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Background: Various studies have examined occlusive dressings in fingertip amputations and reported good outcomes. Occlusive dressing preserves appropriate pH, cell accumulation and moisture for healing, thereby limiting scar formation and deformity. To our knowledge, no study was performed in tropical Asia. This study aims to demonstrate the viability of healing fingertip amputations through secondary intention using an effective dressing technique, even in warm tropical climates. Methods: All patients who presented to our institution with fingertip amputations from 1 July 2020 to 31 July 2022 were analysed retrospectively. Seventeen patients (15 male, 2 female) of mean age 37.2 ± 9.4 years old with 18 injured digits were retrospectively analysed. Twelve (66.7%) were Allen Type III injuries, and one patient required distal phalangeal K-wire fixation. During the patient's final review, static 2-point discrimination, pulp sensation, fingertip contour and nail deformities alongside the last measured range of motion (ROM) of the injured finger was recorded. Treatment duration and days of leave taken were also summed and assessed. Results: Patients were dressed with semi-occlusive dressing for an average of 20.1 ± 6.83 days. The average total duration of dressing is 36.78 ± 18.88 days over an average of 7.18 ± 4.03 dressing visits. Mean duration of follow-up was 108 ± 63.46 days. Good outcome measures in sensation, pulp contour, nail deformity and ROM similar to existing literature were reported. Conclusions: Occlusive dressing remains a viable and feasible treatment option for fingertip amputation even in a tropical climate. While this simple treatment method may require more effort from patient, wound healing was attained after 36.8 ± 18.9 days of dressing. Level of Evidence: Level IV (Therapeutic) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Millions of short-term, low-skilled women migrant workers from South-Asia to West-Asia experience exploitative and unsafe conditions. We review evidence from literature and interview 18 key informants to assess the exploitation migrant women face, and highlight the impacts of past interventions to determine their potential, and realised effectiveness, in reducing forced labour and trafficking. We find that women face varied precarious situations along the migration pathway, including interactions with recruiters in the home country, incurring debt, pre-departure formalities and training, withheld wages and mobility restrictions. We discuss varying degrees of success of mechanisms that aim to reduce vulnerability to forced labour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sonbeel is the second largest fresh water lake in Asia. The water-level of Sonbeel is of variable pattern. Throughout the year, the level of water is not constant. During monsoon the water level increases and from the month of October it gradually decreases. Based on this variable level of water, an inventory model is proposed depending on the water level, so that a better water level management of the Sonbeel lake may be developed for the optimum use of water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article follows American milk powder through its many iterations and afterlives: as domestic health food, militarized technology in Asia and its diaspora, and as a symbol of modern health on a global stage. What intimacies of empire might we find by following the shifting sentiments around powdered/skimmed milk consumption? Moreover, how does sifting through this minor history allow us to interrogate the politics of body sovereignty and surveillance as it is scaled transnationally. This article argues that an appetite for dairy was encouraged through various national public sensing projects that made eugenics principles accessible for ordinary audiences as an embodied science of the home. Analyzing the military and weight-loss circuits of powdered/skim demonstrates how government agencies, corporations, medical practitioners, home economists, and other public health workers conjured images of healthy nations and abled-citizens through dairy consumption—-often targeting women, children, and racialized subjects as sites of reform through weight management. Bodies that were seen as undesirable–whether too fat or too thin, too sick or too feeble–could be fixed by reforming the appetite. Reading mid-20th century dietetics, U.S. Department of Agriculture archives, and Asian diasporic literature on dairy production and consumption, the case studies in this article elucidate how U.S.-led food literacy and foreign aid campaigns, bolstered by wartime experiments, sought to expand U.S. imperial soft power through wellness technologies. "Milky Appetites" offers a study of desire for national and individual health and wellness as structures of imperialism felt on the body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chilika lagoon, one of the largest brackish water lagoons in Asia located along the east coast of India. The rivers draining into the lagoon carry about 13 million tonnes of sediments annually. Because of the cohesiveness properties of the fine sediments, nutrients, heavy metals and other polluted substances tend to bind to the sediment's surface. Consequently, pollutants can be concentrated in the inlets/estuaries, thus being of great environmental interest. In addition, the mudflats occurring are important biotopes for a large number of micro- and macro-faunal species and act as feeding places for a number of birds. To understand the cohesive sediment dynamics, a numerical model, MIKE 21 Mud Transport (MT) coupled with hydrodynamic (HD) was used. The model simulated the relative bed level height and suspended sediment concentrations. The sediment interchange and accumulation between each sectors and Bay of Bengal were evaluated. The suspended sediment concentration is high in the north-east portion of the lagoon while medium and low suspended loads are observed in the eastern and western portion of the lagoon. Bed thickness is very high in the north-western corner of the lagoon covered with Phragmites Karka which facilitate sediment trap. Total bed thickness change is very much pronounced in the northern sector which receives most of the sediments from the Mahanadi river systems as well along the periphery of the lagoon due to drainage. The eastern lagoon shows a net deposition accumulated fraction (5–15 kg/m2) and hence gives enough indication of the sedimentation processes in the lagoon. Further, the results also warrant immediate attention to check and monitor suspended sediment concentration to find out the net deposition trend in the lagoon environment in order to take decisions in minimizing the sediment load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Asian Century is rich and already 14 years old. Today, Asia is in the middle of a historic transformation which has brought both challenges and opportunities. To meet these challenges, Asian leaders need to devise bold and innovative national policies for pursuing avenues for regional and global cooperation. In the similar way organisation and business in Asia will transform. This transformative whirlpool calls the Asian private sector and public sector organisations for absorption of new wisdom, values and principles in place of 20th century's management. Overall, the capacity to respond to the changing global economic landscape through flexibility and adaptivness will carry a high premium. This paper delve the issues how Asian Organisations have already been used the wisdom during the global chaos. Deriving from the examples of Asia in the midst of global chaos in many points of time, this present paper attempts to re-focus on organisational wisdom of commitment and ability for Asian organisation, modernization, governance and helping to retool institutions, for enhancing transparency, and finally to develop accountability for organisational resilience and survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Population differentiation is the result of demographic and evolutionary forces. Whole genome datasets from the 1000 Genomes Project (October 2012) provide an unbiased view of genetic variation across populations from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. Common population-specific SNPs (MAF > 0.05) reflect a deep history and may have important consequences for health and wellbeing. Their interpretation is contextualised by currently available genome data. Results The identification of common population-specific (CPS) variants (SNPs and SSV) is influenced by admixture and the sample size under investigation. Nine of the populations in the 1000 Genomes Project (2 African, 2 Asian (including a merged Chinese group) and 5 European) revealed that the African populations (LWK and YRI), followed by the Japanese (JPT) have the highest number of CPS SNPs, in concordance with their histories and given the populations studied. Using two methods, sliding 50-SNP and 5-kb windows, the CPS SNPs showed distinct clustering across large genome segments and little overlap of clusters between populations. iHS enrichment score and the population branch statistic (PBS) analyses suggest that selective sweeps are unlikely to account for the clustering and population specificity. Of interest is the association of clusters close to recombination hotspots. Functional analysis of genes associated with the CPS SNPs revealed overrepresentation of genes in pathways associated with neuronal development, including axonal guidance signalling and CREB signalling in neurones. Conclusions Common population-specific SNPs are non-randomly distributed throughout the genome and are significantly associated with recombination hotspots. Since the variant alleles of most CPS SNPs are the derived allele, they likely arose in the specific population after a split from a common ancestor. Their proximity to genes involved in specific pathways, including neuronal development, suggests evolutionary plasticity of selected genomic regions. Contrary to expectation, selective sweeps did not play a large role in the persistence of populationspecific variation. This suggests a stochastic process towards population-specific variation which reflects demographic histories and may have some interesting implications for health and susceptibility to disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cricket has over the years gained much popularity in Asia, thus the number of cricket players has also grown in tandem. However, cricket players are not as fortunate as other athletes as they do not always have a standard cricket infrastructure to practice; therefore, the injury prevalence is expected to be high. Unfortunately, very few studies have been conducted to investigate the nature and pattern of cricket injuries prevalent to cricketers in this region. Therefore, a prospective cohort injury surveillance study was conducted during the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Under-19 Elite Cup held in June 2013 in order to gather more data on the type of injuries sustained by cricket players. Overall, 31 injuries occurred to 28 players throughout the tournament, of which 7 injuries happened during practice sessions. The overall injury incidence rate (IIR) was 292.0 per 10,000 player hours (95% CI 176.9–407.1) and 10.4 per 10,000 balls faced and 2.6 per 1000 overs bowled delivered during batting and bowling, respectively. Injuries to the lower limb (IIR: 146; 95% CI 1.8–98.2) were the most frequent, followed by injuries to the upper limb (97.3;95% CI 30.2–164.5) and to the trunk and back (IIR: 36.5;95% CI 0.0–77.7). Sprain/strains (IIR 109.5;95% CI 38.4–180.7) to muscle/tendon and joint/ligament were the most commonly reported nature of injury. This is the first study investigating injury incidence among the players of the ACC. It provides an overview of injuries sustained by elite players' under-19 years of age from10 Asian countries. The overall IIR is similar to earlier studies conducted in well-established cricket playing nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jatio Sangsad Bhaban (JSB), the National Assembly Complex in Bangladesh (Former East Pakistan) envisioned in 1962, followed by the 1959 Minoprio, Master plan initiated the new phase of modern space creation in the landscape of Dhaka. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, grew towards north from the bank of Buriganga river went through a series of transformation over 400 years. The locally controlled growth of old Dhaka during the 17th to 18thth century under the rubrics of mostly indigenous settlement, morphed into British colonial and Geddes Dhaka during the 19th 20th century, culminating into the emergence of JSB Complex Dhaka in a neocolonial Capitalist driven world order in the early sixties during cold war era. The 3 layers of city segment can be seen as an outcome of the changing political setting from local to European (British) colonial and finally under US governed global political order. This paper will try to connect the 3 stages of spatial transformation with the element of shifting power and resource control in line with the theoretical framework by Kim Dovey which states that space creation in a city is articulated and constructed by the power structure through the control of resources and economic influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author explores the issues pertaining to blood transfusion services (BTS) in South Asia. An estimated 10 million blood units are collected from the South East Asia regional office, which administrators believe falls short considering how the region has 38% total blood need. Some countries adhere to the National Blood Policy. According to the author, BTS in India is the largest in the region. The author cites the need for testing for infectious markers as a way to assure transfusion safety.

Setting up water users' associations (WUAs) and involving them in the management of delivery systems is an important innovation in improving the performance of public irrigation systems. Most Indian states are in a great hurry to turn over management of “below-the outlet” systems to WUAs. Yet the crucial link between the work done by the institutional organizers who set up these WUAs, the efficacy of the WUAs and the eventual performance of the irrigation systems remains unexplored. This paper attempts to explore this link. It shows that overdrive in the formation of WUAs may reduce their institutional sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the state of Asian relations from 1947 to 1997 and the efforts of Asian nations to promote a spirit of unity. Anti-imperialistic themes of the Asian Relations Conference; Identical and political crises suffered by Asian countries; Collapse of Asian unity; Emergence of modernism and its impact on Asia; Factors that contribute to the failure of achieving joint gain objectives.

Reports on efforts by the British government to establish trade routes from Assam, India to Eastern Tibet from 1771 to 1914. Establishment of the East Indian Co.'s rule in Bengal, India in 1757; Problems arising from the Gurkhas and the Ahoms; Focus on the Lohit Valley which linked Assam with the Tibetan province of Zayul; Efforts by British frontier officers Younghusband and Williamson.

This paper examines OpenStreetMap data quality at different stages of a participatory mapping process in seven slums in Africa and Asia. Data were drawn from an OpenStreetMap-based participatory mapping process developed as part of a research project focusing on understanding inequalities in healthcare access of slum residents in the Global South. Descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis were employed to examine the following research question: What is the spatial data quality of collaborative remote mapping achieved by volunteer mappers in morphologically complex urban areas? Findings show that the completeness achieved by remote mapping largely depends on the morphology and characteristics of slums such as building density and rooftop architecture, varying from 84% in the best case, to zero in the most difficult site. The major scientific contribution of this study is to provide evidence on the spatial data quality of remotely mapped data through volunteer mapping efforts in morphologically complex urban areas such as slums; the results could provide insights into how much fieldwork would be needed in what level of complexity and to what extent the involvement of local volunteers in these efforts is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expert elicitation (EE) is a technique to quantify the knowledge of experts based on their theoretical or practical experience on a topic of interest. Here we do a systematic review of EE to understand its role in assessing or forecasting natural hazards. Although the EE procedure was formalized in the early 1960s, different terminologies are used in the literature for expert elicitation. We first explore the use of EE in different fields including the medical sciences, agricultural sciences and environmental sciences, and noted commonalities in their use. After identifying all the words that are used synonymously for EE, we gathered together 55 sources (44 peer-reviewed papers and 11 grey literature) that use EE with natural hazards, and did a systematic review including: study location, hazard studied, what was assessed, methodology used, comparison of EE results with other types of evidence, uncertainty quantification, number of experts used, and purpose of study (theoretical vs practical). Based on our review we found the following: (i) the Cooke method has been used in 60% of the research studies; (ii) the number of experts involved in the process of doing EE for each study was generally between 10-20 experts, with one research study as an anomaly that used 100 experts ; (iii) elicitation of expert knowledge has not been used in S Asia as much as it has in Europe, UK and US; (iv) about 50% of the studies did not confront their results against other sorts of evidence; (v) 60% of the studies quantified the uncertainty associated with the EE results. We would suggest the following for the use of EE in the context of natural hazards: (i) a minimum of 10 experts from diverse fields should be involved in any procedure involving experts; (ii) the results from an EE procedure should be confronted against other evidence, where possible, to further refine the results ; (iii) given that EE has been effectively used in the assessment of individual hazards, there is scope to apply it for multi-hazard and/or risk assessment; (iv) EE methods might be useful in regions (e.g., S Asia) where there is data scarcity, low-resolution data or causal links are not well understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clades are monophyletic groups composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants. As the propensity of virulence of a disease depends upon the type of clade the virus belongs to and it causes different fatality rates of disease in different countries, so the clade-wise analysis of SARS-CoV-2 isolates collected from different countries can illuminate the actual evolutionary relationships between them. In this study, 1566 SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences across ten Asian countries are collected, clustered, and characterized based on the clade they belong to. The isolates are compared to the Wuhan reference sequence" hCoV-19/Wuhan/WIV04/19″ to identify the mutations that occurred at different protein regions. Structural changes in amino acids due to mutations lead to functional instability of the proteins. Detailed clade-wise functional assessments are carried out to quantify the stability and vulnerability of the mutations occurring in SARS-CoV-2 genomes which can shade light on personalized prevention and treatment of the disease and encourage towards the invention of clade-specific vaccines. • SARS-CoV-2 Isolates of ten different countries of the Asian continent are analysed. • Seven clades G, GH, GR, L, S, O, and V are circulated over those ten countries. • It is found that Isolates of clade GR and clade GH have highest amount of SNPs. • Most of the deleterious mutations occurred in the isolates those belong to clade GH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanization and the unavailability of suitable ground conditions escalated the demand for high-rise superstructures over the years. Challenges persuaded geotechnical engineers to think of a robust yet economical foundation system that can support these superstructures without compromising their safety and serviceability. The combined piled raft foundation (CPRF) has been distinguished as an effective foundation that regulates the total and differential settlements and considerably improves the overall performance of the whole structure. Substantial pieces of research have been conducted previously to understand the responses of this robust foundation under static vertical loading. A few static loading code provisions are also available to help engineers to practice such foundation systems in real field conditions. In fact, many South-East Asia and European nations have appreciated the conceptualization of CPRF based on their worthwhile functioning reported in various on-field projects. However, design provisions for CPRF under lateral loading are still terse. The present paper, therefore, attempts to critically review contemporary research on the responses of CPRF under lateral loading in different subsoil strata and discusses the importance of soil-structure interaction (SSI) consideration in the seismic design of CPRF. The emphasis of discussion is oriented to several important design aspects of CPRF such as load-sharing, bending moment, peak acceleration, lateral and vertical deformation, period lengthening, etc. A few case studies on the performance of CPRF under seismic conditions are also discussed. The significance of such a study lies in framing constructive design guidelines of CPRF under lateral loading and resting in different subsoil conditions. • The manuscript presents a state-of-the-art review of responses of CPRF subjected to lateral loading with an emphasis to seismic conditions. • The paper discusses the history of CPRF and how this has gathered confidence among practice engineers to use it for mega projects. • The paper emphasizes several important design aspects of CPRF such as load-sharing, bending moment response, peak acceleration, etc. • A brief insight into a few CPRF projects and the importance of SSI consideration in the seismic design of CPRF are also highlighted. • The significance of such a study lies in framing constructive design guidelines of CPRF for different subsoil conditions and load combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource shortages, driven by climatic, institutional and social changes in many regions of Asia, combined with growing imperatives to increase food production whilst ensuring environmental sustainability, are driving research into modified agricultural practices. Well-tested cropping systems models that capture interactions between soil water and nutrient dynamics, crop growth, climate and farmer management can assist in the evaluation of such new agricultural practices. One such cropping systems model is the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM). We evaluated APSIM’s ability to simulate the performance of cropping systems in Asia from several perspectives: crop phenology, production, water use, soil dynamics (water and organic carbon) and crop CO 2 response, as well as its ability to simulate cropping sequences without reset of soil variables. The evaluation was conducted over a diverse range of environments (12 countries, numerous soils), crops and management practices throughout the region. APSIM’s performance was statistically assessed against assembled replicated experimental datasets. Once properly parameterised, the model performed well in simulating the diversity of cropping systems to which it was applied with RMSEs generally less than observed experimental standard deviations (indicating robust model performance), and with particular strength in simulation of multi-crop sequences. Input parameter estimation challenges were encountered, and although ‘work-arounds’ were developed and described, in some cases these actually represent model deficiencies which need to be addressed. Desirable future improvements have been identified to better position APSIM as a useful tool for Asian cropping systems research into the future. These include aspects related to harsh environments (high temperatures, diffuse light conditions, salinity, and submergence), conservation agriculture, greenhouse gas emissions, as well as aspects more specific to Southern Asia and low input systems (such as deficiencies in soil micro-nutrients). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An updated prehistoric AMH dispersal route in and out of NE India has been unveiled. • TrOC-linked autosomal loci & mtDNA-based marker predicted feasible migration route. • Prehistoric AMH dispersal probably linked with the high TrOC prevalence in NE India. • Back-migration from SE Asia (∼4kya) most likely introduced the TrOC-causing traits. • MtDNA-HG 'R' significantly associated with the risk of TrOC (OR > 9.5) in NE India. Northeast (NE) India is a subject of debate for predicting its involvement in prehistoric anatomically modern human (AMH) dispersal. The unique lifestyle and genetic characteristics of native ethnic groups in this region are believed to be responsible for their susceptibility to tobacco-related oral cancer (TrOC). The present study assessed mitochondrial macro-haplogroup (mHG) diversity and TrOC susceptibility autosomal loci to evaluate the impact of prehistoric AMH dispersal on the present day's high TrOC prevalence in major NE Indian ethnics. We considered 175 unrelated individuals from 35 ethnic groups and previously published 374 sequences for sequencing-based assessment of mtDNA-based marker by subsequent analyses like haplogroup diversity, phylogenetic, genetic structure by AMOVA, and MDS, descriptive statistics of demographic parameters, and migration analysis. Besides, we selected prolonged tobacco-chewing 124 case-control individuals from similar ethnic backgrounds for genotyping 115 autosomal loci in Sequenom iPLEX MassARRAY™ platform and mined 1000genome data (n = 398) for consequent global admixture and ancestry-specific allele frequencies-based analyses. Our mtDNA-based findings suggested that NE populations were distinct from other Indian populations, owing to the first wave of migration from ancient southern China (∼54kya) and two successive spatial expansion events at ∼45kya and ∼43kya. Consequently, it probably acted as another source for prehistoric AMH dispersal in N/NE Asia. Besides, the second wave of back-migration from SE Asia (∼40kya) probably replaced the mitochondrial footprints of survivors from the first migrants and introduced the TrOC susceptibility traits in this region. Afterward, the autosomal marker-based observations on the transition of the disease-associated admixture component 'K6' from SE Asia reconfirmed these results. Moreover, we also observed that the mitochondrial mHG 'R' is significantly associated with the risk of TrOC (OR > 9.5) in NE India. Furthermore, the possible onset of the phenotypic expression of those traits was predicted at ∼4kya, thus, contributing to present-day's TrOC prevalence. This study reflects its uniqueness by revealing an updated AMH dispersal route for the peopling in and out of NE India, which probably introduced the disease-causing traits in the ancestral NE Indian population. Those traits were then imprinted in their genome to get transferred through their respective generations, forming the present-day's TrOC-prevalent NE Indian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: COVID-19 is a dominant pulmonary disease, with multisystem involvement, depending upon comorbidities. Its profile in patients with pre-existing chronic liver disease (CLD) is largely unknown. We studied the liver injury patterns of SARS-Cov-2 in CLD patients, with or without cirrhosis., Methods: Data was collected from 13 Asian countries on patients with CLD, known or newly diagnosed, with confirmed COVID-19., Results: Altogether, 228 patients [185 CLD without cirrhosis and 43 with cirrhosis] were enrolled, with comorbidities in nearly 80%. Metabolism associated fatty liver disease (113, 61%) and viral etiology (26, 60%) were common. In CLD without cirrhosis, diabetes [57.7% vs 39.7%, OR = 2.1 (1.1-3.7), p = 0.01] and in cirrhotics, obesity, [64.3% vs. 17.2%, OR = 8.1 (1.9-38.8), p = 0.002] predisposed more to liver injury than those without these. Forty three percent of CLD without cirrhosis presented as acute liver injury and 20% cirrhotics presented with either acute-on-chronic liver failure [5 (11.6%)] or acute decompensation [4 (9%)]. Liver related complications increased (p < 0.05) with stage of liver disease; a Child-Turcotte Pugh score of 9 or more at presentation predicted high mortality [AUROC 0.94, HR = 19.2 (95 CI 2.3-163.3), p < 0.001, sensitivity 85.7% and specificity 94.4%). In decompensated cirrhotics, the liver injury was progressive in 57% patients, with 43% mortality. Rising bilirubin and AST/ALT ratio predicted mortality among cirrhosis patients., Conclusions: SARS-Cov-2 infection causes significant liver injury in CLD patients, decompensating one fifth of cirrhosis, and worsening the clinical status of the already decompensated. The CLD patients with diabetes and obesity are more vulnerable and should be closely monitored.

In this paper, we review, continent by continent, the trematode fauna of freshwater fishes of the 'Old World', a vast area consisting of the Palaearctic, Ethiopian, Oriental and Australasian zoogeographical regions. Knowledge of this fauna is highly uneven and clearly incomplete for almost all regions, sometimes dramatically so. Although the biggest problem remains the completion of the 'first pass' of alpha taxonomy, there are in addition great problems relating to biogeography and elucidation of life-cycles. For the latter, molecular data, i.e. matching DNA sequences of larval stages and corresponding adults, may represent a powerful tool that should be used in future studies. Another challenging problem represents the existence of cryptic species and, in particular, considerable decrease of experts in taxonomy and life-cycles of trematodes.

Given the importance of Africa to studies of human origins and disease susceptibility, detailed characterization of African genetic diversity is needed. The African Genome Variation Project provides a resource with which to design, implement and interpret genomic studies in sub-Saharan Africa and worldwide. The African Genome Variation Project represents dense genotypes from 1,481 individuals and whole-genome sequences from 320 individuals across sub-Saharan Africa. Using this resource, we find novel evidence of complex, regionally distinct hunter-gatherer and Eurasian admixture across sub-Saharan Africa. We identify new loci under selection, including loci related to malaria susceptibility and hypertension. We show that modern imputation panels (sets of reference genotypes from which unobserved or missing genotypes in study sets can be inferred) can identify association signals at highly differentiated loci across populations in sub-Saharan Africa. Using whole-genome sequencing, we demonstrate further improvements in imputation accuracy, strengthening the case for large-scale sequencing efforts of diverse African haplotypes. Finally, we present an efficient genotype array design capturing common genetic variation in Africa.

Diphylobothriasis is a well documented disease of humans. On a world scale new infections are reported regularly, especially from Russia and parts of Japan. Globally, new species have been discovered and the etiology of the disease may be changing. Human infections appear to be in decline but it is not clear if the sources of infection are also in decline or if public health awareness has improved. In North America there has been a decline in human cases while in South America an increase in reports from fish, especially salmonids suggests high levels in these fish species. The history of human infections of Diphyllobothrium latum is primarily associated with the consumption of the northern circumpolar distributed pike and percids and is often considered a parasite of humans only. Indeed some researchers believe that D. latum was introduced to North America by northern European immigrants. The more benign human infections of D. dendriticum appears to be primarily associated with salmonids and coregonid fishes and fish eating birds. Although the early cases of diphyllobothriasis in the 1930s in North America came from fish originating in Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba, there was general belief that it was declining in fish populations and therefore of little significance to humans in the area. However, high levels of a plerocercoid in the flesh of walleyes and pike led to rejection of commercially harvested walleye and pike in Manitoba and northern Ontario, Canada, and a financial loss to Aboriginal fishers. D. latum is widely distributed in fishes of Manitoba and is infective to humans where it is not pathogenic and has a life span up to 4.5 years. The distribution and potential infection routes has not changed in a century and is still well established in natural hosts in the boreal regions of North America. Evidence is building for an old pre-European presence in North America, involving the Beringian land bridge and later involvement of susceptible hosts (northern European immigrants).