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In this study, high‐resolution CO2 concentration data were generated for East Asia to analyse long‐term changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, as East Asia is an important region for understanding the global carbon cycle. Using the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF‐Chem), atmospheric CO2 concentrations were simulated in East Asia at a resolution of 9 km for a period of 10 years (2009–2018). The generated CO2 concentration data include CO2 concentrations, biogenic CO2 concentrations, anthropogenic CO2 concentrations, oceanic CO2 concentrations, biospheric CO2 uptake, biospheric CO2 release and meteorological variables at 3‐h intervals. The simulated high‐resolution CO2 concentrations, biogenic CO2 concentrations and anthropogenic CO2 concentrations are stored in NetCDF‐4 (Network Common Data Form, version 4) format and are available for download at https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/PJTBF3. The simulated annual mean surface CO2 concentrations in East Asia were 391.027 ppm in 2009 and 412.949 ppm in 2018, indicating an increase of 21.922 ppm over the 10‐year period with appropriate seasonal variabilities. The monthly mean CO2 concentrations in East Asia were verified using surface CO2 observations and satellite column‐averaged CO2 mole fraction (XCO2) from Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO‐2). Based on surface CO2 observations and OCO‐2 XCO2 concentrations, the average root‐mean‐square error (RMSE) of the simulated CO2 concentrations in WRF‐Chem was 2.474 and 0.374 ppm, respectively, which is smaller than the average RMSE of the low‐resolution CarbonTracker 2019B (CT2019B) simulation. Therefore, the simulated high‐resolution atmospheric CO2 concentrations in East Asia in WRF‐Chem over 10 years are reliable data that resemble the observed values and could be highly valuable in understanding the carbon cycle in East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the midst of an intensifying US–China competition, China has adopted various policies to deal with the expanding US-led security network encircling it. As one endeavour, China has implemented a wedge strategy to weaken the US-led security coalition. This study focuses on one case of China's wedging against South Korea to disturb the US-South Korea alliance. This wedging strategy against the Park Geun-hye Administration was composed of two distinct approaches: a reward-based general wedging to prevent South Korea from tilting toward the US, and a coercion-based issue-specific wedging to divide them primarily by disturbing the deployment of THAAD in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: The study aimed to estimate bladder cancer burden and its attributable risk factors in China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea and Mongolia from 1990 to 2019, to discuss the potential causes of the disparities. Methods: Data were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The annual percent change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC) were calculated by Joinpoint analysis, and the independent age, period and cohort effects were estimated by age-period-cohort analysis. Results: In 2019, the highest incidence (7.70 per 100,000) and prevalence (51.09 per 100,000) rates of bladder cancer were in Japan, while the highest mortality (2.31 per 100,000) and DALY rates (41.88 per 100,000) were in South Korea and China, respectively. From 1990 to 2019, the age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates increased in China, Japan and South Korea (AAPC > 0) and decreased in Mongolia (AAPC < 0), while mortality and DALY rates decreased in all five countries (AAPC < 0). Age effects showed increasing trends for incidence, mortality and DALY rates, while the prevalence rates increased first and then decreased in older groups. The cohort effects showed downward trends from 1914–1918 to 2004–2008. Smoking was the greatest contributor and males had the higher burden than females. Conclusion: Bladder cancer was still a major public health problem in East Asia. Male and older population suffered from higher risk, and smoking played an important role. It is recommended that more efficient preventions and interventions should be operated among high-risk populations, thereby reduce bladder cancer burden in East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a tick-borne illness with a notable morality risk that is becoming increasingly prevalent in East Asia (14–36%). Increasing evidence indicates a more direct role of the SFTS virus in renal impairment. However, few studies have explored the risk factors for and clinical outcomes of AKI in patients with SFTS. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate risk factors and outcomes associated with AKI in patients with SFTS. In this retrospective cohort study, we included the data of 53 patients who were diagnosed with SFTS virus infection at Kangwon National University Hospital between 2016 and 2020. We incorporated laboratory data and medical information including comorbidities, complications, and mortality. Baseline characteristics, clinical features, laboratory parameters, and mortality rates of the non-AKI and AKI groups were compared. Patient survival of non-AKI and AKI groups were compared using the Kaplan–Meier method. To identify the population with poor prognosis, Cox regression analysis was used to identify the independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality in patients with SFTS. Of the 53 individuals, 29 (54.7%) were male, with an average age of 66.5 years. Nine patients (15.1%) died of SFTS. Twenty-seven (50.9%) patients exhibited AKI; the average time interval from fever onset to AKI occurrence was 3.6 days. Notably, 24 (88.9%) patients developed AKI within the first week of fever onset. Patients in the AKI group exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes and were older than those in the non-AKI group. The mortality rate was notably higher (29.6%) in the AKI group than in the non-AKI group (3.8%). Within the AKI cohort, advanced stages (stages 2 and 3) showed a 50% mortality rate, which was significantly higher than the 17.6% mortality rate in patients with stage 1 AKI. Additionally, Kaplan–Meier curves revealed lower survival rates among patients with AKI than among those without AKI (P = 0.017). Cox regression analysis identified leukopenia and elevated serum creatinine levels as significant risk factors for mortality. AKI is a common complication associated with SFTS. Moreover, the mortality rate was significantly higher in the patients who developed AKI than in those who did not. Our findings underscore the pivotal role of AKI as a prognostic marker of disease severity in patients with SFTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fern independent gametophytes that can maintain populations by vegetative reproduction without conspecific sporophytes have been considered an unusual phenomenon found in some epiphytic or epilithic species of Hymenophyllaceae, Pteridaceae, Lomariopsidaceae, and Polypodiaceae. By chance, the discovery of mysterious strap-like gametophytes on Izu-Oshima Island, Japan, has led to the hypothesis that Hymenasplenium murakami-hatanakae, a fern species belonging to Aspleniaceae, can also form independent gametophytes. Our investigation revealed gametophyte populations of H. murakami-hatanakae on three islands in the Izu Islands. Based on chloroplast DNA analysis of the gametophyte and sporophyte populations, the gametophytes were found to be maintained by vegetative reproduction without a new supply of spores from sporophytes. A comparison of the surrounding vegetation at the collection sites showed that environmental factors such as light and humidity may influence the maintenance of gametophyte populations. These results clearly show that H. murakami-hatanakae is one of the ferns capable of forming independent gametophytes. This is the first report of independent gametophytes from the suborder Aspleniineae (eupolypod II). The discovery of the independent gametophyte within a phylogenetic lineage previously thought not to form independent gametophytes will provide important insights into the morphological and functional evolution of gametophytes in ferns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japan's security policy is changing rapidly, with drastic increases to its defense budget and the acquisition of counterstrike capabilities. While the deteriorating security environment undeniably motivates Japan's defense posture, the speed and extent of these recent changes still present a puzzle. Why was it under Kishida Fumio--a former leader of Kōchikai, the liberal and oft-considered pacifist faction within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)--that Japan achieved its watershed moment on defense? This article explains this change through the exigencies of Kishida's domestic political survival. It was through his leadership of a minority faction within the LDP, his image as a dove, and support for fiscal discipline, that Kishida managed to find the largest common denominator among competing domestic political forces. Had it not been for Kishida, the speed and degree of Japan's recent transformation in security policies would have been unlikely. In light of these findings, we conclude by considering the policy implications for understanding Japan's security posture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study posits that U.S.-China technology competition has promoted the spread of techno-economic statecraft in East Asia. The emergence of techno-economic statecraft in East Asia requires systematic analysis because it affects not only the dynamics of U.S.-China technology competition but also the restructuring of the regional order. Since both the United States and China do not have complete self-sufficiency in the high-tech innovation ecosystem, it has become an urgent task for them to reduce their vulnerability to winning technological competition. Against this backdrop, East Asian countries have emerged as actors playing an important role in technological competition. Since East Asian countries are key players in the supply chain of high-tech industries, cooperation with East Asian countries has emerged as a factor that can influence the landscape of U.S.-China technology competition. Based on these observations, this study aims to explain the following four phenomena: First, it explains the process by which the United States and China seek to securitize high technology as a means of reducing their own structural vulnerabilities while redrawing new boundaries for cooperation with East Asian countries. Second, I argue that U.S.-China technology competition has accelerated the rise of techno-economic statecraft in East Asia. Third, I assert that there are significant differences in the techno-economic statecraft pursued by East Asian countries in the U.S.-China technology competition. Fourth, the divergence of techno-economic statecraft in East Asian countries has created systemic effects in the regional order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past two decades have witnessed a wave of research into the history of East Asian international relations (IR). Scholars seek to broaden the historical frames of reference in IR for both theory testing and theory generation. The article reviews this recent trend, examining its limitations and exploring future agenda. In studying historical East Asian IR, scholars have different expectations regarding whether their research would support, complement, or undermine mainstream Western IR. The spatial and temporal scope of their historical inquiries, as well as theoretical ambitions, therefore, differ significantly. Scholars no longer treat all East Asian history as simply one case, but as multiple cases with divergent patterns, and they recognize that the system consisted not solely of China but of multiple actors. In addition to contrasting East Asia with Western Europe, they explore also the similarities between East Asia and other non-Western regions. To advance the agenda, however, scholars must scrupulously navigate three tensions. They are: the tension between the "East" and "West"; the tension between the two disciplines of history and IR; and the tension between past and present. Future studies, therefore, must broaden their horizons in order to better transcend ethnocentrism and exceptionalism, refine their methodology both to avoid selection bias and conduct more sophisticated comparisons, and to maintain a proper distance from contemporary politics. Most importantly, they should combine high-quality historical research with cutting-edge IR theoretical trends to construct dynamic theories that could be applied to other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals that colonize islands often undergo significant evolutionary changes in comparison with their continental counterparts as a response to specific island conditions. The pace of such changes can be relatively fast, which poses challenges in the evaluation of the taxonomic status of island taxa. The Japanese and Manchurian Bush Warbler species complex (Horornis diphone–canturians), which breeds in East Asia and the Japanese Archipelago, is such an avian example. This species complex exhibits significant morphological differentiation between different taxa, and the taxonomic status and phylogenetic relationships within the complex are debated. Here, we updated the taxonomy of this species complex and shed insight on its evolutionary history using multi‐locus phylogeographic and acoustic analyses. Our results support the conventional treatment of the two continental taxa borealis and canturians as subspecies of H. canturians, contrary to some recent proposals that they are affiliated to H. diphone. We also document a reduction in body size, that is dwarfism, and vocal divergence in the nominate subspecies H. d. diphone, which is endemic to the remote and isolated Ogasawara Islands. These changes may have happened following colonization of these islands, which was estimated to have taken place approximately 0.2 million years ago. Although H. d. diphone is clearly distinctive and deserves recognition as an evolutionarily significant unit, H. d. diphone and other H. diphone samples were not reciprocally monophyletic. Because of this lack of reciprocal monophyly and a relatively recent divergence time, we advocate maintaining its current subspecies status. We also detected reduced genetic diversity, measured as heterozygosity, in H. d. diphone. We suggest that conservation efforts in the Ogasawara Islands should prioritize the protection of this endemic subspecies. Collectively, our findings suggest that the separation between the populations on the East Asian continent and the Japanese Archipelago, followed by colonization of remote oceanic islands through long‐distance dispersal, underlie rapid phenotypic and genetic diversification of the Horornis diphone–canturians species complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several coronaviruses infect humans, with three, including the SARS-CoV2, causing diseases. While coronaviruses are especially prone to induce pandemics, we know little about their evolutionary history, host-to-host transmissions, and biogeography. One of the difficulties lies in dating the origination of the family, a particularly challenging task for RNA viruses in general. Previous cophylogenetic tests of virus-host associations, including in the Coronaviridae family, have suggested a virus-host codiversification history stretching many millions of years. Here, we establish a framework for robustly testing scenarios of ancient origination and codiversification versus recent origination and diversification by host switches. Applied to coronaviruses and their mammalian hosts, our results support a scenario of recent origination of coronaviruses in bats and diversification by host switches, with preferential host switches within mammalian orders. Hotspots of coronavirus diversity, concentrated in East Asia and Europe, are consistent with this scenario of relatively recent origination and localized host switches. Spillovers from bats to other species are rare, but have the highest probability to be towards humans than to any other mammal species, implicating humans as the evolutionary intermediate host. The high host-switching rates within orders, as well as between humans, domesticated mammals, and non-flying wild mammals, indicates the potential for rapid additional spreading of coronaviruses across the world. Our results suggest that the evolutionary history of extant mammalian coronaviruses is recent, and that cases of long-term virus–host codiversification have been largely over-estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During and before World War II, Japanese colonial rule cast a profound impact on the cultural and artistic landscapes of its colonies. Choi Seung-hee (1911–1969), a prominent cultural figure from the pre-war period, skillfully navigated the delicate balance between her roles as a representative of Korean national dancer and an emblematic figure within the Japanese empire. Her dual identity elicited diverse public reactions, ranging from slander to praise. In South Korea, post-Korean War, ideological divisions led to the marginalization of artists like Choi who moved north, ambiguously referred to as “Choi X.” In North Korea, autocratic rule infused her evaluations with strong nationalism. In China and the Soviet Union, Cultural Cold War ideologies impacted her assessments. Japan’s perspective reflected its post-colonial introspection and issues. In contrast to the ideologically saturated research in Asian contexts, contemporary Anglophone scholarship on Choi, transcending nationalist confines, nonetheless exhibits distinct limitations. This study primarily scrutinizes the diverse perspectives reflected in Choi research, drawing upon news reports, visual materials, academic studies, and personal observations in China, South Korea, and Japan. The aim is to chart the trajectory and representative viewpoints of Choi research in post-World War II Koreas, China/Soviet Union, Japan, and the Anglophone scholarship. Through literature review and critical analysis, this research underscores how nationalist, socialist, Aesthetic Orientalist, Sinocentric and (Pan) Asian political/non-political ideologies have shaped perspectives on Choi amidst the Cultural Cold War and decolonization. Moreover, it reveals how transnational ideological constructs and dominant research paradigms have shaped and reshaped Choi’s image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although there have been qualitative meta-syntheses on experiences of eating disorders treatments, there is a paucity of syntheses specifically examining the perspectives and experiences of eating disorders treatments (ED) in East Asia (EA). Such synthesis could facilitate a better understanding of culture-specific perspectives and experiences. This review complements a quantitative scoping review published on ED treatments in EA (Yim & Schmidt, 2023), where most interventions reviewed focused on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and internet interventions. The present meta-synthesis summarises stakeholders' views on treatments and to synthesise clinical and research recommendations. Method: A systematic search of five databases and a citation search were conducted to identify relevant studies and data were analysed using thematic synthesis. Out of the 301 studies found, a total of 12 papers were included in the analysis. Results: A diverse range of treatments, such as family therapy, paediatric/psychiatric inpatient care, CBT, and counselling, were discussed. Three overarching themes were identified: Delineating Physical and Psychological Recovery; 'I am not alone in this battle'; and Barriers to Change. The themes further delve into the various obstacles to recovery, including financial concerns and limited access to professionals and services. Culture-specific factors include family obligations and promoting family harmony. Balancing interdependence and independence from one's family, as well as understanding family body ideals versus broader societal body ideals, are important considerations in ED interventions. Discussion: Some themes paralleled other qualitative syntheses, highlighting improved family relationships, perceived authoritarianism in treatments, and financial barriers. The review extends beyond the previous findings, revealing nuanced factors like family roles, cultural values, and norms. Clinical recommendations include incorporating family context in treatment and considering cultural influences on body image ideals. Capacity building through telemedicine and increased training is essential for advancing ED treatment in East Asia. Continued research is needed to better understand and treat people affected by ED in EA. Plain English Summary: Research on eating disorders (EDs) treatment mainly focuses on Western countries, with little exploration of experiences in East Asia. To fill this gap, we reviewed 12 studies on the perspectives of individuals, families and clinicians regarding EDs treatments in East Asia. Our synthesis identified three main themes: Physical and Psychological Recovery: Effective treatment needs to address both physical and mental aspects of recovery. Finding Support – 'I am not alone in this battle': Many individuals find strength in knowing they are not alone. Barriers to Change: Obstacles like financial difficulties, limited EDs knowledge from professionals, and cultural factors can hinder recovery. Cultural-specific factors such as family obligations and maintaining family harmony can impact on treatment motivation and effectiveness. Balancing family's wishes/ interdependence and personal aspirations/ independence can also be a challenge. Our findings highlight the need for culturally sensitive treatments. Expanding telemedicine and increasing provider training can also help overcome treatment barriers. In conclusion, understanding cultural and contextual factors is essential for developing effective support systems and improving ED treatment outcomes in East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] The term "Holocene temperature conundrum" refers to the inconsistencies between proxy-based reconstructions and transient model simulations, and it challenges our understanding of global temperature evolution during the Holocene. Climate reconstructions indicate a cooling trend following the Holocene Thermal Maximum, while model simulations indicate a consistent warming trend due to ice-sheet retreat and rising greenhouse gas concentrations. Various factors, such as seasonal biases and overlooked feedback processes, have been proposed as potential causes for this discrepancy. In this study, we examined the impact of vegetation-climate feedback on the temperature anomaly patterns in East Asia during the mid-Holocene (∼6 ka). By utilizing the fully coupled Earth system model EC-Earth and performing simulations with and without coupled dynamic vegetation, our objective was to isolate the influence of vegetation changes on regional temperature patterns. Our findings reveal that vegetation-climate feedback contributed to warming across most of East Asia, resulting in spatially diverse temperature changes during the mid-Holocene and significantly improved model-data agreement. These results highlight the crucial role of vegetation-climate feedback in addressing the Holocene temperature conundrum and emphasize its importance for simulating accurate climate scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The barbel chub (Squaliobarbus curriculus), the only species in the genus, is widely distributed in freshwater lakes and rivers at different latitudes in East Asia, with fishery and biodiversity importance, and is an emerging commercially important fish in China. However, the resource of this species has dramatically declined due to anthropogenic activities such as over-exploitation, as well as water pollution. Genomic resources for S. curriculus are useful for the management and sustainable utilization of this important fish species, and also for a better understanding of its genetic variation in the region. Here, we report the chromosome-level assembly of the S. curriculus genome obtained from the integration of PacBio long sequencing and Hi-C technology. A total of 155.34 Gb high-quality PacBio sequences were generated, and the preliminary genome assembly was 894.95 Mb in size with a contig N50 being 20.34 Mb. By using Hi-C data, 99.42% of the assembled sequences were anchored to 24 pseudochromosomes, with chromosome lengths ranging from 27.22 to 58.75 Mb. A total of 25,779 protein-coding genes were predicted, 94.70% of which were functionally annotated. Moreover, S. curriculus shows resistance to grass carp haemorrhagic disease (GCHD) caused by grass carp reovirus (GCRV), which seriously hinders the status and future perspectives of commercial grass carp production. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that S. curriculus diverged with grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) approximately 20.80 million years ago. Annotations of the expanded gene families were found to be largely enriched in immune-related KEGG pathway categories. Moreover, a total of 18 Toll-like receptor (TLR) genes were identified from the whole genome of S. curriculus. The high-quality genome assembled in this study will provide a valuable resource for accelerating ecological, evolutionary, and genetic research on S. curriculus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anoplophora chinensis Forster (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is a highly polyphagous and invasive species native to East Asia that makes tunnels in the stems of a variety of broad-leaved plant species and cultivated plant species, as well as citrus and hazelnut. In this study, we collected A. chinensis from hazelnut orchards in Sakarya province of Türkiye, and subsequently recovered the parasitoid Megaselia scalaris (Diptera: Phoridae) from dead adult beetles. The present study reports M. scalaris as a new natural enemy of A. chinensis, and more study is needed on this species' behaviour and biological parameters as a parasitoid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spring atmospheric heat source (AHS) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) has been suggested to affect the Asian summer monsoon and summer precipitation over South China. However, its influence on the summer precipitation in Northeast China (NEC) remains unknown. The connection between spring TP AHS and subsequent summer precipitation over NEC from 1961 to 2020 is analyzed in this study. Results illustrate that stronger spring TP AHS can enhance subsequent summer NEC precipitation, and higher soil moisture in the Yellow River Valley–North China region (YRVNC) acts as a bridge. During spring, the strong TP AHS could strengthen the transportation of water vapor to East China and lead to excessive rainfall in the YRVNC. Thus, soil moisture increases, which regulates local thermal conditions by decreasing local surface skin temperature and sensible heat. Owing to the memory of soil moisture, the lower spring sensible heat over the YRVNC can last until mid-summer, decrease the land–sea thermal contrast, and weaken the southerly winds over the East Asia–western Pacific region and convective activities over the South China Sea and tropical western Pacific. This modulates the East Asia–Pacific teleconnection pattern, which leads to a cyclonic anomaly and excessive summer precipitation over NEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To quantify the relative contributions of Arctic sea ice and unforced atmospheric internal variability to the "warm Arctic, cold East Asia" (WACE) teleconnection, this study analyses three sets of large-ensemble simulations carried out by the Norwegian Earth System Model with a coupled atmosphere–land surface model, forced by seasonal sea ice conditions from preindustrial, present-day, and future periods. Each ensemble member within the same set uses the same forcing but with small perturbations to the atmospheric initial state. Hence, the difference between the present-day (or future) ensemble mean and the preindustrial ensemble mean provides the ice-loss-induced response, while the difference of the individual members within the present-day (or future) set is the effect of atmospheric internal variability. Results indicate that both present-day and future sea ice loss can force a negative phase of the Arctic Oscillation with a WACE pattern in winter. The magnitude of ice-induced Arctic warming is over four (ten) times larger than the ice-induced East Asian cooling in the present-day (future) experiment; the latter having a magnitude that is about 30% of the observed cooling. Sea ice loss contributes about 60% (80%) to the Arctic winter warming in the present-day (future) experiment. Atmospheric internal variability can also induce a WACE pattern with comparable magnitudes between the Arctic and East Asia. Ice-loss-induced East Asian cooling can easily be masked by atmospheric internal variability effects because random atmospheric internal variability may induce a larger magnitude warming. The observed WACE pattern occurs as a result of both Arctic sea ice loss and atmospheric internal variability, with the former dominating Arctic warming and the latter dominating East Asian cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exposure to extreme weatherly events potentially develops mental disorders among affected individuals. Aim: To synthesize the burden of mental disorders following impact of extreme weather events in South-east Asian (SEA) countries. Methods: Proposal was registered in PROSPERO register [CRD42023469788] and reported as per PRISMA-2020 guidelines. Studies reporting prevalence of mental health disorders following extreme weather events from SEA countries during 1990 and 2023 were searched on Embase, PubMed, and Scopus databases. Study quality was assessed using Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies. Overall pooled prevalence was computed using DerSimonian-Laird method for random-effects model and reported as 95% confidence intervals. Results: On screening 12,046 records, we included 155 studies (2,04,474 participants) for analysis. Overall burden of mental disorders was 35.31% (95%CI: 30.42%-40.21%). In subgroup analysis, studies on cyclones, India, local residents, children and adolescents, rural settings, and community settings reported higher burden of mental disorders. Depression (28.58%; 95%CI: 24.05%-33.1%) and PTSD (29.36%; 95%CI: 26.26%-32.46%) had similar prevalence. Visiting tourists to SEA region experienced fear, fear of recurrence of tsunami, nightmares, and sense of helplessness. Mental health outcomes were relatively higher in studies conducted within 1 year of events. Heterogeneity and possibility of publication bias exists among the reported studies. Conclusion: With the significant rise in episodes of extreme weather events in SEA region over the last three decades, mental disorders are documented in different proportions. We suggest prioritizing well-informed policies to formulate inclusive and resilient strategies on effectively identifying and treating mental health concerns among victims of extreme weather events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

East Asia experienced complex climatic changes during the Eocene. Due to the lack of a high‐precision time framework covering the Eocene, the characteristics of sedimentary and climate evolution in this period remain unclear. The Jianghan Basin (Central China) developed an Eocene continental succession, which is composed of lower red beds and upper salt‐lake deposits exhibiting clear sedimentary rhythms, making these strata an ideal target for astronomical cycle analysis. Based on the established floating astronomical timescale, the lower red beds in the basin formed during the early–middle Eocene and were dominated by eccentricity cycles. The upper salt‐lake deposits formed during the middle–late Eocene and recorded obliquity cycles. The change in facies indicates that the climate transitioned from continuously arid to less arid with periodic relative wetness, which was forced by orbital cycles. Significant obliquity signals recorded by salt rhythmites responded to Eocene global temperature changes and Tibetan region uplift, which can be important markers of a monsoon‐like climate. Comparing the sedimentary and climatic characteristics of other Eocene lake basins in East Asia, the extension of the Eocene East Asian monsoon may have initiated during ca 43.6 to 40.0 Ma. This study provides a new perspective for understanding the early evolution of the East Asian monsoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is natural that China's increasing ascent in East Asia to raise United States concerns as it poses a fundamental challenge to its global leadership. China is now classified as the foremost major Asian power, owing to its capabilities and resources that allow it to influence both regional and international dynamics. Moreover, it is the primary contender to U.S. leadership in the post-Cold War international world order, although China denies any ambition to manage global affairs. Building on this context, the study tracks the potential impacts of China's rise on strategic balance in Asia, while examining mechanisms of American response to this ascent and its possible scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article demonstrates the possibility of joint interpretation of seismic, density, magnetic, and geoelectric models of the deep structure of the lithosphere along the Spassk-Dalniy–Zerkalnaya Bay geotraverse. Seismic and density boundaries form the main structural framework of the integrated model of the lithosphere. Magnetic heterogeneities map the elements associated with magmatism. The electrical model reflects the most recent processes of matter redistribution. The resulting integrated geophysical model demonstrated that for the identified terranes on the surface and most of the faults separating them, the structural style is well expressed only within the upper and middle parts of the crust to a depth of 10–20 km. The lithosphere of the Khanka superterrane retains its structure both in the crust and mantle. Structures of the crust and upper mantle of the Sikhote-Alin orogenic belt are different and associated with each other through highly conductive areas and zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphostructural analysis of the stream network in the southern part of the Far East has been carried out. It has been established that the latest vertical movements in the region were manifested against the background of an older, partially eroded relief. Three stages of relief development are identified, reflecting neotectonic activity in the region: (a) pre–Oligocene, characterized by a more intense uplift of the Bureya Ridge, and less intense, the Sikhote-Alin Ridge; (b) Oligocene–Pliocene, characterized by the most intense vertical movements in the region during the period from the Late Eocene to the Holocene; and (c) the Pleistocene and the Holocene, during which a modern erosion-denudation relief was formed and no vertical movements of significant amplitude occurred. A map of the total amplitude of vertical neotectonic movements is constructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of dissolved iron (Fe) limits primary production over some regions of the surface ocean, especially in regions such as the subarctic North Pacific. In this work, we use Fe stable isotope ratios (δ56Fe) in bulk and size-fractionated marine aerosol particles and dissolved Fe of surface seawater in the subarctic North Pacific on Japanese GEOTRACES cruise GP02 (Summer 2017) as a tracer to clarify the relative contribution of combustion and natural Fe in both marine aerosol particles and surface seawater. The bulk aerosols collected in the coastal regions of both East Asia and western North Pacific have total δ56Fe values that are as low as −0.5 ‰ when compared to crustal (+0.1 ‰), with both the water-soluble phase and the fine particles even more fractionated (as low as −1.9 and −2.8 ‰, respectively). The negative correlation between the aerosol δ56Fe signatures and the enrichment factors of Fe and other elements dominated by anthropogenic sources (e.g., lead and cadmium) in these coastal regions indicates the presence of Fe emitted from high-temperature combustion sources, such as coal combustion and metal smelting. In these regions, combustion Fe accounts for 4–13 and 13–45 % of the total and water-soluble aerosol Fe, respectively. The results demonstrate that soluble aerosol Fe sourced from combustion Fe can be equivalent to that sourced from natural dust Fe in these coastal regions. By contrast, the aerosol particles in pelagic regions were near crustal δ56Fe in all particle size fractions, indicating the dominance of natural Fe and little to no combustion Fe. The relationships among the fractional Fe solubility, major ion concentration, Fe species, and δ56Fe indicate that the presence of combustion Fe is the dominant reason for the solubility increase in the coastal regions and that the atmospheric processing of mineral dust during transport is more important in the pelagic regions. The dissolved Fe of the surface seawater at 10 m depth had a consistently higher δ56Fe by up to +1.5 ‰ than that of the simultaneously collected water-soluble aerosol Fe. The pattern of the elevated δ56Fe in the surface seawater corresponds to decreasing Fe concentrations and can be approximated by Rayleigh fractionation; we attribute these elevated surface δ56Fe values to the effect of biological uptake. New Fe fluxes from both the atmosphere and deeper depths are limited at least in summer compared with the biological uptake in the open ocean of the subarctic North Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food-borne toxocariasis caused by the consumption of raw meat or liver has occasionally been reported from East Asia. We treated a 38-year-old Japanese man who was infected with Toxocara in China and underwent a four-week treatment with albendazole. The liver and lung lesions disappeared after the treatment, suggesting that the treatment was successful. One month after the end of the treatment, the patient relapsed, and albendazole was administered again for eight weeks. The patient has remained relapse-free for one year. Although toxocariasis can heal spontaneously, in some cases, such as the present case, the disease relapses even after long-term treatment. In conclusion, different durations of treatment are recommended by various guidelines, and the duration of treatment needs to be modified with each case, considering the response to the treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UNESCO's relatively high prestige across East Asia has spurred intensifying efforts by governments to use its imprimatur to legitimate official narratives of the past and visions of the future. This article focuses on China's use of UNESCO as an arena for competitive national 'branding' in the education field, especially relating to STEM and AI. We analyse the Chinese state's engagement with UNESCO's education work in the context of shifts in budgetary and political influence within the organisation, and of a growing 'securitisation' of education within China itself. We show how Chinese engagement with UNESCO's educational agenda reflects both domestic political considerations and the 'major country diplomacy' of Xi Jinping, as manifested in the 'Belt and Road Initiative' and intensifying strategic competition with the USA. We conclude by discussing the implications of rising Chinese influence within the organisation for UNESCO's capacity for articulating a coherent and consistently humanistic vision for education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim s : Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a significant zoonotic disease transmitted by rodents. The distribution of HFRS in the European part of Russia has been studied quite well; however, much less is known about the endemic area in the Russian Far East. The mutual influence of the epidemic situation in the border regions and the possibility of cross‐border transmission of infection remain poorly understood. This study aims to identify the spatiotemporal hot spots of the incidence and the impact of environmental drivers on the HFRS distribution in the Russian Far East. Methods and Results: A two‐scale study design was performed. Kulldorf's spatial scan statistic was used to conduct spatiotemporal analysis at a regional scale from 2000 to 2020. In addition, an ecological niche model based on maximum entropy was applied to analyse the contribution of various factors and identify spatial favourability at the local scale. One spatiotemporal cluster that existed from 2002 to 2011 and located in the border area and one pure temporal cluster from 2004 to 2007 were revealed. The best suitability for orthohantavirus persistence was found along rivers, including those at the Chinese–Russian border, and was mainly explained by land cover, NDVI (as an indicator of vegetation density and greenness) and elevation. Conclusions: Despite the stable incidence in recent years in, targeted prevention strategies are still needed due to the high potential for HRFS distribution in the southeast of the Russian Far East. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the late nineteenth century, Protestant missionaries introduced modern education for the blind people in Taiwan and Korea. They developed various tactile reading systems to enhance literacy and provided handicraft training for self-sufficiency. When these regions came under Japanese colonial rule in the first half of the twentieth century, the colonial government introduced Japanese Braille and massage training for blind students. However, most of these training programmes fell short in effectively equipping blind individuals for sustaining their livelihoods upon completing their education. As a result, paradoxically, tactile reading systems initially designed to discourage blind individuals from participating in traditional fortune-telling practices ended up inadvertently catalysing the modernisation of these longstanding traditions. This case study highlights the intricate and diverse nature of special education in East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continental Asia is mainly composed of three major tectonic regimes, the Tethys, Paleo Asian Ocean, and West Pacific. It underwent multi‐stage plate convergences, ocean‐continent transformations, and subductions, collisions and/or collages, and post collisional (orogenic) extensions in Phanerozoic. Tectonic evolution of the Asia brings up a unique fault system and tectonic geomorphological features in the mainland China. Also, it provides a geodynamic background for the formation and evolution of metallogeneses and mineral systems, resulting in nonuniform distribution of tectono‐metallogenic systems and metallogenic belts. The spatiotemporal distribution of mineral deposits in China and adjacent areas exhibits periodic variation under controlling of the full life Wilson cycle and tectonic evolution, forming the plate convergence‐related mineral system in East Asia. Porphyry Cu deposits are mainly related to compressional systems in Paleozoic and early Mesozoic, and more closely related to post‐collision extensional settings in late Mesozoic and Cenozoic. Orogenic Au deposits mainly formed in post‐orogeny extensional setting. Alkaline rock related rare earth element deposits formed mainly at margins of the North China and Yangtze cratons. Granite‐pegmatite Li and other rare metal deposits formed mainly in early Mesozoic, related to Indosinian post‐orogeny extension. Tectono‐metallogenic systems provide important basis for the prospecting of mineral resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A full understanding of local adaptation at the genomic level will help to elucidate its role in the differentiation between closely related species. This study focused on rice seed bugs sister species (Leptocorisa chinensis and Leptocorisa oratoria), which are native to East Asia and are notorious pests targeting growing rice spikelets. East Asia is a region where diverse geology and fluctuating climate are known to have profound impacts on organisms. In this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from double‐digest restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing and geographic distribution information were used to investigate phylogeography and assess the environmental contribution to genetic variation. We found clear genetic differentiation between sister species, but a lack of genetic structure within species because of their long‐distance dispersal ability. The demographic model involved a scenario in which divergence in isolation (~0.6 Ma) was followed by secondary contact (~7 kya). The initial divergence may have been caused by the intensification of the East Asian monsoon during the Pleistocene climate oscillation. The historical demography indicated that the effective population size (Ne) showed an evident increase from 9 to 7 kya, which may be related to rice domestication and extensive human cultivation during the Holocene. We also detected a significant correlation between genetic and environmental distance, and the niche difference occupied between them. Temperature‐related variables were ranked as the main factors for the difference, and 410 selective SNPs involved in adaptation were identified. The Nanling Mountains in southern China serve as a geographical boundary between them and act as an ecological barrier belt that promotes local environmental adaptation. Our study demonstrates that historical climate change and local adaptation by climate‐imposed selection shape the phylogeographical patterns of sister species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Big-bracted dogwoods are popular ornamental trees known for their beautiful spring blooms with showy bracts and four-season appeal. The two most widely grown species are Cornus florida and Cornus kousa, native to Eastern North America and East Asia. Despite their horticultural prominence, there is little information available regarding genetic diversity, population structure, relatedness, and subspecies origins of dogwood cultivars. In this study, 313 cultivars, wild-collected plants, and Rutgers University breeding selections, focusing on C. florida, C. kousa, and interspecific hybrids, were genotyped using restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) generating thousands of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and insertion deletion (Indel) markers. The research results showed high genetic diversity among C. florida and C. kousa wild-collected plants and cultivars. For C. florida, pink-bracted plants formed a distinct clade from those with white-bracts with the Mexican C. florida ssp. urbiniana forming an outgroup. For C. kousa, Chinese-collected plants (ssp. chinensis) were a distinct subspecies with clear separation from Japanese and Korean accessions (ssp. kousa) and cultivars were designated as ssp. chinensis, ssp. kousa, or ssp. hybrid. Using this information, a Kompetitive allele specific PCR (KASP) assay genotyping panel was designed to determine C. kousa trees' subspecies makeup. Results revealed many cases of genetically identical cultivars being sold under different names, especially for pink-bracted cultivars of both species. Additionally, reported parent-progeny relationships were evaluated and either validated or discredited. Finally, the hybrid germplasm analysis validated pedigrees of interspecific F1 hybrids and found many of the recent Rutgers breeding selections contain small regions of pacific dogwood (C. nuttallii) DNA introgressed into C. kousa backgrounds. This diversity study elucidates origins, diversity, and relationships of a large population of big-bracted dogwoods. The results can inform plant breeders, arboreta, and the ornamental plant industry, as most modern cultivars and popular historic cultivars are represented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allium hookeri is an indigenous perennial herb known for its therapeutic properties. It's grown in the eastern Himalayas and East Asia, where it is used as a flavoring agent in local cuisines. This research aims to enhance soil phosphorus mobilization and promote A. hookeri growth using a consortium of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB). The synergistic effect of a bacterial consortium containing multiple PSBs (Arthrobacter luteolus and several Klebsiella spp.) combined with tricalcium phosphate (TCP), was investigated to enhance the growth of A. hookeri plants, and its influence on modulating the rhizosphere microbiome was also assessed. The greenhouse experiment revealed that the bacterial consortium with tricalcium phosphate (BTCP) treatment enhanced the dry shoot weight by 70%. Proteobacteria dominated the rhizosphere's microbiome in all treatments. BTCP treatment enhanced the relative abundance of several beneficial genera such Bacillus, Mesorhizobium, Pseudomonas, Ensifer, Hyphomicrobium, Planctomyces, and Bradyrhizobium. The augmentation of bacterial consortium increased P in shoots (4.36 ± 0.63 mg/g) and in roots (2.34 ± 0.27 mg/g), which was more than 500% higher as compared to the uninoculated control. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicated significant correlations (p ≤ 0.05) between phosphorus content in the shoot, fresh weight, and dry weight, with higher relative abundances of Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, and Fibrobacteres. Functional genes related to siderophore biosynthesis, ABC transporters, phosphatenate, and phosphinate metabolism exhibited positive modulation, indicating higher relative abundances associated with the BTCP treatment. The findings demonstrate the crucial contribution of the bacterial consortium in promoting plant development, improving soil nutrient levels, and influencing the rhizospheric microbiota, implying its significance in sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a thorough evaluation of health outcomes linked to water-related challenges in Islamic nations across East Asia and Central Asia from 2020 to 2030. It has been examined carefully that the trajectory of deaths and disability-adjusted life years associated with unsafe water sources, lack of sanitation, and absence of handwashing facilities is showing a potential rise in negative health impacts due to water pollution. The direct health influences of water-related problems are thoughtful. The increase in deaths and DALYs due to poor water quality and sanitation leads to a higher occurrence of waterborne diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, and dysentery. These conditions not only cause instant health disasters but also subsidize to long-term health issues which include chronic gastrointestinal disorders and malnutrition that is particularly among susceptible populations like children and the elderly. Employing various predictive models including autoregressive integrated moving average, exponential smoothing, support vector machines, and neural networks. The study evaluates their predictive capabilities by using mean absolute percentage error. Support vector machines is found to be the most accurate in forecasting deaths and disability-adjusted life years which is outperforming autoregressive integrated moving average, exponential smoothing, and neural networks. This research aims to inform stakeholders by providing insights into effective strategies for improving water resource management and public health interventions in the targeted regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ERA5 reanalysis data, precipitation data from China, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) monthly sea surface temperature (SST) data are used to analyse the impact of the meridional position of the East Asian subtropical jet (EASJ) on summer precipitation in China and its correlation with Atlantic SST. The results indicate that when the EASJ significantly shifts northward, the western North Pacific subtropical high (WNPSH) weakens with an eastward displacement. Upper‐level convergence and moisture divergence, corresponding to descending motion, lead to decreased precipitation in the Yangtze River Valley (YRV). Meanwhile, upper‐level divergence occurs over South China (SC), the Hexi Corridor (HC), and Northeast China (NEC), where moisture converges and ascends, favouring an increase in precipitation. Conversely, when the EASJ undergoes a significant southward shift, the WNPSH strengthens and expands westward. Opposing atmospheric circulation patterns in these four regions result in reversed precipitation anomalies compared with those observed when the jet shifts northward. The meridional position of the EASJ is closely related to the summer subtropical Atlantic SST. The positive (negative) SST anomaly (SSTA) over the subtropical Atlantic induces negative (positive) geopotential height anomaly in the upper troposphere over the North Atlantic by modulating the atmospheric meridional circulation. Geopotential height anomalies trigger eastward‐propagating Rossby waves, generating anomalous cyclones and anticyclones over East Asia. These anomalous cyclones and anticyclones lead to zonal wind anomalies, which alter the strength of the westerlies on both sides of the climatological jet axis, thereby changing the jet's meridional position. Additionally, the difference in the propagation direction of wave activity flux between positive and negative SSTA alters the distribution of wave energy convergence and divergence in the EASJ region, further affecting the intensity of the average westerly winds on both sides of the climatological jet axis, ultimately producing the changes in the meridional position of the EASJ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement Summary The discovery of a new genus within the family Thismiaceae, known as fairy lanterns, marks a significant scientific milestone in Japan, a country renowned for its botanical research. The unearthing of a new genus, especially in a well‐documented flora like Japan, is both rare and monumental. Unlike other fairy lanterns that bloom under leaf litter and can be easily overlooked, the new genus and species, Relictithismia kimotsukiensis, often does not even emerge above the surface of the soil when flowering. This captivating characteristic not only enriches our knowledge of botanical diversity but also emphasizes the importance of preserving natural habitats that harbor such rare species.The family Thismiaceae, known as “fairy lanterns”, is distinguished by its urn‐ or bell‐shaped, glasswork‐like flowers with basally fused tepals and its dependence on specific fungi for carbon. A new genus and species, Relictithismia kimotsukiensis, has been discovered in southern Japan. This species is notable for its unique anther‐stigma contact, hitherto unreported in the other Thismiaceae. Unlike typical fairy lanterns that bloom just above the leaf litter, Relictithismia often flowers beneath it. The underground habit is potentially associated with self‐pollination. The discovery of Relictithismia enhances our understanding of evolutionary pathways within the Thismiaceae, as it possesses characteristics previously thought to be unique to Thismia (the annulus with drooping stamens) as well as traits found in other genera (free stamens without expanded connectives). This paper reviews the morphology, ecology, and evolutionary history of Relictithismia, offering insights into the peculiarities of these enigmatic plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) in observational studies, yet the causal relationship remains elusive. In this study, we employed Mendelian randomization (MR) to investigate the impact of RA on AF risk specifically in East Asian populations. Methods. Utilizing genome‐wide association study (GWAS) data on RA (n = 212,453) and AF (n = 36,792), we applied the following five MR methods: inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR‐RAPS, maximum likelihood, weighted median (WM), and Bayesian weighted Mendelian randomization (BWMR). We evaluated heterogeneity, sensitivity, and pleiotropy. Results. Five genetic instrumental variants for RA were identified. All MR methods consistently indicated a causal association between RA and AF (IVW: OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.01–1.41, p < 0.03; MR‐RAPS: OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.03–1.42, p < 0.02; maximum likelihood: OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.04–1.39, p < 0.01; WM: OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.03–1.52, p < 0.03; and BWMR: OR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.02–1.42, p < 0.03). Sensitivity and pleiotropy analyses confirmed the robustness and validity of the results. Conclusions. This study establishes a causal link between RA and AF in East Asians. Our results underscore the need for in‐depth mechanistic investigations to unravel the underlying pathways. Clinicians should consider AF risk in RA management, emphasizing collaborative care between rheumatologists and cardiologists. Moving forward, future research should explore therapeutic interventions and address the shared biological mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantitative relationship between Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCSs) and floods over East Asia has not been established. In this study, MCSs are clustered into four types with Self‐Organizing Map approach. Floods in June‐August of 2000–2021 are linked with different types of MCS by automated algorithms we constructed. We find that among the major floods (potential flood peak periods), 91% (87%) are related to MCS, 65% (78%) are dominated by MCS, and 38% (20%) are dominated by multi‐types of MCS. Types 1 and 2 MCS have higher flood‐inducing efficiencies than common MCS (Type‐4). Type‐1 MCS, characterized by the least number (2% of the total number), the largest precipitation volume, longest lifetime, slowest moving, strongest precipitation, can most efficiently produce floods. Type‐2 MCS, characterized by the second largest precipitation volume, more numerous than Type‐1 particularly over land, can induce floods not only relatively efficiently but also more frequently than Type‐1. Plain Language Summary: Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS) can cause large flood events but how they work in East Asia at climatic scale remains unexplored. In this study, we tracked MCS over the time period of 2000–2021 and grouped them into four types using the Self‐Organizing Map approach. We connected summer floods with the four types of MCS using automated algorithms. We found that most large flood events and potential flood peak periods are dominated by MCS. Type‐1 MCS, which features large land‐rain area, longest lifetime, slowest movement and strongest precipitation, is most efficient in inducing floods. A Longer lifetime not only contributes to greater total precipitation volume but also increases the overlap area, thereby enhancing the precipitation volume per area. The slow movement further increases the overlap area. The high overlap area helps reduce the proportion of precipitation absorbed by the soil. Type‐2 MCS, which features with the second largest precipitation volume, occurs more frequently than Type‐1 especially over land, and can cause floods more frequently than Type‐1. These findings can enhance our understanding of flood formation over East Asia. Key Points: Among the major floods (potential flood peak periods) occurred in 2000–2021 summer, 91% (87%) are related to Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS), and 66% (78%) are dominated by MCSType‐1 MCS is the most efficient among the four types in causing floods for its strongest precipitation rate, longest lifetime and slowest movementLong lifetime and slow movement increase the overlap area, boosting precipitation per area and reducing the proportion of rainfall absorbed by soil [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel sub‐sampling method has been used to isolate the dynamic effects of the response of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Siberian High (SH) from the total response to projected Arctic sea‐ice loss under 2°C global warming above preindustrial levels in very large initial‐condition ensemble climate simulations. Thermodynamic effects of Arctic warming are more prominent in Europe while dynamic effects are more prominent in Asia/East Asia. This explains less‐severe cold extremes in Europe but more‐severe cold extremes in Asia/East Asia. For Northern Eurasia, dynamic effects overwhelm the effect of increased moisture from a warming Arctic, leading to an overall decrease in precipitation. We show that the response scales linearly with the dynamic response. However, caution is needed when interpreting inter‐model differences in the response because of internal variability, which can largely explain the inter‐model spread in the NAO and SH response in the Polar Amplification Model Intercomparison Project. Plain Language Summary: The projected loss of Arctic sea‐ice under 2°C global warming will cause large warming in the Arctic region and climate and weather anomalies outside the Arctic. The warming in the Arctic will mean warmer airmasses coming from the Arctic and also more moisture from the open Arctic Ocean. Furthermore, it will also change atmospheric circulation. These effects together will determine the impacts of Arctic warming. In this study, we introduce a novel sub‐sampling method to isolate atmospheric circulation change in response to the Arctic warming. The method involves selecting members of simulations from the experiment with future Arctic sea‐ice conditions, the average of which is equal to the average of the members of simulations in the experiment with present‐day Arctic sea‐ice conditions. We found that atmospheric circulation change in European regions is relatively weak so that warming effects will dominate the climate and weather response there. On the other hand, atmospheric circulation change will dominate the climate and weather response in East Eurasia. We also found that stronger atmospheric circulation changes will generally increase the response to the Arctic warming. We suggest caution when assessing whether different responses in different models can be interpreted as true differences in model physics. Key Points: A novel sub‐sampling method is introduced to isolate the role of dynamics in the response to projected Arctic sea‐ice lossA dynamical Siberian High response dominates the temperature response over East Eurasia while that of the North Atlantic Oscillation is weakInter‐model differences in Polar Amplification Model Intercomparison Project likely contain a large fraction of internal variability due to the unconstrained dynamic effects [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has a significant impact on the surface climate of East Asia by modulating the atmospheric circulation over the Kuroshio Extension. Here, we show that the ENSO–East Asia teleconnections are strongest in early winter due to the combined effects of the Indian Ocean and Maritime Continent convections, but weakest in mid‐winter as these tropical convections weaken. During the early El Niño winter, convection is enhanced over the Indian Ocean and suppressed over the Maritime Continent. The associated Rossby wave trains constructively interfere over the Kuroshio Extension, resulting in anticyclonic circulation anomalies. The equatorial central Pacific convection has a minimal impact on the East Asia. This result suggests that the Indian Ocean and the Maritime Continent convections, rather than the equatorial central Pacific convection, are the precursors of the early winter ENSO–East Asia teleconnections, and need to be considered for subseasonal‐to‐seasonal prediction in East Asia. Plain Language Summary: The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) significantly influences the winter surface climate in East Asia through atmospheric teleconnections. The ENSO teleconnections are particularly pronounced in early winter when an anomalous anticyclonic circulation developes over the Kuroshio Extension and transports warm and moist air to the East Asian continent, but weaken in mid‐winter. Here, we show that such subseasonal variability of the ENSO–East Asia teleconnections is primarily determined by tropical convection over the Indian Ocean and the Maritime Continent, with a minimal impact of convection over the equatorial central Pacific where ENSO develops. Key Points: The El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) teleconnections show distinct subseasonal variability over East Asia, with the strongest teleconnections in early winterThe ENSO–East Asia teleconnections are modulated by anomalous tropical convection over the Indian Ocean and the Maritime Continent on subseasonal time scaleRossby wave trains induced by enhanced convection over the Indian Ocean and those by suppressed convection over the Maritime Continent constructively interfere over the East Asia during the early El Niño winter [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis article discusses the history of efforts to shape passenger experience aboard urban railways through transport design. Taking Japan National Railways (JNR) trains as a case study, it examines the development of design interventions and organisational polices seeking to increase passenger comfort on Tokyo’s urban railway network in the second half of the 20th century. Industry and popular accounts have often tied the improvement of transport quality and passenger experience aboard JNR trains to its privatisation in 1987. In contrast, this article shows that passenger-oriented transport design has been an integral component in a continuous project to make urban railway travel more pleasant that long preceded this 1987 change in governance structures but has been held back by organisational and structural challenges. In doing so, it highlights that transport design involves the conscious shaping of both the “hardware” (i.e. physical transport infrastructure) and “software” (i.e. passenger-staff interactions) of service, as well as the backstage modification of organisational structures and processes that facilitate this framework. Built on a qualitative analysis of Japanese industry publications, newspapers, and secondary sources, the article thus contributes to literature on passenger experience, mobilities design, and transport history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Engelhardia (Juglandaceae) is a genus of significant ecological and economic importance, prevalent in the tropics and subtropics of East Asia. Although previous efforts based on multiple molecular markers providing profound insights into species delimitation and phylogeography of Engelhardia, the maternal genome evolution and phylogeny of Engelhardia in Juglandaceae still need to be comprehensively evaluated. In this study, we sequenced plastomes from 14 samples of eight Engelhardia species and the outgroup Rhoiptelea chiliantha, and incorporated published data from 36 Juglandaceae and six outgroup species to test phylogenetic resolution. Moreover, comparative analyses of the plastomes were conducted to investigate the plastomes evolution of Engelhardia and the whole Juglandaceae family. Results: The 13 Engelhardia plastomes were highly similar in genome size, gene content, and order. They exhibited a typical quadripartite structure, with lengths from 161,069 bp to 162,336 bp. Three mutation hotspot regions (TrnK-rps16, ndhF-rpl32, and ycf1) could be used as effective molecular markers for further phylogenetic analyses and species identification. Insertion and deletion (InDels) may be an important driving factor for the evolution of plastomes in Juglandoideae and Engelhardioideae. A total of ten codons were identified as the optimal codons in Juglandaceae. The mutation pressure mostly contributed to shaping codon usage. Seventy-eight protein-coding genes in Juglandaceae experienced relaxed purifying selection, only rpl22 and psaI genes showed positive selection (Ka/Ks > 1). Phylogenetic results fully supported Engelhardia as a monophyletic group including two sects and the division of Juglandaceae into three subfamilies. The Engelhardia originated in the Late Cretaceous and diversified in the Late Eocene, and Juglandaceae originated in the Early Cretaceous and differentiated in Middle Cretaceous. The phylogeny and divergence times didn't support rapid radiation occurred in the evolution history of Engelhardia. Conclusion: Our study fully supported the taxonomic treatment of at the section for Engelhardia species and three subfamilies for Juglandaceae and confirmed the power of phylogenetic resolution using plastome sequences. Moreover, our results also laid the foundation for further studying the course, tempo and mode of plastome evolution of Engelhardia and the whole Juglandaceae family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resolving a robust phylogeny of an organismal group is often hindered by the limited availability of samples suitable for genomic or transcriptomic sequencing. Even for lineages of notable importance in evolutionary ecology, our phylogenetic comprehension remains largely unsatisfactory due to the challenges of acquiring samples across the clade. The long‐horned beetle genus Anoplophora Hope exemplifies such a group, globally renowned for two invasive pests—the Asian long‐horned beetle and citrus long‐horned beetle—which have inflicted significant damage to deciduous hardwood forest in North America and Europe. In contrast to the two temperate pests, the remaining 50 species in the genus inhabit subtropical forests of Southeast Asia, where most species are only infrequently encountered. Here, we present the first comprehensive phylogeny of Anoplophora using a PCR‐based target enrichment museomics approach. As a case study of employing PCR‐generated custom probes, we demonstrate the robustness and cost‐effectiveness of this in‐house method in successfully acquiring sequence data from historical specimens. Through extensive sampling of Anoplophora using museum specimens, we reveal a non‐sister relationship between the two temperate species and provide evidence for addressing taxonomic conundrums. Our biogeographical analyses indicate that the adaptation of the two temperate species occurred independently during the late Pliocene and Pleistocene after the establishment of temperate forests in East Asia in the late Miocene. Our findings highlight the importance of comprehensive phylogenetic inference in understanding the patterns and processes of these beetles' adaptation to temperate forests and lay the groundwork for investigating the genetic mechanism underlying life in the cold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To provide an updated analysis of the long-term outcomes of patients with acute primary angle closure (APAC) and to investigate the risk factors for visual field (VF) loss progression. Study Design: Retrospective, clinical cohort study Methods: One hundred and forty-six APAC patients with a minimum of 1-year follow-up were included. The presenting features and the treatment utilized were recorded. The visual and intraocular pressure (IOP) outcomes were analyzed. The main outcome measures were the proportion of blindness and IOP at the final visit. A subset of patients with sufficient VF results was divided into a stable and progressive group based on mean deviation (MD) loss rate. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of progression. Results: Nine patients (6.2%) were blind, and 76.0% (111/146) had final decimal visual acuity greater than or equal to 0.5. All patients had normal final IOP, and 65.1% (95/146) were medication-free. 64.4% (94/146) underwent cataract surgery at a median 4 months after their APAC attack. The use of topical hypotensive medications (OR = 8.029, P = 0.012) was the only significant predictor of fast MD loss in the multivariate regression. Conclusions: The long-term outcomes of APAC in recent years have been more promising. All patients maintained normal IOP several years following their APAC attack, and fewer than half required hypotensive agents. The incidence of blindness was low. These findings suggest that current practice patterns in the management of APAC are beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary scholarship on populism, albeit involving divergent approaches and polarised diagnoses of populism's political impacts, commonly attributes the recent populist surge to the peril of neo-liberal encroachment. However, such a neo-liberal–populist proposition encounters discrepant experiences when applied in non-Western contexts, including in East Asia. To recalibrate the conceptual framework, this article employs Gramsci-inspired scholarship on hegemony and populism – the notion of "the integral state" and non-reductionist class politics in particular – and utilises Taiwan as a case to expound upon the entanglement of democratisation, neo-liberalisation, and various forms of populist politics. Situating the post-2000 surge of multiple popular movements in Taiwan's hegemonic restructuring since the 1980s, this article identifies a course of bifurcated development between "liberal populism of the bourgeois hegemony" and the "neo-liberal populism of the multitude" that embodies various ways in which neo-liberalism intersects with populist politics. Highlighting the constant boundary-redrawing of the integral state and its associated class politics along the hegemonic restructuring processes, Taiwan's case exemplifies a critical approach to rethinking the over-determined relations between populism and neo-liberalism for other East Asian states and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use monthly birth data collected by the Human Fertility Database to analyze the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on birth trends until September 2022 in 38 higher‐income countries. We also present estimates of the monthly total fertility rate adjusted for seasonality. Our analysis reveals that the pandemic led to distinct swings in births and fertility rates. The initial pandemic shock was associated with a fall in births in most countries, with the sharpest drop in January 2021. Next, birth rates showed a short‐term recovery in March 2021, following the conceptions after the end of the first wave of the pandemic. Most countries reported a stable or slightly increasing number of births in the subsequent months, especially in autumn 2021. Yet another, quite unexpected, downturn in births started in January 2022, linked with the conceptions in spring 2021 when the pandemic measures were mostly eased out and vaccination was gaining momentum. Taken together and contrary to some initial expectations, the coronavirus pandemic did not bring a lasting "baby bust" in most of the analyzed countries. Especially the Nordic countries, the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States experienced an improvement in their birth dynamics in 2021 compared with the prepandemic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines US military reactions to violence during the Russian Civil War in the Far East (1918 - 1922). Paying close attention to US descriptions of anti-Bolshevik-perpetrated atrocities, it demonstrates that American military officers fell back on stereotypes of Russians and other ethnicities as having an "Asiatic" propensity for barbarism. This reasoning caused some American observers to misunderstand the dynamics of violence in the Far Eastern theatre. By relying on these accounts to describe the violence of the Russian Civil War, historians of the US intervention have at times perpetuated myths and misunderstandings, rather than exploring the relationship between perceptions and violence. This article thus shows how a critical examination of primary sources that also analyses various forms of violence can improve our understanding of the Russian Civil War in the Far East. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A spring tunnel is an ancient water installation used to artificially increase the water yield of a spring through a subterranean tunnel. We have developed a database of 216 spring tunnels documented in the central region of the Southern Levant (present‐day Israel), constructed between Iron Age II and the modern era. The study focuses on the evolution of this water installation over a period of 2500 years, examining these constructions from technological, typological, spatial, and cultural perspectives. Within the larger database, 132 spring tunnels have been mapped, from which we present 36 examples selected to outline the typology and chronology of this type of water installation. The findings of the study indicate a diachronic correlation between the distribution of settlement in the mountain region and the number and geographical distribution of spring tunnels. Ethnic and religious changes, and the complexity of the mountain region's population, are also reflected in the use of these water installations. The comprehensive water structure database presented in this article, from a peripheral, yet strategically located region in relation both to the Far East and to West Mediterranean Empires, is used for initial consideration of local initiatives versus the knowledge‐transfer process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The EORTC QLQ-STO22 (QLQ-STO22) is a firmly established and validated measure of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) for people with gastric cancer (GC), developed over two decades ago. Since then there have been dramatic changes in treatment options for GC. Also, East Asian patients were not involved in the development of QLQ-STO22, where GC is most prevalent and the QLQ-STO22 is widely used. A review with appropriate updating of the measure was planned. This study aims to capture HRQoL issues associated with new treatments and the perspectives of patients and health care professionals (HCPs) from different cultural backgrounds, including East Asia. Methods: A systematic literature review and open-ended interviews were preformed to identify potential new HRQoL issues relating to GC. This was followed by structured interviews where HCPs and patients reviewed the QLQ-STO22 alongside new issues regarding relevance, importance, and acceptability. Results: The review of 267 publications and interviews with 104 patients and 18 HCPs (48 and 9 from East Asia, respectively) generated a list of 58 new issues. Three of these relating to eating small amounts, flatulence, and neuropathy were recommended for inclusion in an updated version of the QLQ-STO22 and covered by five additional questions. Conclusions: This study supports the content validity of the QLQ-STO22, suggesting its continued relevance to patients with GC, including those from East Asia. The updated version with additional questions and linguistic changes will enhance its specificity, but further testing is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fungal skin diseases are the most common and widespread fungal infections, exerting a significant impact on patients' socio‐psychological health and the quality of life. Objectives: To assess and compare the global burden of fungal skin diseases in 2019 and over the past 30 years. Methods: Data were retrieved from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Incidence and years lived with disability (YLDs) were used to assess the burden of fungal skin diseases. A total of 204 countries and territories were hierarchically organised into 21 regions and seven super‐regions. Data were presented as absolute numbers and rates per 100,000 population, stratified by sex, age, year and location. Results: In 2019, the global incidence rate and YLD rate of fungal skin diseases were 21,277 (95% UI 19 298–23,399) and 42 (95% UI 17–88) per 100,000 population, respectively. Sub‐Saharan Africa bore the heaviest disease burden, especially children aged 5–9 years had a significantly higher incidence rate, YLD rate and YLDs to incidence ratio compared to other regions. Moreover, more than half of the incident cases among the elderly came from high‐income regions and Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania. Over the past 30 years, the number of incident cases and YLDs of fungal skin diseases has been continuously increasing worldwide, but the incidence rates and YLD rates have not shown significant changes. Conclusions: The global burden of fungal skin diseases has been continuously rising. Children in Sub‐Saharan Africa are experiencing higher disease incidence and severity compared to other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decision by South Korean authorities to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile battery in 2016 unleashed a storm of protest, both domestically and internationally. Attempts to resolve these debates by showing the 'truth' of the THAAD system obscure the considerable investment of time and resources needed to stabilize technological meanings in the face of rival interpretations. This article synthesizes work in the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS) to present an integrated model of technopolitics explaining how doing politics through 'things' consists of interlinked rhetorical, performative, and material stabilization techniques each seeking to make the object simple, nonpolitical, and ultimately invisible or banal. In the case of THAAD, the single battery deployed to South Korea was the tip of a broader US technopolitical project to materially bind together its regional allies and contain North Korea and China. However, opponents inside and outside of the Korean peninsula tried to destabilize this project by employing their own rhetorical, performative, and de-materialization strategies. This resulted in a partial victory for both sides insofar as the broader US missile defense technopolitical project on the peninsula was paused but not defeated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical studies on energy democracy (ED) tend to presume boundaries among community energy (CE) practices, corporate operations, and state leadership. This research note identifies three features underlying existing literature: an implicit binary thinking of state and society, the understated market influence, and a lack of urban features that enable ED functioning through spatial means. I therefore propose urban commons (UC) as a complementary framework to interrogate the interplay among the state, society, and market operations in CE research and practices. I examine how ED informs CE operations in Japan, Taiwan, and Korea, identifying a set of limitations to which UC can respond. Some latest thinking on UC and a body of strategies proposed by key interlocutors were discussed. I then propose "state-led, market-enabled commons" as a conceptual framework to account for urban civic energy initiatives in East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]