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Dermacentor (Indocentor) auratus Supino, 1897 occurs in many regions of Southeast Asia and South Asia. In many regions of Southeast Asia and South Asia, targeted tick sampling and subsequent screening of collected D. auratus ticks have detected pathogenic bacteria and viruses in D. auratus. These disease-causing pathogens that have been detected in D. auratus include Anaplasma, Bartonella, Borrelia, Rickettsia (including spotted fever group rickettsiae), African swine fever virus, Lanjan virus, and Kyasanur forest disease virus. Although D. auratus predominantly infests wild pigs, this tick is also an occasional parasite of humans and other animals. Indeed, some 91 % of human otoacariasis cases in Sri Lanka were due to infestation by D. auratus. With the propensity of this tick to feed on multiple species of hosts, including humans, and the detection of pathogenic bacteria and viruses from this tick, D. auratus is a tick of medical, veterinary, and indeed zoonotic concern. The geographic range of this tick, however, is not well known. Therefore, in the present paper, we used the species distribution model, BIOCLIM, to project the potential geographic range of D. auratus, which may aid pathogen and tick-vector surveillance. We showed that the potential geographic range of D. auratus is far wider than the current geographic distribution of this tick, and that regions in Africa, and in North and South America seem to have suitable climates for D. auratus. Interestingly, in Southeast Asia, Borneo and Philippines also have suitable climates for D. auratus, but D. auratus has not been found in these regions yet despite the apparent close proximity of these regions to Mainland Southeast Asia, where D. auratus occurs. We thus hypothesize that the geographic distribution of D. auratus is largely dependent on the movement of wild pigs and whether or not these wild pigs are able to overcome dispersal barriers. We also review the potential pathogens and the diseases that may be associated with D. auratus and provide an updated host index for this tick., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Previous efforts to reconstruct evolutionary history of Palearctic ground squirrels within the genus Spermophilus have primarily relied on a single mitochondrial marker for phylogenetic data. In this study, we present the first phylogeny with comprehensive taxon sampling of Spermophilus via a conventional multilocus approach utilizing five mitochondrial and five nuclear markers. Through application of the multispecies coalescent model, we constructed a species tree revealing four distinct clades that diverged during the Late Miocene. These clades are 1) S. alaschanicus and S. dauricus from East Asia; 2) S. musicus and S. pygmaeus from East Europe and northwestern Central Asia; 3) the subgenus Colobotis found across Central Asia and its adjacent regions and encompassing S. brevicauda, S. erythrogenys, S. fulvus, S. major, S. pallidicauda, S. ralli, S. relictus, S. selevini, and S. vorontsovi sp. nov.; and 4) a Central/Eastern Europe and Asia Minor clade comprising S. citellus, S. taurensis, S. xanthoprymnus, S. suslicus, and S. odessanus. The latter clade lacked strong support owing to uncertainty of taxonomic placement of S. odessanus and S. suslicus. Resolving relationships within the subgenus Colobotis, which radiated rapidly, remains challenging likely because of incomplete lineage sorting and introgressive hybridization. Most of modern Spermophilus species diversified during the Early-Middle Pleistocene (2.2-1.0 million years ago). We propose a revised taxonomic classification for the genus Spermophilus by recognizing 18 species including a newly identified one (S. vorontsovi sp. nov.), which is found only in a limited area in the southeast of West Siberia. Employing genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping, we substantiated the role of the Ob River as a major barrier ensuring robust isolation of this taxon from S. erythrogenys. Despite its inherent limitations, the traditional multilocus approach remains a valuable tool for resolving relationships and can provide important insights into otherwise poorly understood groups. It is imperative to recognize that additional efforts are needed to definitively determine phylogenetic relationships between certain species of Palearctic ground squirrels., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We ask how environmental justice and urban ecology have influenced one another over the past 25 years in the context of the US Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program and Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) project. BES began after environmental justice emerged through activism and scholarship in the 1980s but spans a period of increasing awareness among ecologists and environmental practitioners. The work in Baltimore provides a detailed example of how ecological research has been affected by a growing understanding of environmental justice. The shift shows how unjust environmental outcomes emerge and are reinforced over time by systemic discrimination and exclusion. We do not comprehensively review the literature on environmental justice in urban ecology but do present four brief cases from the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia, to illustrate the global relevance of the topic. The example cases demonstrate the necessity for continuous engagement with communities in addressing environmental problem solving., (© 2024. This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply.)

The ecosystem services (ES) approach has been widely applied for assessing nature's values and human-nature links. Over the past two decades, this research approach has experienced remarkable growth, exerting global influence on the sustainability policy agenda. Recent literature indicates that North America, Europe, East Asia, and Australia are major contributors to ES research, while other regions are progressing at a slower pace. Many countries in these regions remain under-represented due to various factors, including but not limited to knowledge transfer gaps, disparities in research capacities, as well as distinct needs and challenges among researchers in the Global North and South. Although the ES literature in Asia is growing in topics, methodologies, quality and quantity, many Asian researchers, especially Early Career Researchers (ECRs), still face problems typical of the Global South while conducting ES research. In this paper, we outline four major challenges from the perspective of ECRs. They include: 1) Inequality in career prospects and capacity-building, 2) Inequality and challenges in data access & knowledge transfer, 3) Circulation of research findings in global scientific publishing, 4) Challenges in funding. This perspective paper draws special attention to the challenges faced by ECRs in ES research in Asia. By presenting recommendations, we strongly advocate that the research community work together to make ES research a level playing field for ECRs like ourselves working in Asia and elsewhere. • We provide an overview of the inequalities in scientific production on Ecosystem Services in Asia. • From an early career perspective we highlight four key categories young researchers face difficulties in. • These include: career prospects & capacity-building, data access & knowledge transfer, access to publishing, and funding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double-story high-speed railway stations have become increasingly popular due to their smaller footprint and improved operational efficiency. However, ensuring passenger comfort in such stations requires careful consideration of train-induced vibrations. This study investigates the train-induced vibrations in Beijing Fengtai Railway Station, which is Asia's largest and China's first double-story high-speed railway station. To carry out this work, a vibration source load model and the finite-element model of the station were first established, where the model was verified using field-measured data. Following these, the vibration characteristics of the station under various train passing conditions, including different track positions and train speeds, were investigated numerically in both time and frequency domains. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for the vibration control of the railway stations of the similar modes and scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of Hemagglutinin 9 Neuraminidase 2 (H9N2) avian influenza virus (AIV) in poultry in Asia has raised serious concerns about its zoonotic transmission and the potential for a pandemic, underscoring the need for effective therapeutics. Chikusetsusaponin IVa (CHS), a bioactive triterpenoid saponin from Radix saposhnikoviae, has exhibited anti-inflammatory activity in preclinical studies. We hypothesized that CHS could mitigate immunopathology during tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-infection by suppressing excessive inflammation. Objectives: CHS is a natural saponin with anti-inflammatory activity. This research aimed to explore the in vitro and in vivo protective effects and mechanisms of CHS against H9N2 AIV infection. Materials and Methods: We employed Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis for the prediction of the underlying mechanisms, followed by a network analysis approach. In animal experiments, the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways and associated proteins were assessed using immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. Results: In A549 cells, CHS treatment reduced H9N2 AIV-induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. CHS was found to have a suppressive effect on the mRNA expression of various inflammatory cytokines (including TNF-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and IL-8) as well as mediators such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2). It can be seen that CHS does have anti-inflammatory effects. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that CHS might exhibit anti-inflammatory effects by modulating cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction and the NF-κB signaling pathways. Building upon this, it was found that CHS blocked the activation of TLR4 and NF-κB signaling pathways in A549 cells infected with H9N2 AIV. In vivo, CHS prolonged the survival time and increased the survival rate of H9N2 AIV-infected mice. CHS was found to have a protective effect on the lungs of infected mice, resulting in reduced damage and lower levels of viral load and inflammation. CHS inhibited the production of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8) and inhibited the activation of TLR4 and NF-κB signaling pathways in the pulmonary tissues of mice that were infected. Conclusion: CHS exerts protective effects against H9N2 AIV infection in vitro and in vivo. The anti-inflammatory mechanisms may involve the inhibition of cytokine production and the blockade of TLR4 and NF-κB signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dry roots of Pleuropterus multiflorus Thunb. (PM) have been traditionally utilized as functional foods and medicines China and various Asian countries. They are extensively cultivated in multiple provinces in China, with variations in prices and qualities. This study aims to investigate the regional characteristics of PM by 4 stable isotope ratios, 40 multielement and 16 functional compounds contents, using a total of 357 samples from 8 different geographical origins. Machine learning methods were developed to authenticating the geographical origins of PM, yielding the accuracy range from 94.44 % to 100 % in the test set. Notably, the protected designation of origin, Deqing PM, exhibited a high accuracy of 100 % in most models, A total of 30 significant prediction variables, encompassing 16 functional compounds, δ 2 H, 12 rare earth elements, and Cu, were identified. Additionally, the study identified altitude, high temperature, and dry or moisture index as the primary influenced environmental factors., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This paper considers queer studies in the global geopolitical hotspot of Asia, as well as how we can reimagine queer theories through both the Covid-19 pandemic and the intensified regional and global superpower competition and geopolitical tensions. It argues for a rethinking of queer studies through today's international relations and geopolitical complications in a sociological political economy. The aim is to connect critical studies with analyses of economic and social class structures, an approach that has been substantiated by the current crises, and to present an expanded queer mobility theory with two brief case studies (mini-critiques) of the current socioeconomic conditions facing marginalized people under Covid-19 and the changing geopolitical landscape. In so doing, this paper actively explores what queer studies can do and can be through the current historical turning point of the pandemic and geopolitical rivalry toward potential post-Covid socioeconomic revival and recovery.

The increasing production of plastic products and generation of plastic waste have had increasingly negative environmental impacts. Although recycling could reduce plastic pollution, microplastics can be generated during the process of crushing plastic products during mechanical recycling. We conducted crushing tests with 13 different plastics and documented the size distribution of particles generated. We then estimated the discharge of microplastics associated with recycling and their removal in wastewater treatment plants. We estimated that the global discharge of microplastics would increase from 0.017 Mt in 2000 to 0.749 Mt in 2060. Although mechanical recycling was estimated to account for 3.1% of the total emissions of microplastics for 2017, discharges of microplastics from plastic recycling may increase, even if plastic pollution from well-known sources decreases. Non-OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) Asia could be a major discharging region and would play a vital role in reducing discharges of microplastics. Reduction of the discharge of microplastics will require less use of plastic products and upgrading wastewater treatment in many countries., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Local allergic rhinitis (LAR) is characterized by a localized nasal allergic response without evidence of systemic atopy. LAR is an underdiagnosed entity and is a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for clinicians. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of patients with LAR to house dust mites (LAR-HDM) in Korea., Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of 336 adult patients with rhinitis symptoms who visited the Rhinologic Clinic at Korea University Guro Hospital from October 2019 to April 2021. Using results of the skin prick test, serologic test, and nasal provocation test, patients were classified as allergic rhinitis (AR) to HDM (AR-HDM), AR to other allergens, non-allergic rhinitis (NAR), or LAR-HDM. We excluded patients with AR to other allergens and compared the clinical characteristics of the remaining three groups. Patient demographic data were reviewed, and patients' nasal symptoms, olfactory function, serum total IgE, and severity of accompanying rhinosinusitis were evaluated., Results: In total, 336 patients were examined. AR-HDM was diagnosed in 138 (41.1%) patients, AR to other allergens in 36 (10.7%) patients, NAR in 21 (42.0%) patients, and LAR-HDM in 21 (6.3%) patients. The mean age of patients with LAR-HDM was significantly higher than that of patients with AR-HDM. There were no significant differences in sex, smoking history, asthma, and family history of allergic diseases between the groups. Compared to NAR patients, there were significantly more patients with LAR-HDM who had persistent nasal symptoms. The frequency of nasal itching and sneezing was significantly higher in the LAR-HDM group than in the NAR group. The olfactory function score in the LAR-HDM group was significantly worse than that in the AR-HDM group, and the Lund-Mackay score was significantly higher in the LAR-HDM group than in the other groups., Conclusion: Clinical history and nasal symptoms are very similar in LAR-HDM and AR-HDM. Clinicians should take more care to differentiate them. LAR-HDM should also be considered in patients with persistent and severe nasal symptoms without systemic atopy., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Central compartment atopic disease (CCAD) is a recently described variant of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) strongly associated with atopy. The association between central compartment disease (CCD) and inhalant allergy is not well established in South-East Asia, where perennial allergic rhinitis is common. Objectives: The primary objective was to evaluate endoscopic and radiologic CCD as predictors of perennial allergen sensitization in primary CRS. The secondary objective was to compare clinical characteristics of CCAD with other CRS subtypes (CRSwNP and CRSsNP). Methods: A retrospective study of consecutive patients with primary CRS who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery at our institution was performed. Allergen sensitization was confirmed by skin or serum testing. Endoscopy records and computed tomography scans of paranasal sinuses were reviewed for CCD. The diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic and radiologic CCD in predicting atopy was calculated. Results: There were 104 patients (43 CCAD, 30 CRSwNP and 31 CRSsNP). Endoscopic CCD was significantly associated with aeroallergen sensitization (odds ratio (OR) 3.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.65-9.67, P = 0.002). Endoscopic CCD predicted atopy with 57% sensitivity, 72% specificity, 69% positive predictive value and positive likelihood ratio of 2.05. Radiologic CCD was not associated with aeroallergen sensitization (OR 0.728, 95%CI 0.292-1.82, P = 0.496). There were more CCAD patients who reported hyposmia (86% vs 42%, P < 0.001) and had anosmia on olfactory testing than CRSsNP (65% vs 14%, P = 0.015). The prevalence of atopy was significantly higher in CCAD than CRSwNP and CRSsNP (70% vs 37% and 42%, P = 0.015 and P = 0.05, respectively). Median serum total immunoglobulin E was higher in CCAD (283 IU/ml) and CRSwNP (127 IU/ml) than CRSsNP (27 IU/ml, P = 0.006 and P = 0.042, respectively). Conclusions: Endoscopic CCD was a better predictor of inhalant allergy than radiologic CCD in primary CRS, in a locale of perennial allergic rhinitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Head and neck sarcomas (HNS) constitute a rare and heterogeneous cancer entity. Management remains a challenge due their rarity and different biological behaviour among tens of subtypes. This systematic review aimed to describe HNS global frequency and distribution in adulthood. Methods: A systematic review was performed using PICOTS search strategies for qualitative question and it was written in accordance with PRISMA 2020 Statement. 70,653 publications were identified, and 15 variables were evaluated for a total of 2428 patients. Results: We identified 47 studies from 21 different countries from 5 different continents. Most of studies (83.3%) were performed in single institutions and America and Asia overruled for number of papers included (21 and 10, respectivelly). Osteosarcoma was more frequent, followed by chondrosarcoma, angiosarcoma and malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Early stage accounted for almost 80% of cases; advanced stage prevailed in developing countries. 1783 patients (90.1%) underwent surgery and 780 (39.4%) had adjuvant therapy. 50.8% of patients experienced tumour recurrence and the lowest mortality rate was reported in Europe (29.9%). Conclusions: HNS holds a relative poor prognosis possibly explained by the heterogeneity of the disease. Treatment of HNS has shown to be highly diverse among different countries, underlining the importance of uniformed treatment guidelines to achieve better patient management and to improve survival outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme climate events are hotspots in global change. However, research on the changes in future compound events and population exposure is still limited. Leveraging from the data of the sixth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6), this paper aims to analyze the temporal and spatial changes of global compound temperature and precipitation extreme events in the future. We also predict the risk of population exposure and quantify the contribution of different factors to exposure. The results show that: (1) In the next 80 years, compound hot-dry event (CHDE) will increase at a rate of 0.02, 0.03, and 0.08 days per decade under the three scenarios of SSP1–2.6, SSP2–4.5 and SSP5–8.5, respectively. By comparison, compound hot-humidity event (CHHE) shows a downward trend under the three scenarios, with a downward rate of 0.01, 0.02, and 0.11 days per decade, respectively. (2) Under the SSP1–2.6 and SSP2–4.5 scenarios, CHDE and CHHE have two or more mutation points. Under the SSP5–8.5 scenario, CHDE shows a significant upward and CHHE shows a significant downward trend in the middle and late 21st century. These two indices exhibit periodic changes in all three scenarios (3) South Asia, West Asia, and Northeast Africa have higher CHDE values, while regions with higher CHHE values are located in North Asia and Greenland. (4) Climate change is a major factor affecting population exposure. For CHDE, climate, population, and their synergistic effects contribute about 75%, 20%, and 5% to the exposure, respectively. For CHHE, the contributions of these three factors are 85%, 10%, and 5% respectively. These findings provide scientific guidance for the rational formulation of population policies, the effective avoidance of climate disaster risks and the protection of human health. • Frequency of hot-dry events and hot-humidity events will increase and decrease, respectively, in the future. • There are abrupt points and periodicity in the future time series of compound temperature and precipitation extremes. • Asia is projected to have the greatest exposure and climate change contributes the most to exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on men's negotiation of traditional norms and new gender dynamics amidst rapid social changes, the current study reveals nuanced trends and inter-regional heterogeneity in marriage behavior of men during the past decades in Asian societies. Since the 1970s, marriage age for men across Asia has risen and the slope of change is especially sharp in East Asia; while men in East and Southeast Asia increasingly remain single in their 30s and early 40s, earlier and almost universal marriage continues to dominate men's nuptiality in South Asian societies. We contextualize these empirical patterns in the complex interplay of aggregate-level socioeconomic development, the changing labor market conditions (as reflected in a high level of job insecurity and informalization), shifting gender dynamics in educational attainment and labor market participation, and remaining legacies of traditional gender role expectations. This study offers compelling empirical evidence for further theorizing marriage and gender in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The normative institutional practices of White, native English speakers have been explored in detail by CRT scholars in US academia, and these practices perpetuate a system which maintains White privilege to the detriment and systemic exclusion of the Other. Consequently, students of colour and non-native English speakers are inclined to face a number of forms of inequality, inequity, discrimination and harassment based on Whiteness and nativism including English speaker centrism, and this eventually serves to reproduce Whiteness and White racial domination. To better understand this institutional practices based on Whiteness in US academia, this paper explores how structural inequity based on linguistic racism and White privilege is reproduced by patterns in everyday institutional practice in US academia, and how intersectional structural inequity influences non-White, non-native speakers of American English such as international students from Asia by interviewing an Asian international ELL Ph.D. student, and exploring his counterstory in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) injects major transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) into plant cells to activate susceptibility (S) genes for promoting bacterial leaf blight in rice. Numerous resistance (R) genes have been used to construct differential cultivars of rice to identify races of Xoo, but the S genes were rarely considered. Different edited lines of rice cv. Kitaake were constructed using CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing, including single, double and triple edits in the effector-binding elements (EBEs) located in the promoters of rice S genes OsSWEET11a, OsSWEET13 and OsSWEET14. The near-isogenic lines (NILs) were used as tracers to detect major TALEs (PthXo1, PthXo2, PthXo3 and their variants) in 50 Xoo strains. The pathotypes produced on the tracers determined six major TALE types in the 50 Xoo strains. The presence of the major TALEs in Xoo strains was consistent with the expression of S genes in the tracers, and it was also by known genome sequences. The EBE editing had little effect on agronomic traits, which was conducive to balancing yield and resistance. The rice-tracers generated here provide a valuable tool to track major TALEs of Xoo in Asia which then shows what rice cultivars are needed to combat Xoo in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Folk music is a special cultural value for different countries and civilizations. However, the interest in folk music wanes against the background of globalization, both in Europe and in Asia. This paper examines the possibility of using Chinese folk music to improve the mental health and academic motivation of college students without involving a qualified music therapist. The study involved 200 volunteers from [Xi'an Shiyou] University who were randomly assigned to either the control or experimental group. The researchers developed a 30-week program titled National Music in the Service of Mental Health. It provides for regular group listening to folk music with the option of motor improvisation regulated by the recipient. The authors tested the effectiveness of the program by comparing the results of pre-testing and post-testing through the Wilcoxon rank sum test for related samples. They found that external motivation dominated internal motivation in first-year students from [Xi'an Shiyou] University. In addition, most of the difficulties concerned such areas as peer relationship problems and emotional symptoms related to the mental health of the respondents. The researchers found that the developed program proved effective in increasing aspects of internal motivation related to new life experiences (p = 0.00). The program also reduced the severity of negative emotional symptoms related to mental health (p = 0.00). The main scientific value of this paper is its aim to actualize the scientific discussion about the potential and limitations of Chinese folk music therapy without involving a qualified expert. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliance on fish meal can be reduced by incorporating plant-based ingredients, making aquaculture more economical, sustainable and environmental friendly. In this study, the efficacy of plant protein ingredients (PPI) such as mustard oil cake (MOC), soybean meal (SBM) and rice bran (RB) as Partial substitute of fishmeal (FM) was investigated for a commercially important fish, Labeo rohita in cages for 90 days. Three experimental diets, labeled as Diet 1, Diet 2, and Diet 3, were formulated to be isonitrogenous (with protein content ranging from 32.20 to 32.29%) and iso-caloric (with gross energy ranging from 4.12 to 4.17 kcal/g). These diets contained different proportions of PPI (45, 68, and 79%) and FM (46, 23, and 11%, respectively). Square-shaped cages with a volume of 1m3 (1 m × 1 m × 1 m) were stocked with 40 fish/m3 each with an average initial weight of 52.97 g in triplicates. Fish were hand-fed to apparent satiation twice daily for 7 days a week at a feeding rate of 5% in the initial month and 3% for the rest of the culture period. 50% of the caged fish was sampled monthly to monitor growth performance and at the termination of the experiment, all the fish was harvested to measure production economics performance. The results indicated improved growth performance and higher feed utilization at Diet 2, yielding significantly (p < 0.05) higher fish production compared to Diet 3, while these parameters were insignificant with Diet 1. By replacing FM with PPI, the total feed cost compared to Diet 1 was reduced to 20.62 and 32.76% for Diet 2 and Diet 3, respectively. The replacement of 50% FM in Diet 2 also yielded a 15.61% higher total economic net return than the Diet 1 group. However, a higher inclusion rate of PPI in Diet 3 potentially reduced fish growth, with a consequent decline of 41.61% total economic net return compared to the Diet 1 group. In conclusion, the replacement of 50% FM in Diet 2 compared to Diet 1 returned a higher benefit-cost ratio (1.72) among the feeding groups. Therefore, this FM replacement experiment suggested a 50% FM replaced diet as an unconventional, cost-effective, and readily available novel protein source without compromising the inherent nutritional quality of fish and feed in the cage culture of L. rohita. The results could be widely applicable to the fastgrowing approach of cage culture technology across Asia and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hand grip strength (HGS) is an important diagnostic tool for sarcopenia and a reliable predictor for age-related chronic diseases and mortality. Interventions in nutrition have been shown as a low-cost strategy to maintain muscular strength and mass. However, there are limited data on the effect of diet on HGS in Southeast Asian populations. This study aims to investigate the association of diet quality with HGS weakness and asymmetry in a multi-ethnic population in Singapore. This cross-sectional study used data from the Singapore Multi-Ethnic Cohort (n = 1547). Dietary data were collected using a validated semi-quantitative FFQ and summarised as the Dietary Quality Index – International (DQI-I). HGS was calculated as the maximum value of six measurements from both hands. HGS weakness and asymmetry were defined using well-recognised criteria. Multivariable linear regression and logistic regression were utilised for continuous and binary outcomes, respectively, adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, physical activity and smoking status. It was found that the highest quartile of DQI-I was significantly associated with higher HGS (β = 1·11; 95 % CI 0·41, 1·82; P for trend < 0·001) and lower odds of HGS asymmetry (OR = 0·71; 95 % CI 0·53, 0·94; P for trend = 0·035) and both HGS weakness and asymmetry (OR = 0·50; 95 % CI 0·32, 0·76; P for trend = 0·004). Among the different components of DQI-I, only dietary adequacy was significantly associated with higher HGS (P for trend < 0·001) and lower odds for both HGS weakness and asymmetry (P for trend = 0·006). Our findings support that DQI-I, an indicator of overall diet quality, can be used to provide dietary guidelines for prevention and management of muscle wasting, sarcopenia and frailty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibrios are associated with live seafood because they are part of the indigenous marine microflora. In Asia, foodborne infections caused by Vibrio spp. are common. In recent years, V. parahaemolyticus has become the leading cause of all reported food poisoning outbreaks. Therefore, the halogenated acid and its 33 derivatives were investigated for their antibacterial efficacy against V. parahaemolyticus. The compounds 3,5-diiodo-2-methoxyphenylboronic acid (DIMPBA) and 2-fluoro-5-iodophenylboronic acid (FIPBA) exhibited antibacterial and antibiofilm activity. DIMPBA and FIPBA had minimum inhibitory concentrations of 100 mg/mL for the planktonic cell growth and prevented biofilm formation in a dose-dependent manner. Both iodo-boric acids could diminish the several virulence factors influencing the motility, agglutination of fimbria, hydrophobicity, and indole synthesis. Consequently, these two active halogenated acids hampered the proliferation of the planktonic and biofilm cells. Moreover, these compounds have the potential to effectively inhibit the presence of biofilm formation on the surface of both squid and shrimp models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants, renowned for their rich reservoir of metabolites, play a pivotal role in addressing health-related issues. The Verbenaceae family stands out, showcasing immense potential in preventing and treating chronic diseases. Vitex trifolia L. (V. trifolia), a shrub with a rich history in traditional medicine, particularly in Eastern Asia, has garnered attention for its diverse therapeutic applications. This comprehensive review aims to bridge traditional knowledge and contemporary insights by investigating ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, and pharmacological effects of V. trifolia. The keyword "V. trifolia" and its synonyms were searched within the main scientific databases including PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Baidu Scholar (from 1974 to 2022, last search: 21.10.2023). Phytochemical analyses reveal a spectrum of secondary metabolites in V. trifolia, including terpenoids, flavonoids, lignans, phytosterols, anthraquinones, and fatty acids. Notably, terpenoids and flavonoids emerge as the main bioactive metabolites. Pharmacological studies validate its therapeutic potential, demonstrating significant antioxidant, antiinflammatory, hepatoprotective, anticancer, anti-amnesic, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-malaria, antispasmodic activities, and reported insecticidal effects. Despite existing literature exploring pharmacological attributes and secondary metabolites of related species, a conspicuous gap exists, specifically focusing on the pharmacological activities and novel methods of purification of pure metabolites from V. trifolia. This review aimed to fill this gap by delving into traditional medicinal applications, exploring secondary metabolites comprehensively, and providing an in-depth analysis of pharmacological effects of pure metabolites. Combining traditional uses with contemporary pharmacological insights, this article sought to serve as a crucial reference for future research and practical application of V. trifolia. This approach contributes substantially to understanding the plant, fostering scientific inquiry, and facilitating its broader application in healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mungbean [Vigna radiata var. radiata (L.) Wilczek] production in Asia is detrimentally affected by transient soil waterlogging caused by unseasonal and increasingly frequent extreme precipitation events. While mungbean exhibits sensitivity to waterlogging, there has been insufficient exploration of germplasm for waterlogging tolerance, as well as limited investigation into the genetic basis for tolerance to identify valuable loci. This research investigated the diversity of transient waterlogging tolerance in a mini--core germplasm collection of mungbean and identified candidate genes for adaptive traits of interest using genome--wide association studies (GWAS) at two critical stages of growth: germination and seedling stage (i.e., once the first trifoliate leaf had fully--expanded). In a temperature--controlled glasshouse, 292 genotypes were screened for tolerance after (i) 4 days of waterlogging followed by 7 days of recovery at the germination stage and (ii) 8 days of waterlogging followed by 7 days of recovery at the seedling stage. Tolerance was measured against drained controls. GWAS was conducted using 3,522 high--quality DArTseq--derived SNPs, revealing five significant associations with five phenotypic traits indicating improved tolerance. Waterlogging tolerance was positively correlated with the formation of adventitious roots and higher dry masses. FGGY carbohydrate kinase domain--containing protein was identified as a candidate gene for adventitious rooting and mRNA-uncharacterized LOC111241851, Caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase At4g26220 and MORC family CW-type zinc finger protein 3 and zinc finger protein 2B genes for shoot, root, and total dry matter production. Moderate to high broad--sense heritability was exhibited for all phenotypic traits, including seed emergence (81%), adventitious rooting (56%), shoot dry mass (81%), root dry mass (79%) and SPAD chlorophyll content (70%). The heritability estimates, marker--trait associations, and identification of sources of waterlogging tolerant germplasm from this study demonstrate high potential for marker--assisted selection of tolerance traits to accelerate breeding of climate--resilient mungbean varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chikungunya can have longstanding effects on health and quality of life. Alongside the recent approval of the world's first chikungunya vaccine by the US Food and Drug Administration in November 2023 and with new chikungunya vaccines in the pipeline, it is important to understand the perspectives of stakeholders before vaccine rollout. Our study aim is to identify key programmatic considerations and gaps in Evidence-to-Recommendation criteria for chikungunya vaccine introduction. We used purposive and snowball sampling to identify global, national, and subnational stakeholders from outbreak prone areas, including Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted and analysed using qualitative descriptive methods. We found that perspectives varied between tiers of stakeholders and geographies. Unknown disease burden, diagnostics, non-specific disease surveillance, undefined target populations for vaccination, and low disease prioritisation were critical challenges identified by stakeholders that need to be addressed to facilitate rolling out a chikungunya vaccine. Future investments should address these challenges to generate useful evidence for decision-making on new chikungunya vaccine introduction. Author summary: The first vaccine to prevent chikungunya fever has been recently approved in November 2023 by the US FDA and multiple chikungunya vaccine candidates are in different phases of the development pipeline. These will be the first-ever vaccines against an alphavirus and offer new technologies for vaccine development against other viruses of the same family that may cause future epidemics. We interviewed stakeholders from areas at risk of chikungunya outbreaks across Latin America, Asia and Africa, and identified gaps in Evidence-to-Recommendation criteria that should be addressed alongside vaccine introduction. Our findings show that stakeholders from different regions prioritised chikungunya differently, but all stakeholders agreed that the unknown burden of disease, undefined target populations for vaccination and non-specific disease surveillance were challenges that needed to be addressed imminently. To address these gaps, the involvement of stakeholders in all phases of vaccine development and rollout will be crucial to uncover future challenges and to ensure vaccine equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asia is not only the primary region for global pig production but also the largest consumer of pork worldwide. Although the pig production in Asia has made great progress in the past, it still is confronted with numerous challenges. These challenges include: inadequate land and feed resources, a substantial number of small-scale pig farms, escalating pressure to ensure environmental conservation, control of devastating infectious diseases, as well as coping with high temperatures and high humidity. To solve these problems, important investments of human and financial capital are required to promote large-scale production systems, exploit alternative feed resources, implement precision feeding, and focus on preventive medicine and vaccines as alternatives to antibiotics, improve pig breeding, and increase manure recycling. Implementation of these techniques and management practices will facilitate development of more environmentally-friendly and economically sustainable pig production systems in Asia, ultimately providing consumers with healthy pork products around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent progress report of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2023 highlighted the extreme reactions of environmental degradation. This report also shows that the current efforts for achieving environmental sustainability (SDG 13) are inadequate and a comprehensive policy agenda is needed. However, the present literature has highlighted several determinants of environmental degradation but the influence of geopolitical risk on environmental quality (EQ) is relatively ignored. To fill this research gap and propose a inclusive policy structure for achieving the sustainable development goals. This study is the earliest attempt that delve into the effects o of geopolitical risk (GPR), financial development (FD), and renewable energy consumption (REC) on load capacity factor (LCF) under the framework of load capacity curve (LCC) hypothesis for selected Asian countries during 1990-2020. In this regard, we use several preliminary sensitivity tests to check the features and reliability of the dataset. Similarly, we use panel quantile regression for investigating long-run relationships. The factual results affirm the existence of the LCC hypothesis in selected Asian countries. Our findings also show that geopolitical risk reduces environmental quality whereas financial development and REC increase environmental quality. Drawing from the empirical findings, this study suggests a holistic policy approach for achieving the targets of SDG 13 (climate change)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Water and soft drink bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sink at sea unless they contain trapped air, whereas their lids are made from polymers that float and can drift long distances. We sampled loose lids and bottles at 21 South African beaches to compare their origins. The proportions of foreign-made bottles and lids were correlated, and increased away from urban centres, indicating that much land-based litter strands close to source areas. Over 80 % of foreign-made drink bottles and 90 % of lids came from Asia, but most bottles were manufactured in China, Malaysia-Singapore and the UAE, and were dumped from ships. By comparison, most loose lids were in poor condition after being carried across the Indian Ocean from Indonesia by the South Equatorial Current. Reducing PET drink bottles at sea requires enforcement of regulations banning dumping at sea, whereas reducing their lids requires better control of littering in source countries., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Despite numerous initiatives attempting to enhance BF across Asia, recent studies show that exclusive BF rates remain alarmingly low. With globalization, society has shifted from traditional family roles towards more egalitarian marriages, where Asian fathers are now more involved in parenting. As fathers' involvement in breastfeeding is highly complex and context-sensitive, evaluation of a wide range of concepts and evidence within the Asian context is necessary., Objective: This review aims to consolidate and appraise empirical studies exploring fathers' breastfeeding knowledge, attitude, and involvement within the Asian context., Design: A systematic mixed-studies review was conducted. Six electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, Scopus, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global) were searched from each database's inception date until June 2022. Studies were appraised using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool and data was synthesised using the results-based convergent integration method., Findings: Twenty-two studies were included in this review. The synthesis of findings identified two main themes and six sub-themes., Key Conclusions: Asian fathers have a varied understanding of breastfeeding and their involvement in breastfeeding is influenced by personal, cultural, religious, social, and environmental factors., Implications for Practice: Perinatal care professionals play a crucial role in engaging and enhancing fathers' involvement in breastfeeding education programmes. The findings also urge policymakers to introduce more 'father-friendly' breastfeeding guidelines and educate perinatal care professionals to be more aware and sensitive to the needs of fathers. There is also a need to introduce more flexible and economically sensitive paternal leave policies to improve fathers' breastfeeding involvement., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The existing scholarly discourse surrounding the energy transition has long operated on the assumption of perfect displacement of non-renewable energy. However, an evolving set of studies highlights an intricate web of inefficiencies and complexities that prevent the perfect displacement of fossil fuel energy with renewable energy production. Since this could carry serious implications for the environmental targets of several economies, it is crucial to accurately and continuously measure the actual extent of fossil fuel displacement. Within this framework, this study empirically investigates the extent of non-renewable energy displacement by renewable energy for a balanced panel of seven Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries between 1989 and 2015. The outcome function also controls for globalisation, real GDP per capita, and crude oil prices. After implementing the necessary diagnostics, the panel cointegration establishes a significant long-run relationship among the selected variables. The PMG-ARDL estimation indicates that renewable energy production and globalisation significantly reduce the fossil fuel energy production, whereas real GDP per capita and crude oil prices induce it positively. However, the coefficient of renewable energy production is only - 0.39, indicating that more than 2.5 units of renewable electricity are necessary to displace a unit of non-renewable energy. As such, this study concludes that the current energy transition in Asia-Pacific region is not perfect. These results are robust to the usage of the FGLS estimation technique. The study suggests the adoption of a new energy transition that allows greater displacement of fossil fuel energy as well as gradual reduction in overall energy use., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Together with other elevated areas, the Mountains of Central Asia are significantly threatened by ongoing climate change. The presence of refuges during the glaciations makes the region extremely rich in species, especially endemic ones. However, the limited potential for colonisation of other habitats makes rocky-related species with 'island-like' distribution, particularly vulnerable to climate change. To understand the processes underlying species response to climate warming, we assessed differences in ecological niches and phylogenetic relationship of two geographically disjunctive alpine species belonging to the genus Sergia. The taxa are considered Tertiary relicts, endemic to the Tian Shan and Pamir-Alai Mountains. To illustrate range dynamics and differences in occupied niches of Sergia species, we used Ecological Niche Modelling of current and future distribution. Whereas, to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationship within and between Sergia and other related Campanulaceae species from the region we used molecular data (ITS, cpDNA, DArTseq-derived SNPs)., Results: The results reveal that the genus Sergia is a polyphyletic group, and its representatives differ geographically, ecologically and genetically. Both S. regelii and S. sewerzowii constitute a common clade with Asyneuma group, however, S. sewerzowii is more closely related to Campanula alberti (a species that has never previously been considered closely related to the genus Asyneuma or Sergia) than to S. regelii. Sergia sewerzowii is adapted to lower elevations with higher temperatures, while S. regelii prefers higher elevations with lower temperatures. The future distribution models demonstrate a dramatic loss of S. regelii range with a shift to suitable habitats in higher elevations, while the potential range of S. sewerzowii increases and shifts to the north., Conclusions: This study shows that S. regelii and S. sewerzowii have a long and independent evolution history. Sergia regelii and S. sewerzowii significantly differ in realised niches. These differences are mirrored in the response of the studied endemics to future climate warming. As suitable habitats shrink, rapid changes in distribution can lead to species' range loss, which is also directly related to declines in genetic variability. The outcomes of this paper will help to more precisely assess the impact of climate changes on rocky-related plant species found in this world's biodiversity hotspot., (© 2024. The Author(s).)