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Temporary internal migration is an important livelihood strategy but there have been inconsistencies in its conceptualisation and measurement which limit understanding of the phenomenon across diverse geographical contexts. This paper explores the ontological category of temporary internal migration and how it is defined and measured in eight Asian countries. We identify three broad approaches to measurement: Place of enumeration; Multilocality and Administrative measures. Using these data, we undertake comparisons of migration intensity, age profiles, and rural- to-urban flows across countries in our sample. Our findings indicate that temporary migration ranges between 0.3 to 2.9 per cent of the population—likely an underestimate of internal temporary mobility. Applying an average intensity of 1.5 per cent to all Asian countries yields an estimate of 71 million temporary internal migrants in any given year. Analysis of age profiles reveals that temporary internal migration peaks not only at young adult ages, but also at older ages in selected countries, pointing to the importance of consumption-related movements in some settings. The geographical patterns are also diverse with rural-to-urban flows matched by significant rural-to-rural and urban-to-rural flows. The paper concludes with recommendations for advancing both the conceptualisation and measurement of temporary internal migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports findings of a qualitative study that explored international students' identity negotiation during their cross-border studies against the backdrop of the internationalisation of higher education in Asia. Through a comparative narrative-based case study of two Burmese international students' experiences during their studies in a Hong Kong university, the paper reveals both similarities and differences in their negotiation of (i) identities as 'non-local'/'international' students in the university context and (ii) national identities in relation to the local community and the imagined global/international community. In particular, the findings illustrate the divergent ways in which the two international students negotiate the meanings they attach to the 'non-local' student label, respond to local students' (mis)recognition of their national identities, and perceive the (in)compatibility between their national and global identities. Overall, the findings point to the diversity and heterogeneity in international students' experiences which appear to be variably shaped by differential dispositions and capacities in exercising strategic agency for identity (re)construction. The case study also calls for the need to problematise the reification and over-simplification of the so-called 'international student experience' and argues for the importance of paying attention to the complexity of international students' identity negotiation in the context of international education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professor Gavin W. Jones dedicated an impressive 58-year career to extensive research on various aspects of population and development in Asia. As a seasoned consultant, he was pivotal in shaping population policies and programs in more than 10 Asian countries, impacting the region’s demographic landscape. Throughout his illustrious career, Gavin has left an indelible mark through his prolific publications, with 30 books, over 180 journal articles, and book chapters. His body of work covered various demographic subjects in the Asia-Pacific region, significantly contributing to our understanding of population dynamics in Southeast, South, and East Asia. His research has been instrumental in informing policy decisions in these regions by providing evidence-based recommendations. In addition to his consultancy and academic achievements, Gavin actively engaged in professional networks, fostering collaborations and facilitating knowledge exchange among fellow demographers and researchers. His commitment to mentorship has been invaluable, nurturing emerging demographers and supporting the next generation of population scholars in population and development. The present paper aims to delve into Professor Gavin W. Jones’s specific contributions to elucidate the intricate relationship between population and development, an area that inevitably intersects with other papers in this festschrift on marriage, fertility, and urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the national saving behaviour in the process of economic growth through a comparative analysis of countries in developing Asia from a historical perspective. Developing Asia provides an ideal laboratory for the study with considerable differences in the saving behaviour among countries and over time within individual countries, notwithstanding the 'model saver' image of the region that is based mainly on the experience of high-performing East Asian economies. The empirical analysis distinguishes between private and government saving rates, with specific emphasis on the former. The results of the empirical analysis are consistent with the view of a 'virtuous circle' between growth and saving, with growth initiating the saving transition. No evidence to suggest that a prior phase of promoting saving through specific policy initiatives is needed to initiate the process of growth and structural transformation. The private saving rate is also associated positively with export orientation of the economy, and net foreign capital inflows and negatively with the young dependency ratio of the population and domestic credit availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community Eye Clinics (CEC) increase accessibility of specialist ophthalmic services in the community, reducing demand for tertiary eye services. This paper aims to evaluate the impact of CEC on first-visit referrals from Hougang Polyclinic (HOU) to Tan Tock Seng Hospital Ophthalmology Specialist Outpatient Clinic (SOC). A retrospective analysis was performed on first-visit referrals from Hougang Polyclinic (HOU) to Tan Tock Seng Hospital Ophthalmology Specialist Outpatient Clinic (SOC) over a similar 3-months period before and after the introduction of CEC in August 2018 (1 January to 31 March in 2018 and 2019, respectively). Data pertaining to patients' presenting complaints, referral reasons, final diagnoses, follow-up plans, and need for ophthalmic intervention were obtained. We included 978 patients in our study. There was a 27.5% reduction in the number of first-visit referrals seen at SOC after the establishment of CEC. Patients were more likely to be referred on to sub-specialty eye clinics (10.8% vs. 12.9%, p= p =.304) and receive more ophthalmic interventions (15% vs. 16.3%, p =.066) than prior to CEC. The CEC provides greater accessibility to eye care within the community. Optometrists are upskilled to manage patients with stable eye conditions, whilst eye specialists can provide timely care to the SOC for patients with more severe eye conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare Earth Elements (REE) are the industrial “Vitamins” because of the high-technology based modern uses and their anthropogenic inputs in natural environment, this study mainly focused on Geogenic variability and anthropogenic imprints of Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE), in the recently deposited sediments of the Ganga Alluvial Plain. All the Sediment samples were analyzed by using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). LREE comprises about ~91% of total REE in the Gomati River Sediments and Cerium (300 µg/g) was the most abundant LREE in the bedload sediments. Average LREE concentrations in bedload (170 µg/g) and suspended load (184 µg/g) sediments of the Gomati River were observed higher than the Average Sediments and the World Major Rivers Suspended Sediments and therefore, characterizing the LREE contamination in sediments. This contamination level assessed on the basis of Potential Ecological Risk Assessment (PERI), Contamination Factors (CF), Degree of Contamination (CD) and Geo-accumulation Index (Igeo), the trend of element contamination showed that Sm>La>Pr>Ce>Nd and PERI shows that LREE pose moderate to strong ecological risk, mostly by Pr and Sm in the study area. The spatial and temporal enrichment of LREE in sediments were observed in the Basin since last two decades. This paper mainly highlights the effects of socio-economic development linked modern high-tech processes on LREE contamination in the river sediments and cycling by the sub-tropical fluvial environment of southern Asia; where rivers supply ~30% of the global sediment input to the world’s ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe advent of web-based interactive technologies has opened up new possibilities for virtual gatherings in 3D environments. Live-streaming, in particular, has gained increasing attention due to its effectiveness in engaging a large number of users in collective online activities. With an emphasis on audience participation, live-streaming shares common characteristics of the outlook of the metaverse and is driving new waves of interaction in virtual gatherings, such as engaging users through crowdsourcing control. However, this type of social interaction has not been examined in the Asian context, and it lacks systematic investigation of user experience with different crowdsourcing control methods. In this paper, we present a novel crowdsourcing control method based on DanMu, the subtitle system of Bilibili, one of the most successful and prevalent live-streaming platforms in Asia. We organized virtual gatherings by live-streaming a Minecraft virtual campus and examined the use of DanMu for crowdsourcing control. Our first study investigated the influence of three crowdsourcing control methods (First Come First Served, Vote, and Super Command) on collective navigation task efficiency and user experience. These influences were further discussed with user activeness and group sizes in a follow-up study. The results showed that Super Command, a representative mode on top of the democratic voting mechanism, offers better user experiences and social richness in large groups. Participants also rated its usability higher in small groups. Besides, virtual gathering in small groups allows greater pragmatic quality, usability, and a sense of agency than in large groups. Our work provides design guidelines for developers and HCI practitioners to develop crowdsourcing control methods and improve novel virtual gathering experiences in virtual worlds and the future metaverse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis paper examines the influence of climate change vulnerability on the likelihood and severity of communal violence, with a particular emphasis on delineating large-scale regional patterns. Specifically, the analysis centres on Sub-Saharan Africa and South/South-East Asia – both regions being predominantly characterised by rain-fed agriculture and climate-sensitive economic activities – spanning the years 1995 to 2021. Relying on the ND-GAIN Vulnerability Index as a multidimensional measure for propensity of societies to be negatively impacted by climate change, we found robust evidence that greater vulnerability is conducive to a higher likelihood and severity of communal violence in Sub-Saharan Africa. On the other hand, in South/South-East Asia, results suggest that current climate variability, measured as rainfall deviations within the period, exerts a greater effect on communal violence outbreak than overall vulnerability to climate change. In both regions, greater access to productive means is significantly associated to the reduction of communal violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial from the International Journal of Water Resources Development, discussing the importance of water resource management in agriculture for achieving food and water security in Asia. It highlights the role of agriculture in water usage and the challenges posed by climate change and increased demand. The editorial presents research papers on topics such as the impact of climate change on food security, the effects of weather variables on crop yields, the benefits of irrigation mechanization, and groundwater governance. It concludes by emphasizing the need for integrated measures, technological development, provision of irrigation facilities, and improved water governance for sustainable water management in agriculture. Additionally, the document includes a list of contact information for individuals affiliated with institutions such as the Asian Development Bank Institute and the University of Glasgow's School of Social & Environmental Sustainability. [Extracted from the article]

This paper highlights Professor Gavin Jones’ seminal work on Asian divorce patterns, with a particular focus on Southeast Asia’s Muslim communities. Beginning in the 1980s, Jones addressed the challenges of fragmented and often unreliable demographic data on divorce. With careful compilation and analysis of aggregate data, paired with firsthand surveys and ethnographic studies, he set a foundation for examining shifting divorce trends in Southeast Asia. His findings challenged prevailing ethnocentric perspectives and questioned the notion that modernisation invariably leads to rising divorce rates. Jones stressed the importance of understanding divorce within the broader social, cultural, and historical contexts of the respective societies. Beyond his individual research, he was instrumental in cultivating a community of scholars studying marriage and divorce in Asia and fostering collaborations. Jones’ insights into Asia’s demographic shifts have been invaluable, and his legacy will continue to influence demographers for generations to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we pay tribute to the late Emeritus Professor Gavin W. Jones and his outstanding contributions to the scholarship on marriage. Following a chronological assessment of his large body of work on marriage, we reflect on Gavin’s general approach to research changing marriage patterns within and across diverse regions of Asia. His approach to studying marriage went beyond the conventional demographic focus on examining shifts in age at first marriage. He showed how examining shifting patterns across different, yet interrelated aspects of marriage offered an important window to understand the broader complexities of economic and socio-political change in the region; showing why there is much more to demography beyond counting births, deaths, and migration. As two generations of demographers, we reflected how his work and approach to research continue to influence our research and engagement with the region. Gavin’s legacy extends beyond demography and Indonesian/Malay studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global programmes (GPs) are crucial actors in transnational policy transfer but understudied in literature. The paper explores GP policy transfer in terms of instruments, space, and time from a comparative perspective. Employing a thematic analysis of policy/programme files and using the GP to prevent gender-biased sex selection as a case study, the paper compares implementation across diverse countries and regions. It finds similar policies and ideas are transferred, across scales, sectors, and actors throughout the policy cycle. Yet short programme cycles contradict longer timeframes needed to assess sex-selection policies and interventions to change social norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the domination of the Eurocentric paradigm in communication studies in the last half century is a problem, the blind acceptance of the universal applicability of the Eurocentric paradigm by educators and scholars in other areas, including Asia, reflects a more serious problem. It is a good sign that criticism of Westernization in communication education and research in Asia has grown stronger in recent years, and more scholars have attempted to propose a direction for the future of Asian communication studies ... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of macroprudential policies on the nexus between economic uncertainty and bank risk in emerging Asian economies. We construct our index of economic uncertainty by applying the Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH)-in-mean model to a series of important macroeconomic variables, and borrow macroprudential policy indices from Cerutti et al. (2017) and Alam et al. (2019). Using bank-level panel data from approximately 600 commercial banks in 11 emerging Asian economies during the period 2000–2016, we find consistent evidence that bank risk increases with economic uncertainty, while macroprudential measures play an ameliorative role in uncertainty-induced bank risk. Our baseline findings are largely driven by macroprudential measures that aim to dampen the credit cycle more than those that target increasing the resilience of the banking sector. Our further analyses of the heterogeneous impacts of macroprudential measures by specific type on the risk of banks show that liquidity-based instruments, reserve requirements and currency instruments play a more conspicuous role in the economic uncertainty‒bank risk nexus than capital-based and asset-side macroprudential instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have noted the need for both empirical and theoretical research on the unique configurations of race and racism within Asia. This paper explores the racialized landscape encountered by Malay youth during their education and employment in the city-state of Singapore. We highlight the three unique building blocks which comprise the country's racial landscape, namely (i) race is used as a naming device by the state; (ii) economic and social inequality along the lines of race exist alongside discourses of meritocracy and (iii) discussions of race which can be perceived as offensive are violations of local laws. Based on focus groups conducted with Malay youth on their experiences and memories of their education and employment, we highlight their perspectives on racial stratification. We explore Singapore's racial landscape within which Malay youth are excluded from networks, silenced through discourses of harmonious multiculturalism, and excluded from Chinese-language-based corporate cultures which are predominant. Our findings suggest that challenging racial inequality in multicultural cities requires the dismantling of systemic systems of stratification. Our analysis contributes to understanding the unique configurations of race and racism in Asia and amongst Asians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate predictions of water surface elevation (WSE) in rivers at high spatial and temporal resolution are important for flood/drought risk assessment and flood/drought forecasting and management. WSE in a river is controlled by three main factors: discharge, riverbed geometry, and hydraulic roughness. In remote and poorly instrumented rivers, discharge and riverbed geometry are highly uncertain and WSE is therefore hard to predict. ICESat-2 laser altimetry provides accurate elevation transects across the river at very high spatial resolution (70 cm along track). This paper demonstrates how ICESat-2 elevation transects can be used to parameterize a basin-scale hydraulic model of a continental-scale river. The workflow is demonstrated for the transboundary Amur River in North-East Asia. Simulated WSE is subsequently validated against a large dataset of in situ and satellite altimetry observations, and we demonstrate that the model can reproduce available WSE observations throughout the basin with an accuracy of 1–2 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paperless documentation and processing of international trade in goods is essential, as it offers economy-wide benefits in time and cost savings, efficiency and convenience for business and government. Both business and government recognize this, and have been working for the past few decades to facilitate paperless trade (PT). However, efforts to move to PT have to-date faced serious operational and legal barriers, leading to a slower than anticipated progress. Asian economies, and those in the Pacific region, are making particularly concerted efforts to facilitate PT, and are progressing rapidly. This article discusses the barriers to PT generally, and how Asian economies have tackled them. It gives an overview of the situation in some 11 economies. It concludes that the concerted approach in the region enhances harmonization of systems and procedures, which is necessary for straight-through PT processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the drivers of private investment in renewable energy by source of financing for 13 economies over the period 2008–2018, with a focus on a sub-panel of Asian economies. Sources of financing – asset finance, corporate research and development (R&D), public market, and venture capital and private equity – vary not only across years and renewable energy sources, but also across countries. Using a fixed effects panel model, this paper provides a first quantitative estimate of the effect of government renewable energy policies on private investment across different sources of financing, with four main findings. First, while government expenditure on R&D positively affects private investment from asset finance and corporate R&D, it is not the most important driver in terms of the magnitude of the elasticity. Second, feed-in tariffs have a particularly strong effect on stimulating renewable energy investment financed through public markets, with the findings particularly strong for the Asian sub-sample. Third, tax incentives have a mixed impact across sources of financing. Fourth, technology costs and energy prices have considerable effects on driving renewable energy investment from asset finance, with the impact notably more pronounced for the Asian sub-sample. Key policy insights To maximize the impact of government R&D, policies should aim to facilitate a smoother investment environment for the private sector in the areas of asset finance and corporate R&D. This could include targeted subsidies and tax relief measures. Enhanced FIT mechanisms should be developed, particularly in Asia, to leverage greater investment financed via publicly quoted markets. This could also include more favourable initial fiscal incentives and terms of agreement. Tax incentives should be used with caution. While tax incentives have a positive effect on investment in renewable energy overall, they may negatively affect investment financed by corporate R&D and venture capital and private equity, i.e. private financing sources that are crucial for technology R&D and manufacturing scale-up. Countries with lower regulatory quality may need to offer higher FIT rates for policies to be effective in attracting private investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the impact of education on domestic terrorism in Asian countries from 1970 to 2018. A control function approach is utilized to address the endogeneity of education on terrorism. Generally speaking, results show that education promotes domestic terrorism in Asia. Negative binomial regressions with and without control function are run for other parts of world to examine whether the patterns in Asia hold worldwide. Other important determinants of domestic terrorism in Asia include regime type, ethnic fractionalization, linguistic fractionalization, religious fractionalization, GDP per capita, and trade openness. This paper contributes to the literature by 1) applying a control function approach to control for possible endogeneity of education on terrorism, 2) analyzing exclusively Asia, a region where terrorism has been increasing rapidly over the last decade, (3) and focusing on domestic terrorism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bio-medical model of 'mental health' and 'mental illness' that relates to the relationship between wellbeing and distress informs psychopathology and dominates conceptualisation in many Western Educated Industrialised Rich Democratic (WEIRD) populations. This paper aims to critique the model, questioning the appropriateness of psychopathology as a conceptual framework when working as a Western trained clinician with populations such as in China, Japan, Asia, the Middle-East and Africa. The paper also considers the cultural appropriateness of western notions of psychopathology when working inter-culturally in relation to the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, and the Review of the Implementation of the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 'majoritarian turn' identified by scholars of Asian democracy in the 1990s saw the rise of mixed-member majoritarian electoral systems and more centripetal party competition across both Northeast and Southeast Asia. In this paper, we argue that since the 2000s, the institutional pendulum has shifted, with more consensual approaches to democracy appearing to better represent key identity cleavages of gender, ethnicity, and territory—a trend evident not just in East Asia but South Asia as well. This new 'Asian model' typically involves increasing the proportional components of existing electoral formulas and grafting gender quotas, multiethnic party lists, and quasi-federal elements onto ostensibly majoritarian state structures. We show that these reforms have, as intended, mostly increased female and ethnic minority representation and decentralized governance structures. At the same time, however, these de jure changes are not associated with de facto political development in terms of greater democratic quality, counter to theoretical expectations. Indeed, democracy has declined across most of Asia at the same time as its democratic institutions have become more consensual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how youth conceptualize adulthood can give insight into how they make major life decisions that aggregate into larger trends. Yet research on beliefs about adulthood is underdeveloped with respect to gender, non-Western experience, and parental influence. Based on interviews with 71 young men and women in southwestern China, I demonstrate that neither of the prevailing paradigms for understanding the transition to adulthood fully accounts for how interviewees conceive of this stage of the life course. Instead, the Linked Lives principle, which emphasizes the interdependence of lives, better addresses interviewees' prioritizing support of parents in defining adulthood as well as the significance they attach to the traditional markers. Finally, gender intersects with the Linked Lives principle such that women are less likely than men to view themselves as adults. This paper demonstrates how looking at gender and Linked Lives together can give more insight into the transition to adulthood, especially outside the West. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the emerging regional governance of migration from the perspective of migrant rights activists and their strategies in advancing a rights-based framework in contrast to the 'management' (i.e. control-centred) approach typically championed by states. The key objective is to use the study of civil society activism, through its nodes and networks, to develop a 'bottom-up' approach as an alternative to the dominant perspective taken on multilateral migration governance thus far. Drawing on Regulatory Theory, we conceive migration policy as a dynamic process that occurs at multiple levels involving a broad spectrum of institutional actors. In stressing the importance of the increasingly networked form that policy and political interventions are taking, our paper proposes a nodal account of migration governance which is applied specifically to civil society organisations' attempts to influence governance. Our empirical focus is the case of one key protagonist in the sphere of migrant rights advocacy, the Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA), which constitutes the largest network of migrant rights organisations spanning countries of origin and destination across most of Asia. Its central role, as we argue, is that of an interlocutor between intersecting and interacting organisational networks. In this sense, it takes on a 'nodal' function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, many populist leaders and parties have succeeded in taking over the levers of state power, in spite of the fact that much of their political rhetoric in opposition expresses anti-state sentiments. This paper examines how populist leaders and parties in Asia have been able to use the institutions of the state, including education, to exercise and perpetuate their power. Focusing on the examples of India, the Philippines and Singapore, the paper shows how in each of these cases, populist politics consists in attempts to reconfigure the nature of the state and its relationship to civil society, often seeking to obliterate the distinction. A great deal of effort is put in to transform the institutions of the state, including education, making it possible for them to translate populist sentiments into governmental practice. This explains how, when in government, populists are often able to extend their appeal and influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our research on government policy responses to address the increase in women's unpaid care and domestic work during COVID-19, across 59 countries of Asia and the Pacific, shows that less than 30 per cent of measures are care-sensitive and of these only 12 per cent are gender-differentiated. From this analysis, this paper proposes a care-integral approach to ensure gender-transformative outcomes. This approach comprises a unique three-tier framework for policy action constituting: (1) seven foundational care normative principles, (2) typology of four care-sensitive policy categories, and (3) seven levers of change to guide implementation. Together this 7-4-7 framework presents comprehensive strategies for policymakers to operationalise the Triple R agenda of 'Recognise', 'Reduce', and 'Redistribute' unpaid work. Further, this paper makes a unique contribution by redirecting attention of the Triple R approach on quantity of care, to make a case for improving the overall quality of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personal recovery is a relatively novel concept in many Asian countries, and recovery-oriented interventions are usually adapted from western conceptualizations of recovery. To understand what personal recovery in mental health means to people in Asia, what meanings they give to their conditions, and what factors they perceive as hindering or facilitating their recovery. The review focused on peer-reviewed papers published in English between the years 2000 and 2020. Arksey and O'Malley 5-stage method was used to guide the review. Thirty studies were included. Personal recovery in Asia meant a return to a pre-illness state and involved a transformative process. Mental illness was explained as being biomedically oriented, although religious/culturally bound explanations were also present in some studies. Social support, religion, meaningful activities, supportive professionals, and personalized coping strategies were viewed as supporting recovery. Religious stigma, discrimination, gendered norms, and negative societal perceptions of mental illness hindered recovery. The concept of personal recovery in Asia is extremely diverse. Studies exploring personal recovery among people experiencing mental illness in Asia remains in its early stages and more research is needed to better understand how it is conceptualized. Such knowledge could benefit frontline implementation of recovery-oriented services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional European and East Asian cultures have for centuries grown hemp (Cannabis) to make homespun yarn and weave linens (plain weave fabrics) used both in ritual and secular contexts. Even so, few academic sources have discussed fine hemp linen fabrics and how they look. In publications concerning textile plants and the fabrics made from them, when hemp is mentioned, it is usually relegated to the weaving of coarse fabrics used by the poor lower classes. Unrecognized is that by employing only manual methods hemp fabrics can reach fine qualities, and that they were used by people of many social strata. Also frequently overlooked is that coarse fabrics were made from a range of other fiber plants including flax and ramie. In addition, that "coarse" and "fine" are relative terms subject to various interpretations makes textile comparisons difficult. This paper explores a collection of representative textiles from Europe and Asia made of homegrown and homespun hemp, with a focus on the various fabrics. Also discusses the importance of their cultural contexts as reasons for their preservation. Initial examination was performed by manual fiber identification protocols and a digital microscope was used to measure and record yarn diameter and fabric density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review is provided of the article "The Future of Utopia," by Peter van der Veer, which appears within the issue.

As black carbon (BC) particles can be deposited on the leaf surfaces, urban greening is considered to be effective in purifying urban air. However, little information on the seasonal variations in the amount of BC particles deposited on the leaf surfaces (BC amount on the leaves) is available in Japanese urban greening tree species. Therefore, we investigated seasonal variations in the BC amount on the leaves of evergreen (Quercus glauca, Quercus myrsinaefolia, Osmanthus fragrans and Ilex rotunda) and deciduous (Zelkova serrata, Styrax japonica, Magnolia kobus, Cornus kousa and Cornus florida) broad-leaved tree species. The BC amount on the leaves tended to increase from April for different periods, and then reached a saturated state in the tree species, excluding M. kobus. In the 4 evergreen broad-leaved trees, the seasonal variation was positively correlated with the atmospheric concentration of BC particle. In the 5 deciduous broad-leaved trees, the seasonal variation was negatively and positively correlated with the water-repellence (water droplet contact angle) and the amount of epicuticular wax on the leaf surface, respectively. Therefore, the BC amounts on the leaves of evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved urban tree species are considered to be mainly regulated by environmental factors and leaf surface characteristics, respectively. This is the first paper that reports the seasonal variations in the amount of BC particles deposited on the leaves of Japanese urban greening tree species and their related factors such as environmental conditions and leaf surface characteristics. This study will provide the basic and novel information for the phytoremediation of urban air pollution induced by BC particles in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable Development Goal Target 4.2.1 is monitored by determining the proportion of children aged 24 to 59 months who are developmentally on track in the domains of health, learning, and psychosocial well-being. UNICEF has developed a caregiver report measure, the Early Childhood Development Index 2030 (ECDI2030), to measure progress towards this target. This paper examines whether a newly developed tool, the Early Childhood Development Assessment Scale-Direct Assessment (ECDAS-DA) can add value to the measurement of Target Indicator 4.2.1 by complementing UNICEF's ECDI2030, and explores the psychometric properties of the ECDAS-DA. A total of 956 children (476 girls) aged 3 to 5 years from Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar were administered the ECDAS-DA in individual sessions. Caregivers provided responses to a survey based on UNICEF's ECDI2030. Confirmatory Factor Analyses indicated that learning, health, and psychosocial well-being domains of the ECDAS-DA were three component parts of one underlying construct of early child development. Significant correlations between the ECDAS-DA and the caregiver-reported ECDI2030 survey were found in the learning and health domains but findings were mixed for the psychosocial well-being domain. Multiple measures of early development could be important in measuring SDG Target 4.2.1 and the ECDAS-DA has the potential to complement UNICEF's ECDI2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar cooking is one of the significant applications of solar thermal conversion systems. In some of the developing countries of Asia and Africa, firewood was the only cooking option. Hence, outdoor solar cookers have gained popularity in such places due to household air pollution caused by the former. With the onset of urbanization, few developing countries have adopted kerosene, coal, and liquified petroleum gas in place of firewood, which in turn leads to the emission of harmful gases in the kitchen. On the other side, solar cooking has poor social acceptance in developed countries as it is an outdoor activity i.e. under the sun. Hence, a detailed review concerning the outdoor (in general) and indoor (in specific) solar cookers have been presented in part I of this paper: "Sustainable mechanism to popularize round-the-clock indoor solar cooking – Part I: Global status." It reveals the importance of indoor solar cooking and the dearth of relevant experimental and numerical studies. Such a system is also essential to popularize solar cooking in developed countries (wherein electric cookers have already gained momentum). Hence, the present study proposes a passive indoor solar cooking system that can perform round-the-clock indoor cooking. The hypothesis of the proposed passive indoor solar cooking system, which is based on a coupled natural circulation system, is experimentally investigated with relevant assumptions. It yields the desired output and can perform efficiently without heat input, replicating off-sunshine hour cooking. Later, the experimental results are used to validate a numerical model (Ansys Fluent), which is further extended to replicate a practical system. Upon defining the appropriate boundary conditions, the numerical results depicted repetitive boiling (1 l of water for nine times) in the time range of 680–1500 s with heat load (daytime operation) and 700–1000 s without heat load (replicates off-sunshine hour cooking). Thus, the focused design is quite feasible, and with further recommendations being invoked, the evolution of a sustainable mechanism for round-the-clock indoor solar cooking is apparent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financing climate change mitigation and adaptation in Asia is critical for its population and economies but also for those of the world. This editorial provides a commentary and overview of ten articles within this special issue of Climate Policy on 'Green Finance in Asia'. Contributions are diverse in terms of focus and methods. Most of the articles focus on managing transition risk with six of the articles having an energy focus; the dominant themes are the risk of stranded coal assets in China; the role of export finance by China and Japan for fossil fuel-fired power generation assets within Asia; and investment in renewable power generation and the policies to support such investment. The remaining four articles explore various policies in specific country contexts: the effects of green bond policies in China; the greening of monetary policy in China; the governance of sustainable finance in Indonesia; and policies to support investment and finance of off-grid electricity access in Bangladesh. Most of the ten contributions come from researchers in developed countries and principally from non-Asian countries, suggesting there is a need to develop green finance research capability and capacity across Asia. Despite being withing scope of the special issue, this collection does not contain papers on physical risk or adaptation finance. We highlight these as important gaps and priorities for future research. Key policy insights This editorial provides a commentary and overview of ten articles within this special issue of Climate Policy on 'Green Finance in Asia'. Most of the ten contributions come from researchers in developed countries and principally from non-Asian countries. There is a need to develop green finance research capability and capacity across Asia. Most contributions were focussed on transition risk, with limited or no focus on physical risk and adaptation finance. This likely reflects the multiple resource and expertise challenges faced when conducting physical risks assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bleisure travel is a new type of travel, and bleisure travel experience has become an emerging topic worthy of investigation. However, studies on bleisure travel have mostly employed a qualitative research approach. We accordingly executed our research to develop – through a rigorous process – a bleisure travel experience scale with validity and reliability for assessing the bleisure travel experiences of business travelers. The validity and reliability of the scale, comprising 28 items in 6 dimensions, was proven. This paper details our findings' theoretical and practical implications and outlines possible directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the reflections and discussions from a special session at the 2021 Global Health Bioethics Network summer school, this paper has summarised the key challenges faced by Frontline Workers (FWs) across research sites in Africa and Asia in performing the everyday 'body work' entailed in operationalising global health research. Using a 'body work' lens, we specifically explore and map key challenges that FWs face in Africa and Asia and the physical, social, ethical, emotional, and political labour involved in operationalising global health in these settings. The research encounter links with wider social and economic structures, and spatial dimensions and impacts on the FWs' performance and well-being. Yet, FWs' 'body-work' and the embedded emotions during the research encounter remain hidden and undervalued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an increasing number of children diagnosed with Autism-Spectrum-Disorder in Canada, this paper focuses on how their mothers, as Asian immigrant women, experience the process of diagnosis and learn to parent their children. By taking two Asian (Korean and Chinese) mothers' critical personal narratives as major data sources, this paper aims to explore the diagnosis process of Autism-Spectrum-Disorder through a sociocultural lens on the intersectionality of (im)migrants and their cultural competence, and argues that their identity (re)construction and learning for parenting take place at the intersectionality of race, gender, class, and disability. This paper highlights possible implications for everyone involved in this 'medical' process, in the context of Canadian or other similar multicultural societies. Asian immigrant mothers usually have to deal with children with Autism-Spectrum-Disorder (ASD) and they have bitter experience of mistreatment tied to race, gender and class. This study reveals how Asian immigrant mothers struggled in their integration to Canadian society as well as their experiences of denial into Canada's medical system. The stories of these two women shed lights on the social and cultural aspects of immigrant mothers' learning strategies, including how they utilize accessible resources and networks for their children's treatment and diagnosis. This paper suggests that policymakers need to consider the social and cultural aspects of diagnosis in immigrant families to better fit their needs and provide them appropriate medical and social support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zone A in Nanpu Sag of Bohai Bay has the characteristics of multiple provenances, multiple sedimentary systems, fast phase transition, many faults, a short fault distance, thin reservoirs and rapid lateral changes. At present, due to the low resolution of seismic data and thin sand layer of the target formation, it is difficult to depict the channel sand body, and it is also difficult to meet the requirements of accurately implementing low amplitude structures, reservoir prediction and well location deployment. When a seismic wave propagates in the stratum, it has the characteristics of multi-scale, multi-resolution and multi-directionality, while the Curvelet transform has the advantage of expressing these characteristics. In this paper, according to the geological characteristics and seismic response characteristics of continental thin interbedded strata in zone A, the seismic data are first transformed to the Curvelet domain. Then, the formation absorption and seismic wave attenuation are compensated in the Curvelet domain. Lastly, the data mentioned above are inversely transformed into the time–space domain. This paper presents the method and process of using the Curvelet transform to enhance the resolution of seismic data in thin interbedded strata. The application of a theoretical model and field data show that this method can effectively enhance the resolution of seismic data while maintaining a high signal-to-noise ratio. The innovative use of this method in zone A lays the foundation for the follow-up work of this structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Singapore used to be receptive to labour migration and Japan more restrictive. Recently, trends in both countries have reversed and a selection based on racial background has been noted by migrants. Using qualitative data of young white Europeans, this paper argues that amidst changing immigration policies, the way these migrants are received and perceived as "skilled" is not necessarily due to their acquired skills but rather to the passively accrued value of whiteness. This in turn fuels migrants' self-identification as white and their perceptions of a market demand for white foreigners. However, their migratory trajectories underline that in a changing landscape of skill appreciation, meanings of whiteness are changing, too. The paper links migration with critical whiteness studies and argues that white privilege is sustained differently in Singapore and Japan, yet that in both cases, whiteness increasingly acts passively rather than being actionable capital and that its benefits are questionable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What insights can studies of son preference in Asia offer European historical demographers? Research on Asia is far easier than on historical Europe, given the scope for in-depth studies of a contemporary phenomenon instead of using available historical data. Levels of sex-selection have also been high in Asia, which makes it easier to analyze its correlates. This enables developing hypotheses that might be useful in studies of historical Europe. Studies in Asia indicate that, in rigidly patrilineal societies, son preference forms part of households' strategy for managing their assets and risks. The extent of sex-selection varied enormously over time within a given setting, rising sharply when households faced heightened risk --- such as war, or the unwinding of Communist regimes that offered communal access to resources --- and decreasing as modern state pension systems mature. These household strategies also affect the life-chances of other household members, including marriage restriction to reduce asset fragmentation. Kinship systems shape the rights of different categories of household members and the norms of cooperation between them — including between generations, spouses, and siblings of different genders and birth orders. This paper offers some hypotheses on the implications of variations in patrilineal kinship systems in Europe for the life-chances of different categories of household members. For purposes of constructing hypotheses that can be tested if data permit, the European kinship systems are contrasted in a stylized way, as those based on a 'lifeboat' ethic of jettisoning non-heirs from the household, versus those based on a more 'corporate' ethic in which the household seeks to support all its members. Historical demographers working on Europe have rich fields to explore, given the region's diversity: of kinship systems, of economic opportunities, and of exposure to major risks such as wars, famine, and the establishment and dis-establishment of Communism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discrimination towards females – a trait of regional demography so far deemed unique to Asian countries – has inspired historians to revisit demographic series to look for instances of gender imbalances within Europe. In this paper, we show why a proper appreciation of Europe's experience of gender discrimination in the past may help us to understand the future of contemporary sex selection throughout Asia. We stress in particular how the demographic discrimination of females appeared to have vanished during the 20th century from all areas where it was reported earlier. We examine the main factors that may explain the gradual disappearance of the 'missing girls' from Europe. We finally discuss the best ways to identify the potential micro- or macro-mechanisms accounting for the transformations observed in Europe, using, in particular, the distinct trajectories of countries in Southeastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occult Macular Dystrophy (OMD), a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in the retinitis pigmentosa 1-like protein 1 gene (RP1L1), is characterized by loss of central visual acuity in the absence of fundoscopic abnormalities. In patients suspected of having OMD based on unexplained central vision loss and/or photophobia, changes may be detected with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Subsequently, the diagnosis can be confirmed with genetic analysis. We report a case of an 18-year-old White male whose suspected diagnosis of OMD was confirmed by molecular testing. We conducted an extensive review of the literature of previously reported patients with OMD to date. A PubMed search of "RP1L1 and Occult Macular Dystrophy" revealed 34 papers. There were 225 individuals with genetically confirmed, symptomatic OMD; an additional 15 had a confirmed mutation but were asymptomatic and discovered incidentally. Our patient presented with a 10-year history of unexplained loss of central visual acuity and photophobia. Genetic analysis confirmed the presence of a p.R45W substitution on the RP1L1 gene, the most common pathologic mutation in OMD. Due to the lack of appreciable fundoscopic changes, correct identification of the disease can be difficult. Incomplete penetrance has been associated with the condition, and the age of onset is highly variable. Much of the research discussing OMD has come from Eastern Asia, but whether this is due to a heightened awareness and screening protocols, or increased incidence is unclear. Additional research and increased awareness globally will help with more timely and accurate diagnoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to analyze the levels and trajectories of physical rehabilitation needs across five resource-poor world regions, against global and key country-specific benchmarks. This comparative, secondary cross-region analysis uses data from the Global Burden of Diseases study 2017 [1990–2017], specifically varied metrics of the Years Lived with Disability (YLD) measure from the health conditions likely benefiting from physical rehabilitation. All the resource-poor world regions had significant increases (p < 0.01) in the absolute, relative, and percentage of physical rehabilitation needs [1990–2017]. Nonetheless, The Asia-Pacific region stood out with the greatest YLD Rates (i.e., per population size) in 2017, the greatest growth in YLD Rates since 1990 (38%), and an exponential growth in the rehabilitation-sensitive YLD Rates. The Asia-Pacific region also had the greatest portion of their YLDs coming from rehabilitation-sensitive conditions (72% in 2017), closely followed by the Latin America & Caribbean (67%). Nonetheless, in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, we observed the greatest percent increases in the portion of physical rehabilitation needs among all YLDs, out of lower initial values. An overall growth but differential patterns were observed in the evolution of physical rehabilitation needs across the resource-poor world regions. Asia-Pacific and Latin America & Caribbean regions had over than two-thirds of their non-fatal health loss arising from conditions sensitive to physical rehabilitation, and important growths in rehabilitation need indicators have been observed also for South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The scale-up and strengthening of rehabilitation services and resources should be informed by needs-based data. The needs-based data from this study can inform trans-national developments and the planning of rehabilitation resources, inclusively at the world-region level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, I founded Scene/Asia, a platform of critique and dialogue for Asian contemporary performances. The main objective of the project was to extract performance tropes and concepts cultivated on the Asian soil; we tried to build a pool of knowledge that uses 'Asian theatre [and not Western theatre] as method', to cite Rossella Ferrari, who, in turn, borrowed from Kuan Hsing-Chen. Taking this three-year project as an empirical basis, this paper argues, in a hybrid language consisting of fieldwork reports, discussion outcomes, curatorial procedures and scholarly analysis, that the three pillars of Western canonisation in theatre – institutionalisation, historicisation and the ensuing commodification – may be 'useful' to the West, but a priori contradict the raison d'être of traditional Asian performances. The paper demonstrates this by referring to traditional Asian pop-up theatres and a text by Japanese ethnologist Orikuchi Shinobu, who argues that Japanese entertainers were originally ukare-bito (drifting people). Finally, this paper demonstrates an analysis of Malaysian theatre director Mark Teh's Version 2020: The Complete Future of Malaysia (2017) as a contemporary Asian theatre piece that brings into relief 'Asian theatre as method' by adopting what Teh calls the 'dispersive dramaturgy'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positioning migrants as quintessential globalisation subjects, this paper reveals how the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the ambivalent positioning of migration as a pathway for human development. Drawing on interviews with international and domestic labour migrants from Bangladesh, India, Laos and Myanmar working in Laos, Myanmar, China, Singapore and Thailand, the paper explores the vulnerabilities, challenges and opportunities that have come with migration and how these have been reconfigured as the pandemic has progressed, disproportionately heightening migrants' exposure to the virus and their socioeconomic precarity. Through their personal stories, the paper provides insights into the evolving livelihood pathways of migrant workers during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, their (changing) views of migration as a route to progress, and tentatively sets out how ruptures caused by the pandemic may lead to a re-thinking of livelihood pathways for such men and women and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews literature on migration and marriage and highlights contributions of the papers in this special issue. The papers show that Asian marriage migrants' experience of integration and assimilation are complex, nuanced, and heterogeneous across migrants' sociodemographic backgrounds, ethnic profiles, and political contexts. The heterogeneities in Asian marriage migrants' assimilation trajectories challenge the classic assimilation theory which assumes an unilinear integration trajectory in all relevant aspects. This issue diversifies the academic discourses on migration and marriage by going beyond marriage migration to include how other types of migration shape family formation processes including divorce and remarriage. It also examines the mechanisms underlying the migration-marriage link. Finally, this special issue widens methodological repertoires in the field of marriage and migration by using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method analyses to divulge the complexity of the relationships. Topics examined in these papers include variations in economic well-being, cultural assimilation, gender inequality vis-à-vis marriages, migrants' subjective well-being, and how policies pertinent to cross-cultural marriages affect migrants. Unlike in the western societies where race/ethnic integration is a dominant concern, in Asia, the extended families of marriage migrants and their spouses, patriarchy, religion, and caste also play a big role in Asian migrants' family formation behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is there a link between levels of terrorism and the presence of organized crime groups? Which factors does terrorism affect that could impact the presence and expansion of organized crime groups? This study aims to empirically analyze this link. Dealing with potential endogeneity bias using matching methods, we provide quantitative evidence showing that terrorist attacks increase the future levels of organized crime group activities. Using Structural Equation Modeling techniques (SEM), we also show that the main mechanisms through which this relation seems to occur are through the effects of terrorism on state capacity and state legitimacy. Thus, organized crime groups seem to take advantage of the turbulent situation created by terrorist attacks in order to expand their activities. The findings provided in this paper aim to increase our knowledge on the so-called crime-terror nexus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the role of digital communication in the lives of migrants in Asia has greatly expanded, becoming integral to the decision to migrate, earning a living, and the practice of keeping in touch with left-behind families and friends. The papers in this Special Issue foreground how gender structures and practices within migrant households and the wider political economy shape migrants' digital communications. They expand the breadth of our thinking about the interlinkages among gender, migration and digital communication from a range of new subject positions including transnational families, international students, and marginalized minorities in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until the 1970s the Asia-born population of Australia remained small due to the racist White Australia Policy which denied entry to non-Europeans. Following its abolition in the early 1970s, Asian immigration progressively intensified, and in 2016 the Asia-born population of the country reached a total of 2.7 million, though the older population aged 65+ remained relatively small. This paper presents new projections of Australia's older Asia-born populations from 2016 to 2056 created with a new birthplace projection model. The results show substantial growth of the older Asia-born population can be expected over coming decades, along with changing composition by country of birth. The Asia-born proportion of Australia's older population overall is projected to rise from just 6 per cent in 2016 to 19 per cent in 2056. These coming demographic changes present challenges and opportunities - in particular relating to the provision of culturally appropriate residential and community aged care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional approaches to development programming with fixed targets and outcomes do not fit complex problems where the pathway to achieve results differs in each context and evolves constantly. Adaptive programming improves responses to complex problems by identifying which solutions bring change. This paper reviews the theory behind adaptive programming approaches and introduces the 'Pathways of Change' tool for achieving sustainability results, developed for the multi-country Women's Integrated Sexual Health programme. Qualitative data, using semi-structured interviews and group discussions from teams in over 17 countries in Africa and South Asia, are presented which examine the application of the Pathways of Change (PoC) tool focusing on successes and challenges across different intervention areas. The PoC responds to the need for a more practical adaptive programming tool that can be tailored to support flexibility in global health programme implementation while meeting donor requirements. Findings suggest that the PoC tool provides a flexible yet robust alternative to traditional monitoring frameworks and is able to facilitate adaptive, contextualised planning and monitoring for multi-country programmes. The PoC tool offers a solution to realise the ambitions of implementing adaptive programming within global health programmes and potentially beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of educational leadership has yet to develop a coherent knowledge base that reflects the global diversity of policies and practices. This disconnect – for example between Asian and Western research, presents a major challenge, curtailing authentic knowledge production and transfer. Accordingly, a major objective for the field is the creation of a cross-culturally valid knowledge base with global relevance. This conceptual paper addresses the phenomenon of global knowledge construction in educational leadership and the challenges of achieving coherence and connectivity between bodies of research from diverse politico-socio-cultural settings. In achieving greater connectivity between Asian and Western educational leadership research, a cross-cultural comparative approach is advocated. A comparatively informed universal knowledge base would highlight current ethnocentricity characterizing the field, and the socio-cultural embeddedness of educational leadership. While acknowledging the benefits and challenges of such an approach, the paper advocates four types of cultural and cross-cultural comparative studies, namely, meta studies of large data sets, socio-educational studies placing leadership in a social milieu context; system reform studies based on initiatives to improve education systems; and indigenous studies of educational leadership reflecting the uniqueness of societal cultures. Finally, the paper suggests more robust research methods for achieving authentic cross-cultural connectivity across knowledge bases to secure authentic knowledge production and transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluates existing theories regarding women's participation in top government positions by applying these theories to Asia through a qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). Thus, this paper aims to identify the conditions necessary and/or sufficient for women to break the political glass ceiling in Asia. Overall, the results show that political parties in democratic or hybrid regimes support different types of female candidates depending on the party's ideology and political scenario. More specifically, there are three alternative pathways for a party to be successful when selecting a female candidate in Asia. Conditions that were previously necessary in the region, such as family ties to political dynasties or contexts of instability or transition, are no longer necessary. New opportunities in specific socio-political contexts are arising for women who aim to reach the highest office in the country but do not belong to political dynasties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]