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Childhood and adolescence are pivotal developmental stages for psychological health. An understanding of psychological mechanisms related to well-being is important for promoting positive life outcomes for youth. Research generally shows that the basic psychological need for autonomy is significantly associated with well-being. To examine the magnitude and sources of variation in this relationship, we conducted a meta-analysis of 90 reports to analyze the average effect of autonomy need satisfaction (ANS) and frustration (ANF) on indicators of psychological well- and ill-being for K-12 (Kindergarten to 12th grade) youth. Results indicated that ANS was positively associated with psychological well-being and negatively associated with psychological ill-being among youth. Further, ANF was negatively associated with psychological well-being and positively associated with psychological ill-being. Moderator analyses indicated that the association between ANS and well-being was stronger for studies conducted with children and adolescents in East Asian countries compared to studies conducted in the USA, Canada, or Northern Europe when controlling for publication status and measurement reliability. Results also showed that the average correlation between ANS and well-being was stronger for studies located in more collectivistic countries compared to individualistic countries when controlling for publication status and measurement reliability. The relationship between ANS and ill-being was stronger for studies conducted in the USA and Canada compared to East Asian and European contexts. Together, results suggest that autonomy satisfaction is related to the well- and ill-being of youth across cultural contexts, but that there is cultural variation in the association between experiences of autonomy and well-being.

The increase in popularity of Generative Artificial Intelligence Chatbots, or GACs, has created a potentially fruitful opportunity to enhance teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL). This study investigated the possibility of using GACs to give EFL students metalinguistic guidance (MG) in linguistics courses. Language competency gaps, a lack of individualized engagement, and low metacognitive abilities are common challenges EFL students face in linguistics courses. Feedback has been suggested as a potential solution to these issues in previous studies; nevertheless, conventional corrective feedback (CF) might not fully satisfy the demands of EFL students. In order to address these obstacles, the current study suggested a metalinguistic guiding (MG)-based GAC approach. Using a quasi-experimental approach with pretest and posttest setups, this study evaluated the learning achievement, reflective performance, perception, and metacognitive awareness of EFL students exposed to either CF-based GAC or MG-based GAC. According to the study's findings, the MG-based GAC group performed better than the CF-based GAC group in terms of learning achievement, reflective performance, and perceptual and metacognitive awareness. The GAC's immediate educational usefulness and potential as a pedagogical tool for shaping cognitive processes are highlighted by its successful application in helping EFL students gain metacognitive awareness. This study contributes significantly to the growing body of knowledge about the use of GAC in educational settings by providing empirical evidence of the effectiveness of GAC in terms of delivering MG to EFL students.

Although teacher feedback and teacher support are believed as important predictors of student resilience, few studies have compared their effects on student resilience and explored how such effects are mediated by students' achievement goals. To address this gap, this study analysed the PISA 2018 student survey data on the four variables (i.e., student resilience, teacher feedback, teacher support and achievement goals) obtained from 41,872 participants (girls = 20,527; boys = 21,345) in six academically high-performing East Asian countries/economies. The findings showed that (i) mastery and performance-approach goals significantly and positively predicted student resilience while the impacts of performance-avoidance goals on student resilience were negative; (ii) teacher feedback exerted a significant positive influence on student resilience both directly and indirectly, and the indirect influence was mediated by students' achievement goals; and (iii) teacher support had only an indirect significant positive effect on student resilience mediated by achievement goals. This study establishes a mediation model to associate teacher feedback and support with student resilience via students' achievement goals. It also reveals the cultural relevance of student resilience. The findings have implications for East Asian teachers to cultivate resilient students in changing times.

Purpose: The integration of ESD is a complex problem. It calls for an innovative, student-centred curriculum, as well as professional learning and agency, by which university teachers feel empowered to change their practice and direct their peers and institutions towards ESD. This study aims to explore what university teachers consider to be the most important attitudes in supporting their agency to deliver Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) via a Problem Based Learning (PBL) programme. Design/methodology/approach: This study presents a theoretical framework for professional agency comprising three domains--intrapersonal, action and environmental. A Q methodology is adopted to explore university teachers' perceptions of the most important environmental factors in supporting their ability to deliver ESD via a problem-based learning (PBL) programme. Twenty-eight participants from six Southeast Asian universities took part in a PBL-based professional development programme designed to improve teachers' ESD- and PBL-based skills and competencies. Findings: The results indicate that the participants were confident in their ability to implement PBL and saw PBL as an approach suitable for addressing current educational, professional and societal challenges. This study offers a series of recommendations to help university teachers develop their ESD and PBL practices. Originality/value: Although the literature on human agency is extensive, research surrounding teachers' professional agency in the context of ESD and PBL in higher education is lacking. The present study addresses this gap by capturing individual teachers' beliefs, perceptions and views and by using Q methodology to examine the subjectivity of study participants.

The purpose of this study is to examine the linguistic and non-linguistic goals of the Southeast Asian languages (SEAL) policy in Taiwan. It was proposed by former President Ma Ying-jeou's administration to develop grades 1-12 students' multilingual awareness, for there has been an increasingly significant presence of second-generation Southeast Asian immigrants at school. Since current President Tsai In-Wen's first-term in 2016, the SEAL policy has been fuelled with an economic and sociopolitical agenda -- the New Southbound Policy, the measure which is designed to advance the nation's prospects in Southeast Asia. This study applies Cooper's [1989. "Language Planning and Social Change." New York, NY: Cambridge University Press] language policy as marketing and analyses the instrumentalist value of the SEAL. The Tsai government is conceptualised as a marketer; the SEAL are defined as the "product"; the Ministry of Education is assigned to the "place" as a hub which distributes the SEAL product to nationwide consumers; "promotion" piques the consumers' interest in SEAL learning; "price" is set by making one's profit gains larger than the sum of investment. The study concludes that the value of the SEAL product increases when its communication network is expanded from local immigrant communities and national school systems to an international business area.

Bibliometric mapping serves as a method to systematically evaluate and visually demonstrate the development of a research field. CiteSpace and VOSviewer, two research tools of bibliometric mapping, were used in the present study to analyze, synthesize, and visualize the hot topics as well as frontier evolution of science education. Co-authorship analysis, co-citation analysis, co-occurrence analysis, cluster analysis, and content analysis were conducted based on 6278 articles selected from seven SSCI journals. Researchers from countries/territories in North America, Europe, Oceania, and West and East Asia had maintained relatively tighter cooperation with each other. Highly influential literature mainly focused on the standards, methods, practice, and reflection of science education. In the past two decades, the literature on science education covered seven hot topics: conceptual issues in science education, gender, scientific argumentation, professional development, science learning, evolution, and peer review. The research on science education in the past 20 years can be divided into three phases: the first stage focused on knowledge learning, identity, and informal education; the second stage emphasized formal education, scientific literacy, and social-science issues; and the third stage highlighted scientific argumentation and STEM education.

Educational aspirations are an important predictor of academic outcomes. While there has been considerable research on educational aspirations in the West, there has been little research in East Asia, and the investigation of factors influencing adolescent aspirations has been neglected, particularly in rural areas. Drawing on ecological systems theory and social cognitive career theory, this study investigated the associations between educational aspirations and factors at the individual, peer, and family levels among rural Chinese adolescents. A total of 606 students (M[subscript age] = 14.85 years; 50% boys) from a rural town in Central China completed questionnaires assessing their educational aspirations, individual factors (academic performance, academic self-perception, academic self-regulation, attitudes toward teachers, and goal valuation), and contextual factors (family socioeconomic status, parent and peer relationship quality, and parental and close friends' aspirations). Individual factors and aspirations of others had significant direct effects on adolescents' educational aspirations, while parent and peer attachments were significantly related to educational aspirations via individual factors. Family socioeconomic status was not significantly related to adolescents' educational aspirations. The findings highlight the importance of individual factors as mechanisms explaining the link between contextual factors and rural Chinese adolescents' educational aspirations. Our results suggest that interventions can be designed to increase and maintain the aspirations of rural Chinese youth by targeting multiple domains of influence.

The purpose of this study was to identify patterns of Taiwanese students' perceptions of good citizenship in terms of citizenship behaviours rooted in Western democracy and character and moral (CM) oriented citizenship. Data from Taiwanese eighth graders participating in the 2016 International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) were examined. Citizenship behaviours were measured by items from the ICCS student questionnaire and the ICCS Asian Regional Module. The results showed that students who emphasised all but CM oriented citizenship had the weakest attitude towards the personal morality of politicians. Students who endorsed all citizenship behaviours had the highest levels of expected civic engagement. The findings suggest that the development of the good citizenship perceived by Taiwanese students may be enhanced by multiple sources in addition to citizenship education.

This paper aims to investigate the antecedents of how crowdfunded projects succeed over crowdsourcing platforms (CFPs) on the Internet. As CFPs make quite a large number of open innovations feasible, little is known about knowledge sharing and cross-project learning (CPL) in association with the success of crowdfunded projects. No study has considered the success of CFP projects in terms of gaining crowd capital with respect to generating ideas, achieving innovation or meeting the budget plan. However, the notion of project learning occurring on CFPs is essential. Therefore, this paper first adopted theories of project management and social exchange in one study. A developing region in the Asia-Pacific area is selected for examination as a case study. By doing so, it fills the gap in terms of the scarce research on this type of market, which is full of potential and possibilities. An empirical study was conducted on 43 project teams that had successfully won crowdsourcing projects. The results reveal that CPL in relation to project learning and esteem support in relation to social support are both positively associated with the success of crowd-funded projects. The discussion, implications and contributions of the study are presented at the end of the paper.

The widespread adoption of technology-based assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated concerns about the digital divide, given global disparities in digital access, connectivity, and coping strategies. This systematic review was intended to assess how the use of technology-based assessments has affected the education system's functioning in pre-college education, compared to traditional assessments. It covered 34 countries from 34 full-text English sources in 2018-2022. A total of 12 assumptions were tested, corresponding to six hypotheses about the learning, educating, and management facets associated with the use of technology-based assessments. Our findings revealed mixed evidence about technology-based assessments in reducing cheating, enhancing learning, supporting monitoring, improving instruction, and reducing non-teaching workload. However, strong evidence supported the assumptions that technology-based assessments improve measurement precision, interpretability, engagement, interaction, and teacher-parent communication. Limited but positive evidence supported the assumptions that technology-based assessments may reduce the cost and time of test administration.

The literature from inception to 2020 on the prevalence of epilepsy in autistic individuals was systematically reviewed and further explored by subgroup analyses and meta-regression models. This systematic review is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020179725). A total of 66 studies from 53 articles were included. The updated pooled prevalence of epilepsy in autistic individuals was 10% (95% CI: 6-14). The respective prevalence estimate of epilepsy was 19% (95% CI: 6-35) in the clinical sample-based cross-sectional study, 7% (95% CI: 3-11) in the cohort study, and 9% (95% CI: 5-15) in the population-based cross-sectional study. The pooled prevalence of epilepsy was 7% (95% CI: 4-11) in autistic children and 19% (95% CI: 14-24) in autistic adults. Compared to the school-aged group, the adolescence group (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.06-1.25) and the pre-school group (OR: 1.06, 95% CI: 0.94-1.19) were positively associated with the prevalence of epilepsy. The moderators of age, human development index of the country, gender, and intellectual function accounted for most of the heterogeneity. The prevalence estimates were associated with age, female gender, intellectual disability rate, and the human development index of countries. About 1/10 autistic individuals co-occurred with epilepsy, which was common in the clinical setting, adolescents, adults, females, or patients with intellectual disability, and less common in the country with high human development index.

Clinical reasoning is the thought process that guides practice. Although a plethora of clinical reasoning studies in healthcare professionals exists, the majority appear to originate from Western cultures. A scoping review was undertaken to examine clinical reasoning related research across Asian cultures. PubMed, SciVerse Scopus, Web of Science and Airiti Library databases were searched. Inclusion criteria included full-text articles published in Asian countries (2007 to 2019). Search terms included clinical reasoning, thinking process, differential diagnosis, decision making, problem-based learning, critical thinking, healthcare profession, institution, medical students and nursing students. After applying exclusion criteria, n = 240 were included in the review. The number of publications increased in 2012 (from 5%, n = 13 in 2011 to 9%, n = 22) with a steady increase onwards to 12% (n = 29) in 2016. South Korea published the most articles (19%, n = 46) followed by Iran (17%, n = 41). Nurse Education Today published 11% of the articles (n = 26), followed by BMC Medical Education (5%, n = 13). Nursing and Medical students account for the largest population groups studied. Analysis of the articles resulted in seven themes: Evaluation of existing courses (30%, n = 73) being the most frequently identified theme. Only seven comparative articles showed cultural implications, but none provided direct evidence of the impact of culture on clinical reasoning. We illuminate the potential necessity of further research in clinical reasoning, specifically with a focus on how clinical reasoning is affected by national culture. A better understanding of current clinical reasoning research in Asian cultures may assist curricula developers in establishing a culturally appropriate learning environment.

In order to explore the development of research of science teacher(RST), 904 articles from the Web of Science (WoS) core set based on bibliometric methods through R software were analyzed in this research. Specifically, it examined the co-occurrence relations of countries/regions, major journals, most cited references, and hot keywords from the macroscopic, mesoscopic and microscopic level of RST. The results showed that the core strength of RST is mainly from traditional industrialized countries such as the United States, Australia, and Britain. And some top journals in science education (such as Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Science Education) has to pay more attention on RST, it may also appeal to lots of top journals in general teacher education (such as Journal of Teacher Education, Teaching and Teacher Education). The research on science teachers was guided by several educational theories about teacher research, such as the teacher epistemological belief, reflective practice, and PCK. Moreover, theories in science education such as scientific literacy, scientific conceptual change also becomes the theoretical basis for science teachers' teaching practice and scientific inquiry instructing. The knowledge, key competences, dispositions, and professional development of science teacher are the main keywords and hot topics in the field of RST.

This study presents empirical findings demonstrating predictive validities of noncognitive variables for mathematics achievement among primary and secondary school students from cross-country perspectives. Results based on TIMSS 2015 assessment showed that confidence was a moderately strong predictor of mathematics achievement in all TIMSS participant countries (100%). Interest, on the other hand, was a moderately strong predictor in most countries for eighth-graders (77%) but only in about a dozen countries for fourth-graders (20%), showing a stronger interest-achievement link for the secondary school students, from the cross-national perspective. The sense of belonging measure demonstrated a lack of its relevance to primary school students' achievement. Further, bullying showed predictive relevance for student achievement only in three countries (South Africa, Jordan, and Egypt). The study concludes that while confidence was a universally relevant predictor of student achievement across all countries/regions, predictive utilities of interest, sense of belonging, and bullying appeared to be heavily dependent on a grade-level and country/regional context.

This review study investigates the appropriation of sensing technology in context-aware ubiquitous learning (CAUL) in the fields of sciences, engineering, and humanities. 40 empirical studies with concrete learning outcomes across mandatory and higher education have been systematically reviewed and thematically analyzed with an outcomes-based teaching and learning approach. Four derived themes have been found to describe the design and implementation of CAUL, including learner-centeredness, technological facilitation, learning ecology, and research evaluation. The learning processes enabled by context-aware sensing technology have been explicated, revealing specific ways to apply new technologies in formal and informal environments. The analysis based on intended learning outcomes suggest that more efforts should be directed to fostering competence in analyzing and creating in mandatory education, and to creating in tertiary settings. Finally, unequal distribution of CAUL implementation across world regions calls for more technological appropriation in Southeast Asia and Africa. Specific suggestions on how to improve CAUL are also provided to better prepare learners in the twenty-first century.

Carbon exchange between forest ecosystems and the atmosphere play an important role in global carbon cycle, which is difficult to be accurately quantified due to the large uncertainties in scaling up site-scale observations or filling-up measurement gaps. A process-oriented model equipped with comprehensive processes to explicitly simulating coupled carbon, nitrogen and water cycling, is hypothesized to reduce the uncertainties in quantification of forest carbon fluxes. To test this hypothesis, the Catchment Nutrient Management Model – DeNitrification-DeComposition (CNMM-DNDC), as a hydro-biogeochemical model that dynamically couples the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous and water cycling processes, was updated in this study by incorporating a new forest growth module derived from the Biome-BGC model and validating the updates using multiple-year continuous observations of carbon and water fluxes at the site scale. The updated model has improved the processes of photosynthesis, litter decomposition, allocation, respiration and mortality to more effectively capture the transformation and transportation of nutrients in plant-soil-water continuum. The observed gross primary productivity (GPP), ecosystem respiration (ER), net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) and evapotranspiration (ET) of three typical forest sites subject to subtropical and temperate climates in eastern Asia (2003–2010) were used for the model calibration and validation. Compared with the original model in validation, the updated model showed significant improvements in simulating the daily dynamics and inter-annual variations of each variable, with the NRMSE values decreased by 46 % and 54 %, 65 % and 37 %, 4 % and -6 %, and 38 % and -3 % for GPP, ER, NEE, and ET on daily and annual scales, respectively. The comparable performances of both model versions for annual NEE emphasizes the importance of validating each component of carbon fluxes to avoid the offsetting of model errors. The canopy average specific leaf area, fraction of leaf nitrogen in Rubisco, annual leaf and fine root turnover fraction, maximum stomatal conductance and the ratio of carbon to nitrogen in leaves and fine roots were identified as the sensitive eco-physiological parameters affecting the simulations of GPP and ER. In addition, the meteorological variables of solar radiation, humidity and air temperature also showed strong influences on the simulated GPP and ER. The relatively satisfactory performances demonstrated that the modified model has the ability to capture the daily dynamics and inter-annual variations of carbon fluxes for forests in temperate and subtropical zones, which is essential for estimating the emissions of greenhouse gases at the regional or global scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Previous surveys have reported that children with vitamin D deficiency were likely to suffer from early childhood caries (ECC). The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine 1. whether the status of vitamin D is intrinsically related to the occurrence of ECC and 2. the optimal level of vitamin D for the prevention of ECC. Materials and Methods: The database of PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, Embase and Google scholar were searched for targeted literature. The eligibility criteria were observational studies in which children with ECC were compared to children without ECC in terms of their vitamin D status. Applying the Newcastle-Ottawa tool, study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were performed by 2 reviewers independently. Meta-analysis was performed using the Cochrane Collaboration’s Review Manager 5.4 software. Results: 501 articles were retrieved from the electronic databases; 11 studies were finally included in systematic review, 10 studies of which were submitted to meta-analysis. The 25(OH)D levels in the ECC group were statistically significantly lower compared with that in the caries-free group (WMD = -13.96, 95% CI: [-19.88,-8.03], p < 0.001), especially in regard to the association between S-ECC and vitamin D (WMD = -18.64, 95% CI: [-20.06,-17.22], p < 0.001). The subgroup analyses in terms of geographical region demonstrated that children with a level of 25(OH)D of 50–75 nmol/l were more likely to have ECC than those with over 75 nmol/l (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: [1.26,1.60], p < 0.001), with data from Asia and Europe combined for analysis Conclusions: The level of vitamin D was lower in children with ECC than in caries-free children, and the correlation between S-ECC and vitamin D was even stronger. The optimal 25(OH)D level for preventing occurrence and development of ECC ≥ 75 nmol/l. Thus, clinicians should view the development of early caries also from a systemic perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) simulations, we found that the frequency and intensity of daytime–nighttime compound hot extremes (HEs) in the mid‐high latitudes of Asia (MHA) are expected to increase. The most significant increase is anticipated under the shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) 5‐8.5, while the smallest increase is expected under SSP1‐2.6. Notably, unlike the decreasing trends of independent HEs since 2050 under the high emission scenarios, the compound HEs, which comprise the largest proportion, are expected to continuously increase and intensify. To better understand the impact of these changes on human society, we also focused on changes in population exposed to HEs. The findings reveal that population exposure to compound and nighttime HEs is projected to increase most rapidly under SSP3‐7.0, with estimates indicating increases of 10.06 and 3.80 times, respectively, by the end of the century. The most significant increases are expected in the mid‐latitudes, where changes in HEs are most pronounced. Climate change is the primary driver behind the rising population exposure to compound and nighttime HEs, with its impact expected to grow over time. Conversely, exposure to daytime HEs is primarily influenced by population changes, particularly in urban areas. Therefore, effective climate change mitigation and adaptive strategies are crucial to reducing future population exposure to HEs in MHA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of teacher leadership is closely intertwined with the transformation of teacher roles. However, few studies have investigated how this concept, first developed in North America, is affected by teachers' role identities (RIs) in an Asian context. To this end, this study aimed to examine the effects of teachers' perceived role expectations (PREs) and RIs on their leadership behaviour. The sage teacher, professional teacher and labourer teacher framework was used for analysis, and 498 junior high school teachers in Taiwan participated in a survey. Structural equation modelling and bootstrap analysis were employed to analyse the data. The results showed that teachers' PREs as professional and sage teachers were more significant than for labourer teachers. Their RIs also presented the same pattern. Moreover, although teacher leadership is closely related to the development of teacher professionalism, of the three types of teacher roles, only the PRE and RI of the sage teacher can significantly motivate teachers to lead in direct and indirect ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Confucian-influenced Asian societies, explicit end-of-life conversations are uncommon and family involvement in decision-making is crucial, which complicates the adoption of culturally sensitive advance care planning. Aim: To develop a consensus definition of advance care planning and provide recommendations for patient-centered and family-based initiatives in Asia. Design: A five-round Delphi study was performed. The rating of a definition and 84 recommendations developed based on systematic reviews was performed by experts with clinical or research expertise using a 7-point Likert scale. A median = 1 and an inter-quartile range = 0–1 were considered very strong agreement and very strong consensus, respectively. Setting/participants: The Delphi study was carried out by multidisciplinary experts on advance care planning in five Asian sectors (Hong Kong/Japan/Korea/Singapore/Taiwan). Results: Seventy-seven of 115 (67%) experts rated the statements. Advance care planning is defined as "a process that enables individuals to identify their values, to define goals and preferences for future medical treatment and care, to discuss these values, goals, and preferences with family and/or other closely related persons, and health-care providers, and to record and review these preferences if appropriate." Recommendations in the domains of considerations for a person-centered and family-based approach, as well as elements, roles and tasks, timing for initiative, policy and regulation, and evaluations received high levels of agreement and consensus. Conclusions: Our definition and recommendations can guide practice, education, research, and policy-making in advance care planning for Asian populations. Our findings will aid future research in crafting culturally sensitive advance care planning interventions, ensuring Asians receive value-aligned care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index has been used worldwide to measure nurse work environments. International benchmark values for this scale can assist managers in assessing their work environment. The objective was to conduct a meta‐analysis of this instrument's composite and subscale values across continents, nursing unit types, and time. Studies published up until September 30, 2023 were identified in CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Embase. One‐hundred and sixty publications representing 38 countries were included. Most studies were rated as high certainty and low to moderate risk of bias. The pooled point estimate (2.70) indicated that hospital work environments were modestly positive. The weakest work environment domain was Staffing and Resource Adequacy (2.47). Europe had significantly weaker work environments than Asia and North America. Africa and South America had few studies. Better work environments were reported in neonatal intensive care, as compared to medical surgical and critical care units. A small, positive slope over time, which was detected in the three continents, was significant in North America. To promote evidence‐based management globally, benchmark values are now available by setting and continent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tumen River, which delineates the border between China, North Korea, and Russia, is a vital river in Northeast Asia. Understanding its current fish diversity holds significant scientific value for aquatic ecological protection. Therefore, traditional and eDNA sampling were conducted from 2022 to 2023. Integrating the historical literature with our field collection results reveals that the Tumen River has a total of 64 native fish species, of which 51 species have been surveyed in the wild. The fish composition is mainly dominated by cold-water species, with a high proportion of these being rare, endangered, and nationally protected. eDNA surveys are crucial complements in boundary rivers where traditional methods are not feasible. The results indicated that α diversity values were highest in the Hunchunhe River, attributed to the favorable natural geographical conditions and effective conservation efforts. Recently, the fish diversity in the Tumen River has been disrupted, primarily reflected in the absence of migratory species such as Oncorhynchus gorbuscha and Pseudaspius hakonensis. The study suggests that establishing nature reserves, preventing and controlling alien species, and strengthening international cooperation are key to protect fish diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new 3-D radially anisotropic seismic velocity model EARA2024 of the crust and mantle beneath East Asia and the northwestern Pacific using adjoint full-waveform inversion tomography. We construct the EARA2024 model by iteratively minimizing the waveform similarity misfit between the synthetic and observed waveforms from 142 earthquakes recorded by about 2000 broad-band stations in East Asia. Compared to previous studies, this new model renders significantly improved images of the subducted oceanic plate in the upper mantle, mantle transition zone, and uppermost lower mantle along the Kuril, Japan, Izu-Bonin and Ryukyu Trenches. Complex slab deformation and break-offs are observed at different depths. Moreover, our model provides new insights into the origins of intraplate volcanoes in East Asia, including the Changbaishan, Datong-Fengzhen, Tengchong and Hainan volcanic fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This rapid review aimed to present a comprehensive overview of barriers, facilitators, and effective interventions that promote vaccination uptake by older adults in the Asia-Pacific region. Rapid review methodology was applied, using two databases (PubMed, Embase). Articles were included if studies were conducted in Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines; included human population ≥50 years of age, and was published from 2016 to August 2022. Related articles were not found from Indonesia and Philippines. A total of 23 articles met the inclusion criteria, with 19 reporting on barriers and facilitators, whereas, four articles reported effective interventions to promote vaccination uptake. Among the 19 studies that identified barriers and facilitators to vaccination uptake, the more common factors were social influences (n = 8/19), perceived benefits of vaccine (n = 7/19), and perceived vaccine safety (n = 6/19). Interventions that focused on supporting clinicians were found to be effective in leading them to recommend vaccinations among older adults, such as creating awareness on the low baseline vaccination rates among older adults, provision of structured health assessment, and nurse reminders. More studies are needed to ascertain the barriers and facilitators to uptake, as well as to identify effective interventions influencing vaccine uptake among older adults in the Asia-Pacific region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Individuals with neurodevelopmental and/or neurocognitive disorders (NNDs) have complex, long‐term care needs. In Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, informal carers shoulder the responsibility and strain of providing care for people with NNDs. Intense care demand, societal and cultural care expectations, and lack of support infrastructure often lead to psychosocial strain in this inadequately researched community, particularly during crises such as the COVID‐19 pandemic. This study explored and identified specific features of the coping styles exhibited by informal carers of people with NNDs from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Material and methods: Between June and November 2020, 245 carers in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh responded to open‐ended questions in the CLIC (Coping with Loneliness, Isolation, and COVID‐19) survey. A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted to uncover the underlying themes and identify coping strategies and stressors. A frequency analysis was performed to examine the associations between these themes and carer nationality. Significant tests identified coping styles. Results: We identified three coping styles: religiosity (Pakistan), caregiving as a natural life path (Bangladesh), and self‐care (India). The religiosity and natural life path styles reside on the fatalism/acceptance continuum and suggest an insight‐oriented therapeutic approach. Self‐care is a problem‐solving strategy that calls for a behaviorally oriented approach. Family overreliance on the carer was a concern across all three groups. Conclusions: The findings underscore the need for accessible support pathways to sustain care standards, ensuring the well‐being of carers and care recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have shown that learning is enhanced when students show interest in the subject matter. However, educators continue to grapple with the challenges, or simply do not recognize their potential roles, in the development of students' academic interest and interest in learning in general. This conceptual paper is written under the auspices of the interest-driven creator (IDC) initiative, a theoretical synthesis effort carried out by a group of educational researchers in Asia. The intention is to co-construct a holistic developmental/design framework to guide the students in fostering their learning interests, capabilities in creation, and learning habits--the three anchored concepts of IDC theory. This paper focuses on delineating a three-component "interest loop" to guide the design of a coherent learning process that encompasses a series of learning tasks. The three components are triggering interest, immersing interest, and extending interest. Underpinned by the rich literature on interest development, we will propose suitable design strategies for each of the three components, namely, curiosity, flow, and meaningfulness, respectively. We will then explicate their respective design considerations/principles to maximize the intended effects.

Block-based visual programming tools, such as Scratch, Alice, and MIT App Inventor, provide an intuitive and easy-to-use editing interface through which to promote programming learning for novice students of various ages. However, very little attention has been paid to investigating these tools' overall effects on students' academic achievement and the study features that may moderate the effects of block-based visual programming from a comprehensive perspective. Thus, the present study carried out a meta-analysis to systemically examine 29 empirical studies (extracting 34 effect sizes) using experimental or quasi-experiments involving the programming learning effects of employing block-based visual programming tools to date (until the end of 2019). The results showed a small to medium significant positive overall mean effect size (fixed-effect model g = 0.37; random-effects model g = 0.47) of the use of these block-based visual programming tools with respect to students' academic achievement. Furthermore, the overall mean effect size was significantly affected by the educational stage, programming tool used, experimental treatment, and school location. Discussions and implications based on the findings are provided.

The engagement of quality assurance in the recognition process of overseas qualifications became an emerging issue in Asian nations with the increased interest in student mobility in the region in the 21st Century. This study explores the links between quality assurance and qualification recognition, and approaches adopted within national regulatory frameworks in the Asia Pacific region from the perspective of quality assurance agencies. Three major findings are obtained. First, governments are primarily responsible for academic qualification recognition in Asia. Second, professional qualification recognition is heavily restricted by governments due to nationalism and protectionism within the job market. Third, a divergence model between quality assurance and qualification recognition exists in the Asian context.

The grid-based precipitation dataset is an important source for studying precipitation change in the high mountains of Asia due to where precipitation stations are sparse. It is essential to evaluate the accuracy of grid-based precipitation datasets in the high mountains of Asia before selecting an appropriate grid-based dataset. Therefore, this study comprehensively evaluated the precipitation errors of four commonly utilized precipitation datasets (multi-source weighted-ensemble precipitation (MSWEP), global precipitation climatology centre (GPCC), global precipitation measurement (GPM), and soil moisture to rain-advanced scatterometer (SM2RAIN-ASCAT)) in the high mountains of Asia from temporal and spatial perspectives. It then decomposed the precipitation errors to reveal their sources. The results showed that MSWEP, GPCC, GPM, and SM2RAIN-ASCAT overestimated precipitation amount and probability compared with station observations. Meanwhile, all precipitation data sets except MSWEP data underestimated precipitation in the dry season. In terms of the average values of the error metrics, GPCC performed the best. There was an evident annual periodicity in the error assessment metrics for the four precipitation data sets. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that four precipitation-related factors (false alarm precipitation, missed amount of precipitation, precipitation detected presented, and precipitation detected event) explained the root mean square error values for four precipitation data sets, with precipitation detected presented having the largest weight. The root mean square error of each product exhibits periodic fluctuations with changes in precipitation quantity, attributed to the occurrences of precipitation detected presented and precipitation detected events. These findings provide useful reference information for correcting biases in precipitation data sets for high mountains of Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Akirin as a highly conserved transcription factor, exerts a profound influence on the growth, development, immune response, and reproductive processes in animals. The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, a major pest in rice production in Asia, possesses high reproductive capacity, a critical factor contributing to reduced rice yields. The aims of this study were to demonstrate the regulatory role of Akirin in the reproduction of BPH. Methods: In this study, quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression of genes. RNA interference (RNAi) was used to downregulate the expression of Akirin gene, and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was used to screen for differentially expressed genes caused by Akirin downregulation. Hormone contents were measured with the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and protein content was evaluated with the bicinchoninic acid (BCA) method. Results: Using BPH genome data, we screened for an Akirin gene (NlAkirin). An analysis of tissue-specific expressions showed that NlAkirin was expressed in all tissues tested in female BPH, but its expression level was highest in the ovary. After inhibiting the mRNA expression of NlAkirin in BPH females, the number of eggs laid, hatching rate, and number of ovarioles decreased. Transcriptome sequencing was performed, following a NlAkirin double-stranded RNA treatment. Compared with the genes of the control, which was injected with GFP double-stranded RNA, there were 438 upregulated genes and 1012 downregulated genes; the expression of vitellogenin (Vg) and vitellogenin receptor (VgR) genes as well as the mRNA expression of genes related to the target of rapamycin (TOR), juvenile hormone (JH), and insulin pathways involved in Vg synthesis was significantly downregulated. As a result of NlAkirin knockdown, the titers of JH III and Ecdysone (Ecd) were downregulated in unmated females but returned to normal levels in mated females. The ovarian protein contents in both unmated and mated females were downregulated. Discussion and conclusion: Our results suggest that NlAkirin affects female BPH reproduction by regulating the mRNA expression of genes related to the Vg, VgR, TOR, JH, and insulin signaling pathways, in addition to the titers of JH III and Ecd. The findings of this research provide novel insights into the regulatory role of Akirin in insect reproductive capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) consolidate all relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to initial immunotherapy treatments for advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Our goal is to thoroughly assess the effectiveness and safety of various immunotherapy methods, focusing on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) among patients with advanced ESCC positive for PD-L1. Methods: We conducted a systematic search of the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases, covering all records from their inception until January 22, 2024. The inclusion criteria targeted patients with advanced ESCC undergoing first-line immunotherapy or chemotherapy, limiting the study selection to randomized controlled trials (RCTs) exclusively. The study upholds the values of openness, originality, and dependability, as evidenced by its enrollment in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42024504992). Results: Our analysis encompasses 7 RCTs, totaling 4688 patients, and evaluates 8 distinct immunotherapy combinations. In advanced ESCC patients irrespective of PD-L1 expression, both sintilimab-chemotherapy and toripalimabchemotherapy regimens demonstrated comparable OS benefits (HR=0.92, 95% CI: 0.64-1.33). The most pronounced PFS advantages were seen with sintilimab-chemotherapy and camrelizumab-chemotherapy as compared to standard chemotherapy (HR=0.56, 95% CI: 0.46-0.58). Notably, camrelizumab-chemotherapy (HR=0.83, 95% CI: 0.59-1.16) and nivolumabipilimumab (HR=0.84, 95% CI: 0.60-1.17) demonstrated significant safety profiles over chemotherapy alone. Subgroup analysis based on PD-L1 expression revealed nivolumab-chemotherapy to yield the highest OS benefit (HR=0.54, 95% CI: 0.37-0.79) in ESCC patients with PD-L1 expression =1%. Furthermore, camrelizumab-chemotherapy (HR=0.51, 95% CI: 0.39-0.67) exhibited superior PFS benefits. Among patients with PD-L1 expression =10%, camrelizumabchemotherapy (HR=0.52, 95% CI: 0.35-0.78) emerged as the most efficacious in improving OS, while serplulimab-chemotherapy (HR=0.48, 95% CI: 0.34-0.68) was associated with the longest PFS benefit. Conclusion: The integration of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) with chemotherapy appears to significantly enhance survival outcomes in patients with advanced ESCC compared to chemotherapy alone. Sintilimabchemotherapy is potentially the optimal regimen for patients without PD-L1 expression. In contrast, nivolumab-chemotherapy and camrelizumabchemotherapy are likely to offer the best OS and PFS benefits, respectively, in patients with PD-L1 expression =1%. Among those with PD-L1 expression =10%, camrelizumab-chemotherapy is projected to provide the greatest OS advantage, whereas serplulimab-chemotherapy is anticipated to offer the most prolonged PFS benefit. Since most of the patients in this study originated from Asia, the above findings are more applicable to the Asian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Surgery for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma involves dissecting lymph nodes along the recurrent laryngeal nerve. This is technically challenging and injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve may lead to vocal cord palsy, which increases the risk of pulmonary complications. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of robot-assisted oesophagectomy (RAO) versus video-assisted thoracoscopic oesophagectomy (VAO) for dissection of lymph nodes along the left RLN. Methods Patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma who were scheduled for minimally invasive McKeown oesophagectomy were allocated randomly to RAO or VAO, stratified by centre. The primary endpoint was the success rate of left recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node dissection. Success was defined as the removal of at least one lymph node without causing nerve damage lasting longer than 6 months. Secondary endpoints were perioperative and oncological outcomes. Results From June 2018 to March 2022, 212 patients from 3 centres in Asia were randomized, and 203 were included in the analysis (RAO group 103; VAO group 100). Successful left recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node dissection was achieved in 88.3% of the RAO group and 69% of the VAO group (P < 0.001). The rate of removal of at least one lymph node according to pathology was 94.2% for the RAO and 86% for the VAO group (P = 0.051). At 1 week after surgery, the RAO group had a lower incidence of left recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy than the VAO group (20.4 versus 34%; P = 0.029); permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy rates at 6 months were 5.8 and 20% respectively (P = 0.003). More mediastinal lymph nodes were dissected in the RAO group (median 16 (i.q.r. 12–22) versus 14 (10–20); P = 0.035). Postoperative complication rates were comparable between the two groups and there were no in-hospital deaths. Conclusion In patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, RAO leads to more successful left recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node dissection than VAO, including a lower rate of short- and long-term recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. Registration number: NCT03713749 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present review was aimed to describe the prevalence and the regional distribution of malocclusion among preschool children worldwide. Two independent reviewers performed a systematic literature search to identify English publications from January 2010 to May 2024 using PubMed, ISI Web of Science and Embase. Search MeSH key words were "malocclusion", "primary dentition" and "child, preschool". The reporting quality was assessed by the modified Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. We identified 2599 publications and recruited 47 articles. Fourteen of the included studies were conducted in Asia, four in Europe, twenty-eight in South America and one in Africa. The prevalence of malocclusion ranged from 28.4% to 83.9%, and half of the reported prevalences were higher than 50%. The highest percentage was in Asia (61.81%), followed by Europe (61.50%), South America (52.69%) and Africa (32.50%). Statistically significant differences existed in deep overbite, anterior open bite, posterior crossbite, edge-to-edge incisor relationship and distal step between continents (p < 0.05). Europe showed the highest prevalence (33.08%) of deep overbite. Africa showed the highest prevalence (18.60%) of anterior open bite. Europe showed the highest prevalence (15.38%) of posterior crossbite. The most common malocclusion traits were increased overjet and deep overbite. To conclude, malocclusion remained prevalent in the primary dentition and varied between countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The characteristics of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) in Asia mostly remain elusive. Methods: A cohort study of liver biopsy-proven AIH patients was conducted in a tertiary care cancer of Taiwan. Results: From 1999 to 2022, of 13,766 patients who underwent liver biopsy, 150 patients with AIH were enrolled. The female-to-male ratio was 2.26. At baseline, the mean age was 51.09 years, mean alanine aminotransferase level was 494.11 U/L, and 17 (11.3%) had cirrhosis. All except one patient had AIH type 1. The females were older and had higher baseline cirrhosis rates than did the males. The 23-year cumulative incidences of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), mortality/liver transplantation, autoimmune diseases and extrahepatic cancer were 64.2%, 13.3%, 23.4%, 30.7% and 21.2%, respectively. The 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, 5-year, 10-year and 20-year postimmunosuppressive therapy relapse rates were 60%, 78.2%, 81.8%, 89.1%, 94.5% and 100%, respectively. Baseline associations were as follows: alkaline phosphatase (Alk-p) levels with postimmunosuppressive therapy flare [hazard ratio (HR): 1.003; 95% CI HR: 1.000-1.005]; age with HCC (1.072; 1.010–1.138) and all-cause cancer (1.041;1.005–1.079); cirrhosis with mortality/liver transplantation (11.933;1.984–71.787); and antinuclear antibody (ANA) titers with mortality/liver transplantation (1.001;1.000-1.003), cirrhosis (1.001;1.000-1.002), and autoimmune diseases (1.001; 1.000-1.002). Conclusion: In an Asian country endemic for viral hepatitis, the female-to-male and baseline cirrhosis rates of AIH patients were lower than expected, while over 60% of the patients eventually developed cirrhosis. The high posttherapy relapse rate warrants cautious monitoring, particularly for patients with high baseline Alk-p levels. Baseline age, cirrhosis status and ANA titers are crucial for outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Biapenem is a carbapenem antibiotic widely used in Asia, can be used for the treatment of adults and children with infections due to susceptible bacteria. Although biapenem is utilized in the treatment of a diverse range of bacterial infections, current pharmacokinetic data in the context of septic populations remain limited. Consequently, our research aims to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of biapenem within a septic population to optimize biapenem therapy. Methods: In this study, we characterized the pharmacokinetics of biapenem in septic patients using a population pharmacokinetic (PPK) approach. The clinical PK data to develop the PPK model were obtained from 317 septic patients admitted to Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital between 2018 and 2022. All patients were randomized to the modeling and validation cohorts at a 3:1 ratio, with PPK modeling and validation performed utilizing the NONMEM software. Results: The model found to best describe the available data was a twocompartment PPK model with first-order elimination characterized by the parameters clearance (CL), central volume (V1), peripheral volume (V2), and intercompartmental clearance (Q). A covariate analysis identified that creatinine clearance (CLCR) was a significant covariate influencing biapenem CL, while blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was a significant covariate influencing biapenem Q. Accoding to the clinical outcome analyses, 70% of the time that the free antimicrobial drug concentration exceeds the MIC (fT>MIC) is associated with favourable clinical outcomes. The PPK model was then used to perform Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate the probability of attaining 70% fT>MIC. Conclusions: A final PPK model of biapenem was established for patients with sepsis. The current daily dosage regimen of 1.2 g may insufficient to achieve 70% fT>MIC in septic patients. The dosage regimen of 600 mg every 6 h appears to be the optimal choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing over 31   000 Lg waveforms from 136 crustal earthquakes recorded at 346 regional stations, we conduct detailed tomographic mappings of the Lg Q structure across Eastern Asia in a frequency range from 0.5 to 4.0 Hz. By improving the standard two-station (TS) method, we effectively correct non-unity site response ratios using site responses estimated at individual stations. This innovative approach combines the flexible recording geometry of the TS method with the precision of reversed two-station (RTS) and reversed two-event (RTE) methods, producing a comprehensive data set devoid of source and site effects for Q tomography. To address unsolvable 3-D structural effects in the Lg spectral amplitude modelling, we justify these as modelling errors with a Gaussian distribution. This approach supports our SVD-based tomographic method, allowing for effective inversion of attenuation parameters and quantitative assessment of model resolution and errors. Our results reveal a complex relationship between Lg Q and the tectonic characteristics of Eastern Asia. In well-resolved regions, low Q o (1-Hz Q) values correspond to areas with high heat flow, partial melt, thick sediment and recent tectonic-thermal activities, in contrast to high Q o values in stable, ancient crusts lacking recent tectonic activity. Rift basins are characterized by low Lg Q o, whereas flexural basins generally have high Q o basements. We also note that post-formation factors, such as sedimentation and crustal flow intrusion, significantly impact Q o values. Furthermore, Lg Q shows a complex frequency relationship, though the power-law approximation with positive power η remains useful. The frequency dependence power η is inversely related to Q o: the regions with low Q o typically have high η and vice versa. This study provides reliable attenuation tomographic and relative site response models for Lg waves in Eastern Asia, pertinent for relative geophysical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The EQ-5D-Y is a generic preference-weighted measure for children and adolescents which was developed within Europe. Two versions exist, the EQ-5D-Y-3L (Y-3L) and EQ-5D-Y-5L (Y-5L). This study aimed to cross-culturally adapt the Y-3L and Y-5L for use in Singapore and to assess the content validity, specifically, the relevance and comprehensiveness of the EQ-5D-Y descriptive system (DS) in Asia. Methods: To culturally adapt the instruments, an expert panel consisting of paediatricians and primary school educators were consulted. Modifications suggested by the expert panel were tested via cognitive debriefing interviews with children aged 8–12 in Singapore. To assess the content validity of the EQ-5D-Y DS, interviews were conducted with both healthy (n = 8) and ill children (n = 6) aged 8–15. In the interviews, children discussed their experience with poor health and commented on the comprehensiveness and relevance of the EQ-5D-Y DS. Results: The cross-cultural adaptation process led to minor modifications to the UK English Y-3L and Y-5L versions, including using phrases familiar to the local children and adding examples to facilitate understanding. The five health dimensions in the EQ-5D-Y DS were spontaneously elicited when children discussed their experience with poor health. All health dimensions related to poor health elicited from the interviews fell into three broad categories: physical health (e.g. Appetite, Mobility, and Sleep), mental well-being (e.g. Annoyed/Frustrated and Scared/Worried), and social relationships (e.g. Family and Friends). The EQ-5D-Y DS was generally found to be relevant and comprehensive, although some health dimensions that may be relevant to the local population (Social relationship and Appetite) were not covered. Conclusions: The UK English EQ-5D-Y instruments were adapted to produce the Singapore English EQ-5D-Y instrument that were comprehensible to local children as young as 8 years old. The EQ-5D-Y DS was generally relevant and comprehensive to measure poor health of local children. Future studies should ascertain the benefits of adding bolt-on items related to social relationships and appetite to the EQ-5D-Y DS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of morphological and molecular data is essential to understand the affinities of fossil taxa and spatio‐temporal evolutionary processes of organisms. However, homoplastic morphological characters can mislead the placement of fossil taxa and impact downstream analyses. Here, we provide an example of how to mitigate effectively the effect of morphological homoplasy on the placement of fossil taxa and biogeographic inferences of Cissampelideae. We assembled three data types, morphological data only, morphological data with a molecular scaffold and combined morphological and molecular data. By removing high‐level homoplastic morphological data or reweighting the morphological characters, we conducted 15 parsimony, 12 undated Bayesian and four dated Bayesian analyses. Our results show that the 14 selected Cissampelideae fossil taxa are placed poorly when based only on morphological data, but the addition of molecular scaffold and combination of morphological and molecular data greatly improve the resolution of fossil nodes. We raise the monotypic Stephania subg. Botryodiscia to generic status and discover that three fossils previously assigned to Stephania should be members of Diploclisia. The Bayesian tip‐dated tree recovered by removing homoplastic morphological characters with a Rescaled Consistency Index <0.25 has the highest stratigraphic fit and consequently generates more reasonable biogeographic reconstruction for Cissampelideae. Cissampelideae began to diversify in Asia in the latest Cretaceous and subsequently dispersed to South America around the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary. Two dispersal events from Asia to Africa occurred in the Early Eocene and the Late Eocene–Late Oligocene, respectively. These findings provide guidelines and practical methods for mitigating the effects of homoplastic morphological characters on fossil placements and Bayesian tip‐dating, as well as insights into the past tropical floristic exchanges among different continents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the spatiotemporal differences of hydroclimate variations is crucial for managing future climate change. In the Asian drylands, West Asia (WA) and arid central Asia (ACA) are both climatically dominated by the westerlies and have shown a dipole pattern in precipitation variation during the past several decades. However, it is unclear whether such a difference exists during the Holocene, mainly because the dispute between the δ18O‐based early Holocene hydroclimate optimum and the pollen‐based mid‐Holocene optimum in WA. Here we present a precisely dated record based on lipid biomarkers from Almalou Peatland in the western Iranian Plateau. The chain length of n‐alkanoic acids was interpreted as a hydroclimate indicator based on a proxy validation study. Our record reveals a wetting trend during 9–7.5 cal ka BP, a mid‐Holocene hydroclimate optimum (7.5–3 cal ka BP), and a rapidly drying trend during 3–0 cal ka BP. The hydroclimate variation was supported by a water‐level reconstruction from the same core. The most negative δ18O values during the early Holocene could be partly attributed to the impacts of water vapor sources. Comparing our reconstruction from WA to those from ACA, we found a dipole pattern of hydroclimate variations on the millennial timescale during the Holocene. The simulation results revealed that, unlike the persistent wetting trend in ACA, the pivotal shift of spring insolation led to a transition from wetting to drying conditions in WA, ultimately leading to the generation of dipole pattern. This demonstrates that despite the consistent control by westerlies over the Asian drylands, there are distinct spatial differences in hydroclimate responses to natural forcings. Plain Language Summary: Asian drylands are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to scarce water availability. Although West Asia (WA) and arid central Asia (ACA) within the Asian drylands are both climatically dominated by the westerlies, the precipitation variation in ACA (WA) showed a generally increasing (decreasing) trend during the anthropogenic warming period. To understand the long‐term hydroclimate response to natural forcings, we investigated the variations in the hydroclimate during the Holocene. While the long‐term wetting trend in ACA during the Holocene has been investigated, the contradictory hydroclimate reconstructions in WA hinder our ability to address this question. The alpine peatland serves as a sensitive monitor of regional hydroclimate variation. By analyzing biomarker and pollen in the peat sediments from WA, we could understand how the climate changed over time. Our study showed that climate became wetter from 9000 to 7500 years ago, had a period of optimal hydroclimate from 7500 to 3000 years ago, and then became rapidly drier in the last 3000 years. We compared our findings to other studies in ACA and found that the dipole pattern of hydroclimate variation existed on the millennial timescale within Asian drylands, representing a primary climatic characteristic in these vulnerable regions. Key Points: Holocene hydroclimate is reconstructed in West Asia based on multiple proxies including lipid biomarkers and pollen spectraA mid‐Holocene hydroclimate maximum is revealed, facilitating forest expansion in the large area of West AsiaDespite the consistent control by westerlies in Asian drylands, there are spatial differences in hydroclimate responses to natural forcings [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the high prevalence of snoring in Asia, little is known about the genetic etiology of snoring and its causal relationships with cardiometabolic traits. Based on 100,626 Chinese individuals, a genome-wide association study on snoring was conducted. Four novel loci were identified for snoring traits mapped on SLC25A21, the intergenic region of WDR11 and FGFR, NAA25, ALDH2, and VTI1A, respectively. The novel loci highlighted the roles of structural abnormality of the upper airway and craniofacial region and dysfunction of metabolic and transport systems in the development of snoring. In the two-sample bi-directional Mendelian randomization analysis, higher body mass index, weight, and elevated blood pressure were causal for snoring, and a reverse causal effect was observed between snoring and diastolic blood pressure. Altogether, our results revealed the possible etiology of snoring in China and indicated that managing cardiometabolic health was essential to snoring prevention, and hypertension should be considered among snorers. A genome-wide association study in the China Kadoorie Biobank identified four novel loci related to snoring, and highlights the relevance of cardiometabolic health to snoring prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between spatial distribution and phylogeny has been widely debated in recent decades. To understand biogeographic and evolutionary history relationships and to explore the interspecific similarities and phylogenetic correlations of niche characteristics, we collected and recorded all distribution points for eight species of rhubarb on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau, used different methods to describe the ecological niche, and explored the relationship between phylogeny, ecological niche, and distribution range. The results reveal that: (1) the ranges of optimal environmental variables for species with close kinship are not exactly the same, ecologically similar species are not necessarily sister species, and the overlap of rhubarb has no significant correlation with phylogeny. Therefore, the impact of ecological dimensions on species formation is greater than that of geographical latitude for the eight species of rhubarb. (2) Among the eight species of rhubarb, the breadth of ecological niche is positively correlated with the current suitable habitat area and negatively correlated with fluctuations in future suitable habitat area. In the future, except for Rheum tanguticum and Rheum palmatum, the suitable planting areas for the other six species of rhubarb will decrease as greenhouse gas emissions concentrations and time increase. Therefore, species with smaller ecological niches are at a greater risk of habitat loss compared to species with larger ecological niches. (3) In both existing and future distribution prediction models of rhubarb, we observed that both the widely distributed Rheum spiciforme and the niche narrow Rheum nobile, all eight species of rhubarb are present in the Hengduan Mountains, based on our analysis, we propose that the Hengduan Mountains should be regarded as a priority conservation area for rhubarb, to preserve the species' biodiversity. Our study lays the groundwork for identifying evolutionary trends in ecological specialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main cause of the reproductive failure of cavity‐nesting birds is nest predation, even though cavity nests protect from numerous predators. To study the breeding biology of the green‐backed tit (Parus monticolus) and to promote the reproduction of some other avian cavity breeders, we placed 245 nest boxes in the Zixi Mountain, southwest China. We collected breeding data by regularly checking the artificial nest boxes, three cases of green‐backed tits being predated by collared owlet (Glaucidium brodiei) were confirmed by the video recordings. Larger mammals, chipmunks, squirrels, sparrowhawks, jays, and snakes have been identified as common predators of cavity‐nesting birds in high‐latitude regions of the northern hemisphere. Limited research in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly in Asia, has demonstrated squirrels and snakes as common predators of cavity‐nesting birds. A gap in avian predators to cavity‐nesting birds exists in the current knowledge. Hence the three cases of collared owlet's depredation reveal a new danger to green‐backed tits, broadening our knowledge of the dynamics of cavity‐nesting birds. In all three cases, the artificial box's entrance hole was only 5 × 5 cm in size and has not been expanded or poked. These findings provided evidence that the collared owlet is the predator of nestlings and adult green‐backed tit breeding in artificial boxes, which emphasized a reevaluation of predator–prey interactions. Therefore, for effective breeding of the green‐backed tit, we suggest to choose a hole size of 3 × 3 cm that is appropriate for its body size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Areca nut is a major contributor to the high prevalence of oral cancer in Asia. The precise mechanisms by which areca nut stimulates mucosal cells and contributes to the progression of oral cancer urgently require clarification. The current study aimed to assess the effects of arecoline on the normal human gingival epithelium cell line S-G. Cell viability, levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), protein expression, cellular morphology, and gene expression were evaluated using the MTT test, flow cytometry, Western blot analysis, optical or confocal microscopy, and RT-qPCR. Keratin (KRT6) analysis involved matched normal and cancer tissues from clinical head and neck specimens. The results demonstrated that 12.5 µg/mL of arecoline induced ROS production, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) mRNA expression in S-G cells. This activation of the MAPK/ERK pathway increased KRT6 expression while limiting cell migration. In head and neck cancer tissues, KRT6B gene expression exceeded that of normal tissues. This study confirms that arecoline induces ROS accumulation in normal cells, leading to the secretion of proinflammatory factors and KRT6 expression. This impedes oral mucosal healing, thereby promoting the progression of oral cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the phenomenal expansion of distance education in Asia during the past three decades, there has been growing public demand for quality and accountability in distance education. This study investigates the national quality assurance systems for distance education at the higher education level in Asia with the aim of contributing to a better understanding of the current level of development of quality assurance in Asian distance education and to offer potential directions for policy makers when developing and elaborating quality assurance systems for distance education. The analysis of the existing quality assurance frameworks in the 11 countries/territories selected reveals that the level of quality assurance policy integration in the overall national quality assurance in higher education policy framework varies considerably. The purpose of quality assurance, policy frameworks, methods, and instruments in place are generally tailored to each country's particular circumstances. There are, however, obvious commonalities that underpin these different quality assurance efforts. (Contains 2 tables.)

Background: Sarcopenia is a common cause of disability in the aging population, and managing sarcopenia is an important step in building intrinsic capacity and promoting healthy aging. A growing body of evidence suggests that sleep deprivation may be a mediator of the development of sarcopenia. The purpose of this study was to explore the longitudinal association between sleep duration and possible sarcopenia using data from a national sample. Methods: Two waves of data from the CHARLS database for 2011 and 2015 were used in this study. All possible sarcopenia participants met the Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 (AWGS 2019) diagnostic criteria. Sleep duration was assessed using a self-report questionnaire, and sleep duration was categorized as short (≤ 6 h), medium (6–8 h), or long (> 8 h) based on previous studies. Longitudinal associations between sleep duration and possible sarcopenia will be calculated by univariate and multifactorial logistic regression analyses and expressed as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: A total of 5654 individuals participated in the follow-up study, with a prevalence of possible sarcopenia of 53.72% (578) in the short sleep duration group, 38.29% (412) in the medium sleep duration group, and 7.99% (86) in the long sleep duration group. According to the crude model of the second-wave follow-up study, short sleep durations were significantly more strongly associated with possible sarcopenia than were medium and long sleep durations (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.17–1.55, P = 0.000). The association between short sleep duration and possible sarcopenia was maintained even after adjustment for covariates such as age, gender, residence, education level, BMI, smoking status, alcohol consumption and comorbidities (OR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.02–1.36, P = 0.029). In the subgroup analysis, short sleep duration was associated with low grip strength (OR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.02–1.41, P = 0.031). Conclusions: Sleep deprivation may be closely associated with the development of possible sarcopenia in middle-aged and elderly people, which provides new insights and ideas for sarcopenia intervention, and further studies are needed to reveal the underlying mechanisms involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ideal family sizes remain at or above two in most low-fertility settings, but sub-replacement fertility ideals have been reported for urban China. The presence of restrictive family planning policies has led to a debate as to whether such ideals are genuine. This study exploits the ending of the one-child policy and the beginning of a universal two-child policy in October 2015 to investigate whether relaxing the restrictions led to an increase in ideal family size. We apply difference-in-differences and individual-level fixed-effect models to longitudinal data from a near-nationwide survey. For married individuals aged 20–39, relaxing the restrictions from one to two children increased the mean ideal family size by around 0.2 and the proportion who desired two or more children by around 19 percentage points. Findings suggest that although reported ideal family sizes have been reduced by policy restrictions, sub-replacement ideal family sizes in urban China appear to be genuine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accretion of future allochthonous terranes (e.g., microcontinents or oceanic plateaus) onto the southern margin of Asia occurred repeatedly during the evolution and closure of the Tethyan oceanic realm, but the specific geodynamic processes of this protracted convergence, successive accretion, and subduction zone initiation remain largely unknown. Here, we use numerical models to better understand the dynamics that govern multiple terrane accretions and the polarity of new subduction zone initiation. Our results show that the sediments surrounding the future terranes and the structural complexity of the overriding plate are important factors that affect accretion of multiple plates and guide subduction polarity. Wide (=400 km) and buoyant terranes with sediments behind them and fast continental plate motions are favorable for multiple unidirectional subduction zone jumps, which are also referred to as subduction zone transference, and successive terrane-accretion events. The jumping times (~3-20 + m.y.) are mainly determined by the convergence rates and rheology of the overriding complex plate with preceding terrane collisions, which increase with slower convergence rates and/or a greater number of preceding terrane collisions. Our work provides new insights into the key geodynamic conditions governing multiple subduction zone jumps induced by successive accretion and discusses Tethyan evolution at a macro level. More than 50 m.y. after India-Asia collision, subduction has yet to initiate along the southern Indian plate, which may be the joint result of slower plate convergence and partitioned deformation across southern Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this paper is to explore economic inequality in 'the Belt and Road' region where the investigation of the economic status is important but remains underdeveloped. The application of night‐time satellite imagery in 2015 can effectively make up for the shortcomings of insufficient data at various scales, especially for developing countries. We explored inequality at a multi‐scale level using the Theil decomposition method. As a result, (1) night‐time light data can present economic development and assess inequality in 'the Belt and Road' region. (2) The between‐sub‐region inequality contributed most to disparity, while the between‐country inequality was the least. Night‐time light data in West Asia and Central and Eastern Europe was higher than that in other sub‐regions. Countries within Central, Southeast and West Asia exhibited high inequalities, indicating an obvious sub‐regional pattern. (3) Both positive and negative impacts of economic growth on inequality are observed, indicating that 'the Belt and Road' countries are in different stages of economic development. Nightlight satellite imagery can effectively monitor social‐economic development and will play an important role in the implementation of 'the Belt and Road' initiative and achieving the sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]