complete the questionnaire, with the UK as the international benchmark. Primary outcome An assessment and comparison of the knowledge, awareness and preferences of FH among physicians in 10 different countries/regions. Results 1078 physicians completed the questionnaire from the Asia-Pacific region; only 34% considered themselves to be familiar with FH. 72% correctly described FH and 65% identified the typical lipid profile, with a higher proportion of physicians from Japan and China selecting the correct FH definition and lipid profile compared with those from Vietnam and Philippines. However, less than half of the physician were aware of national or international management guidelines; this was significantly worse than physicians from the UK (35% vs 61%, p<0.001). Knowledge of prevalence (24%), inheritability (41%) and CVD risk (9%) of FH were also suboptimal. The majority of the physicians considered laboratory interpretative commenting as being useful (81%) and statin therapy as an appropriate cholesterol-lowering therapy (89%) for FH management. Conclusions The study identified important gaps, which are readily addressable, in the awareness and knowledge of FH among physicians in the region. Implementation of country-specific guidelines and extensive work in FH education and awareness programmes are imperative to improve the care of FH in the region. PMID:29074516

Current practices of Asia-Pacific cardiologists in the utilization of bioresorbable scaffolds.

PubMed

Chanana, B B; Chandra, Praveen; Cheng, Jack Jun; Dick, Ron; Gwon, Hyeon-Cheol; Hiremath, M S; Huan, Do Quang; Jeamanukoolkit, Anuruck; Jiang, Tiemin; Kwok, On-Hing; Lim, Michael C L; Low, Adrian F; Mathew, Rony; Mathew, Samuel K; McClean, Dougal; Nakamura, Sunao; Nguyen, Michael; Qiao, Shubin; Santoso, Teguh; Saxena, Sudheer; Schultz, Carl; Sengottuvelu, G; Seth, Ashok; Simonton, Charles A; Soo, Chee Siong; Sudhir, Krishnankutty; Tsai, Cheng-Ting; Wasan, Udayachalerm; Whelan, Alan; Wong, Chris; Yap, Yee Guan

2016-11-01

Although Absorb Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffolds (A-BVS) are routinely used in the Asia-Pacific, there is little information on patient selection or deployment technique here. This document investigates the experiences of leading interventional cardiologists from the Asia-Pacific region with a focus on patient characteristics, deployment techniques and management. A detailed questionnaire was distributed to 28 highly-experienced interventional cardiologists ('Authors') from 13 Asia-Pacific countries. The results were discussed at a meeting on patient selection, technical consideration, deployment practices and patient management. Potential patient benefits of Absorb compared to metallic DES, the learning curve for patient selection and preparation, device deployment, and subsequent patient management approaches are presented. Current practices are derived from guidelines optimized for European patients. Differences in approach exist in the Asia-Pacific context, including limited access to imaging and frequency of occurrence of complex lesions. Nevertheless, the use of the Absorb BVS ('Absorb') in certain Asia-Pacific countries has flourished and practices here are continuing to mature. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Looking back to move forward: a twenty-year audit of herpes zoster in Asia-Pacific.

PubMed

Chen, Liang-Kung; Arai, Hidenori; Chen, Liang-Yu; Chou, Ming-Yueh; Djauzi, Samsuridjal; Dong, Birong; Kojima, Taro; Kwon, Ki Tae; Leong, Hoe Nam; Leung, Edward M F; Liang, Chih-Kuang; Liu, Xiaohong; Mathai, Dilip; Pan, Jiun Yit; Peng, Li-Ning; Poblete, Eduardo Rommel S; Poi, Philip J H; Reid, Stewart; Tantawichien, Terapong; Won, Chang Won

2017-03-15

Herpes zoster (HZ) is a prevalent viral disease that inflicts substantial morbidity and associated healthcare and socioeconomic burdens. Current treatments are not fully effective, especially among the most vulnerable patients. Although widely recommended, vaccination against HZ is not routine; barriers in Asia-Pacific include long-standing neglect of adult immunisation and sparse local data. To address knowledge gaps, raise awareness, and disseminate best practice, we reviewed recent data and guidelines on HZ from the Asia-Pacific region. We searched PubMed, Scopus, and World Health Organization databases for articles about HZ published from 1994 to 2014 by authors from Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. We selected articles about epidemiology, burden, complications, comorbidities, management, prevention, and recommendations/guidelines. Internet searches retrieved additional HZ immunisation guidelines. From 4007 retrieved articles, we screened-out 1501 duplicates and excluded 1264 extraneous articles, leaving 1242 unique articles. We found guidelines on adult immunisation from Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. HZ epidemiology in Asia-Pacific is similar to elsewhere; incidence rises with age and peaks at around 70 years - lifetime risk is approximately one-third. Average incidence of 3-10/1000 person-years is rising at around 5% per year. The principal risk factors are immunosenescence and immunosuppression. HZ almost always causes pain, and post-herpetic neuralgia is its most common complication. Half or more of hospitalised HZ patients have post-herpetic neuralgia, secondary infections, or inflammatory sequelae that are occasionally fatal. These disease burdens severely diminish patients' quality of life and incur heavy healthcare utilisation. Several countries have abundant data on HZ, but others, especially in South-East Asia, very few. However, Asia-Pacific countries generally lack data on HZ vaccine safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness. Physicians treating HZ and its complications in Asia-Pacific face familiar challenges but, with a vast aged population, Asia bears a unique and growing burden of disease. Given the strong rationale for prevention, most adult immunisation guidelines include HZ vaccine, yet it remains underused. We urge all stakeholders to give higher priority to adult immunisation in general and HZ in particular.

Megacities in the Asia/Pacific Region: Focusing on Their Environmental Impact.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mukai, Gary; Kim, Pearl; Li, Alan; Chenette, Sara

This curriculum unit explains that currently Asia has 9 of the world's 14 megacities (a city with a population of 10 million people or more) and that by the year 2015 there will be 27 megacities with 17 of them in Asia. The unit introduces students to several megacities in Asia and uses these cities as examples for understanding the ecological…

Non-Formal Education in Asia and the Pacific. An Overview. Asian Programme of Educational Innovation for Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duke, Chris; Vorapipatana, Kowit

Formal education has traditionally played the conservative role of transmitting values, culture, skills, and knowledge from one generation to the next. Its role has become dysfunctional in societies such as those in Asia and the Pacific that are characterized by rapid change. In societies such as these, the need now is for education for…

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 adolescents and report age-disaggregated data for some indicators. Further research is required to better understand the barriers that both married and unmarried adolescents face accessing reproductive health information and services, and their information and service delivery preferences. PMID:21545708

Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis in the Indian subcontinent: A threat to the South-East Asia Region Kala-azar Elimination Programme.

PubMed Central

Zijlstra, Eduard E.; Alves, Fabiana; Rijal, Suman; Arana, Byron; Alvar, Jorge

2017-01-01

Background The South-East Asia Region Kala-azar Elimination Programme (KAEP) is expected to enter the consolidation phase in 2017, which focuses on case detection, vector control, and identifying potential sources of infection. Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is thought to play a role in the recurrence of visceral leishmaniasis (VL)/kala-azar outbreaks, and control of PKDL is among the priorities of the KAEP. Methodology and principal finding We reviewed the literature with regard to PKDL in Asia and interpreted the findings in relation to current intervention methods in the KAEP in order to make recommendations. There is a considerable knowledge gap regarding the pathophysiology of VL and PKDL, especially the underlying immune responses. Risk factors (of which previous VL treatments may be most important) are poorly understood and need to be better defined. The role of PKDL patients in transmission is largely unknown, and there is insufficient information about the importance of duration, distribution and severity of the rash, time of onset, and self-healing. Current intervention methods focus on active case detection and treatment of all PKDL cases with miltefosine while there is increasing drug resistance. The prevention of PKDL by improved VL treatment currently receives insufficient attention. Conclusion and significance PKDL is a heterogeneous and dynamic condition, and patients differ with regard to time of onset after VL, chronicity, and distribution and appearance of the rash, as well as immune responses (including tendency to self-heal), all of which may vary over time. It is essential to fully describe the pathophysiology in order to make informed decisions on the most cost-effective approach. Emphasis should be on early detection of those who contribute to transmission and those who are in need of treatment, for whom short-course, effective, and safe drug regimens should be available. The prevention of PKDL should be emphasised by innovative and improved treatment for VL, which may include immunomodulation. PMID:29145397

Karaoke and Interpersonal Communication in East Asia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ma, Ringo

An exploratory study investigated the interpersonal meaning of karaoke to its participants in East Asia. Current research suggests that the popularity of karaoke in East Asia is associated with the cultural value of harmony and the indirect mode of communication in this region. Subjects, 51 East Asian undergraduate-level students who had…

International trends in solid-state lighting : analyses of the article and patent literature.

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

Tsao, Jeffrey Yeenien; Huey, Mark C.; Boyack, Kevin W.

We present an analysis of the literature of solid-state lighting, based on a comprehensive dataset of 35,851 English-language articles and 12,420 U.S. patents published or issued during the years 1977-2004 in the foundational knowledge domain of electroluminescent materials and phenomena. The dataset was created using a complex, iteratively developed search string. The records in the dataset were then partitioned according to: whether they are articles or patents, their publication or issue date, their national or continental origin, whether the active electroluminescent material was inorganic or organic, and which of a number of emergent knowledge sub-domains they aggregate into on themore » basis of bibliographic coupling. From these partitionings, we performed a number of analyses, including: identification of knowledge sub-domains of historical and recent importance, and trends over time of the contributions of various nations and continents to the knowledge domain and its sub-domains. Among the key results: (1) The knowledge domain as a whole has been growing quickly: the average growth rates of the inorganic and organic knowledge sub-domains have been 8%/yr and 25%/yr, respectively, compared to average growth rates less than 5%/yr for English-language articles and U.S. patents in other knowledge domains. The growth rate of the organic knowledge sub-domain is so high that its historical dominance by the inorganic knowledge sub-domain will, at current trajectories, be reversed in the coming decade. (2) Amongst nations, the U.S. is the largest contributor to the overall knowledge domain, but Japan is on a trajectory to become the largest contributor within the coming half-decade. Amongst continents, Asia became the largest contributor during the past half-decade, overwhelmingly so for the organic knowledge sub-domain. (3) The relative contributions to the article and patent datasets differ for the major continents: North America contributing relatively more patents, Europe contributing relatively more articles, and Asia contributing in a more balanced fashion. (4) For the article dataset, the nations that contribute most in quantity also contribute most in breadth, while the nations that contribute less in quantity concentrate their contributions in particular knowledge sub-domains. For the patent dataset, North America and Europe tend to contribute improvements in end-use applications (e.g., in sensing, phototherapy and communications), while Asia tends to contribute improvements at the materials and chip levels. (5) The knowledge sub-domains that emerge from aggregations based on bibliographic coupling are roughly organized, for articles, by the degree of localization of electrons and holes in the material or phenomenon of interest, and for patents, according to both their emphasis on chips, systems or applications, and their emphasis on organic or inorganic materials. (6) The six 'hottest' topics in the article dataset are: spintronics, AlGaN UV LEDs, nanowires, nanophosphors, polyfluorenes and electrophosphorescence. The nine 'hottest' topics in the patent dataset are: OLED encapsulation, active-matrix displays, multicolor OLEDs, thermal transfer for OLED fabrication, ink-jet printed OLEDs, phosphor-converted LEDs, ornamental LED packages, photocuring and phototherapy, and LED retrofitting lamps. A significant caution in interpreting these results is that they are based on English-language articles and U.S. patents, and hence will tend to over-represent the strength of English-speaking nations (particularly the U.S.), and under-represent the strength of non-English-speaking nations (particularly China).« less

A Report on Ten Asia Pacific Countries on Current Status and Future Directions of the Genetic Counseling Profession: The Establishment of the Professional Society of Genetic Counselors in Asia.

PubMed

Laurino, Mercy Y; Leppig, Kathleen A; Abad, Peter James; Cham, Breana; Chu, Yoyo Wing Yiu; Kejriwal, Saahil; Lee, Juliana M H; Sternen, Darci L; Thompson, Jennifer K; Burgess, Matthew J; Chien, Shu; Elackatt, Niby; Lim, Jiin Ying; Sura, Thanyachai; Faradz, Sultana; Padilla, Carmencita; Paz, Eva Cutiongco de-la; Nauphar, Donny; Nguyen, Khanh Ngoc; Zayts, Olya; Vu, Dung Chi; Thong, Meow-Keong

2018-02-01

The Professional Society of Genetic Counselors in Asia (PSGCA) was recently established as a special interest group of the Asia Pacific Society of Human Genetics. Fostering partnerships across the globe, the PSGCA's vision is to be the lead organization that advances and mainstreams the genetic counseling profession in Asia and ensures individuals have access to genetic counseling services. Its mission is to promote quality genetic counseling services in the region by enhancing practice and curricular standards, research and continuing education. The PSGCA was formally launched during the Genetic Counseling Pre-Conference Workshop held at the 11th Asia-Pacific Conference on Human Genetics in Hanoi, Viet Nam, September 16, 2015. The pre-conference workshop provided an opportunity for medical geneticists and genetic counselors from across 10 Asia Pacific countries to learn about the varied genetic counseling practices and strategies for genetic counseling training. This paper provides an overview of the current status and challenges in these countries, and proposed course of unified actions for the future of the genetic counseling profession.

Applied modern biotechnology for cultivation of Ganoderma and development of their products.

PubMed

Zhou, Xuan-Wei; Su, Kai-Qi; Zhang, Yong-Ming

2012-02-01

A white-rot basidiomycete Ganoderma spp. has long been used as a medicinal mushroom in Asia, and it has an array of pharmacological properties for immunomodulatory activity. There have been many reports about the bioactive components and their pharmacological properties. In order to analyze the current status of Ganoderma products, the detailed process of cultivation of Ganoderma spp. and development of their products are restated in this review article. These include the breeding, cultivating, extracting bioactive component, and processing Ganoderma products, etc. This article will expand people's common knowledge on Ganoderma, and provide a beneficial reference for research and industrial production.

Higher Education Governance in Crisis: A Critical Reflection on the Massification of Higher Education, Graduate Employment and Social Mobility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mok, Ka Ho; Neubauer, Deane

2016-01-01

In the last few decades, higher education expansion is becoming increasingly a growing trend in the Asia and Pacific region. With strong conviction to produce more people better equipped with knowledge and skills for coping with the challenges of the globalizing economy, many governments in the Asia and Pacific region have increased higher…

Impact of Multi-Media Tutorials in a Computer Science Laboratory Course--An Empirical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalal, Medha

2014-01-01

Higher education institutes of North America, Europe and far-east Asia have been leveraging the advances in ICT for quite some time. However, research based knowledge on the use of ICT in the higher education institutes of central and south-east Asia is still not readily available. The study presented in this paper explores a variant of teaching…

Higher Education Transformations for Global Competitiveness: Policy Responses, Social Consequences and Impact on the Academic Profession in Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mok, Ka Ho

2015-01-01

Since the mid-1990s, the pressure of globalization and the pressing demands of a knowledge economy led to a series of educational reforms. The focus of these was the promotion of quality education and massification of higher education. After the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the governments in different parts of Asia have implemented…

Putting the World into Our Classrooms: A New Vision for 21st Century Education. PPI Policy Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levine, Michael H.

2005-01-01

With some notable exceptions, public schools are doing a woeful job of teaching students about the world outside America's borders. For example, surveys conducted by the Asia Society and the National Geographic Society show a huge gap in most students' knowledge about the growing importance of Asia and other world regions to the nation's economic…

Cassava virus diseases: biology, epidemiology, and management.

PubMed

Legg, James P; Lava Kumar, P; Makeshkumar, T; Tripathi, Leena; Ferguson, Morag; Kanju, Edward; Ntawuruhunga, Pheneas; Cuellar, Wilmer

2015-01-01

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz.) is the most important vegetatively propagated food staple in Africa and a prominent industrial crop in Latin America and Asia. Its vegetative propagation through stem cuttings has many advantages, but deleteriously it means that pathogens are passed from one generation to the next and can easily accumulate, threatening cassava production. Cassava-growing continents are characterized by specific suites of viruses that affect cassava and pose particular threats. Of major concern, causing large and increasing economic impact in Africa and Asia are the cassava mosaic geminiviruses that cause cassava mosaic disease in Africa and Asia and cassava brown streak viruses causing cassava brown streak disease in Africa. Latin America, the center of origin and domestication of the crop, hosts a diverse set of virus species, of which the most economically important give rise to cassava frog skin disease syndrome. Here, we review current knowledge on the biology, epidemiology, and control of the most economically important groups of viruses in relation to both farming and cultural practices. Components of virus control strategies examined include: diagnostics and surveillance, prevention and control of infection using phytosanitation, and control of disease through the breeding and promotion of varieties that inhibit virus replication and/or movement. We highlight areas that need further research attention and conclude by examining the likely future global outlook for virus disease management in cassava. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Status of indoor air pollution (IAP) through particulate matter (PM) emissions and associated health concerns in South Asia.

PubMed

Junaid, Muhammad; Syed, Jabir Hussain; Abbasi, Naeem Akhtar; Hashmi, Muhammad Zaffar; Malik, Riffat Naseem; Pei, De-Sheng

2018-01-01

Exposure to particulate emissions poses a variety of public health concerns worldwide, specifically in developing countries. This review summarized the documented studies on indoor particulate matter (PM) emissions and their major health concerns in South Asia. Reviewed literature illustrated the alarming levels of indoor air pollution (IAP) in India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh, while Sri Lanka and Bhutan are confronted with relatively lower levels, albeit not safe. To our knowledge, data on this issue are absent from Afghanistan and Maldives. We found that the reported levels of PM 10 and PM 2.5 in Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India were 2-65, 3-30, 4-22, 2-28 and 1-139, 2-180, 3-77, 1-40 fold higher than WHO standards for indoor PM 10 (50 μg/m 3 ) and PM 2.5 (25 μg/m 3 ), respectively. Regarding IAP-mediated health concerns, mortality rates and incidences of respiratory and non-respiratory diseases were increasing with alarming rates, specifically in India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. The major cause might be the reliance of approximately 80% population on conventional biomass burning in the region. Current review also highlighted the prospects of IAP reduction strategies, which in future can help to improve the status of indoor air quality and public health in South Asia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introduction: revisiting the "negrito" hypothesis: a transdisciplinary approach to human prehistory in southeast Asia.

PubMed

Endicott, Phillip

2013-01-01

The "negrito" hypothesis predicts that a shared phenotype among various contemporary groups of hunter-gatherers in Southeast Asia--dark skin, short stature, tight curly hair--is due to common descent from a region-wide, pre-Neolithic substrate of humanity. The alternative is that their distinctive phenotype results from convergent evolution. The core issues of the negrito hypothesis are today more relevant than ever to studies of human evolution, including the out-of-Africa migration, admixture with Denisovans, and the effects of environment and ecology on life-history traits. Understanding the current distribution of the negrito phenotype dictates a wide-ranging remit for study, including the articulation of the relationship between foragers and farmers in the present, the development of settled agriculture in the mid-Holocene, and terminal Pleistocene population expansions. The consensus reached by the contributors to this special double issue of Human Biology is that there is not yet conclusive evidence either for or against the negrito hypothesis. Nevertheless, the process of revisiting the problem will benefit the knowledge of the human prehistory of Southeast Asia. Whether the term negrito accurately reflects the all-encompassing nature of the resulting inquiry is in itself questionable, but the publication of this double issue is testament to the enduring ability of this hypothesis to unite disparate academic disciplines in a common purpose. Copyright © 2013 Wayne State University Press, Detroit, Michigan 48201-1309.

Piracy in the Horn of Africa: A Comparative Study with Southeast Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

Federal 2 Graham Gerard Ong-Webb, Piracy in Maritime Asia: Current Trends, ed. Peter Lehr (Routledge: New York, 2007), 55. 3 Catherine Zara ... Zara Raymond (Singapore: Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, 2005), 61. 46 ICC International Maritime Bureau, Piracy and Armed Robbery against...Southeast Asia.” In The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: Maritime Security in the Asia-Pacific, edited by Joshua Ho and Catherine Zara Raymond, 61

Defining "Native Speaker" in Multilingual Settings: English as a Native Language in Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen Edwards, Jette G.

2017-01-01

The current study examines how and why speakers of English from multilingual contexts in Asia are identifying as native speakers of English. Eighteen participants from different contexts in Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, India, Taiwan, and The Philippines, who self-identified as native speakers of English participated in hour-long interviews…

The carnivorous syndrome in Nepenthes pitcher plants: current state of knowledge and potential future directions.

PubMed

Moran, Jonathan A; Clarke, Charles M

2010-06-01

Nepenthes is the largest genus of pitcher plants, with its centre of diversity in SE Asia. The plants grow in substrates that are deficient in N and offset this deficiency by trapping animal prey, primarily arthropods. Recent research has provided new insights into the function of the pitchers, particularly with regard to prey tapping and retention. Species examined to date use combinations of wettable peristomes, wax layers and viscoelastic fluid to trap and retain prey. In many respects, this has redefined our understanding of the functioning of Nepenthes pitchers. In addition, recent research has shown that several Nepenthes species target specific groups of prey animals, or are even evolving away from a strictly carnivorous mode of operation. Future research into nutrient sequestration strategies and mechanisms of prey attraction would no doubt further enhance our knowledge of the ecology of this remarkable genus.

The Asia Pacific Association for Medical Informatics (APAMI) and World Organisation of Family Doctors (WONCA) Consortium on General and Family Practice Informatics--a statement of intent.

PubMed

Liaw, S T; Kidd, M; Cesnik, B; Lun, K C; Goh, L G; Yoo, T; Wun, Y T

1998-01-01

This paper describes the establishment of a consortium to advance health and medical informatics in general/family practice in the Asia Pacific Region. The objectives, current activities currently taking place in the region and key activities planned will be outlined.

Autism Spectrum disorders (ASD) in South Asia: a systematic review.

PubMed

Hossain, Mohammad Didar; Ahmed, Helal Uddin; Jalal Uddin, M M; Chowdhury, Waziul Alam; Iqbal, Mohd S; Kabir, Razin Iqbal; Chowdhury, Imran Ahmed; Aftab, Afzal; Datta, Pran Gopal; Rabbani, Golam; Hossain, Saima Wazed; Sarker, Malabika

2017-08-01

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of complex neurodevelopmental disorders. The prevalence of ASD in many South Asian countries is still unknown. The aim of this study was to systematically review available epidemiological studies of ASD in this region to identify gaps in our current knowledge. We searched, collected and evaluated articles published between January 1962 and July 2016 which reported the prevalence of ASD in eight South Asian countries. The search was conducted in line with the PRISMA guidelines. We identified six articles from Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka which met our predefined inclusion criteria. The reported prevalence of ASD in South Asia ranged from 0.09% in India to 1.07% in Sri Lanka that indicates up to one in 93 children have ASD in this region. Alarmingly high prevalence (3%) was reported in Dhaka city. Study sample sizes ranged from 374 in Sri Lanka to 18,480 in India. The age range varied between 1 and 30 years. No studies were found which reported the prevalence of ASD in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan. This review identifies methodological differences in case definition, screening instruments and diagnostic criteria among reported three countries which make it very difficult to compare the studies. Our study is an attempt at understanding the scale of the problem and scarcity of information regarding ASD in the South Asia. This study will contribute to the evidence base needed to design further research and make policy decisions on addressing this issue in this region. Knowing the prevalence of ASD in South Asia is vital to ensure the effective allocation of resources and services.

Tissue banking in Asia Pacific region: past, present and future.

PubMed

Nather, Aziz; Mandy, Foong Shi Yun; Ning, Tan; Kaiying, Wang

2018-04-25

Tissue banking in the Asia Pacific regions is driven by two main forces-firstly the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) via Regional Co-operative Agreement projects and secondly by the Asia Pacific Association of Surgical Tissue Banking (APASTB). This overview is written in three sections: (1) History of tissue banking in individual country in the region. (2) History of APASTB. (3) History of IAEA programme in Asia Pacific region. The current status and future of the tissue banking programme in the region will be discussed.

An enquiry based on a standardised questionnaire into knowledge, awareness and preferences concerning the care of familial hypercholesterolaemia among primary care physicians in the Asia-Pacific region: the "Ten Countries Study".

PubMed

Pang, Jing; Hu, Miao; Lin, Jie; Miida, Takashi; Nawawi, Hapizah M; Park, Jeong Euy; Wu, Xue; Ramli, Anis S; Kim, Ngoc Thanh; Kwok, See; Gonzalez-Santos, Lourdes E; Su, Ta-Chen; Truong, Thanh Huong; Soran, Handrean; Yamashita, Shizuya; Tomlinson, Brian; Watts, Gerald F

2017-10-25

To determine physicians' knowledge, awareness and preferences regarding the care of familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) in the Asia-Pacific region. A formal questionnaire was anonymously completed by physicians from different countries/regions in the Asia-Pacific. The survey sought responses relating to general familiarity, awareness of management guidelines, identification (clinical characteristics and lipid profile), prevalence and inheritance, extent of elevation in risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and practice on screening and treatment. Practising community physicians from Australia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Philippines, Hong Kong, China, Vietnam and Taiwan were recruited to complete the questionnaire, with the UK as the international benchmark. An assessment and comparison of the knowledge, awareness and preferences of FH among physicians in 10 different countries/regions. 1078 physicians completed the questionnaire from the Asia-Pacific region; only 34% considered themselves to be familiar with FH. 72% correctly described FH and 65% identified the typical lipid profile, with a higher proportion of physicians from Japan and China selecting the correct FH definition and lipid profile compared with those from Vietnam and Philippines. However, less than half of the physician were aware of national or international management guidelines; this was significantly worse than physicians from the UK (35% vs 61%, p<0.001). Knowledge of prevalence (24%), inheritability (41%) and CVD risk (9%) of FH were also suboptimal. The majority of the physicians considered laboratory interpretative commenting as being useful (81%) and statin therapy as an appropriate cholesterol-lowering therapy (89%) for FH management. The study identified important gaps, which are readily addressable, in the awareness and knowledge of FH among physicians in the region. Implementation of country-specific guidelines and extensive work in FH education and awareness programmes are imperative to improve the care of FH in the region. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Inferring human history in East Asia from Y chromosomes.

PubMed

Wang, Chuan-Chao; Li, Hui

2013-06-03

East Asia harbors substantial genetic, physical, cultural and linguistic diversity, but the detailed structures and interrelationships of those aspects remain enigmatic. This question has begun to be addressed by a rapid accumulation of molecular anthropological studies of the populations in and around East Asia, especially by Y chromosome studies. The current Y chromosome evidence suggests multiple early migrations of modern humans from Africa via Southeast Asia to East Asia. After the initial settlements, the northward migrations during the Paleolithic Age shaped the genetic structure in East Asia. Subsequently, recent admixtures between Central Asian immigrants and northern East Asians enlarged the genetic divergence between southern and northern East Asia populations. Cultural practices, such as languages, agriculture, military affairs and social prestige, also have impacts on the genetic patterns in East Asia. Furthermore, application of Y chromosome analyses in the family genealogy studies offers successful showcases of the utility of genetics in studying the ancient history.

Inferring human history in East Asia from Y chromosomes

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

East Asia harbors substantial genetic, physical, cultural and linguistic diversity, but the detailed structures and interrelationships of those aspects remain enigmatic. This question has begun to be addressed by a rapid accumulation of molecular anthropological studies of the populations in and around East Asia, especially by Y chromosome studies. The current Y chromosome evidence suggests multiple early migrations of modern humans from Africa via Southeast Asia to East Asia. After the initial settlements, the northward migrations during the Paleolithic Age shaped the genetic structure in East Asia. Subsequently, recent admixtures between Central Asian immigrants and northern East Asians enlarged the genetic divergence between southern and northern East Asia populations. Cultural practices, such as languages, agriculture, military affairs and social prestige, also have impacts on the genetic patterns in East Asia. Furthermore, application of Y chromosome analyses in the family genealogy studies offers successful showcases of the utility of genetics in studying the ancient history. PMID:23731529

Insecticide resistance status in the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci genetic groups Asia-I, Asia-II-1 and Asia-II-7 on the Indian subcontinent

PubMed Central

Naveen, N. C.; Chaubey, Rahul; Kumar, Dinesh; Rebijith, K. B.; Rajagopal, Raman; Subrahmanyam, B.; Subramanian, S.

2017-01-01

The present study is a summary of the current level of the insecticide resistance to selected organophosphates, pyrethroids, and neonicotinoids in seven Indian field populations of Bemisia tabaci genetic groups Asia-I, Asia-II-1, and Asia-II-7. Susceptibility of these populations was varied with Asia-II-7 being the most susceptible, while Asia-I and Asia-II-1 populations were showing significant resistance to these insecticides. The variability of the LC50 values was 7x for imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, 5x for monocrotophos and 3x for cypermethrin among the Asia-I, while, they were 7x for cypermethrin, 6x for deltamethrin and 5x for imidacloprid within the Asia-II-1 populations. When compared with the most susceptible, PUSA population (Asia-II-7), a substantial increase in resistant ratios was observed in both the populations of Asia-I and Asia-II-1. Comparative analysis during 2010–13 revealed a decline in susceptibility in Asia-I and Asia-II-1 populations of B. tabaci to the tested organophosphate, pyrethroid, and neonicotinoid insecticides. Evidence of potential control failure was detected using probit analysis estimates for cypermethrin, deltamethrin, monocrotophos and imidacloprid. Our results update resistance status of B. tabaci in India. The implications of insecticide resistance management of B. tabaci on Indian subcontinent are discussed. PMID:28098188

JPRS Report, East Asia, Southeast Asia.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-05-23

cooperation especially in trade and investment with Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman, Foreign Minister Datuk Abu Hassan Omar said. This was among the...better knowledge of their markets and their require- ments. During his visit to Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman Datuk Abu Hassan also urged...Defense Abang Abu Bakar Mustapha. \\ Following a proposal for the establishment of an air branch of the Navy, the Royal Malaysian Navy trained a

Dementia literacy in older adults.

PubMed

Loi, Samantha M; Lautenschlager, Nicola T

2015-09-01

With the increasing aging population, it is predicted that there will also be a rise in the number of people with dementia. Although there is no definitive cure, early detection and access to treatment and services remains the cornerstone of management. Misinformation and poor knowledge about dementia may lead to delayed diagnosis. A study of dementia literacy was undertaken to explore current knowledge in a metropolitan city in Australia. A vignette describing an older person with symptoms of cognitive impairment was posted out to volunteers at the local hospital. The majority of participants surveyed correctly identified that the person in the vignette was suffering from symptoms of dementia or cognitive impairment. However, there was more variation with regard to types of treatment available and appropriate help-seeking behavior. Although people are able to identify symptoms of dementia when they are presented in a scenario, the reality is often not as clear. More education to improve knowledge with regard to this increasingly common disorder is required so that appropriate interventions can be made available. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Cattle trypanosomosis: the diversity of trypanosomes and implications for disease epidemiology and control.

PubMed

Auty, H; Torr, S J; Michoel, T; Jayaraman, S; Morrison, L J

2015-08-01

Trypanosomosis is one of the most significant infectious threats to cattle in sub-Saharan Africa, and one form has also spread to Asia and South America. The disease is caused by a complex of trypanosome species, and the species and strain of parasite can have a profound influence upon the epidemiology of the host-parasite-vector relationships, the severity and course of infection, and, consequently, the implementation and development of control methods. This review will summarise our current knowledge of the relationship between trypanosome species/genotype and the phenotype of disease in cattle, and the implications that this has for ongoing efforts to develop diagnostics, drugs and vaccines for the control of cattle trypanosomosis.

Knowledge Organization Trends in Library and Information Education: Assessment and Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alajmi, Bibi; ur Rehman, Sajjad

2016-01-01

This research explores trends in knowledge organization (KO) in library and information science (LIS) curricula in 68 selected schools located in Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America. The research quantitatively analyzed KO course descriptions in order to identify the modules covered in these LIS programs' curricula. Information was gathered…

Transgenic horticultural crops in Asia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Modern biotechnology applications, including genetic engineering, are a powerful tool to complement the conventional methods of crop improvement. Asia currently has three countries cultivating biotech/transgenic crops – China, India, and the Philippines, but only China commercially grows a transgen...

How To Write Good Science Books for Children & Youths. Asian Cultural Center Training Course on Book Production in Asia and the Pacific (25th, Tokyo, Japan, October 30-November 16, 1992).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asian Cultural Centre for UNESCO, Tokyo (Japan).

It is of critical importance in the Asia/Pacific region to produce quality science books which are attractive and interesting for children and youths and which can also stimulate their interest in science and provide them with accurate scientific knowledge in an easily understandable way. This publication is a report of a training course on book…

Preliminary publications book 2 from project on mineral resources, metallogenesis, and tectonics of northeast Asia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nokleberg, Warren J.; Miller, Robert J.; Naumova, Vera V.; Khanchuk, Alexander I.; Parfenov, Leonid M.; Kuzmin, Mikhail I.; Bounaeva, Tatiana M.; Obolenskiy, Alexander A.; Rodionov, Sergey M.; Seminskiy, Zhan V.; Diggles, Michael F.

2003-01-01

This is the Web version of a CD-ROM publication. This report consists of summary major compilations and syntheses accomplished in the six-year project through April 2003 for the study on the Mineral Resources, Metallogenesis, and Tectonics of Northeast Asia (Eastern and Southern Siberia, Mongolia, Northeastern China, South Korea, and Japan). The major scientific goals and benefits of the project are to: (1) provide a comprehensive international data base on the mineral resources of the region that is the first, extensive knowledge available in English; (2) provide major new interpretations of the origin and crustal evolution of mineralizing systems and their host rocks, thereby enabling enhanced, broad-scale tectonic reconstructions and interpretations; and (3) promote trade and scientific and technical exchanges between the North America and Northeast Asia. Data from the project are providing sound scientific data and interpretations for commercial firms, governmental agencies, universities, and individuals that are developing new ventures and studies in the project area, and for land-use planning studies that deal with both mineral potential issues. Northeast Asia has vast potential for known and undiscovered mineral deposits; however, little information existed in English in the West until publication of products from this project. Consequently, data and interpretations from the project are providing basic knowledge for major scientific, commercial, national, and international endeavors by other interested individuals and groups.

Meeting Asia's future gas import demand with stranded natural gas from central Asia, Russia, Southeast Asia, and Australia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Attanasi, E.D.; Freeman, P.A.

2013-01-01

This analysis shows the important contribution that stranded gas from central Asia, Russia, Southeast Asia, and Australia can make in meeting the projected demand for gas imports of China, India, Japan, and South Korea from 2020 to 2040. The estimated delivered costs of pipeline gas from stranded fields in Russia and central Asia at Shanghai, China, are generally less than delivered costs of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Australia and Malaysia are initially the lowest-cost LNG suppliers. In the concluding section, it is argued that Asian LNG demand is price sensitive, and that current Asian LNG pricing procedures are unlikely to be sustainable for gas import demand to attain maximum potential growth. Resource volumes in stranded fields evaluated can nearly meet projected import demands.

Heart failure as a general pandemic in Asia.

PubMed

Shimokawa, Hiroaki; Miura, Masanobu; Nochioka, Kotaro; Sakata, Yasuhiko

2015-09-01

Heart failure (HF) is an epidemic in healthcare worldwide, including Asia. It appears that HF will become more serious in the near future, with the epidemiological transition and ageing of the population. However, in contrast to Western countries, information on HF epidemiology is still limited in Asia, particularly in South Asia. In this review, we will briefly summarize available information regarding the current and future burden of HF in Asia, which indicates the importance of both primary prevention of underlying diseases of HF and secondary prevention, including management of ischaemic HF, HF with preserved EF, and HF in the elderly. © 2015 The Authors European Journal of Heart Failure © 2015 European Society of Cardiology.

Constraining precipitation amount and distribution over cold regions using GRACE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behrangi, A.; Reager, J. T., II; Gardner, A. S.; Fisher, J.

2017-12-01

Current quantitative knowledge on the amount and distribution of precipitation in high-elevation and high latitude regions is limited due to instrumental and retrieval shortcomings. Here we demonstrate how that satellite gravimetry (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, GRACE) can be used to provide an independent estimate of monthly accumulated precipitation using mass balance. Results showed that the GRACE-based precipitation estimate has the highest agreement with most of the commonly used precipitation products in summer, but it deviates from them in cold months, when the other products are expected to have larger error. We also observed that as near surface temperature decreases products tend to underestimate accumulated precipitation retrieved from GRACE. The analysis performed using various products such as GPCP, GPCC, TRMM, and gridded station data over vast regions in high latitudes and two large endorheic basins in High Mountain Asia. Based on the analysis over High Mountain Asia it was found that most of the products capture about or less than 50% of the total precipitation estimated using GRACE in winter. Overall, GPCP showed better agreement with GRACE estimate than other products. Yet on average GRACE showed 30% more annual precipitation than GPCP in the study basin.

Skills Development for the Knowledge Economy in Asia: Some Conclusions from the OECD Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez-Fernandez, Cristina; Weyman, Tamara

2014-01-01

The development of a knowledge-based economy relies greatly on developing the skills and education needed for inclusive and sustainable development so that growth will reach all parts of the society. Addressing skills development for all is challenging for all OECD countries; Asian economies are working towards developing integrated pathways of…

Each-One-Teach-One Mobile Networks: An Innovative Strategy for Knowledge Access in Asian Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Misra, P. K.

2012-01-01

The changing landscape of learning is helping Asian countries to emerge as technology-driven knowledge-based societies. The success of these societies depends on promoting the acquisition of key competences and broadening opportunities for innovative and more flexible forms of learning for every citizen. Considering that in Asia almost everyone…

Combining Education and Work; Experiences in Asia and Oceania: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Semykin, N. P.

Working education in the USSR prepares students for socially useful and productive work by equipping them with the knowledge, abilities, skills and attitudes necessary for collective activities. Working education does not give students a profession but rather prepares them to master one by including in its curriculum professional knowledge and…

Incidence and impact of travelers' diarrhea among foreign backpackers in Southeast Asia: a result from Khao San road, Bangkok.

PubMed

Piyaphanee, Watcharapong; Kusolsuk, Teera; Kittitrakul, Chatporn; Suttithum, Waraporn; Ponam, Thitiya; Wilairatana, Polrat

2011-01-01

Travelers' diarrhea is the most common disease reported among travelers visiting developing countries, including Southeast Asia, a region visited by large numbers of backpackers each year. Currently, the knowledge of travelers' diarrhea among this group is limited. This study aimed to determine the incidence and impact of travelers' diarrhea in this group. Foreign backpackers in Khao San road, Bangkok, Thailand, were invited to fill out a study questionnaire, in which they were queried about their demographic background, travel characteristics, pretravel preparations and actual practices related to the risk of travelers' diarrhea. For backpackers who had experienced diarrhea, the details and impact of each diarrheal episode were also assessed. In the period April to May 2009, 404 completed questionnaires were collected and analyzed. Sixty percent of participants were male; overall, the median age was 26 years. Nearly all backpackers (96.8%) came from developed countries. Their main reason for travel was tourism (88%). The median stay was 30 days. More than half of the backpackers (56%) carried some antidiarrheal medication. Antimotility drugs were the most common medications carried by backpackers, followed by oral rehydration salts (ORS), and antibiotics. Their practices were far from ideal; 93.9% had bought food from street vendors, 92.5% had drunk beverages with ice-cubes, and 33.8% had eaten leftover food from a previous meal. In this study, 30.7% (124/404) of backpackers had experienced diarrhea during their trip. Most diarrhea cases (88%) were mild and recovered spontaneously. However, 8.8% of cases required a visit to a doctor, and 3.2% needed hospitalization. Longer duration of stay and drinking beverages with ice-cubes were associated with higher risk of diarrhea. About one third of the foreign backpackers in Southeast Asia had experienced diarrhea during their trip. Their current practices related to the risk of travelers' diarrhea were inadequate and should be improved. © 2010 International Society of Travel Medicine.

Living donor liver transplant (LDLT) is the way forward in Asia.

PubMed

Rela, Mohamed; Reddy, Mettu Srinivas

2017-03-01

Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is currently the commonest form of liver transplantation in Asia. Efforts to improve the number of deceased donor liver transplantation have not been uniformly successful. We believe that THE unique combination of demographic, social, economic and political factors that exist in Asia will ensure that LDLT will continue to remain the predominant form of liver transplantation. While efforts to increase deceased donation rates should continue and intensify, progress in LDLT should also be supported and encouraged, as it will be the main workhorse of liver transplantation in Asia in the near and medium-term future.

Zika virus in Asia.

PubMed

Duong, Veasna; Dussart, Philippe; Buchy, Philippe

2017-01-01

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging mosquito-borne virus that was first isolated from a sentinel rhesus monkey in the Zika Forest in Uganda in 1947. In Asia, the virus was isolated in Malaysia from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in 1966, and the first human infections were reported in 1977 in Central Java, Indonesia. In this review, all reported cases of ZIKV infection in Asia as of September 1, 2016 are summarized and some of the hypotheses that could currently explain the apparently low incidence of Zika cases in Asia are explored. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Mapping paddy rice planting area in northeastern Asia with Landsat 8 images, phenology-based algorithm and Google Earth Engine

PubMed Central

Dong, Jinwei; Xiao, Xiangming; Menarguez, Michael A.; Zhang, Geli; Qin, Yuanwei; Thau, David; Biradar, Chandrashekhar; Moore, Berrien

2016-01-01

Area and spatial distribution information of paddy rice are important for understanding of food security, water use, greenhouse gas emission, and disease transmission. Due to climatic warming and increasing food demand, paddy rice has been expanding rapidly in high latitude areas in the last decade, particularly in northeastern (NE) Asia. Current knowledge about paddy rice fields in these cold regions is limited. The phenology- and pixel-based paddy rice mapping (PPPM) algorithm, which identifies the flooding signals in the rice transplanting phase, has been effectively applied in tropical areas, but has not been tested at large scale of cold regions yet. Despite the effects from more snow/ice, paddy rice mapping in high latitude areas is assumed to be more encouraging due to less clouds, lower cropping intensity, and more observations from Landsat sidelaps. Moreover, the enhanced temporal and geographic coverage from Landsat 8 provides an opportunity to acquire phenology information and map paddy rice. This study evaluated the potential of Landsat 8 images on annual paddy rice mapping in NE Asia which was dominated by single cropping system, including Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and NE China. The cloud computing approach was used to process all the available Landsat 8 imagery in 2014 (143 path/rows, ~3290 scenes) with the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The results indicated that the Landsat 8, GEE, and improved PPPM algorithm can effectively support the yearly mapping of paddy rice in NE Asia. The resultant paddy rice map has a high accuracy with the producer (user) accuracy of 73% (92%), based on the validation using very high resolution images and intensive field photos. Geographic characteristics of paddy rice distribution were analyzed from aspects of country, elevation, latitude, and climate. The resultant 30-m paddy rice map is expected to provide unprecedented details about the area, spatial distribution, and landscape pattern of paddy rice fields in NE Asia, which will contribute to food security assessment, water resource management, estimation of greenhouse gas emissions, and disease control. PMID:28025586

Mapping paddy rice planting area in northeastern Asia with Landsat 8 images, phenology-based algorithm and Google Earth Engine.

PubMed

Dong, Jinwei; Xiao, Xiangming; Menarguez, Michael A; Zhang, Geli; Qin, Yuanwei; Thau, David; Biradar, Chandrashekhar; Moore, Berrien

2016-11-01

Area and spatial distribution information of paddy rice are important for understanding of food security, water use, greenhouse gas emission, and disease transmission. Due to climatic warming and increasing food demand, paddy rice has been expanding rapidly in high latitude areas in the last decade, particularly in northeastern (NE) Asia. Current knowledge about paddy rice fields in these cold regions is limited. The phenology- and pixel-based paddy rice mapping (PPPM) algorithm, which identifies the flooding signals in the rice transplanting phase, has been effectively applied in tropical areas, but has not been tested at large scale of cold regions yet. Despite the effects from more snow/ice, paddy rice mapping in high latitude areas is assumed to be more encouraging due to less clouds, lower cropping intensity, and more observations from Landsat sidelaps. Moreover, the enhanced temporal and geographic coverage from Landsat 8 provides an opportunity to acquire phenology information and map paddy rice. This study evaluated the potential of Landsat 8 images on annual paddy rice mapping in NE Asia which was dominated by single cropping system, including Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and NE China. The cloud computing approach was used to process all the available Landsat 8 imagery in 2014 (143 path/rows, ~3290 scenes) with the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The results indicated that the Landsat 8, GEE, and improved PPPM algorithm can effectively support the yearly mapping of paddy rice in NE Asia. The resultant paddy rice map has a high accuracy with the producer (user) accuracy of 73% (92%), based on the validation using very high resolution images and intensive field photos. Geographic characteristics of paddy rice distribution were analyzed from aspects of country, elevation, latitude, and climate. The resultant 30-m paddy rice map is expected to provide unprecedented details about the area, spatial distribution, and landscape pattern of paddy rice fields in NE Asia, which will contribute to food security assessment, water resource management, estimation of greenhouse gas emissions, and disease control.

Climate Change and the Potential Distribution of an Invasive Shrub, Lantana camara L

PubMed Central

Taylor, Subhashni; Kumar, Lalit; Reid, Nick; Kriticos, Darren J.

2012-01-01

The threat posed by invasive species, in particular weeds, to biodiversity may be exacerbated by climate change. Lantana camara L. (lantana) is a woody shrub that is highly invasive in many countries of the world. It has a profound economic and environmental impact worldwide, including Australia. Knowledge of the likely potential distribution of this invasive species under current and future climate will be useful in planning better strategies to manage the invasion. A process-oriented niche model of L. camara was developed using CLIMEX to estimate its potential distribution under current and future climate scenarios. The model was calibrated using data from several knowledge domains, including phenological observations and geographic distribution records. The potential distribution of lantana under historical climate exceeded the current distribution in some areas of the world, notably Africa and Asia. Under future scenarios, the climatically suitable areas for L. camara globally were projected to contract. However, some areas were identified in North Africa, Europe and Australia that may become climatically suitable under future climates. In South Africa and China, its potential distribution could expand further inland. These results can inform strategic planning by biosecurity agencies, identifying areas to target for eradication or containment. Distribution maps of risk of potential invasion can be useful tools in public awareness campaigns, especially in countries that have been identified as becoming climatically suitable for L. camara under the future climate scenarios. PMID:22536408

Impacts of Aerosol Direct Effects on the South Asian Climate: Assessment of Radiative Feedback Processes Using Model Simulations and Satellite/Surface Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Sheng-Hsiang; Gautam, Ritesh; Lau, William K. M.; Tsay, Si-Chee; Sun, Wen-Yih; Kim, Kyu-Myong; Chern, Jiun-Dar; Hsu, Christina; Lin, Neng-Huei

2011-01-01

Current assessment of aerosol radiative effect is hindered by our incomplete knowledge of aerosol optical properties, especially absorption, and our current inability to quantify physical and microphysical processes. In this research, we investigate direct aerosol radiative effect over heavy aerosol loading areas (e.g., Indo-Gangetic Plains, South/East Asia) and its feedbacks on the South Asian climate during the pre-monsoon season (March-June) using the Purdue Regional Climate Model (PRCM) with prescribed aerosol data derived by the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System Model (GEOS-5). Our modeling domain covers South and East Asia (60-140E and 0-50N) with spatial resolutions of 45 km in horizontal and 28 layers in vertical. The model is integrated from 15 February to 30 June 2008 continuously without nudging (i.e., only forced by initial/boundary conditions). Two numerical experiments are conducted with and without the aerosol-radiation effects. Both simulations are successful in reproducing the synoptic patterns on seasonal-to-interannual time scales and capturing a pre-monsoon feature of the northward rainfall propagation over Indian region in early June which shown in Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) observation. Preliminary result suggests aerosol-radiation interactions mainly alter surface-atmosphere energetics and further result in an adjustment of the vertical temperature distribution in lower atmosphere (below 700 hPa). The modifications of temperature and associated rainfall and circulation feedbacks on the regional climate will be discussed in the presentation.

Autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (Shoenfeld's syndrome) - An update.

PubMed

Watad, A; Quaresma, M; Brown, S; Cohen Tervaert, J W; Rodríguez-Pint, I; Cervera, R; Perricone, C; Shoenfeld, Y

2017-06-01

Autoimmune/inflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA) has been widely described in many studies conducted thus far. The syndrome incorporates five immune-mediated conditions, all associated with previous exposure to various agents such as vaccines, silicone implants and several others. The emergence of ASIA syndrome is associated with individual genetic predisposition, for instance those carrying HLA-DRB1*01 or HLA-DRB4 and results from exposure to external or endogenous factors triggering autoimmunity. Such factors have been demonstrated as able to induce autoimmunity in both animal models and humans via a variety of proposed mechanisms. In recent years, physicians have become more aware of the existence of ASIA syndrome and the relationship between adjuvants exposure and autoimmunity and more cases are being reported. Accordingly, we have created a registry that includes at present more than 300 ASIA syndrome cases that have been reported by different physicians worldwide, describing various autoimmune conditions induced by diverse adjuvants. In this review, we have summarized the updated literature on ASIA syndrome and the knowledge accumulated since 2013 in order to elucidate the association between the exposure to various adjuvant agents and its possible clinical manifestations. Furthermore, we especially referred to the relationship between ASIA syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).

Knowledge of Parkinson's Disease in a Multiethnic Urban Asian Setting.

PubMed

Tan, Ai Huey; Tan, Chong Tin; Marras, Connie; Loh, Kwong Weng; Wye Ho, Niki Wai; Lim, Quan Hziung; Tan, Pei Wen; Lim, Chee Chean; Cheong, Yee Weai; Kong, Sik Thien; Schee, Jie Ping; Tan, Kean Hoong; Soo, Suet Ker; Vanderschaaf, Cheryl; Lai Heong Lew, Sara; Mahamad, Ummi Affah; Goh, Khean Jin; Yong, Hoi Sen; Lim, Shen-Yang

2015-01-01

Public knowledge regarding Parkinson's disease (PD) is important to facilitate good health-seeking behavior, but the literature on this topic is scarce. We aimed to explore the level of public knowledge regarding PD in a large multiethnic urban Asian cohort, and (as a secondary aim) in a smaller cohort of PD patients and caregivers. A Knowledge of PD Questionnaire (KPDQ) was developed and administered to members of the Malaysian general public, and to PD patients and caregivers. The KPDQ tests recognition of PD symptoms and general knowledge regarding PD. 1,258 members of the general public completed the KPDQ. Tremor was the most widely recognized symptom (recognized by 79.0% of respondents); however, 83.7% incorrectly believed that all PD patients experience tremor. Memory problem was the most widely recognized NMS. Overall, motor symptoms were better recognized than NMS. Common misperceptions were that there is a cure for PD (49.8%) and that PD is usually familial (41.4%). Female gender, Chinese ethnicity, tertiary education, healthcare-related work, and knowing someone with PD were independently associated with higher KPDQ scores. PD patients (n = 116) and caregivers (n = 135) demonstrated superior knowledge compared with the general public group, but one-third of them believed that PD is currently curable. This is the only study on public knowledge regarding PD in Asia. Important gaps in knowledge were evident, which could present a barrier to early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of PD. This highlights the need for targeted education campaigns and further research in this area.

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.

Awareness Development Across Perspectives Tool (ADAPT)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-10-01

individualist and collectivist cultures are described and linked in the generic knowledge base, and the specific cultural aspects and how they relate to...effort focuses on making a tool based on (1) knowledge developed within diverse scientific disciplines (e.g. cultural anthropology, social psychology...psychological operations, humanitarian missions) is performed in a large variety of locations and cultures (e.g., Africa, Asia), requiring a diversity

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.

A systematic review of knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about malaria among the South Asian population

PubMed Central

Regmi, Krishna; Kunwar, Anju; Ortega, Leonard

2016-01-01

Background Malaria is one of the deadliest mosquito-borne diseases in the world. More than 80% of the total populations are at risk of malaria in the 22 countries in Asia and the Pacific. South Asia alone is home to an estimated 1.4 billion people at risk of contracting malaria. Despite the remarkable progress in reducing the burden of malaria, evidence of the disease based on knowledge of the social and cultural contexts from a South Asian perspective is limited. Our objective was to understand the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about malaria in South Asian communities. Methodology We conducted a systematic literature review, searching six databases, between 1990 and 2015, focusing on knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about malaria in South Asia. Databases were searched using both ‘free terms’ and ‘index terms’ funnelled using Boolean operators and truncations. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were set, and included papers were scrutinised, employing a critical appraisal tool to find the best available evidences to support the study purpose. Results and discussion Evidence from 32 articles (26 quantitative, four qualitative and two mixed methods). General knowledge and awareness of the disease, its transmission, and control and preventative measures were generally found to be lacking amongst both the general public and healthcare professionals. In addition, the study shows that poor socio-economic factors – including limited access to services due to poor/limited availability – and issues of affordability are considered as major risk factors. Conclusion This review suggests the importance of increasing health awareness, mobilising the local or community healthcare professionals, for prevention as well as early detection and effective treatment of malaria among people who are at risk. Malaria is also a disease associated with poverty and socio-cultural factors; therefore, strong political will, wider partnerships between health and non-health sectors, and strengthening health systems’ technical and managerial capabilities at all level of primary healthcare systems, is inevitable. PMID:27141987

Highlights of the Third Expert Forum of Asia-Pacific Laparoscopic Hepatectomy; Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgeons of Asia (ELSA) Visionary Summit 2017.

PubMed

Park, Jeong-Ik; Kim, Ki-Hun; Kim, Hong-Jin; Cherqui, Daniel; Soubrane, Olivier; Kooby, David; Palanivelu, Chinnusamy; Chan, Albert; You, Young Kyoung; Wu, Yao-Ming; Chen, Kuo-Hsin; Honda, Goro; Chen, Xiao-Ping; Tang, Chung-Ngai; Kim, Ji Hoon; Koh, Yang Seok; Yoon, Young-In; Cheng, Kai Chi; Duy Long, Tran Cong; Choi, Gi Hong; Otsuka, Yuichiro; Cheung, Tan To; Hibi, Taizo; Kim, Dong-Sik; Wang, Hee Jung; Kaneko, Hironori; Yoon, Dong-Sup; Hatano, Etsuro; Choi, In Seok; Choi, Dong Wook; Huang, Ming-Te; Kim, Sang Geol; Lee, Sung-Gyu

2018-02-01

The application of laparoscopy for liver surgery is rapidly increasing and the past few years have demonstrated a shift in paradigm with a trend towards more extended and complex resections. The development of instruments and technical refinements with the effective use of magnified caudal laparoscopic views have contributed to the ability to overcome the limitation of laparoscopic liver resection. The Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgeons of Asia (ELSA) Visionary Summit 2017 and the 3 rd Expert Forum of Asia-Pacific Laparoscopic Hepatectomy organized hepatobiliary pancreatic sessions in order to exchange surgical tips and tricks and discuss the current status and future perspectives of laparoscopic hepatectomy. This report summarizes the oral presentations given at the 3 rd Expert Forum of Asia-Pacific Laparoscopic Hepatectomy.

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…

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...

Adult immunisation: A key element of public health programs: Synopsis of Asia Pacific Adult Immunisation Meeting, Tokyo, 1-2 December 2016.

PubMed

Rochman-Fowler, Jessica; Duarte Walsh, Virginia; Barratt, Jane

2018-06-01

To (i) improve scientific knowledge and understanding of the importance of adult vaccination within a public health framework; (ii) share an understanding of the principles of good practice that have improved adult vaccination uptake rates; (iii) appreciate the diverse nature of country-specific barriers; and (iv) reach consensus on principles of a call to action to increase adult vaccination uptake rates. Non-governmental organisations, the International Federation on Ageing and Friends of International Federation on Ageing Japan, convened the Asia Pacific Adult Immunisation Meeting, herein referred to as the 'Asia Pacific Meeting'. Delegates identified fundamental barriers to adult vaccination similar to those reported at previous meetings in Latin America and Europe and formed a road map to respond to key barriers in countries represented at the Asia Pacific Meeting. Older people are uniquely vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases and therefore need to be the target of a series of actions intended to improve uptake rates in this subpopulation. © 2018 AJA Inc.

Impact of human Campylobacter infections in Southeast Asia: The contribution of the poultry sector.

PubMed

Premarathne, Jayasekara Mudiyanselage Krishanthi Jayarukshi Kumari; Satharasinghe, Dilan Amila; Huat, John Tang Yew; Basri, Dayang Fredalina; Rukayadi, Yaya; Nakaguchi, Yoshitsugu; Nishibuchi, Mitsuaki; Radu, Son

2017-12-12

Campylobacter is globally recognized as a major cause of foodborne infection in humans, whilst the development of antimicrobial resistance and the possibility of repelling therapy increase the threat to public health. Poultry is the most frequent source of Campylobacter infection in humans, and southeast Asia is a global leader in poultry production, consumption, and exports. Though three of the world's top 20 most populated countries are located in southeast Asia, the true burden of Campylobacter infection in the region has not been fully elucidated. Based on published data, Campylobacter has been reported in humans, animals, and food commodities in the region. To our knowledge, this study is the first to review the status of human Campylobacter infection in southeast Asia and to discuss future perspectives. Gaining insight into the true burden of the infection and prevalence levels of Campylobacter spp. in the southeast Asian region is essential to ensuring global and regional food safety through facilitating improvements in surveillance systems, food safety regulations, and mitigation strategies.

From unwanted pregnancy to safe abortion: Sharing information about abortion in Asia through animation.

PubMed

Krishnan, Shweta; Dalvie, Suchitra

2015-05-01

Although unsafe abortion continues to be a leading cause of maternal mortality in many countries in Asia, the right to safe abortion remains highly stigmatized across the region. The Asia Safe Abortion Partnership, a regional network advocating for safe abortion, produced an animated short film entitled From Unwanted Pregnancy to Safe Abortion to show in conferences, schools and meetings in order to share knowledge about the barriers to safe abortion in Asia and to facilitate conversations on the right to safe abortion. This paper describes the making of this film, its objectives, content, dissemination and how it has been used. Our experience highlights the advantages of using animated films in addressing highly politicized and sensitive issues like abortion. Animation helped to create powerful advocacy material that does not homogenize the experiences of women across a diverse region, and at the same time emphasize the need for joint activities that express solidarity. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Evolutionary Topology of a Currency Network in Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Xiaobing; Wang, Xiaofan

Although recently there are extensive research on currency network using minimum spanning trees approach, the knowledge about the actual evolution of a currency web in Asia is still limited. In the paper, we study the structural evolution of an Asian network using daily exchange rate data. It was found that the correlation between Asian currencies and US Dollar, the previous regional key currency has become weaker and the intra-Asia interactions have increased. This becomes more salient after the exchange rate reform of China. Different from the previous studies, we further reveal that it is the trade volume, national wealth gap and countries growth cycle that has contributed to the evolutionary topology of the minimum spanning tree. These findings provide a valuable platform for theoretical modeling and further analysis.

Polymerase chain reaction identification of three members of the Anopheles sundaicus (Diptera: Culicidae) complex, malaria vectors in Southeast Asia.

PubMed

Dusfour, Isabelle; Blondeau, Johanna; Harbach, Ralph E; Vythilingham, Indra; Baimai, Visut; Trung, Ho D; Sochanta, Tho; Bangs, Michael J; Manguin, Sylvie

2007-09-01

Anopheles sundaicus s.l., a major malaria vector taxon, occurs primarily along coastal areas and on islands in Southeast Asia. Our previous studies using cytochrome oxidase I, cytochrome-b, and internal transcribed spacer 2 markers discriminated three allopatric species: An. sundaicus s.s. in northern Borneo, An. epiroticus in Southeast Asia, and An. sundaicus E on Sumatra and Java, Indonesia. Morphological comparisons of three developmental stages did not reveal unique diagnostic characters that could reliably distinguish the three species. Therefore, we developed a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay based on two mitochondrial DNA markers to unambiguously identify them. This PCR was tested on 374 specimens from 24 different geographical populations, expanding our knowledge of the distribution of these species.

A review on current knowledge and future prospects of organohalogen contaminants (OHCs) in Asian birds.

PubMed

Abbasi, Naeem Akhtar; Malik, Riffat Naseem; Frantz, Adrien; Jaspers, Veerle Leontina Bernard

2016-01-15

The release of harmful chemicals in the Asian environment has recently increased dramatically due to rising industrial and agricultural activities. About 60% of the global human population is currently living on the Asian continent and may thus be exposed to a large range of different chemicals. Different classes of organohalogen chemicals have indeed been reported in various environmental compartments from Asia including humans and wildlife, but this issue has received less attention in birds. In this article, we reviewed the available literature on levels of legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and various flame retardants (FRs) in Asian avifauna to analyze the existing pool of knowledge as well as to identify the gaps that should be addressed in future research. Furthermore, we discussed the variation in levels of organohalogens based on differences in regions, trophic level, dietary sources and migratory behaviors of species including distribution patterns in different tissues of birds. Although the mass of published literature is very low and even absent in many important regions of Asia, we deduced from the reported studies that levels of almost all classes of organohalogens (OHCs) including FRs were highest in East Asian countries such as Japan, China and South Korea, except for HCHs that were found at maximum levels in birds of South India. Concentrations (ng/g LW) of different OHCs in Asian birds ranged between

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.

Taeniasis and cysticercosis in Asia and the Pacific: present state of knowledge and perspectives.

PubMed

Ito, Akira; Nakao, Minoru; Wandra, Toni; Suroso, Thomas; Okamoto, Munehiro; Yamasaki, Hiroshi; Sako, Yasuhito; Nakaya, Kazuhiro

2005-01-01

Several topics on taeniasis and cysticercosis in Asia and the Pacific are overviewed. In Asia and the Pacific, three human taeniid species have been recognized: Taenia solium, Taenia saginata and Taenia asiatica. The first topic is on evolution of T. solium. Mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms of T. solium worldwide are discussed with emphasis of two specific genotypes: American-African and Asian. The second topic is recent major advances in sero- and molecular-diagnosis of T. solium cysticercosis in humans, pigs and dogs. The third is the present situation of T. solium taeniasis/cysticercosis in Papua (Irian Jaya), Indonesia. The forth is the present situation of T. solium cysticercosis and T. saginata taeniasis in Bali, Indonesia. The fifth is the present situation of T. asiatica taeniasis in Asia and the Pacific and in North Sumatra, Indonesia. The sixth is on the debate of the exact definition of T. asiatica. Because T. asiatica can not be differentiated from T. saginata morphologically, it is time to re-evaluate T. saginata in Asia and the Pacific. New and broad-based surveys across this region are necessary from epidemiological and public health perspectives, based on evidence.

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

Dust deposition and ambient PM10 concentration in northwest China: Spatial and temporal variability

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aeolian dust transport and deposition are important geophysical processes which influence global bio-geochemical cycles. Currently, reliable continental deposition data are scarce in central Asia. Located in the eastern part of central Asia, Xinjiang Province of northwestern China has long played a ...

Rehabilitation in Asia and the Pacific, 1988.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rehabilitation International, New York, NY.

The current state of rehabilitation for persons with disabilities in the Asia and Pacific Region is outlined in a series of national or regional descriptions. The descriptions focus on such aspects as the incidence of disabilities, education, demographic and economic factors, attitudes, government policy and initiatives, non-government initiatives…

Educational Psychology as an Evolving Discipline: Trends and Synthesis in Asia Pacific Education Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Dong-il; Koh, Hye-jung; Jo, Su-yeon; Nam, JeeEun Karin; Kim, Myeung-chan

2014-01-01

Educational psychology has seen rapid growth as an academic discipline in recent years. The current study reviewed research articles published in "Asia Pacific Education Review" ("APER"), a journal that has been gaining greater international recognition, to reveal recent trends in educational psychology research in Asia…

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.…

Exploring Features of Highly Productive Research Contexts in Asia: A Comparison of Knowledge Production in Educational Leadership in Israel and Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallinger, Philip; Bryant, Darren A.

2016-01-01

A recent review of research identified two Asian societies that represented "positive outliers" in the production of published knowledge on educational leadership and management: Hong Kong and Israel. These were the only Asian societies that had produced a critical mass of publications in this field in international journals over the…

Evolution, opportunity and challenges of transboundary water and energy problems in Central Asia.

PubMed

Guo, Lidan; Zhou, Haiwei; Xia, Ziqiang; Huang, Feng

2016-01-01

Central Asia is one of the regions that suffer the most prominent transboundary water and energy problems in the world. Effective transboundary water-energy resource management and cooperation are closely related with socioeconomic development and stability in the entire Central Asia. Similar to Central Asia, Northwest China has an arid climate and is experiencing a water shortage. It is now facing imbalanced supply-demand relations of water and energy resources. These issues in Northwest China and Central Asia pose severe challenges in the implementation of the Silk Road Economic Belt strategy. Based on the analysis of water and energy distribution characteristics in Central Asia as well as demand characteristics of different countries, the complexity of local transboundary water problems was explored by reviewing corresponding historical problems of involved countries, correlated energy issues, and the evolution of inter-country water-energy cooperation. With references to experiences and lessons of five countries, contradictions, opportunities, challenges and strategies for transboundary water-energy cooperation between China and Central Asia were discussed under the promotion of the Silk Road Economic Belt construction based on current cooperation conditions.

The rise of methamphetamine in Southeast and East Asia.

PubMed

McKetin, Rebecca; Kozel, Nicholas; Douglas, Jeremy; Ali, Robert; Vicknasingam, Balasingam; Lund, Johannes; Li, Jih-Heng

2008-05-01

Southeast and East Asia has become a global hub for methamphetamine production and trafficking over the past decade. This paper describes the rise of methamphetamine supply and to what extent use of the drug is occurring in the region. The current review uses data collected through the Drug Abuse Information Network for Asia and the Pacific (DAINAP) and other available sources to analyse retrospectively methamphetamine trends within Southeast and East Asia. Southeast and East Asia has experienced a methamphetamine epidemic in the past decade which began around 1997 and peaked in 2000-2001. While the situation has since stabilised in many countries, methamphetamine trafficking and use are still increasing in parts of the Mekong region and there is evidence of large-scale manufacture in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Methamphetamine is typically smoked or ingested, but injection of the drug is apparent. While the peak of the methamphetamine epidemic has passed in parts of Southeast and East Asia, attention is needed to minimise the potential consequences of spreading methamphetamine production, trafficking and use in the Mekong region and in the peninsular and archipelago of Southeast Asia.

Palliative care development in the Asia-Pacific region: an international survey from the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN).

PubMed

Yamaguchi, Takashi; Kuriya, Meiko; Morita, Tatsuya; Agar, Meera; Choi, Youn Seon; Goh, Cynthia; Lingegowda, K B; Lim, Richard; Liu, Rico K Y; MacLeod, Roderick; Ocampo, Rhodora; Cheng, Shao-Yi; Phungrassami, Temsak; Nguyen, Yen-Phi; Tsuneto, Satoru

2017-03-01

Although palliative care is an important public healthcare issue worldwide, the current situation in the Asia-Pacific region has not been systematically evaluated. This survey aimed to clarify the current status of palliative care in the Asia-Pacific region. Questionnaires were sent to a representative physician of each member country/region of the Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN). The questionnaire examined palliative care service provision, information regarding physician certification in palliative care, the availability of essential drugs for palliative care listed by the International Association for Hospice and Palliative Care (IAHPC) and the regulation of opioid-prescribing practice. Of the 14 member countries/regions of the APHN, 12 (86%) responded. Some form of specialist palliative care services had developed in all the responding countries/regions. Eight member countries/regions had physician certifications for palliative care. Most essential drugs for palliative care listed by the IAHPC were available, whereas hydromorphone, oxycodone and transmucosal fentanyl were unavailable in most countries/regions. Six member countries/regions required permission to prescribe and receive opioids. The development of palliative care is in different stages across the surveyed countries/regions in the Asia-Pacific region. Data from this survey can be used as baseline data for monitoring the development of palliative care in this region. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

The Asian battery market—a decade of change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eckfeld, S.; Manders, J. E.; Stevenson, M. W.

The Asian battery industry will undergo significant change over the next decade as it adapts to the enormous economic and technological pressures of our rapidly changing world. Europe and North America in recent years have seen significant rationalisation in battery manufacturing capacity and ownership for a variety of reasons. Into the future, Asia will be no exception, but the rate and magnitude of change may conceivably be greater than that already experienced elsewhere. Rationalisation in battery manufacturing plants will occur as a result of the establishment of super plants to manufacture batteries in order to improve the economies of scale and to facilitate the heavy investment in new capital and equipment that will be required to supply the newer technology battery types. The impact of 42 V automotive systems and valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries will be influential on this scenario. It is expected that China, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand will feature heavily in the future Asian battery scene at the expense of some established countries and producers. The current state of the battery industry in Asia, factors driving change in Asia, and the likely implications for those companies that are currently manufacturing batteries in Asia or considering a future role in Asia within the coming decade are examined in this paper.

78 FR 62590 - 36(b)(1) Arms Sales Notification

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-22

.... Japan is one of the major political and economic powers in East Asia and the Western Pacific and a key... material will be classified Secret. 6. If a technologically advanced adversary were to obtain knowledge of...

Perspectives of intellectual disability in Asia: epidemiology, policy, and services for children and adults.

PubMed

Jeevanandam, Lohsnah

2009-09-01

Given the scarcity of Asian literature on intellectual disability, the aim of this review article is to shed light on the epidemiology, policy, and services for children and adults with intellectual disability in Asia. The prevalence of intellectual disability across Asia appears to be consistent with western estimates at 0.06-1.3%, with the exception being China at 6.68%. In the only two studies of mental health conducted in Asia, the prevalence ranged from 4.4 to 48.3%. Some of the common physical health problems among Singaporean adults with intellectual disability are obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol. All Asian countries/territories have at least one law or policy that promotes the well being of persons with disabilities, with Japan being the only country that has a law specifically enacted for persons with intellectual disability. Although there is an array of services being offered for children and adults with intellectual disability across south-east Asia, there is also a variation in the proportion of countries that offer these services. Overall, the challenge for Asia will be to develop a localized base of knowledge by conducting epidemiological studies, modeling after evidence-based practices, and evaluating its effectiveness. By adopting a scientific approach and formal publication of data, intellectual disability standards can be evaluated, managed, and improved in a systematic manner.

Climatic-Induced Shifts in the Distribution of Teak ( Tectona grandis) in Tropical Asia: Implications for Forest Management and Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deb, Jiban Chandra; Phinn, Stuart; Butt, Nathalie; McAlpine, Clive A.

2017-09-01

Modelling the future suitable climate space for tree species has become a widely used tool for forest management planning under global climate change. Teak ( Tectona grandis) is one of the most valuable tropical hardwood species in the international timber market, and natural teak forests are distributed from India through Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. The extents of teak forests are shrinking due to deforestation and the local impacts of global climate change. However, the direct impacts of climate changes on the continental-scale distributions of native and non-native teak have not been examined. In this study, we developed a species distribution model for teak across its entire native distribution in tropical Asia, and its non-native distribution in Bangladesh. We used presence-only records of trees and twelve environmental variables that were most representative for current teak distributions in South and Southeast Asia. MaxEnt (maximum entropy) models were used to model the distributions of teak under current and future climate scenarios. We found that land use/land cover change and elevation were the two most important variables explaining the current and future distributions of native and non-native teak in tropical Asia. Changes in annual precipitation, precipitation seasonality and annual mean actual evapotranspiration may result in shifts in the distributions of teak across tropical Asia. We discuss the implications for the conservation of critical teak habitats, forest management planning, and risks of biological invasion that may occur due to its cultivation in non-native ranges.

An anticipatory integrated assessment of regional acidification: The RAINS-Asia model

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

Amann, M.; Carmichael, G.R.; Foell, W.

1996-12-31

Across large parts of Asia, air pollution problems are becoming more and more evident. Rainfall in some areas, including China, Japan, and Thailand, has been measured to be 10 times more acidic than unpolluted rain. Increasing evidence of acidification damage to ecosystems such as surface waters, soils, and economically important crops, is beginning to appear. In addition, urban air quality in many areas of the region continues to decrease. Current economic forecasts predict continued rapid economic growth in the region, which will bring with it increasing emissions of air pollutants, especially sulfur. The total primary energy demand in Asia currentlymore » doubles every twelve years (as compared to a world average of every 28 years). Coal is expected to continue to be the dominant energy source, with coal demand projected to increase by 65 percent per year, a rate that outpaces regional economic growth. If current trends in economic development and energy use in Asia continue, emissions of sulfur dioxide, one of the key components in acid rain, will more than triple within the next 30 years. Many ecosystems will be unable to continue to absorb these increased levels of pollution without harmful effects, thus creating a potential danger for irreversible environmental damage in many areas. In view of the potential environmental consequences of projected growth in Asian energy consumption, emissions, and air pollution, the World Bank, together with the Asian Development Bank, have funded a project to develop and implement an integrated assessment model for the acid deposition phenomenon in Asia. The Regional Air Pollution INformation and Simulation model for Asia (RAINS-Asia) is a software tool to help decision makers assess and project future trends in emissions, transport, and deposition of air pollutants, and their potential environmental effects.« less

Arsenic geochemistry of groundwater in Southeast Asia.

PubMed

Kim, Kyoung-Woong; Chanpiwat, Penradee; Hanh, Hoang Thi; Phan, Kongkea; Sthiannopkao, Suthipong

2011-12-01

The occurrence of high concentrations of arsenic in the groundwater of the Southeast Asia region has received much attention in the past decade. This study presents an overview of the arsenic contamination problems in Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic and Thailand. Most groundwater used as a source of drinking water in rural areas has been found to be contaminated with arsenic exceeding the WHO drinking water guideline of 10 μg·L(-1). With the exception of Thailand, groundwater was found to be contaminated with naturally occurring arsenic in the region. Interestingly, high arsenic concentrations (> 10 μg·L(-1)) were generally found in the floodplain areas located along the Mekong River. The source of elevated arsenic concentrations in groundwater is thought to be the release of arsenic from river sediments under highly reducing conditions. In Thailand, arsenic has never been found naturally in groundwater, but originates from tin mining activities. More than 10 million residents in Southeast Asia are estimated to be at risk from consuming arsenic-contaminated groundwater. In Southeast Asia, groundwater has been found to be a significant source of daily inorganic arsenic intake in humans. A positive correlation between groundwater arsenic concentration and arsenic concentration in human hair has been observed in Cambodia and Vietnam. A substantial knowledge gap exists between the epidemiology of arsenicosis and its impact on human health. More collaborative studies particularly on the scope of public health and its epidemiology are needed to conduct to fulfill the knowledge gaps of As as well as to enhance the operational responses to As issue in Southeast Asian countries.

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.

Stop stunting: improving child feeding, women's nutrition and household sanitation in South Asia.

PubMed

Aguayo, Víctor M; Menon, Purnima

2016-05-01

The latest available data indicate that 38% of South Asia's children aged 0-59 months are stunted. Such high prevalence combined with the region's large child population explain why South Asia bears about 40% of the global burden of stunting. Recent analyses indicate that the poor diets of children in the first years of life, the poor nutrition of women before and during pregnancy and the prevailing poor sanitation practices in households and communities are important drivers of stunting, most likely because of underlying conditions of women's status, food insecurity, poverty, and social inequalities. With this evidence in mind, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia convened the Regional Conference: Stop Stunting: Improving Child Feeding, Women's Nutrition, and Household Sanitation in South Asia (New Delhi, November 10-12, 2014). The Conference provided a knowledge-for-action platform with three objectives: (1) share state-of-the-art research findings on the causes of child stunting and its consequences for child growth and development and the sustainable growth and development of nations; (2) discuss better practices and the cost and benefits of scaling up programmes to improve child feeding, women's nutrition, and household sanitation in South Asia; and (3) identify implications for sectoral and cross-sectoral policy, programme, advocacy and research to accelerate progress in reducing child stunting in South Asia. This overview paper summarizes the rationale for the focus on improving child feeding, women's nutrition, and household sanitation as priority areas for investment to prevent child stunting in South Asia. It builds on the invited papers presented at or developed as a follow on to the Stop Stunting Conference. © 2016 The Authors. Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Inactivation of Crotalus atrox venom hemorrhagic activity by direct current exposure using hens' egg assay.

PubMed

Calzia, Daniela; Ravera, Silvia; Aluigi, Maria Grazia; Falugi, Carla; Morelli, Alessandro; Panfoli, Isabella

2011-01-01

The hemotoxic venoms of Viperidae and Crotalidae are responsible for most of the evenomations in the United States, West Africa, India, South-East Asia, New Guinea, and Latin America. We previously reported that a short exposure of Crotalus atrox venom to direct electric current (dc) from a low-voltage generator, in solution, causes consistent and irreversible inactivation of venom phospholipase A(2) and metalloproteases. Here we report by in vivo assay on chicken embryos at stage 18 of development according to Hamburger and Hamilton that the hemorrhagic activity of C. atrox venom is lost after exposure to dc (from low voltage). Venom was exposed to dc ranging between 0 and 1 mA. dc values above 0.7 mA abolished hemorrhage. Such in vivo data, showing that dc neutralizes C. atrox venom hemorrhagic activity suggest that a deeper knowledge is needed to understand the relationship among dc and biological matter. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Abortion in Vietnam: measurements, puzzles, and concerns.

PubMed

Goodkind, D

1994-01-01

This report summarizes current knowledge about abortion in Vietnam, drawing upon government statistics, survey data, and fieldwork undertaken by the author in Vietnam throughout 1993 and part of 1994. The official total abortion rate in Vietnam in 1992 was about 2.5 per woman, the highest in Asia and worrisome for a country with a still-high total fertility rate of 3.7 children per woman. Vietnamese provinces exhibited substantial variation in both the rate of abortion and the type of procedures performed. Among the hypotheses explored to explain Vietnam's high rate of abortion are the borrowing of family planning strategies from other poor socialist states where abortion is common; current antinatal population policies that interact with a lack of contraceptive alternatives; and a rise in pregnancies among young and unmarried women in the wake of recent free-market reforms. Because family-size preferences are still declining, abortion rates may continue to increase unless the incidence of unwanted pregnancy can be reduced, a goal that Vietnamese population specialists are seeking to achieve.

Serological evidence of ebolavirus infection in bats, China.

PubMed

Yuan, Junfa; Zhang, Yuji; Li, Jialu; Zhang, Yunzhi; Wang, Lin-Fa; Shi, Zhengli

2012-10-13

The genus Ebolavirus of the family Filoviridae currently consists of five species. All species, with the exception of Reston ebolavirus, have been found in Africa and caused severe human diseases. Bats have been implicated as reservoirs for ebolavirus. Reston ebolavirus, discovered in the Philippines, is the only ebolavirus species identified in Asia to date. Whether this virus is prevalent in China is unknown. In this study, we developed an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for ebolavirus using the recombinant nucleocapsid protein and performed sero-surveillance for the virus among Chinese bat populations. Our results revealed the presence of antibodies to ebolavirus in 32 of 843 bat sera samples and 10 of 16 were further confirmed by western blot analysis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of any filovirus infection in China.

A review of the global epidemiology of scrub typhus.

PubMed

Xu, Guang; Walker, David H; Jupiter, Daniel; Melby, Peter C; Arcari, Christine M

2017-11-01

Scrub typhus is a serious public health problem in the Asia-Pacific area. It threatens one billion people globally, and causes illness in one million people each year. Caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, scrub typhus can result in severe multiorgan failure with a case fatality rate up to 70% without appropriate treatment. The antigenic heterogeneity of O. tsutsugamushi precludes generic immunity and allows reinfection. As a neglected disease, there is still a large gap in our knowledge of the disease, as evidenced by the sporadic epidemiologic data and other related public health information regarding scrub typhus in its endemic areas. Our objective is to provide a systematic analysis of current epidemiology, prevention and control of scrub typhus in its long-standing endemic areas and recently recognized foci of infection.

A review of the global epidemiology of scrub typhus

PubMed Central

Xu, Guang; Jupiter, Daniel; Melby, Peter C.; Arcari, Christine M.

2017-01-01

Scrub typhus is a serious public health problem in the Asia-Pacific area. It threatens one billion people globally, and causes illness in one million people each year. Caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, scrub typhus can result in severe multiorgan failure with a case fatality rate up to 70% without appropriate treatment. The antigenic heterogeneity of O. tsutsugamushi precludes generic immunity and allows reinfection. As a neglected disease, there is still a large gap in our knowledge of the disease, as evidenced by the sporadic epidemiologic data and other related public health information regarding scrub typhus in its endemic areas. Our objective is to provide a systematic analysis of current epidemiology, prevention and control of scrub typhus in its long-standing endemic areas and recently recognized foci of infection. PMID:29099844

Skin Hyperpigmentation in Indian Population: Insights and Best Practice

PubMed Central

Nouveau, Stephanie; Agrawal, Divya; Kohli, Malavika; Bernerd, Francoise; Misra, Namita; Nayak, Chitra Shivanand

2016-01-01

Skin pigmentation is one of the most strikingly variable phenotypes in humans, therefore making cutaneous pigmentation disorders frequent symptoms manifesting in a multitude of forms. The most common among them include lentigines, postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, dark eye circles, and melasma. Variability of skin tones throughout the world is well-documented, some skin tones being reported as more susceptible to pigmentation disorders than others, especially in Asia and India. Furthermore, exposure to ultraviolet radiation is known to trigger or exacerbate pigmentation disorders. Preventive strategies for photoprotection and treatment modalities including topical and other medical approaches have been adopted by dermatologists to mitigate these disorders. This review article outlines the current knowledge on pigmentation disorders including pathophysiology, molecular profiling, and therapeutic options with a special focus on the Indian population. PMID:27688436

Challenges and prospects for dengue and malaria control in Thailand, Southeast Asia.

PubMed

Corbel, Vincent; Nosten, Francois; Thanispong, Kanutcharee; Luxemburger, Christine; Kongmee, Monthathip; Chareonviriyaphap, Theeraphap

2013-12-01

Despite significant advances in the search for potential dengue vaccines and new therapeutic schemes for malaria, the control of these diseases remains difficult. In Thailand, malaria incidence is falling whereas that of dengue is rising, with an increase in the proportion of reported severe cases. In the absence of antiviral therapeutic options for acute dengue, appropriate case management reduces mortality. However, the interruption of transmission still relies on vector control measures that are currently insufficient to curtail the cycle of epidemics. Drug resistance in malaria parasites is increasing, compromising malaria control and elimination. Deficiencies in our knowledge of vector biology and vectorial capacity also hinder public health efforts for vector control. Challenges to dengue and malaria control are discussed, and research priorities identified. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Chikungunya in the Americas: Recommendations and Conclusions.

PubMed

Graham, Barney S; Repik, Patricia M; Yactayo, Sergio

2016-12-15

Discovered in 1953, chikungunya virus (CHIKV) circulated in Africa and Southeast Asia, with periodic outbreaks, for many years. Highly efficient transmission following a genetic mutation of the virus in 2005 caused its global spread. Associated with significant morbidity, CHIKV creates a large public health burden, and despite various efforts, there are currently no licensed vaccines nor specific treatments. To garner a better understanding of the virus, identify gaps in knowledge, and guide the development of more-effective interventions, the World Health Organization and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases assembled global experts for discussion and review. Herein described are the outcomes. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2016. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Perceived Stress and Avoidant Coping Moderate Disordered Gambling among Emerging Adults in Vietnam

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lostutter, Ty W.; Larimer, Mary E.; Neighbors, Clayton; Kaljee, Linda M.

2013-01-01

Gambling research conducted in Asia has been limited, despite a continued growth of the gambling industry within the region. Outside Asia, research suggests emerging adults have high rates of gambling behavior and experience serious consequences. The current study examines gambling behavior within an emerging adult (ages 16-24) population in…

Current Practice of Extensive Reading in Asia: Teachers' Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Anna C.-S.; Renandya, Willy A.

2017-01-01

This study investigated teachers' perceptions of the practice of extensive reading (ER) in the Asian context. One hundred and nineteen L2 teachers in Asia responded to an online questionnaire that probed into their reasons for implementing ER, the difficulties they encountered, and their perception about the effectiveness of different ways of…

Consensus Development from the 5th Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert Meeting (APPLE 2014)

PubMed Central

Hsu, Chiun; Chen, Bang-Bin; Chen, Chien-Hung; Ho, Ming-Chih; Cheng, Jason Chia-Hsien; Kokudo, Norihiro; Murakami, Takamichi; Yeo, Winnie; Seong, Jinsil; Jia, Ji-Dong; Han, Kwan-Hyub; Cheng, Ann-Lii

2015-01-01

A key mission of the Asia-Pacific Primary Liver Cancer Expert (APPLE) Association is to ensure a coherent view for management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to advance new treatment for this difficult disease. At the 5th APPLE meeting, held in July 2014 in Taipei, Taiwan, an APPLE consensus development program was established to facilitate discussion among experts in the Asia-Pacific region on pertinent issues for HCC management, including (1) surgery for intermediate/advanced-stage disease, (2) prevention of HCC recurrence after curative treatment, (3) optimizing imaging diagnosis, (4) radiotherapy: current practice and future clinical trials, and (5) the role of cytotoxic chemotherapy. A pre-congress questionnaire was undertaken with the consensus development committee members to help understand the current practice patterns for HCC in the Asia-Pacific region and to identify issues relating to optimal patient care and further clinical trials for which consensus needs to be developed. In this report, the results of the questionnaire are presented, and the pertinent issues identified by each consensus group for further discussion and consensus development are summarized. PMID:26020032

Does the buck stop with the bugs?: an overview of microbial dysbiosis in rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Sandhya, Pulukool; Danda, Debashish; Sharma, Disha; Scaria, Vinod

2016-01-01

The human body is an environmental niche which is home to diverse co-habiting microbes collectively referred as the human microbiome. Recent years have seen the in-depth characterization of the human microbiome and associations with diseases. Linking of the composition or number of the human microbiota with diseases and traits date back to the original work of Elie Metchnikoff. Recent advances in genomic technologies have opened up finer details and dynamics of this new science with higher precision. Microbe-rheumatoid arthritis connection, largely related to the gut and oral microbiomes, has showed up as a result - apart from several other earlier, well-studied candidate autoimmune diseases. Although evidence favouring roles of specific microbial species, including Porphyromonas, Prevotella and Leptotricha, has become clearer, mechanistic insights still continue to be enigmatic. Manipulating the microbes by traditional dietary modifications, probiotics, and antibiotics and by currently employed disease-modifying agents seems to modulate the disease process and its progression. In the present review, we appraise the existing information as well as the gaps in knowledge in this challenging field. We also discuss the future directions for potential clinical applications, including prevention and management of rheumatoid arthritis using microbial modifications. © 2015 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Report of the first Asia-Pacific influenza summit, Asia-Pacific Alliance for the Control of Influenza (APACI), Bangkok, 12-13 June 2012.

PubMed

Jennings, Lance C; Smith, David W; Chan, Paul K S

2013-11-01

On June 12-13, 2012, the Asia-Pacific Alliance for the Control of Influenza (APACI) convened jointly with the Influenza Foundation of Thailand and the Thailand Department of Disease Control, the First Asia-Pacific Influenza Summit. The objectives of the meeting were to review the current state of official influenza control policies in Asia-Pacific countries; identify, summarize and communicate influenza control strategies that have successfully increased vaccine uptake in the region; develop policy and advocacy approaches to improve influenza vaccine uptake in high-risk groups and healthcare workers in the region; and establish collaborative relationships to promote best practices for the control of influenza. In moving forward, the challenge for the region will be establishing collaborations able to effectively communicate risk and key messages about influenza vaccination. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Intercontinental transport of aerosols and photochemical oxidants from Asia and its consequences.

PubMed

Wuebbles, Donald J; Lei, Hang; Lin, Jintai

2007-11-01

The intercontinental transport of aerosols and photochemical oxidants from Asia is a crucial issue for air quality concerns in countries downwind of the significant emissions and concentrations of pollutants occurring in this important region of the world. Since the lifetimes of some important pollutants are long enough to be transported over long distance in the troposphere, regional control strategies for air pollution in downwind countries might be ineffective without considering the effects of long-range transport of pollutants from Asia. Field campaigns provide strong evidence for the intercontinental transport of Asian pollutants. They, together with ground-based observations and model simulations, show that the air quality over parts of North America is being affected by the pollutants transported from Asia. This paper examines the current understanding of the intercontinental transport of gases and aerosols from Asia and resulting effects on air quality, and on the regional and global climate system.

The value of Autoimmune Syndrome Induced by Adjuvant (ASIA) - Shedding light on orphan diseases in autoimmunity.

PubMed

Segal, Yahel; Dahan, Shani; Sharif, Kassem; Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi; Watad, Abdulla; Amital, Howard

2018-05-01

Autoimmune Syndrome Induced by Adjuvant (ASIA) is a definition aimed to describe the common etiological process at the root of five clinical entities sharing similar symptomatology: macrophagic myofasciitis syndrome (MMF), Gulf War Syndrome (GWS), sick building syndrome (SBS), siliconosis, and post vaccination autoimmune phenomena. ASIA illustrates the role of environmental immune stimulating agents, or adjuvants, in the instigation of complex autoimmune reactions among individuals bearing a genetic preponderance for autoimmunity. The value of ASIA lies first in the acknowledgment it provides for patients suffering from these as yet ill-defined medical conditions. Equally important is the spotlight it sheds for further research of these poorly understood conditions sharing a common pathogenesis. In this article we elaborate on the significance of ASIA, review the current evidence in support of the syndrome, and address recent reservations raised regarding its validity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pharmacogenomics in Asia: a systematic review on current trends and novel discoveries.

PubMed

Ang, Hazel Xiaohui; Chan, Sze Ling; Sani, Levana L; Quah, Clarissa Bernice; Brunham, Liam R; Tan, Boon Ooi Patrick; Winther, Michael D

2017-06-01

While early pharmacogenomic studies have primarily been carried out in Western populations, there has been a notable increase in the number of Asian studies over the past decade. We systematically reviewed all pharmacogenomic studies conducted in Asia published before 2016 to highlight trends and identify research gaps in Asia. We observed that pharmacogenomic research in Asia was dominated by larger developed countries, notably Japan and Korea, and mainly driven by local researchers. Studies were focused on drugs acting on the CNS, chemotherapeutics and anticoagulants. Significantly, several novel pharmacogenomic associations have emerged from Asian studies. These developments are highly encouraging for the strength of regional scientific and clinical community and propound the importance of discovery studies in different populations.

Preface to the volume Large Rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latrubesse, Edgardo M.; Abad, Jorge D.

2018-02-01

The study and knowledge of the geomorphology of large rivers increased significantly during the last years and the factors that triggered these advances are multiple. On one hand, modern technologies became more accessible and their disseminated usage allowed the collection of data from large rivers as never seen before. The generalized use of high tech data collection with geophysics equipment such as acoustic Doppler current profilers-ADCPs, multibeam echosounders, plus the availability of geospatial and computational tools for morphodynamics, hydrological and hydrosedimentological modeling, have accelerated the scientific production on the geomorphology of large rivers at a global scale. Despite the advances, there is yet a lot of work ahead. Good parts of the large rivers are in the tropics and many are still unexplored. The tropics also hold crucial fluvial basins that concentrate good part of the gross domestic product of large countries like the Parana River in Argentina and Brazil, the Ganges-Brahmaputra in India, the Indus River in Pakistan, and the Mekong River in several countries of South East Asia. The environmental importance of tropical rivers is also outstanding. They hold the highest biodiversity of fluvial fauna and alluvial vegetation and many of them, particularly those in Southeast Asia, are among the most hazardous systems for floods in the entire world. Tropical rivers draining mountain chains such as the Himalaya, the Andes and insular Southeast Asia are also among the most heavily sediment loaded rivers and play a key role in both the storage of sediment at continental scale and the transference of sediments from the continent to the Ocean at planetary scale (Andermann et al., 2012; Latrubesse and Restrepo, 2014; Milliman and Syvitski, 1992; Milliman and Farsnworth, 2011; Sinha and Friend, 1994).

Campus Diversity and Global Education: A Case Study of a Japanese Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mori, Junko; Takeuchi, Jae DiBello

2016-01-01

The recent influx of international students from Asia to the United States has drastically changed the demographics of students studying languages, including languages other than English, in many large universities. For some languages, it is not uncommon for international students from Asia to constitute more than 50% of current enrollments in a…

Prospects for the Development and Internationalization of Higher Education in Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krechetnikov, Konstantin; Pestereva, Nina; Rajovic, Goran

2016-01-01

This study investigates the current process of internationalization of higher education in the countries of the Asia Pacific region (APR) through the example of China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and Russia. The article aims to familiarize the reader with the experience of internationalizing higher education in APR states against a backdrop of…

Earlier anal sexarche and co-occurring sexual risk are associated with current HIV-related risk behaviors among an online sample of men who have sex with men in Asia

PubMed Central

Cheung, Doug H.; Suharlim, Christian; Guadamuz, Thomas E.; Lim, Sin How; Koe, Stuart; Wei, Chongyi

2014-01-01

Studies of heterosexual populations across the globe and men who have sex with men (MSM) in a few developed countries showed that earlier sexual debut (sexarche) was associated with higher levels of co-occurring and subsequent HIV risk behaviors. We examined the relationships between earlier anal sexarche, unprotected earlier anal sexarche and current HIV risks among MSM from Asia. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among MSM (N = 10,826) in Asia in 2010. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify co-occurring (i.e., sexual experiences during sexarche) and current HIV-related risk factors (i.e., past six months) associated with earlier anal sexarche (before the age of 18) and unprotected earlier anal sexarche, respectively. Earlier anal sexarche was significantly associated with lack of condom use, being anal receptive or both receptive and insertive, and having a partner who were older during sexarche. It was also associated with current HIV-related risk behaviors including having multiple male sexual partners, having been paid for sex, and increased frequencies of recreational drug use. Unprotected earlier anal sexarche was significantly associated with inconsistent condom use in the past the six months. Improved and culturally sensitive sex education at schools should be included in national and regional HIV/AIDS prevention programming and policies in Asia. Such sex education programs should incorporate curriculum that address sexuality, sexual orientation, and sexual behaviors beyond those related to reproductive health. PMID:24920344

Earlier anal sexarche and co-occurring sexual risk are associated with current HIV-related risk behaviors among an online sample of men who have sex with men in Asia.

PubMed

Cheung, Doug H; Suharlim, Christian; Guadamuz, Thomas E; Lim, Sin How; Koe, Stuart; Wei, Chongyi

2014-12-01

Studies of heterosexual populations across the globe and men who have sex with men (MSM) in a few developed countries showed that earlier sexual debut (sexarche) was associated with higher levels of co-occurring and subsequent HIV risk behaviors. We examined the relationships between earlier anal sexarche, unprotected earlier anal sexarche and current HIV risks among MSM from Asia. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among MSM (N = 10,826) in Asia in 2010. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify co-occurring (i.e., sexual experiences during sexarche) and current HIV-related risk factors (i.e., past 6 months) associated with earlier anal sexarche (before the age of 18) and unprotected earlier anal sexarche, respectively. Earlier anal sexarche was significantly associated with lack of condom use, being anal receptive or both receptive and insertive, and having a partner who were older during sexarche. It was also associated with current HIV-related risk behaviors including having multiple male sexual partners, having been paid for sex, and increased frequencies of recreational drug use. Unprotected earlier anal sexarche was significantly associated with inconsistent condom use in the past the 6 months. Improved and culturally sensitive sex education at schools should be included in national and regional HIV/AIDS prevention programming and policies in Asia. Such sex education programs should incorporate curriculum that address sexuality, sexual orientation, and sexual behaviors beyond those related to reproductive health.

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 peopling of the Americas and the origin of the Beringian occupation model.

PubMed

Mulligan, Connie J; Szathmáry, Emőke J E

2017-03-01

The current model for peopling of the Americas involves divergence from an ancestral Asian population followed by a period of population isolation and genetic diversification in Beringia, and finally, a rapid expansion into and throughout the Americas. Studies in the 1970s sought to characterize the biological relationships between different indigenous populations and first proposed an occupation of Beringia. More recent studies using molecular genetic markers often neglect to reference early works that laid the groundwork for current colonization models. We address this matter, and briefly summarize the literature and technological advances that contributed to our current understanding of the peopling of the Americas. Furthermore, we argue that describing the process of peopling of the Americas as "migrations from Asia" minimizes the significant genetic diversification that occurred outside of Asia, and offends indigenous Americans by discounting their origin narratives and land rights. Rather than referring to the indigenous peoples of the Americas as "migrants" or "immigrants," we recommend consistency in the language used to describe all post-glacial expansions of people into Asia, Europe and the Americas. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Austro-Asiatic tribes of Northeast India provide hitherto missing genetic link between South and Southeast Asia.

PubMed

Reddy, B Mohan; Langstieh, B T; Kumar, Vikrant; Nagaraja, T; Reddy, A N S; Meka, Aruna; Reddy, A G; Thangaraj, K; Singh, Lalji

2007-11-07

Northeast India, the only region which currently forms a land bridge between the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, has been proposed as an important corridor for the initial peopling of East Asia. Given that the Austro-Asiatic linguistic family is considered to be the oldest and spoken by certain tribes in India, Northeast India and entire Southeast Asia, we expect that populations of this family from Northeast India should provide the signatures of genetic link between Indian and Southeast Asian populations. In order to test this hypothesis, we analyzed mtDNA and Y-Chromosome SNP and STR data of the eight groups of the Austro-Asiatic Khasi from Northeast India and the neighboring Garo and compared with that of other relevant Asian populations. The results suggest that the Austro-Asiatic Khasi tribes of Northeast India represent a genetic continuity between the populations of South and Southeast Asia, thereby advocating that northeast India could have been a major corridor for the movement of populations from India to East/Southeast Asia.

Austro-Asiatic Tribes of Northeast India Provide Hitherto Missing Genetic Link between South and Southeast Asia

PubMed Central

Reddy, B. Mohan; Langstieh, B. T.; Kumar, Vikrant; Nagaraja, T.; Reddy, A. N. S.; Meka, Aruna; Reddy, A. G.; Thangaraj, K.; Singh, Lalji

2007-01-01

Northeast India, the only region which currently forms a land bridge between the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, has been proposed as an important corridor for the initial peopling of East Asia. Given that the Austro-Asiatic linguistic family is considered to be the oldest and spoken by certain tribes in India, Northeast India and entire Southeast Asia, we expect that populations of this family from Northeast India should provide the signatures of genetic link between Indian and Southeast Asian populations. In order to test this hypothesis, we analyzed mtDNA and Y-Chromosome SNP and STR data of the eight groups of the Austro-Asiatic Khasi from Northeast India and the neighboring Garo and compared with that of other relevant Asian populations. The results suggest that the Austro-Asiatic Khasi tribes of Northeast India represent a genetic continuity between the populations of South and Southeast Asia, thereby advocating that northeast India could have been a major corridor for the movement of populations from India to East/Southeast Asia. PMID:17989774

An expert system model for mapping tropical wetlands and peatlands reveals South America as the largest contributor.

PubMed

Gumbricht, Thomas; Roman-Cuesta, Rosa Maria; Verchot, Louis; Herold, Martin; Wittmann, Florian; Householder, Ethan; Herold, Nadine; Murdiyarso, Daniel

2017-09-01

Wetlands are important providers of ecosystem services and key regulators of climate change. They positively contribute to global warming through their greenhouse gas emissions, and negatively through the accumulation of organic material in histosols, particularly in peatlands. Our understanding of wetlands' services is currently constrained by limited knowledge on their distribution, extent, volume, interannual flood variability and disturbance levels. We present an expert system approach to estimate wetland and peatland areas, depths and volumes, which relies on three biophysical indices related to wetland and peat formation: (1) long-term water supply exceeding atmospheric water demand; (2) annually or seasonally water-logged soils; and (3) a geomorphological position where water is supplied and retained. Tropical and subtropical wetlands estimates reach 4.7 million km 2 (Mkm 2 ). In line with current understanding, the American continent is the major contributor (45%), and Brazil, with its Amazonian interfluvial region, contains the largest tropical wetland area (800,720 km 2 ). Our model suggests, however, unprecedented extents and volumes of peatland in the tropics (1.7 Mkm 2 and 7,268 (6,076-7,368) km 3 ), which more than threefold current estimates. Unlike current understanding, our estimates suggest that South America and not Asia contributes the most to tropical peatland area and volume (ca. 44% for both) partly related to some yet unaccounted extended deep deposits but mainly to extended but shallow peat in the Amazon Basin. Brazil leads the peatland area and volume contribution. Asia hosts 38% of both tropical peat area and volume with Indonesia as the main regional contributor and still the holder of the deepest and most extended peat areas in the tropics. Africa hosts more peat than previously reported but climatic and topographic contexts leave it as the least peat-forming continent. Our results suggest large biases in our current understanding of the distribution, area and volumes of tropical peat and their continental contributions. © 2017 The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Educating for Creativity: Bringing the Arts and Culture into Asian Education. Report of the Asian Regional Symposia on Arts Education: Measuring the Impact of Arts in Education (Hong Kong SAR, China, January 9-11, 2004) and Transmissions and Transformations: Learning through the Arts in Asia (New Delhi, India, March 21-24, 2005)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meleisea, Ellie, Comp.

2005-01-01

The publication recounts two symposiums on Arts Education that took place in Hong Kong and New Delhi, India in January 2004 and March 2005 respectively. Two sections include papers covering the current situation of arts education in Asia and plans for the future. The first part has an introduction to culture and arts education in Asia, the vision…

A Comprehensive Analysis of the Current Status and Unmet Needs in Kidney Transplantation in Southeast Asia

PubMed Central

Chan-on, Chitranon; Sarwal, Minnie M.

2017-01-01

To address the unmet needs in the face of a growing demand for end-stage renal failure management and kidney transplantation in Asia, we have conducted a critical analysis of published literature and national registries to evaluate clinical outcomes and the rates of organ donation in Southeast Asia and the challenges facing these regions with regards to regulation, choice of donor source, and funding. Based on the available data, suggestions are proposed for an advancement of rates of organ donation and access, with emphasis on improved regulation and public education. PMID:28691007

Using knowledge translation as a framework for the design of a research protocol.

PubMed

Fredericks, Suzanne; Martorella, Géraldine; Catallo, Cristina

2015-05-01

Knowledge translation has been defined as the synthesis, dissemination, exchange and ethically sound application of knowledge to improve health, resulting in a stronger health-care system. Using KT activities to aid in the adoption of evidence into practice can address current health-care challenges such as increasing organizational practice standards, alleviating the risk for adverse events and meeting practitioner needs for evidence at the bedside. Two general forms of KT have been identified. These being integrated KT and end-of-grant KT. Integrated KT involves the knowledge users in the research team and in the majority of stages of the research process. End-of-grant KT relates to the translation of findings through a well-developed dissemination plan. This paper describes the process of using an integrated knowledge translation approach to design a research protocol that will examine the effectiveness of a web-based patient educational intervention. It begins with a description of integrated knowledge translation, followed by the presentation of a specific case example in which integrated knowledge translation is used to develop a nursing intervention. The major elements of integrated knowledge translation pertain to need for a knowledge user who represents the broad target user group, and who is knowledgeable in the area under investigation and who as authority to enact changes to practice. Use of knowledge users as equal partners within the research team; exploring all feasible opportunities for knowledge exchange; and working with knowledge users to identify all outcomes related to knowledge translation are the other major elements of integrated knowledge translation that are addressed throughout this paper. Furthermore, the relevance of psychosocial or educational interventions to knowledge translation is also discussed as a source of knowledge. In summary, integrated knowledge translation is an important tool for the development of new interventions, as it helps to apply science to practice accurately. It supports the elaboration of the design while enhancing the relevance of the intervention through the validation of feasibility and acceptability with clinicians and patients. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Osteoporosis education improves osteoporosis knowledge and dietary calcium: comparison of a 4 week and a one-session education course.

PubMed

Laslett, Laura L; Lynch, Joan; Sullivan, Thomas R; McNeil, Julian D

2011-08-01

Education is ideal for osteoporosis because many risk factors are modifiable. However, the efficacy of shortened education courses compared to a standard 4 week course for improving osteoporosis knowledge and healthy behaviours is not known. This study aimed to assess whether education changed knowledge and healthy behaviours over 3 months of follow-up; and whether changes in these outcomes were different between participants receiving the different education courses. Adults aged ≥ 50 years presenting to Emergency with mild to moderate trauma fractures received either the Osteoporosis Prevention and Self-Management Course (OPSMC) (4 × 2.5 h) (n = 75) or a one-session course (1 × 2.5 h) (n = 71) in a non-randomised prospective study with single-blinded allocation. Participants completed questionnaires measuring osteoporosis knowledge, dietary calcium, physical activity, calcium and exercise self-efficacy, and osteoporosis medications at baseline and 3 months. Data were analysed using mixed models and GEE regression models. Osteoporosis knowledge and calcium from food (% of RDI) increased from baseline to 3 months in both groups (P < 0.01). Use of osteoporosis medications increased between baseline and 3 months in the OPSMC group while decreasing in the one-session group (P = 0.039). There were no differences between the groups or over time in physical activity, calcium or exercise self-efficacy. Osteoporosis education (either the OPSMC or the one-session course) improved osteoporosis knowledge and calcium intake after 3 months. Participants attending the OPSMC maintained medication compliance. We were unable to determine other differences between the courses. This study confirms the value of osteoporosis education for improving osteoporosis knowledge. © 2011 The Authors. International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases © 2011 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Education for a Competitive Asia: Questioning the Discourse of Human Capital

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lightfoot-Rueda, Theodora

2018-01-01

This article looks at the concept of education for human capital from its origins in the US and Britain as part of a neo-colonial effort, to its current role in dominating educational discourse across Asia. It argues that although there is nothing wrong with promoting education for career success, this should not be the only lens through which we…

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…

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.

Atmospheric Movement of Microorganisms in Clouds of Desert Dust and Implications for Human Health

PubMed Central

Griffin, Dale W.

2007-01-01

Billions of tons of desert dust move through the atmosphere each year. The primary source regions, which include the Sahara and Sahel regions of North Africa and the Gobi and Takla Makan regions of Asia, are capable of dispersing significant quantities of desert dust across the traditionally viewed oceanic barriers. While a considerable amount of research by scientists has addressed atmospheric pathways and aerosol chemistry, very few studies to determine the numbers and types of microorganisms transported within these desert dust clouds and the roles that they may play in human health have been conducted. This review is a summary of the current state of knowledge of desert dust microbiology and the health impact that desert dust and its microbial constituents may have in downwind environments both close to and far from their sources. PMID:17630335

Atmospheric movement of microorganisms in clouds of desert dust and implications for human health

USGS Publications Warehouse

Griffin, Dale W.

2007-01-01

Billions of tons of desert dust move through the atmosphere each year. The primary source regions, which include the Sahara and Sahel regions of North Africa and the Gobi and Takla Makan regions of Asia, are capable of dispersing significant quantities of desert dust across the traditionally viewed oceanic barriers. While a considerable amount of research by scientists has addressed atmospheric pathways and aerosol chemistry, very few studies to determine the numbers and types of microorganisms transported within these desert dust clouds and the roles that they may play in human health have been conducted. This review is a summary of the current state of knowledge of desert dust microbiology and the health impact that desert dust and its microbial constituents may have in downwind environments both close to and far from their sources.

Atmospheric movement of microorganisms in clouds of desert dust and implications for human health.

PubMed

Griffin, Dale W

2007-07-01

Billions of tons of desert dust move through the atmosphere each year. The primary source regions, which include the Sahara and Sahel regions of North Africa and the Gobi and Takla Makan regions of Asia, are capable of dispersing significant quantities of desert dust across the traditionally viewed oceanic barriers. While a considerable amount of research by scientists has addressed atmospheric pathways and aerosol chemistry, very few studies to determine the numbers and types of microorganisms transported within these desert dust clouds and the roles that they may play in human health have been conducted. This review is a summary of the current state of knowledge of desert dust microbiology and the health impact that desert dust and its microbial constituents may have in downwind environments both close to and far from their sources.

A New Master of Natural Hazards Program at The Australian National University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pozgay, S.; Zoleta-Nantes, D.

2009-12-01

The new Master of Natural Hazards program at The Australian National University provides a multi-disciplinary approach to the study and monitoring of geophysical processes that can lead to the recognition of hazards and a consequent reduction of their impacts through emergency measures, disaster plans, and relief and rehabilitation. The program provides people with an understanding of the most up-to-date scientific understanding on the causes of natural hazards, their effects on human societies, and ways to mitigate their impacts and reduce their losses by focusing on Australia and the Asia-Pacific case studies. The Master of Natural Hazards program brings together the expertise of researchers across the university to provide an opportunity for students to do coursework and research projects that will provide them with extensive knowledge of the natural hazards that occur and pose the greatest risks on human communities in the Asia-Pacific, and an understanding of the human dimensions of the natural hazards occurrences. The program consists of two compulsory courses each in the Earth Sciences and in the Social Sciences that are designed to provide a complementary and comprehensive overview of natural hazards issues. Elective courses can be of a general grouping, or students may choose one of four Focus Streams: Environmental and Geographic Studies; Climate Change; Earth Structure and Imaging; or Socio-economic, Development and Policy Studies. A special case study project will involve writing a thesis on a topic to be approved by the Program Conveners and will comprise a body of work on an approved topic in natural hazards in the Asia-Pacific region. Students in this program will gain a broad scientific knowledge and methodological skills to understand the physical causes and frequency of the most important natural hazards in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the latest scientific methods and best practices of monitoring them for hazard mapping and disaster reduction purposes. Furthermore, students will learn to apply critical thinking in studying the involvement of societies’ social systems in framing and influencing the severity of impacts and destructions that are brought about by different physical events. The academic training in hazards and disaster research that the program offers will enable students to get actively involved in the preparation of short- and long-term disaster mitigation programs that can help members of communities in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region who, without sufficient knowledge on hazards and skills on disaster management, would be left vulnerable against the adversities that can be brought about by natural hazards.

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 northerly flora are a subset of the genera present in a more southerly flora. Main conclusions: The large-scale patterns of phytogeography in East Asia are strongly related to latitude, which covaries with several climatic variables such as temperature. Evolutionary processes such as the adaptation of plants to cold climates and current and past land connections are likely responsible for the observed latitudinal patterns.

Estimating changing snow water resources over the Himalaya from remote sensing at the weekly scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ackroyd, C.; Skiles, M.

2017-12-01

Water resources in South Asia are critically dependent on High Mountain Asia, namely as the headwaters for the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra River Basins. For water and economic security it is important to understand how the natural snow water reservoir is changing at a time scale that is relevant for water management, which can most feasibly be achieved across this vast and complex landscape through remote sensing. Here we present results from recent efforts to develop an optimal method that combines MODIS fractional snow covered area (MODSCAG) with retrievals of SWE from space borne microwave data (AMSR2) over the Hindu Kush Himalaya, which is further combined with MODIS dust radiative forcing (MODDRFS) to monitor rate of snow darkening, and provide a simple snowmelt metric that informs the contribution to melt by light absorbing particulates like dust and black carbon. For data consistency we are using 8 day composites of all products, and therefore the difference from time step to time step is a weekly, first order approximation, of the amount of SWE lost or gained from the region. MODIS retrievals are valuable for studying the hydrology of South Asia because there are mature sub kilometer scale products for the reflectance and fractional extent of the snow cover, the melt from which is mainly controlled by net solar radiation. The value of retrievals of SWE from space borne microwave data is less well established due to numerous sources of error (e.g. grain size and density, forest obscuration, penetration depth reduction, saturation) and the coarse 25 km spatial scale, which cannot capture the variation in SWE at the scale of individual mountain massifs. Despite these limitations it is currently the only available satellite based SWE product. This research effort is part of a larger NASA-SERVIR project that aims to join SWE estimates from MODIS and AMSR2, subsurface water storage variations from GRACE, and the RAPID river routing model to assess water resource variability at the management scale in South Asia and then transfer knowledge, and share developed tools and datasets, to local stakeholders.

Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies Annual Report 2008

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

construction efforts. Knowledge and The Natural Disaster Posing the Greatest Threat to You is: 1. Flood (22%) 2. Global warming / climate change (22...highly likely to rec- ommend APCSS to a colleague.  1. International financial crisis (29%) . Global warming / climate change (1%) . Pandemic

The dispersal of Homo sapiens across southern Asia: how early, how often, how complex?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dennell, Robin; Petraglia, Michael D.

2012-07-01

The timing and the paths of colonization of southern Asia by Homo sapiens are poorly known, though many population geneticists, paleoanthropologists, and archaeologists have contended that this process began with dispersal from East Africa, and occurred between 60,000 and 40,000 years ago. However, the evidence for this scenario is very weak, particularly the lack of human skeletal evidence between the Levant and Borneo before 40 ka, and other explanations are possible. Here we argue that environmental and archaeological information is increasingly indicating the likelihood that H. sapiens exited Africa much earlier than commonly thought, and may have colonized much of southern Asia well before 60,000 years ago. Additionally, we cannot exclude the possibility that several dispersal events occurred, from both North and East Africa, nor the likelihood that early populations of H. sapiens in southern Asia interbred with indigenous populations of Neanderthals, Denisovans and Homo erectus. The population history of southern Asia during the Upper Pleistocene is likely far more complex than currently envisaged.

Heart Transplantation in Asia.

PubMed

Lee, Hae-Young; Oh, Byung-Hee

2017-04-25

Heart transplantation (HTx) is the effective way to improve quality of life as well as survival in terminal heart failure (HF) patients. Since the first heart transplant in 1968 in Japan and in earnest in 1987 at Taiwan, HTx has been continuously increasing in Asia. Although the current percentage of heart transplants from Asia comprises only 5.7% of cases in the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) registry, the values were under-reported and soon will be greatly increased. HTx in Asia shows comparable with or even better results compared with ISHLT registry data. Several endemic infections, including type B hepatitis, tuberculosis, and cytomegalovirus, are unique aspects of HTx in Asia, and need special attention in transplant care. Although cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is considered as a leading cause of death after HTx globally, multiple observations suggest less prevalence and benign nature of CAV among Asian populations. Although there are many obstacles such as religion, social taboo or legal process, Asian countries will keep overcoming obstacles and broaden the field of HTx.

Understanding Organizational Learning via Knowledge Management in Government-Link Companies in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helmi, Asleena; Ahmad, Zainal Ariffin; Hung, Daisy Kee Mui

The knowledge management or KM discipline conjures a host of understanding and impact upon the global business community albeit commercially or socially. Regardless of the different approach to KM, it has inarguably brought about changes in viewing the knowledge capabilities and capacities of organizations. Peter Drucker (1998) argued that knowledge has become the key economic resource and the only source of competitive advantage. Hence organizational learning is an integral part of KM initiatives and has been widely practiced in many large organizations and across nations such as Europe, North America and Asia Pacific. Thus, this paper explores the KM initiatives of government link companies (GLCs) in Malaysia via synergizing knowledge strategy and capabilities in order to achieve competitive advantage.

Economic and Environmental Impacts of Harmful Non-Indigenous Species in Southeast Asia

PubMed Central

Nghiem, Le T. P.; Soliman, Tarek; Yeo, Darren C. J.; Tan, Hugh T. W.; Evans, Theodore A.; Mumford, John D.; Keller, Reuben P.; Baker, Richard H. A.; Corlett, Richard T.; Carrasco, Luis R.

2013-01-01

Harmful non-indigenous species (NIS) impose great economic and environmental impacts globally, but little is known about their impacts in Southeast Asia. Lack of knowledge of the magnitude of the problem hinders the allocation of appropriate resources for NIS prevention and management. We used benefit-cost analysis embedded in a Monte-Carlo simulation model and analysed economic and environmental impacts of NIS in the region to estimate the total burden of NIS in Southeast Asia. The total annual loss caused by NIS to agriculture, human health and the environment in Southeast Asia is estimated to be US$33.5 billion (5th and 95th percentile US$25.8–39.8 billion). Losses and costs to the agricultural sector are estimated to be nearly 90% of the total (US$23.4–33.9 billion), while the annual costs associated with human health and the environment are US$1.85 billion (US$1.4–2.5 billion) and US$2.1 billion (US$0.9–3.3 billion), respectively, although these estimates are based on conservative assumptions. We demonstrate that the economic and environmental impacts of NIS in low and middle-income regions can be considerable and that further measures, such as the adoption of regional risk assessment protocols to inform decisions on prevention and control of NIS in Southeast Asia, could be beneficial. PMID:23951120

The UK-SEA-ME Psychosocial-Cultural Cancer Research Network: setting the stage for applied qualitative research on cancer health behaviour in southeast Asia and the Middle East.

PubMed

Lim, Jennifer N W

2011-01-01

Psychosocial and cultural factors influencing cancer health behaviour have not been systematically investigated outside the western culture, and qualitative research is the best approach for this type of social research. The research methods employed to study health problems in Asia predominantly are quantitative techniques. The set up of the first psychosocial cancer research network in Asia marks the beginning of a collaboration to promote and spearhead applied qualitative healthcare research in cancer in the UK, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. This paper sets out the rationale, objectives and mission for the UK-SEA-ME Psychosocial-Cultural Cancer Research Network. The UK-SEA-ME network is made up of collaborators from the University of Leeds (UK), the University of Malaya (Malaysia), the National University of Singapore (Singapore) and the University of United Arab Emirates (UAE). The network promotes applied qualitative research to investigate the psychosocial and cultural factors influencing delayed and late presentation and diagnosis for cancer (breast cancer) in partner countries, as well as advocating the use of the mixed-methods research approach. The network also offers knowledge transfer for capacity building within network universities. The mission of the network is to improve public awareness about the importance of early management and prevention of cancer through research in Asia.

Challenges and unmet needs in basal insulin therapy: lessons from the Asian experience

PubMed Central

Chan, Wing Bun; Chen, Jung Fu; Goh, Su-Yen; Vu, Thi Thanh Huyen; Isip-Tan, Iris Thiele; Mudjanarko, Sony Wibisono; Bajpai, Shailendra; Mabunay, Maria Aileen; Bunnag, Pongamorn

2017-01-01

Basal insulin therapy can improve glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes. However, timely initiation, optimal titration, and proper adherence to prescribed basal insulin regimens are necessary to achieve optimal glycemic control. Even so, glycemic control may remain suboptimal in a significant proportion of patients. Unique circumstances in Asia (eg, limited resources, management of diabetes primarily in nonspecialist settings, and patient populations that are predominantly less educated) coupled with the limitations of current basal insulin options (eg, risk of hypoglycemia and dosing time inflexibility) amplify the challenge of optimal basal insulin therapy in Asia. Significant progress has been made with long-acting insulin analogs (insulin glargine 100 units/mL and insulin detemir), which provide longer coverage and less risk of hypoglycemia over intermediate-acting insulin (Neutral Protamine Hagedorn insulin). Furthermore, recent clinical evidence suggests that newer long-acting insulin analogs, new insulin glargine 300 units/mL and insulin degludec, may address some of the unmet needs of current basal insulin options in terms of risk of hypoglycemia and dosing time inflexibility. Nevertheless, more can be done to overcome barriers to basal insulin therapy in Asia, through educating both patients and physicians, developing better patient support models, and improving accessibility to long-acting insulin analogs. In this study, we highlight the unique challenges associated with basal insulin therapy in Asia and, where possible, propose strategies to address the unmet needs by drawing on clinical experiences and perspectives in Asia. PMID:29276400

Challenges and unmet needs in basal insulin therapy: lessons from the Asian experience.

PubMed

Chan, Wing Bun; Chen, Jung Fu; Goh, Su-Yen; Vu, Thi Thanh Huyen; Isip-Tan, Iris Thiele; Mudjanarko, Sony Wibisono; Bajpai, Shailendra; Mabunay, Maria Aileen; Bunnag, Pongamorn

2017-01-01

Basal insulin therapy can improve glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes. However, timely initiation, optimal titration, and proper adherence to prescribed basal insulin regimens are necessary to achieve optimal glycemic control. Even so, glycemic control may remain suboptimal in a significant proportion of patients. Unique circumstances in Asia (eg, limited resources, management of diabetes primarily in nonspecialist settings, and patient populations that are predominantly less educated) coupled with the limitations of current basal insulin options (eg, risk of hypoglycemia and dosing time inflexibility) amplify the challenge of optimal basal insulin therapy in Asia. Significant progress has been made with long-acting insulin analogs (insulin glargine 100 units/mL and insulin detemir), which provide longer coverage and less risk of hypoglycemia over intermediate-acting insulin (Neutral Protamine Hagedorn insulin). Furthermore, recent clinical evidence suggests that newer long-acting insulin analogs, new insulin glargine 300 units/mL and insulin degludec, may address some of the unmet needs of current basal insulin options in terms of risk of hypoglycemia and dosing time inflexibility. Nevertheless, more can be done to overcome barriers to basal insulin therapy in Asia, through educating both patients and physicians, developing better patient support models, and improving accessibility to long-acting insulin analogs. In this study, we highlight the unique challenges associated with basal insulin therapy in Asia and, where possible, propose strategies to address the unmet needs by drawing on clinical experiences and perspectives in Asia.

What Lessons to Take from Educational Reforms in Asia-Pacific Region? Factors That May Influence the Restructuring of Secondary Education in East Timor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capelo, Ana; Pedrosa, Maria Arminda; Almeida, Patrícia Albergaria

2013-01-01

To better understand current curricular reforms in some Asia-Pacific countries that came out of conflict periods, documents and information posted on various national and international agency websites were analysed. In this paper we aimed to (i) present a brief description of the conditions under which new secondary education curricula are being…

Educating for Location? The Policy Context of "Becoming Asia-Literate" in Five Western Countries/Regions in the 1990s

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pang, David

2005-01-01

This article examines the educational policy responses by five western countries/regions to the "Asian economic miracle" in the 1990s. It begins by stating that the idea of the global economic context has assumed considerable importance in the current educational thinking and debates. It then shows that Asia has been thematized in the…

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.…

Vitamin K antagonist control in patients with atrial fibrillation in Asia compared with other regions of the world: Real-world data from the GARFIELD-AF registry.

PubMed

Oh, Seil; Goto, Shinya; Accetta, Gabriele; Angchaisuksiri, Pantep; Camm, A John; Cools, Frank; Haas, Sylvia; Kayani, Gloria; Koretsune, Yukihiro; Lim, Toon Wei; Misselwitz, Frank; van Eickels, Martin; Kakkar, Ajay K

2016-11-15

To compare the distribution of international normalized ratios (INRs) in patients receiving vitamin K antagonist (VKA) for newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in Eastern and Southeastern Asia and in other regions of the world (ORW) represented in the ongoing, global observational study GARFIELD-AF. 3621 and 13,541 patients were recruited prospectively in 2010-2013 from Asia and ORW, respectively. At baseline, excluding patients with unknown antithrombotic treatment, 1356 (37.8%) in Asia and 7081 (53.3%) in ORW received VKA (±antiplatelets). INR readings during 1-year follow-up were analyzed for VKA-treated patients with ≥3 measurements (878 [64.7%] patients in Asia, 4452 [62.9%] in ORW). VKA-treated patients in Asia were younger than those in ORW (mean 67.1 vs 71.3years), with a lower CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc score (3.0 vs 3.5), but a similar HAS-BLED score (1.3 vs 1.4). Mean INR was lower in Asia than in ORW (2.0 vs 2.4). The proportion of time in the therapeutic range, defined using the multinational target of 2.0-3.0, was substantially lower in Asia (31.1% vs 54.1%). In Asia and ORW, 59.3% and 28.2% of INRs were <2, and 9.6% and 17.7% were >3, respectively. The same trend was found in different age groups (<65, 65-74, ≥75years). GARFIELD-AF data demonstrate a difference in the distribution of INRs in patients from Asia versus other regions under current real-world practice. Clinical Trial Registration-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Union for International Cancer Control International Session: healthcare economics: the significance of the UN Summit non-communicable diseases political declaration in Asia.

PubMed

Akaza, Hideyuki; Kawahara, Norie; Masui, Tohru; Takeyama, Kunihiko; Nogimori, Masafumi; Roh, Jae Kyung

2013-06-01

The Japan National Committee for the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and UICC-Asia Regional Office (ARO) organized an international session as part of the official program of the 71st Annual Meeting of the Japanese Cancer Association to discuss the topic "Healthcare Economics: The Significance of the UN Summit non-communicable diseases (NCDs) Political Declaration in Asia." The presenters and participants discussed the growing cost of cancer in the Asian region and the challenges that are faced by the countries of Asia, all of which face budgetary and other systemic constraints in tackling and controlling cancer in the region. The session benefited from the participation of various stakeholders, including cancer researchers and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry. They discussed the significance of the UN Political Declaration on the prevention and control of NCDs (2011) as a means of boosting awareness of cancer in the Asian region and also addressed the ways in which stakeholders can cooperate to improve cancer control and treatment. Other issues that were covered included challenges relating to pharmaceutical trials in Asia and how to link knowledge and research outcomes. The session concluded with the recognition that with the onset of a super-aged society in most countries in Asia and an increasing focus on quality of life rather than quantity of life, it is more important than ever for all stakeholders to continue to share information and promote policy dialogue on cancer control and treatment. © 2013 Japanese Cancer Association.

Immune responses during gestational malaria: a review of the current knowledge and future trend of research.

PubMed

Maestre, Amanda; Carmona-Fonseca, Jaime

2014-04-15

Women pregnant with their first child are susceptible to severe P. falciparum disease from placental malaria because they lack immunity to placenta-specific cytoadherence proteins. In subsequent pregnancies, as immunity against placental parasites is acquired, there is a reduced risk of adverse effects of malaria on the mother and fetus and asymptomatic parasitaemia is common. In the case of vivax malaria, with increasing reports of severe cases in Asia and South America, the effects of infection by this species during pregnancy remain to be elucidated. This review summarized the main aspects involved in the acquisition of specific antimalarial immune responses during pregnancy with emphasis in research carried out in America and Asia, in order to offer a framework of interpretation for studies on pregnant women with malaria which are recently being produced in these regions. The authors conclude that (1) Effective humoral responses during gestational malaria are mainly directed against variant surface antigens codified by genes of the var2Csa family of P. falciparum; (2) Acquisition of immunity against these variant antigens depends on the degree and intensity of transmission, and the chance increases with age and successive pregnancies; (3) Antibody development is guided by specific cellular immune responses in cases of placental and maternal infection, and (4) The study of the significance of acquisition of specific immunity against both P. falciparum and P. vivax in America, should be performed.

Science-Journalism Collaboration: An Experiment in Closing the Communication Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canan, Penelope; Hartman, Melanie

2007-01-01

Barriers that impede effective communication between scientists and journalists include communication styles and skills, professional jargon, mistrust, time constraints, and orientation to knowledge types and "facts." Here we describe an experiment in building bridges between journalists and scientists in Southeast Asia and Japan in a…

Intercontinental and intracontinental biogeography of the eastern Asian - Eastern North American disjunct Panax (the ginseng genus, Araliaceae), emphasizing its diversification processes in eastern Asia.

PubMed

Zuo, Yun-Juan; Wen, Jun; Zhou, Shi-Liang

2017-12-01

The intercontinental biogeography between eastern Asia and eastern North America has attracted much attention from evolutionary biologists. Further insights into understanding the evolution of the intercontinental disjunctions have been hampered by the lack of studies on the intracontinental biogeography in eastern Asia, a region with complex geology, geography, climates and habitats. Herein we studied the biogeographic history of the eastern Asian-eastern North American disjunct genus Panax with special emphasis on the investigation of its uneven diversification in Asia. This study reconstructs the diversification history of Panax and also emphasizes a large clade of Panax taxa, which has a wide distribution in eastern Asia, but was unresolved in previous studies. We examined the noncoding plastid DNA fragments of trnH-psbA, rps16, and psbM-trnD, the mitochondrial b/c intron of NAD1, and the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of 356 samples from 47 populations. The results revealed the subtropical Northern Hemisphere origin (Asia or Asia and North America) of Panax in the Paleocene. Intercontinental disjunctions between eastern Asia and eastern North America formed twice in Panax, once estimated in early Eocene for the split of P. trifolius and another in mid-Miocene for the divergence of P. quinquefolius. Intercontinental diversifications in Panax showed temporal correlation with the increase of global temperature. The evolutionary radiation of the P. bipinnatifidus species complex occurred around the boundary of Oligocene and Miocene. Strong genetic structure among populations of the species complex was detected and the populations may be isolated by distance. The backbone network and the Bayesian clustering analysis revealed a major evolutionary radiation centered in the Hengduan Mountains of western China. Our results suggested that the evolutionary radiation of Panax was promoted by geographic barriers, including mountain ranges (Hengduan Mountains, Nanling Mountains and Wuyishan Mountains), oceans and altitudinal shifts, which further contribute to the knowledge of the uneven species diversification between eastern Asia and North America. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Genomic epidemiology of artemisinin resistant malaria

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The current epidemic of artemisinin resistant Plasmodium falciparum in Southeast Asia is the result of a soft selective sweep involving at least 20 independent kelch13 mutations. In a large global survey, we find that kelch13 mutations which cause resistance in Southeast Asia are present at low frequency in Africa. We show that African kelch13 mutations have originated locally, and that kelch13 shows a normal variation pattern relative to other genes in Africa, whereas in Southeast Asia there is a great excess of non-synonymous mutations, many of which cause radical amino-acid changes. Thus, kelch13 is not currently undergoing strong selection in Africa, despite a deep reservoir of variations that could potentially allow resistance to emerge rapidly. The practical implications are that public health surveillance for artemisinin resistance should not rely on kelch13 data alone, and interventions to prevent resistance must account for local evolutionary conditions, shown by genomic epidemiology to differ greatly between geographical regions. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08714.001 PMID:26943619

The conservation status of the world’s reptiles

USGS Publications Warehouse

Böhm, Monika; Reynolds, Robert P.; ,

2013-01-01

Effective and targeted conservation action requires detailed information about species, their distribution, systematics and ecology as well as the distribution of threat processes which affect them. Knowledge of reptilian diversity remains surprisingly disparate, and innovative means of gaining rapid insight into the status of reptiles are needed in order to highlight urgent conservation cases and inform environmental policy with appropriate biodiversity information in a timely manner. We present the first ever global analysis of extinction risk in reptiles, based on a random representative sample of 1500 species (16% of all currently known species). To our knowledge, our results provide the first analysis of the global conservation status and distribution patterns of reptiles and the threats affecting them, highlighting conservation priorities and knowledge gaps which need to be addressed urgently to ensure the continued survival of the world’s reptiles. Nearly one in five reptilian species are threatened with extinction, with another one in five species classed as Data Deficient. The proportion of threatened reptile species is highest in freshwater environments, tropical regions and on oceanic islands, while data deficiency was highest in tropical areas, such as Central Africa and Southeast Asia, and among fossorial reptiles. Our results emphasise the need for research attention to be focussed on tropical areas which are experiencing the most dramatic rates of habitat loss, on fossorial reptiles for which there is a chronic lack of data, and on certain taxa such as snakes for which extinction risk may currently be underestimated due to lack of population information. Conservation actions specifically need to mitigate the effects of human-induced habitat loss and harvesting, which are the predominant threats to reptiles.

Perspectives on the Development of LNG Market Hubs in the Asia Pacific Region

EIA Publications

2017-01-01

The report discusses current initiatives to establish regional liquefied natural gas (LNG) trading hubs and pricing benchmarks in Asia and assesses the prospects for the Asian gas hubs in the near future. The report examines the characteristics of successful natural gas trading hubs and develops qualitative and quantitative indicators of the components of effective hubs, with emphasis on applying these indicators to Asian markets

Students' Silence and Identity in Small Group Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jin, Jun

2017-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) has been increasingly employed as a teaching and learning approach in many disciplines in higher education. In English medium of instruction (EMI) universities in Asia, PBL can further enhance knowledge construction as well as development of disciplinary language and communicative skills. It is necessary to explore how…

Making Connections within the Asia-Pacific Region: Case Study around the Mentoring for Effective Teaching (MET) Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hudson, Peter; Hudson, Sue; Kwan, Tammy; Chan, Cheri; Maclang-Vicencio, Evelina; Ani, Ana-Liza

2015-01-01

University strategic plans emphasise the essential nature of partnerships at national and international levels. Along with establishing collaborative research partnerships, providing professional development to key stakeholders is considered a crucial activity for making and sustaining partnerships. Utilising knowledge from professional…

Promoting Reading in Developing Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greaney, Vincent, Ed.

With the intention of illuminating the many obstacles involved with literacy promotion in the developing nations of Africa, Asia, and South America, the authors of the 10 articles in this collection share their knowledge and experience of literacy promotion in the developing world--including the unique challenges faced by those who publish, print,…

Women's Leadership in the Asian Century: Does Expansion Mean Inclusion?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morley, Louise; Crossouard, Barbara

2016-01-01

This paper draws on British Council commissioned research in response to concerns about women's absence from senior leadership positions in higher education in South Asia. The study sought existing knowledge from literature, policies, and available statistics and collected original interview data from 30 academics in Afghanistan, Bangladesh,…

Antigenic and genetic comparison of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype O Indian vaccine strain, O/IND/R2/75 against currently circulating viruses

PubMed Central

Mahapatra, Mana; Yuvaraj, S.; Madhanmohan, M.; Subramaniam, S.; Pattnaik, B.; Paton, D.J.; Srinivasan, V.A.; Parida, Satya

2015-01-01

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus serotype O is the most common cause of FMD outbreaks in India and three of the six lineages that have been described are most frequently detected, namely Ind2001, PanAsia and PanAsia 2. We report the full capsid sequence of 21 serotype O viruses isolated from India between 2002 and 2012. All these viruses belong to the Middle East–South Asia (ME–SA) topotype. The serological cross-reactivity of a bovine post-vaccination serum pool raised against the current Indian vaccine strain, O/IND/R2/75,was tested by virus neutralisation test with the 23 Indian field isolates, revealing a good match between the vaccine and the field isolates. The cross reactivity of the O/IND/R2/75 vaccine with 19 field isolates from other countries (mainly from Asia and Africa) revealed a good match to 79% of the viruses indicating that the vaccine strain is broadly cross-reactive and could be used to control FMD in other countries. Comparison of the capsid sequences of the serologically non-matching isolates with the vaccine strain sequence identified substitutions in neutralising antigenic sites 1 and 2, which could explain the observed serological differences. PMID:25500306

Phylogeny and biogeography of wild roses with specific attention to polyploids

PubMed Central

Fougère-Danezan, Marie; Joly, Simon; Bruneau, Anne; Gao, Xin-Fen; Zhang, Li-Bing

2015-01-01

Background and Aims The genus Rosa (150–200 species) is widely distributed throughout temperate and sub-tropical habitats from the northern hemisphere to tropical Asia, with only one tropical African species. In order to better understand the evolution of roses, this study examines infrageneric relationships with respect to conventional taxonomy, considers the extent of allopolyploidization and infers macroevolutionary processes that have led to the current distribution of the genus. Methods Phylogenetic relationships among 101 species of the genus Rosa were reconstructed using sequences from the plastid psbA-trnH spacer, trnL intron, trnL-F spacer, trnS-G spacer and trnG intron, as well as from nuclear glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), which was used to identify putative allopolyploids and infer their possible origins. Chloroplast phylogeny was used to estimate divergence times and reconstruct ancestral areas. Key Results Most subgenera and sections defined by traditional taxonomy are not monophyletic. However, several clades are partly consistent with currently recognized sections. Allopolyploidy seems to have played an important role in stabilizing intersectional hybrids. Biogeographic analyses suggest that Asia played a central role as a genetic reservoir in the evolution of the genus Rosa. Conclusions The ancestral area reconstruction suggests that despite an early presence on the American continent, most extant American species are the results of a later re-colonization from Asia, probably through the Bering Land Bridge. The results suggest more recent exchanges between Asia and western North America than with eastern North America. The current distribution of roses from the Synstylae lineage in Europe is probably the result of a migration from Asia approx. 30 million years ago, after the closure of the Turgai strait. Directions for a new sectional classification of the genus Rosa are proposed, and the analyses provide an evolutionary framework for future studies on this notoriously difficult genus. PMID:25550144

Research Networks, Mentorship and Sustainability Knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kafle, A.; Mukhopadhyay, P.; Nepal, M.; Shyamsundar, P.

2015-12-01

In South Asia, a majority of institutions are ill-equipped to undertake research on multi-disciplinary environmental problems, though these problems are increasing at a fast rate and connected to the region's poverty and growth objectives. In this context, the South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE) tries to fill a research, training and knowledge gap by building skills in the area of Environment and Development Economics. In this paper, the authors argue that research networks contribute to the growth of sustainability knowledge through (a) knowledge creation, (b) knowledge transfer and (c) knowledge deepening. The paper tries to show the relationship between capacity building, mentorship and research scholarship. It demonstrates that researchers, by associating with the network and its multiple training and mentoring processes, are able to build skills, change curricula and deliver useful knowledge products. The paper discusses the need for interdisciplinary research and the challenges of bridging the gap between research outputs and policy reforms.

Knowledge about anti-tuberculosis treatment among nurses at tuberculosis clinics.

PubMed

Yükseltürk, Neriman; Dinç, Leyla

2013-02-01

Nurses are primary responsible for Direct Observation Therapy Strategy and administration of anti-tuberculosis (TB) medications. Lack of knowledge might result with medication errors and ineffective TB control. The purpose of this study was to assess knowledge of nurses about anti-TB treatment. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Turkey with 208 nurses employed at TB and lung disease clinics of health-care settings in Ankara. Data were collected through a questionnaire, which included questions about demographics and a knowledge test with true-false questions related to TB treatment. Overall scores were high with a mean score of 18.5 out of 24, but there was knowledge deficiency in effects and side-effects of anti-TB drugs. Knowledge is foundational for any practice and for TB control. Clinical experience and continuing education after graduation influence the level of knowledge. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Impacts of population growth and economic development on the nitrogen cycle in Asia.

PubMed

Zhu, Zhaoliang; Xiong, Guangxi; Xing, Zhengqin

2005-12-01

Asia is the major consumer of fertilizer nitrogen and energy in the world, and consequently shares a considerable proportion of the world creation of reactive nitrogen (Nr). However, if estimated on per capita basis, Asia is characterized by a lower arable land area, fertilizer nitrogen consumption, energy consumption, and gross domestic product, as well as lower daily protein intake. To meet the increasing needs for food and energy for the growing population combined with the improvement of living standards, Nr will inevitably increase. The present study estimates the creation of Nr and the emissions of various N compounds into environment in Asia currently and in 2030. In comparison with the world averages, the lower fertilizer nitrogen and energy use efficiencies, and the lower use of animal wastes for agriculture imply that there is potential for moderating the increase in Nr and its impacts on the environment. Strategies for moderating the increase are discussed.

Impacts of population growth and economic development on the nitrogen cycle in Asia.

PubMed

Zhu, Zhaoliang; Xiong, Zhengqin; Xing, Guangxi

2005-09-01

Asia is the major consumer of fertilizer nitrogen and energy in the world, and consequently shares a considerable proportion of the world creation of reactive nitrogen (Nr). However, if estimated on per capita basis, Asia is characterized by a lower arable land area, fertilizer nitrogen consumption, energy consumption, and gross domestic product, as well as lower daily protein intake. To meet the increasing needs for food and energy for the growing population combined with the improvement of living standards, Nr will inevitably increase. The present study estimates the creation of Nr and the emissions of various N compounds into environment in Asia currently and in 2030. In comparison with the world averages, the lower fertilizer nitrogen and energy use efficiencies, and the lower use of animal wastes for agriculture imply that there is potential for moderating the increase in Nr and its impacts on the environment. Strategies for moderating the increase are discussed.

Fogarty research ethics training programs in the Asia-Pacific: the merging of cultures.

PubMed

Pratt, Bridget; Van, Cassandra; Trevorrow, Emily; Loff, Bebe

2014-04-01

In-depth interviews were undertaken with nine principal investigators and 16 former trainees from eight FIC programs recruiting trainees from the Asia-Pacific to assess the impact of training. Incorporation of new knowledge into teaching, research, and medical practice; advanced training; and ethics committee participation were the most common outcomes identified. When attempting to implement ethics activities posttraining, trainees often had to contend with opposition from more senior staff. Approaches that enhanced the cultural relevance of program content were identified as necessary, including comparing/contrasting non-Western principles and religions with Western bioethics, using region-specific case studies, and integrating clinical and research ethics. Best practices associated with program and trainee success included selecting more senior trainees clustered within Asia-Pacific institutions, offering a variety of degree and nondegree options, and post-training mentorship and networking support. This paper is part of a collection of papers analyzing the Fogarty International Center's International Research Ethics Education and Curriculum Development program.

Assessment of Research Capacity Among Nursing Faculty in a Clinical Intensive University in The Philippines.

PubMed

Torres, Gian Carlo S; Estrada, Marica G; Sumile, Earl Francis R; Macindo, John Rey B; Maravilla, Susan N; Hendrix, Cristina C

2017-10-01

Many nursing studies are conducted in the United States, Europe, and Australia, where only a fourth of the world's population resides. There is a need to promote nursing research in Asia to enhance the contextual relevance of their evidence-based nursing interventions. A first step toward this goal is to determine the perceived research capacity among nursing faculty in academic settings in the Philippines. This study described the perceived research capacity among nursing faculty of the University of Santo Tomas - College of Nursing, Manila, Philippines. The study used a survey that contained four sections: subject demographics; knowledge and skill on research designs and research process; research involvement, services, and incentives; and factors affecting research involvement. Chi-square test of homogeneity and MANOVA analyzed the gathered data. Findings showed that the faculty perceived themselves as knowledgeable and skillful in conducting research. However, current teaching assignments hindered their capacity to conduct research. University-sponsored incentives and college-based research services had also remained underutilized despite their availability. Overall, heavy teaching load was the greatest hindrance to research endeavors. Actions must be taken to reconfigure effort allocations with careful consideration of existing university and institutional bylaws. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Global Rice Watch: Spatial-temporal dynamics, driving factors, and impacts of paddy rice agriculture in the world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, X.; Dong, J.; Zhang, G.; Xin, F.; Li, X.

2017-12-01

Paddy rice croplands account for more than 12% of the global cropland areas, and provide food to feed more than 50% of the world population. Spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of paddy rice croplands have changed remarkably in the past decades, driven by growing human population and their changing diet structure, land use (e.g., urbanization, industrialization), climate, markets, and technologies. In this presentation, we will provide a comprehensive review of our current knowledge on (1) the spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of paddy rice croplands from agricultural statistics data and remote sensing approaches; (2) major driving factors for the observed changes in paddy rice areas, including social, economic, climate, land use, markets, crop breeding technology, and farming technology; and (3) major impacts on atmospheric methane concentration, land surface temperature, water resources and use, and so on. We will highlight the results from a few case studies in China and monsoon Asia. We will also call for a global synthesis analysis of paddy rice agriculture, and invite researchers to join the effort to write and edit a book that provides comprehensive and updated knowledge on paddy rice agriculture.

Ecology, Behaviour and Control of Apis cerana with a Focus on Relevance to the Australian Incursion

PubMed Central

Koetz, Anna H.

2013-01-01

Apis cerana Fabricius is endemic to most of Asia, where it has been used for honey production and pollination services for thousands of years. Since the 1980s, A. cerana has been introduced to areas outside its natural range (namely New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Australia), which sparked fears that it may become a pest species that could compete with, and negatively affect, native Australian fauna and flora, as well as commercially kept A. mellifera and commercial crops. This literature review is a response to these concerns and reviews what is known about the ecology and behaviour of A. cerana. Differences between temperate and tropical strains of A. cerana are reviewed, as are A. cerana pollination, competition between A. cerana and A. mellifera, and the impact and control strategies of introduced A. cerana, with a particular focus on gaps of current knowledge. PMID:26462524

The flood pulse as the underlying driver of vegetation in the largest wetland and fishery of the Mekong Basin.

PubMed

Arias, Mauricio E; Cochrane, Thomas A; Norton, David; Killeen, Timothy J; Khon, Puthea

2013-11-01

The Tonle Sap is the largest wetland in Southeast Asia and one of the world's most productive inland fisheries. The Mekong River inundates the Tonle Sap every year, shaping a mosaic of natural and agricultural habitats. Ongoing hydropower development, however, will dampen the flood pulse that maintains the Tonle Sap. This study established the current underlying relationship among hydrology, vegetation, and human use. We found that vegetation is strongly influenced by flood duration; however, this relationship was heavily distorted by fire, grazing, and rice cultivation. The expected flood pulse alteration will result in higher water levels during the dry season, permanently inundating existing forests. The reduction of the maximum flood extent will facilitate agricultural expansion into natural habitats. This study is the most comprehensive field survey of the Tonle Sap to date, and it provides fundamental knowledge needed to understand the underlying processes that maintain this important wetland.

International Collaboration Activities in Different Geologic Disposal Environments

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

Birkholzer, Jens

This report describes the current status of international collaboration regarding geologic disposal research in the Used Fuel Disposition (UFD) Campaign. Since 2012, in an effort coordinated by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, UFD has advanced active collaboration with several international geologic disposal programs in Europe and Asia. Such collaboration allows the UFD Campaign to benefit from a deep knowledge base with regards to alternative repository environments developed over decades, and to utilize international investments in research facilities (such as underground research laboratories), saving millions of R&D dollars that have been and are being provided by other countries. To date, UFD’s Internationalmore » Disposal R&D Program has established formal collaboration agreements with five international initiatives and several international partners, and national lab scientists associated with UFD have conducted specific collaborative R&D activities that align well with its R&D priorities.« less

Gastroesophageal reflux disease: recent advances and its association with sleep.

PubMed

Oh, Jung Hwan

2016-09-01

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is prevalent in Asia as well as in Western countries. Sleep disturbance and breathing disorders during sleep are becoming increasingly prevalent, and they are commonly associated with GERD. The relationship between GERD and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is still questionable, and it has expanded to include Barrett's esophagus. Nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux (nGER) symptoms might be clinically important in the explanation of this association. The therapy for reflux symptoms has resulted in improved subjective sleep parameters and enhanced sleep quality, thus supporting a direct relationship between GERD and sleep disturbance. This review discusses the epidemiology of sleep disturbances in GERD patients; the causative relationship between GERD and OSA, even though it remains an area of controversy; and the possible role of nGER in sleep problems. It also provides an update on the current state of knowledge linking GERD and sleep. © 2016 New York Academy of Sciences.

Clinical impact of genetic variants of drug transporters in different ethnic groups within and across regions.

PubMed

Ono, Chiho; Kikkawa, Hironori; Suzuki, Akiyuki; Suzuki, Misaki; Yamamoto, Yuichi; Ichikawa, Katsuomi; Fukae, Masato; Ieiri, Ichiro

2013-11-01

Drug transporters, together with drug metabolic enzymes, are major determinants of drug disposition and are known to alter the response to many commonly used drugs. Substantial frequency differences for known variants exist across geographic regions for certain drug transporters. To deliver efficacious medicine with the right dose for each patient, it is important to understand the contribution of genetic variants for drug transporters. Recently, mutual pharmacokinetic data usage among Asian regions, which are thought to be relatively similar in their own genetic background, is expected to accelerate new drug applications and reduce developmental costs. Polymorphisms of drug transporters could be key factors to be considered in implementing multiethnic global clinical trials. This review addresses the current knowledge on genetic variations of major drug transporters affecting drug disposition, efficacy and toxicity, focusing on the east Asian populations, and provides insights into future directions for precision medicine and drug development in east Asia.

A Literature Review of Zika Virus.

PubMed

Plourde, Anna R; Bloch, Evan M

2016-07-01

Zika virus is a mosquitoborne flavivirus that is the focus of an ongoing pandemic and public health emergency. Previously limited to sporadic cases in Africa and Asia, the emergence of Zika virus in Brazil in 2015 heralded rapid spread throughout the Americas. Although most Zika virus infections are characterized by subclinical or mild influenza-like illness, severe manifestations have been described, including Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults and microcephaly in babies born to infected mothers. Neither an effective treatment nor a vaccine is available for Zika virus; therefore, the public health response primarily focuses on preventing infection, particularly in pregnant women. Despite growing knowledge about this virus, questions remain regarding the virus's vectors and reservoirs, pathogenesis, genetic diversity, and potential synergistic effects of co-infection with other circulating viruses. These questions highlight the need for research to optimize surveillance, patient management, and public health intervention in the current Zika virus epidemic.

A Literature Review of Zika Virus

PubMed Central

Bloch, Evan M.

2016-01-01

Zika virus is a mosquitoborne flavivirus that is the focus of an ongoing pandemic and public health emergency. Previously limited to sporadic cases in Africa and Asia, the emergence of Zika virus in Brazil in 2015 heralded rapid spread throughout the Americas. Although most Zika virus infections are characterized by subclinical or mild influenza-like illness, severe manifestations have been described, including Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults and microcephaly in babies born to infected mothers. Neither an effective treatment nor a vaccine is available for Zika virus; therefore, the public health response primarily focuses on preventing infection, particularly in pregnant women. Despite growing knowledge about this virus, questions remain regarding the virus’s vectors and reservoirs, pathogenesis, genetic diversity, and potential synergistic effects of co-infection with other circulating viruses. These questions highlight the need for research to optimize surveillance, patient management, and public health intervention in the current Zika virus epidemic. PMID:27070380

Leptospirosis in the Asia Pacific region

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonotic infection that has been recognized for decades, but the problem of the disease has not been fully addressed, particularly in resource-poor, developing countries, where the major burden of the disease occurs. This paper presents an overview of the current situation of leptospirosis in the region. It describes the current trends in the epidemiology of leptospirosis, the existing surveillance systems, and presents the existing prevention and control programs in the Asia Pacific region. Methods Data on leptospirosis in each member country were sought from official national organizations, international public health organizations, online articles and the scientific literature. Papers were reviewed and relevant data were extracted. Results Leptospirosis is highly prevalent in the Asia Pacific region. Infections in developed countries arise mainly from occupational exposure, travel to endemic areas, recreational activities, or importation of domestic and wild animals, whereas outbreaks in developing countries are most frequently related to normal daily activities, over-crowding, poor sanitation and climatic conditions. Conclusion In the Asia Pacific region, predominantly in developing countries, leptospirosis is largely a water-borne disease. Unless interventions to minimize exposure are aggressively implemented, the current global climate change will further aggravate the extent of the disease problem. Although trends indicate successful control of leptospirosis in some areas, there is no clear evidence that the disease has decreased in the last decade. The efficiency of surveillance systems and data collection varies significantly among the countries and areas within the region, leading to incomplete information in some instances. Thus, an accurate reflection of the true burden of the disease remains unknown. PMID:19732423

A rabies lesson improves rabies knowledge amongst primary school children in Zomba, Malawi.

PubMed

Burdon Bailey, Jordana L; Gamble, Luke; Gibson, Andrew D; Bronsvoort, Barend M deC; Handel, Ian G; Mellanby, Richard J; Mazeri, Stella

2018-03-01

Rabies is an important neglected disease, which kills around 59,000 people a year. Over a third of these deaths are in children less than 15 years of age. Almost all human rabies deaths in Africa and Asia are due to bites from infected dogs. Despite the high efficacy of current rabies vaccines, awareness about rabies preventive healthcare is often low in endemic areas. It is therefore common for educational initiatives to be conducted in conjunction with other rabies control activities such as mass dog vaccination, however there are few examples where the efficacy of education activities has been assessed. Here, primary school children in Zomba, Malawi, were given a lesson on rabies biology and preventive healthcare. Subsequently, a mass dog vaccination programme was delivered in the same region. Knowledge and attitudes towards rabies were assessed by a questionnaire before the lesson, immediately after the lesson and 9 weeks later to assess the impact the lesson had on school children's knowledge and attitudes. This assessment was also undertaken in children who were exposed to the mass dog vaccination programme but did not receive the lesson. Knowledge of rabies and how to be safe around dogs increased following the lesson (both p<0.001), and knowledge remained higher than baseline 9 weeks after the lesson (both p<0.001). Knowledge of rabies and how to be safe around dogs was greater amongst school children who had received the lesson compared to school children who had not received the lesson, but had been exposed to a rabies vaccination campaign in their community (both p<0.001) indicating that the lesson itself was critical in improving knowledge. In summary, we have shown that a short, focused classroom-based lesson on rabies can improve short and medium-term rabies knowledge and attitudes of Malawian schoolchildren.

A rabies lesson improves rabies knowledge amongst primary school children in Zomba, Malawi

PubMed Central

Burdon Bailey, Jordana L.; Gamble, Luke; Gibson, Andrew D.; Bronsvoort, Barend M. deC.; Handel, Ian G.; Mellanby, Richard J.; Mazeri, Stella

2018-01-01

Rabies is an important neglected disease, which kills around 59,000 people a year. Over a third of these deaths are in children less than 15 years of age. Almost all human rabies deaths in Africa and Asia are due to bites from infected dogs. Despite the high efficacy of current rabies vaccines, awareness about rabies preventive healthcare is often low in endemic areas. It is therefore common for educational initiatives to be conducted in conjunction with other rabies control activities such as mass dog vaccination, however there are few examples where the efficacy of education activities has been assessed. Here, primary school children in Zomba, Malawi, were given a lesson on rabies biology and preventive healthcare. Subsequently, a mass dog vaccination programme was delivered in the same region. Knowledge and attitudes towards rabies were assessed by a questionnaire before the lesson, immediately after the lesson and 9 weeks later to assess the impact the lesson had on school children’s knowledge and attitudes. This assessment was also undertaken in children who were exposed to the mass dog vaccination programme but did not receive the lesson. Knowledge of rabies and how to be safe around dogs increased following the lesson (both p<0.001), and knowledge remained higher than baseline 9 weeks after the lesson (both p<0.001). Knowledge of rabies and how to be safe around dogs was greater amongst school children who had received the lesson compared to school children who had not received the lesson, but had been exposed to a rabies vaccination campaign in their community (both p<0.001) indicating that the lesson itself was critical in improving knowledge. In summary, we have shown that a short, focused classroom-based lesson on rabies can improve short and medium-term rabies knowledge and attitudes of Malawian schoolchildren. PMID:29522517

Smokeless tobacco control policies in South Asia: a gap analysis and recommendations.

PubMed

Khan, Amina; Huque, Rumana; Shah, Sarwat K; Kaur, Jagdish; Baral, Sushil; Gupta, Prakash C; Cherukupalli, Rajeev; Sheikh, Aziz; Selvaraj, Sakthivel; Nargis, Nigar; Cameron, Ian; Siddiqi, Kamran

2014-06-01

Almost a fifth of the world's tobacco is consumed in smokeless form. Its consumption is particularly common in South Asia, where an increasing array of smokeless tobacco (SLT) products is widely available. Mindful of the growing public health threat from SLT, a group of international academics and policy makers recently gathered to identify policy and knowledge gaps and proposed strategies to address these. We reviewed key policy documents and interviewed policy makers and representatives of civil society organizations in 4 South Asian countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. We explored if SLT features in existing tobacco control policies and, if so, the extent to which these are implemented and enforced. We also investigated barriers to effective policy formulation and implementation. The findings were presented at an international meeting of experts and were refined in the light of the ensuing discussion in order to inform policy and research recommendations. We found that the existing SLT control policies in these 4 South Asian countries were either inadequate or poorly implemented. Taxes were low and easily evaded; regulatory mechanisms, such as licensing and trading standards, either did not exist or were inadequately enforced to regulate the composition and sales of such products; and there was little or no cessation support for those who wanted to quit. Limited progress has been made so far to address the emerging public health threat posed by SLT consumption in South Asia. International and regional cooperation is required to advocate for effective policy and to address knowledge gaps.

A twin study of the effects of the Vietnam conflict on alcohol drinking patterns.

PubMed Central

Goldberg, J; Eisen, S A; True, W R; Henderson, W G

1990-01-01

This study examines the association between military service in Southeast Asia and alcohol drinking patterns in 2,169 male-male monozygotic twin pairs who both served on active military duty during the Vietnam era (1965-75). Data on alcohol drinking were collected in 1987 by mail and telephone interview. The alcohol drinking measures include three indicators of abstention (lifetime abstainer, lifetime non-regular drinker, and current abstainer) and two indicators of consumption (average daily ethanol consumption and high consumption). In unadjusted and co-twin adjusted analyses, neither service in Southeast Asia nor combat exposure was significantly associated with any measure of abstention. In the co-twin adjusted analysis, there was no association of Southeast Asia service and combat exposure with average daily ethanol consumption. After adjustment for co-twin effects, 4.0 percent of non-Southeast Asia veterans were high consumers compared to 6.7 percent of Southeast Asia veterans who served in high combat. We conclude that prior military service in a war zone has a relatively modest long-term effect on the alcohol drinking patterns of male veterans. PMID:2327534

Smoking and the risk of upper aero digestive tract cancers for men and women in the Asia-Pacific region.

PubMed

Ansary-Moghaddam, Alireza; Martiniuk, Alexandra; Lam, Tai-Hing; Jamrozik, Konrad; Tamakoshi, Akiko; Fang, Xianghua; Suh, Il; Barzi, Federica; Huxley, Rachel; Woodward, Mark

2009-04-01

Although smoking is an established causal factor for upper aero digestive tract cancer (UADTC), most of the evidence originates from the West. Thus, we analysed data from 455,409 subjects in the Asia Pacific Cohort Studies Collaboration. Over a median of around six years follow-up, 371 deaths from UADTC were observed. The hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for current smokers, compared with those who had never smoked, was 2.36 (1.76 - 3.16), adjusted for age and alcohol drinking. Tobacco control policies are urgently required in Asia to prevent millions of deaths from UADTC that smoking will otherwise cause.

Smoking and the Risk of Upper Aero Digestive Tract Cancers for Men and Women in the Asia-Pacific Region

PubMed Central

Ansary-Moghaddam, Alireza; Martiniuk, Alexandra; Lam, Tai-Hing; Jamrozik, Konrad; Tamakoshi, Akiko; Fang, Xianghua; Suh, Il; Barzi, Federica; Huxley, Rachel; Woodward, Mark

2009-01-01

Although smoking is an established causal factor for upper aero digestive tract cancer (UADTC), most of the evidence originates from the West. Thus, we analysed data from 455,409 subjects in the Asia Pacific Cohort Studies Collaboration. Over a median of around six years follow-up, 371 deaths from UADTC were observed. The hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for current smokers, compared with those who had never smoked, was 2.36 (1.76 – 3.16), adjusted for age and alcohol drinking. Tobacco control policies are urgently required in Asia to prevent millions of deaths from UADTC that smoking will otherwise cause. PMID:19440523

National Information Policies for the Asia Oceania Region. Proceedings of the General Assembly and Congress of the International Federation for Information and Documentation Commission for Asia and Oceania (11th, Seoul, Korea, October 29-31, 1990).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dickson, Ian, Ed.; Dwyer, Lisa, Ed.

The 18 papers presented at this conference address national information policies, information for industry, and electronic publishing. The titles of the papers are as follows: (1) "Industrial Information Policies of Developing Countries" (keynote address, Sung Jin Choi); (2) "National Information Policy. Current Trends and…

Annual Report of the Secretary of Defense on Reserve Forces

DTIC Science & Technology

1970-01-01

Aviation. The Southeast : Asia incremental phase-down resulted In the infusion of relatively new aircraft into the Reserve Components’ inventory in FY 70. A...Loeeoen learned tim Uth reall, employmst and smbome ent Iamctiveaton of two reserve mobile constructiom battalions in fioesl years 19t and IM49...tional War Reserve Stock) and recoverable asseto from reduct.ion of Southeast Asia operations are expected tc credit stock now on hand. Current Navy

Nuclear Cardiology Practice in Asia: Analysis of Radiation Exposure and Best Practice for Myocardial Perfusion Imaging　- Results From the IAEA Nuclear Cardiology Protocols Cross-Sectional Study (INCAPS).

PubMed

Pascual, Thomas N B; Mercuri, Mathew; El-Haj, Noura; Bom, Henry Hee-Sung; Lele, Vikram; Al-Mallah, Mouaz H; Luxenburg, Osnat; Karthikeyan, Ganesan; Vitola, Joao; Mahmarian, John J; Better, Nathan; Shaw, Leslee J; Rehani, Madan M; Kashyap, Ravi; Paez, Diana; Dondi, Maurizio; Einstein, Andrew J

2017-03-24

This paper examines the current status of radiation exposure to patients in myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) in Asia.Methods and Results:Laboratories voluntarily provided information on MPI performed over a 1-week period. Eight best practice criteria regarding MPI were predefined by an expert panel. Implementation of ≥6 best practices (quality index [QI] ≥6) was pre-specified as a desirable goal for keeping radiation exposure at a low level. Radiation effective dose (ED) in 1,469 patients and QI of 69 laboratories in Asia were compared against data from 239 laboratories in the rest of the world (RoW). Mean ED was significantly higher in Asia (11.4 vs. 9.6 mSv; P<0.0001), with significantly lower doses in South-East vs. East Asia (9.7 vs. 12.7 mSv; P<0.0001). QI in Asia was lower than in RoW. In comparison with RoW, Asian laboratories used thallium more frequently, used weight-based technetium dosing less frequently, and trended towards a lower rate of stress-only imaging. MPI radiation dose in Asia is higher than that in the RoW and linked to less consistent use of laboratory best practices such as avoidance of thallium, weight-based dosing, and use of stress-only imaging. Given that MPI is performed in Asia within a diverse array of medical contexts, laboratory-specific adoption of best practices offers numerous opportunities to improve quality of care.

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 March 2010, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 12, 7591-7607.

Seek Knowledge throughout the World? Mobility in Islamic Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welch, Anthony

2012-01-01

While Southeast Asia as a region is generally poorly represented in scholarship on higher education, this is even more the case when considering Islamic higher education in the region. While patterns of mobility within the Islamic world are ancient, with mediaeval scholarly centres such as Baghdad, Cairo and Alexandria attracting scholars and…

An Introduction to the Dance of India, China, Korea, Japan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, Beate; Gordon, Joseph

The general aim of this booklet is to assist those who desire to increase their knowledge and appreciation of Asian cultures and, more specifically, to provide an additional dimension to the Asia Society's Dance Demonstration Program. Dance history, philosophical ideas of religion, accompanying rituals, the relationship of dance to music, and…

Challenging the Paradigm: Notes on Developing an Indigenized Teacher Education Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gopinathan, S.

2006-01-01

While considerable attention is being paid to reforming education systems to prepare students for the challenges of globalization and a knowledge-based economy, teacher education models in the Asia Pacific remain insufficiently critiqued. There is an urgent need to rethink teacher education as, in spite of decades of investment and development,…

Emerging International Researchers: Findings from the Evaluation of the East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Alina; Neishi, Kristen; Parsad, Amanda; Whittaker, Karla; Epstein, Carter

2012-01-01

Students in science and engineering (S&E) are preparing for careers in fields where international partnerships are increasingly important to advancing knowledge and discoveries. It has been over a decade since the National Science Board (NSB) highlighted the importance of international collaboration and called for increased government…

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.

HIV/AIDS in Asia.

PubMed

Ruxrungtham, Kiat; Brown, Tim; Phanuphak, Praphan

HIV (ie, HIV-1) epidemics in Asia show great diversity, both in severity and timing. But epidemics in Asia are far from over and several countries including China, Indonesia, and Vietnam have growing epidemics. Several factors affect the rate and magnitude of growth of HIV prevalence, but two of the most important are the size of the sex worker population and the frequency with which commercial sex occurs. In view of the present state of knowledge, even countries with low prevalence of infection might still have epidemics affecting a small percentage of the population. Once HIV infection has become established, growing needs for care and treatment are unavoidable and even the so-called prevention-successful countries of Thailand and Cambodia are seeing burgeoning care needs. The manifestations of HIV disease in the region are discussed with the aim of identifying key issues in medical management and care of HIV/AIDS. In particular, issues relevant to developing appropriate highly active antiretroviral treatment programmes in the region are discussed. Although access to antiretroviral therapy is increasing globally, making it work effectively while simultaneously expanding prevention programmes to stem the flow of new infections remains a real challenge in Asia. Genuine political interest and commitment are essential foundations for success, demanding advocacy at all levels to drive policy, mobilise sufficient resources, and take effective action.

Preventing childhood obesity in Asia: an overview of intervention programmes.

PubMed

Uijtdewilligen, L; Waters, C N; Müller-Riemenschneider, F; Lim, Y W

2016-11-01

The rapid economic growth in Asia in the past few decades has contributed to the global increase in childhood obesity prevalence. Yet, little is known about obesity prevention efforts in this region. This systematic review provides an overview of child obesity prevention programmes in Asia. Searches were performed in six electronic databases. Out of 4,234 studies, 17 were included, among them 11 controlled trials (of which five were randomized). Only one study was published before 2007. Identified studies were predominantly conducted in China and Thailand and targeted primary school children in a school setting. Most studies implemented different programmes, frequently targeting behavioural modification through nutrition/health education lectures and/or physical activity sessions. Programme effects related to obesity outcome measures were mixed. Most substantial effects were found for outcomes such as improved health knowledge and/or favourable lifestyle practices. The relatively small number of relevant publications in Asia highlights the need for scientific evaluations of existing and future programmes. This will help ensure the implementation and dissemination of evidence-based approaches that have been proven to be effective in the Asian context. Targeting preschool settings and applying a comprehensive multisectoral approach may increase the effectiveness and sustainability of childhood obesity prevention programmes. © 2016 World Obesity.

Informing Drought Preparedness and Response with the South Asia Land Data Assimilation System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaitchik, B. F.; Ghatak, D.; Matin, M. A.; Qamer, F. M.; Adhikary, B.; Bajracharya, B.; Nelson, J.; Pulla, S. T.; Ellenburg, W. L.

2017-12-01

Decision-relevant drought monitoring in South Asia is a challenge from both a scientific and an institutional perspective. Scientifically, climatic diversity, inconsistent in situ monitoring, complex hydrology, and incomplete knowledge of atmospheric processes mean that monitoring and prediction are fraught with uncertainty. Institutionally, drought monitoring efforts need to align with the information needs and decision-making processes of relevant agencies at national and subnational levels. Here we present first results from an emerging operational drought monitoring and forecast system developed and supported by the NASA SERVIR Hindu-Kush Himalaya hub. The system has been designed in consultation with end users from multiple sectors in South Asian countries to maximize decision-relevant information content in the monitoring and forecast products. Monitoring of meteorological, agricultural, and hydrological drought is accomplished using the South Asia Land Data Assimilation System, a platform that supports multiple land surface models and meteorological forcing datasets to characterize uncertainty, and subseasonal to seasonal hydrological forecasts are produced by driving South Asia LDAS with downscaled meteorological fields drawn from an ensemble of global dynamically-based forecast systems. Results are disseminated to end users through a Tethys online visualization platform and custom communications that provide user oriented, easily accessible, timely, and decision-relevant scientific information.

Fracture liaison services for osteoporosis in the Asia-Pacific region: current unmet needs and systematic literature review.

PubMed

Chang, Y -F; Huang, C -F; Hwang, J -S; Kuo, J -F; Lin, K -M; Huang, H -C; Bagga, S; Kumar, A; Chen, F -P; Wu, C -H

2018-04-01

The analysis aimed to identify the treatment gaps in current fracture liaison services (FLS) and to provide recommendations for best practice establishment of future FLS across the Asia-Pacific region. The findings emphasize the unmet need for the implementation of new programs and provide recommendations for the refinement of existing ones. The study's objectives were to evaluate fracture liaison service (FLS) programs in the Asia-Pacific region and provide recommendations for establishment of future FLS programs. A systematic literature review (SLR) of Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library (2000-2017 inclusive) was performed using the following keywords: osteoporosis, fractures, liaison, and service. Inclusion criteria included the following: patients ≥ 50 years with osteoporosis-related fractures; randomized controlled trials or observational studies with control groups (prospective or retrospective), pre-post, cross-sectional and economic evaluation studies. Success of direct or indirect interventions was assessed based on patients' understanding of risk, bone mineral density assessment, calcium intake, osteoporosis treatment, re-fracture rates, adherence, and mortality, in addition to cost-effectiveness. Overall, 5663 unique citations were identified and the SLR identified 159 publications, reporting 37 studies in Asia-Pacific. These studies revealed the unmet need for public health education, adequate funding, and staff resourcing, along with greater cooperation between departments and physicians. These actions can help to overcome therapeutic inertia with sufficient follow-up to ensure adherence to recommendations and compliance with treatment. The findings also emphasize the importance of primary care physicians continuing to prescribe treatment and ensure service remains convenient. These findings highlight the limited evidence supporting FLS across the Asia-Pacific region, emphasizing the unmet need for new programs and/or refinement of existing ones to improve outcomes. With the continued increase in burden of fractures in Asia-Pacific, establishment of new FLS and assessment of existing services are warranted to determine the impact of FLS for healthcare professionals, patients, family/caregivers, and society.

Non-communicable diseases in South Asia: contemporary perspectives

PubMed Central

Siegel, Karen R.; Patel, Shivani A.; Ali, Mohammed K.

2014-01-01

Introduction Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as metabolic, cardiovascular, cancers, injuries and mental health disorders are increasingly contributing to the disease burden in South Asia, in light of demographic and epidemiologic transitions in the region. Home to one-quarter of the world's population, the region is also an important priority area for meeting global health targets. In this review, we describe the current burden of and trends in four common NCDs (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) in South Asia. Sources of data The 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study supplemented with the peer-reviewed literature and reports by international agencies and national governments. Areas of agreement The burden of NCDs in South Asia is rising at a rate that exceeds global increases in these conditions. Shifts in leading risk factors—particularly dietary habits, tobacco use and high blood pressure—are thought to underlie the mounting burden of death and disability due to NCDs. Improvements in life expectancy, increasing socioeconomic development and urbanization in South Asia are expected to lead to further escalation of NCDs. Areas of controversy Although NCD burdens are currently largest among affluent groups in South Asia, many adverse risk factors are concentrated among the poor, portending a future increase in disease burden among lower income individuals. Growing points There continues to be a notable lack of national surveillance data to document the distribution and trends in NCDs in the region. Similarly, economic studies and policy initiatives addressing NCD burdens are still in their infancy. Areas timely for developing research Opportunities for innovative structural and behavioral interventions that promote maintenance of healthy lifestyles—such as moderate caloric intake, adequate physical activity and avoidance of tobacco—in the context of socioeconomic development are abundant. Testing of health care infrastructure and systems that best provide low-cost and effective detection and treatment of NCDs is a priority for policy researchers. PMID:25190759

Non-communicable diseases in South Asia: contemporary perspectives.

PubMed

Siegel, Karen R; Patel, Shivani A; Ali, Mohammed K

2014-09-01

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as metabolic, cardiovascular, cancers, injuries and mental health disorders are increasingly contributing to the disease burden in South Asia, in light of demographic and epidemiologic transitions in the region. Home to one-quarter of the world's population, the region is also an important priority area for meeting global health targets. In this review, we describe the current burden of and trends in four common NCDs (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) in South Asia. The 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study supplemented with the peer-reviewed literature and reports by international agencies and national governments. The burden of NCDs in South Asia is rising at a rate that exceeds global increases in these conditions. Shifts in leading risk factors-particularly dietary habits, tobacco use and high blood pressure-are thought to underlie the mounting burden of death and disability due to NCDs. Improvements in life expectancy, increasing socioeconomic development and urbanization in South Asia are expected to lead to further escalation of NCDs. Although NCD burdens are currently largest among affluent groups in South Asia, many adverse risk factors are concentrated among the poor, portending a future increase in disease burden among lower income individuals. There continues to be a notable lack of national surveillance data to document the distribution and trends in NCDs in the region. Similarly, economic studies and policy initiatives addressing NCD burdens are still in their infancy. Opportunities for innovative structural and behavioral interventions that promote maintenance of healthy lifestyles-such as moderate caloric intake, adequate physical activity and avoidance of tobacco-in the context of socioeconomic development are abundant. Testing of health care infrastructure and systems that best provide low-cost and effective detection and treatment of NCDs is a priority for policy researchers. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Winter Fog Episodes over South Asia by exploiting ground-based and satellite observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fahim Khokhar, Muhammad; Yasmin, Naila; Zaib, Naila; Murtaza, Rabia; Noreen, Asma; Ishtiaq, Hira; Khayyam, Junaid; Panday, Arnico

2016-04-01

The South Asian region in general and the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) in particular hold about 1/6th of the world's population and is considered as one of the major hotspots with increasing air pollution. Due to growing population and globalization, South Asia is experiencing high transformations in the urban and industrial sectors. Fog is one of the meteorological/environmental phenomena which can generate significant social and economic problems especially havoc to air and road traffic. Meteorological stations provide information about the fog episodes only on the basis of point observation. Continuous monitoring as well as a spatially coherent picture of fog distribution can only be possible through the use of satellite imagery. Current study focus on winter fog episodes over South Asian region using Moderate Resolution Image Spectrometer (MODIS) Level 2 Terra Product and other MODIS Aerosol Product in addition to ground-based sampling and AERONET measurements. MODIS Corrected Reflectance RGBs are used to analyse the spatial extent of fog over study area. MOD04 level 2 Collection 6 data is used to study aerosol load and distribution which are further characterised by using aerosol type land product of MODIS. In order to study the variation of ground based observations from satellite data MODIS, AERONET and high volume air Sampler were used. Main objective of this study was to explore the spatial extent of fog, its causes and to analyse the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) over South Asia with particular focus over Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). Current studies show a descent increase in AOD from past few decades over South Asia and is contributing to poor air quality in the region due to growing population, urbanization, and industrialization. Smoke and absorbing aerosol are major constituent of fog over South Asia. Furthermore, winter 2014-15 extended span of Fog was also observed over South Asia. A significant correlation between MODIS (AOD) and AERONET Station (AOD) data was identified. Mass concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 over sampling sites exceeded the Pak-NEQS at most occasions. However, during the current winter of 2015-16 the number of fog days has substantially reduced. Although, reasons are not clear yet but may be attributed to the atmospheric changes induced by the onset El-NINO.

Improving Understanding of Glacier Melt Contribution to High Asian River Discharge through Collaboration and Capacity Building with High Asian CHARIS Partner Institutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong, Richard; Brodzik, Mary Jo; Armstrong, Betsy; Barrett, Andrew; Fetterer, Florence; Hill, Alice; Jodha Khalsa, Siri; Racoviteanu, Adina; Raup, Bruce; Rittger, Karl; Williams, Mark; Wilson, Alana; Ye, Qinghua

2017-04-01

The Contribution to High Asia Runoff from Ice & Snow (CHARIS) project uses remote sensing data combined with modeling from 2000 to the present to improve proportional estimates of melt from glaciers and seasonal snow surfaces. Based at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), University of Colorado, Boulder, USA, the CHARIS project objectives are twofold: 1) capacity-building efforts with CHARIS partners from eight High Asian countries to better forecast future availability and vulnerability of water resources in the region, and 2) improving our ability to systematically assess the role of glaciers and seasonal snow in the freshwater resources of High Asia. Capacity-building efforts include working with CHARIS partners from Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Our capacity-building activities include training, data sharing, supporting fieldwork, graduate student education and infrastructure development. Because of the scarcity of in situ data in this High Asian region, we are using the wealth of available remote sensing data to characterize digital elevation, daily maps of fractional snow-cover, annual maps of glacier and permanent snow cover area and downscaled reanalysis temperature data in snow melt models to estimate the relative proportions of river runoff from glacierized and seasonally snow-covered surfaces. Current collaboration with Qinghua Ye, visiting scientist at NSIDC from the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, CAS, focuses on remote sensing methods to detect changes in the mountain cryosphere. Collaboration with our Asian partners supports the systematic analysis of the annual cycle of seasonal snow and glacier ice melt across the High Mountain Asia region. With our Asian partners, we have derived reciprocal benefits, learning from their specialized local knowledge and obtaining access to their in situ data. We expect that the improved understanding of runoff from snow and glacier surfaces will inform the development of adaptation and mitigation measures. The CHARIS Project is funded by USAID.

Reconstructing Demography and Social Behavior During the Neolithic Expansion from Genomic Diversity Across Island Southeast Asia.

PubMed

Vallée, François; Luciani, Aurélien; Cox, Murray P

2016-12-01

Archaeology, linguistics, and increasingly genetics are clarifying how populations moved from mainland Asia, through Island Southeast Asia, and out into the Pacific during the farming revolution. Yet key features of this process remain poorly understood, particularly how social behaviors intersected with demographic drivers to create the patterns of genomic diversity observed across Island Southeast Asia today. Such questions are ripe for computer modeling. Here, we construct an agent-based model to simulate human mobility across Island Southeast Asia from the Neolithic period to the present, with a special focus on interactions between individuals with Asian, Papuan, and mixed Asian-Papuan ancestry. Incorporating key features of the region, including its complex geography (islands and sea), demographic drivers (fecundity and migration), and social behaviors (marriage preferences), the model simultaneously tracks a full suite of genomic markers (autosomes, X chromosome, mitochondrial DNA, and Y chromosome). Using Bayesian inference, model parameters were determined that produce simulations that closely resemble the admixture profiles of 2299 individuals from 84 populations across Island Southeast Asia. The results highlight that greater propensity to migrate and elevated birth rates are related drivers behind the expansion of individuals with Asian ancestry relative to individuals with Papuan ancestry, that offspring preferentially resulted from marriages between Asian women and Papuan men, and that in contrast to current thinking, individuals with Asian ancestry were likely distributed across large parts of western Island Southeast Asia before the Neolithic expansion. Copyright © 2016 Vallée et al.

Y-chromosome diversity suggests southern origin and Paleolithic backwave migration of Austro-Asiatic speakers from eastern Asia to the Indian subcontinent.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaoming; Liao, Shiyu; Qi, Xuebin; Liu, Jiewei; Kampuansai, Jatupol; Zhang, Hui; Yang, Zhaohui; Serey, Bun; Sovannary, Tuot; Bunnath, Long; Seang Aun, Hong; Samnom, Ham; Kangwanpong, Daoroong; Shi, Hong; Su, Bing

2015-10-20

Analyses of an Asian-specific Y-chromosome lineage (O2a1-M95)--the dominant paternal lineage in Austro-Asiatic (AA) speaking populations, who are found on both sides of the Bay of Bengal--led to two competing hypothesis of this group's geographic origin and migratory routes. One hypothesis posits the origin of the AA speakers in India and an eastward dispersal to Southeast Asia, while the other places an origin in Southeast Asia with westward dispersal to India. Here, we collected samples of AA-speaking populations from mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA) and southern China, and genotyped 16 Y-STRs of 343 males who belong to the O2a1-M95 lineage. Combining our samples with previous data, we analyzed both the Y-chromosome and mtDNA diversities. We generated a comprehensive picture of the O2a1-M95 lineage in Asia. We demonstrated that the O2a1-M95 lineage originated in the southern East Asia among the Daic-speaking populations ~20-40 thousand years ago and then dispersed southward to Southeast Asia after the Last Glacial Maximum before moving westward to the Indian subcontinent. This migration resulted in the current distribution of this Y-chromosome lineage in the AA-speaking populations. Further analysis of mtDNA diversity showed a different pattern, supporting a previously proposed sex-biased admixture of the AA-speaking populations in India.

Reconstructing Demography and Social Behavior During the Neolithic Expansion from Genomic Diversity Across Island Southeast Asia

PubMed Central

Vallée, François; Luciani, Aurélien; Cox, Murray P.

2016-01-01

Archaeology, linguistics, and increasingly genetics are clarifying how populations moved from mainland Asia, through Island Southeast Asia, and out into the Pacific during the farming revolution. Yet key features of this process remain poorly understood, particularly how social behaviors intersected with demographic drivers to create the patterns of genomic diversity observed across Island Southeast Asia today. Such questions are ripe for computer modeling. Here, we construct an agent-based model to simulate human mobility across Island Southeast Asia from the Neolithic period to the present, with a special focus on interactions between individuals with Asian, Papuan, and mixed Asian–Papuan ancestry. Incorporating key features of the region, including its complex geography (islands and sea), demographic drivers (fecundity and migration), and social behaviors (marriage preferences), the model simultaneously tracks a full suite of genomic markers (autosomes, X chromosome, mitochondrial DNA, and Y chromosome). Using Bayesian inference, model parameters were determined that produce simulations that closely resemble the admixture profiles of 2299 individuals from 84 populations across Island Southeast Asia. The results highlight that greater propensity to migrate and elevated birth rates are related drivers behind the expansion of individuals with Asian ancestry relative to individuals with Papuan ancestry, that offspring preferentially resulted from marriages between Asian women and Papuan men, and that in contrast to current thinking, individuals with Asian ancestry were likely distributed across large parts of western Island Southeast Asia before the Neolithic expansion. PMID:27683274

Improving sixth year medical students' performance in knee arthrocentesis using a synthetic knee model.

PubMed

Chiowchanwisawakit, Praveena; Ratanarat, Ranistha; Srinonprasert, Varalak

2015-09-01

A knee arthrocentesis (KA) workshop using synthetic knee model was arranged for all sixth-year medical students (MS) in our institute to ensure equity in receiving training. We evaluated confidence level and knowledge of KA and synovial fluid analysis testing pre- and post-workshop for MS. The workshop was divided into two parts. The first part was to provide knowledge in arthrocentesis and synovial fluid interpretation and the second was a practice session on the synthetic model under supervision. This is a report of pre-and post-workshop self-evaluation about the confidence in performing KA (0-10 scales), improvement of knowledge in KA, and synovial fluid analysis earned from attending the workshop. Pearson χ(2) test or Fisher's exact test was used to compare categorical variables, where appropriate. There were 247 MS attended and 228 (92.3%) evaluated the workshops. Ninety-six (42.1%) MS had experience in KA prior to this workshop. The mean (SD) levels of confidence in performing the procedure before and after the workshop were 3.6 (2.5) and 7.5 (1.7), respectively, P < 0.001. Improvement was shown regardless of previous exposure to KA. Knowledge of appropriate testing for synovial fluid was significantly improved in all items explored after the workshop and extended to the better scores earned from a competency examination. A hands-on structured workshop using a synthetic knee model for KA is a successful model for improving medical students' confidence in performing the procedure with evidence of sustaining knowledge in short-term follow-up. © 2015 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Antigenic and genetic comparison of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype O Indian vaccine strain, O/IND/R2/75 against currently circulating viruses.

PubMed

Mahapatra, Mana; Yuvaraj, S; Madhanmohan, M; Subramaniam, S; Pattnaik, B; Paton, D J; Srinivasan, V A; Parida, Satya

2015-01-29

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus serotype O is the most common cause of FMD outbreaks in India and three of the six lineages that have been described are most frequently detected, namely Ind2001, PanAsia and PanAsia 2. We report the full capsid sequence of 21 serotype O viruses isolated from India between 2002 and 2012. All these viruses belong to the Middle East-South Asia (ME-SA) topotype. The serological cross-reactivity of a bovine post-vaccination serum pool raised against the current Indian vaccine strain, O/IND/R2/75,was tested by virus neutralisation test with the 23 Indian field isolates, revealing a good match between the vaccine and the field isolates. The cross reactivity of the O/IND/R2/75 vaccine with 19 field isolates from other countries (mainly from Asia and Africa) revealed a good match to 79% of the viruses indicating that the vaccine strain is broadly cross-reactive and could be used to control FMD in other countries. Comparison of the capsid sequences of the serologically non-matching isolates with the vaccine strain sequence identified substitutions in neutralising antigenic sites 1 and 2, which could explain the observed serological differences. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Occupational rehabilitation in Singapore and Malaysia.

PubMed

Chan, Kay-Fei; Tan, Charlie W C; Yeo, Doreen S C; Tan, Heidi S K; Tan, F L; Tan, E W; Szeto, Grace P Y; Cheng, Andy S K

2011-03-01

Asia is the new and favored magnet of economic attention and foreign investments after it made an almost uneventful rebound from the depths of financial crisis of 2008/2009. Not many Western observers fully understand the diversity that is Asia other than perhaps its 2 growing economic giants of China and India. Indeed many smaller countries like Singapore and Malaysia in South East Asia along with Australia and Hong Kong (a Special Administrative Region within China) look to symbiotic relationships with these two economic giants. The purpose of this discussion paper is to examine the current issues related to the development and provision of occupational rehabilitation services in Singapore and Malaysia with a forward-looking view of how Asia's different developing societies could potentially benefit from better alignment of occupational rehabilitation practices and sharing of expertise through international collaboration and dialogue platforms. Seven therapists and one physician who are frequently involved in occupational rehabilitation services in their home countries critically reviewed the current issues in Singapore and Malaysia which included analysis of the prevalence and cost of occupational injury; overview of workers' compensation system; current practices, obstacles, and challenges in providing occupational rehabilitation and return to work practices. They also offered opinions about how to improve the occupational rehabilitation programs of their two home countries. Even though Malaysia and Singapore are two different countries, in many ways their current provision of occupational rehabilitation services and the problems they face with are very similar. There is a lot of room for systemic improvements that require government support and action. Most prominently, the training of more healthcare professionals in the assessment and rehabilitation of the injured worker should be encouraged. There could be better liaison between the many stakeholders and more funding made available to develop resources and to jump start strategic programs. As these two countries are witnessing rapid economic growth, more resources should be allocated to establish holistic care of the injured workers emphasizing early interventions and prevention of chronic disabilities.

Ready for phase 5 - current status of ethnobiology in Southeast Asia.

PubMed

Hidayati, Syafitri; Franco, F Merlin; Bussmann, Rainer W

2015-02-22

Southeast Asia is known for its rich linguistic, cultural and biological diversity. While ethnobiology in the west has benefitted greatly from intellectual and methodological advances over the last decades, the status of Southeast Asian ethnobiology is largely unknown. This study aims to provide an analysis of the current status of ethnobiology in Southeast Asia and outlines possibilities for future advancements. We accessed papers cited in the Scopus and Web of Science databases for the period of 1960 to 2014 using the current as well as previous names of the 11 Southeast Asian countries and various disciplines of ethnobiology as key words. We juxtaposed the number of publications from each country against its number of indigenous groups and languages, to see if ethnobiology research has addressed this full spectrum of ethnical diversity. The available data for the last ten years was analysed according to the five phases concept to understand the nature of studies dominating Southeast Asian ethnobiology. A total number of 312 publications were recorded in the databases for the period 1960-2014. Indonesia ranks highest (93 studies), followed by Thailand (68), Malaysia (58) Philippines (42), Vietnam (31), Laos (29), and other Southeast Asian countries (44). A strong correlation was found between the number of publications for each country, the number of indigenous groups, and the number of endangered languages. Comparing the data available for the period 2005-2009 with 2010-2014, we found a strong increase in the number of phase 5 publications. However, papers with bioprospecting focus were also on the rise, especially in Malaysia. Our study indicates that ethnobiologists still need to realise the full potential of the Biocultural Diversity of Southeast Asia, and that there is a strong need to focus more on socially relevant research.

The late Middle Pleistocene hominin fossil record of eastern Asia: synthesis and review.

PubMed

Bae, Christopher J

2010-01-01

Traditionally, Middle Pleistocene hominin fossils that cannot be allocated to Homo erectus sensu lato or modern H. sapiens have been assigned to different specific taxa. For example, in eastern Asia, these hominin fossils have been classified as archaic, early, or premodern H. sapiens. An increasing number of Middle Pleistocene hominin fossils are currently being assigned to H. heidelbergensis. This is particularly the case for the African and European Middle Pleistocene hominin fossil record. There have been suggestions that perhaps the eastern Asian late Middle Pleistocene hominins can also be allocated to the H. heidelbergensis hypodigm. In this article, I review the current state of the late Middle Pleistocene hominin fossil record from eastern Asia and examine the various arguments for assigning these hominins to the different specific taxa. The two primary conclusions drawn from this review are as follows: 1) little evidence currently exists in the eastern Asian Middle Pleistocene hominin fossil record to support their assignment to H. heidelbergensis; and 2) rather than add to the growing list of hominin fossil taxa by using taxonomic names like H. daliensis for northeast Asian fossils and H. mabaensis for Southeast Asian fossils, it is better to err on the side of caution and continue to use the term archaic H. sapiens to represent all of these hominin fossils. What should be evident from this review is the need for an increase in the quality and quantity of the eastern Asian hominin fossil data set. Fortunately, with the increasing number of large-scale multidisciplinary paleoanthropological field and laboratory research projects in eastern Asia, the record is quickly becoming better understood. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Evaluation of foot and mouth vaccination for yak (Bos grunniens) in Pakistan.

PubMed

Mortenson, J A; Khan, E H Haq; Ali, I; Manzoor, S; Jamil, A; Abubakar, M; Afzal, M; Hussain, M

2017-04-01

In northern Pakistan, many farming communities rely on domestic yak (Bos grunniens) as a principle source of income. A 2006 participatory disease surveillance report from this region indicated that foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is the most prevalent annual disease of yak. Our objectives of this study were to determine exposure levels of yak to FMD virus; implement a vaccination program based on current, regional FMD virus serotypes and subtypes; and quantify immune responses following vaccination. Blood samples were used to determine pre-vaccination exposure of animals to FMD virus by antibody presence to non-structural proteins of FMD virus using a 3-ABC trapping indirect ELISA. Vaccine used consisted of FMD serotypes 'O' (PanAsia-2), 'A' (Iran-05), and 'Asia-1' (Shamir), but changed later during the study to match newly circulating viruses in the country ('O'-PanAsia-2; 'A'-Turk-06 and Asia-1-Sindh-08). Three hundred sixty-three blood samples were tested from selected villages to determine pre-vaccination FMD virus exposure in yak with an average of 37.7%. Immune responses from initial vaccination and booster dose 30 days later showed clear protective levels (as mean percent inhibition) of antibodies against structural proteins of serotypes 'O,' 'A,' and 'Asia-1.' These responses remained above threshold positive level even at day 210 following initial vaccination. Results of sero-surveillance and anecdotal information of repeated FMD outbreaks demonstrate the persistence of FMD virus of yak in northern Pakistan. Laboratory results and field observations clearly indicated that yak can be protected against FMD with a good quality vaccine with FMD serotype(s) matching current, regionally circulating FMD virus.

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

Suicide Methods in Asia: Implications in Suicide Prevention

PubMed Central

Wu, Kevin Chien-Chang; Chen, Ying-Yeh; Yip, Paul S. F.

2012-01-01

As the largest continent in the World, Asia accounts for about 60% of World suicides. Preventing suicide by restricting access to suicide methods is one of the few evidence-based suicide prevention strategies. However, there has been a lack of systematic exploration of suicide methods in Asian countries. To amend this shortage, the current review examines the leading suicide methods in different Asian countries, their trend, their age- and sex- specific characteristics, and their implications for suicide prevention. In total, 42 articles with leading suicide methods data in 17 Asian countries/regions were retrieved. The epidemiologic characteristics and recent trends of common suicide methods reflect specific socio-cultural, economic, and religious situations in the region. Common suicide methods shift with the introduction of technologies and constructions, and have specific age- or sex-characteristics that may render the restriction of suicide methods not equally effective for all sex and age sub-groups. Charcoal burning, pesticide poisoning, native plant poisoning, self-immolation, and jumping are all prominent examples. In the information society, suicide prevention that focuses on suicide methods must monitor and control the innovation and spread of knowledge and practices of suicide “technologies”. It may be more cost-effective to design safety into technologies as a way of suicide prevention while there is no rash of suicides yet by the new technologies. Further research on suicide methods is important for public health approaches to suicide prevention with sensitivity to socio-cultural, economic, and religious factors in different countries. PMID:22690187

Cryosphere, climate and capitalism: drivers of Central Asian water stress

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, A. F.; Minbaeva, C.; Wilson, A. M.; Satylkanov, R.; Armstrong, R. L.

2017-12-01

The importance of meltwater to Central Asia's trans-boundary rivers and groundwater reserves suggests future water stress for the region. Climate is likely to induce shifts in water supply volume and delivery timing, while a complex fabric of socio-political factors complicates water management and adaptation strategies. To clarify the drivers of water stress over a large scale (440km, 4,200m elevation change), we conducted a socio-hydrologic study of Krygyzstan's Naryn River in the Tien Shan mountains, headwater stem of the Syr Darya and source of the disappearing Aral Sea. Using a combination of geochemical sampling, hydro-chemical mixing models, remote sensing image processing and community surveys, we characterized both the social and hydrologic controls of water supplies from glacier snout to downstream areas where people, hydropower and agriculture utilize water. We find melt-sourced water dominates hydrologic inputs to both surface flow and groundwater from headwaters to reservoir, suggesting high sensitivity of water supply to a warming climate. On a regional scale, the importance of melt to trans-boundary river flow serving thirsty downstream countries may increase hostility between already tense neighbors. Water stress on the basin level, however, is currently less impacted by supply than by access, agricultural knowledge deficiencies and infrastructure issues that are relic from the post-Soviet transition in the 1990s. The interplay of these factors suggests the need for creative and proactive water management adaptation planning in the Naryn basin and throughout similar melt-reliant areas of arid Central Asia.

European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) position paper on arrhythmia management and device therapies in endocrine disorders, endorsed by Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS) and Latin American Heart Rhythm Society (LAHRS).

PubMed

Gorenek, Bulent; Boriani, Giuseppe; Dan, Gheorge-Andrei; Fauchier, Laurent; Fenelon, Guilherme; Huang, He; Kudaiberdieva, Gulmira; Lip, Gregory Y H; Mahajan, Rajiv; Potpara, Tatjana; Ramirez, Juan David; Vos, Marc A; Marin, Francisco

2018-03-16

Endocrine disorders are associated with various tachyarrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation (AF), ventricular tachycardia (VT), ventricular fibrillation (VF), and bradyarrhythmias. Along with underlying arrhythmia substrate, electrolyte disturbances, glucose, and hormone levels, accompanying endocrine disorders contribute to development of arrhythmia. Arrhythmias may be life-threatening, facilitate cardiogenic shock development and increase mortality. The knowledge on the incidence of tachy- and bradyarrhythmias, clinical and prognostic significance as well as their management is limited; it is represented in observational studies and mostly in case reports on management of challenging cases. It should be also emphasized, that the topic is not covered in detail in current guidelines. Therefore, cardiologists and multidisciplinary teams participating in care of such patients do need the evidence-based, or in case of limited evidence expert-opinion based recommendations, how to treat arrhythmias using contemporary approaches, prevent their complications and recurrence in patients with endocrine disorders. In recognizing this close relationship between endocrine disorders and arrhythmias, the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) convened a Task Force, with representation from Asia-Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS) and Sociedad Latinoamericana de Estimulación Cardíaca y Electrofisiología (SOLAECE), with the remit of comprehensively reviewing the available evidence and publishing a joint consensus document on endocrine disorders and cardiac arrhythmias, and providing up-to-date consensus recommendations for use in clinical practice.

Patterns of smoking among adolescents in Malaysia and Thailand: Findings from the International Tobacco Control Southeast Asia Survey

PubMed Central

Hammond, David; Kin, Foong; Prohmmo, Arre; Kungskulniti, Nipapun; Lian, Tan Y.; Sharma, Sharad K.; Sirirassamee, Buppha; Borland, Ron; Fong, Geoffrey T.

2015-01-01

At present, 70% of the world’s 1.1 billion smokers are in developing countries, with over 50% in Asia alone. The current study examined patterns of youth smoking in Thailand and Malaysia. Respondents were 2002 youths between the ages of 13 and 17 from Thailand (n = 1000) and Malaysia (n = 1002). Respondents were selected using a multistage cluster sampling design and surveyed between January 2005 and March 2005. Approximately 3% of youth between the ages of 13 and 17 were current smokers, with an additional 10% to 12% reporting experimental smoking. Males were between 7 and 15 times more likely to report smoking behavior than females. Less than 1% of females respondents in either country met the criteria for current smoking, and less than 5% met the criteria for experimental smoking. In contrast, more than 50% Thai males and approximately one- third of Malaysian males aged 17 met the criteria for either experimental or current smoking. PMID:19124313

Epidemiology of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Asia-Pacific Region.

PubMed

Zhu, Ran Xu; Seto, Wai-Kay; Lai, Ching-Lung; Yuen, Man-Fung

2016-05-23

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the predominant primary liver cancer in many countries and is the third most common cause of cancer-related death in the Asia-Pacific region. The incidence of HCC is higher in men and in those over 40 years old. In the Asia-Pacific region, chronic hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infections are the main etiological agents; in particular, chronic hepatitis B infection (CHB) is still the major cause in all Asia-Pacific countries except for Japan. Over the past two decades, the incidence of HCC has remained stable in countries in the region except for Singapore and Hong Kong, where the incidence for both sexes is currently decreasing. Chronic hepatitis C infection (CHC) is an important cause of HCC in Japan, representing 70% of HCCs. Over the past several decades, the prevalence of CHC has been increasing in many Asia-Pacific countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and India. Despite advancements in treatment, HCC is still an important health problem because of the associated substantial mortality. An effective surveillance program could offer early diagnosis and hence better treatment options. Antiviral treatment for both CHB and CHC is effective in reducing the incidence of HCC.

Between the West and Asia: "Humanistic" Japanese Family Planning in the Cold War.

PubMed

Homei, Aya

2016-12-01

This paper studies the formation of Japanese ventures in family planning deployed in various villages in Asia from the 1960s onward in the name of development aid. By critically examining how Asia became the priority area for Japan's international cooperation in family planning and by analyzing how the adjective "humanistic" was used to underscore the originality of Japan's family planning program overseas, the paper shows that visions of Japanese actors were directly informed by Japan's delicate position in Cold War geopolitics, between the imagined West represented by the United States and "underdeveloped" Asia, at a time when Japan was striving to (re-)establish its position in world politics and economics. Additionally, by highlighting subjectivities and intra-Asian networks centered on Japanese actors, the paper also aims to destabilize the current historiography on population control which has hitherto focused either on Western actors in the transnational population control movement or on non-Western "acceptors" subjected to the population control programs.

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.

Between the West and Asia: “Humanistic” Japanese Family Planning in the Cold War1

PubMed Central

Homei, Aya

2017-01-01

This paper studies the formation of Japanese ventures in family planning deployed in various villages in Asia from the 1960s onward in the name of development aid. By critically examining how Asia became the priority area for Japan’s international cooperation in family planning and by analyzing how the adjective “humanistic” was used to underscore the originality of Japan’s family planning program overseas, the paper shows that visions of Japanese actors were directly informed by Japan’s delicate position in Cold War geopolitics, between the imagined West represented by the United States and “underdeveloped” Asia, at a time when Japan was striving to (re-)establish its position in world politics and economics. Additionally, by highlighting subjectivities and intra-Asian networks centered on Japanese actors, the paper also aims to destabilize the current historiography on population control which has hitherto focused either on Western actors in the transnational population control movement or on non-Western “acceptors” subjected to the population control programs. PMID:29046737

Changing epidemiology of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the Asia-Pacific region.

PubMed

Huh, Kyungmin; Chung, Doo Ryeon

2016-11-01

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has become an important threat to public health in the Asia-Pacific region, which is characterized by a large population and relatively insufficient resources. Better understanding on the current status of CA-MRSA in the region is of paramount importance. Areas covered: This article reviews the published literatures on the prevalence, molecular epidemiology, colonization, and hospital spread of CA-MRSA. Expert commentary: The burden of CA-MRSA has been increasing in the past two decades. The molecular epidemiology of CA-MRSA in the Asia-Pacific region shows a marked diversity in each country. Still, some strains - multilocus sequence type (MLST) ST59, ST30, ST72, ST8, and ST772 - are unique clones that have successfully established themselves as predominant, often spreading into nosocomial settings. More coordinated and comprehensive surveillance to understand the true epidemiology of CA-MRSA in the Asia-Pacific region is urgently needed.

Country News.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Population Education Newsletter and Forum, 1987

1987-01-01

Reports on the progress of population education programs in various countries in Asia and the Pacific region. Describes current developments in Bangladesh, China, India, Malaysia, Maldives, and Viet Nam. (TW)

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.

Asia: A Guide to Books for Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiese, M. Bernice, Comp.; And Others

This list of over 300 fiction and non-fiction books on Asian countries is designed as a tool for teachers who desire to select works which will foster in children an interest in Asian nations and a knowledge of customs, daily life and culture of the people. All facets of each country are considered -- the land, people, history, customs,…

Evaluation of the East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes Program: Final Report. Revised Draft. GS-10F-0086K

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martinez, Alina; Neishi, Kristen; Parsad, Amanda; Whittaker, Karla; Epstein, Carter

2012-01-01

Students in science and engineering (S&E) are preparing for careers in fields where international partnerships are increasingly important to advancing knowledge and discoveries. It has been over a decade since the National Science Board (NSB) highlighted the importance of international collaboration and called for increased government…

Cross-Cultural Analysis of HPT: An Empirical Investigation of HPT Competencies in the Workplace in the United States and South Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vadivelu, Ramaswamy N.; Klein, James D.

2008-01-01

Recent research in the areas of human performance technology (HPT), organizational development, and cross-cultural training has suggested the need for developing managerial competencies that are effective in diverse cultural settings. Some competencies such as technical proficiency, knowledge of company systems, adaptability, and the ability to…

Love and Knowledge: Recovering the Heart of Learning through Contemplation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zajonc, Arthur

2006-01-01

The role of contemplative practice in adult education has a long history if one includes traditional monastic education in Asia and the West. Its use in American higher education is, however, more recent and more limited. Nonetheless, on the basis of evidence from surveys and conferences, a significant community of teachers exists at all levels of…

Characterization of a genomic region under selection in cultivated carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus) reveals a candidate domestication gene

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Carrot is one of the most important vegetables worldwide, owing to its capability to develop fleshy, highly nutritious storage roots. It was domesticated ca. 1,100 years ago in Central Asia. No systematic knowledge about the molecular mechanisms involved in the domestication syndrome in carrot are a...

Malaria Evolution in South Asia: Knowledge for Control and Elimination

PubMed Central

Narayanasamy, Krishnamoorthy; Chery, Laura; Basu, Analabha; Duraisingh, Manoj T.; Escalante, Ananias; Fowble, Joseph; Guler, Jennifer L.; Herricks, Thurston; Kumar, Ashwani; Majumder, Partha; Maki, Jennifer; Mascarenhas, Anjali; Rodrigues, Janneth; Roy, Bikram; Sen, Somdutta; Shastri, Jayanthi; Smith, Joseph; Valecha, Neena; White, John; Rathod, Pradipsinh K.

2013-01-01

The study of malaria parasites on the Indian subcontinent should help us understand unexpected disease outbreaks and unpredictable disease presentations from Plasmodium falciparum and from Plasmodium vivax infections. The Malaria Evolution in South Asia (MESA) research program is one of ten International Centers of Excellence for Malaria Research (ICEMR) sponsored by the US National Institute of Health. In this second of two reviews, we describe why population structures of Plasmodia in India will be characterized and how we will determine their consequences on disease presentation, outcome and patterns. Specific projects will determine if genetic diversity, possibly driven by parasites with higher genetic plasticity, plays a role in changing epidemiology, pathogenesis, vector competence of parasite populations, and whether innate human genetic traits protect Indians from malaria today. Deep local clinical knowledge of malaria in India will be supplemented by basic scientists who bring new research tools. Such tools will include whole genome sequencing and analysis methods; in vitro assays to measure genome plasticity, RBC cytoadhesion, invasion, and deformability; mosquito infectivity assays to evaluate changing parasite-vector compatibilities; and host genetics to understand protective traits in Indian populations. The MESA-ICEMR study sites span diagonally across India, including a mixture of very urban and rural hospitals, each with very different disease patterns and patient populations. Research partnerships include government-associated research institutes, private medical schools, city and state government hospitals, and hospitals with industry ties. Between 2012-2017, in addition to developing clinical research and basic science infrastructure at new clinical sites, our training workshops will engage new scientists and clinicians throughout South Asia in the malaria research field. PMID:22266213

JPRS Report, East Asia, Southeast Asia.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-23

telling the embassy to keep track of the Thai traders and companies doing business and investing in the LPDR. He told them "Don’t pour in vast sums as...October 1988 issue Perak Chief Minister Haji Ramli Ngah Talib’s announcement that tin ore miners will be levied a royalty fee—in addition to the...charge that is already levied on sand, rock, and clay operations. The tin ore price is currently $7.70 per kg. Haji Ramli stated that operational costs

Hematology oncology practice in the Asia-Pacific APHCON survey results from the 6th international hematologic malignancies conference: bridging the gap 2015, Beijing, China.

PubMed

Huang, Xiao Jun; Liu, Kaiyan; Ritchie, David; Andersson, Borje; Lu, Jin; Hou, Jian; Burguera, Adolfo de la Fuente; Wang, JianXiang; Yeoh, Allen; Yan, Chenhua; Zhou, Daobin; Tan, Daryl; Kim, Dong Wook; Wu, Depei; Shpall, Elizabeth; Kornblau, Stephen; Neelapu, Sattava; Hongeng, Suradej; Li, Jianyong; Hu, Jiong; Zhang, Lian Sheng; Wang, Michael; Malhotra, Pankaj; Jiang, Qian; Qin, Yazhen; Wong, Raymond; Champlin, Richard; Hagemeister, Frederick; Westin, Jason; Iyer, Swaminathan; Mathews, Vikram; Wang, Yu; Hu, Yu; Xiao, Zhijian; Shao, Zonghong; Orlowski, Robert Z; Chim, Chor Sang; Mulligan, Stephen; Sanz, Miguel; Ozawa, Keiya; Parmar, Simrit; Issaragrisil, Surapol

2017-06-20

This report serves as a snapshot of the state-of-knowledge in the Asia Pacific (APAC) Hematology Oncology community, and establishes a baseline for longitudinal investigations to follow changes in best practices over time. The objective of this study was to understand the approach to hematologic diseases, common standards of care and best practices, issues that remain controversial or debated, and educational or resource gaps that warrant attention. We used mobile application to disseminate and distribute questionnaires to delegates during the 6th international hematologic malignancies conference hosted by the APAC Hematology Consortium at Beijing, China. User responses were collected in an anonymous fashion. We report survey results in two ways: the overall responses, and responses as stratified between Chinese physicians and "Other" represented nationalities. Overall geographical concordance in survey responses was positive and strong. Perhaps more interesting than instances of absolute agreement, these data provide a unique opportunity to identify topics in which physician knowledge or opinions diverge. We assigned questions from all modules to broad categories of: patient information; diagnosis; treatment preference; transplantation; and general knowledge/opinion. On average, we observed a geographic difference of 15% for any particular answer choice, and this was fairly constant across survey modules. These results reveal utility and need for widespread and ongoing initiatives to assess knowledge and provide evidence-based education in real time. The data will be made more valuable by longitudinal participation, such that we can monitor changes in the state of the art over time.

Current status of intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke in Asia.

PubMed

Sharma, Vijay K; Ng, Kay W P; Venketasubramanian, Narayanaswamy; Saqqur, Maher; Teoh, Hock L; Kaul, Subash; Srivastava, Padma M V; Sergentanis, Theodoris; Suwanwela, Nijasri; Nguyen, Thang H; Lawrence Wong, K S; Chan, Bernard P L

2011-12-01

Data regarding thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke in Asia are scarce and only a small percentage of patients are thrombolysed. The dose of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV-tPA) in Asia remains controversial. Case-controlled observation studies in Asia included only Japanese patients and suggested the clinical efficacy and safety of low-dose IV-tPA (0.6 mg/kg body weight; max 60 mg) comparable to standard dose (0.9 mg/kg body weight; max. 90 mg). Reduced treatment cost, lower symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage risk and comparable efficacy encouraged many Asian centers to adopt low-dose or even variable-dose IV-tPA regimens. We evaluated various Asian thrombolysis studies and compared with SITS-MOST registry and NINDS trial. We included the published studies on acute ischemic stroke thrombolysis in Asia. Unadjusted relative risks and 95% Confidence intervals were calculated for each study. Pooled estimates from random effects models were used because the tests for heterogeneity were significant. We found only 18 publications regarding acute ischemic stroke thrombolysis in Asia that included total of 9300 patients. Owing to ethnic differences, stroke severity, small number of cases in individual reports, outcome measures and tPA dose regimes, it is difficult to compare these studies. Functional outcomes were almost similar (to Japanese studies) when lower-dose IV-tPA was used in non-Japanese populations across Asia. Interestingly, with standard dose IV-tPA, considerably better functional outcomes were observed, without increasing symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage rates. Variable dose regimens of IV-tPA are used across Asia without any reliable or established evidence. Establishing a uniform IV-tPA regimen is essential since the rapid improvements in health-care facilities and public awareness are expected to increase the rates of thrombolysis in Asia. © 2011 The Authors. International Journal of Stroke © 2011 World Stroke Organization.

Spatio-temporal PM and AOD estimations over Northeast Asia during DRAGON NE-Asia campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, M.; Song, C.; Kim, J.

2013-12-01

Particulate matter (PM) is closely related to human health, air quality, and climate changes. It has been directly measured on the surface level. However, ground-based measurements have a limitation in spatial coverage of PM concentrations. In order to overcome this spatial limitation of ground measurements, AOD, which is considered as a proxy to PM concentration, was used in this study. AOD was first utilized to figure out the characteristics of PM and was then used to estimate the PM concentrations in Northeast Asia during the DRAGON Northeast-Asia campaign (March-May 2012), using CMAQ-estimated AOD, COMS/GOCI-retrieved AOD, and the AOD data from the DRAGON NE-Asia campaign. First of all, current emission inventories (MEIC and INTEX-B based emission inventories) were evaluated to improve CMAQ modeling results. Next, several algorithms to convert aerosol composition to AOD were evaluated using intensive measurement data from the DRAGON NE-Asia campaign. The accuracy of the CMAQ-estimated AOD was further evaluated with hourly observing GOCI-retrieved AOD. After the evaluation, CMAQ-calculated AOD was mathematically combined with GOCI-retrieved AOD via data assimilation. After this, AERONET AOD measured by the DRAGON NE-Asia campaign was again combined with the assimilated AOD from CMAQ and GOCI AODs to produce more accurate spatio-temporal AOD fields over Northeast Asia. Using several relationships between PM (PM10 and PM2.5) and AOD, the best surface-PM concentrations over the entire domain were calculated. It was then evaluated with ground-based PM2.5 measurements from the DRAGON NE-Asia campaign. A good agreement between estimated PM2.5 and measured PM2.5 over the domain was found. Finally, the PM and AOD information was used to investigate the effects of transboundary PM pollution from China to the Korean peninsula.

The Architecture of Risk for Type 2 Diabetes: Understanding Asia in the Context of Global Findings

PubMed Central

Attia, John; Oldmeadow, Christopher; Scott, Rodney J.; Holliday, Elizabeth G.

2014-01-01

The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is rising rapidly in both developed and developing countries. Asia is developing as the epicentre of the escalating pandemic, reflecting rapid transitions in demography, migration, diet, and lifestyle patterns. The effective management of Type 2 diabetes in Asia may be complicated by differences in prevalence, risk factor profiles, genetic risk allele frequencies, and gene-environment interactions between different Asian countries, and between Asian and other continental populations. To reduce the worldwide burden of T2D, it will be important to understand the architecture of T2D susceptibility both within and between populations. This review will provide an overview of known genetic and nongenetic risk factors for T2D, placing the results from Asian studies in the context of broader global research. Given recent evidence from large-scale genetic studies of T2D, we place special emphasis on emerging knowledge about the genetic architecture of T2D and the potential contribution of genetic effects to population differences in risk. PMID:24744783

On the trails of markers and proxies: the socio-cognitive technologies of human movement, knowledge assemblage, and their relevance to the etiology of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

PubMed Central

Turnbull, David

2011-01-01

Bacteria, pigs, rats, pots, plants, words, bones, stones, earrings, diseases, and genetic indicators of all varieties are markers and proxies for the complexity of interweaving trails and stories integral to understanding human movement and knowledge assemblage in Southeast Asia and around the world. Understanding human movement and knowledge assemblage is central to comprehending the genetic basis of disease, especially of a cancer like nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The problem is that the markers and trails, taken in isolation, do not all tell the same story. Human movement and knowledge assemblage are in constant interaction in an adaptive process of co-production with genes, terrain, climate, sea level changes, kinship relations, diet, materials, food and transport technologies, social and cognitive technologies, and knowledge strategies and transmission. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is the outcome of an adaptive process involving physical, social, and genetic components. PMID:21272440

Uveal Melanoma: Identifying Immunological and Chemotherapeutic Targets to Treat Metastases.

PubMed

Jager, Martine J; Dogrusöz, Mehmet; Woodman, Scott E

2017-01-01

Uveal melanoma is an intraocular malignancy that, depending on its size and genetic make-up, may lead to metastases in up to 50% of cases. Currently, no therapy has been proven to improve survival. However, new therapies exploiting immune responses against metastases are being developed. The primary tumor is well characterized: tumors at high risk of developing metastases often contain macrophages and lymphocytes. However, these lymphocytes are often regulatory T cells that may suppress immune response. Currently, immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown marked efficacy in multiple cancers (eg, cutaneous melanoma) but do not yet improve survival in uveal melanoma patients. More knowledge needs to be acquired regarding the function of T cells in uveal melanoma. Other therapeutic options are related to the biochemical pathways. Targeting the RAF-MEK-ERK pathway with small molecule MEK inhibitors abrogates the growth of UM cells harboring GNAQ/GNA11 Q209 mutations, suggesting that these aberrant G-protein oncogenes mediate, at least in part, their effect through this hallmark proliferation pathway. Other pathways are also implicated, such as those involving c-Jun and YAP. Further studies may show how interference in the different pathways may affect survival. Copyright 2017 Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology.

Future malaria spatial pattern based on the potential global warming impact in South and Southeast Asia.

PubMed

Khormi, Hassan M; Kumar, Lalit

2016-11-21

We used the Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate-H climate model with the A2 Special Report on Emissions Scenarios for the years 2050 and 2100 and CLIMEX software for projections to illustrate the potential impact of climate change on the spatial distributions of malaria in China, India, Indochina, Indonesia, and The Philippines based on climate variables such as temperature, moisture, heat, cold and dryness. The model was calibrated using data from several knowledge domains, including geographical distribution records. The areas in which malaria has currently been detected are consistent with those showing high values of the ecoclimatic index in the CLIMEX model. The match between prediction and reality was found to be high. More than 90% of the observed malaria distribution points were associated with the currently known suitable climate conditions. Climate suitability for malaria is projected to decrease in India, southern Myanmar, southern Thailand, eastern Borneo, and the region bordering Cambodia, Malaysia and the Indonesian islands, while it is expected to increase in southern and south-eastern China and Taiwan. The climatic models for Anopheles mosquitoes presented here should be useful for malaria control, monitoring, and management, particularly considering these future climate scenarios.

Addressing education of speech-language pathologists in the World Report on Disability: development of a speech-language pathology program in Malaysia.

PubMed

Ahmad, Kartini; Ibrahim, Hasherah; Othman, Basyariatul Fathi; Vong, Etain

2013-02-01

The current paper is a response to the Wiley, McAllister, Davidson, and Marshall lead article regarding the application of the World Report on Disability (WRD) to people with communication disorders. The current paper directly addresses recommendation 5 (improvement of human resource capacity) and indirectly addresses recommendations 7, 8, and 9 (related to improving local knowledge and data on communicative disabilities) indirectly. The paper describes Malaysia's initiatives in the early 1990s, in developing its local professional capacity to provide services for people with communication disorders (PWCD). It charts the history of development of a local undergraduate entry-level degree program for speech-language pathology (SLP) from the point of conceptualization to full execution. The article provides glimpses to the processes and challenges faced by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia as the pioneer university in the South East Asia region to undertake the training and education of the SLP profession and highlights relevant issues faced by newly introduced professions in a country where resources and practice traditions were previously unavailable. It underscores the important role played by government institutions and an international professional network in driving forward-looking policies to implement and sustain the program.

Epidemiology of yaws: an update

PubMed Central

Kazadi, Walter M; Asiedu, Kingsley B; Agana, Nsiire; Mitjà, Oriol

2014-01-01

Yaws, a neglected tropical disease, is targeted for eradication by 2020 through large-scale mass-treatment programs of endemic communities. A key determinant for the success of the eradication campaign is good understanding of the disease epidemiology. We did a review of historical trends and new information from endemic countries, with the aim of assessing the state of knowledge on yaws disease burden. Transmission of yaws is now present in Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific. At least 12 countries are known to harbor yaws cases and 21 to 42 million people live in endemic areas. Between 2008 and 2012 more than 300,000 new cases were reported to the World Health Organization. Yaws presented high geographical variation within a country or region, high seasonality for incidence of active disease, and evidence that low standards of hygiene predispose to suffering of the disease. Key data issues include low levels of reporting, potential misdiagnosis, and scarce documentation on prevalence of asymptomatic infections. Currently available data most likely underestimates the magnitude of the disease burden. More effort is needed in order to refine accuracy of data currently being reported. A better characterization of the epidemiology of yaws globally is likely to positively impact on planning and implementation of yaws eradication. PMID:24729728

Toxoplasma infection and milk consumption: Meta-analysis of assumptions and evidences.

PubMed

Boughattas, Sonia

2017-09-02

Toxoplasmosis is the most widespread infection worldwide. It occurs within congenital contamination, organ transplant or immune system depression. Primary infection is mainly foodborne with the ingestion of raw or undercooked meat, unwashed fruit-vegetables, unhygienic water or contaminated milk. Gaps in current knowledge about the risk assessment of Toxoplasma gondii by milk consumption are noted. Contradictory data are observed within risk assessment of milk consumption and toxoplasmosis occurrence. While some papers reported positive correlations between drinking milk and infection transmission to human, other studies stated nonsignificant influence of milk or milk products consumption. New debate about the detection of the parasite in the milk matrix from different hosts raised interrogations. To figure out the real contribution and the potential correlations of milkborne way in toxoplasmic infection, meta-analysis approach was investigated. Overall analysis showed heterogeneous responses and led to state that statistically dairy matrix (other than milk), Bovidae products, agricultural population and countries in Africa, Europe and Southeast Asia are not linked to milkborne toxoplasmosis. The most involved factors are Capridae products, immune-depressed population and North America, Middle East, and Latin territories. The current work advanced those parameters that could affect the public health and should be envisioned in further epidemiological analysis.

Asia's communications market booms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Neil W.

1995-01-01

Asia's communications and direct broadcasting satellite business markets has bloomed, with a growing number of Asian-owned communications satellites launched and others purchased for imminent use. Ironically, Hong Kong now possesses Asia's most successful satellite TV broadcasting firm, even though it does not hold the keys to the actual technology. In contrast, Japan holds virtually all the technical keys but companies are bogged down by financial trouble, the absence of a local enterprise equivalent to telecommunications, and bureaucratic intervention. Due to large trade deficits vis-a-vis Tokyo and lower prices offered by US and European telecom equipment suppliers, Asian countries are not buying from Japan. Currently, excessive competition is likely to come from other Asian countries, prompting Japanese firms surprised by this development to attempt at 'bridging' the competition gap with the US and European suppliers.

Chlamydia trachomatis Infection in Pregnancy: The Global Challenge of Preventing Adverse Pregnancy and Infant Outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia

PubMed Central

Adachi, Kristina; Nielsen-Saines, Karin

2016-01-01

Screening and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in pregnancy represents an overlooked opportunity to improve the health outcomes of women and infants worldwide. Although Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common treatable bacterial STI, few countries have routine pregnancy screening and treatment programs. We reviewed the current literature surrounding Chlamydia trachomatis in pregnancy, particularly focusing on countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. We discuss possible chlamydial adverse pregnancy and infant health outcomes (miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, preterm birth, neonatal conjunctivitis, neonatal pneumonia, and other potential effects including HIV perinatal transmission) and review studies of chlamydial screening and treatment in pregnancy, while simultaneously highlighting research from resource-limited countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. PMID:27144177

Development and Characterization of Probe-Based Real Time Quantitative RT-PCR Assays for Detection and Serotyping of Foot-And-Mouth Disease Viruses Circulating in West Eurasia

PubMed Central

Jamal, Syed M.; Belsham, Graham J.

2015-01-01

Rapid and accurate diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and virus serotyping are of paramount importance for control of this disease in endemic areas where vaccination is practiced. Ideally this virus characterization should be achieved without the need for virus amplification in cell culture. Due to the heterogeneity of FMD viruses (FMDVs) in different parts of the world, region specific diagnostic tests are required. In this study, hydrolysable probe-based real time reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays were developed for specific detection and serotyping of the FMDVs currently circulating in West Eurasia. These assays were evaluated, in parallel with pan-FMDV diagnostic assays and earlier serotype-specific assays, using field samples originating from Pakistan and Afghanistan containing FMD viruses belonging to different sublineages of O-PanAsia, A-Iran05 and Asia-1 (Group-II and Group-VII (Sindh-08)). In addition, field samples from Iran and Bulgaria, containing FMDVs belonging to the O-PanAsiaANT-10 sublineage were also tested. Each of the three primer/probe sets was designed to be specific for just one of the serotypes O, A and Asia-1 of FMDV and detected the RNA from the target viruses with cycle threshold (CT) values comparable with those obtained with the serotype-independent pan-FMDV diagnostic assays. No cross-reactivity was observed in these assays between the heterotypic viruses circulating in the region. The assays reported here have higher diagnostic sensitivity (100% each for serotypes O and Asia-1, and 92% [95% CI = 81.4–100%] for serotype A positive samples) and specificity (100% each for serotypes O, A and Asia-1 positive samples) for the viruses currently circulating in West Eurasia compared to the serotyping assays reported earlier. Comparisons of the sequences of the primers and probes used in these assays and the corresponding regions of the circulating viruses provided explanations for the poor recognition of some of the viruses by the earlier assays. These new assays should help in the early detection and typing of serotype O, A and Asia-1 FMDVs circulating in West Eurasia to enable improved disease control. PMID:26270532

Development and Characterization of Probe-Based Real Time Quantitative RT-PCR Assays for Detection and Serotyping of Foot-And-Mouth Disease Viruses Circulating in West Eurasia.

PubMed

Jamal, Syed M; Belsham, Graham J

2015-01-01

Rapid and accurate diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and virus serotyping are of paramount importance for control of this disease in endemic areas where vaccination is practiced. Ideally this virus characterization should be achieved without the need for virus amplification in cell culture. Due to the heterogeneity of FMD viruses (FMDVs) in different parts of the world, region specific diagnostic tests are required. In this study, hydrolysable probe-based real time reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays were developed for specific detection and serotyping of the FMDVs currently circulating in West Eurasia. These assays were evaluated, in parallel with pan-FMDV diagnostic assays and earlier serotype-specific assays, using field samples originating from Pakistan and Afghanistan containing FMD viruses belonging to different sublineages of O-PanAsia, A-Iran05 and Asia-1 (Group-II and Group-VII (Sindh-08)). In addition, field samples from Iran and Bulgaria, containing FMDVs belonging to the O-PanAsiaANT-10 sublineage were also tested. Each of the three primer/probe sets was designed to be specific for just one of the serotypes O, A and Asia-1 of FMDV and detected the RNA from the target viruses with cycle threshold (CT) values comparable with those obtained with the serotype-independent pan-FMDV diagnostic assays. No cross-reactivity was observed in these assays between the heterotypic viruses circulating in the region. The assays reported here have higher diagnostic sensitivity (100% each for serotypes O and Asia-1, and 92% [95% CI = 81.4-100%] for serotype A positive samples) and specificity (100% each for serotypes O, A and Asia-1 positive samples) for the viruses currently circulating in West Eurasia compared to the serotyping assays reported earlier. Comparisons of the sequences of the primers and probes used in these assays and the corresponding regions of the circulating viruses provided explanations for the poor recognition of some of the viruses by the earlier assays. These new assays should help in the early detection and typing of serotype O, A and Asia-1 FMDVs circulating in West Eurasia to enable improved disease control.

A phylogenetic analysis using full-length viral genomes of South American dengue serotype 3 in consecutive Venezuelan outbreaks reveals novel NS5 mutation

PubMed Central

Schmidt, DJ; Pickett, BE; Camacho, D; Comach, G; Xhaja, K; Lennon, NJ; Rizzolo, K; de Bosch, N; Becerra, A; Nogueira, ML; Mondini, A; da Silva, EV; Vasconcelos, PF; Muñoz-Jordán, JL; Santiago, GA; Ocazionez, R; Gehrke, L; Lefkowitz, EJ; Birren, BW; Henn, MR; Bosch, I

2013-01-01

Dengue virus currently causes 50-100 million infections annually. Comprehensive knowledge about the evolution of Dengue in response to selection pressure is currently unavailable, but would greatly enhance vaccine design efforts. In the current study, we sequenced 187 new dengue virus serotype 3(DENV-3) genotype III whole genomes isolated from Asia and the Americas. We analyzed them together with previously-sequenced isolates to gain a more detailed understanding of the evolutionary adaptations existing in this prevalent American serotype. In order to analyze the phylogenetic dynamics of DENV-3 during outbreak periods; we incorporated datasets of 48 and 11 sequences spanning two major outbreaks in Venezuela during 2001 and 2007-2008 respectively. Our phylogenetic analysis of newly sequenced viruses shows that subsets of genomes cluster primarily by geographic location, and secondarily by time of virus isolation. DENV-3 genotype III sequences from Asia are significantly divergent from those from the Americas due to their geographical separation and subsequent speciation. We measured amino acid variation for the E protein by calculating the Shannon entropy at each position between Asian and American genomes. We found a cluster of 7 amino acid substitutions having high variability within E protein domain III, which has previously been implicated in serotype-specific neutralization escape mutants. No novel mutations were found in the E protein of sequences isolated during either Venezuelan outbreak. Shannon entropy analysis of the NS5 polymerase mature protein revealed that a G374E mutation, in a region that contributes to interferon resistance in other flaviviruses by interfering with JAK-STAT signaling was present in both the Asian and American sequences from the 2007-2008 Venezuelan outbreak, but was absent in the sequences from the 2001 Venezuelan outbreak. In addition to E, several NS5 amino acid changes were unique to the 2007-2008 epidemic in Venezuela and may give additional insight into the adaptive response of DENV-3 at the population level. PMID:21964598

Toxicology in Asia--Past, present, and future.

PubMed

Satoh, T

2015-12-01

The Asian Society of Toxicology (ASIATOX), which consists of the seven national toxicology member societies of Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, and Iran, now boasts of more than 3,000 members from a variety of industries, academia, and regulatory organizations. ASIATOX congresses are spaced three years apart and rotated among the member societies. In 1995, ASIATOX joined the International Union of Toxicology (IUTOX) as a regional society, and now serves as the scientific voice of toxicology in Asia under the IUTOX umbrella. Since its inauguration, the society has worked diligently to handle matters deemed essential to promoting the vision set fourth by its founders. Future perspectives of ASIATOX include the establishment of education and training programs, and the certification and accreditation of toxicologists. As the leading voice of toxicology in Asia, the society seeks to extend knowledge of toxicological issues to developing nations in Asia based on the following missions and goals: (1) to provide leadership as a worldwide scientific organization that objectively addresses global issues involving the toxicological sciences, (2) to broaden the geographical base of toxicology as a discipline and profession to all countries of the world, and (3) to pursue capacity building in toxicology, particularly in developing countries, while utilizing its global perspective and network to contribute to the enhancement of toxicology education and the career development of young toxicologists. © The Author(s) 2015.

Heart failure across Asia: Same healthcare burden but differences in organization of care.

PubMed

Reyes, Eugenio B; Ha, Jong-Won; Firdaus, Isman; Ghazi, Azmee Mohd; Phrommintikul, Arintaya; Sim, David; Vu, Quynh Nga; Siu, Chung Wah; Yin, Wei-Hsian; Cowie, Martin R

2016-11-15

A gap in the knowledge on the status of heart failure (HF) in Asia versus other regions led to the creation of a working group of Asian experts from 9 countries or regions (Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam). Each expert sought the best available data from local publications, registries, or clinical practice. The prevalence of HF in Asia was generally similar to global values (1% to 3%), but with some outliers. There were substantial variations in healthcare spending, and the average cost of HF hospitalization varied from 813 US$ in Indonesia to nearly 9000 US$ in South Korea. Comorbidities were frequent, particularly hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia. Modifiable risk factors such as smoking were alarmingly common in some countries. Asian HF patients spent between 5 and 12.5days in hospital, and 3% to 15% were readmitted for HF by 30days. The pharmacological treatment of Asian patients generally followed international guidelines, including renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (61% to 90%), diuretics (76% to 99%), beta-blockers (32% to 78%), and digoxin (19% to 53%), with some room for improvement in terms of life-saving therapies. Our review supports implementation of a more comprehensive and organized approach to HF care in Asia. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Suitability and accessibility of immature Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) stages to Tetrastichus planipennisi (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)

Treesearch

Michael D. Ulyshen; Jian J. Duan; Leah S. Bauer; Ivich. Fraser

2010-01-01

Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a gregarious larval endoparasitoid, is one of three biocontrol agents from Asia currently being released in the United States to combat the invasive emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). The current protocol for rearing T....

PrEP implementation in the Asia-Pacific region: opportunities, implementation and barriers

PubMed Central

Zablotska, Iryna; Grulich, Andrew E; Phanuphak, Nittaya; Anand, Tarandeep; Janyam, Surang; Poonkasetwattana, Midnight; Baggaley, Rachel; van Griensven, Frits; Lo, Ying-Ru

2016-01-01

Introduction HIV epidemics in the Asia-Pacific region are concentrated among men who have sex with men (MSM) and other key populations. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective HIV prevention intervention and could be a potential game changer in the region. We discuss the progress towards PrEP implementation in the Asia-Pacific region, including opportunities and barriers. Discussion Awareness about PrEP in the Asia-Pacific is still low and so are its levels of use. A high proportion of MSM who are aware of PrEP are willing to use it. Key PrEP implementation barriers include poor knowledge about PrEP, limited access to PrEP, weak or non-existent HIV prevention programmes for MSM and other key populations, high cost of PrEP, stigma and discrimination against key populations and restrictive laws in some countries. Only several clinical trials, demonstration projects and a few larger-scale implementation studies have been implemented so far in Thailand and Australia. However, novel approaches to PrEP implementation have emerged: researcher-, facility- and community-led models of care, with PrEP services for fee and for free. The WHO consolidated guidelines on HIV testing, treatment and prevention call for an expanded access to PrEP worldwide and have provided guidance on PrEP implementation in the region. Some countries like Australia have released national PrEP guidelines. There are growing community leadership and consultation processes to initiate PrEP implementation in Asia and the Pacific. Conclusions Countries of the Asia-Pacific region will benefit from adding PrEP to their HIV prevention packages, but for many this is a critical step that requires resourcing. Having an impact on the HIV epidemic requires investment. The next years should see the region transitioning from limited PrEP implementation projects to growing access to PrEP and expansion of HIV prevention programmes. PMID:27760688

PrEP implementation in the Asia-Pacific region: opportunities, implementation and barriers.

PubMed

Zablotska, Iryna; Grulich, Andrew E; Phanuphak, Nittaya; Anand, Tarandeep; Janyam, Surang; Poonkasetwattana, Midnight; Baggaley, Rachel; van Griensven, Frits; Lo, Ying-Ru

2016-01-01

HIV epidemics in the Asia-Pacific region are concentrated among men who have sex with men (MSM) and other key populations. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective HIV prevention intervention and could be a potential game changer in the region. We discuss the progress towards PrEP implementation in the Asia-Pacific region, including opportunities and barriers. Awareness about PrEP in the Asia-Pacific is still low and so are its levels of use. A high proportion of MSM who are aware of PrEP are willing to use it. Key PrEP implementation barriers include poor knowledge about PrEP, limited access to PrEP, weak or non-existent HIV prevention programmes for MSM and other key populations, high cost of PrEP, stigma and discrimination against key populations and restrictive laws in some countries. Only several clinical trials, demonstration projects and a few larger-scale implementation studies have been implemented so far in Thailand and Australia. However, novel approaches to PrEP implementation have emerged: researcher-, facility- and community-led models of care, with PrEP services for fee and for free. The WHO consolidated guidelines on HIV testing, treatment and prevention call for an expanded access to PrEP worldwide and have provided guidance on PrEP implementation in the region. Some countries like Australia have released national PrEP guidelines. There are growing community leadership and consultation processes to initiate PrEP implementation in Asia and the Pacific. Countries of the Asia-Pacific region will benefit from adding PrEP to their HIV prevention packages, but for many this is a critical step that requires resourcing. Having an impact on the HIV epidemic requires investment. The next years should see the region transitioning from limited PrEP implementation projects to growing access to PrEP and expansion of HIV prevention programmes.

Review of Research on Educational Leadership and Management in Hong Kong, 1995-2012: Topographical Analysis of an Emergent Knowledge Base

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallinger, Philip; Lee, Tai Hoi Theodor; Szeto, Elson

2013-01-01

A recent study of scholarship on educational leadership and management in East Asia identified a rapidly growing corpus of published studies focusing on educational leadership and management in Hong Kong. This article undertakes a "topographical analysis" of this literature with the aim of describing the nature of topics and research…

Adult Teachers as Researchers: Ethnographic Approaches to Numeracy and Literacy as Social Practices in South Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Street, Brian V.; Rogers, Alan; Baker, Dave

2006-01-01

It has long been orthodoxy among adult educators that those who teach adults need to take into account the existing knowledge, practices, perceptions and expectations of the learners. This is true at both central level where curricula and teaching-learning materials are developed and at local level where adult teacher/facilitator meets adult…

Pushing toward cogongrass (Imperata cylindrical) patch eradication: the influence of herbicide treatment and application timing on cogongrass rhizome elimination.

Treesearch

Jatinder S. Aulakh; Stephen F. Enloe; Nancy J. Loewenstein; Andrew J. Price; Glenn Wehtje; James Miller

2014-01-01

Cogongrass, an invasive grass native to Asia, has infested thousands of hectares in the southeastern United States. Although numerous studies have examined cogongrass control, no published studies, to our knowledge, have tested strategies for cogongrass eradication. Cogongrass has a persistent, thick rhizome mat but an ephemeral seedbank; therefore, successful...

Genetic analysis of emerald ash borer (Agrilus Planipennis Fairmaire) to determine point of origin in North American infestations

Treesearch

Jim Smith; Bob Haack; Leah Bauer

2004-01-01

The objective of this project is to estimate the geographic origin of emerald ash borer (EAB) populations in Asia that gave rise to EAB in North America. Knowledge of EAB genetics will be useful in understanding the invasion dynamics of the beetle, and to help identify geographic localities of potential biocontrol agents.

Electronics Industry

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

countries in developing market nations in Asia (such as Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia , China and Vietnam). The competition for the knowledge, economic...Intel, Infineon Technologies, STMicroelectronics, Samsung Electronics, Texas Instruments, AMD Spansion, Philips Semiconductor, Freescale... Samsung ($19.7B), #5 Toshiba ($9.8B), #6 TSMC ($9.7B), #7 Hynix ($8.0B) and #8 Renesas ($7.9B) (McGrath, 2007, p. 3). Samsung , headquartered in

English as a Medium of Instruction in East Asia's Higher Education Sector: A Critical Realist Cultural Political Economy Analysis of Underlying Logics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kedzierski, Matt

2016-01-01

As discourses of globalisation and the knowledge-based economy become increasingly influential in both policy-making and in public debates about education, employability and national competitiveness--the choice of language in the classroom takes on a strategic importance. The paper employs a critical realist Cultural Political Economy lens to…

Knowledge and Perception Regarding Autism among Primary School Teachers: A Cross-sectional Survey from Pakistan, South Asia.

PubMed

Ayub, Adil; Naeem, Buria; Ahmed, Wajahat Nazir; Srichand, Suraksha; Aziz, Komal; Abro, Brooj; Najam, Sehrish; Murtaza, Duraiz; Janjua, Ali Ahmed; Ali, Sara; Jehan, Imtiaz

2017-01-01

Early detection and intervention seem to improve development in autistic children, and teachers form an important part of their early social environment. The objective of this study was to assess baseline knowledge and misconceptions regarding autism among school teachers and evaluate factors influencing their knowledge. This is a cross-sectional survey enrolling primary school teachers using a self-administered questionnaire. Seventy-three teachers (mean age of 34 years, 66% females) responded. Gaps in awareness and knowledge were found. About 52 (71.2%) teachers identified themselves as having some knowledge about autism, with 23 (44.2%) among this group understanding autism as a neurological/mental disorder. The majority (73.1%) believe that special education is a helpful intervention. The only significant factor that influenced knowledge among teachers was attendance of behavioral classes ( P = 0.01). Results suggest that teachers have an inadequate understanding of autism due to several misconceptions. This calls for increased education of teachers with regard to autism and other childhood disorders.

Winter fog monitoring over south asia by using multi satellite data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yasmin, Naila

2016-07-01

committing The South Asian region in general and the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) in particular hold about 1/6th of the world's population and is considered as one of the major hotspots of increasing atmospheric pollution. Due to growing population and globalization, South Asia is experiencing high transformations in the urban and industrial sectors. Fog is one of the meteorological/environmental phenomena which can generate significant social and economic problems especially a major havoc to air and road traffic. Meteorological stations provide information about the fog episodes only on the basis of point observation. Continuous monitoring as well as a spatially coherent picture of fog distribution can only be possible through the use of satellite imagery. Current study focus on winter fog episodes over South Asian region using Moderate Resolution Image Spectrometer (MODIS) Level 2 terra Product and MODIS Aerosol Product and OMI Absorbing Aerosol Index. The datasets used in this study includes MODIS Corrected Reflectance RGBs are used to analyse fog situation over study area. MOD04 level 2 Collection 6 data is used to study aerosol load and distribution which are characterised using aerosol type land. In order to study the variation of ground based observations from satellite data MODIS, CALIPSO, AERONET and high volume air Sampler were used. Objectives of the study was to map the spatial extent of fog as well as monitor its causes and similarly to analyze the Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) over South Asia with particular focus over Indo Gangetic Plans (IGP). Current studies show an increase in AOD from past few decades over South Asia and is contributing to poor air quality in the region due to growing population, urbanization, and industrialization. Smoke and absorbing aerosol are major constituent of fog over south Asia. Furthermore, winter 2014-15 extended span of Fog was also observed over South Asia. A significant correlation between MODIS (AOD) and AERONET Station (AOD) data was identified. Mass concentration of PM 2.5 and PM 10 over sampling sites exceeded the NEQS's Level at most occasions.

A University-Level Curriculum in Climate Change for SE Asia and the Asian Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furniss, M. J.; Saah, D. S.; Hines, S. J.; Radel, C. A.; McGroddy, M. E.; Ganz, D. J.

2014-12-01

A university-level curriculum has been developed for the SE Asia and Asia Pacific region and is currently being implemented by 12+ universities; in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Papua New Guinea. The curriculum is supported by USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) through the LEAF program (Lowering Emissions in Asian Forests), under the technical leadership of the U.S. Forest Service. Four modules have been developed: Basic Climate Change, Low-Emissions Land Use Planning, Social and Environmental Soundness, and Carbon Measurement and Monitoring. This presentation will focus on the Basic Climate Change module. This is a survey course that covers a wide range of climate change topics, including causes, effects, and responses. The level of detail in each of the covered topics is calibrated to current issues in the region. The module is elaborated in English and will be translated into the national language of the participating countries. The module is designed to be flexible and can be tailored to both degree and non-degree programs; as well as for trainings for natural resources professionals and policy-makers. Important training topics can be selected as short course trainings for practitioners and leaders working on climate change.

Health claims on food products in Southeast Asia: regulatory frameworks, barriers, and opportunities.

PubMed

Tan, Karin Y M; van der Beek, Eline M; Chan, M Y; Zhao, Xuejun; Stevenson, Leo

2015-09-01

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations aims to act as a single market and allow free movement of goods, services, and manpower. The purpose of this article is to present an overview of the current regulatory framework for health claims in Southeast Asia and to highlight the current barriers and opportunities in the regulatory frameworks in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. To date, 5 countries in Southeast Asia, i.e., Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, have regulations and guidelines to permit the use of health claims on food products. There are inconsistencies in the regulations and the types of evidence required for health claim applications in these countries. A clear understanding of the regulatory frameworks in these countries may help to increase trade in this fast-growing region and to provide direction for the food industry and the regulatory community to develop and market food products with better nutritional quality tailored to the needs of Southeast Asian consumers. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Life Sciences Institute. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Yellow fever cases in Asia: primed for an epidemic.

PubMed

Wasserman, Sean; Tambyah, Paul Anantharajah; Lim, Poh Lian

2016-07-01

There is currently an emerging outbreak of yellow fever in Angola. Cases in infected travellers have been reported in a number of other African countries, as well as in China, representing the first ever documented cases of yellow fever in Asia. There is a large Chinese workforce in Angola, many of whom may be unvaccinated, increasing the risk of ongoing importation of yellow fever into Asia via busy commercial airline routes. Large parts of the region are hyperendemic for the related Flavivirus dengue and are widely infested by Aedes aegypti, the primary mosquito vector of urban yellow fever transmission. The combination of sustained introduction of viraemic travellers, an ecology conducive to local transmission, and an unimmunized population raises the possibility of a yellow fever epidemic in Asia. This represents a major global health threat, particularly in the context of a depleted emergency vaccine stockpile and untested surveillance systems in the region. In this review, the potential for a yellow fever outbreak in Asia is discussed with reference to the ecological and historical forces that have shaped global yellow fever epidemiology. The limitations of surveillance and vector control in the region are highlighted, and priorities for outbreak preparedness and response are suggested. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Complete mitochondrial DNA genome of Bemisia tabaci cryptic pest species complex Asia I (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae).

PubMed

Tay, W T; Elfekih, S; Court, L; Gordon, K H; De Barro, P J

2016-01-01

The complete length of the Asia I member of the Bemisia tabaci species complex mitochondrial DNA genome (mitogenome) is 15,210 bp (GenBank accession no. KJ778614) with an A-T biased nucleotide composition (A: 32.7%; T: 42.4%; G: 14.0%; C: 10.8%). The mitogenome consists of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNAs) and a 467 bp putative control region which also includes the A+T rich repeat region. All PCGs have an ATA (n = 8) or ATG (n = 5) start codon. Gene synteny of Asia I is overall similar to B. afer and two other members of the B. tabaci species complex Mediterranean and New World 1, and contains the tRNA-Ser2 located between the Cytb and ND1 genes found in Mediterranean and New World 1, but which is absent in B. afer. The orientation of the tRNA-Arg in Asia I is on the "plus" strand and differed from Mediterranean which is found on the "minus" strand. The Asia I mitogenome size is currently ranked the second smallest after B. afer (14,968 bp) followed by New World 1 (15,322 bp) and Mediterranean (15,632 bp).

High-resolution near real-time drought monitoring in South Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aadhar, Saran; Mishra, Vimal

2017-10-01

Drought in South Asia affect food and water security and pose challenges for millions of people. For policy-making, planning, and management of water resources at sub-basin or administrative levels, high-resolution datasets of precipitation and air temperature are required in near-real time. We develop a high-resolution (0.05°) bias-corrected precipitation and temperature data that can be used to monitor near real-time drought conditions over South Asia. Moreover, the dataset can be used to monitor climatic extremes (heat and cold waves, dry and wet anomalies) in South Asia. A distribution mapping method was applied to correct bias in precipitation and air temperature, which performed well compared to the other bias correction method based on linear scaling. Bias-corrected precipitation and temperature data were used to estimate Standardized precipitation index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) to assess the historical and current drought conditions in South Asia. We evaluated drought severity and extent against the satellite-based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) anomalies and satellite-driven Drought Severity Index (DSI) at 0.05°. The bias-corrected high-resolution data can effectively capture observed drought conditions as shown by the satellite-based drought estimates. High resolution near real-time dataset can provide valuable information for decision-making at district and sub-basin levels.

The Epidemiology of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease in Asia: A Systematic Review and Analysis.

PubMed

Koh, Wee Ming; Bogich, Tiffany; Siegel, Karen; Jin, Jing; Chong, Elizabeth Y; Tan, Chong Yew; Chen, Mark Ic; Horby, Peter; Cook, Alex R

2016-10-01

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a widespread pediatric disease caused primarily by human enterovirus 71 (EV-A71) and Coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16). This study reports a systematic review of the epidemiology of HFMD in Asia. PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar were searched up to December 2014. Two reviewers independently assessed studies for epidemiologic and serologic information about prevalence and incidence of HFMD against predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Two reviewers extracted answers for 8 specific research questions on HFMD epidemiology. The results are checked by 3 others. HFMD is found to be seasonal in temperate Asia with a summer peak and in subtropical Asia with spring and fall peaks, but not in tropical Asia; evidence of a climatic role was identified for temperate Japan. Risk factors for HFMD include hygiene, age, gender and social contacts, but most studies were underpowered to adjust rigorously for confounding variables. Both community-level and school-level transmission have been implicated, but their relative importance for HFMD is inconclusive. Epidemiologic indices are poorly understood: No supporting quantitative evidence was found for the incubation period of EV-A71; the symptomatic rate of EV-A71/Coxsackievirus A16 infection was from 10% to 71% in 4 studies; while the basic reproduction number was between 1.1 and 5.5 in 3 studies. The uncertainty in these estimates inhibits their use for further analysis. Diversity of study designs complicates attempts to identify features of HFMD epidemiology. Knowledge on HFMD remains insufficient to guide interventions such as the incorporation of an EV-A71 vaccine in pediatric vaccination schedules. Research is urgently needed to fill these gaps.

The Epidemiology of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease in Asia

PubMed Central

Koh, Wee Ming; Bogich, Tiffany; Siegel, Karen; Jin, Jing; Chong, Elizabeth Y.; Tan, Chong Yew; Chen, Mark IC; Horby, Peter

2016-01-01

Context: Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a widespread pediatric disease caused primarily by human enterovirus 71 (EV-A71) and Coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16). Objective: This study reports a systematic review of the epidemiology of HFMD in Asia. Data Sources: PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar were searched up to December 2014. Study Selection: Two reviewers independently assessed studies for epidemiologic and serologic information about prevalence and incidence of HFMD against predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Data Extraction: Two reviewers extracted answers for 8 specific research questions on HFMD epidemiology. The results are checked by 3 others. Results: HFMD is found to be seasonal in temperate Asia with a summer peak and in subtropical Asia with spring and fall peaks, but not in tropical Asia; evidence of a climatic role was identified for temperate Japan. Risk factors for HFMD include hygiene, age, gender and social contacts, but most studies were underpowered to adjust rigorously for confounding variables. Both community-level and school-level transmission have been implicated, but their relative importance for HFMD is inconclusive. Epidemiologic indices are poorly understood: No supporting quantitative evidence was found for the incubation period of EV-A71; the symptomatic rate of EV-A71/Coxsackievirus A16 infection was from 10% to 71% in 4 studies; while the basic reproduction number was between 1.1 and 5.5 in 3 studies. The uncertainty in these estimates inhibits their use for further analysis. Limitations: Diversity of study designs complicates attempts to identify features of HFMD epidemiology. Conclusions: Knowledge on HFMD remains insufficient to guide interventions such as the incorporation of an EV-A71 vaccine in pediatric vaccination schedules. Research is urgently needed to fill these gaps. PMID:27273688

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.

Annual Changes of Paddy Rice Planting Areas in Northeastern Asia from MODIS images in 2000-2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, X.; Zhang, G.; Dong, J.; Menarguez, M. A.; Kou, W.; Jin, C.; Qin, Y.; Zhou, Y.; Wang, J.; Moore, B., III

2014-12-01

Knowledge of the area and spatial distribution of paddy rice is important for assessment of food security, management of water resources, estimation of greenhouse gas (methane) emissions, and understanding avian influenza virus transmission. Over the past two decades, paddy rice cultivation has expanded northward in temperate and cold temperate zones, particularly in Northeastern China. There is a need to quantify and map changes in paddy rice planting areas in Northeastern Asia (Japan, North and South Korea, and northeast China) at annual interval. We developed a pixel- and phenology-based image analysis system, MODIS-RICE, to map the paddy rice in Northeastern Asia by using multi-temporal MODIS thermal and surface reflectance imagery. Paddy rice fields during the flooding and transplanting phases have unique physical and spectral characteristics, which make it possible for the development of an automated and robust algorithm to track flooding and transplanting phases of paddy rice fields over time. In this presentation, we will show the MODIS-based annual maps of paddy rice planting area in the Northeastern Asia from 2000-2014 (500-m spatial resolution). Accuracy assessments using high-resolution images show that the resultant paddy rice map of Northeastern Asia had a comparable accuracy to the existing products, including 2010 Landsat-based National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD) of China, the 2010 RapidEye-based paddy rice map in North Korea, and the 2010 AVNIR-2-based National Land Cover Dataset in Japan in terms of both area and spatial pattern of paddy rice. This study has demonstrated that our novel MODIS-Rice system, which use both thermal and optical MODIS data over a year, are simple and robust tools to identify and map paddy rice fields in temperate and cold temperate zones.

Evidence-based medicine knowledge, attitudes, and practices among doctors in Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Abeysena, Chrishantha; Jayawardana, Pushpa; Wickremasinghe, Rajitha; Wickramasinghe, Uthpala

2010-05-01

To assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices on evidence-based medicine (EBM) among doctors in selected hospitals in Sri Lanka. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 315 doctors in five government hospitals in Sri Lanka between December 2007 and January 2008. A pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was used to gather information on knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Of the 407 invited, 315 doctors participated, among whom, 87% (271) had heard the term EBM, 30% (n= 94) were aware of the Cochrane Library, and 8.5% (n= 27) were current users of it. Forty-seven per cent (n= 148) claimed to understand the terms systematic review and 37% (n= 115) meta-analysis. Twenty-four per cent (n= 77) had been exposed to some form of EBM training. All three components of EBM were known by 18% (n= 56) of participants. Attitudes toward EBM were positive among 76% (n= 239), 80% (n= 251) believed the practice of EBM would lead to improved patient care, and 77% (n= 243) considered EBM to be fundamental to professional practice. Just 3% (n= 13) considered it unimportant. EBM was used in clinical practice by 54% (n= 169) of participants. Thirty-six per cent (n= 114) referred to EBM sources when relevant. Available clinical guidelines were referred to by 56% (n= 176), and 34% (n= 107) thought that available guidelines provide sufficient support for the practice of EBM. The main barriers to practicing EBM were insufficient resources, overwork, lack of exposure to EBM, and lack of time and lack of endorsement of the need to practice EBM. Knowledge and practices of EBM among Sri Lanka doctors were poor. However, attitudes toward EBM were relatively good. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd and Chinese Cochrane Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University.

Future long-baseline neutrino oscillations: View from Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayato, Yoshinari

2015-07-01

Accelerator based long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments have been playing important roles in revealing the nature of neutrinos. However, it turned out that the current experiments are not sufficient to study two major remaining problems, the CP violation in the lepton sector and the mass hierarchy of neutrinos. Therefore, several new experiments have been proposed. Among of them, two accelerator based long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments, the J-PARC neutrino beam and Hyper-Kamiokande, and MOMENT, have been proposed in Asia. These two projects are reviewed in this article.

[Management of Patients on Antithrombotic Agents Undergoing Endoscopy].

PubMed

Kim, Joon Sung; Kim, Byung Wook

2018-05-25

Antithrombotic agents are used increasingly in Asia. The management of patients on antithrombotics undergoing elective or emergency endoscopy has become an increasing clinical challenge for gastroenterologists. Current practice guidelines have been developed by societies from western countries. On the other hand, these guidelines cannot meet the specific needs of the Asian Pacific region, raising the need for separate guidelines in Asia. This review compares the recommendations of previous guidelines with the most recently published Asian guidelines regarding the management of patients on antithrombotic agents undergoing elective and emergency endoscopy.

Epilepsy: Asia versus Africa.

PubMed

Bhalla, Devender; Tchalla, Achille Edem; Marin, Benoît; Ngoungou, Edgard Brice; Tan, Chong Tin; Preux, Pierre-Marie

2014-09-01

Is epilepsy truly an "African ailment"? We aimed to determine this, since international health agencies often refer to epilepsy as an African disease and the scientific literature has spoken the same tone. Various published materials, mainly reports, articles, were used to gather Asian and African evidence on various aspects of epilepsy and many of its risk and associated factors. Our results suggest that in no way can epilepsy be considered as an African ailment and such characterization is most likely based on popular beliefs rather than scientific evidence. In comparison to Africa, Asia has a 5.0% greater burden from all diseases, and is 17.0% more affected from neuropsychiatric disorders (that include epilepsy). Given that more countries in Asia are transitioning, there may be large demographic and lifestyle changes in the near future. However these changes are nowhere close to those expected in Africa. Moreover, 23 million Asians have epilepsy in comparison to 3.3 million Africans and 1.2 million sub-Saharan Africans. In comparison to Africa, Asia has more untreated patients, 55.0% more additional epilepsy cases every year, because of its larger population, with greater treatment cost and possibly higher premature mortality. Of several associated factors discussed herein, many have more importance for Asia than Africa. The current state of epilepsy in Asia is far less than ideal and there is an urgent need to recognize and accept the importance of epilepsy in Asia. In no way can epilepsy be considered as an African ailment. This is most likely based on popular beliefs rather than scientific evidence. A PowerPoint slide summarizing this article is available for download in the Supporting Information section here. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2014 International League Against Epilepsy.

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.

Vital signs monitoring to detect patient deterioration: An integrative literature review.

PubMed

Mok, Wen Qi; Wang, Wenru; Liaw, Sok Ying

2015-05-01

Vital signs monitoring is an important nursing assessment. Yet, nurses seem to be doing it as part of a routine and often overlooking their significance in detecting patient deterioration. An integrative literature review was conducted to explore factors surrounding ward nursing practice of vital signs monitoring in detecting and reporting deterioration. Twenty papers were included. The structural component of a Nursing Role Effectiveness Model framework, which comprises of patient, nurse and organizational variables, was used to synthesize the review. Patient variables include signs of deterioration displayed by patients which include physical cues and abnormal vital signs. Nursing variables include clinical knowledge, roles and responsibilities, and reporting of deteriorating vital signs. Organizational variables include heavy workload, technology, and observation chart design. This review has highlighted current nursing practice in vital signs monitoring. A myriad of factors were found to surround ward practice of vital signs monitoring in detecting and reporting deterioration. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Climate change and human health: Indian context.

PubMed

Singh, Poonam K; Dhiman, Ramesh C

2012-06-01

The article reviews the issue of climate change and health in the Indian context. The importance of climate change leading to estimated loss of above 2.5 million DALYs in southeast Asia, mortality due to heat waves, and the importance of air quality related respiratory diseases, disasters due to excessive floods, malnutrition due to reduction in rice, maize and sorghum crops etc. Latest work undertaken in India, vis-a-vis current scenario and need for further work has been discussed. There is felt need of further studies on assessing the impact on dengue and chikungunya as the transmission dynamics of these diseases involve water availability, storage and life style, etc. Uncertainties and knowledge gaps identified in the studies undertaken so far have also been highlighted. As regards to vector borne diseases, there is a need to concentrate in the areas which are presently free from malaria and with use of best available tools of interventions in already disease endemic areas like northeastern states, the risk of climate change impacts can be minimized.

Critical thinking in nursing: Scoping review of the literature.

PubMed

Zuriguel Pérez, Esperanza; Lluch Canut, Maria Teresa; Falcó Pegueroles, Anna; Puig Llobet, Montserrat; Moreno Arroyo, Carmen; Roldán Merino, Juan

2015-12-01

This article seeks to analyse the current state of scientific knowledge concerning critical thinking in nursing. The methodology used consisted of a scoping review of the main scientific databases using an applied search strategy. A total of 1518 studies published from January 1999 to June 2013 were identified, of which 90 met the inclusion criteria. The main conclusion drawn is that critical thinking in nursing is experiencing a growing interest in the study of both its concepts and its dimensions, as well as in the development of training strategies to further its development among both students and professionals. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that critical thinking has been investigated principally in the university setting, independent of conceptual models, with a variety of instruments used for its measurement. We recommend (i) the investigation of critical thinking among working professionals, (ii) the designing of evaluative instruments linked to conceptual models and (iii) the identification of strategies to promote critical thinking in the context of providing nursing care. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Chikungunya Virus–Vector Interactions

PubMed Central

Coffey, Lark L.; Failloux, Anna-Bella; Weaver, Scott C.

2014-01-01

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that causes chikungunya fever, a severe, debilitating disease that often produces chronic arthralgia. Since 2004, CHIKV has emerged in Africa, Indian Ocean islands, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, causing millions of human infections. Central to understanding CHIKV emergence is knowledge of the natural ecology of transmission and vector infection dynamics. This review presents current understanding of CHIKV infection dynamics in mosquito vectors and its relationship to human disease emergence. The following topics are reviewed: CHIKV infection and vector life history traits including transmission cycles, genetic origins, distribution, emergence and spread, dispersal, vector competence, vector immunity and microbial interactions, and co-infection by CHIKV and other arboviruses. The genetics of vector susceptibility and host range changes, population heterogeneity and selection for the fittest viral genomes, dual host cycling and its impact on CHIKV adaptation, viral bottlenecks and intrahost diversity, and adaptive constraints on CHIKV evolution are also discussed. The potential for CHIKV re-emergence and expansion into new areas and prospects for prevention via vector control are also briefly reviewed. PMID:25421891

World market and biotechnological production of itaconic acid.

PubMed

Cunha da Cruz, Juliana; Machado de Castro, Aline; Camporese Sérvulo, Eliana Flávia

2018-03-01

The itaconic acid (IA) world market is expected to exceed 216 million of dollars by 2020 as a result of an increasing demand for bio-based chemicals. The potential of this organic acid produced by fermentation mainly with filamentous fungi relies on the vast industrial applications of polymers derived from it. The applications may be as a superabsorbent polymer for personal care or agriculture, unsaturated polyester resin for the transportation industry, poly(methyl methacrylate) for electronic devices, among many others. However, the existence of other substitutes and the high production cost limit the current IA market. IA manufacturing is done mainly in China and other Asia-Pacific countries. Higher economic feasibility and production worldwide may be achieved with the use of low-cost feedstock of local origin and with the development of applications targeted to specific local markets. Moreover, research on the biological pathway for IA synthesis and the effect of medium composition are important for amplifying the knowledge about the production of that biochemical with great market potential.

Healthcare waste management in Asia

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

Prem Ananth, A.; Prashanthini, V.; Visvanathan, C., E-mail: visu@ait.ac.t

The risks associated with healthcare waste and its management has gained attention across the world in various events, local and international forums and summits. However, the need for proper healthcare waste management has been gaining recognition slowly due to the substantial disease burdens associated with poor practices, including exposure to infectious agents and toxic substances. Despite the magnitude of the problem, practices, capacities and policies in many countries in dealing with healthcare waste disposal, especially developing nations, is inadequate and requires intensification. This paper looks upon aspects to drive improvements to the existing healthcare waste management situation. The paper placesmore » recommendation based on a 12 country study reflecting the current status. The paper does not advocate for any complex technology but calls for changes in mindset of all concerned stakeholders and identifies five important aspects for serious consideration. Understanding the role of governments and healthcare facilities, the paper also outlines three key areas for prioritized action for both parties - budget support, developing policies and legislation and technology and knowledge management.« less

Postpartum family planning: current evidence on successful interventions.

PubMed

Blazer, Cassandra; Prata, Ndola

2016-01-01

We reviewed existing evidence of the efficacy of postpartum family planning interventions targeting women in the 12 months postpartum period in low- and middle-income countries. We searched for studies from January 1, 2004 to September 19, 2015, using the US Preventive Services Task Force recommendations to assess evidence quality. Our search resulted in 26 studies: 11 based in sub-Saharan Africa, six in the Middle East and North Africa, and nine in Asia. Twenty of the included studies assessed health facility-based interventions. Three were focused on community interventions, two had community and facility components, and one was a workplace program. Overall quality of the evidence was moderate, including evidence for counseling interventions. Male partner involvement, integration with other service delivery platforms, such as prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and immunization, and innovative product delivery programs may increase knowledge and use during the postpartum period. Community-based and workplace strategies need a much stronger base of evidence to prompt recommendations.

DNA barcodes identify Central Asian Colias butterflies (Lepidoptera, Pieridae).

PubMed

Laiho, Juha; Ståhls, Gunilla

2013-12-30

A majority of the known Colias species (Lepidoptera: Pieridae, Coliadinae) occur in the mountainous regions of Central-Asia, vast areas that are hard to access, rendering the knowledge of many species limited due to the lack of extensive sampling. Two gene regions, the mitochondrial COI 'barcode' region and the nuclear ribosomal protein RpS2 gene region were used for exploring the utility of these DNA markers for species identification. A comprehensive sampling of COI barcodes for Central Asian Colias butterflies showed that the barcodes facilitated identification of most of the included species. Phylogenetic reconstruction based on parsimony and Neighbour-Joining recovered most species as monophyletic entities. For the RpS2 gene region species-specific sequences were registered for some of the included Colias spp. Nevertheless, this gene region was not deemed useful as additional molecular 'barcode'. A parsimony analysis of the combined COI and RpS2 data did not support the current subgeneric classification based on morphological characteristics.

DNA barcodes identify Central Asian Colias butterflies (Lepidoptera, Pieridae)

PubMed Central

Laiho, Juha; Ståhls, Gunilla

2013-01-01

Abstract A majority of the known Colias species (Lepidoptera: Pieridae, Coliadinae) occur in the mountainous regions of Central-Asia, vast areas that are hard to access, rendering the knowledge of many species limited due to the lack of extensive sampling. Two gene regions, the mitochondrial COI ‘barcode’ region and the nuclear ribosomal protein RpS2 gene region were used for exploring the utility of these DNA markers for species identification. A comprehensive sampling of COI barcodes for Central Asian Colias butterflies showed that the barcodes facilitated identification of most of the included species. Phylogenetic reconstruction based on parsimony and Neighbour-Joining recovered most species as monophyletic entities. For the RpS2 gene region species-specific sequences were registered for some of the included Colias spp. Nevertheless, this gene region was not deemed useful as additional molecular ‘barcode’. A parsimony analysis of the combined COI and RpS2 data did not support the current subgeneric classification based on morphological characteristics. PMID:24453557

ZikaVR: An Integrated Zika Virus Resource for Genomics, Proteomics, Phylogenetic and Therapeutic Analysis

PubMed Central

Gupta, Amit Kumar; Kaur, Karambir; Rajput, Akanksha; Dhanda, Sandeep Kumar; Sehgal, Manika; Khan, Md. Shoaib; Monga, Isha; Dar, Showkat Ahmad; Singh, Sandeep; Nagpal, Gandharva; Usmani, Salman Sadullah; Thakur, Anamika; Kaur, Gazaldeep; Sharma, Shivangi; Bhardwaj, Aman; Qureshi, Abid; Raghava, Gajendra Pal Singh; Kumar, Manoj

2016-01-01

Current Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreaks that spread in several areas of Africa, Southeast Asia, and in pacific islands is declared as a global health emergency by World Health Organization (WHO). It causes Zika fever and illness ranging from severe autoimmune to neurological complications in humans. To facilitate research on this virus, we have developed an integrative multi-omics platform; ZikaVR (http://bioinfo.imtech.res.in/manojk/zikavr/), dedicated to the ZIKV genomic, proteomic and therapeutic knowledge. It comprises of whole genome sequences, their respective functional information regarding proteins, genes, and structural content. Additionally, it also delivers sophisticated analysis such as whole-genome alignments, conservation and variation, CpG islands, codon context, usage bias and phylogenetic inferences at whole genome and proteome level with user-friendly visual environment. Further, glycosylation sites and molecular diagnostic primers were also analyzed. Most importantly, we also proposed potential therapeutically imperative constituents namely vaccine epitopes, siRNAs, miRNAs, sgRNAs and repurposing drug candidates. PMID:27633273

Healthcare waste management in Asia.

PubMed

Ananth, A Prem; Prashanthini, V; Visvanathan, C

2010-01-01

The risks associated with healthcare waste and its management has gained attention across the world in various events, local and international forums and summits. However, the need for proper healthcare waste management has been gaining recognition slowly due to the substantial disease burdens associated with poor practices, including exposure to infectious agents and toxic substances. Despite the magnitude of the problem, practices, capacities and policies in many countries in dealing with healthcare waste disposal, especially developing nations, is inadequate and requires intensification. This paper looks upon aspects to drive improvements to the existing healthcare waste management situation. The paper places recommendation based on a 12 country study reflecting the current status. The paper does not advocate for any complex technology but calls for changes in mindset of all concerned stakeholders and identifies five important aspects for serious consideration. Understanding the role of governments and healthcare facilities, the paper also outlines three key areas for prioritized action for both parties - budget support, developing policies and legislation and technology and knowledge management.

Chemical constituents and biological research on plants in the genus Curcuma.

PubMed

Sun, Wen; Wang, Sheng; Zhao, Wenwen; Wu, Chuanhong; Guo, Shuhui; Gao, Hongwei; Tao, Hongxun; Lu, Jinjian; Wang, Yitao; Chen, Xiuping

2017-05-03

Curcuma, a valuable genus in the family Zingiberaceae, includes approximately 110 species. These plants are native to Southeast Asia and are extensively cultivated in India, China, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Peru, Australia, and the West Indies. The plants have long been used in folk medicine to treat stomach ailments, stimulate digestion, and protect the digestive organs, including the intestines, stomach, and liver. In recent years, substantial progress has been achieved in investigations regarding the chemical and pharmacological properties, as well as in clinical trials of certain Curcuma species. This review comprehensively summarizes the current knowledge on the chemistry and briefly discusses the biological activities of Curcuma species. A total of 720 compounds, including 102 diphenylalkanoids, 19 phenylpropene derivatives, 529 terpenoids, 15 flavonoids, 7 steroids, 3 alkaloids, and 44 compounds of other types isolated or identified from 32 species, have been phytochemically investigated. The biological activities of plant extracts and pure compounds are classified into 15 groups in detail, with emphasis on anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities.

Adaptive capacity and community-based natural resource management.

PubMed

Armitage, Derek

2005-06-01

Why do some community-based natural resource management strategies perform better than others? Commons theorists have approached this question by developing institutional design principles to address collective choice situations, while other analysts have critiqued the underlying assumptions of community-based resource management. However, efforts to enhance community-based natural resource management performance also require an analysis of exogenous and endogenous variables that influence how social actors not only act collectively but do so in ways that respond to changing circumstances, foster learning, and build capacity for management adaptation. Drawing on examples from northern Canada and Southeast Asia, this article examines the relationship among adaptive capacity, community-based resource management performance, and the socio-institutional determinants of collective action, such as technical, financial, and legal constraints, and complex issues of politics, scale, knowledge, community and culture. An emphasis on adaptive capacity responds to a conceptual weakness in community-based natural resource management and highlights an emerging research and policy discourse that builds upon static design principles and the contested concepts in current management practice.

Characterizing Aerosols over Southeast Asia using the AERONET Data Synergy Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giles, David M.; Holben, Brent N.; Eck, Thomas F.; Slutsker, Ilya; Slutsker, Ilya; Welton, Ellsworth, J.; Chin, Mian; Kucsera, Thomas; Schmaltz, Jeffery E.; Diehl, Thomas;

Histological Diagnoses of Military Personnel Undergoing Lung Biopsy After Deployment to Southwest Asia.

PubMed

Madar, Cristian S; Lewin-Smith, Michael R; Franks, Teri J; Harley, Russell A; Klaric, John S; Morris, Michael J

2017-08-01

The current understanding of associations between lung disease and military deployment to Southwest Asia, including Iraq and Afghanistan, is both controversial and limited. We sought to clarify the relation between military deployment and biopsy-proven lung disease. Retrospective data were analyzed for military personnel with non-neoplastic lung biopsies evaluated at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology or Joint Pathology Center (January 2005 to December 2012). Of 391 subjects, 137 (35.0%) had deployed to Southwest Asia prior to biopsy. Compared to non-deployed subjects, those deployed were younger (median age 37 vs. 51 years) with higher representation of African Americans (30.0 vs. 16.9%). Deployed patients were more likely diagnosed with non-necrotizing granulomas (OR 2.4). Non-deployed subjects had higher frequency of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias, particularly organizing pneumonia. Prevalence of small airways diseases including constrictive bronchiolitis was low. This study provides a broader understanding of diversity of biopsy-proven non-neoplastic lung disease as it relates to military deployment to Southwest Asia and importantly did not show an increased prevalence of small airway disease to include constrictive bronchiolitis.

Microbial control in Asia: a bellwether for the future?

PubMed

Gelernter, Wendy D

2007-07-01

Advances and barriers faced by microbial control efforts in Asia offer instructive insights for microbial control in general. The papers in this series, which are based on plenary lectures given at the Society for Invertebrate Pathology 2006 meeting in Wuhan, China, explore the history and current status of microbial control in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, and in doing so, bring to light the following key assumptions that deserve further examination; (1) the adoption rate of microbial control is well documented; (2) microbial control agents can compete directly with conventional insecticides; (3) microbial control agents are relatively easy and inexpensive to produce and develop; (4) patents will promote innovation and investor interest in microbial control. Alternative viewpoints are presented that can hopefully aid in future efforts to develop more safe and effective microbial control agents.

The prevention of thalassemia.

PubMed

Cao, Antonio; Kan, Yuet Wai

2013-02-01

The thalassemias are among the most common inherited diseases worldwide, affecting individuals originating from the Mediterranean area, Middle East, Transcaucasia, Central Asia, Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. As the diseases require long-term care, prevention of the homozygous state constitutes a major armament in the management. This article discusses the major prevention programs that are set up in many countries in Europe, Asia, and Australia, often drawing from the experience in Sardinia. These comprehensive programs involve carrier detections, molecular diagnostics, genetic counseling, and prenatal diagnosis. Variability of clinical severity can be attributable to interactions with α-thalassemia and mutations that increase fetal productions. Special methods that are currently quite expensive and not widely applicable are preimplantation and preconception diagnosis. The recent successful studies of fetal DNA in maternal plasma may allow future prenatal diagnosis that is noninvasive for the fetus.

Global evidence directing regional preventive strategies in Southeast Asia for fighting TB/HIV.

PubMed

Aung, Myo Nyein; Moolphate, Saiyud; Paudel, Damodar; Jayathunge Ph, Mangalasiri; Duangrithi, Duangjai; Wangdi, Kinley; Aung, Thin Nyein Nyein; Lorga, Thaworn; Higuchi, Kazue

2013-03-14

Tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-epidemics form a huge burden of disease in the Southeast Asia region. Five out of eleven nations in this region are high TB/HIV burden countries: Myanmar, Thailand, India, Indonesia and Nepal. The trends of TB incidence in these countries have been rising in recent years, in contrast to a falling global trend. Experts in the field of TB control and health service providers have been perplexed by the association of TB and HIV infections which causes a mosaic clinical presentation, a unique course with poor treatment outcomes including death. We conducted a review of contemporary evidence relating to TB/HIV control with the aims of assisting integrated health system responses in Southeast Asia and demystifying current evidence to facilitate translating it into practice.

The Prevention of Thalassemia

PubMed Central

Cao, Antonio; Kan, Yuet Wai

2013-01-01

The thalassemias are among the most common inherited diseases worldwide, affecting individuals originating from the Mediterranean area, Middle East, Transcaucasia, Central Asia, Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. As the diseases require long-term care, prevention of the homozygous state constitutes a major armament in the management. This article discusses the major prevention programs that are set up in many countries in Europe, Asia, and Australia, often drawing from the experience in Sardinia. These comprehensive programs involve carrier detections, molecular diagnostics, genetic counseling, and prenatal diagnosis. Variability of clinical severity can be attributable to interactions with α-thalassemia and mutations that increase fetal productions. Special methods taht are currently quite expensive and not widely applicable are preimplantation and preconception diagnosis. The recent successful studies of fetal DNA in maternal plasma may allow future prenatal diagnosis that is noninvasive for the fetus. PMID:23378598

Suitability and Accessibility of Immature Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) Stages to Tetrastichus planipennisi (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae).

Treesearch

Michael Ulyshen; Jian Duan; Leah Bauer; Ivich Fraser

2010-01-01

Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a gregarious larval endoparasitoid, is one of three biocontrol agents from Asia currently being released in the United States to combat the invasive emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). The current protocol for rearing T. planipennisi involves presenting the wasps with...

Apes, skulls and drums: using images to make ethnographic knowledge in imperial Germany.

PubMed

Petrou, Marissa H

2018-03-01

In this paper, I discuss the development and use of images employed by the Dresden Royal Museum for Zoology, Anthropology and Ethnography to resolve debates about how to use visual representation as a means of making ethnographic knowledge. Through experimentation with techniques of visual representation, the founding director, A.B. Meyer (1840-1911), proposed a historical, non-essentialist approach to understanding racial and cultural difference. Director Meyer's approach was inspired by the new knowledge he had gained through field research in Asia-Pacific as well as new forms of imaging that made highly detailed representations of objects possible. Through a combination of various techniques, he developed new visual methods that emphasized intimate familiarity with variations within any one ethnic group, from skull shape to material ornamentation, as integral to the new disciplines of physical and cultural anthropology. It is well known that photographs were a favoured form of visual documentation among the anthropological and ethnographic sciences at the fin de siècle. However, in the scholarly journals of the Dresden museum, photographs, drawings, tables and etchings were frequently displayed alongside one another. Meyer sought to train the reader's eye through organized arrangements that represented objects from multiple angles and at various levels of magnification. Focusing on chimpanzees, skulls and kettledrums from Asia-Pacific, I track the development of new modes of making and reading images, from zoology and physical anthropology to ethnography, to demonstrate how the museum visually historicized humankind.

EPA Collaboration with Vietnam

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Vietnam, one of Asia’s emerging economies, is an important environmental partner for EPA in Asia. EPA’s current cooperation with Vietnam primarily focuses on dioxin remediation and technical assistance to reduce methane emissions.

The link between UHC reforms and health system governance: lessons from Asia.

PubMed

Hort, Krishna; Jayasuriya, Rohan; Dayal, Prarthna

2017-05-15

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how and to what extent the design and implementation of universal health coverage (UHC) reforms have been influenced by the governance arrangements of health systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC); and how governments in these countries have or have not responded to the challenges of governance for UHC. Design/methodology/approach Comparative case study analysis of three Asian countries with substantial experience of UHC reforms (Thailand, Vietnam and China) was undertaken using data from published studies and grey literature. Studies included were those which described the modifications and adaptations that occurred during design and implementation of the UHC programme, the actors and institutions involved and how these changes related to the governance of the health system. Findings Each country adapted the design of their UHC programmes to accommodate their specific institutional arrangements, and then made further modifications in response to issues arising during implementation. The authors found that these modifications were often related to the impacts on governance of the institutional changes inherent in UHC reforms. Governments varied in their response to these governance impacts, with Thailand prepared to adopt new governance modes (which the authors termed as an "adaptive" response), while China and Vietnam have tended to persist with traditional hierarchical governance modes ("reactive" responses). Originality/value This study addresses a gap in current knowledge on UHC reform, and finds evidence of a complex interaction between substantive health sector reform and governance reform in the LMIC context in Asia, confirming recent similar observations on health reforms in high-income countries.

Distribution, habitat and adaptability of the genus Tapirus.

PubMed

García, Manolo J; Medici, Emília Patrícia; Naranjo, Eduardo J; Novarino, Wilson; Leonardo, Raquel S

2012-12-01

In this manuscript, as a starting point, the ancient and current distribution of the genus Tapirus are summarized, from its origins, apparently in Europe, to current ranges. Subsequently, original and current tapir habitats are described, as well as changes in ancient habitats. As the manuscript goes on, we examine the ways in which tapir species interact with their habitats and the main aspects of habitat use, spatial ecology and adaptability. Having reviewed the historic and current distribution of tapirs, as well as their use and selection of habitats, we introduce the concept of adaptability, considering that some of the tapir physiological characteristics and behavioral strategies can reduce the negative impact of habitat alteration and climate change. Finally, we provide recommendations for future research priorities. The conservation community is still missing important pieces of information for the effective conservation of tapirs and their remaining habitats in Central and South America and Southeast Asia. Reconstructing how tapir species reached their current distribution ranges, interpreting how they interact with their habitats and gathering information regarding the strategies they use to cope with habitat changes will increase our understanding about these animals and contribute to the development of conservation strategies. © 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd, ISZS and IOZ/CAS.

The other crisis: the economics and financing of maternal, newborn and child health in Asia.

PubMed

Anderson, Ian; Axelson, Henrik; Tan, B-K

2011-07-01

The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2008/2009 was the largest economic slowdown since the Great Depression. It undermined the growth and development prospects of developing countries. Several recent studies estimate the impact of economic shocks on the poor and vulnerable, especially women and children. Infant and child mortality rates are still likely to continue to decline, but at lower rates than would have been the case in the absence of the GFC. Asia faces special challenges. Despite having been the fastest growing region in the world for decades, and even before the current crisis, this region accounted for nearly 34% of global deaths of children under 5, more than 40% of maternal deaths and 60% of newborn deaths. Global development goals cannot be achieved without much faster and deeper progress in Asia. Current health financing systems in much of Asia are not well placed to respond to the needs of women and their children, or the recent global financial and economic slowdown. Public expenditure is often already too low, and high levels of out-of-pocket health expenditure are an independent cause of inequity and impoverishment for women and their children. The GFC highlights the need for reforms that will improve health outcomes for the poor, protect the vulnerable from financial distress, improve public expenditure patterns and resource allocation decisions, and so strengthen health systems. This paper aims to highlight the most recent assessments of how economic shocks, including the GFC, affect the poor in developing countries, especially vulnerable women and children in Asia. It concludes that conditional cash transfers, increasing taxation on tobacco and increasing the level, and quality, of public expenditure through well-designed investment programmes are particularly relevant in the context of an economic shock. That is because these initiatives simultaneously improve health outcomes for the poor and vulnerable, protect them from further financial distress, improve public financing and/or provide a much-needed counter-cyclical stimulus at times of economic slowdown.

Asian droughts in the last millennium: a search for robust impacts of Pacific Ocean surface temperature variabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Entao; King, Martin P.; Sobolowski, Stefan; Otterå, Odd Helge; Gao, Yongqi

2018-06-01

This study investigates the robustness of hydroclimate impacts in Asia due to major drivers of climate variability in the Pacific Ocean, namely the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). Composite analyses are carried out on a tree ring-based Palmer Drought Severity Index as well as on a long coupled global climate model control experiment. El Niño (La Niña) has a robust impact on wet (dry) conditions in West Asia and dry (wet) conditions in South Asia. For the PDO, impacts are found throughout the Asia domain. However, identifying the robust signals due to PDO from these analyses is more challenging due to the limited lengths of the data. Results indicate that West Asia (South and Southeast Asia) experiences wet (dry) conditions during periods of positive PDO. For East Asia, there is indication that positive (negative) PDO is associated with wet (dry) conditions around and southward of 30°N and dry (wet) conditions north of this latitude. This result is consistent with the current understanding of the role of PDO in the "southern-flood northern-drought" phenomenon in China. We suggest that specific extreme events or periods have regional impacts with strong intensities that cannot be fully explained through the composite analysis of ENSO, PDO, or any combination thereof. Two such examples are shown to illustrate this: the Strange Parallel Drought (1756-1768 CE) and the Great Drought (1876-1878 CE). Additionally, during these climate events, ENSO and PDO can be in phases which are not consistent with the required phases of these drivers that explain the concurrent drought and pluvial conditions in Asia. Therefore, not all historical drought and pluvial events in Northeast Asia and northern China can be related back to ENSO or PDO. Finally, we also examine the dynamical characteristics of the reported hydroclimatic impacts in the global climate model experiment. There is moisture transport into (out of) regions that exhibit wet (dry) conditions in a manner consistent with the various ENSO and PDO composites, thereby providing physical explanation of the index-based results.

Hepatocellular carcinoma in Asia: Prevention strategy and planning

PubMed Central

Ashtari, Sara; Pourhoseingholi, Mohamad Amin; Sharifian, Afsaneh; Zali, Mohamad Reza

2015-01-01

AIM: To review all of epidemiological and etiological aspects of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and examined the prevention of this disease in Asia. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review according to the PRISMA guidelines. We were chosen articles that published previously, from PubMed (MEDLINE), the Cochrane database and Scopus. The key words used in this research were as follows: HCC in Asia and the way of prevention of this disease, with no language limitations. We selected those papers published before 2014 that we considered to be most important and appropriate. All relevant articles were accessed in full text and all relevant materials was evaluated and reviewed. RESULTS: More than 70% of all new cases of liver cancer were diagnosed in Asia, a region that 75% of all those chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the world. Chronic HBV infection is the main cause of HCC in Asia, where the virus is endemic and vertical transmission is common. Japan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan are exception because of high prevalence of HCV infection in these regions. The prevalence of this cancer is high in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, But Middle Eastern countries are characterized as moderate prevalence rate of HCC region and Central Asia and some part of Middle Eastern countries are known as low prevalence rate of HCC. In addition of HBV and HCV the other factors such as aflatoxin, alcohol, obesity, diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) might be responsible for a low prevalence of HCC in Asian countries. Currently available HCC therapies, chemotherapy, surgical are inefficient, mainly due to usually late diagnosis and high recurrence rates after surgical resection, and usually end with treatment failure. Liver transplantation also remains as a difficult strategy in patients with HCC. Thus prevention of HCC by treating and prevention HBV and HCV infection, the major causative agents of HCC, and the other risk factors such as aflatoxin, alcohol, obesity, diabetes and NAFLD is of a great medical importance. CONCLUSION: The main challenge which still present in Asia, is the high prevalence of chronic hepatitis. So, prevention of HBV and HCV is the key strategy to reduce the incidence of HCC in Asia. PMID:26140091

Hepatocellular carcinoma in Asia: Prevention strategy and planning.

PubMed

Ashtari, Sara; Pourhoseingholi, Mohamad Amin; Sharifian, Afsaneh; Zali, Mohamad Reza

2015-06-28

To review all of epidemiological and etiological aspects of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and examined the prevention of this disease in Asia. We conducted a systematic review according to the PRISMA guidelines. We were chosen articles that published previously, from PubMed (MEDLINE), the Cochrane database and Scopus. The key words used in this research were as follows: HCC in Asia and the way of prevention of this disease, with no language limitations. We selected those papers published before 2014 that we considered to be most important and appropriate. All relevant articles were accessed in full text and all relevant materials was evaluated and reviewed. More than 70% of all new cases of liver cancer were diagnosed in Asia, a region that 75% of all those chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the world. Chronic HBV infection is the main cause of HCC in Asia, where the virus is endemic and vertical transmission is common. Japan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Pakistan are exception because of high prevalence of HCV infection in these regions. The prevalence of this cancer is high in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, But Middle Eastern countries are characterized as moderate prevalence rate of HCC region and Central Asia and some part of Middle Eastern countries are known as low prevalence rate of HCC. In addition of HBV and HCV the other factors such as aflatoxin, alcohol, obesity, diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) might be responsible for a low prevalence of HCC in Asian countries. Currently available HCC therapies, chemotherapy, surgical are inefficient, mainly due to usually late diagnosis and high recurrence rates after surgical resection, and usually end with treatment failure. Liver transplantation also remains as a difficult strategy in patients with HCC. Thus prevention of HCC by treating and prevention HBV and HCV infection, the major causative agents of HCC, and the other risk factors such as aflatoxin, alcohol, obesity, diabetes and NAFLD is of a great medical importance. The main challenge which still present in Asia, is the high prevalence of chronic hepatitis. So, prevention of HBV and HCV is the key strategy to reduce the incidence of HCC in Asia.

American Stories: Collected Scholarship on Minority History from the OAH Magazine of History.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Organization of American Historians, Bloomington, IN.

Citizens must share a common memory of where their society has been. They also need to enrich their knowledge of the past by absorbing additional information, new to many, about those aspects of U.S. history that have been shaped by Native Americans and by those who came from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This collection of articles taken from…

The Emergent Knowledge Society and the Future of Higher Education: Asian Perspectives. Comparative Development and Policy in Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neubauer, Deane E., Ed.

2011-01-01

The nature of higher education is by no means fixed: it has evolved over time; different models of higher education co-exist alongside each other at present; and, worldwide, there are demands for higher education to change to better help support economic growth and to better fit changing social and economic circumstances. This book examines, from…

Rabies in Asia: the classical zoonosis.

PubMed

Wilde, Henry; Hemachudha, Thiravat; Wacharapluesadee, Supaporn; Lumlertdacha, Boonlert; Tepsumethanon, Veera

2013-01-01

Rabies remains a constant threat to humans throughout much of Asia. The dog is the main reservoir and vector with wildlife playing a very minor role. No Asian country or region has been declared rabies free by WHO in over two decades and there is evidence of canine rabies spread to new regions during the past 10 years. We now have the knowledge and technology to control canine rabies. The main barrier in managing this costly endemic is lack of motivation by authorities to address this issue along with regional inability of public health and livestock (agriculture) officials to tackle this issue in cooperation and coordination. Rabies is one of the first recognized zoonoses and a model for a true "One Health" management goal where human; veterinary, and government officials must work together in harmony to defeat this disease.

A systematic review and metasynthesis of barriers and facilitators to negotiating consistent condom use among sex workers in Asia.

PubMed

Tan, Si Ying; Melendez-Torres, G J

2016-01-01

Female sex work accounts for about 15% of the global HIV burden in women. Asia is the region with the second highest attributable fraction of the HIV epidemic after sub-Saharan Africa. This review synthesises studies that depict the barriers and facilitators encountered by sex workers in Asia when negotiating consistent condom use. A total of 18 studies published between January 1989 and May 2015 were included in the review. Data were extracted, critically appraised and analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Individual-level factors related to sex workers' knowledge, perception and power, as well as interpersonal-level factors that encompassed dynamics with clients and peer-related factors, presented as both barriers and facilitators to sex workers' condom negotiation process. In addition, the structural environment of sex work, access to resources, poverty, stigma, the legal environment and the role of media were also identified as factors in influencing the condom negotiation process of sex workers. A multisectoral interventional approach that addresses the multilevel barriers encountered by sex workers in condom negotiation is needed. Awareness of safe-sex practice should be collectively enhanced among sex workers, clients and brothel managers.

Cervical Cancer Prevention Through HPV Vaccination in Low- and Middle-Income Countries in Asia

PubMed Central

Toh, Zheng Quan; Licciardi, Paul V; Russell, Fiona M; Garland, Suzanne M; Batmunkh, Tsetsegsaikhan; Mulholland, Edward K

2017-01-01

Cervical cancer is ranked the first or second most common cancer in women of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Asia. Cervical cancer is almost exclusively caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), and majority of the cases can be prevented with the use of HPV vaccines. The HPV vaccines have demonstrated high vaccine efficacies against HPV infection and cervical cancer precursors in clinical and post-marketing studies, and are in use in most high-income countries. However, their use in LMICs are limited mainly due to the high costs and logistics in delivering multiple doses of the vaccine. Other issues such as the safety of the vaccines, social and cultural factors, as well as poor knowledge and awareness of the virus have also contributed to the low uptake of the vaccine. This mini-review focuses on the need for HPV vaccine implementation in Asia given the substantial disease burden and underuse of HPV vaccines in LMICs in this region. In addition, the progress towards HPV vaccine introduction, and barriers preventing further rollout of these essential, life-saving vaccines are also discussed in this article. PMID:28950675

Current Research in Southeast Asia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beh, Yolanda

1990-01-01

Summaries of eight language-related research projects are presented from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Topics include children's reading, nonstandard spoken Indonesian, English speech act performance, classroom verbal interaction, journal writing, and listening comprehension. (LB)

Mapa mondi (Catalan Atlas of 1375), Majorcan cartographic school, and 14th century Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lišèák, Vladimír

2018-05-01

This paper deals with the Mapa mondi drawn and written in about 1375. It is my starting study about this important map of the medieval period in the Catalan language and the finest work to come from the Majorcan cartographic school of the fourteenth century. The aim of this paper is to give a general overview of the publication with some details on descriptions of the portion of Asia, and in more details as regards China. This map is known also as the Catalan Atlas, because it is composed of several tables sketching out the world known at that time, from the Atlantic Coast of Europe to the Pacific Coast of East Asia. The main sources for the eastern parts of the world were travelogues of Marco Polo, John Mandeville, and Odoric of Pordenone. The presumable author of the Catalan Atlas, Cresques Abra-ham (1325-1387), a Jewish cartographer from Palma, was "master of mappæ mundi and compasses" to Peter IV (III), the King of Aragon. He worked on the atlas with his son Jehudà, who after the Aragonese persecutions of 1391, converted to Christianity. The atlas contained the latest information on Africa, Asia, and China and was considered to be the most complete picture of geographical knowledge as it stood in the later Middle Ages. The translations of original texts and interpretations, based on facsimiles of original source and on secondary sources until 2016, will be a part of this paper.

Pharmacological Management of Symptoms in Children with Life-Limiting Conditions at the End of Life in the Asia Pacific.

PubMed

Chong, Lee Ai; Chong, Poh Heng; Chee, Joyce

2018-05-07

The provision of pediatric palliative care in Asia Pacific varies between countries and availability of essential medications for symptoms at the end of life in this region is unclear. To determine medications available and used in the management of six symptoms at the end of life among pediatric palliative care practitioners in Asia Pacific. To identify alternative pharmacological strategies for these six symptoms if the oral route was no longer possible and injections are refused. An online survey of all Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network (APHN) members was carried out to identify medications used for six symptoms (pain, dyspnea, excessive respiratory secretions, nausea/vomiting, restlessness, seizures) in dying children. Two scenarios were of interest: (1) hours to days before death and (2) when injectables were declined or refused. There were 54 responses from 18 countries. Majority (63.0%) of respondents were hospital based. About half of all respondents were from specialist palliative care services and 55.6% were from high-income countries. All respondents had access to essential analgesics. Several perceived that there were no available drugs locally to treat the five other commonly encountered symptoms. There was a wide variation in preferred drugs for treating each symptom that went beyond differences in drug availability or formulations. Future studies are needed to explore barriers to medication access and possible knowledge gaps among service providers in the region, so that advocacy and education endeavors by the APHN may be optimized.

Interview: Health technology assessment in Asia: an emerging trend.

PubMed

Yang, Bong-min

2012-05-01

Bong-min Yang, PhD (in economics), is Professor and former Dean of the School of Public Health at the Seoul National University, South Korea. Professor Yang has led research and written many papers in health economics and healthcare systems in Korea and Asia. His recent research and publications focus on the field of economic evaluation and outcomes research. He played a key role in the introduction of a formal health technology assessment system within Korean healthcare. He is currently serving as Executive Director, Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University. In addition to his research and publications, Professor Yang is Associate Editor for Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research, is co-editor-in-chief for Value in Health Regional Issues, and is currently chair of the Management Advisory Board of Value in Health and a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Medical Economics. He has been a policy consultant to China, Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and India. He has also worked as a short-term consultant at the WHO, ADB, UNDP and the World Bank. For the Korean government, he served as Chairperson of the Health Insurance Reform Committee, and Chairperson of the Drug Pricing and Reimbursement Committee. He is currently serving as Chair of the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research-Asia Consortium, and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research.

The impact of creative tendency, academic performance, and self-concept on creative science problem-finding.

PubMed

Liu, Mingxin; Hu, Weiping; Adey, Philip; Cheng, Li; Zhang, Xingli

2013-04-01

This study was designed to address the impacts of science performance, science self-concept, and creative tendency on the creative science problem-finding (CSPF) ability of a sample of Chinese middle-school students. Structural equation modeling was used to indicate that CSPF could be directly predicted by creative tendency and academic performance, and indirectly predicted by science self-concept. The findings strongly support the idea that curiosity, imagination, and domain-specific knowledge are important for CSPF, and science self-concept could be mediated by knowledge that affects CSPF. © 2012 The Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Health Professional Workforce Education in the Asia Pacific

PubMed Central

Lees, Jessica; Webb, Gillian; Coulston, Frances; Smart, Aidan; Remedios, Louisa

2016-01-01

Objective To design and implement an international and interprofessional Global Learning Partnership Model, which involves shared learning between academics and students from Universitas 21 network with other universities with United Nations Millennium Development Goal needs. Design Two literature reviews were conducted to inform ethical aspects and curriculum design of the GLP model. Feedback from conference presentations and consultation with experts in education and public health has been incorporated to inform the current iteration of the GLP model. Intervention The pilot group of 25 students from U21 universities and Kathmandu University, representing six health disciplines will meet in Nepal in April 2016 for a shared learning experience, including a one week university based workshop and three week community based experience. Outcome measures A multi-phase, mixed method design was selected for the evaluation of the GLP model, utilising a combination of focus groups and questionnaires to evaluate the efficacy of the placement through student experience and learning outcomes in cultural competency, UN SDG knowledge, community engagement and health promotion skills. Results The literature review demonstrated that cultural awareness and cultural knowledge were improved through participation in cultural immersion programs that incorporated preparatory workshops and clinical experiences. Data will be gathered in April 2006 and the results of the evaluation will be published in the future. Conclusions The GLP model proposes a project around the fundamental concept of engagement and sharing between students and academics across universities and cultural contexts to build capacity through education, while capitalising on strengths of existing global health placements. Further the inclusion of host-country students and academics in this learning exchange will promote the establishment of an international and interprofessional network for ongoing health promotion. Significance for public health The Global Learning Partnership model aims to contribute to the capacity building of a health workforce that is capable of working effectively in cross cultural and interprofessional health care teams. A shared public health focused global placement has the potential to catalyse collaborative relationships between educational institutions in the Asia Pacific region. PMID:27190976

SCIENTIFIC PAPER PRESENTATION DURING CONCURRENT INTEREST SESSION. Community Health Nursing (Speciality). Iron-deficiency anemia.

PubMed

Kala, K

2015-01-01

Iron deficiency anaemia is the most common form of malnutrition in the world. The global prevalence of anaemia mainly in South East Asia is 65.5 percent, in India 56 percent among adolescent girls. A study conducted to assess the effectiveness of structured teaching programme on knowledge and attitude of adolescent girls in prevention of iron and folic acid deficiency anaemia at a selected corporation school. It adopted one group pre-test post-test design with 60 samples selected by employing stratified random sampling technique. The study revealed that during pre-test 90 percent of them had inadequate knowledge and 65 percent of them had unfavourable attitude towards iron and folic acid deficiency anaemia. After the structured teaching programme the knowledge and attitude was improved (73% had adequate knowledge and 79% had most favourable attitude). Overall the structured teaching programme was found effective in improving the knowledge and attitude of adolescent girls in prevention of iron and folic acid deficiency anaemia.

The changing face of crises and aid in the Asia-Pacific.

PubMed

Gursky, Elin A; Burkle, Frederick M; Hamon, David W; Walker, Peter; Benjamin, Georges C

2014-01-01

Both US foreign policy and global attention attest to the strategic, economic, and political importance of Asia. Yet, the region faces urgent challenges that must be addressed if it is to remain stable and prosperous. The densely populated countries of the Asia-Pacific are beleaguered by poverty, population displacement, decreasing access to potable water and adequate sanitation, and high rates of disease morbidity and mortality. New and reemerging diseases known to have originated in Asia over the past decades have spread globally by international trade, tourism, worker migration, and agricultural exportation. Unremitting naturally occurring and man-made disasters have strained Southeast Asia's already fragile disaster and public health response infrastructures and the essential services they provide (eg, surveillance, vaccination, maternal and child health, and mental health programs). Following disasters, governments often contract with the broader humanitarian community (eg, indigenous and international NGOs) and seek the assistance of militaries to provide essential services. Yet, their roles and capabilities in addressing acute and chronic health issues in the wake of complex disasters remain unclear. Current mechanisms of nation-state and outside organization interaction, including dissimilar operational platforms, may limit true partnership on behalf of the health security mission. Additionally, concerns regarding skill sets and the lack of standards-based training raise questions about the balance between developing internal response capabilities and professionalizing external, deployable resources. Both the mega-disasters that are forecast for the region and the global health security threats that are expected to emanate from them require an increased focus on improving the Asia-Pacific's emergency preparedness and response posture.

The Changing Face of Crises and Aid in the Asia-Pacific

PubMed Central

Burkle, Frederick M.; Hamon, David W.; Walker, Peter; Benjamin, Georges C.

2014-01-01

Both US foreign policy and global attention attest to the strategic, economic, and political importance of Asia. Yet, the region faces urgent challenges that must be addressed if it is to remain stable and prosperous. The densely populated countries of the Asia-Pacific are beleaguered by poverty, population displacement, decreasing access to potable water and adequate sanitation, and high rates of disease morbidity and mortality. New and reemerging diseases known to have originated in Asia over the past decades have spread globally by international trade, tourism, worker migration, and agricultural exportation. Unremitting naturally occurring and man-made disasters have strained Southeast Asia's already fragile disaster and public health response infrastructures and the essential services they provide (eg, surveillance, vaccination, maternal and child health, and mental health programs). Following disasters, governments often contract with the broader humanitarian community (eg, indigenous and international NGOs) and seek the assistance of militaries to provide essential services. Yet, their roles and capabilities in addressing acute and chronic health issues in the wake of complex disasters remain unclear. Current mechanisms of nation-state and outside organization interaction, including dissimilar operational platforms, may limit true partnership on behalf of the health security mission. Additionally, concerns regarding skill sets and the lack of standards-based training raise questions about the balance between developing internal response capabilities and professionalizing external, deployable resources. Both the mega-disasters that are forecast for the region and the global health security threats that are expected to emanate from them require an increased focus on improving the Asia-Pacific's emergency preparedness and response posture. PMID:25268048

Pediatric HIV Clinical Care Resources and Management Practices in Asia: A Regional Survey of the TREAT Asia Pediatric Network

PubMed Central

Bowen, Asha C.; Pang, Joselyn; Hesp, Cees; Kariminia, Azar; Sohn, Annette H.

2010-01-01

Abstract Characterizing intraregional differences in current pediatric HIV care and treatment in Asia can guide the development of clinical practice guidelines and improve the understanding of local resource availability. The Therapeutics Research, Education, and AIDS Training in Asia (TREAT Asia) Pediatric Program is a collaboration of clinics and referral hospitals studying pediatric HIV outcomes in the region. A Web-based survey to characterize clinical management practices and monitoring resources was developed and distributed to 20 sites in January 2008. Seventeen (85%) sites from 6 countries responded through April 2008; 14 (82%) were hospital-based and 16 (94%) were public facilities. Of 4050 HIV-infected children under care, 3606 (89%) were on antiretroviral treatment; 80% were on their first mono-, dual-, or triple-drug regimen and 74% were on nevirapine- or efavirenz-based regimens. Fifteen (88%) sites had consistent access to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for infant diagnosis. All sites had access to CD4 testing, with 13 (76%) routinely monitoring patients every 3–6 months; 7 (41%) sites monitored viral load at 6- to 12-month intervals. Although there is some variation in clinical practices, high levels of treatment and monitoring resources were available at these sites. The availability of PCR for early infant diagnosis positions them to implement recent WHO recommendations to treat HIV-infected children younger than 1 year of age. This information will be used to develop future research and programs to support children with HIV in Asia. PMID:20059355

Curriculum as Colonizer: (Asian) American Education in the Current U.S. Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, A. Lin

2010-01-01

Background/Context: The United States is currently undergoing a period of unprecedented immigration, with the majority of new arrivals coming from Asia and Latin America, not Europe. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (APIs) represent the fastest growing racial group in the United States, and schools are again being asked to socialize newcomer…

ADULT EDUCATION IN ASIA, AUSTRALIA, AND NEW ZEALAND. CURRENT INFORMATION SOURCES, NUMBER 13.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Syracuse Univ., NY. ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult Education.

THE 45 ABSTRACTS AND ANNOTATIONS IN THIS BIBLIOGRAPHY COVERING THE PERIOD 1963-67 HAVE BEEN ARRANGED BY GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION TO GIVE THE USER CURRENT AWARENESS OF PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE ON A GIVEN SEGMENT OF THE WORLD, AND TO FACILITATE THE INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION ON ADULT EDUCATION. ITEMS ON INDIA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, NEPAL, AND…

Response to fever and utilization of standby emergency treatment (SBET) for malaria in travellers to Southeast Asia: a questionnaire-based cohort study.

PubMed

Vinnemeier, Christof D; Rothe, Camilla; Kreuels, Benno; Addo, Marylyn M; Vygen-Bonnet, Sabine; Cramer, Jakob P; Rolling, Thierry

2017-01-25

Guidelines in several European countries recommend standby emergency treatment (SBET) for travellers to regions with low or medium malaria transmission instead of continuous chemoprophylaxis: travellers are advised to seek medical assistance within 24 h in case of fever and to self-administer SBET only if they are not able to consult a doctor within the time period specified. Data on healthcare-seeking behaviour of febrile travellers and utilization of SBET is however scarce as only two studies were performed in the mid-1990s. Since tourism is constantly increasing and malaria epidemiology has dramatically changed in the meantime more knowledge is urgently needed. Some 876 travellers to destinations in South and Southeast Asia with low or medium malaria transmission were recruited in the travel clinic of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. Demographic and travel-related data were collected by using questionnaires. Pre-travel advice was carried out and SBET was prescribed in accordance to national guidelines. Post-travel phone interviews were performed to assess health incidents during travel and individual responses of travellers to febrile illness. Out of 714 patients who were monitored, 130 (18%) reported onset of fever during travel or 14 days after return. Of those travellers who reported fever, 100 (80%) carried SBET during travel. The vast majority of 79 (79%) febrile travellers who carried SBET did not seek medical assistance. Overall, 14 (14%) febrile patients who carried SBET and six (20%) patients who did not carry SBET took the correct measure (doctor visit or timely SBET administration) as a response to febrile illness, respectively. Only two travellers self-administered SBET, but both of them applied the wrong regimen. In view of declining malaria transmission and improving medical infrastructure in most countries of Southeast Asia and obvious obstacles concerning SBET as shown in this study the current strategy should be re-evaluated. Pre-travel advice concerning malaria in SEA should focus on appropriate mosquito bite protection and clearly emphasize the need to see a doctor within 24 h after onset of fever.

Foreign-born aged care workers in Australia: A growing trend.

PubMed

Negin, Joel; Coffman, Jenna; Connell, John; Short, Stephanie

2016-12-01

To address Australian aged care workforce challenges, a deeper understanding of the current care workforce is needed especially given estimated increases in demand. We provide a national picture of the aged care workforce in Australia focusing on country of birth. Data from the 2006 and 2011 Australian censuses. The majority of care workers are Australia-born followed by those born in the United Kingdom, South-East Asia and South Asia. While the number of carers from all regions has grown, the increase from 2006 to 2011 has been highest for carers from South Asia (333% increase) and sub-Saharan Africa (145%). The state with the largest decrease in the proportion of Australian-born care workers is Western Australia where Australian-born workers dropped from 62% in 2006 to 49% in 2011. Understanding the migration patterns of the aged care workforce in Australia is critical to health workforce planning given increasing demand. © 2016 AJA Inc.

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.

Hendra and Nipah infection: emerging paramyxoviruses.

PubMed

Aljofan, Mohamad

2013-11-06

Since their first emergence in mid 1990s henipaviruses continued to re emerge in Australia and South East Asia almost every year. In total there has been more than 12 Nipah and 48 Hendra virus outbreaks reported in South East Asia and Australia, respectively. These outbreaks are associated with significant economic and health damages that most high risks countries (particularly in South East Asia) cannot bear the burden of such economical threats. Up until recently, there were no actual therapeutics available to treat or prevent these lethal infections. However, an international collaborative research has resulted in the identification of a potential equine Hendra vaccine capable of providing antibody protection against Hendra virus infections. Consequently, with the current findings and after nearly 2 decades since their first detection, are we there yet? This review recaps the chronicle of the henipavirus emergence and briefly evaluates potential anti-henipavirus vaccines and antivirals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Science Education and Public Outreach in Asia - experiences in ACCENT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuepbach, E.

2006-12-01

ACCENT is the European Network of Excellence in Atmospheric Composition Change (www.accent- network.org). Its Task Training and Education aims at disseminating ACCENT results to a variety of target groups, including emerging countries. Until now, fellowships have been offered for early-career scientists to participate in European science training events. A teacher training workshop has concentrated on cross- cultural aspects of PhD supervision. The involvement of new Associated Partners from Asia has triggered reflections on science education and outreach to politicians and the public in this part of the world. Joint educational and outreach programmes and products are currently developed with China and Mongolia for training activities scheduled in autumn 2006 and autumn 2007. First experiences in joint science education programmes for early-career scientists will be presented, and the challenges associated with communicating science to non-scientists in Asia will be discussed.

Childhood obesity in Asia: the value of accurate body composition methodology.

PubMed

Hills, Andrew P; Mokhtar, Najat; Brownie, Sharon; Byrne, Nuala M

2014-01-01

Childhood obesity, a significant global public health problem, affects an increasing number of low- and middle-income countries, including in Asia. The obesity epidemic has been fuelled by the rapid nutrition and physical activity transition with the availability of more energy-dense nutrient-poor foods and lifestyles of many children dominated by physical inactivity. During the growing years the pace and quality of grow this best quantified by a combination of anthropometric and body composition measures. However, where normative data are available, this has typically been collected on Caucasian children. To better define and characterise overweight and obesity in Asian children, and to monitor nutrition and physical activity interventions, there is a need to increase the use of standardized anthropometric and body composition methodologies. The current paper reports on initiatives facilitated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and outlines future research needs for the prevention and management of childhood obesity in Asia.

The opium wars revisited as US forces tobacco exports in Asia.

PubMed Central

Chen, T T; Winder, A E

1990-01-01

The tobacco industry has lobbied successfully to obtain the support of the United States government for opening Asian Markets to American tobacco products. This paper comments on two issues arising from these efforts: the development of an atmosphere of invasion and resistance to invasion in Asia; and the change in the image of the United States in Asian nations from that of a leader in health to that of an exporter of death. The threat of sanctions and the effects of the open market and United States tobacco company advertising in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea are noted. Parallels are drawn between the opium wars a century and a half ago in China and the current threat of trade sanctions. Reacting to American policy, an Asia-Pacific Association for Control of Tobacco has been formed and linked with the US Coalition Against Smoking. PMID:2343946

Model-informed risk assessment for Zika virus outbreaks in the Asia-Pacific regions.

PubMed

Teng, Yue; Bi, Dehua; Xie, Guigang; Jin, Yuan; Huang, Yong; Lin, Baihan; An, Xiaoping; Tong, Yigang; Feng, Dan

2017-05-01

Recently, Zika virus (ZIKV) has been recognized as a significant threat to global public health. The disease was present in large parts of the Americas, the Caribbean, and also the western Pacific area with southern Asia during 2015 and 2016. However, little is known about the factors affecting the transmission of ZIKV. We used Gradient Boosted Regression Tree models to investigate the effects of various potential explanatory variables on the spread of ZIKV, and used current with historical information from a range of sources to assess the risks of future ZIKV outbreaks. Our results indicated that the probability of ZIKV outbreaks increases with vapor pressure, the occurrence of Dengue virus, and population density but decreases as health expenditure, GDP, and numbers of travelers. The predictive results revealed the potential risk countries of ZIKV infection in the Asia-Pacific regions between October 2016 and January 2017. We believe that the high-risk conditions would continue in South Asia and Australia over this period. By integrating information on eco-environmental, social-economical, and ZIKV-related niche factors, this study estimated the probability for locally acquired mosquito-borne ZIKV infections in the Asia-Pacific region and improves the ability to forecast, and possibly even prevent, future outbreaks of ZIKV. Copyright © 2017 The British Infection Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pertussis control in the Asia-Pacific region: a report from the Global Pertussis Initiative.

PubMed

Forsyth, Kevin; Thisyakorn, Usa; von König, Carl Heinz Wirsing; Tan, Tina; Plotkin, Stanley

2012-05-01

The Global Pertussis Initiative (GPI) is an expert, scientific forum that seeks to address the worldwide burden of pertussis. To reduce the global incidence of pertussis, the GPI recommends reinforcing and/or improving current infant and toddler immunization strategies, universal booster dosing of pre-school children, universal booster dosing of adolescents and adults (where appropriate), and cocooning to protect infants. To tailor these global recommendations to local needs, the GPI has hosted two meetings in Asia-Pacific. Pertussis vaccination practices differ across Asia-Pacific, with only some countries recommending booster dosing. Given the limited use of laboratory diagnostics, disease surveillance was considered inadequate. To make informed health policy decisions on pertussis prevention, more robust epidemiological data are needed. Because of its unique clinical presentation, adolescent and adult pertussis is under-recognized by lay and medical communities. Consequently, adolescent and adult disease likely exists even in Asian-Pacific countries where epidemiological data are presently lacking. In Asia-Pacific, there exist issues with health care access and costs. Fragmented health care will negatively impact the effectiveness of any proposed immunization strategies. The GPI recommends-in Asia-Pacific and elsewhere-that countries first educate lay and medical communities on pertussis, while simultaneously implementing robust surveillance practices. Once armed with sufficient epidemiological evidence, the prevention strategies recommended by the GPI can then be appropriately (and more effectively) introduced.

Urban Environments and Obesity in Southeast Asia: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression

PubMed Central

Angkurawaranon, Chaisiri; Jiraporncharoen, Wichuda; Chenthanakij, Boriboon; Doyle, Pat; Nitsch, Dorothea

2014-01-01

Many environmental factors contribute to the rise in prevalence of obesity in populations but one key driver is urbanization. Countries in Southeast (SE) Asia have undergone rapid changes in urbanization in recent decades. The aim of this study is to provide a systematic review of studies exploring the relationship between living in an urban or rural environment (urbanicity) and obesity in Southeast Asia. In particular, the review will investigate whether the associations are uniform across countries and ages, and by sex. The literature search was conducted up to June 2014 using five databases: EMBASE, PubMed, GlobalHealth, DigitalJournal and Open Grey. Forty-five articles representing eight of the eleven countries in SE Asia were included in the review. The review found a consistent positive association between urbanicity and obesity in countries of Southeast Asia, in all age groups and both genders. Regional differences between the associations are partly explained by gross national income (GNI). In countries with lower GNI per capita, the association between urbanicity and obesity was greater. Such findings have implications for policy makers. They imply that population level interventions need to be country or region specific, tailored to suit the current stage of economic development. In addition, less developed countries might be more vulnerable to the negative health impact of urbanization than more developed countries. PMID:25426942

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.

High-Resolution Near Real-Time Drought Monitoring in South Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aadhar, S.; Mishra, V.

2017-12-01

Drought in South Asia affect food and water security and pose challenges for millions of people. For policy-making, planning and management of water resources at the sub-basin or administrative levels, high-resolution datasets of precipitation and air temperature are required in near-real time. Here we develop a high resolution (0.05 degree) bias-corrected precipitation and temperature data that can be used to monitor near real-time drought conditions over South Asia. Moreover, the dataset can be used to monitor climatic extremes (heat waves, cold waves, dry and wet anomalies) in South Asia. A distribution mapping method was applied to correct bias in precipitation and air temperature (maximum and minimum), which performed well compared to the other bias correction method based on linear scaling. Bias-corrected precipitation and temperature data were used to estimate Standardized precipitation index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) to assess the historical and current drought conditions in South Asia. We evaluated drought severity and extent against the satellite-based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) anomalies and satellite-driven Drought Severity Index (DSI) at 0.05˚. We find that the bias-corrected high-resolution data can effectively capture observed drought conditions as shown by the satellite-based drought estimates. High resolution near real-time dataset can provide valuable information for decision-making at district and sub- basin levels.

Facilitating large-scale clinical trials: in Asia.

PubMed

Choi, Han Yong; Ko, Jae-Wook

2010-01-01

The number of clinical trials conducted in Asian countries has started to increase as a result of expansion of the pharmaceutical market in this area. There is a growing opportunity for large-scale clinical trials because of the large number of patients, significant market potential, good quality of data, and the cost effective and qualified medical infrastructure. However, for carrying out large-scale clinical trials in Asia, there are several major challenges, including the quality control of data, budget control, laboratory validation, monitoring capacity, authorship, staff training, and nonstandard treatment that need to be considered. There are also several difficulties in collaborating on international trials in Asia because Asia is an extremely diverse continent. The major challenges are language differences, diversity of patterns of disease, and current treatments, a large gap in the experience with performing multinational trials, and regulatory differences among the Asian countries. In addition, there are also differences in the understanding of global clinical trials, medical facilities, indemnity assurance, and culture, including food and religion. To make regional and local data provide evidence for efficacy through the standardization of these differences, unlimited effort is required. At this time, there are no large clinical trials led by urologists in Asia, but it is anticipated that the role of urologists in clinical trials will continue to increase. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Scaling green rubber cultivation in Southwest China-An integrative analysis of stakeholder perspectives.

PubMed

Wigboldus, Seerp; Hammond, Jim; Xu, Jianchu; Yi, Zhuang-Fang; He, Jun; Klerkx, Laurens; Leeuwis, Cees

2017-02-15

The rubber boom across much of Southeast Asia has led to environmental destruction, and the resultant crash in the price of rubber has destabilised livelihoods. We investigated the necessary factors required to enable a transition towards a more sustainable model for rubber cultivation in Southwest China (i.e. the 'greening' of rubber cultivation), using a framework for the integrative study of multiple aspects in complex land use issues. We present findings from stakeholder interviews and a stakeholder workshop, and discuss their relevance within and beyond Southwest China. The current focus of researchers and development practitioners tends to be on finding technical solutions to address unsustainable rubber cultivation practices. However, stakeholder consultations revealed that the key barriers were more social: low levels of trust and knowledge exchange between stakeholder groups and fragmented visions about the future of the landscape. It is very important to continue the economic prosperity initially brought by rubber, but, without improved communication between government and researchers and smallholder farmers, this will be very difficult to achieve. A wider landscape perspective is needed to address issues in rubber cultivation to avoid repeating the same problems of cash crop boom and bust experienced with other crops, most notably bananas. We conclude that more effort should be put into developing mechanisms that integrate technical knowledge, enhance social relationships, and present a forum for reconciling - or at least acknowledging - the differing needs, knowledge, and objectives of different groups, and transcending the power dynamics between smallholder farmers and government and researchers. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identifying opportunities for collaboration and growth of genetic counseling services in the Asia Region.

PubMed

Laurino, Mercy Y; Sternen, Darci L; Thompson, Jennifer K; Leppig, Kathleen A

2017-07-01

The Genetic Counseling Pre-Conference Workshop (GCPCW) was held on September 16, 2015, in Hanoi, Vietnam. We report the GCPCW outcomes obtained from pre- and post-conference questionnaires, case-review breakout session, and an open discussion of needs for genetic counseling services in the Asia region. The GCPCW participants completed questionnaires with closed- and open-ended questions regarding the status and needs of providing genetic counseling services in Asia. Utilizing thematic content analysis, common themes shared during the case-review breakout session are summarized and survey results are tabulated. Of the 71 participants, pre- and post-conference questionnaires were returned by 57 (80%) and 44 (62%) individuals, respectively. Of the 42 participants who did not identify themselves as students in training, 36 (86%) stated they are currently providing genetic counseling services. Participants cited that the most useful information obtained during the GCPCW related to the status of genetic counseling services in the region, discovery of shared challenges, professional networking, and the need to establish genetic counseling training programs and its accreditation. The GCPCW provided a collaborative forum to address current challenges and needs of genetic counseling services in the region. Strategies were identified to foster genetic counseling training and clinical service opportunities.

The Limits of Friendship: US Security Cooperation in Central Asia (Walker Paper, Number 9)

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-10-01

with Central Asian cultural , political, and economic dynamics. However, un- known to most Americans for almost a decade, the US military has been...the larger plan. Those individuals often have little knowledge or appreciation of the cultural , political, historic, and economic influences...experience suggests that the more culturally , politi‑ cally, and economically distant the country is from the United States, the more unlikely it is

Muhammad Akbar Arzani (-1772): Mughal physician and translator.

PubMed

Aggarwal, Neil Krishan

2012-05-01

Muhammad Akbar Arzānī was an influential Mughal physician famous throughout Iran and South Asia. His reputation is considered from contemporary accounts of his importance within the broader scholarship in South Asian culture and history. A brief synopsis of his life is provided, followed by a bibliography of his writings. Arzānī made Greco-Arabic knowledge accessible for Indo-Persian audiences in the 18th century.

Travel health knowledge, attitudes and practices among Australasian travelers.

PubMed

Wilder-Smith, Annelies; Khairullah, Nor S; Song, Jae-Hoon; Chen, Ching-Yu; Torresi, Joseph

2004-01-01

Although the Asia Pacific region is the focus of the fastest-growing tourist and travel industry, few data are available on the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of travelers from this region with regard to travel-related infectious diseases. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among travelers at the departure lounges of five airports in Australasia (Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Taipeh, Melbourne, Seoul) whose travel destinations were Asia, Africa or South America. Two standardized questionnaires directed towards KAP in travel health, travel immunizations and malaria were administered. Of 2,101 respondents (82% Asian, 17% Western), 31% had sought pretravel health advice and only 4% sought travel health advice from the travel medicine specialist. The risk of vaccine-preventable infectious diseases and malaria at the destination country was perceived to be low. Overall, fewer than 5% of travelers had been vaccinated in preparation for their trip. The most frequent travel vaccinations were for hepatitis A and B. Only 40% of travelers to malaria-endemic areas carried malaria prophylaxis. Compared to Western travelers, those of Asian nationality were significantly less likely to obtain pretravel advice and malaria prophylaxis and to receive travel vaccinations. There is an urgent need for increased awareness about travel-related infectious diseases among Asian travelers, and greater uptake of pretravel health advice, vaccinations and malaria prophylactic measures.

Too much to handle? Pesticide dependence of smallholder vegetable farmers in Southeast Asia.

PubMed

Schreinemachers, Pepijn; Chen, Hsiao-Pu; Nguyen, Thi Tan Loc; Buntong, Borarin; Bouapao, Lilao; Gautam, Shriniwas; Le, Nhu Thinh; Pinn, Thira; Vilaysone, Phimchai; Srinivasan, Ramasamy

2017-09-01

This study aimed to understand farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding agricultural pest management and synthetic pesticide use in Southeast Asia. Data were used from 900 farm households producing leaf mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. et Coss.) and yard-long bean (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis (L.) Verdc.) in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Farmers heavily depended on synthetic pesticides as their main method of pest control. Most farmers were aware of the adverse health effects associated with pesticide use and covered body parts while spraying, but also considered pesticides to be highly effective and indispensable farm inputs. Farmers were largely unable to distinguish between common beneficial and harmful arthropods. Greater knowledge about this was associated with less pesticide use while greater awareness of pesticide health risks was associated with fewer observed poisoning symptoms. For the average farm and while controlling for other factors, farmers who sought advice from friends and neighbors used 45% less pesticide, but those who sought advice from pesticide shopkeepers used 251% more pesticide. Pesticide use was 42% less when a woman was in charge of pest management and 31% less when farmers had adopted biopesticides. These findings suggest relevant entry points for interventions aimed at reducing pesticide dependence. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Megagardeners of the forest - the role of elephants in seed dispersal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campos-Arceiz, Ahimsa; Blake, Steve

2011-11-01

As the largest frugivores on Earth, elephants have unique ecological properties. Found in deserts, savannahs, and forests, they are the last remnants of a diverse lineage. Among the three currently recognized forms, African forest elephants are the most frugivorous, followed by Asian and African savannah elephants, although their role as seed dispersers is variable and context-dependent. African forest elephants may consume more seeds from more species than any other taxon of large vertebrate dispersers, defecating them over long distances in viable conditions into nutrient-rich and protective dung. In short, elephants are forest gardeners. The signature of elephant dispersal is evident in the spatial distribution of trees suggesting that elephants maintain tree diversity and retain low redundancy in seed dispersal systems. Large numbers of forest elephants ranging over large areas may be essential for ecosystem function. The loss of elephants will have important negative consequences for the ecological trajectories of some plant species and whole ecological communities, yet the conservation status of forest elephants is catastrophic in Asia and rapidly becoming so in Africa due to hunting and other conflicts with people. In this paper we review the current knowledge of elephants as seed dispersers, discuss the ecological consequences of their decline, and suggest priority areas for research and conservation action.

Population genetics of the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus, an invasive vector of human diseases

PubMed Central

Goubert, C; Minard, G; Vieira, C; Boulesteix, M

2016-01-01

The Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is currently one of the most threatening invasive species in the world. Native to Southeast Asia, the species has spread throughout the world in the past 30 years and is now present in every continent but Antarctica. Because it was the main vector of recent Dengue and Chikungunya outbreaks, and because of its competency for numerous other viruses and pathogens such as the Zika virus, A. albopictus stands out as a model species for invasive diseases vector studies. A synthesis of the current knowledge about the genetic diversity of A. albopictus is needed, knowing the interplays between the vector, the pathogens, the environment and their epidemiological consequences. Such resources are also valuable for assessing the role of genetic diversity in the invasive success. We review here the large but sometimes dispersed literature about the population genetics of A. albopictus. We first debate about the experimental design of these studies and present an up-to-date assessment of the available molecular markers. We then summarize the main genetic characteristics of natural populations and synthesize the available data regarding the worldwide structuring of the vector. Finally, we pinpoint the gaps that remain to be addressed and suggest possible research directions. PMID:27273325

Zika in the Americas, year 2: What have we learned? What gaps remain? A report from the Global Virus Network.

PubMed

Aliota, Matthew T; Bassit, Leda; Bradrick, Shelton S; Cox, Bryan; Garcia-Blanco, Mariano A; Gavegnano, Christina; Friedrich, Thomas C; Golos, Thaddeus G; Griffin, Diane E; Haddow, Andrew D; Kallas, Esper G; Kitron, Uriel; Lecuit, Marc; Magnani, Diogo M; Marrs, Caroline; Mercer, Natalia; McSweegan, Edward; Ng, Lisa F P; O'Connor, David H; Osorio, Jorge E; Ribeiro, Guilherme S; Ricciardi, Michael; Rossi, Shannan L; Saade, George; Schinazi, Raymond F; Schott-Lerner, Geraldine O; Shan, Chao; Shi, Pei-Yong; Watkins, David I; Vasilakis, Nikos; Weaver, Scott C

2017-08-01

In response to the outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection in the Western Hemisphere and the recognition of a causal association with fetal malformations, the Global Virus Network (GVN) assembled an international taskforce of virologists to promote basic research, recommend public health measures and encourage the rapid development of vaccines, antiviral therapies and new diagnostic tests. In this article, taskforce members and other experts review what has been learned about ZIKV-induced disease in humans, its modes of transmission and the cause and nature of associated congenital manifestations. After describing the make-up of the taskforce, we summarize the emergence of ZIKV in the Americas, Africa and Asia, its spread by mosquitoes, and current control measures. We then review the spectrum of primary ZIKV-induced disease in adults and children, sites of persistent infection and sexual transmission, then examine what has been learned about maternal-fetal transmission and the congenital Zika syndrome, including knowledge obtained from studies in laboratory animals. Subsequent sections focus on vaccine development, antiviral therapeutics and new diagnostic tests. After reviewing current understanding of the mechanisms of emergence of Zika virus, we consider the likely future of the pandemic. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Catastrophe risk data scoping for disaster risk finance in Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millinship, Ian; Revilla-Romero, Beatriz

2017-04-01

Developing countries across Latin America, Africa, and Asia are some of the most exposed to natural catastrophes in the world. Over the last 20 years, Asia has borne almost half the estimated global economic cost of natural disasters - around 53billion annually. Losses from natural disasters can damage growth and hamper economic development and unlike in developed countries where risk is reallocated through re/insurance, typically these countries rely on budget reallocations and donor assistance in order to attempt to meet financing needs. There is currently an active international dialogue on the need to increase access to disaster risk financing solutions in Asia. The World Bank-GFDRR Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance Program with financial support from the Rockefeller Foundation, is currently working to develop regional options for disaster risk financing for developing countries in Asia. The first stage of this process has been to evaluate available catastrophe data suitable to support the design and implementation of disaster risk financing mechanisms in selected Asian countries. This project was carried out by a consortium of JBA Risk Management, JBA Consulting, ImageCat and Cat Risk Intelligence. The project focuses on investigating potential data sources for fourteen selected countries in Asia, for flood, tropical cyclone, earthquake and drought perils. The project was carried out under four stages. The first phase focused to identify and catalogue live/dynamic hazard data sources such as hazard gauging networks, or earth observations datasets which could be used to inform a parametric trigger. Live data sources were identified that provide credibility, transparency, independence, frequent reporting, consistency and stability. Data were catalogued at regional level, and prioritised at local level for five countries: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam. The second phase was to identify, catalogue and evaluate catastrophe risk models that could quantify risk and provide a view of risk to support design and pricing of parametric disaster risk financing mechanisms. The third stage was to evaluate the usability of data sources and catastrophe models, and to develop index prototypes to outline how data and catastrophe models could be combined using local, regional and global data sources. Finally, the project identified priorities for investment to support the collection, analysis and evaluation of natural catastrophes in order to support disaster risk financing.

The relationship between migration and development in the ESCAP region.

PubMed

Skeldon, R

1991-01-01

The relationship between migration and development in the ESCAP region including southeast and south Asian countries and the Pacific island of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Kiribati, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands is discussed in terms of mobility transition and origin and destination factors. The changing patterns of mobility in Asia are further delineated in the discussion of internal movements and international movement. Emigration in the smaller countries of the Pacific are treated separately. Future predictions are that the Asia Pacific region will experience continued fertility decline and stabilization of low rates over the next 20 years. The declines will result in slow labor force growth, and increased demand for labor in traditional core and neocore countries as defined and presented in table form by Friedman will be heightened. International movements are likely to increase in large urban areas within destination countries. Tokyo and Singapore are the principal cities in Asia. Tokyo by restrictive government policy has limited immigration, but future labor shortages of unskilled labor from southeast Asia and China are expected. Singapore is already dependent on foreign labor by 10%. Current labor shortages have led to the creation of a growth triangle between Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Other cities expected to emerge as primary cities in international regional complexes with spillover into the hinterlands include the Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Macau triangle in the Pearl River delta, Taipei and Seoul, and possibly Kuala Lumpur. Internal migration is expected to increase in the capital cities of Bangkok, Manila,j and centers such as Shanghai, Beijing, and other large cities of southeast Asia. These cities will be linked through the flows of skilled international migrants, which began in the 1960s and is expected to become a future major flow. Recreational and resource niches will be left in much of the Pacific, the Himalayan Kingdoms, and mountainous regions of northern southeast Asia and western China. Flows will be regulated by national government policy. Difficult decisions will be made on the extent to which multinational corporations and banks are sanctioned or regulated, i.e., currently Hong Kong development is company directed within the law governing power, transport, housing, and land, while in Singapore development is government planned and directed.

Health challenges in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

PubMed

Adambekov, Shalkar; Kaiyrlykyzy, Aiym; Igissinov, Nurbek; Linkov, Faina

2016-01-01

The Central Asian region, which encompasses Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan, is an interesting geographic region with a rich history dating back to the Silk Road, Mongol conquests and expansion of the Russian Empire. However, from a public health viewpoint, the Central Asian region is under-investigated, and many public health challenges exist, as countries of Central Asia inherited the centralised medical systems practiced in the Soviet Union, and are currently undergoing rapid transitions. A large number of low and middle-income countries around the world, including countries of Central Asia, face a double burden of chronic and infectious disease. This essay focuses on the exploration of the most important public health challenges in the Central Asian region, including limited scientific productivity, the double burden of chronic and infectious disease, the need for healthcare reform and the reduction in care variation. Central Asia has a large number of medical schools, medical centres, and emerging research institutes that can be used to foster a change in medical and public health practice in the region. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Asian aerosols: current and year 2030 distributions and implications to human health and regional climate change.

PubMed

Carmichael, Gregory R; Adhikary, Bhupesh; Kulkarni, Sarika; D'Allura, Alessio; Tang, Youhua; Streets, David; Zhang, Qiang; Bond, Tami C; Ramanathan, Veerabhadran; Jamroensan, Aditsuda; Marrapu, Pallavi

2009-08-01

Aerosol distributions in Asia calculated over a 4-year period and constrained by satellite observations of aerosol optical depth (AOD) are presented. Vast regions in Asia that include > 80% of the population have PM2.5 concentrations that exceed on an annual basis the WHO guideline of 10 microg/m3, often by factors of 2 to 4. These high aerosol loadings also have important radiative effects, causing a significant dimming at the surface, and mask approximately 45% of the warming by greenhouse gases. Black carbon (BC) concentrations are high throughout Asia, representing 5-10% of the total AOD, and contributing significantly to atmospheric warming (its warming potential is approximately 55% of that due to CO2). PM levels and AODs in year 2030, estimated based on simulations that consider future changes in emissions, are used to explore opportunities for win-win strategies built upon addressing air quality and climate change together. It is found that in 2030 the PM2.5 levels in significant parts of Asia will increase and exacerbate health impacts; but the aerosols will have a larger masking effect on radiative forcing, due to a decrease in BC and an increase in SO2 emissions.

A Predominantly Indigenous Paternal Heritage for the Austronesian-Speaking Peoples of Insular Southeast Asia and Oceania

PubMed Central

Capelli, Cristian; Wilson, James F.; Richards, Martin; Stumpf, Michael P. H.; Gratrix, Fiona; Oppenheimer, Stephen; Underhill, Peter; Pascali, Vincenzo L.; Ko, Tsang-Ming; Goldstein, David B.

2001-01-01

Modern humans reached Southeast Asia and Oceania in one of the first dispersals out of Africa. The resulting temporal overlap of modern and archaic humans—and the apparent morphological continuity between them—has led to claims of gene flow between Homo sapiens and H. erectus. Much more recently, an agricultural technology from mainland Asia spread into the region, possibly in association with Austronesian languages. Using detailed genealogical study of Y chromosome variation, we show that the majority of current Austronesian speakers trace their paternal heritage to Pleistocene settlers in the region, as opposed to more-recent agricultural immigrants. A fraction of the paternal heritage, however, appears to be associated with more-recent immigrants from northern populations. We also show that the northern Neolithic component is very unevenly dispersed through the region, with a higher contribution in Southeast Asia and a nearly complete absence in Melanesia. Contrary to claims of gene flow (under regional continuity) between H. erectus and H. sapiens, we found no ancestral Y chromosome lineages in a set of 1,209 samples. The finding excludes the possibility that early hominids contributed significantly to the paternal heritage of the region. PMID:11170891

Animals in the Zika Virus Life Cycle: What to Expect from Megadiverse Latin American Countries.

PubMed

Bueno, Marina Galvão; Martinez, Nádia; Abdalla, Lívia; Duarte Dos Santos, Claudia Nunes; Chame, Marcia

2016-12-01

Zika virus (ZIKV) was first isolated in 1947 in primates in Uganda, West Africa. The virus remained confined to the equatorial regions of Africa and Asia, cycling between infecting monkeys, arboreal mosquitoes, and occasionally humans. The ZIKV Asiatic strain was probably introduced into Brazil in or around late 2013. Presently, ZIKV is in contact with the rich biodiversity in all Brazilian biomes, bordering on other Latin American countries. Infections in Brazilian primates have been reported recently, but the overall impact of this virus on wildlife in the Americas is still unknown. The current epidemic in the Americas requires knowledge on the role of mammals, especially nonhuman primates (NHPs), in ZIKV transmission to humans. The article discusses the available data on ZIKV in host animals and issues of biodiversity, rapid environmental change, and impact on human health in megadiverse Latin American countries. The authors reviewed scientific articles and recent news stories on ZIKV in animals, showing that 47 animal species from three orders (mammals, reptiles, and birds) have been investigated for the potential to establish a sylvatic cycle. The review aims to contribute to epidemiological studies and the knowledge on the natural history of ZIKV. The article concludes with questions that require urgent attention in epidemiological studies involving wildlife in order to understand their role as ZIKV hosts and to effectively control the epidemic.

[New international classification of corneal dystrophies and clinical landmarks].

PubMed

Lisch, W; Seitz, B

2008-07-01

The International Committee on Classification of Corneal Dystrophies, briefly IC (3)D, was founded with the sponsorship of the American Cornea Society and the American Academy of Ophthalmology in July 2005. This committee consists of 17 corneal experts (1) from USA, Asia and Europe. The goal of this group was to develop a new, internationally accepted classification of corneal dystrophies (CD) based on modern clinical, histological and genetical knowledge. The aim of the new classification should be to avoid wrong interpretations and misnomers of the different forms of CD. The IC (3)D extensive manuscript is in press as Supplement publication in the journal "Cornea". The 25 different CD are divided in four categories by clinical and genetical knowledge. Additionally, templates for each type of CD are included. Finally, many typical color slit-lamp photos are presented in the publication together with essential references and current genetical results in tabular form. As members of IC (3)D the authors present a clinical landmark survey of the different corneal dystrophies. The ophthalmologist is the first to examine and to diagnose a new patient with a probable CD at the slit-lamp. Our elaborated table of landmarks is supposed to be a "bridge" for the ophthalmologist to precisely define the corneal opacities of a presumed CD. This "bridge" makes it easier for them to study the IC (3)D Supplement publication and to get more information including adequate differential diagnosis.

Risk of malignancy in ankylosing spondylitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Deng, Chuiwen; Li, Wenli; Fei, Yunyun; Li, Yongzhe; Zhang, Fengchun

2016-08-18

Current knowledge about the overall and site-specific risk of malignancy associated with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is inconsistent. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to address this knowledge gap. Five databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane library and the virtual health library) were systematically searched. A manual search of publications within the last 2 years in key journals in the field (Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, Rheumatology and Arthritis &rheumatology) was also performed. STATA 11.2 software was used to conduct the meta-analysis. After screening, twenty-three studies, of different designs, were eligible for meta-analysis. AS is associated with a 14% (pooled RR 1.14; 95% CI 1.03-1.25) increase in the overall risk for malignancy. Compared to controls, patients with AS are at a specific increased risk for malignancy of the digestive system (pooled RR 1.20; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.42), multiple myelomas (pooled RR 1.92; 95% CI 1.37 to 3.69) and lymphomas (pooled RR 1.32; 95% CI 1.11 to 1.57). On subgroup analysis, evidence from high quality cohort studies indicated that AS patients from Asia are at highest risk for malignancy overall. Confirmation of findings from large-scale longitudinal studies is needed to identify specific risk factors and to evaluate treatment effects.

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 Pollution) and Europe (Sentinel-4) and low-Earth orbit missions including the European Sentinel-5 Precursor.

Challenges of Tsunami Disaster and Extreme climate Events Along Coastal Region in Asia-Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaudhari, S.

2017-12-01

South Asia is more vulnerable to Geo disasters and impacts of climate changes in recent years. On 26 December 2004 massive waves triggered by an earthquake surged into coastal communities in Asia and East Africa with devastating force. Hitting Indonesia, Sri Lanka , Thailand and India hardest, the deadly waves swept more than 200 000 people to their deaths. Also in an another extreme climate change phenomenon during 2005 - 2006,causing heavy rains and flooding situation in the South Asia - Europe and Pacific region ,more than 100 million population in these regions are witnessing the social- economical and ecological risks and impacts due to climate changes and Geohazards. For mitigating geo-disasters, marine hazards and rehabilitation during post tsunami period, scientific knowledge is needed, requiring experienced research communities who can train the local population during tsunami rehabilitation. Several civil society institutions jointly started the initiatives on the problem identifications in management of risks in geo-disasters, tsunami rehabilitation ,Vulnerability and risk assessments for Geohazards etc., to investigate problems related to social-economic and ecological risks and management issues resulting from the December tsunami and Geo- disaster, to aid mitigation planning in affected areas and to educate scientists and local populations to form a basis for sustainable and economic solutions. The poster aims to assess the potential risk and hazard , technical issues, problems and damage arising from Tsunami in the Asia-pacific region in coastal geology, coastal ecosystems and coastal environmental systems . This poster deals with the status and issues of interactions between Human and Ocean Systems, Geo-risks, marine risks along coastal region of Asia- Pacific and also human influence on the earth system . The poster presentation focuses on capacity building of the local population, scientists and researchers for integration of human and ocean systems through Geohazards Studies on vulnerability and risk assessments along coastal regions. The poster presentation also focuses on building natural -social science research community for sustainable solutions adoptions and mitigations of impacts of extreme climate events on environment and ecosystems along coastal region.

LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT SOPHISTICATION

EPA Science Inventory

An international workshop was held in Brussels on 11/29-30/1998, to discuss LCIA Sophistication. LCA experts from North America, Europs, and Asia attended. Critical reviews of associated factors, including current limitations of available assessment methodologies, and comparison...

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

Chung, Donald; Elgqvist, Emma; Santhanagopalan, Shriram

Manufacturing capacity for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs)--which power many consumer electronics and are increasingly used to power electric vehicles--is heavily concentrated in east Asia. Currently, China, Japan, and Korea collectively host 88% of all LIB cell and 79% of automotive LIB cell manufacturing capacity. Mature supply chains and strong cumulative production experience suggest that most LIB cell production will remain concentrated in Asia. However, other regions--including North America--could be competitive in the growing automotive LIB cell market under certain conditions. To illuminate the factors that drive regional competitiveness in automotive LIB cell production, this study models cell manufacturing cost and minimummore » sustainable price, and examines development of LIB supply chains and current LIB market conditions. Modeled costs are for large format, 20-Ah stacked pouch cells with lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide (NMC) cathodes and graphite anodes suitable for automotive application. Production volume is assumed to be at commercial scale, 600 MWh per year.« less

Gout: an Asia-Pacific update.

PubMed

Paul, Binoy J; James, Reeta

2017-04-01

Even though, Hippocrates recognized gout as an affection of older men and a product of high living long back in 5th century BC, this painful condition promises to accompany humanity to the 21st century. The incidence is progressively rising and females are also affected in the modern era. There are also regional and ethnic variations in the incidence, the genetics of which is being studied. The recommended best therapy for the acute attacks and long term prophylaxis has improved remarkably in the recent years. However, patients are often treated inadequately and risk factors for their disease are not well explored in daily practice. Although well designed long term studies of current and newer treatment are welcomed, educating doctors especially the primary care physicians who manage majority of gout cases, in optimizing the currently available management options would improve the present care. © 2017 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Toward the optimization of PC-based training

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Kohei; Murai, Shunji

Since 1992, the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) have been co-organising the Regional Remote Sensing Seminar on Tropical Ecosystem Management (Program Chairman: Prof. Shunji Murai) every year in some country in Asia. In these seminars, the members of the ISPRS Working Group VI/2 'Computer Assisted Teaching' have been performing a PC-based hands-on-training on remote sensing and GIS for beginners. The main objective of the training was to transfer not only knowledge but also the technology of remote sensing and GIS to the beginners. The software and CD-ROM data set provided at the training were well designed not only for training but also for practical data analysis. This paper presents an outline of the training and discusses the optimisation of PC-based training for remote sensing and GIS.

Artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates can infect diverse mosquito vectors of Southeast Asia and Africa

PubMed Central

St. Laurent, Brandyce; Miller, Becky; Burton, Timothy A.; Amaratunga, Chanaki; Men, Sary; Sovannaroth, Siv; Fay, Michael P.; Miotto, Olivo; Gwadz, Robert W.; Anderson, Jennifer M.; Fairhurst, Rick M.

2015-01-01

Artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites are rapidly spreading in Southeast Asia, yet nothing is known about their transmission. This knowledge gap and the possibility that these parasites will spread to Africa endanger global efforts to eliminate malaria. Here we produce gametocytes from parasite clinical isolates that displayed artemisinin resistance in patients and in vitro, and use them to infect native and non-native mosquito vectors. We show that contemporary artemisinin-resistant isolates from Cambodia develop and produce sporozoites in two Southeast Asian vectors, Anopheles dirus and Anopheles minimus, and the major African vector, Anopheles coluzzii (formerly Anopheles gambiae M). The ability of artemisinin-resistant parasites to infect such highly diverse Anopheles species, combined with their higher gametocyte prevalence in patients, may explain the rapid expansion of these parasites in Cambodia and neighbouring countries, and further compromise efforts to prevent their global spread. PMID:26485448

Artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates can infect diverse mosquito vectors of Southeast Asia and Africa.

PubMed

St Laurent, Brandyce; Miller, Becky; Burton, Timothy A; Amaratunga, Chanaki; Men, Sary; Sovannaroth, Siv; Fay, Michael P; Miotto, Olivo; Gwadz, Robert W; Anderson, Jennifer M; Fairhurst, Rick M

2015-10-20

Artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites are rapidly spreading in Southeast Asia, yet nothing is known about their transmission. This knowledge gap and the possibility that these parasites will spread to Africa endanger global efforts to eliminate malaria. Here we produce gametocytes from parasite clinical isolates that displayed artemisinin resistance in patients and in vitro, and use them to infect native and non-native mosquito vectors. We show that contemporary artemisinin-resistant isolates from Cambodia develop and produce sporozoites in two Southeast Asian vectors, Anopheles dirus and Anopheles minimus, and the major African vector, Anopheles coluzzii (formerly Anopheles gambiae M). The ability of artemisinin-resistant parasites to infect such highly diverse Anopheles species, combined with their higher gametocyte prevalence in patients, may explain the rapid expansion of these parasites in Cambodia and neighbouring countries, and further compromise efforts to prevent their global spread.

Occupational Safety and Health Activities Conducted across Countries in Asia.

PubMed

Park, Jung-Keun; Khai, Ton T

2015-06-01

Three occupational safety and health (OSH) activities, one international and two national workshops, were documented as part of OSH activities conducted under the International Labor Organization/Korea Partnership Program in the year 2011-2012. This study aimed to provide information on what the three OSH activities were implemented and how they contributed to the improvement of OSH in Asian countries. The international workshop was useful for the participants to understand a variety of information on OSH as well as participatory action-oriented training (PAOT) approaches at the regional and global levels. The two national workshops were practical for participants to strengthen their knowledge and skills on the PAOT at the enterprise and national levels. The study shows that the three OSH activities contributed to the understanding of the participants on OSH and PAOT, and that the activities promoted the improvement of OSH across countries in Asia.

Contraceptive issues of youth and adolescents in developing countries: highlights from the Philippines and other Asian countries.

PubMed

Alesna-Llanto, Emma; Raymundo, Corazon M

2005-10-01

This article highlights contraceptive issues in Asia, home to some 700 million adolescents. It starts with a description of the socio-cultural milieu of adolescents in South and Southeast Asia, their knowledge and use of contraceptives, the myriad barriers to access, and the many innovative programs to broaden contraceptive availability. The reproductive health needs of adolescents in poor countries cannot be solved by merely supplying them with contraceptives--these needs can only be fully addressed in the context of gender equality, poverty alleviation and the conviction that investing in the reproductive health of adolescents is a most urgent priority. Investing in the reproductive health of adolescents will have an impact not only on birth and abortion rates, maternal health, and the spread of STI/HIV but also on the demographics and economic development of the region--and beyond.

Two accounts of the colonised "other" in South Asia re-exploring alterity.

PubMed

Mukherjee, Soumen

2010-01-01

Taking examples from South Asia, this article shows how British colonial knowledge about the non-European "other" hinged substantially on the participation of sections of that other, especially in the context of liminal groups, for whom no ready standardised formula of identification was available. Development of a colonial episteme often involved active intervention from the colonised body, thereby dispelling any strict notion of coloniser-colonised alterity and mere top-down governance. This process of identity construction took place in several arenas and also involved negotiations in courts of law, where rival sections of the amorphous colonised body fought for competing ideals of selfhood. Complementing this legal construction were ethnographic formulations, internally diverse, and often relating to broader politico-intellectual concerns and debates of the Empire, at different planes in different ways. The article explicates their theoretical bases and practical modalities.

Role of stranded gas in increasing global gas supplies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Attanasi, E.D.; Freeman, P.A.

2013-01-01

This report synthesizes the findings of three regional studies in order to evaluate, at the global scale, the contribution that stranded gas resources can make to global natural gas supplies. Stranded gas, as defined for this study, is natural gas in discovered conventional gas and oil fields that is currently not commercially producible for either physical or economic reasons. The regional studies evaluated the cost of bringing the large volumes of undeveloped gas in stranded gas fields to selected markets. In particular, stranded gas fields of selected Atlantic Basin countries, north Africa, Russia, and central Asia are screened to determine whether the volumes are sufficient to meet Europe’s increasing demand for gas imports. Stranded gas fields in Russia, central Asia, Southeast Asia, and Australia are also screened to estimate development, production, and transport costs and corresponding gas volumes that could be supplied to Asian markets in China, India, Japan, and South Korea. The data and cost analysis presented here suggest that for the European market and the markets examined in Asia, the development of stranded gas provides a way to meet projected gas import demands for the 2020-to-2040 period. Although this is a reconnaissance-type appraisal, it is based on volumes of gas that are associated with individual identified fields. Individual field data were carefully examined. Some fields were not evaluated because current technology was insufficient or it appeared the gas was likely to be held off the export market. Most of the evaluated stranded gas can be produced and delivered to markets at costs comparable to historical prices. Moreover, the associated volumes of gas are sufficient to provide an interim supply while additional technologies are developed to unlock gas diffused in shale and hydrates or while countries transition to making a greater use of renewable energy sources.

A biregional survey and review of first-line treatment failure and second-line paediatric antiretroviral access and use in Asia and southern Africa

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background To better understand the need for paediatric second-line antiretroviral therapy (ART), an ART management survey and a cross-sectional analysis of second-line ART use were conducted in the TREAT Asia Paediatric HIV Observational Database and the IeDEA Southern Africa (International Epidemiologic Databases to Evaluate AIDS) regional cohorts. Methods Surveys were conducted in April 2009. Analysis data from the Asia cohort were collected in March 2009 from 12 centres in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Data from the IeDEA Southern Africa cohort were finalized in February 2008 from 10 centres in Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Results Survey responses reflected inter-regional variations in drug access and national guidelines. A total of 1301 children in the TREAT Asia and 4561 children in the IeDEA Southern Africa cohorts met inclusion criteria for the cross-sectional analysis. Ten percent of Asian and 3.3% of African children were on second-line ART at the time of data transfer. Median age (interquartile range) in months at second-line initiation was 120 (78-145) months in the Asian cohort and 66 (29-112) months in the southern African cohort. Regimens varied, and the then current World Health Organization-recommended nucleoside reverse transcriptase combination of abacavir and didanosine was used in less than 5% of children in each region. Conclusions In order to provide life-long ART for children, better use of current first-line regimens and broader access to heat-stable, paediatric second-line and salvage formulations are needed. There will be limited benefit to earlier diagnosis of treatment failure unless providers and patients have access to appropriate drugs for children to switch to. PMID:21306608

Origins of the current outbreak of multidrug-resistant malaria in southeast Asia: a retrospective genetic study.

PubMed

Amato, Roberto; Pearson, Richard D; Almagro-Garcia, Jacob; Amaratunga, Chanaki; Lim, Pharath; Suon, Seila; Sreng, Sokunthea; Drury, Eleanor; Stalker, Jim; Miotto, Olivo; Fairhurst, Rick M; Kwiatkowski, Dominic P

2018-03-01

Antimalarial resistance is rapidly spreading across parts of southeast Asia where dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine is used as first-line treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria. The first published reports about resistance to antimalarial drugs came from western Cambodia in 2013. Here, we analyse genetic changes in the P falciparum population of western Cambodia in the 6 years before those reports. We analysed genome sequence data on 1492 P falciparum samples from 11 locations across southeast Asia, including 464 samples collected in western Cambodia between 2007 and 2013. Different epidemiological origins of resistance were identified by haplotypic analysis of the kelch13 artemisinin resistance locus and the plasmepsin 2-3 piperaquine resistance locus. We identified more than 30 independent origins of artemisinin resistance, of which the KEL1 lineage accounted for 140 (91%) of 154 parasites resistant to dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine. In 2008, KEL1 combined with PLA1, the major lineage associated with piperaquine resistance. By 2013, the KEL1/PLA1 co-lineage had reached a frequency of 63% (24/38) in western Cambodia and had spread to northern Cambodia. The KEL1/PLA1 co-lineage emerged in the same year that dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine became the first-line antimalarial drug in western Cambodia and spread rapidly thereafter, displacing other artemisinin-resistant parasite lineages. These findings have important implications for management of the global health risk associated with the current outbreak of multidrug-resistant malaria in southeast Asia. Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Medical Research Council, UK Department for International Development, and the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Lupus Nephritis in Asia: Clinical Features and Management.

PubMed

Yap, Desmond Y H; Chan, Tak Mao

2015-09-01

Lupus nephritis (LN) is a common and severe organ involvement manifesting itself in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). There is a considerable difference in prevalence, severity, treatment response and outcomes between Asian LN patients and LN patients from other racial backgrounds. Asian SLE patients have a higher prevalence of LN than Caucasian SLE patients and often present with a more severe disease. Increasing data from genetic studies, accompanied by progress in high-throughput genotyping, have advanced our knowledge about genetic predispositions that might partly contribute to the clinical variations observed. Corticosteroids combined with either cyclophosphamide (CYC) or mycophenolic acid (MPA) is the current standard-of-care induction regimen for severe LN irrespective of race or ethnicity. However, the preference for MPA or CYC, and possibly the optimum dose for MPA, is influenced by the patient's origin. Also, there is an insufficient evidence base for reduced-dose intravenous CYC in Asian patients. Health economics and access to prompt diagnosis and treatment are still challenging issues in some Asian regions. The former represents a significant obstacle limiting the access of patients to MPA despite the proven efficacy of the drug as an induction agent and its superiority over azathioprine (AZA) in preventing disease flares when used for long-term maintenance immunosuppression. Calcineurin inhibitors such as tacrolimus deserve further investigation in view of their additional effect on podocytes by reducing proteinuria and the promising data from Asian patients. Despite considerable advances in the clinical management of LN over the past few decades with resultant improvements in patients' outcomes, there are still knowledge gaps and unmet clinical needs. Asia has made substantial contributions to the evidence base that guides clinical management and continues to offer invaluable opportunities for research pursuits. Treatment responses and clinical outcomes in Asian patients with LN compare favorably with patients from other parts of the world. The prevention and treatment of infective complications remain significant challenges in managing LN in Asia. (1) The prevalence of SLE is lower among Caucasians than other ethnicities. A higher prevalence is observed among Asians and African Americans, while the highest prevalence is found in Caribbean people. The prevalence of LN in Asian SLE patients is much higher than in Caucasians as well. However, the 10-year renal outcome and renal survival rate appear to be better in Asians. (2) Polymorphisms of genes involved in the immune response, such as Fcγ receptor, integrin alpha M, TNF superfamily 4, myotubularin-related protein 3 and many others, might be partly responsible for the differences in prevalence between the different ethnic groups. European ancestry was shown to be associated with a decrease in the risk of LN even after adjustment for genes most associated with renal disease. (3) Access to health care is a key determinant of disease progression, treatment outcome and the management of complications such as infections, particularly in South Asia, and might also explain disparities between clinical outcomes. (4) The efficacy of low-dose CYC combined with corticosteroids for induction treatment of LN was proved in European Caucasian patients. This treatment is also used in Asia, although no formal evaluation of efficacy and safety in comparison with other treatment regimens exists in this population. The efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is similar to that of CYC, and similar between Asians and Caucasians. MMF may be more effective than CYC in inducing response in high-risk populations such as African American or Hispanic patients. MMF might cause less infection-related events in Asians, but its high cost prevents broader usage at present. (5) For maintenance therapy, corticosteroid combined with AZA or MMF is used worldwide, with a broadly similar efficacy of both treatments, although there are data suggesting that in high-risk populations (e.g. African Americans) MMF may be more effective in preventing renal flares. AZA is often preferred in Asia due to economic constraints and because of its safety in pregnancy. (6) Alternative therapies under investigation include rituximab, which might be more efficient in Caucasians, as well as belimumab. Recent Japanese and Chinese studies have indicated a potential benefit of tacrolimus as a substitute for or in addition to CYC or MMF (dual or triple immunosuppression). Mizoribine is used in Japan exclusively.

Lupus Nephritis in Asia: Clinical Features and Management

PubMed Central

Yap, Desmond Y.H.; Chan, Tak Mao

2015-01-01

Background Lupus nephritis (LN) is a common and severe organ involvement manifesting itself in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). There is a considerable difference in prevalence, severity, treatment response and outcomes between Asian LN patients and LN patients from other racial backgrounds. Summary Asian SLE patients have a higher prevalence of LN than Caucasian SLE patients and often present with a more severe disease. Increasing data from genetic studies, accompanied by progress in high-throughput genotyping, have advanced our knowledge about genetic predispositions that might partly contribute to the clinical variations observed. Corticosteroids combined with either cyclophosphamide (CYC) or mycophenolic acid (MPA) is the current standard-of-care induction regimen for severe LN irrespective of race or ethnicity. However, the preference for MPA or CYC, and possibly the optimum dose for MPA, is influenced by the patient's origin. Also, there is an insufficient evidence base for reduced-dose intravenous CYC in Asian patients. Health economics and access to prompt diagnosis and treatment are still challenging issues in some Asian regions. The former represents a significant obstacle limiting the access of patients to MPA despite the proven efficacy of the drug as an induction agent and its superiority over azathioprine (AZA) in preventing disease flares when used for long-term maintenance immunosuppression. Calcineurin inhibitors such as tacrolimus deserve further investigation in view of their additional effect on podocytes by reducing proteinuria and the promising data from Asian patients. Despite considerable advances in the clinical management of LN over the past few decades with resultant improvements in patients' outcomes, there are still knowledge gaps and unmet clinical needs. Asia has made substantial contributions to the evidence base that guides clinical management and continues to offer invaluable opportunities for research pursuits. Key Messages Treatment responses and clinical outcomes in Asian patients with LN compare favorably with patients from other parts of the world. The prevention and treatment of infective complications remain significant challenges in managing LN in Asia. Facts from East and West (1) The prevalence of SLE is lower among Caucasians than other ethnicities. A higher prevalence is observed among Asians and African Americans, while the highest prevalence is found in Caribbean people. The prevalence of LN in Asian SLE patients is much higher than in Caucasians as well. However, the 10-year renal outcome and renal survival rate appear to be better in Asians. (2) Polymorphisms of genes involved in the immune response, such as Fcγ receptor, integrin alpha M, TNF superfamily 4, myotubularin-related protein 3 and many others, might be partly responsible for the differences in prevalence between the different ethnic groups. European ancestry was shown to be associated with a decrease in the risk of LN even after adjustment for genes most associated with renal disease. (3) Access to health care is a key determinant of disease progression, treatment outcome and the management of complications such as infections, particularly in South Asia, and might also explain disparities between clinical outcomes. (4) The efficacy of low-dose CYC combined with corticosteroids for induction treatment of LN was proved in European Caucasian patients. This treatment is also used in Asia, although no formal evaluation of efficacy and safety in comparison with other treatment regimens exists in this population. The efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is similar to that of CYC, and similar between Asians and Caucasians. MMF may be more effective than CYC in inducing response in high-risk populations such as African American or Hispanic patients. MMF might cause less infection-related events in Asians, but its high cost prevents broader usage at present. (5) For maintenance therapy, corticosteroid combined with AZA or MMF is used worldwide, with a broadly similar efficacy of both treatments, although there are data suggesting that in high-risk populations (e.g. African Americans) MMF may be more effective in preventing renal flares. AZA is often preferred in Asia due to economic constraints and because of its safety in pregnancy. (6) Alternative therapies under investigation include rituximab, which might be more efficient in Caucasians, as well as belimumab. Recent Japanese and Chinese studies have indicated a potential benefit of tacrolimus as a substitute for or in addition to CYC or MMF (dual or triple immunosuppression). Mizoribine is used in Japan exclusively. PMID:27536670

NASA's East and Southeast Asia Initiatives: BASE-ASIA and EAST-AIRE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsay, S.; Maring, H.

2005-01-01

Airborne dust from northern China influences air quality and regional climate in Asia during springtime. However, with the economic growth in China, increased emission of particulate air pollutants from industrial and vehicular sources will not only impact the earth's radiation balance, but also adversely affect human health year round. In addition, both of dust and aerosol pollutants can be transported swiftly across the Pacific affecting North America within a few days. Asian dust and pollutant aerosols can be detected by their colored appearance using current Earth observing satellites (e.g., MODIS, SeaWiFS, TOMS, etc.) and by sunphotometers deployed on the surface of the earth. Biomass burning has been a regular practice for land clearing and conversion in many countries, especially those in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. However, the 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. Globally significant sources of greenhouse gases (eg., CO2, CH4), chemically active gases (e.g., NO, CO, HC, CH3Br), and atmospheric aerosols are produced by biomass burning. These gases influence the Earth-atmosphere system, impacting both global climate and tropospheric chemistry. Some aerosols can serve as cloud condensation nuclei, which play a role in determining cloud lifetime and precipitation, altering the earth's radiation and water budgets. Biomass burning also affects the biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen and carbon compounds; the hydrological cycle; land surface reflectivity and emissivity; and ecosystem biodiversity and stability. Two NASA initiatives, EAST-AIRE (East Asian Study of Tropospheric Aerosols: an International Regional Experiment) and BASE-ASIA (Biomass-burning Aerosols in South East-Asia: Smoke Impact Assessment) will be presented. The objectives of these initiatives is to develop a better understanding of the impacts of aerosols on regional-to-global climate, hydrological and carbon cycles, and tropospheric chemistry.

Consolidating newborn screening efforts in the Asia Pacific region : Networking and shared education.

PubMed

Padilla, Carmencita David; Therrell, Bradford L

2012-01-01

Many of the countries in the Asia Pacific Region, particularly those with depressed and developing economies, are just initiating newborn screening programs for selected metabolic and other congenital disorders. The cultural, geographic, language, and economic differences that exist throughout the region add to the challenges of developing sustainable newborn screening systems. There are currently more developing programs than developed programs within the region. Newborn screening activities in the Asia Pacific Region are particularly important since births there account for approximately half of the world's births. To date, there have been two workshops to facilitate formation of the Asia Pacific Newborn Screening Collaboratives. The 1st Workshop on Consolidating Newborn Screening Efforts in the Asia Pacific Region occurred in Cebu, Philippines, on March 30-April 1, 2008, as a satellite meeting to the 7th Asia Pacific Conference on Human Genetics. The second workshop was held on June 4-5, 2010, in Manila, Philippines. Workshop participants included key policy-makers, service providers, researchers, and consumer advocates from 11 countries with 50% or less newborn screening coverage. Expert lectures included experiences in the United States and the Netherlands, international quality assurance activities and ongoing and potential research activities. Additional meeting support was provided by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. National Newborn Screening and Genetics Resource Center, the International Society for Neonatal Screening, and the March of Dimes. As part of both meeting activities, participants shared individual experiences in program implementation with formal updates of screening information for each country. This report reviews the activities and country reports from two Workshops on Consolidating Newborn Screening Efforts in the Asia Pacific Region with emphasis on the second workshop. It also updates the literature on screening activities and implementation/expansion challenges in the participating countries.

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

Surface-Satellite Measurements for Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (SMART)and Chemical, Optical and Microphysical Measurements of In-Situ Troposphere (COMMIT) Research Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsay, Si-Chee

2004-01-01

The GSFC SMART consists of a suite of remote sensing instruments, including many commercially available radiometers, spectrometer, interferometer, and three in-house developed inskuments: micro-pulse lidar (MPL), scanning microwave radiometer (SMiR), and sun-sky-surface photometer (S(sup 3)). SMART cover the spectral range from UV to microwave, and passive to active remote sensing. This is to enrich the EOS-like research activities (i.e., EOS validation, innovative investigations, and long-term local environmental observations). During past years, SMART has been deployed in many NASA supported field campaigns to collocate with satellite nadir overpass for intercomparisons, and for initializing model simulations. Built on the successful experience of SMART, we are currently developing a new ground-based in-situ sampling package, COMMIT, including measurements of trace gases (CO, SO2, NOx, and O3,) concentrations, fine/coarse particle sizers and chemical composition, single- and three-wavelength nephelometers, and surface meteorological probes. COMMIT is built for seeking a relationship between surface in-situ measurements and boundary layer characteristics. This is to enrich EOS-like research on removing boundary layer signal from the entire column from space observation - to deduce the stable (less variability) free-troposphere observations. The COMMIT will try its best to link the chemical, microphysical, and optical properties of the boundary layer with radiation. The next major activities for SMART-COMMIT are scheduled for 2004-2006 in BASE-ASIA and EAST-AIRE. The expected close collaboration of BASE-ASIA with various research projects in Asia (i.e., ABC in South Asia, led by Ramanathan et al.; EAST-AIRE in East Asia, led by Li et al.; and APEX in Northeast Asia, led by Nakajima et al.) will definitely provide a better understanding of the impact of the biomass burning and air pollutants on regional-to-global climate, hydrological and carbon cycles, and tropospheric chemistry in Asia.

South Asia as a Reservoir for the Global Spread of Ciprofloxacin-Resistant Shigella sonnei: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Chung The, Hao; Rabaa, Maia A; Pham Thanh, Duy; De Lappe, Niall; Cormican, Martin; Valcanis, Mary; Howden, Benjamin P; Wangchuk, Sonam; Bodhidatta, Ladaporn; Mason, Carl J; Nguyen Thi Nguyen, To; Vu Thuy, Duong; Thompson, Corinne N; Phu Huong Lan, Nguyen; Voong Vinh, Phat; Ha Thanh, Tuyen; Turner, Paul; Sar, Poda; Thwaites, Guy; Thomson, Nicholas R; Holt, Kathryn E; Baker, Stephen

2016-08-01

Antimicrobial resistance is a major issue in the Shigellae, particularly as a specific multidrug-resistant (MDR) lineage of Shigella sonnei (lineage III) is becoming globally dominant. Ciprofloxacin is a recommended treatment for Shigella infections. However, ciprofloxacin-resistant S. sonnei are being increasingly isolated in Asia and sporadically reported on other continents. We hypothesized that Asia is a primary hub for the recent international spread of ciprofloxacin-resistant S. sonnei. We performed whole-genome sequencing on a collection of 60 contemporaneous ciprofloxacin-resistant S. sonnei isolated in four countries within Asia (Vietnam, n = 11; Bhutan, n = 12; Thailand, n = 1; Cambodia, n = 1) and two outside of Asia (Australia, n = 19; Ireland, n = 16). We reconstructed the recent evolutionary history of these organisms and combined these data with their geographical location of isolation. Placing these sequences into a global phylogeny, we found that all ciprofloxacin-resistant S. sonnei formed a single clade within a Central Asian expansion of lineage III. Furthermore, our data show that resistance to ciprofloxacin within S. sonnei may be globally attributed to a single clonal emergence event, encompassing sequential gyrA-S83L, parC-S80I, and gyrA-D87G mutations. Geographical data predict that South Asia is the likely primary source of these organisms, which are being regularly exported across Asia and intercontinentally into Australia, the United States and Europe. Our analysis was limited by the number of S. sonnei sequences available from diverse geographical areas and time periods, and we cannot discount the potential existence of other unsampled reservoir populations of antimicrobial-resistant S. sonnei. This study suggests that a single clone, which is widespread in South Asia, is likely driving the current intercontinental surge of ciprofloxacin-resistant S. sonnei and is capable of establishing endemic transmission in new locations. Despite being limited in geographical scope, our work has major implications for understanding the international transfer of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, with S. sonnei acting as a tractable model for studying how antimicrobial-resistant Gram-negative bacteria spread globally.

Drivers of facility deliveries in Africa and Asia: regional analyses using the demographic and health surveys.

PubMed

Diamond-Smith, Nadia; Sudhinaraset, May

2015-01-16

In the past few decades many countries have worked to increase the number of women delivering in facilities, with the goal of improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes. The purpose of this study is to explore the current situation of facility deliveries in Africa and Asia to understand where and with whom women deliver. Furthermore, we aim to test potential drivers of facility delivery at the individual, household, and community-level. Demographic and Health Survey data collected since 2003 from 43 countries in Africa and Asia is explored to understand the patterns of where women are delivering. We look at patterns by region and wealth quintile and urban/rural status. We then run a series of multi-level models looking at relationships between individual, household and community-level factors and the odds of a woman delivering in a facility. We explore this for Asia and Africa separately. We also look at correlates of delivery with a trained provider, in a public facility, in a private facility, with a doctor and in a hospital. The majority of women deliver in a facility and with a provider; however, about 20% of deliveries are still with no one or a friend/relative or alone. Rates of facility delivery are lower in Asia overall, and a greater proportion of deliveries take place in private facilities in Asia compared to Africa. Most of the individual level factors that have been found in past studies to be associated with delivering in a facility hold true for the multi-country-level analyses, and small differences exist between Asia and Africa. Women who deliver in private facilities differ from women who deliver in public facilities or at home. Most women in Africa and Asia are delivering in a facility, and drivers of facility delivery identified in smaller level or country specific studies hold true in multi-country national level data. More data and research is needed on other drivers, especially at the country-level and relating to the quality of care and maternal health complications.

South Asia as a Reservoir for the Global Spread of Ciprofloxacin-Resistant Shigella sonnei: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Pham Thanh, Duy; De Lappe, Niall; Cormican, Martin; Howden, Benjamin P.; Wangchuk, Sonam; Bodhidatta, Ladaporn; Nguyen Thi Nguyen, To; Thompson, Corinne N.; Phu Huong Lan, Nguyen; Voong Vinh, Phat; Ha Thanh, Tuyen; Turner, Paul; Sar, Poda; Thwaites, Guy; Thomson, Nicholas R.; Holt, Kathryn E.; Baker, Stephen

2016-01-01

Background Antimicrobial resistance is a major issue in the Shigellae, particularly as a specific multidrug-resistant (MDR) lineage of Shigella sonnei (lineage III) is becoming globally dominant. Ciprofloxacin is a recommended treatment for Shigella infections. However, ciprofloxacin-resistant S. sonnei are being increasingly isolated in Asia and sporadically reported on other continents. We hypothesized that Asia is a primary hub for the recent international spread of ciprofloxacin-resistant S. sonnei. Methods and Findings We performed whole-genome sequencing on a collection of 60 contemporaneous ciprofloxacin-resistant S. sonnei isolated in four countries within Asia (Vietnam, n = 11; Bhutan, n = 12; Thailand, n = 1; Cambodia, n = 1) and two outside of Asia (Australia, n = 19; Ireland, n = 16). We reconstructed the recent evolutionary history of these organisms and combined these data with their geographical location of isolation. Placing these sequences into a global phylogeny, we found that all ciprofloxacin-resistant S. sonnei formed a single clade within a Central Asian expansion of lineage III. Furthermore, our data show that resistance to ciprofloxacin within S. sonnei may be globally attributed to a single clonal emergence event, encompassing sequential gyrA-S83L, parC-S80I, and gyrA-D87G mutations. Geographical data predict that South Asia is the likely primary source of these organisms, which are being regularly exported across Asia and intercontinentally into Australia, the United States and Europe. Our analysis was limited by the number of S. sonnei sequences available from diverse geographical areas and time periods, and we cannot discount the potential existence of other unsampled reservoir populations of antimicrobial-resistant S. sonnei. Conclusions This study suggests that a single clone, which is widespread in South Asia, is likely driving the current intercontinental surge of ciprofloxacin-resistant S. sonnei and is capable of establishing endemic transmission in new locations. Despite being limited in geographical scope, our work has major implications for understanding the international transfer of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, with S. sonnei acting as a tractable model for studying how antimicrobial-resistant Gram-negative bacteria spread globally. PMID:27483136

One Health research and training and government support for One Health in South Asia.

PubMed

McKenzie, Joanna S; Dahal, Rojan; Kakkar, Manish; Debnath, Nitish; Rahman, Mahmudur; Dorjee, Sithar; Naeem, Khalid; Wijayathilaka, Tikiri; Sharma, Barun Kumar; Maidanwal, Nasir; Halimi, Asmatullah; Kim, Eunmi; Chatterjee, Pranab; Devleesschauwer, Brecht

2016-01-01

Considerable advocacy, funding, training, and technical support have been provided to South Asian countries to strengthen One Health (OH) collaborative approaches for controlling diseases with global human pandemic potential since the early 2000s. It is essential that the OH approach continues to be strengthened given South Asia is a hot spot for emerging and endemic zoonotic diseases. The objectives of this article are to describe OH research and training and capacity building activities and the important developments in government support for OH in these countries to identify current achievements and gaps. A landscape analysis of OH research, training, and government support in South Asia was generated by searching peer-reviewed and grey literature for OH research publications and reports, a questionnaire survey of people potentially engaged in OH research in South Asia and the authors' professional networks. Only a small proportion of zoonotic disease research conducted in South Asia can be described as truly OH, with a significant lack of OH policy-relevant research. A small number of multisectoral OH research and OH capacity building programmes were conducted in the region. The governments of Bangladesh and Bhutan have established operational OH strategies, with variable progress institutionalising OH in other countries. Identified gaps were a lack of useful scientific information and of a collaborative culture for formulating and implementing integrated zoonotic disease control policies and the need for ongoing support for transdisciplinary OH research and policy-relevant capacity building programmes. Overall we found a very small number of truly OH research and capacity building programmes in South Asia. Even though significant progress has been made in institutionalising OH in some South Asian countries, further behavioural, attitudinal, and institutional changes are required to strengthen OH research and training and implementation of sustainably effective integrated zoonotic disease control policies.

Alzheimer's disease with cerebrovascular disease: current status in the Asia-Pacific region.

PubMed

Chen, C; Homma, A; Mok, V C T; Krishnamoorthy, E; Alladi, S; Meguro, K; Abe, K; Dominguez, J; Marasigan, S; Kandiah, N; Kim, S Y; Lee, D Y; De Silva, H A; Yang, Y-H; Pai, M-C; Senanarong, V; Dash, A

2016-10-01

There is growing awareness of the coexistence of Alzheimer's disease and cerebrovascular disease (AD+CVD), however, due to lack of well-defined criteria and treatment guidelines AD+CVD may be underdiagnosed in Asia. Sixteen dementia specialists from nine Asia Pacific countries completed a survey in September 2014 and met in November 2014 to review the epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of AD+CVD in Asia. A consensus was reached by discussion, with evidence provided by published studies when available. AD accounts for up to 60% and AD+CVD accounts for 10-20% of all dementia cases in Asia. The reasons for underdiagnosis of AD+CVD include lack of awareness as a result of a lack of diagnostic criteria, misdiagnosis as vascular dementia or AD, lack of diagnostic facilities, resource constraints and cost of investigations. There is variability in the tools used to diagnose AD+CVD in clinical practice. Diagnosis of AD+CVD should be performed in a stepwise manner of clinical evaluation followed by neuroimaging. Dementia patients should be assessed for cognition, behavioural and psychological symptoms, functional staging and instrumental activities of daily living. Neuroimaging should be performed using computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. The treatment goals are to stabilize or slow progression as well as to reduce behavioural and psychological symptoms, improve quality of life and reduce disease burden. First-line therapy is usually an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor such as donepezil. AD+CVD is likely to be under-recognised in Asia. Further research is needed to establish the true prevalence of this treatable and potentially preventable disease. © 2016 The Association for the Publication of the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Phylogeography of the Small Indian Civet and Origin of Introductions to Western Indian Ocean Islands.

PubMed

Gaubert, Philippe; Patel, Riddhi P; Veron, Géraldine; Goodman, Steven M; Willsch, Maraike; Vasconcelos, Raquel; Lourenço, André; Sigaud, Marie; Justy, Fabienne; Joshi, Bheem Dutt; Fickel, Jörns; Wilting, Andreas

2017-05-01

The biogeographic dynamics affecting the Indian subcontinent, East and Southeast Asia during the Plio-Pleistocene has generated complex biodiversity patterns. We assessed the molecular biogeography of the small Indian civet (Viverricula indica) through mitogenome and cytochrome b + control region sequencing of 89 historical and modern samples to (1) establish a time-calibrated phylogeography across the species' native range and (2) test introduction scenarios to western Indian Ocean islands. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses identified 3 geographic lineages (East Asia, sister-group to Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent + northern Indochina) diverging 3.2-2.3 million years ago (Mya), with no clear signature of past demographic expansion. Within Southeast Asia, Balinese populations separated from the rest 2.6-1.3 Mya. Western Indian Ocean populations were assigned to the Indian subcontinent + northern Indochina lineage and had the lowest mitochondrial diversity. Approximate Bayesian computation did not distinguish between single versus multiple introduction scenarios. The early diversification of the small Indian civet was likely shaped by humid periods in the Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene that created evergreen rainforest barriers, generating areas of intra-specific endemism in the Indian subcontinent, East, and Southeast Asia. Later, Pleistocene dispersals through drier conditions in South and Southeast Asia were likely, giving rise to the species' current natural distribution. Our molecular data supported the delineation of only 4 subspecies in V. indica, including an endemic Balinese lineage. Our study also highlighted the influence of prefirst millennium AD introductions to western Indian Ocean islands, with Indian and/or Arab traders probably introducing the species for its civet oil. © The American Genetic Association 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Is Chytridiomycosis an Emerging Infectious Disease in Asia?

PubMed Central

Swei, Andrea; Rowley, Jodi J. L.; Rödder, Dennis; Diesmos, Mae L. L.; Diesmos, Arvin C.; Briggs, Cheryl J.; Brown, Rafe; Cao, Trung Tien; Cheng, Tina L.; Chong, Rebecca A.; Han, Ben; Hero, Jean-Marc; Hoang, Huy Duc; Kusrini, Mirza D.; Le, Duong Thi Thuy; McGuire, Jimmy A.; Meegaskumbura, Madhava; Min, Mi-Sook; Mulcahy, Daniel G.; Neang, Thy; Phimmachak, Somphouthone; Rao, Ding-Qi; Reeder, Natalie M.; Schoville, Sean D.; Sivongxay, Niane; Srei, Narin; Stöck, Matthias; Stuart, Bryan L.; Torres, Lilia S.; Tran, Dao Thi Anh; Tunstall, Tate S.; Vieites, David; Vredenburg, Vance T.

2011-01-01

The disease chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has caused dramatic amphibian population declines and extinctions in Australia, Central and North America, and Europe. Bd is associated with >200 species extinctions of amphibians, but not all species that become infected are susceptible to the disease. Specifically, Bd has rapidly emerged in some areas of the world, such as in Australia, USA, and throughout Central and South America, causing population and species collapse. The mechanism behind the rapid global emergence of the disease is poorly understood, in part due to an incomplete picture of the global distribution of Bd. At present, there is a considerable amount of geographic bias in survey effort for Bd, with Asia being the most neglected continent. To date, Bd surveys have been published for few Asian countries, and infected amphibians have been reported only from Indonesia, South Korea, China and Japan. Thus far, there have been no substantiated reports of enigmatic or suspected disease-caused population declines of the kind that has been attributed to Bd in other areas. In order to gain a more detailed picture of the distribution of Bd in Asia, we undertook a widespread, opportunistic survey of over 3,000 amphibians for Bd throughout Asia and adjoining Papua New Guinea. Survey sites spanned 15 countries, approximately 36° latitude, 111° longitude, and over 2000 m in elevation. Bd prevalence was very low throughout our survey area (2.35% overall) and infected animals were not clumped as would be expected in epizootic events. This suggests that Bd is either newly emerging in Asia, endemic at low prevalence, or that some other ecological factor is preventing Bd from fully invading Asian amphibians. The current observed pattern in Asia differs from that in many other parts of the world. PMID:21887238

Comparisons of guardianship laws and surrogate decision-making practices in China, Japan, Thailand and Australia: a review by the Asia Consortium, International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA) capacity taskforce.

PubMed

Tsoh, Joshua; Peisah, Carmelle; Narumoto, Jin; Wongpakaran, Nahathai; Wongpakaran, Tinakon; O'Neill, Nick; Jiang, Tao; Ogano, Shoichi; Mimura, Masaru; Kato, Yuka; Chiu, Helen

2015-06-01

The International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA) capacity taskforce was established to promote the autonomy, proper access to care, and dignity of persons with decision-making disabilities (DMDs) across nations. The Asia Consortium of the taskforce was established to pursue these goals in the Asia-Pacific region. This paper is part of the Asia Consortium's initiative to promote understanding and advocacy in regard to surrogate decision-making across the region. The current guardianship laws are compared, and jurisdictional variations in the processes for proxy decision-making to support persons with DMDs and other health and social needs in China, Japan, Thailand, and Australia are explored. The different Asia-Pacific countries have various proxy decision-making mechanisms in place for persons with DMDs, which are both formalized according to common law, civil law, and other legislation, and shaped by cultural practices. Various processes for guardianship and mechanisms for medical decision-making and asset management exist across the region. Processes that are still evolving across the region include those that facilitate advanced planning as a result of the paucity of legal structures for enduring powers of attorney (EPA) and guardianship in some regions, and the struggle to achieve consensual positions in regard to end-of-life decision-making. Formal processes for supporting decision-making are yet to be developed. The diverse legal approaches to guardianship and administration must be understood to meet the challenges of the rapidly ageing population in the Asia-Pacific region. Commonalities in the solutions and difficulties faced in encountering these challenges have global significance.

Birth cohorts in Asia: The importance, advantages, and disadvantages of different-sized cohorts.

PubMed

Kishi, Reiko; Araki, Atsuko; Minatoya, Machiko; Itoh, Sachiko; Goudarzi, Houman; Miyashita, Chihiro

2018-02-15

Asia contains half of the world's children, and the countries of Asia are the most rapidly industrializing nations on the globe. Environmental threats to the health of children in Asia are myriad. Several birth cohorts were started in Asia in early 2000, and currently more than 30 cohorts in 13 countries have been established for study. Cohorts can contain from approximately 100-200 to 20,000-30,000 participants. Furthermore, national cohorts targeting over 100,000 participants have been launched in Japan and Korea. The aim of this manuscript is to discuss the importance of Asian cohorts, and the advantages and disadvantages of different-sized cohorts. As for case, one small-sized (n=514) cohort indicate that even relatively low level exposure to dioxin in utero could alter birth size, neurodevelopment, and immune and hormonal functions. Several Asian cohorts focus prenatal exposure to perfluoroalkyo substances and reported associations with birth size, thyroid hormone levels, allergies and neurodevelopment. Inconsistent findings may possibly be explained by the differences in exposure levels and target chemicals, and by possible statistical errors. In a smaller cohort, novel hypotheses or preliminary examinations are more easily verifiable. In larger cohorts, the etiology of rare diseases, such as birth defects, can be analyzed; however, they require a large cost and significant human resources. Therefore, conducting studies in only one large cohort may not always be the best strategy. International collaborations, such as the Birth Cohort Consortium of Asia, would cover the inherent limitation of sample size in addition to heterogeneity of exposure, ethnicity, and socioeconomic conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rice crop growth and outlook monitoring using SAR in Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamamoto, K.; Sobue, S.; Oyoshi, K.; Ikehata, Y.

2016-12-01

The Asia-RiCE initiative (http://www.asia-rice.org) has been organized to enhance rice production estimates through the use of Earth observation satellites data, and seeks to ensure that Asian rice crops are appropriately represented within GEO Global Agriculture Monitoring (GEO-GLAM) to support FAO Agriculture Market Information System (FAO-AMIS). Asia-RiCE is composed of national teams that are actively contributing to the Crop Monitor for AMIS and developing technical demonstrations of rice crop monitoring activities using both Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data (Radarsat-2 from 2013; Sentinel-1 and ALOS-2 from 2015; TerraSAR-X, Cosmo-SkyMed, RISAT, and others) and optical imagery (such as from MODIS, SPOT-5, Landsat, and Sentinel-2) for 100x100km Technical Demonstration Sites (TDS) as a phase 1 (2013-2015) in Asia. with satellite -based cultivated area and growing stage map. The Asia-RiCE teams are also developing satellite-based agro-met information for rice crop outlook, crop calendars and damage assessment in cooperation with ASEAN food security information system (AFSIS) for selected countries (currently Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippine, and Japan; http://www.afsisnc.org/blog), using JAXA's Satellite-based MonItoring Network system as a contribution to the FAO AMIS outlook (JASMIN) with University of Tokyo (http://suzaku.eorc.jaxa.jp/cgi-bin/gcomw/jasm/jasm_top.cgi). Because of continous El Nino in South East Asia, there are less precipitation and rain fall pattern change in South East Asia, crop pattern has been changed and production may be decreased, especially for dry season crop. JAXA provides drought index (KBDI) and accumulated precipitation of Tak province, Thailand where main reservior is located, to AFSIS and national experts to assess rice crop outlook and NDVI time seriese to Ang Tong province where is main rice production area in downstream area of that reservior.From 2016 as a phase 2, Asia-RiCE initiative deploy up-scaling activity from a province (100x100km) to major crop areas or entire country to implement operational use for rice crop production information in low Mekong, Vietnam and top 10 provinces in Indonesia using space based technology. This paper reports this year activity of 2016 accomplishment and way forward.

A current review of high speed railways experiences in Asia and Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purba, Aleksander; Nakamura, Fumihiko; Dwsbu, Chatarina Niken; Jafri, Muhammad; Pratomo, Priyo

2017-11-01

High-Speed Railways (HSR) is currently regarded as one of the most significant technological breakthroughs in passenger transportation developed in the second half of the 20th century. At the beginning of 2008, there were about 10,000 kilometers of new high-speed lines in operation in Asia and Europe regions to provide high-speed services to passengers willing to pay for lower travel time and quality improvement in rail transport. And since 2010, HSR itself has received a great deal of attention in Indonesia. Some transportation analysts contend that Indonesia, particularly Java and Sumatera islands need a high-speed rail network to be economically competitive with countries in Asia and Europe. On April 2016, Indonesia-China consortium Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC) signed an engineering, procurement, and construction contract to build the HSR with a consortium of seven companies called the High-Speed Railway Contractor Consortium. The HSR is expected to debut by May 2019, offering a 45-minute trip covering a roughly 150 km route. However, building, maintaining and operating HSR line is expensive; it involves a significant amount of sunk costs and may substantially compromise both the transport policy of a country and the development of its transport sector for decades. The main objective of this paper is to discuss some characteristics of the HSR services from an economic viewpoint, while simultaneously developing an empirical framework that should help us to understand, in more detail, the factors determining the success of the HSR as transport alternative based on current experiences of selected Asian and European countries.

Global burden, distribution and prevention of β-thalassemias and hemoglobin E disorders.

PubMed

Colah, Roshan; Gorakshakar, Ajit; Nadkarni, Anita

2010-02-01

The β-thalassemias, including the hemoglobin E disorders, are not only common in the Mediterranean region, South-East Asia, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East but have now become a global problem, spreading to much of Europe, the Americas and Australia owing to migration of people from these regions. Approximately 1.5% of the global population are heterozygotes or carriers of the β-thalassemias. While the overall frequencies of carriers of these disorders are known in most countries, there have been few attempts at micromapping and wherever this has been done, significant variations are seen even within small geographic regions. Thus, the figures for the estimated numbers of births each year of homozygous β-thalassemia and the severe compound states involving other hemoglobin disorders may be an underestimate. Screening strategies have varied from premarital to antenatal in different countries depending on socio-cultural and religious customs in different populations. Prenatal diagnosis programs are ongoing in many countries and the knowledge of the distribution of mutations has facilitated the establishment of successful control programs. Many of these were through North-South partnerships and networking. Yet, there are many countries in Asia where they are lacking, and South-South partnerships are now being developed in South-East Asia and the Indian subcontinent to link centers with expertise to centers where expertise needs to be developed. Although the carrier frequencies will remain unaltered, this will eventually help to bring down the burden of the birth of affected children with β-thalassemias and hemoglobin E disorders in Asia.

Epidemiology and control of echinococcosis in central Asia, with particular reference to the People's Republic of China.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenbao; Zhang, Zhuangzhi; Wu, Weiping; Shi, Baoxin; Li, Jun; Zhou, Xiaonong; Wen, Hao; McManus, Donald P

2015-01-01

At least 270 million people (58% of the total population) are at risk of cystic echinococcosis (CE) in Central Asia including areas of Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and western China. The annual surgical incidence rate in Uzbekistan and Tadjikistan has been estimated to be as high as 25-27 cases/100,000 with the highest prevalence reaching 10% (range from 0.8 to 11.9%) in some Tibetan communities in western China. Echinococcus transmission in the region is largely associated with social factors including limited community knowledge of echinococcosis, small-scale household animal production, home killing of livestock, and the feeding of dogs with uncooked offal. Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is also endemic in Central Asia and is recognized as a major problem in some Tibetan communities with up to 6% of villagers infected in some villages. In western China, 5-30% of the population are seropositive against E. granulosus antigens, indicating that a large number of individuals have been exposed to the parasite. Although echinococcosis control programs have been initiated in some countries in Central Asia, control efforts are generally fragmented and uncoordinated. Monthly deworming of dogs with praziquantel (PZQ), as a key measure to control the Echinococcus parasites, has been used in western China. However, the approach has proven difficult in local semi-nomadic communities. Additional control measures including health education, domestic livestock animal treatment/vaccination and dog vaccination are needed in CE-endemic areas to accelerate progress. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Regional diversity on the timing for the initial appearance of cereal cultivation and domestication in southwest Asia.

PubMed

Arranz-Otaegui, Amaia; Colledge, Sue; Zapata, Lydia; Teira-Mayolini, Luis Cesar; Ibáñez, Juan José

2016-12-06

Recent studies have broadened our knowledge regarding the origins of agriculture in southwest Asia by highlighting the multiregional and protracted nature of plant domestication. However, there have been few archaeobotanical data to examine whether the early adoption of wild cereal cultivation and the subsequent appearance of domesticated-type cereals occurred in parallel across southwest Asia, or if chronological differences existed between regions. The evaluation of the available archaeobotanical evidence indicates that during Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) cultivation of wild cereal species was common in regions such as the southern-central Levant and the Upper Euphrates area, but the plant-based subsistence in the eastern Fertile Crescent (southeast Turkey, Iran, and Iraq) focused on the exploitation of plants such as legumes, goatgrass, fruits, and nuts. Around 10.7-10.2 ka Cal BP (early Pre-Pottery Neolithic B), the predominant exploitation of cereals continued in the southern-central Levant and is correlated with the appearance of significant proportions (∼30%) of domesticated-type cereal chaff in the archaeobotanical record. In the eastern Fertile Crescent exploitation of legumes, fruits, nuts, and grasses continued, and in the Euphrates legumes predominated. In these two regions domesticated-type cereal chaff (>10%) is not identified until the middle and late Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (10.2-8.3 ka Cal BP). We propose that the cultivation of wild and domesticated cereals developed at different times across southwest Asia and was conditioned by the regionally diverse plant-based subsistence strategies adopted by Pre-Pottery Neolithic groups.

Levels of trace elements, methylmercury and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in foraging green turtles in the South China region and their conservation implications.

PubMed

Ng, Connie Ka Yan; Lam, James Chung Wah; Zhang, Xiao Hua; Gu, He Xiang; Li, Tsung Hsien; Ye, Min Bin; Xia, Zhong Rong; Zhang, Fei Yan; Duan, Jin Xia; Wang, Wen Xiong; Lam, Isaac Kam Sum; Balazs, George H; Lam, Paul K S; Murphy, Margaret B

2018-03-01

Sea turtles are globally endangered and face daily anthropogenic threats, including pollution. However, there is a lack of ecotoxicological information on sea turtles, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. This study aims to determine pollutant levels of foraging green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in South China, including Hong Kong, Guangdong and Taiwan, as a basis for their conservation. Scute, liver and muscle tissues of stranded green turtles were analysed for levels of 17 trace elements and methylmercury (MeHg) (n = 86 for scute and n = 14 for liver) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) (n = 11 for muscle and n = 13 for liver). Ten-fold higher levels of Pb, Ba, V and Tl and 40-fold greater Cd levels were measured in green turtle livers in South China relative to other studies conducted over 10 years ago. Measured PBDE levels were also 27-fold and 50-fold greater than those reported in Australia and Japan. These results warrant further investigation of potential toxicological risks to green turtles in South China and their source rookeries in Malaysia, Micronesia, Indonesia, Marshall Islands, Japan and Taiwan. Research should target monitoring pollutant levels in sea turtles within the West Pacific/Southeast Asia regional management unit spanning East Asia to Southeast Asia to fill in knowledge gaps, in particular in areas such as Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines where less or no data is available and where foraging grounds of sea turtles have been identified. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regional diversity on the timing for the initial appearance of cereal cultivation and domestication in southwest Asia

PubMed Central

Arranz-Otaegui, Amaia; Colledge, Sue; Zapata, Lydia; Teira-Mayolini, Luis Cesar; Ibáñez, Juan José

2016-01-01

Recent studies have broadened our knowledge regarding the origins of agriculture in southwest Asia by highlighting the multiregional and protracted nature of plant domestication. However, there have been few archaeobotanical data to examine whether the early adoption of wild cereal cultivation and the subsequent appearance of domesticated-type cereals occurred in parallel across southwest Asia, or if chronological differences existed between regions. The evaluation of the available archaeobotanical evidence indicates that during Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) cultivation of wild cereal species was common in regions such as the southern-central Levant and the Upper Euphrates area, but the plant-based subsistence in the eastern Fertile Crescent (southeast Turkey, Iran, and Iraq) focused on the exploitation of plants such as legumes, goatgrass, fruits, and nuts. Around 10.7–10.2 ka Cal BP (early Pre-Pottery Neolithic B), the predominant exploitation of cereals continued in the southern-central Levant and is correlated with the appearance of significant proportions (∼30%) of domesticated-type cereal chaff in the archaeobotanical record. In the eastern Fertile Crescent exploitation of legumes, fruits, nuts, and grasses continued, and in the Euphrates legumes predominated. In these two regions domesticated-type cereal chaff (>10%) is not identified until the middle and late Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (10.2–8.3 ka Cal BP). We propose that the cultivation of wild and domesticated cereals developed at different times across southwest Asia and was conditioned by the regionally diverse plant-based subsistence strategies adopted by Pre-Pottery Neolithic groups. PMID:27930348

Modeling Commercial Freshwater Turtle Production on US Farms for Pet and Meat Markets

PubMed Central

Mali, Ivana; Wang, Hsiao-Hsuan; Grant, William E.; Feldman, Mark; Forstner, Michael R. J.

2015-01-01

Freshwater turtles are being exploited for meat, eggs, traditional medicine, and pet trade. As a response, turtle farming became a booming aquaculture industry in the past two decades, specifically in the southeastern states of the United States of America (US) and across Southeast Asia. However, US turtle farms are currently producing turtles only for the pet trade while commercial trappers remain focused on catching the largest individuals from the wild. In our analyses we have created a biological and economic model that describes farming operations on a representative turtle farm in Louisiana. We first modeled current production of hatchling and yearling red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans) (i.e., traditional farming) for foreign and domestic pet markets, respectively. We tested the possibility of harvesting adult turtles from the breeding stock for sale to meat markets to enable alternative markets for the farmers, while decreasing the continued pressures on wild populations (i.e., non-traditional farming). Our economic model required current profit requirements of ~$13/turtle or ~$20.31/kg of meat from non-traditional farming in order to acquire the same profit as traditional farming, a value which currently exceeds market values of red-eared sliders. However, increasing competition with Asian turtle farms and decreasing hatchling prices may force the shift in the US toward producing turtles for meat markets. In addition, our model can be modified and applied to more desirable species on the meat market once more knowledge is acquired about species life histories and space requirements under farmed conditions. PMID:26407157

Modeling Commercial Freshwater Turtle Production on US Farms for Pet and Meat Markets.

PubMed

Mali, Ivana; Wang, Hsiao-Hsuan; Grant, William E; Feldman, Mark; Forstner, Michael R J

2015-01-01

Freshwater turtles are being exploited for meat, eggs, traditional medicine, and pet trade. As a response, turtle farming became a booming aquaculture industry in the past two decades, specifically in the southeastern states of the United States of America (US) and across Southeast Asia. However, US turtle farms are currently producing turtles only for the pet trade while commercial trappers remain focused on catching the largest individuals from the wild. In our analyses we have created a biological and economic model that describes farming operations on a representative turtle farm in Louisiana. We first modeled current production of hatchling and yearling red-eared slider turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans) (i.e., traditional farming) for foreign and domestic pet markets, respectively. We tested the possibility of harvesting adult turtles from the breeding stock for sale to meat markets to enable alternative markets for the farmers, while decreasing the continued pressures on wild populations (i.e., non-traditional farming). Our economic model required current profit requirements of ~$13/turtle or ~$20.31/kg of meat from non-traditional farming in order to acquire the same profit as traditional farming, a value which currently exceeds market values of red-eared sliders. However, increasing competition with Asian turtle farms and decreasing hatchling prices may force the shift in the US toward producing turtles for meat markets. In addition, our model can be modified and applied to more desirable species on the meat market once more knowledge is acquired about species life histories and space requirements under farmed conditions.

Alcohol brief interventions practice following training for multidisciplinary health and social care teams: a qualitative interview study.

PubMed

Fitzgerald, Niamh; Molloy, Heather; MacDonald, Fiona; McCambridge, Jim

2015-03-01

Few studies of the implementation of alcohol brief interventions (ABI) have been conducted in community settings such as mental health, social work and criminal justice teams. This qualitative interview study sought to explore the impact of training on ABI delivery by staff from a variety of such teams. Fifteen semi-structured telephone interviews were carried out with trained practitioners and with managers to explore the use of, perceived need for and approaches to ABI delivery and recording with clients, and compatibility of ABIs with current practice. Interviews were analysed thematically using an inductive approach. Very few practitioners reported delivery of any ABIs following training primarily because they felt ABIs to be inappropriate for their clients. According to practitioners, this was either because they drank too much or too little to benefit. Practitioners reported a range of current activities relating to alcohol, and some felt that their knowledge and confidence were improved following training. One practitioner reported ABI delivery and was considered a training success, while expectations of ABIs did not fit with current practice including assessment procedures for the remainder. Identified barriers to ABI delivery included issues relating to individual practitioners, their teams, current practice and the ABI model. They are likely to be best addressed by strategic team- and setting-specific approaches to implementation, of which training is only one part. © 2014 The Authors. Drug and Alcohol Review published by Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Mechanical circulatory support and heart transplantation in the Asia Pacific region.

PubMed

Sivathasan, Cumaraswamy; Lim, Choon Pin; Kerk, Ka Lee; Sim, David K L; Mehra, Mandeep R

2017-01-01

Globalization has resulted in epidemiologic transition in developing countries from infectious disease and nutritional deficiencies to non-communicable diseases. Epidemiologic data on heart failure (HF), particularly advanced HF therapy, in Asia are increasingly becoming available, although they remain sparse. Heart transplantation for advanced stage HF remains very low in Asia-approximately 0.075 heart transplants per 1 million population. North America, which comprises 7.5% of the world population, accounted for 55.8% of transplants recorded in the 2012 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) Registry, whereas Asia, with 62.5% of the world population, accounted for 5.7% of transplants. There is also lack of reporting from heart transplant centers in Asia to the ISHLT Registry. Most transplant programs in Asia are in economically stable South East Asian countries, whereas in other parts of developing countries, the cost and health care infrastructures remain prohibitive for the development of these programs. Multi-cultural and racial factors, religious beliefs, and diverse traditions of many centuries have resulted in reluctance to organ donation. Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) is emerging as a viable alternative to transplantation, but despite technical capabilities, limitations in embracing MCS in Asia exist. Discrepant practices in the reimbursement of costly MCS therapy have led to differences in the availability of these devices to patients in the region. The HeartMate II (St. Jude Medical, Inc, St. Paul, MN) left ventricular assist device is currently the most widely used durable device in Asia, whereas the HeartWare HVAD (HeartWare, Inc, Framingham, MA) is used most often in Australia. By September 9, 2015, 341 HeartMate implants (293 as bridge to transplant and 48 as destination therapy) had been performed, of which 180 implants were in Japan. The overall 4-year survival is 88%. The longest duration of support is 6.5 years. By the end of 2015, 243 HeartWare HVADs had been implanted in Asia Pacific. There is a need for focused efforts at improving the reporting of data and intensifying health policy within the region to advocate organ transplantation. Individual governments need to take national responsibility to fulfill organ donation and transplantation needs of their populations. International collaboratives, coordinated by societies such as the ISHLT, will be essential in moving this field forward in Asia Pacific. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Current Research in Southeast Asia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beh, Yolanda

1992-01-01

Summaries of eight language-related research projects are presented from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. Topics include a sociolinguistic profile, teacher and learner views of language lessons, Malay-accented English and employability, reading difficulties, language culture disjunction, placement interviews, and…

LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT - A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

EPA Science Inventory

Research within the field of life cycle impact assessment has greatly improved since the work of Heijungs and Guinee in 1992. Methodologies are currently available to address specific locations within North America, Europe and Asia. Internationally researchers are working togethe...

Recent international activity in cooperative vehicle-highway automation systems.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-12-01

This report summarizes the current state of the art in cooperative vehiclehighway automation systems in Europe and Asia : based on a series of meetings, demonstrations, and site visits, combined with the results of literature review. This review c...

The Impacts of Global Scale Climate Variations on Southwest Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-03-01

accurately assess the current state of the climate and attempt to project into the future, we must have a thorough understanding of the long-term...mean (LTM) conditions in the region of interest. Once we understand the LTM, we can compare the current state of the climate system to the LTM, as...climate analysis and forecasting. 3 Climate analysis, in broad terms, is diagnosing the current state of the climate system and noting departures from

Moving from data collection to application: a systematic literature review of surgical capacity assessments and their applications.

PubMed

Carlson, Lucas C; Lin, Joseph A; Ameh, Emmanuel A; Mulwafu, Wakisa; Donkor, Peter; Derbew, Miliard; Rodas, Edgar; Mkandawire, Nyengo C; Dhanaraj, Mitra; Yangni-Angate, Herve; Sani, Rachid; Labib, Mohamed; Barbero, Roxana; Clarke, Damian; Smith, Martin D; Sherman, Lawrence; Mutyaba, Frederick A; Alexander, Philip; Hadley, Larry G P; VanRooyen, Michael J; Kushner, Adam L

2015-04-01

Over the past decade, assessments of surgical capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have contributed to our understanding of barriers to the delivery of surgical services in a number of countries. It is yet unclear, however, how the findings of these assessments have been applied and built upon within the published literature. A systematic literature review of surgical capacity assessments in LMICs was performed to evaluate current levels of understanding of global surgical capacity and to identify areas for future study. A reverse snowballing method was then used to follow-up citations of the identified studies to assess how this research has been applied and built upon in the literature. Twenty-one papers reporting the findings of surgical capacity assessments conducted in 17 different LMICs in South Asia, East Asia and Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa were identified. These studies documented substantial deficits in human resources, infrastructure, equipment, and supplies. Only seven additional papers were identified which applied or built upon the studies. Among these, capacity assessment findings were most commonly used to develop novel tools and intervention strategies, but they were also used as baseline measurements against which updated capacity assessments were compared. While the global surgery community has made tremendous progress in establishing baseline values of surgical capacity in LMICs around the world, further work is necessary to build upon and apply the foundational knowledge established through these efforts. Capacity assessment data should be coordinated and used in ongoing research efforts to monitor and evaluate progress in global surgery and to develop targeted intervention strategies. Intervention strategy development may also be further incorporated into the evaluation process itself.

Do Cancer Patients Prefer to Know the Diagnosis? A Descriptive Study Among Iranian Patients.

PubMed

Samimi Ardestani, Seyed Mehdi; Faridhosseini, Farhad; Shirkhani, Fatemeh; Karamad, Ardeshir; Farid, Layla; Fayyazi Bordbar, Mohammad Reza; Motlagh, Ali

2015-12-01

There are important differences regarding cancer disclosure in various geographical populations (Europeans, Western Asia, Eastern Asia), depending on multiple sociocultural factors, and therefore, there is no standard protocol on this issue, especially in Iran. To evaluate the amount of information that Iranian patients have and their preference for the disclosure of the cancer diagnosis. In this cross sectional descriptive research, patients admitted in the oncology departments of 3 referral medical centers, Imam Hussein, Shohada-e-Tajrish and Modarres, in Tehran, from March 2007 to April 2008, were questioned about their awareness and knowledge regarding their diagnosis. Two different structured questionnaires were designed for the people who know and who didn't know their diagnosis. For the former, the survey concerned their psychological reactions to their situations, whether they would prefer to know about their diagnosis and by whom they are preferred to be informed .For the latter, the questionnaire included their preference whether to know the diagnosis and their current emotional state. Descriptive statistics and chi square test was applied to analyze gathering Data, using SPSS version 14. 60.3% of the patients knew their diagnosis. Among the subjects who did not know their diagnosis, 88% preferred to be more informed about their diagnosis and 68% had some psychological reaction to their situations. Among the subjects who knew their diagnosis, 92.1 % preferred to know their diagnosis, 73.6% preferred to be informed directly by their physicians. Following the diagnostic disclosure, 81.5% reported that they had felt nervous, anxious and worried. The majority of Iranian patients with malignancy want to know the truth and they prefer to be informed directly by their doctors.

Nong Thale Pron - a key site from southern Thailand for studying monsoon variability during the past 15000 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bredberg, Camilla; Chawchai, Sakonvan; Chabangborn, Akkaneewut; Kylander, Malin; Fritz, Sherilyn; Reimer, Paula J.; Wohlfarth, Barbara

2014-05-01

Studies of marine sediments, cave speleothemes, annually laminated corals, and tree rings from Asian monsoon regions have added knowledge to our understanding of the factors that control inter-annual to millennial monsoon variability in the past and have provided important constraints for climate modeling scenarios. In contrast, the spatial and temporal pattern of sub-millennial scale monsoon variability and its impact on land cover in SE Asia are still unresolved. This shortcoming stems from the fact that temporally well-resolved paleo-environmental studies are missing from large parts of SE Asia, especially from Thailand. Given that global and regional climate models are increasingly using terrestrial paleo- data to test their performance, past changes in land cover are therefore important variables to better understand feedbacks between different Earth systems. We obtained sediments from Lake Nong Thale Pron, in southern Thailand (8º 10`N, 99 º23`E; 380 m.asl). The aim of our study is to reconstruct lake status changes and to evaluate whether the extent of these changes are linked to known shifts in monsoon intensity and variability. Preliminary results show that lake infilling started more than 15,000 years ago and that the sediments cover the last deglaciation and the Holocene. Current analyses include Itrax XRF core scanning, loss-on-ignition (LOI at 950 and 550ºC), CN elemental and isotopic composition. We expect that our results will be able to give a picture of how the lake's status has changed over time and whether the extent of these changes is linked to known shifts in monsoon intensity and variability.

Unveiling the conservation biogeography of a data-deficient endangered bird species under climate change.

PubMed

Hu, Junhua; Liu, Yang

2014-01-01

It remains a challenge to identify the geographical patterns and underlying environmental associations of species with unique ecological niches and distinct behaviors. This in turn hinders our understanding of the ecology as well as effective conservation management of threatened species. The white-eared night heron (Gorsachius magnificus) is a non-migratory nocturnal bird species that has a patchy distribution in the mountainous forests of East Asia. It is currently categorized as "Endangered" on the IUCN Red List, primarily due to its restricted range and fragmented habitat. To improve our knowledge of the biogeography and conservation of this species, we modeled the geographical pattern of its suitable habitat and evaluated the potential impacts of climate change using ecological niche modeling with a maximum entropy approach implemented in Maxent. Our results indicated that the amount of suitable habitat in all of East Asia was about 130 000 km(2), which can be spatially subdivided into several mountain ranges in southern and southwestern China and northern Vietnam. The extent of suitable habitat range may shrink by more than 35% under a predicted changing climate when assuming the most pessimistic condition of dispersal, while some more suitable habitat would be available if the heron could disperse unrestrainedly. The significant future changes in habitat suitability suggested for Gorsachius magnificus urge caution in any downgrading of Red List status that may be considered. Our results also discern potentially suitable areas for future survey efforts on new populations. Overall, this study demonstrates that ecological niche modeling offers an important tool for evaluating the habitat suitability and potential impacts of climate change on an enigmatic and endangered species based on limited presence data.

Levels and trends of PBDEs and HBCDs in the global environment: status at the end of 2012.

PubMed

Law, Robin J; Covaci, Adrian; Harrad, Stuart; Herzke, Dorte; Abdallah, Mohamed A-E; Fernie, Kim; Toms, Leisa-Maree L; Takigami, Hidetaka

2014-04-01

In this paper, we have compiled and reviewed the most recent literature, published in print or online from January 2010 to December 2012, relating to the human exposure, environmental distribution, behaviour, fate and concentration time trends of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) flame retardants, in order to establish their current trends and priorities for future study. More data are now becoming available for remote areas not previously studied, Indian Ocean islands, for example. Decreasing time trends for penta-mix PBDE congeners were seen for soils in northern Europe, sewage sludge in Sweden and the USA, carp from a US river, trout from three of the Great Lakes and in Arctic and UK marine mammals and many birds, but increasing time trends continue in polar bears and some birds at high trophic levels in northern Europe. This may be partially a result of the time delay inherent in long-range atmospheric transport processes. In general, concentrations of BDE209 (the major component of the deca-mix PBDE product) are continuing to increase. Of major concern is the possible/likely debromination of the large reservoir of BDE209 in soils and sediments worldwide, to yield lower brominated congeners which are both more mobile and more toxic, and we have compiled the most recent evidence for the occurrence of this degradation process. Numerous studies reported here reinforce the importance of this future concern. Time trends for HBCDs are mixed, with both increases and decreases evident in different matrices and locations and, notably, with increasing occurrence in birds of prey. Temporal trends for both PBDEs and HBCD in Asia are unclear currently. A knowledge gap has been noted in relation to metabolism and/or debromination of BDE209 and HBCD in birds. Further monitoring of human exposure and environmental contamination in areas of e-waste recycling, particularly in Asia and Africa, is warranted. More data on temporal trends of BDE and HBCD concentrations in a variety of matrices and locations are needed before the current status of these compounds can be fully assessed, and the impact of regulation and changing usage patterns among different flame retardants determined. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatiotemporal patterns of correlation between atmospheric nitrogen dioxide and aerosols over South Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

ul-Haq, Zia; Tariq, Salman; Ali, Muhammad

2017-10-01

An accurate knowledge is needed on the complex relation between atmospheric trace gasses and aerosol variability and their sources to explain trace gases-aerosols-climate interaction and next-generation modeling of climate change and air quality. In this regard, we have used tropospheric Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and Angstrom Exponent (AE) obtained from satellite-based Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI)/Aura and Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)/Aqua over South Asia. NO2-AOD correlation with coefficient r = 0.49 is determined over the landmass of South Asia during 2005-2015. Yearly mean NO2-AOD correlation over South Asia shows large variations ranging from r = 0.32 to 0.86 in 2008 and 2009, respectively. The highest correlation ( r = 0.66) is seen over eastern regions of Bangladesh and India, as well as adjoining areas of western Myanmar mostly linked to anthropogenic activities. A significant correlation ( r = 0.59) associated with natural causes is found over some parts of Sistan region, located at the borders of Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and adjoining territory. We find significant positive correlations for monsoon and post-monsoon seasons with r = 0.50 and r = 0.61, respectively. A linear regression on the annual correlation coefficients data suggests that NO2-AOD correlation is strengthening with an increase of 12.9% over South Asia during the study period. The spatial distribution of data slopes reveals positive trends in NO2-AOD correlation over megacities Lahore, Dhaka, Mumbai and Kolkata linked to growing anthropogenic activities. Singrauli city (India) has the highest correlation ( r = 0.62) and 35% increase in correlation coefficient value per year. A negative correlation is observed for megacity Karachi ( r = -0.37) suggesting the non-commonality of NO2 and aerosols emission sources. AE has also been used to discuss its correlation with NO2 over the areas with dominance of fine-mode aerosols.

Initiators and Barriers to Discussion and Treatment of Premature Ejaculation Among Men and Their Partners in Asia Pacific - Results From a Web-based Survey.

PubMed

Lee, George; McMahon, Chris G; McCabe, Marita; Jiang, Hui; Lee, Sung Won; Lim, Peter; Jiann, Bang-Ping

2016-12-01

Premature ejaculation (PE) is one of the most prevalent yet under-reported sexual disorders. Differing sociocultural norms across the Asia-Pacific region provide unique challenges in PE management. This web-based study collected data from 5,038 men and women across 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Respondents were recruited from an existing database. The initiators and barriers for PE discussions and for seeking professional management following self-treatment, as well as their choices and expectations of healthcare professionals (HCPs). More than two-thirds of respondents have discussed PE with their partners, and men are more likely to initiate the discussion. Top drivers were for both partners to attain sexual satisfaction and greater fulfillment in the relationship. Emotional insecurity was the top barrier for men as they did not want to feel hurt or inadequate. Before consulting an HCP, more than two-thirds of men self-treated their PE for at least 20 months. The primary reason for stopping self-treatment and seeking medical management was a lack of improvement in sexual satisfaction. The ideal attributes that men seek in their HCP included trust and being knowledgeable about PE management. Attitudes and barriers to PE and its treatment in the Asia-Pacific region are poorly understood. Many men are reluctant to seek professional advice and therefore resort to self-treatment for extended periods. HCPs can play a key role to empower PE sufferers and partners to understand the prevalence, medical relevance, treatability, and negative impacts of PE on sexual and overall relationships. Greater awareness of the diverse cultural and social norms, education of both partners and HCPs, and the involvement of HCPs through a patient-centric approach are all pivotal in managing PE optimally across the Asia-Pacific region. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Suicide in Asia: opportunities and challenges.

PubMed

Chen, Ying-Yeh; Wu, Kevin Chien-Chang; Yousuf, Saman; Yip, Paul S F

2012-01-01

Asian countries account for approximately 60% of the world's suicides, but there is a great mismatch in the region between the scale of the problem and the resources available to tackle it. Despite certain commonalities, the continent itself is culturally, economically, and socially diverse. This paper reviews current epidemiologic patterns of suicide, including suicide trends, sociodemographic factors, urban/rural living, suicide methods, sociocultural religious influences, and risk and protective factors in Asia, as well as their implications. The observed epidemiologic distributions of suicides reflect complex interplays among the traditional value/culture system, rapid economic transitions under market globalization, availability/desirability of suicide methods, and sociocultural permission/prohibitions regarding suicides. In general, compared with Western countries, Asian countries still have a higher average suicide rate, lower male-to-female suicide gender ratio, and higher elderly-to-general-population suicide ratios. The role of mental illness in suicide is not as important as that in Western countries. In contrast, aggravated by access to lethal means in Asia (e.g., pesticide poisoning and jumping), acute life stress (e.g., family conflicts, job and financial security issues) plays a more important role than it does in Western countries. Some promising suicide prevention programs in Asia are illustrated. Considering the specific socioeconomic and cultural aspects of the region, community-based suicide intervention programs integrating multiple layers of intervention targets may be the most feasible and cost-effective strategy in Asia, with its populous areas and limited resources.

A 2015 roadmap for the management of hepatitis C virus infections in Asia.

PubMed

Lim, Seng Gee; Dan, Yock Young

2015-07-01

The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Asia is 0.5% to 4.7%, with three different genotypes predominating, depending on the geographic region: genotype 1b in East Asia, genotype 3 in South and Southeast Asia, and genotype 6 in Indochina. Official approval for direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) in Asia lags significantly behind that in the West, such that in most countries the mainstay of therapy is still pegylated interferon and ribavirin (PR). Because the interleukin-28B genetic variant, associated with a high sustained virologic response (SVR), is common in Asians, this treatment is still acceptable in Asian patients with HCV infections. A roadmap for HCV therapy that starts with PR and takes into account those DAAs already approved in some Asian countries can provide guidance as to the best strategies for management, particularly of genotype 1 and 3 infections, based on SVR rates. Sofosbuvir and PR are likely to be the initial therapies for genotype 1 and 3 disease, although in the former these drugs may be suboptimal in patients with cirrhosis (62% SVR) and the extension of treatment to 24 weeks may be required. For difficult to treat genotype 3 infections in treatment-experienced patients with cirrhosis, a combination of sofosbuvir and PR result in an 83% SVR and is, therefore, currently the optimal treatment regimen. Treatment failure is best avoided since data on rescue therapies for DAA failure are still incomplete.

Relevance of the Flexner Report to contemporary medical education in South Asia.

PubMed

Amin, Zubair; Burdick, William P; Supe, Avinash; Singh, Tejinder

2010-02-01

A century after the publication of Medical Education in the United States and Canada: A Report to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (the Flexner Report), the quality of medical education in much of Asia is threatened by weak regulation, inadequate public funding, and explosive growth of private medical schools. Competition for students' fees and an ineffectual accreditation process have resulted in questionable admission practices, stagnant curricula, antiquated learning methods, and dubious assessment practices. The authors' purpose is to explore the relevance of Flexner's observations, as detailed in his report, to contemporary medical education in South Asia, to analyze the consequences of growth, and to recommend pragmatic changes. Major drivers for growth are the supply-demand mismatch for medical school positions, weak governmental regulation, private sector participation, and corruption. The consequences are urban-centric growth, shortage of qualified faculty, commercialization of postgraduate education, untenable assessment practices, emphasis on rote learning, and inadequate clinical exposure. Recommendations include strengthening accreditation standards and processes possibly by introducing regional or national student assessment, developing defensible student assessment systems, recognizing health profession education as a field of scholarship, and creating a tiered approach to faculty development in education. The relevance of Flexner's recommendations to the current status of medical education in South Asia is striking, in terms of both the progressive nature of his thinking in 1910 and the need to improve medical education in Asia today. In a highly connected world, the improvement of Asian medical education will have a global impact.

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

The United States Air Force in Southeast Asia: Tactical Airlift

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-01-01

in the upper panhandle, resulted in near- disaster . Ten Air Force and eight Air America helicopters successfully inserted the two hundred- man assault...details at squadron level, and the dilemma of the leader tempering his zeal for the mission with the knowledge that one accident resulting from poor...one hundred resupply flights daily. Twenty French battalions in Laos. meanwhile, became entirely dependent on air supply as a result of fresh

Gauging the Acceptability of HIV Vaccines: An Exploratory Study Examining Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs among Injecting Drug Users in Viet Nam

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nguyen, France

2007-01-01

In contrast to other countries in Southeast Asia, the HIV/ AIDS epidemic is in the initial stages in Viet Nam, although the rates have increased notably since 1997. This study examined attitudes towards the use of an HIV vaccine (when one becomes available) as a means for preventing the disease. Since injecting drug users are the great majority of…

On the origin of mongrels: evolutionary history of free-breeding dogs in Eurasia

PubMed Central

Pilot, Małgorzata; Malewski, Tadeusz; Moura, Andre E.; Grzybowski, Tomasz; Oleński, Kamil; Ruść, Anna; Kamiński, Stanisław; Ruiz Fadel, Fernanda; Mills, Daniel S.; Alagaili, Abdulaziz N.; Mohammed, Osama B.; Kłys, Grzegorz; Okhlopkov, Innokentiy M.; Suchecka, Ewa; Bogdanowicz, Wiesław

2015-01-01

Although a large part of the global domestic dog population is free-ranging and free-breeding, knowledge of genetic diversity in these free-breeding dogs (FBDs) and their ancestry relations to pure-breed dogs is limited, and the indigenous status of FBDs in Asia is still uncertain. We analyse genome-wide SNP variability of FBDs across Eurasia, and show that they display weak genetic structure and are genetically distinct from pure-breed dogs rather than constituting an admixture of breeds. Our results suggest that modern European breeds originated locally from European FBDs. East Asian and Arctic breeds show closest affinity to East Asian FBDs, and they both represent the earliest branching lineages in the phylogeny of extant Eurasian dogs. Our biogeographic reconstruction of ancestral distributions indicates a gradual westward expansion of East Asian indigenous dogs to the Middle East and Europe through Central and West Asia, providing evidence for a major expansion that shaped the patterns of genetic differentiation in modern dogs. This expansion was probably secondary and could have led to the replacement of earlier resident populations in Western Eurasia. This could explain why earlier studies based on modern DNA suggest East Asia as the region of dog origin, while ancient DNA and archaeological data point to Western Eurasia. PMID:26631564

On the origin of mongrels: evolutionary history of free-breeding dogs in Eurasia.

PubMed

Pilot, Małgorzata; Malewski, Tadeusz; Moura, Andre E; Grzybowski, Tomasz; Oleński, Kamil; Ruść, Anna; Kamiński, Stanisław; Ruiz Fadel, Fernanda; Mills, Daniel S; Alagaili, Abdulaziz N; Mohammed, Osama B; Kłys, Grzegorz; Okhlopkov, Innokentiy M; Suchecka, Ewa; Bogdanowicz, Wiesław

2015-12-07

Although a large part of the global domestic dog population is free-ranging and free-breeding, knowledge of genetic diversity in these free-breeding dogs (FBDs) and their ancestry relations to pure-breed dogs is limited, and the indigenous status of FBDs in Asia is still uncertain. We analyse genome-wide SNP variability of FBDs across Eurasia, and show that they display weak genetic structure and are genetically distinct from pure-breed dogs rather than constituting an admixture of breeds. Our results suggest that modern European breeds originated locally from European FBDs. East Asian and Arctic breeds show closest affinity to East Asian FBDs, and they both represent the earliest branching lineages in the phylogeny of extant Eurasian dogs. Our biogeographic reconstruction of ancestral distributions indicates a gradual westward expansion of East Asian indigenous dogs to the Middle East and Europe through Central and West Asia, providing evidence for a major expansion that shaped the patterns of genetic differentiation in modern dogs. This expansion was probably secondary and could have led to the replacement of earlier resident populations in Western Eurasia. This could explain why earlier studies based on modern DNA suggest East Asia as the region of dog origin, while ancient DNA and archaeological data point to Western Eurasia. © 2015 The Author(s).

Snake Bite in South Asia: A Review

PubMed Central

Alirol, Emilie; Sharma, Sanjib Kumar; Bawaskar, Himmatrao Saluba; Kuch, Ulrich; Chappuis, François

2010-01-01

Snake bite is one of the most neglected public health issues in poor rural communities living in the tropics. Because of serious misreporting, the true worldwide burden of snake bite is not known. South Asia is the world's most heavily affected region, due to its high population density, widespread agricultural activities, numerous venomous snake species and lack of functional snake bite control programs. Despite increasing knowledge of snake venoms' composition and mode of action, good understanding of clinical features of envenoming and sufficient production of antivenom by Indian manufacturers, snake bite management remains unsatisfactory in this region. Field diagnostic tests for snake species identification do not exist and treatment mainly relies on the administration of antivenoms that do not cover all of the important venomous snakes of the region. Care-givers need better training and supervision, and national guidelines should be fed by evidence-based data generated by well-designed research studies. Poorly informed rural populations often apply inappropriate first-aid measures and vital time is lost before the victim is transported to a treatment centre, where cost of treatment can constitute an additional hurdle. The deficiency of snake bite management in South Asia is multi-causal and requires joint collaborative efforts from researchers, antivenom manufacturers, policy makers, public health authorities and international funders. PMID:20126271

Role of schools of public health on maternal and child health programmes in the Asia-Pacific region.

PubMed

Zulkifli, S N; Yun-Low, W; Yusof, K

1998-01-01

This paper assessed the role of public health schools on maternal and child health programmes in the Asia Pacific region. Economic development and its associated effects, particularly in the ASEAN countries, for example, migrant labour, ageing, environmental health, turbulence and social climate, has a tremendous impact on maternal and child health. Based on these current issues, it is evident that public health schools can play a major role in maternal and child health in terms of policy formulation and programme development. Several areas were proposed as to what schools of public health can do, namely, through networking, communication, research and training.

First records of the genus Cambalida Simon, 1909 (Araneae: Corinnidae, Castianeirinae) from Asia, with the description of two new species from India and one new combination.

PubMed

Murthappa, Prashanthakumara S; Prajapati, Dhruv A; Sankaran, Pradeep M; Sebastian, Pothalil A

2016-04-18

The hitherto Afrotropical corinnid spider genus Cambalida Simon, 1909 is recorded from Asia for the first time. Detailed morphological descriptions and genitalic illustrations of two new species, C. deorsa sp. n. and C. tuma sp. n. from India, are provided. One new combination is proposed: Cambalida flavipes (Gravely, 1931) comb. nov. The occurrence of distal femoral constrictions of III and IV legs of both male and female are recognised as additional somatic features for the genus Cambalida. The current distribution of all the three Indian Cambalida spp. is mapped.

Distribution and dynamics of mangrove forests of South Asia.

PubMed

Giri, Chandra; Long, Jordan; Abbas, Sawaid; Murali, R Mani; Qamer, Faisal M; Pengra, Bruce; Thau, David

2015-01-15

Mangrove forests in South Asia occur along the tidal sea edge of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. These forests provide important ecosystem goods and services to the region's dense coastal populations and support important functions of the biosphere. Mangroves are under threat from both natural and anthropogenic stressors; however the current status and dynamics of the region's mangroves are poorly understood. We mapped the current extent of mangrove forests in South Asia and identified mangrove forest cover change (gain and loss) from 2000 to 2012 using Landsat satellite data. We also conducted three case studies in Indus Delta (Pakistan), Goa (India), and Sundarbans (Bangladesh and India) to identify rates, patterns, and causes of change in greater spatial and thematic details compared to regional assessment of mangrove forests. Our findings revealed that the areal extent of mangrove forests in South Asia is approximately 1,187,476 ha representing ∼7% of the global total. Our results showed that from 2000 to 2012, 92,135 ha of mangroves were deforested and 80,461 ha were reforested with a net loss of 11,673 ha. In all three case studies, mangrove areas have remained the same or increased slightly, however, the turnover was greater than the net change. Both, natural and anthropogenic factors are responsible for the change and turnover. The major causes of forest cover change are similar throughout the region; however, specific factors may be dominant in specific areas. Major causes of deforestation in South Asia include (i) conversion to other land use (e.g. conversion to agriculture, shrimp farms, development, and human settlement), (ii) over-harvesting (e.g. grazing, browsing and lopping, and fishing), (iii) pollution, (iv) decline in freshwater availability, (v) floodings, (vi) reduction of silt deposition, (vii) coastal erosion, and (viii) disturbances from tropical cyclones and tsunamis. Our analysis in the region's diverse socio-economic and environmental conditions highlights complex patterns of mangrove distribution and change. Results from this study provide important insight to the conservation and management of the important and threatened South Asian mangrove ecosystem. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Languages Education in the Asia-Pacific Region: A Response to the 2011 Research Centre for Languages and Cultures RCLC Symposium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgan, Anne-Marie

2011-01-01

The Research Centre for Languages and Cultures (RCLC) at the University of South Australia hosts an annual symposium on current issues related to languages and language education. The hallmark of the RCLC symposia is that they intend to raise critical, current issues in the languages field for wider debate, include presenting cutting edge research…

Population and status of women.

PubMed

Selvaratnam, S

1988-06-01

It is difficult to determine the social status or rank of women, since no uniform indicators of status have been approved. Currently, in most Asian and Pacific countries, women make up the majority of illiterates (75% in South Asia; 70% in China), even in areas that have expanded their educational facilities. East and Southeast Asia have succeeded so far in their attempts to increase the enrollment ratios for women (90% female enrollment ratio as opposed to less than 50% in South Asia). Male-female roles seem to be entrenched in the society of all the countries. Women have benefited from an improvement in health care in East and Southeast Asia. In South Asia, female mortality is still very high. In most of the Asian and Pacific countries, female participation in the labor force is relatively low. However, this may be a misnomer, since the estimates do not include domestic workers that produce familial income. Women in the labor force seem to group into 4 major areas: professional and technical, clerical, service, and production work--all of which are usually low paying, low status jobs. Population growth in developing countries seems to have slowed the advancement of women toward greater gender equality by increasing the dependency burden and limiting social and material resources. High fertility rates among women correlate with an increase in illiteracy and a decrease in status improvement through education. Child bearing and home-making place heavy burdens on those women who marry young because of social pressures. Males are normally educated first in these larger families. The correlation of mortality conditions and female status is not currently clear. Rural-to-urban migration of the husband causes a weakening of the wife's status. Migration of some women to urban areas relieves social pressures and allows them to seek employment, but isolates others from a life with which they are familiar. Higher education of women seems to postpone marriage and child-bearing and increase their power domestically. The relationship between the participation of women in the labor force and fertility is weak. Female education correlates with better use of birth control, greater gender equality, and better child care. Female participation is seen to be necessary if population policies and development programs are to be successful. Increased female participation requires a greater gender equality then is currently seen. Education of women and increased wages through female employment, similar to the situation in Sri Lanka is an effective method of changing the social views of equality.

Knowledge of heart attack symptoms and risk factors among native Thais: a street-intercept survey method.

PubMed

Poomsrikaew, Ornwanya; Ryan, Catherine J; Zerwic, Julie J

2010-10-01

This study aimed to determine Thais' knowledge of heart attack symptoms and risk factors and whether that knowledge was related to age, gender or education. Via a street-intercept survey method, a convenience sample of people aged ≥ 35 years (n = 192) was recruited. Mean age was 47 ± 9.6 years (range 35-81), and 55.2% were female. Participants identified on average 5.6 of 9 heart attack symptoms (SD 1.8) and 5.3 of 8 heart attack risk factors (SD 2.1). However, 66.7% mistakenly thought the chest discomfort would be severe, sharp and stabbing, and many subjects erroneously selected symptoms that are actually stroke symptoms. There were no gender or educational differences in knowledge of heart attack symptoms and risk factors. Older adults recognized fewer total symptoms than did younger adults. These findings could direct health-care providers to help the Thai population differentiate symptoms of heart attack from stroke. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE, II

EPA Science Inventory

Research within the field of Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) has greatly improved since the work of Heijungs and Guinee in 1992. Methodologies are currently available to address specific locations within North America, Europe, and Asia. Internationally, researchers are work...

Current Research in Southeast Asia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beh, Yolanda

1991-01-01

Summaries of seven language-related research projects are presented from Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Topics include a lexicon of Kelabit, cognitive theory for second-language acquisition, academic writing in Filipino, cultural politics of English instruction, use of conjunctions, and communicative grammar. (LB)

Projections of Water Stress Based on an Ensemble of Socioeconomic Growth and Climate Change Scenarios: A Case Study in Asia.

PubMed

Fant, Charles; Schlosser, C Adam; Gao, Xiang; Strzepek, Kenneth; Reilly, John

2016-01-01

The sustainability of future water resources is of paramount importance and is affected by many factors, including population, wealth and climate. Inherent in current methods to estimate these factors in the future is the uncertainty of their prediction. In this study, we integrate a large ensemble of scenarios--internally consistent across economics, emissions, climate, and population--to develop a risk portfolio of water stress over a large portion of Asia that includes China, India, and Mainland Southeast Asia in a future with unconstrained emissions. We isolate the effects of socioeconomic growth from the effects of climate change in order to identify the primary drivers of stress on water resources. We find that water needs related to socioeconomic changes, which are currently small, are likely to increase considerably in the future, often overshadowing the effect of climate change on levels of water stress. As a result, there is a high risk of severe water stress in densely populated watersheds by 2050, compared to recent history. There is strong evidence to suggest that, in the absence of autonomous adaptation or societal response, a much larger portion of the region's population will live in water-stressed regions in the near future. Tools and studies such as these can effectively investigate large-scale system sensitivities and can be useful in engaging and informing decision makers.

Projections of Water Stress Based on an Ensemble of Socioeconomic Growth and Climate Change Scenarios: A Case Study in Asia

PubMed Central

Fant, Charles; Schlosser, C. Adam; Gao, Xiang; Strzepek, Kenneth; Reilly, John

2016-01-01

The sustainability of future water resources is of paramount importance and is affected by many factors, including population, wealth and climate. Inherent in current methods to estimate these factors in the future is the uncertainty of their prediction. In this study, we integrate a large ensemble of scenarios—internally consistent across economics, emissions, climate, and population—to develop a risk portfolio of water stress over a large portion of Asia that includes China, India, and Mainland Southeast Asia in a future with unconstrained emissions. We isolate the effects of socioeconomic growth from the effects of climate change in order to identify the primary drivers of stress on water resources. We find that water needs related to socioeconomic changes, which are currently small, are likely to increase considerably in the future, often overshadowing the effect of climate change on levels of water stress. As a result, there is a high risk of severe water stress in densely populated watersheds by 2050, compared to recent history. There is strong evidence to suggest that, in the absence of autonomous adaptation or societal response, a much larger portion of the region’s population will live in water-stressed regions in the near future. Tools and studies such as these can effectively investigate large-scale system sensitivities and can be useful in engaging and informing decision makers. PMID:27028871

Osmiine bees of the genus Haetosmia (Megachilidae, Osmiini): biology, taxonomy and key to species.

PubMed

Müller, Andreas; Griswold, Terry

2017-11-29

Haetosmia is a species-poor genus of osmiine bees (Megachilidae) containing six species, which inhabit deserts and semideserts from the Canary Islands to Central Asia. Formerly considered to be restricted to the southern Palaearctic region, the genus is shown here to occur also in the northern Afrotropical region. The females of all six Haetosmia species collect pollen from the narrow-tubed flowers of Heliotropium (Boraginaceae) with the aid of specialized pollen-harvesting bristles on the proboscis. Current knowledge suggests that Haetosmia species are restricted to sandy habitats, excavate their nests in the ground and use chewed leaves to construct their urn-shaped brood cells, which are placed side by side in an enlarged chamber at the end of the nesting burrow. The taxonomic revision of Haetosmia revealed the existence of two undescribed species, H. ethiopiensis spec. nov. from eastern Africa and H. pakistaniensis spec. nov. from Pakistan. Due to clear morphological gaps and overlapping distribution area with the nominotypical subspecies, H. brachyura altera (Peters 1974) is elevated to species rank. Keys for the identification of the six Haetosmia species are provided.

A New Paradigm of Primary Health Care in Kazakhstan

PubMed Central

Sharman, Almaz

2014-01-01

This paper discusses the need for change from Kazakhstan’s current disease-centric healthcare paradigm to a new primary health and wellness-centric health care paradigm, technology-driven and based on personal relationships within a social context. While many different papers have been published about the importance of prevention and primary health care, few have focused on healthcare transition in Kazakhstan or other countries in Central Asia. The WHO’s historic 1978 Alma-Ata Declaration signed in Kazakhstan promoted the centrality of primary care to the provision of effective, efficient, and equitable health services. Modern technologies such as the Internet, social media, and portable medical devices democratize medicine, providing great opportunities to rethink the Alma-Ata Declaration and reinvent primary health care on an entirely new platform that is knowledge-based and technology-assisted. The new paradigm suggested for the future development of health in Central Asian region emphasizes personal relationships and encourages sustainable solutions created by communities. This paper also introduces HealthCity, a new project in Kazakhstan aiming at introducing private, community-based and standardized primary healthcare that is driven by SmartHealth innovative technology. PMID:29755891

Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans and the risk of a second amphibian pandemic

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yap, Tiffany A.; Nguyen, Natalie T.; Serr, Megan; Shepak, Alex; Vredenburg, Vance

2017-01-01

Amphibians are experiencing devastating population declines globally. A major driver is chytridiomycosis, an emerging infectious disease caused by the fungal pathogens Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal). Bdwas described in 1999 and has been linked with declines since the 1970s, while Bsal is a more recently discovered pathogen that was described in 2013. It is hypothesized that Bsaloriginated in Asia and spread via international trade to Europe, where it has been linked to salamander die-offs. Trade in live amphibians thus represents a significant threat to global biodiversity in amphibians. We review the current state of knowledge regarding Bsal and describe the risk of Bsal spread. We discuss regional responses to Bsal and barriers that impede a rapid, coordinated global effort. The discovery of a second deadly emerging chytrid fungal pathogen in amphibians poses an opportunity for scientists, conservationists, and governments to improve global biosecurity and further protect humans and wildlife from a growing number of emerging infectious diseases.

A roadmap for breeding orphan leafy vegetable species: a case study of Gynandropsis gynandra (Cleomaceae).

PubMed

Sogbohossou, E O Deedi; Achigan-Dako, Enoch G; Maundu, Patrick; Solberg, Svein; Deguenon, Edgar M S; Mumm, Rita H; Hale, Iago; Van Deynze, Allen; Schranz, M Eric

2018-01-01

Despite an increasing awareness of the potential of "orphan" or unimproved crops to contribute to food security and enhanced livelihoods for farmers, coordinated research agendas to facilitate production and use of orphan crops by local communities are generally lacking. We provide an overview of the current knowledge on leafy vegetables with a focus on Gynandropsis gynandra , a highly nutritious species used in Africa and Asia, and highlight general and species-specific guidelines for participatory, genomics-assisted breeding of orphan crops. Key steps in genome-enabled orphan leafy vegetables improvement are identified and discussed in the context of Gynandropsis gynandra breeding, including: (1) germplasm collection and management; (2) product target definition and refinement; (3) characterization of the genetic control of key traits; (4) design of the 'process' for cultivar development; (5) integration of genomic data to optimize that 'process'; (6) multi-environmental participatory testing and end-user evaluation; and (7) crop value chain development. The review discusses each step in detail, with emphasis on improving leaf yield, phytonutrient content, organoleptic quality, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and post-harvest management.

Survey of Expert Opinion on Intelligence: Causes of International Differences in Cognitive Ability Tests

PubMed Central

Rindermann, Heiner; Becker, David; Coyle, Thomas R.

2016-01-01

Following Snyderman and Rothman (1987, 1988), we surveyed expert opinions on the current state of intelligence research. This report examines expert opinions on causes of international differences in student assessment and psychometric IQ test results. Experts were surveyed about the importance of culture, genes, education (quantity and quality), wealth, health, geography, climate, politics, modernization, sampling error, test knowledge, discrimination, test bias, and migration. The importance of these factors was evaluated for diverse countries, regions, and groups including Finland, East Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Europe, the Arabian-Muslim world, Latin America, Israel, Jews in the West, Roma (gypsies), and Muslim immigrants. Education was rated by N = 71 experts as the most important cause of international ability differences. Genes were rated as the second most relevant factor but also had the highest variability in ratings. Culture, health, wealth, modernization, and politics were the next most important factors, whereas other factors such as geography, climate, test bias, and sampling error were less important. The paper concludes with a discussion of limitations of the survey (e.g., response rates and validity of expert opinions). PMID:27047425

Current knowledge of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. (Chinese magnolia vine) as a medicinal plant species: a review on the bioactive components, pharmacological properties, analytical and biotechnological studies.

PubMed

Szopa, Agnieszka; Ekiert, Radosław; Ekiert, Halina

2017-01-01

Schisandra chinensis Turcz. (Baill.) is a plant species whose fruits have been well known in Far Eastern medicine for a long time. However, schisandra seems to be a plant still underestimated in contemporary therapy still in the countries of East Asia. The article presents latest available information on the chemical composition of this plant species. Special attention is given to dibenzo cyclooctadiene lignans. In addition, recent studies of the biological activity of dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans and schisandra fruit extracts are recapitulated. The paper gives a short resume of their beneficial effects in biological systems in vitro, in animals, and in humans, thus underlining their medicinal potential. The cosmetic properties are depicted, too. The analytical methods used for assaying schisandra lignans in the scientific studies and also in industry are also presented. Moreover, special attention is given to the information on the latest biotechnological studies of this plant species. The intention of this review is to contribute to a better understanding of the huge potential of the pharmacological relevance of S. chinensis.

Consensus statement: appropriate consumer education and communication programs for weight- loss agents in Asia.

PubMed

Chan, Siew Pheng; Chui, William C; Lo, Kwok Wing; Huang, Kuo-Chin; Leyesa, Normita D; Lin, Wen-Yuan; Mirasol, Roberto C; Robles, Yolanda R; Tey, Beng Hea; Paraidathathu, Thomas

2012-07-01

The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity worldwide demands increased efforts in the prevention and management of obesity. This article aims to present consensus statements promoting appropriate consumer education and communication programs for weight-loss agents in Asia. Panel members from various disciplines developed consensus statements based on an expert meeting on the benefits of consumer education and communication programs for over-the-counter weight-loss agents. Key opinion leaders discussed relevant data that served as the basis of the recommendations. Obesity is a growing epidemic in Asia, turning the region into a potential market for weight-loss products and services. Current trends in direct-to-consumer advertising demonstrate the pervasiveness of false representations lacking adequate substantiation. Relevant issues and recommendations were established. Public education on weight management is a shared responsibility; there is a need to raise public awareness of obesity and its health-related consequences. Advertising guidelines should ensure responsible direct-to-consumer advertising of weight-loss agents.

OverView of Space Applications for Environment (SAFE) initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamamoto, Ko; Fukuda, Toru; Tajima, Yoshimitsu; Takeuchi, Wataru; Sobue, Shinichi; Nukui, Tomoyuki

2014-06-01

Climate change and human activities have a direc or indirect influence on the acceleration of environmental problems and natural hazards such as forest fires, draughts and floods in the Asia-Pacific countries. Satellite technology has become one of the key information sources in assessment, monitoring and mitigation of these disasters and related phenomenon. However, there are still gaps between science and application of satellite technology in real-world usage. Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) recommended to initiate the Space Applications for Environment (SAFE) proposal providing opportunity to potential user agencies in the Asia Pacific region to develop prototype applications of satellite technology for number of key issues including forest resources management, coastal monitoring and management, agriculture and food security, water resource management and development user-friendly tools for application of satellite technology. This paper describes the overview of SAFE initiative and outcomes of two selected prototypes; agricultural drought monitoring in Indonesia and coastal management in Sri Lanka, as well as the current status of on-going prototypes.

Marine ecosystem appropriation in the Indo-Pacific: a case study of the live reef fish food trade

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren-Rhodes, Kimberley; Sadovy, Yvonne; Cesar, Herman

2003-01-01

Our ecological footprint analyses of coral reef fish fisheries and, in particular, the live reef fish food trade (FT), indicate many countries' current consumption exceeds estimated sustainable per capita global, regional and local coral reef production levels. Hong Kong appropriates 25% of SE Asia's annual reef fish production of 135 260-286 560 tonnes (t) through its FT demand, exceeding regional biocapacity by 8.3 times; reef fish fisheries demand out-paces sustainable production in the Indo-Pacific and SE Asia by 2.5 and 6 times. In contrast, most Pacific islands live within their own reef fisheries means with local demand at < 20% of total capacity in Oceania. The FT annually requisitions up to 40% of SE Asia's estimated reef fish and virtually all of its estimated grouper yields. Our results underscore the unsustainable nature of the FT and the urgent need for regional management and conservation of coral reef fisheries in the Indo-Pacific.

Marine ecosystem appropriation in the Indo-Pacific: a case study of the live reef fish food trade.

PubMed

Warren-Rhodes, Kimberley; Sadovy, Yvonne; Cesar, Herman

2003-11-01

Our ecological footprint analyses of coral reef fish fisheries and, in particular, the live reef fish food trade (FT), indicate many countries' current consumption exceeds estimated sustainable per capita global, regional and local coral reef production levels. Hong Kong appropriates 25% of SE Asia's annual reef fish production of 135 260-286 560 tonnes (t) through its FT demand, exceeding regional biocapacity by 8.3 times; reef fish fisheries demand out-paces sustainable production in the Indo-Pacific and SE Asia by 2.5 and 6 times. In contrast, most Pacific islands live within their own reef fisheries means with local demand at < 20% of total capacity in Oceania. The FT annually requisitions up to 40% of SE Asia's estimated reef fish and virtually all of its estimated grouper yields. Our results underscore the unsustainable nature of the FT and the urgent need for regional management and conservation of coral reef fisheries in the Indo-Pacific.

Improving management of type 2 diabetes in South Asian patients: a systematic review of intervention studies

PubMed Central

Bhurji, N; Javer, J; Gasevic, D; Khan, N A

2016-01-01

Objectives Optimal control of type 2 diabetes is challenging in many patient populations including in South Asian patients. We systematically reviewed studies on the effect of diabetes management interventions targeted at South Asian patients with type 2 diabetes on glycaemic control. Design Systematic review of MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL databases for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and pre-post-test studies (January 1990 to February 2014). Studies were stratified by where interventions were conducted (South Asia vs Western countries). Participants Patients originating from Pakistan, Bangladesh or India with type 2 diabetes. Primary outcome Change in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). Secondary end points included change in blood pressure, lipid levels, anthropomorphics and knowledge. Results 23 studies (15 RCTs) met criteria for analysis with 7 from Western countries (n=2532) and 16 from South Asia (n=1081). Interventions in Western countries included translated diabetes education, additional clinical care, written materials, visual aids, and bilingual community-based peers and/or health professionals. Interventions conducted in South Asia included yoga, meditation or exercise, community-based peers, health professionals and dietary education (cooking exercises). Among RCTs in India (5 trials; n=390), 4 demonstrated significant reductions in HbA1c in the intervention group compared with usual care (yoga and exercise interventions). Among the 4 RCTs conducted in Europe (n=2161), only 1 study, an education intervention of 113 patients, reported a significant reduction in HbA1c with the intervention. Lipids, blood pressure and knowledge improved in both groups with studies from India more often reporting reductions in body mass index and waist circumference. Conclusions Overall, there was little improvement in HbA1c level in diabetes management interventions targeted at South Asians living in Europe compared with usual care, although other outcomes did improve. The smaller studies in India demonstrated significant improvements in glycaemic and other end points. Novel strategies are needed to improve glycaemic control in South Asians living outside of India. PMID:27098819

Knowledge gaps in tropical Southeast Asian seagrass systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ooi, Jillian Lean Sim; Kendrick, Gary A.; Van Niel, Kimberly P.; Affendi, Yang Amri

2011-03-01

Seagrasses are habitats with significant ecological and economic functions but we have limited knowledge of seagrasses in Southeast Asia, the hypothesized centre-of-origin for tropical seagrasses. There have been only 62 ISI-cited publications on the seagrasses of Southeast Asia in the last three decades and most work has been in few sites such as Northwest Luzon in the Philippines and South Sulawesi in Indonesia. Our understanding of the processes driving spatial and temporal distributions of seagrass species here has focussed primarily on backreef and estuarine seagrass meadows, with little work on forereef systems. We used Pulau Tinggi, an island off the southeast coast of Peninsular Malaysia, as an example of a subtidal forereef system. It is characterized by a community of small and fast growing species such as Halophila ovalis (mean shoot density 1454.6 ± 145.1 m -2) and Halodule uninervis (mean shoot density 861.7 ± 372.0 m -2) growing in relatively low light conditions (mean PAR 162.1 ± 35.0 μmol m -2 s -1 at 10 m depth to 405.8 ± 99.0 μmol m -2 s -1 at 3 m water depth) on sediment with low carbonate (mean 9.24 ± 1.74 percentage dry weight), organic matter (mean 2.56 ± 0.35 percentage dry weight) and silt-clay content (mean 2.28 ± 2.43 percentage dry weight). The literature reveals that there is a range of drivers operating in Southeast Asian seagrass systems and we suggest that this is because there are various types of seagrass habitats in this region, i.e. backreef, forereef and estuary, each of which has site characteristics and ecological drivers unique to it. Based on our case study of Pulau Tinggi, we suggest that seagrasses in forereef systems are more widespread in Southeast Asia than is reflected in the literature and that they are likely to be driven by recurring disturbance events such as monsoons, sediment burial and herbivory.

Performance of retail pharmacies in low- and middle-income Asian settings: a systematic review.

PubMed

Miller, Rosalind; Goodman, Catherine

2016-03-08

In low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) in Asia, pharmacies are often patients' first point of contact with the health care system and their preferred channel for purchasing medicines. Unfortunately, pharmacy practice in these settings has been characterized by deficient knowledge and inappropriate treatment. This paper systematically reviews both the performance of all types of pharmacies and drug stores across Asia's LMIC, and the determinants of poor practice, in order to reflect on how this could best be addressed. Poor pharmacy practice in Asia appears to have persisted over the past 30 years. We identify a set of inadequacies that occur at key moments throughout the pharmacy encounter, including: insufficient history taking; lack of referral of patients who require medical attention; illegal sale of a wide range of prescription only medicines without a prescription; sale of medicines that are either clinically inappropriate and/or in doses that are outside of the therapeutic range; sale of incomplete courses of antibiotics; and limited provision of information and counselling. In terms of determinants of poor practice, first knowledge was found to be necessary but not sufficient to ensure correct management of patients presenting at the pharmacy. This is evidenced by large discrepancies between stated and actual practice; little difference in the treatment behaviour of less and more qualified personnel and the failure of training programmes to improve practice to a satisfactory level. Second, we identified a number of profit maximizing strategies employed by pharmacy staff that can be linked to poor practices. Finally, whilst the research is relatively sparse, the regulatory environment appears to play an important role in shaping behaviour. Future efforts to improve the situation may yield more success than historical attempts, which have tended to concentrate on education, if they address the profit incentives faced by pharmacy personnel and the regulatory system. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

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.

Health Economics of Nutrition Intervention in Asia: Cost of Malnutrition.

PubMed

Mizumoto, Kaori; Murakami, Genki; Oshidari, Kenro; Trisnantoro, Laksono; Yoshiike, Nobuo

2015-01-01

Asia has recorded the fastest economic growth in the world. However, some countries are still struggling with economic stagnation and poverty. Even in the emerging countries, there are economic disparities between urban and rural areas within a country. Reflecting the situations, nutritional issues in Asia came to be the antithetical situation of excess and insufficiency. The rate of overweight and obesity keeps increasing, especially in emerging countries. Meanwhile, underweight is still a critical problem in the region. Although the importance of nutrition is well recognized for social and economic development, it is difficult to identify the immediate outcome of nutrition interventions. Evidence-based decision-making is an important element of quality health care and efficiency and effectiveness are always key words. Along with enhanced attention to accountability and transparency of budget use in health services, attention to the economic evaluation of nutrition interventions has increased in recent years. In this symposium, we will review the current situation of nutritional issues and economic evaluation of nutrition interventions in Asia through experience of an international organization, the basis and trends for health care economics, and also efforts have been made in an Asian country. Discussion will be made about efficient and effective ways to evaluate projects/programmes for nutrition improvement.

Transition of maternal and child nutrition in Asia: implications for public health.

PubMed

Winichagoon, Pattanee

2015-05-01

This article reviews the maternal and child nutrition situation in Asia in transition and its public health implications. Countries in Asia are facing a double burden of malnutrition. Accessibility to high energy, less nutrient-dense foods or processed foods affects current dietary patterns, whereas industrialization is leading to more sedentary lifestyles both in rural and urban areas. Stunting and wasting among young children persist but have declined in severity, whereas overweight and obesity have risen rapidly. Growth faltering in height during the first 2 years of life has affected muscle mass accretion, but rapid weight gain after 2 years of age has led to more fat accretion, imposing risks of childhood obesity and consequent metabolic disorders. The number of women entering pregnancy with low BMI has decreased, but increasing BMI is noticeable. Prepregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain are important determinants of maternal nutrition during pregnancy, the risk of gestational diabetes and postpartum weight retention, as well as obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases in later adulthood. Asia in transition is faced with persistent undernutrition and increasing trends of obesity and metabolic disorders among children and women. The first 1000 days from conception is a critical period, but it is also a window of opportunity for preventing double burden of malnutrition in Asian countries characterized by a nutrition transition.

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

Rapid warming accelerates tree growth decline in semi-arid forests of Inner Asia.

PubMed

Liu, Hongyan; Park Williams, A; Allen, Craig D; Guo, Dali; Wu, Xiuchen; Anenkhonov, Oleg A; Liang, Eryuan; Sandanov, Denis V; Yin, Yi; Qi, Zhaohuan; Badmaeva, Natalya K

2013-08-01

Forests around the world are subject to risk of high rates of tree growth decline and increased tree mortality from combinations of climate warming and drought, notably in semi-arid settings. Here, we assess how climate warming has affected tree growth in one of the world's most extensive zones of semi-arid forests, in Inner Asia, a region where lack of data limits our understanding of how climate change may impact forests. We show that pervasive tree growth declines since 1994 in Inner Asia have been confined to semi-arid forests, where growing season water stress has been rising due to warming-induced increases in atmospheric moisture demand. A causal link between increasing drought and declining growth at semi-arid sites is corroborated by correlation analyses comparing annual climate data to records of tree-ring widths. These ring-width records tend to be substantially more sensitive to drought variability at semi-arid sites than at semi-humid sites. Fire occurrence and insect/pathogen attacks have increased in tandem with the most recent (2007-2009) documented episode of tree mortality. If warming in Inner Asia continues, further increases in forest stress and tree mortality could be expected, potentially driving the eventual regional loss of current semi-arid forests. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Multi-model and multi-scenario assessments of Asian water futures: The Water Futures and Solutions (WFaS) initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Satoh, Yusuke; Kahil, Taher; Byers, Edward; Burek, Peter; Fischer, Günther; Tramberend, Sylvia; Greve, Peter; Flörke, Martina; Eisner, Stephanie; Hanasaki, Naota; Magnuszewski, Piotr; Nava, Luzma Fabiola; Cosgrove, William; Langan, Simon; Wada, Yoshihide

2017-07-01

This paper presents one of the first quantitative scenario assessments for future water supply and demand in Asia to 2050. The assessment, developed by the Water Futures and Solutions (WFaS) initiative, uses the latest set of global climate change and socioeconomic scenarios and state-of-the-art global hydrological models. In Asia, water demand for irrigation, industry, and households is projected to increase substantially in the coming decades (30-40% by 2050 compared to 2010). These changes are expected to exacerbate water stress, especially in the current hotspots such as north India and Pakistan, and north China. By 2050, 20% of the land area in the Asia-Pacific region, with a population of 1.6-2 billion, is projected to experience severe water stress. We find that socioeconomic changes are the main drivers of worsening water scarcity in Asia, with climate change impacts further increasing the challenge into the 21st century. Moreover, a detailed basin-level analysis of the hydro-economic conditions of 40 Asian basins shows that although the coping capacity of all basins is expected to improve due to gross domestic product (GDP) growth, some basins continuously face severe water challenges. These basins will potentially be home to up to 1.6 billion people by mid-21st century.

Burden of Disease from Rising Coal-Fired Power Plant Emissions in Southeast Asia.

PubMed

Koplitz, Shannon N; Jacob, Daniel J; Sulprizio, Melissa P; Myllyvirta, Lauri; Reid, Colleen

2017-02-07

Southeast Asia has a very high population density and is on a fast track to economic development, with most of the growth in electricity demand currently projected to be met by coal. From a detailed analysis of coal-fired power plants presently planned or under construction in Southeast Asia, we project in a business-as-usual scenario that emissions from coal in the region will triple to 2.6 Tg a -1 SO 2 and 2.6 Tg a -1 NO x by 2030, with the largest increases occurring in Indonesia and Vietnam. Simulations with the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model show large resulting increases in surface air pollution, up to 11 μg m -3 for annual mean fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) in northern Vietnam and up to 15 ppb for seasonal maximum 1 h ozone in Indonesia. We estimate 19 880 (11 400-28 400) excess deaths per year from Southeast Asian coal emissions at present, increasing to 69 660 (40 080-126 710) by 2030. 9000 of these excess deaths in 2030 are in China. As Chinese emissions from coal decline in coming decades, transboundary pollution influence from rising coal emissions in Southeast Asia may become an increasing issue.

Comparison of resistance to third-generation cephalosporins in Shigella between Europe-America and Asia-Africa from 1998 to 2012.

PubMed

Gu, B; Zhou, M; Ke, X; Pan, S; Cao, Y; Huang, Y; Zhuang, L; Liu, G; Tong, M

2015-10-01

We conducted a systematic review to compare resistance to third-generation cephalosporins (TGCs) in Shigella strains between Europe-America and Asia-Africa from 1998 to 2012 based on a literature search of computerized databases. In Asia-Africa, the prevalence of resistance of total and different subtypes to ceftriaxone, cefotaxime and ceftazidime increased markedly, with a total prevalence of resistance up to 14·2% [95% confidence interval (CI) 3·9-29·4], 22·6% (95% CI 4·8-48·6) and 6·2% (95% CI 3·8-9·1) during 2010-2012, respectively. By contrast, resistance rates to these TGCs in Europe-America remained relatively low--less than 1·0% during the 15 years. A noticeable finding was that certain countries both in Europe-America and Asia-Africa, had a rapid rising trend in the prevalence of resistance of S. sonnei, which even outnumbered S. flexneri in some periods. Moreover, comparison between countries showed that currently the most serious problem concerning resistance to these TGCs appeared in Vietnam, especially for ceftriaxone, China, especially for cefotaxime and Iran, especially for ceftazidime. These data suggest that monitoring of the drug resistance of Shigella strains should be strengthened and that rational use of antibiotics is required.

Technology in Sustainable Development Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uno, Kimio

The economic and demographic growth in Asia has put increased importance to this part of the world whose contribution to the global community is vital in meeting global challenges. International cooperation in engineering education assumes a pivotal role in providing access to the frontiers of scientific and technological knowledge to the growing youths in the region. The thrust for advancement has been provided by the logic coming from the academic world itself, whereas expectations are high that the engineering education responds to challenges that are coming from outside the universities, such as environmental management, disaster management, and provision of common knowledge platform across disciplinary lines. Some cases are introduced in curriculum development that incorporates fieldwork and laboratory work intended to enhance the ability to cooperate. The new mode is discussed with focus on production, screening, storing/delivery, and leaning phases of knowledge. The strength of shared information will be enhanced through international cooperation.

Parasites of Harmonia axyridis: current research and perspectives

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) has been introduced widely for biological control of agricultural pests. Populations of H. axyridis have established in four continents outside of its native range in Asia and it is considered an invasive alien species (IAS). Despi...

Southeast Asia Report.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-04-28

the Middle East. One aspect of this policy was to pour oil on the flames of the bloody 6- year long war between Iran and Iraq in order to increase the...computers, and their knowledge with regard to oil exploration is far less than that of the Americans." Almost the entire report on the latest CP...meeting to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam-Soviet Oil and Gas Joint Enterprise (19 Nov. 1981 — 19 Nov. 1906

Education for International Understanding. Report of Regional Seminar on the Development of Unesco Associated Schools Project in Asia and the Pacific (Seoul, Republic of Korea, October 27-31, 1981).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korean National Commission for Unesco, Seoul.

This report on an Asian Regional Seminar is presented in two parts. In part one, a review of the reports of the countries participating in the seminar shows that there is continuity in adherence to the objectives of the Unesco Associated Schools Project set forth in 1953, which were: (1) to increase knowledge of world problems and global…

Impacts of climate change on mangrove ecosystems: A region by region overview

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ward, Raymond D.; Friess, Daniel A.; Day, Richard H.; MacKenzie, Richard A.

2016-01-01

Inter-related and spatially variable climate change factors including sea level rise, increased storminess, altered precipitation regime and increasing temperature are impacting mangroves at regional scales. This review highlights extreme regional variation in climate change threats and impacts, and how these factors impact the structure of mangrove communities, their biodiversity and geomorphological setting. All these factors interplay to determine spatially variable resiliency to climate change impacts, and because mangroves are varied in type and geographical location, these systems are good models for understanding such interactions at different scales. Sea level rise is likely to influence mangroves in all regions although local impacts are likely to be more varied. Changes in the frequency and intensity of storminess are likely to have a greater impact on N and Central America, Asia, Australia, and East Africa than West Africa and S. America. This review also highlights the numerous geographical knowledge gaps of climate change impacts, with some regions particularly understudied (e.g., Africa and the Middle East). While there has been a recent drive to address these knowledge gaps especially in South America and Asia, further research is required to allow researchers to tease apart the processes that influence both vulnerability and resilience to climate change. A more globally representative view of mangroves would allow us to better understand the importance of mangrove type and landscape setting in determining system resiliency to future climate change.

Combined Dust Detection Algorithm by Using MODIS Infrared Channels over East Asia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, Sang Seo; Kim, Jhoon; Lee, Jaehwa; Lee, Sukjo; Kim, Jeong Soo; Chang, Lim Seok; Ou, Steve

2014-01-01

A new dust detection algorithm is developed by combining the results of multiple dust detectionmethods using IR channels onboard the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Brightness Temperature Difference (BTD) between two wavelength channels has been used widely in previous dust detection methods. However, BTDmethods have limitations in identifying the offset values of the BTDto discriminate clear-sky areas. The current algorithm overcomes the disadvantages of previous dust detection methods by considering the Brightness Temperature Ratio (BTR) values of the dual wavelength channels with 30-day composite, the optical properties of the dust particles, the variability of surface properties, and the cloud contamination. Therefore, the current algorithm shows improvements in detecting the dust loaded region over land during daytime. Finally, the confidence index of the current dust algorithm is shown in 10 × 10 pixels of the MODIS observations. From January to June, 2006, the results of the current algorithm are within 64 to 81% of those found using the fine mode fraction (FMF) and aerosol index (AI) from the MODIS and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). The agreement between the results of the current algorithm and the OMI AI over the non-polluted land also ranges from 60 to 67% to avoid errors due to the anthropogenic aerosol. In addition, the developed algorithm shows statistically significant results at four AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) sites in East Asia.

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.

Genetic relatedness of ciprofloxacin-resistant Shigella dysenteriae type 1 strains isolated in south Asia.

PubMed

Talukder, Kaisar A; Khajanchi, Bijay K; Islam, M Aminul; Dutta, Dilip K; Islam, Zhahirul; Safa, Ashrafus; Khan, G Y; Alam, Khorshed; Hossain, M A; Malla, Sarala; Niyogi, S K; Rahman, Mustafizur; Watanabe, Haruo; Nair, G Balakrish; Sack, David A

2004-10-01

The aim of the present study was to determine the clonal relationships of ciprofloxacin-resistant Shigella dysenteriae type 1 strains isolated from south Asia, and S. dysenteriae 1 strains associated with epidemics in 1978, 1984 and 1994. The antimicrobial susceptibilities were examined by NCCLS methods. Molecular epidemiological characterization was performed by plasmid profiling, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and mutation analysis of the quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) of gyrA by sequencing. Plasmid patterns of the current ciprofloxacin-resistant strains from India, Nepal and Bangladesh were very similar to those of the 1978, 1984 and 1994 epidemic isolates of S. dysenteriae 1, except for the presence of a new plasmid of approximately 2.6 MDa, which was found in one recent ciprofloxacin-resistant strain isolated in Bangladesh. PFGE analysis showed that the ciprofloxacin-resistant strains isolated in Bangladesh, India and Nepal belonged to a PFGE type (type A), which was possibly related to that of the 1984 and 1994 clone of S. dysenteriae 1, but different from 1978 epidemic strains. The current ciprofloxacin-resistant strains belong to five subtypes (A3-A7), all of which were found in India, but in Bangladesh and Nepal, only A3 existed. Mutation analysis of the QRDR of gyrA revealed that amino acid substitutions at positions 83 and 87 of ciprofloxacin-resistant strains isolated in Bangladesh were similar to those of the strains isolated in Nepal, but different (at position 87) from ciprofloxacin-resistant strains isolated in India. PFGE and mutation analysis of gyrA showed differences between the current ciprofloxacin-resistant S. dysenteriae 1 strains isolated in south Asia and those associated with epidemics in 1978, 1984 and 1994.

Smoking and elevated blood pressure are the most important risk factors for subarachnoid hemorrhage in the Asia-Pacific region: an overview of 26 cohorts involving 306,620 participants.

PubMed

Feigin, Valery; Parag, Varsha; Lawes, Carlene M M; Rodgers, Anthony; Suh, Il; Woodward, Mark; Jamrozik, Konrad; Ueshima, Hirotsugu

2005-07-01

The cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is poorly understood and there are few large cohort studies of risk factors for SAH. We investigated the risk of SAH mortality and morbidity associated with common cardiovascular risk factors in the Asia-Pacific region and examined whether the strengths of these associations were different in Asian and Australasian (predominantly white) populations. Cohort studies were identified from Internet electronic databases, searches of proceedings of meetings, and personal communication. Hazard ratios (HRs) for systolic blood pressure (SBP), current smoking, total serum cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), and alcohol drinking were calculated from Cox models that were stratified by sex and cohort and adjusted for age at risk. Individual participant data from 26 prospective cohort studies (total number of participants 306,620) that reported incident cases of SAH (fatal and/or nonfatal) were available for analysis. During the median follow-up period of 8.2 years, a total of 236 incident cases of SAH were observed. Current smoking (HR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.8 to 3.4) and SBP >140 mm Hg (HR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.5 to 2.7) were significant and independent risk factors for SAH. Attributable risks of SAH associated with current smoking and elevated SBP (> or =140 mm Hg) were 29% and 19%, respectively. There were no significant associations between the risk of SAH and cholesterol, BMI, or drinking alcohol. The strength of the associations of the common cardiovascular risk factors with the risk of SAH did not differ much between Asian and Australasian regions. Cigarette smoking and SBP are the most important risk factors for SAH in the Asia-Pacific region.

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

From carbon sink to carbon source: extensive peat oxidation in insular Southeast Asia since 1990

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miettinen, Jukka; Hooijer, Aljosja; Vernimmen, Ronald; Liew, Soo Chin; Page, Susan E.

2017-02-01

Tropical peatlands of the western part of insular Southeast Asia have experienced extensive land cover changes since 1990. Typically involving drainage, these land cover changes have resulted in increased peat oxidation in the upper peat profile. In this paper we provide current (2015) and cumulative carbon emissions estimates since 1990 from peat oxidation in Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo, utilizing newly published peatland land cover information and the recently agreed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) peat oxidation emission values for tropical peatland areas. Our results highlight the change of one of the Earth’s most efficient long-term carbon sinks to a short-term emission source, with cumulative carbon emissions since 1990 estimated to have been in the order of 2.5 Gt C. Current (2015) levels of emissions are estimated at around 146 Mt C yr-1, with a range of 132-159 Mt C yr-1 depending on the selection of emissions factors for different land cover types. 44% (or 64 Mt C yr-1) of the emissions come from industrial plantations (mainly oil palm and Acacia pulpwood), followed by 34% (49 Mt C yr-1) of emissions from small-holder areas. Thus, altogether 78% of current peat oxidation emissions come from managed land cover types. Although based on the latest information, these estimates may still include considerable, yet currently unquantifiable, uncertainties (e.g. due to uncertainties in the extent of peatlands and drainage networks) which need to be focused on in future research. In comparison, fire induced carbon dioxide emissions over the past ten years for the entire equatorial Southeast Asia region have been estimated to average 122 Mt C yr-1 (www.globalfiredata.org/_index.html). The results emphasise that whilst reducing emissions from peat fires is important, urgent efforts are also needed to mitigate the constantly high level of emissions arising from peat drainage, regardless of fire occurrence.

How Early Holocene Greening of the Afro-Asian Dust Belt Changed Sources of Mineral Dust in West Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pourmand, A.; Sharifi, A.; Goes, L. M.; Clement, A. C.; Canuel, E. A.; Naderi Beni, A.; Ahmady-Birgani, H.

2016-12-01

Production, transport and deposition of mineral dust have significant temporal and spatial impacts on different components of the Earth systems. In modern times, dust plumes can be associated with their source origin(s) using satellite and land-based measurements and back-trajectory reconstruction of air masses. Reconstructing past changes in the sources of mineral dust as related to changes in climate, however, must rely on the knowledge of the geochemical and mineralogical composition of modern and paleo-dust, and their potential source origins. In this contribution, we present a 13,000-year record of variations in radiogenic Sr-Nd-Hf isotopes and Rare Earth Element (REE) anomalies from an ombrotrophic (rain fed) peat core in NW Iran as proxies of past changes in sources of dust over West Asia. The geochemical fingerprint of dust particles deposited during the low-flux, early Holocene period (11,700-6,000 yr BP) is distinctly different from times of high dust fluxes during the Younger Dryas, and that of the mid-late Holocene. This indicates that the composition of mineral dust deposited at the receptor site changed as a function of prevailing atmospheric circulation regimes and land exposure. Simulations of atmospheric circulation over the region show the Northern Hemisphere Westerly Jet (NHWJ) was displaced poleward across the study area during the early Holocene when solar insolation was higher. This shift, coupled with lower dust emissions simulated based on greening of the Afro-Asian Dust Belt during the early Holocene likely led to potential sources in Central Asia to dominate dust export to West Asia during this period, in contrast to the dominant western and southwest Asian and Eastern African sources that prevail during the modern period.

Paleontology to policy: the Quaternary history of Southeast Asian tapirs (Tapiridae) in relation to large mammal species turnover, with a proposal for conservation of Malayan tapir by reintroduction to Borneo.

PubMed

Cranbrook, Earl Of; Piper, Philip J

2013-03-01

The Southeast Asian zoogeographical region is divided into Indochinese, Sundaic and Philippine subregions. Two clades of tapirs, Tapirus spp., have been recognized in Quaternary Southeast Asia. A review of sites at which they occurred shows that representatives of both clades, one of which was the ancestral Malayan tapir Tapirus indicus, co-existed with a diversity of other Pleistocene mammal megafauna. The process of replacement of archaic large mammals was progressive and prolonged through the Quaternary. Zooarcheological investigation has extended knowledge of the former occurrence and distribution of tapirs and other large mammals of the region, with discoveries beyond the outer limits of their previously known ranges. These large mammals were subjected to paleoenvironmental changes as a consequence of the Quaternary cycles of glacial and interglacial periods. Archeological evidence suggests that hunting pressure has intensified the effects of altered environments, leading ultimately to the local disappearance of the Malayan tapir in most of Southeast Asia, including Borneo. The survival of the Malayan tapir through the Quaternary until the present shows that the species is both resilient to environmental change and flexible in its ecological re'uirements and, given proper protection, could continue to inhabit tropical Southeast Asia. To assist the species conservation, reintroduction is proposed from the remaining range of Malayan tapir in the wild, to suitable sites of past occurrence in Borneo, where these ancient survivors of the Quaternary megafauna can be accommodated and safeguarded alongside other forms of land usage. © 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd, ISZS and IOZ/CAS.