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Objectives: Our aim was to systematically review published evidence on the construct validity, test-retest reliability and responsiveness of generic preference-based measures (PBMs) used in East and South-East Asia.Methods: This systematic review was guided by the COSMIN guideline. A literature search on the MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and PubMed databases up to August 2019 was conducted for measurement properties validation papers of the EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D), Short Form-6 Dimensions (SF-6D), Health Utilities Index (HUI), Quality of Well-Being (QWB), 15-Dimensional (15D) and Assessment of Quality of Life (AQOL) in East and South-East Asian countries. Included papers were disaggregated into individual studies whose results and quality of design were rated separately. The population-specific measurement properties (construct validity, test-retest reliability and responsiveness) of each PBM were assessed separately using relevant studies. The overall methodological quality of the studies used in each of the assessments was also rated.Results: A total of 79 papers containing 1504 studies were included in this systematic review. The methodological quality was 'very good' or 'adequate' for the majority of the construct validity studies (99%) and responsiveness studies (61%), but for only a small portion of the test-retest reliability studies (23%). EQ-5D was most widely assessed and was found to have 'sufficient' construct validity and responsiveness in many populations, while the SF-6D and EuroQol-Visual Analog Scale (EQ-VAS) exhibited 'inconsistent' construct validity in some populations. Scarce evidence was available on HUI and QWB, but current evidence supported the use of HUI.Conclusions: This systematic review provides a summary of the quality of existing generic PBMs in Asian populations. The current evidence supports the use of EQ-5D as the preferred choice when a generic PBM is needed, and continuous testing of all PBMs in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses contributions by researchers in East and Southeast Asia to science and technology research. Topics include investment in the science and technology research made in the East and Southeast Asia, total article count and research spending in China and Japan. Research in physical science and chemistry in institutions such as Peking University in China are mentioned. Charts presenting details of the research papers are included.

Background: Media guidelines for suicide reporting are available in many countries. However, to what extent the mass media comply with the guidelines is unknown. Few studies are available that investigate systematically whether the mass media reflect the epidemiological reality of suicide deaths in their articles. Methods: Based on the WHO media guidelines, this study investigated the characteristics of newspaper articles of suicides in three Chinese communities, namely Hong Kong, Taiwan and Guangzhou. Epidemiological comparisons were conducted to identify the age and gender differences between the suicide victims as reported in the newspapers and the official records of suicide deaths in all three places. Results: The results found that one media characteristic complied with the WHO media guidelines (ie, only about 2% of the articles were printed on the front page), but there were a number of instances of non-compliance (ie, only 4--14% provided sources for help-seeking and 27--90% printed with photos). The epidemiological comparisons revealed an over-representation of younger suicides and an under-representation of late-life suicides in the newspapers of all three places. Furthermore, female suicides were found to be under-reported in Taiwan and Guangzhou newspapers, but not in Hong Kong papers. Conclusion: Non-compliant suicide articles are prevalent in the newspapers of these three Chinese settings. The observed media misrepresentations may potentially mislead the public and the policy makers about the actual risk for suicide in some demographic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is one of the leading causes of death in infants and young children from heritable diseases. Patients diagnosed with SMA develop symmetrical progressive muscle weakness and atrophy from degeneration of alpha motor neurons. Approximately 95% of patients have a homozygous deletion of survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene in exon 7 and inherited in autosomal recessive pattern. Considering the high prevalence of SMA carrier in many population, it is possible that SMA is one of the most common autosomal recessive disorders in Thailand and Southeast Asia. In this study, we analyzed DNA from peripheral blood of 505 healthy Thai adults using quantitative PCR-based for SMN1 gene exon 7 copy number analysis. Individual samples with heterozygous deletion of SMN1 gene were confirmed with MLPA. The result identified 9 samples (1.78%) with heterozygous deletion and 39 samples as more than 2 copies of SMN1. No homozygous deletion was detected in the samples. In conclusion, we established carrier frequency of SMA in selected Thai population at 1.8% from 505 participants. The prevalence coincides with prevalence in East Asia and Caucasian population. The result could be implemented for SMA carrier screening in couples at risk in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on dietary supplements, medications, and other xenobiotics in epidemiologic surveys is usually obtained from questionnaires and is subject to recall and reporting biases. The authors used metabolite data obtained from hydrogen-1 (or proton) nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) analysis of human urine specimens from the International Study of Macro-/Micro-Nutrients and Blood Pressure (INTERMAP Study) to validate self-reported analgesic use. Metabolic profiling of two 24-hour urine specimens per individual was carried out for 4,630 participants aged 40–59 years from 17 population samples in Japan, China, the United Kingdom, and the United States (data collection, 1996–1999). 1H NMR-detected acetaminophen and ibuprofen use was low (∼4%) among East Asian population samples and higher (>16%) in Western population samples. In a comparison of self-reported acetaminophen and ibuprofen use with 1H NMR-detected acetaminophen and ibuprofen metabolites among 496 participants from Chicago, Illinois, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, the overall rate of concordance was 81%–84%; the rate of underreporting was 15%–17%; and the rate of underdetection was approximately 1%. Comparison of self-reported unspecified analgesic use with 1H NMR-detected acetaminophen and ibuprofen metabolites among 2,660 Western INTERMAP participants revealed similar levels of concordance and underreporting. Screening for urinary metabolites of acetaminophen and ibuprofen improved the accuracy of exposure information. This approach has the potential to reduce recall bias and other biases in epidemiologic studies for a range of substances, including pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, and foods. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]