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A substantial body of literature purports to document the growth of scientific misconduct in Northeast Asia. This article traces the apparent growth of research fraud and falsification to two distinct features of the national innovation systems common to the region: liberal research regimes adopted by developmental states and marked by freedom from government oversight, and illiberal laboratory cultures imported from Germany and marked by all-powerful lab directors and their vulnerable underlings. Based on comparative, qualitative case studies of pioneering countries in bio-medical research, as well as cross-national quantitative analyses of the permissiveness of national stem-cell research policies, we argue that Asia's scientific pathologies are the products of two institutional factors: funding and freedom offered to scientists by developmental states, and the lack of informal control prevalent in the German model of higher education. We conclude that, while Northeast Asian officials offer their biomedical researchers funding and freedom to take advantage of opportunities that rarely exist in the West, their scientists stifle open debate and criticism, and thereby hinder the growth of informal as well as formal control mechanisms that are critical for deterring and detecting scientific fraud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

English language teachers' opinions on the pedagogic relevance of spoken grammar are beginning to be reported, yet the voices of teachers in East Asia are rarely heard. In this article, the views of teachers from China and Singapore expressed in an online discussion are compared. The discussion, which was part of a taught postgraduate course, focused on the usefulness of British spoken grammar norms and the potential value of spoken grammar knowledge for language learners. There is a broad consensus of opinion about its importance for raising learners' language awareness, but Chinese and Singaporean teachers generally had different attitudes to native speaker norms, while opinions on some pedagogical issues vary more at the individual level. The similarities and differences are attributed to the teachers' sociolinguistic concerns, understanding of learner needs, and beliefs about grammar that are influenced by the written language. The implications of these teacher perspectives for teacher education are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Phylogenetic relationships among 33 Synechococcus strains isolated from the East China Sea (ECS) and the East Sea (ES) were studied based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and 16S–23S rRNA gene internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences. Pigment patterns of the culture strains were also examined. Based on 16S rRNA gene and ITS sequence phylogenies, the Synechococcus isolates were clustered into 10 clades, among which eight were previously identified and two were novel. Half of the culture strains belonged to clade V or VI. All strains that clustered into novel clades exhibited both phycoerythrobilin and phycourobilin. Interestingly, the pigment compositions of isolates belonging to clades V and VI differed from those reported for other oceanic regions. None of the isolates in clade V showed phycourobilin, whereas strains in clade VI exhibited both phycourobilin and phycoerythrobilin, which is in contrast to previous studies. The presence of novel lineages and the different pigment patterns in the ECS and the ES suggests the possibility that some Synechococcus lineages are distributed only in geographically restricted areas and have evolved in these regions. Therefore, further elucidation of the physiological, ecological, and genetic characteristics of the diverse Synechococcus strains is required to understand their spatial and geographical distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study trends in educational homogamy at six boundaries in the educational structure of 10 East-Asian societies and explain its variation using explanatory variables at the country, cohort and boundary level. Educational homogamy was higher at the higher boundaries in the educational structure. Since the 1950s it decreased at all but the lowest boundaries, indicating convergence to a relatively low level of homogamy. Educational homogamy is lower in societies that are more modern, have higher female employment and experienced less Confucian influence. Results support the general openness and the exclusivity hypothesis, which predict educational homogamy to decrease in modernizing societies and to be higher when the group of more highly educated is smaller. Findings suggest that the trend towards less educational homogamy is related to educational expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the massive social, economic, and political upheaval of the 17th Century from the perspective of East Asia. Historians have long debated the origins and meaning of events in Europe during that time period but China, Japan and others also experienced serious internal conflict. The author explains events surrounding the end of the Ming dynasty in 1644 but wonders if it is helpful to compare events in China to events in Europe. He also speculates on the impact of climate on historical events.

Could the negative human security effects during the 1997 Financial Crisis in East Asia have been mitigated? To shed light on this question, we examine the reasons for the onset of the financial crisis, the internal and external factors, and the International Monetary Fund's (IMF's) involvement/conditionality and how this affected the economies at the micro and macro level. The emphasis here is on the micro level, i.e. individuals and businesses. Our main conclusion is that one definite policy mishap was that IMF loans were in part not available immediately when needed, and were focused on servicing debt payments. Because of this, some businesses with full order books were unable to find the necessary working credits that could have helped them pull through the crisis, which in turn led to unnecessary bankruptcies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study extends prior scholarship on the role of self-disclosure in relationship development on the Internet in three different cultures: Korea, Japan, and the United States. The duration of the online relationship was considered as well as the two typical dimensions (i.e., breadth and depth) of self-disclosure. The results suggest some cross-cultural differences and similarities in the associations between self-disclosure and relationship qualities. For Americans, Japanese, and Koreans, self-disclosure was directly associated with online relationship development. However, the relationship between self-disclosure and trust was positive only for Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental degradation often raises inter State conflicts. The high rate of economic growth in East Asia, led by China, is likely to raise increasing environmental challenges in this region, and this article examines methods for peacefully resolving such transnational or transboundary environmental disputes in East Asia. Examples of both bilateral and multilateral arrangements are considered, with the management of the Mekong River basin and the combat of Indonesian haze taken as case examples. The most prominent regional organisation in the region is ASEAN, and, though mainly guided by soft law, the ASEAN efforts in environmental management have been applauded as thorough and a possible model for other regional organisations. It is concluded that a number of core principles of international environmental law, including those good neighbourliness, peaceful resolution of disputes, and State responsibility for environmental damage can be used as a sound basis for resolving and minimising environmental conflicts in East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (1140 bp) and nuclear IRBP (1152 bp) genes were used to assess the evolutionary history of Apodemus , using the complete set of Asian species. Our results indicate that speciation in Asia involved three radiations, which supports an earlier study. The initial radiation yielded A. argenteus (Japanese endemic), A. gurkha (Nepalese endemic), and the ancestral lineage of the remaining Asian species. This lineage subsequently diverged into four groups: agrarius-chevrieri ( agrarius group), draco-latronum-semotus ( draco group), A. peninsulae , and A. speciosus (Japanese endemic). The final step consisted of divergence within two species groups as a consequence of the geography of the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau and Taiwan. The ecological ability of two Apodemus species to inhabit one locality via niche partitioning likely drove the second radiation and shaped the basic geographical pattern seen today: A. argenteus and A. speciosus in Japan, A. agrarius and A. peninsulae in northern China, and the A. agrarius and A. draco groups in southern China. The three radiations are estimated to have occurred 7.5, 6.6, and 1.8–0.8 Mya respectively, using the IRBP clock, based on rat–mouse divergence 12 Mya. © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2003, 80 , 469–481. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considers the controversy that has arisen over the contribution of total factor productivity (TFP) growth to the fast output growth of the East Asian economies. Sources of economic growth in East Asia; Consequences of neoclassical methodology on the orthodox interpretation of TFP growth.

The structure of the mantle beneath East Asia down to 800 km depth is investigated using full waveforms of seismic shear and surface waves. Epicentral distances are limited to less than 40°. In contrast with previous waveform inversions, we avoid ray-theoretical or path-integral approaches. Instead, we use (1) exact 3-D waveform sensitivity kernels that correctly reflect off-path sensitivity and the existence of Fresnel zones. We apply (2) an accurate 3-D forward modelling technique based on a coupled-mode, multiple-forward-scattering approach, allowing us (3) to iterate the inversion procedure through several 3-D models and (4) to evaluate the true misfit between the data and the synthetics for the 3-D model. Average lateral resolution of the model in regions with good path coverage is 400 km throughout the upper mantle. In the depth range from 100 to 250 km the lateral resolution even approaches 200 km. Since wave front healing is taken into account, the amplitudes of velocity perturbations are larger than in other tomographic models. Moreover, the waveform sensitivity kernels provide an intrinsic physical smoothing of the model, stabilizing the inversion. Finally, owing to the use of exact sensitivities, better resolution can be achieved with a given set of seismograms. Major features of the model are high-velocity subducting slabs along the West Pacific subduction zones stagnating at the 660 km discontinuity, a strong low-velocity zone between 80 and 250 km depth in the West Pacific backarc regions, a plume-like low-velocity feature beneath the southern tip of the Baikal rift zone extending into the transition zone, a lowvelocity region under the Tien Shan with connection into the transition zone and thick crust under Tibet reaching its maximum thickness of approximately 80 km close to the 35th parallel. The lithospheric mantle underneath southern Tibet is very fast indicating underthrusting of the Indian lithosphere. In contrast, the upper mantle... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

East Asian governments have engaged in unprecedented collaboration on trade and financial matters since the economic crises of 1997. For some observers, such activity, building on a new sense of shared identity forged by resentment at Western responses to the crises, is a significant step towards the formation of an East Asian economic bloc. In reality, the new collaboration has produced only modest results. Neither an East Asian preferential trade agreement nor an Asian Monetary Fund is likely to materialize. Underlying power realities and fundamental economic interests are unchanged. The new interest in negotiating preferential trade agreements (many of which are with countries outside of East Asia) is best explained by government perceptions of the effectiveness of such arrangements elsewhere in the global economy, and by a desire to increase bargaining power. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Every international system or society has a set of rules or norms that define appropriate behaviors. These norms are, however, never obeyed in an automatic fashion. Perhaps more than any other setting the international environment is characterized by organized hypocrisy. Actors violate rules in practice without at the same time challenging their legitimacy. In nineteenth‐century East Asia this was true for countries embracing the European sovereign state system of formal equality and autonomy, and the Sinocentric Confucian system of hierarchy and dependency. The West imposed the treaty port system which violated the sovereign principle of non‐intervention. China accommodated the West, tacitly jettisoning demands for ritual obeisance. Japan chose those principles that were most suitable for its material interests. Korea, however, dominated by a literati class whose position was associated with Confucian principles, failed to pursue policies that might have maintained Korean independence. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Examines the critical role played by history and culture in Japan and South Korea's relations with the United States. Role of historical antagonism in the relations of Japan and South Korea to the US; Effect of the Japanese and Korean perceptions of their common great power patron's security commitment on the level of military cooperation between the two quasi-allied states.

Explores the defining features of United States-East Asian relations during the twentieth century. `Time' magazine founder Henry Luce's conception of America's responsibility to East Asia; Failure of US policy in the Philippines and intervention in Korea; President Richard Nixon's acquiescent policy toward an economically resurgent Japan; American cultural significance in East Asia.

The article presents information on armored scale genus Quernaspis separated into two genera of the North American and the East Asian species. Since there is consistent morphological separation between these groups in the first instars, second stage males, and adult females, a new genus for the East Asian species is erected. The genus is referable to the Diaspididae and is morphologically similar to Quernaspis, but significant morphological differences occur in the first instars, second stage males, and adult females. It informs that it can be believed that these genera are very closely related phylogenetically, and may have arisen from common ancestral stock.

Presents an analysis of programming on 34 national broadcast television networks in selected Far East Asian countries. National economy's impact on television production; Forecasting television program trade flows.

Background The barred knifejaw (Oplegnathus fasciatus), a member of the Oplegnathidae family of the Centrarchiformes, is a commercially important rocky reef fish native to East Asia. Oplegnathus fasciatus has become an important fishery resource for offshore cage aquaculture and fish stocking of marine ranching in China, Japan, and Korea. Recently, sexual dimorphism in growth with neo-sex chromosome and widespread biotic diseases in O. fasciatus have been increasing concern in the industry. However, adequate genome resources for gaining insight into sex-determining mechanisms and establishing genetically resistant breeding systems for O. fasciatus are lacking. Here, we analyzed the entire genome of a female O. fasciatus fish using long-read sequencing and Hi-C data to generate chromosome-length scaffolds and a highly contiguous genome assembly. Findings We assembled the O. fasciatus genome with a total of 245.0 Gb of raw reads that were generated using both Pacific Bioscience (PacBio) Sequel and Illumina HiSeq 2000 platforms. The final draft genome assembly was approximately 778.7 Mb, which reached a high level of continuity with a contig N50 of 2.1 Mb. The genome size was consistent with the estimated genome size (777.5 Mb) based on k -mer analysis. We combined Hi-C data with a draft genome assembly to generate chromosome-length scaffolds. Twenty-four scaffolds corresponding to the 24 chromosomes were assembled to a final size of 768.8 Mb with a contig N50 of 2.1 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 33.5 Mb using 1,372 contigs. The identified repeat sequences accounted for 33.9% of the entire genome, and 24 003 protein-coding genes with an average of 10.1 exons per gene were annotated using de novo methods, with RNA sequencing data and homologies to other teleosts. According to phylogenetic analysis using protein-coding genes, O. fasciatus is closely related to Larimichthys crocea, with O. fasciatus diverging from their common ancestor approximately 70.5–88.5 million years ago. Conclusions We generated a high-quality draft genome for O. fasciatus using long-read PacBio sequencing technology, which represents the first chromosome-level reference genome for Oplegnathidae species. Assembly of this genome assists research into fish sex-determining mechanisms and can serve as a resource for accelerating genome-assisted improvements in resistant breeding systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To construct a coherent account of East Asias evolving security order, this article treats the United States not as an extra-regional actor, but as the central force in constituting regional stability and order. It proposes that there is a layered regional hierarchy in East Asia, led by the United States, with China, Japan, and India constituting layers underneath its dominance. The major patterns of equilibrium and turbulence in the region since 1945 can be explained by the relative stability of the US position at the top of the regional hierarchy, with periods of greatest insecurity being correlated with greatest uncertainty over the American commitment to managing regional order. Furthermore, relationships of hierarchical assurance and hierarchical deference help to explain critical puzzles about the regional order in the post-Cold War era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the historical attitudes and events of financial crises and crashes in asset markets. Identification of timing patterns in the occurrence of crashes and crises; Episodes of the 19th century crises in Great Britain; Lack of lender of last resort in France and Italy; Stock market crash and depression in the U.S. in 1929; Problems in banking system and flight from currencies in East Asia.