Search

Asia's rich species diversity has been linked to its Cenozoic geodiversity, including active mountain building and dramatic climatic changes. However, prior studies on the diversification and assembly of Asian faunas have been derived mainly from analyses at taxonomic or geographic scales too limited to offer a comprehensive view of this complex region's biotic evolution. Here, using the class Mammalia, we built historical biogeographic models drawn on phylogenies of 1,543 species occurring across Asia to investigate how and when the mammal diversity in Asian regions and mountain hotspots was assembled. We explore the roles of in situ speciation, colonization, and vicariance and geoclimatic events to explain the buildup of Asia's regional mammal diversity through time. We found that southern Asia has served as the main cradle of Asia's mammal diversity. Present-day species richness in other regions is mainly derived from colonization, but by the Miocene, in situ speciation increased in importance. The high biodiversity present in the mountain hotspots (Himalayas and Hengduan) that flank the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau is a product of high colonization instead of in situ speciation, making them important centers of lineage accumulation. Overall, Neogene was marked by great diversification and migrations across Asia and surrounding continents but Paleogene environments already hosted rich mammal assemblages. Our study revealed that synchronous diversification bursts and biotic turnovers are temporally associated with tectonic events (mountain building, continental collisions) and drastic reorganization of climate (aridification of Asian interior, intensification of Asian monsoons, sea retreat) that took place throughout the Cenozoic in Asia.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between polymorphisms in theβ2-adrenergic receptor gene (ADRB2) (−47C/T, Arg16/Gly, Gln27/Glu) and stage-2 hypertension in northern Han Chinese. We recruited 503 individuals with stage-2 hypertension and 504 age-, gender-, and area-matched controls from the International Collaborative Study of Cardiovascular Disease in Asia. Genotyping was performed using PCR-RFLP. Logistic regression analyses revealed that carriers of the Gly16 allele had a significantly higher odds ratio (OR) for hypertension, while carriers of the Glu27 allele had a significantly lower OR. In multivariate linear regression analyses, the Arg16/Gly and Gln27/Glu genotypes were significantly associated with systolic blood pressure level (p= 0.004 andp<0.001, respectively). In haplotype analyses, we found the frequency of haplotypes composed of the Gly16 and Gln27 alleles was significantly higher, whereas the frequency of haplotypes composed of the Arg16 and Glu27 alleles was significantly lower, in hypertensives compared to their controls (bothp= 0.001). These results indicate that the Gly16 and Gln27 alleles of theADRB2gene confer an increased risk for stage-2 hypertension in this northern Han Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid development of marine infrastructures can be observed along the global coasts. Offshore wind farms, oil and gas platforms, artificial islands, aquaculture, and more, are being constructed without a proper quantification of these human activities. Therefore, effective monitoring is required to maintain transparency towards environmental standards, marine resource management, inventorying objects, and global security. This study reviews remote sensing-based approaches to offshore infrastructure detection over the past 12 years. We analyzed 89 studies from over 30 scientific journals, highlighting spatial and temporal trends, methodological approaches, and regional and thematic research foci. Our results show a significant increase in research interest, especially since 2019. Asia, and especially China, is the predominant focus region in terms of first authorship, funding, and areas of investigation. Aquaculture is the most studied infrastructure, followed by platforms, offshore wind farms, and artificial islands. Gaofen, Sentinel, and Landsat are the most used satellite sensors for detection. The apparent shift towards automated detection methods, especially Deep Learning algorithms, reflects advances in computer vision. This study highlights the key role of earth observation in the field of off-shore infrastructure detection, which can contribute towards outlining effective monitoring practices for marine activities, as well as highlighting important knowledge gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using bibliometric analysis, this study aims to examine the progress, trends, and updates of mangrove ecotourism research within tourism studies. The primary data for this study were collected from the Scopus database with 306 publications and the Web of Science (WoS) database with 585 publications of mangrove ecotourism scientific documents published until the end of 2022. The results show that the first publication on mangrove ecotourism in the Scopus database was identified in 1992, while the first documents on the topic were included in the WoS database six years earlier, in 1986. The prominent keywords of mangrove ecotourism topics shared by publications in the Scopus and WoS databases were predominantly related to environmental and sustainability issues, such as conservation, biodiversity, and sustainable development. Based on geographical distribution, Asian countries and institutions have dominated recent publications on mangrove ecotourism. This means that the geographical distribution of publications on mangrove ecotourism is strongly influenced by the geographical distribution of mangrove ecosystems, which are mostly found in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The repeated evolution of gliding in diverse Asian vertebrate lineages is hypothesized to have been triggered by the dominance of tall dipterocarp trees in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. These dipterocarp forests have acted as both centres of diversification and climatic refugia for gliding vertebrates, and support most of their extant diversity. We predict similarities in the diversification patterns of dipterocarp trees and gliding vertebrates, and specifically test whether episodic diversification events such as rate shifts and/or mass extinctions were temporally congruent in these groups. We analysed diversification patterns in reconstructed timetrees of Asian dipterocarps, the most speciose gliding vertebrates from different classes (Draco lizards, gliding frogs and Pteromyini squirrels) and compared them with similar-sized clades of non-gliding relatives (Diploderma lizards, Philautus frogs and Callosciurinae squirrels) from Southeast Asia. We found significant declines in net-diversification rates of dipterocarps and the gliding vertebrates during the Pliocene–Pleistocene, but not in the non-gliding groups. We conclude that the homogeneity and temporal coincidence of these rate declines point to a viable ecological correlation between dipterocarps and the gliding vertebrates. Further, we suggest that while the diversification decay in dipterocarps was precipitated by post-Miocene aridification of Asia, the crises in the gliding vertebrates were induced by both events concomitantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleoclimatic changes during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition is suggested as a main factor that led to species extinction, including the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), Steller's sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas) and the Don-hare (Lepus tanaiticus). These species inhabited the territory of Eurasia during the Holocene, but eventually went extinct. The Don-hare is an extinct species of the genus Lepus (Leporidae, Lagomorpha), which lived in the Late Pleistocene–Early Holocene in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. For a long time, the Don-hare was considered a separate species, but at the same time, its species status was disputed, taking into account both morphological data and mitochondrial DNA. In this study, mitochondrial genomes of five Don-hares, whose remains were found on the territory of Northeastern Eurasia were reconstructed. Firstly, we confirm the phylogenetic proximity of the "young" specimens of Don-hare and mountain or white hare, and secondly, that samples older than 39 Kya form a completely distinct mitochondrial clade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Bemisia tabaci is a globally notorious agricultural pest due to its highly polyphagous characteristic, its composition as a cryptic species, and its transmission of plant viruses. The whitefly has endosymbiotic bacteria in cells inside their bodies that have strong effects on the host biology. Generally, the geographical distribution of these cryptic species and their endosymbionts' infection patterns are related to ecological factors. In this study, we determined eight cryptic species (MED, MEAM1, Asia I, Asia II 1, Asia II 2, Asia II 6, China 1, and China 6) from 29 geographical localities across China. Native cryptic species were still widespread in the Yangtze River Valley and eastern coastal areas. In addition, we found that the cryptic species distribution and their facultative endosymbionts' infection patterns were closely associated with the geographical and environmental factors, i.e., latitude and annual mean temperature. This work highlights that range expansion of invasive species and host–endosymbiont interactions need to be studied within an environmental and geographic context. The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci species complex, comprises at least 44 morphologically indistinguishable cryptic species, whose endosymbiont infection patterns often varied at the spatial and temporal dimension. However, the effects of ecological factors (e.g., climatic or geographical factors) on the distribution of whitefly and the infection frequencies of their endosymbionts have not been fully elucidated. We, here, analyzed the associations between ecological factors and the distribution of whitefly and their three facultative endosymbionts (Candidatus Cardinium hertigii, Candidatus Hamiltonella defensa, and Rickettsia sp.) by screening 665 individuals collected from 29 geographical localities across China. The study identified eight B. tabaci species via mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) gene sequence alignment: two invasive species, MED (66.9%) and MEAM1 (12.2%), and six native cryptic species (20.9%), which differed in distribution patterns, ecological niches, and high suitability areas. The infection frequencies of the three endosymbionts in different cryptic species were distinct and multiple infections were relatively common in B. tabaci MED populations. Furthermore, the annual mean temperature positively affected Cardinium sp. and Rickettsia sp. infection frequencies in B. tabaci MED but negatively affected the quantitative distribution of B. tabaci MED, which indicates that Cardinium sp. and Rickettsia sp. maybe play a crucial role in the thermotolerance of B. tabaci MED, although the host whitefly per se exhibits no resistance to high temperature. Our findings revealed the complex effects of ecological factors on the expansion of the invasive whitefly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Mountain ecosystems harbour significant biodiversity across elevations and seasons. This biodiversity, however, is increasingly under threat from climate change and human land use. While much work has been done to characterize biodiversity in tropical mountains, far less is known about the environmental, seasonal and spatial factors that impact diversity and community structure in subtropical and temperate regions. Location: Mt. Gongga, Sichuan, China: the eastern‐most peak in Asia above 7000‐m elevation and the main peak of the Hengduan Mountains. Method: We examined elevational patterns and ecological variables underlying taxonomic diversity (TD), phylogenetic diversity (PD), functional diversity (FD) and community structure in birds on the eastern slope of Mt. Gongga between 1100‐ and 4400‐m elevation. We assessed biodiversity patterns between species with different elevational range sizes (small‐ vs. large‐ranged species) and between seasons (breeding vs. non‐breeding season). Results: We recorded 230 bird species across seven field surveys. TD, PD and FD showed similar hump‐shaped elevational patterns in both seasons. In the breeding season, TD, PD and FD for small‐ranged species were highly correlated with climatic factors (mean daily temperature, seasonal temperature range) and vegetation factors (enhanced vegetation index), while large‐ranged species were correlated with spatial factors (mid‐domain effect). In the non‐breeding season, TD, PD and FD for all species groupings were positively correlated with climate factors. For small‐ranged species in both seasons, community structure was more overdispersed at low and high elevations, and more clustered at middle elevations. For large‐ranged species, community structure differed between seasons, showing a general trend towards clustering as elevations increase in the breeding season and trends towards overdispersion and/or evenness as elevations increase in the non‐breeding season. Conclusions: We found that different factors shape elevational patterns of diversity for small‐ and large‐ranged species in the breeding season; small‐ranged species are shaped by climate and vegetation structure, while large‐ranged species are shaped by spatial factors. This difference is likely explained by differences in ecological niche breadth (physiological tolerance and/or habitat specialization) between small‐ranged species and large‐ranged species. In the non‐breeding season, however, when climate is seasonally harsher, we found that patterns of diversity for all range‐size groupings were driven by climatic factors. We also found that community structure generally becomes more overdispersed as resource availability decreases and environmental conditions become harsher, like at higher elevations and in the non‐breeding season, suggesting that competition for limited resources is important for shaping communities in seasonal environments. These findings highlight how avian diversity and community structure are dynamic across a local elevational gradient and seasonally, shifting across the annual cycle, which has implications for conservation strategies and land management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal cancer (EC) remains a significant challenge globally, having the 8th highest incidence and 6th highest mortality worldwide. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the most common form of EC in Asia. Crucially, more than 90% of EC cases in China are ESCC. The high mortality rate of EC is likely due to the limited number of effective therapeutic options. To increase patient survival, novel therapeutic strategies for EC patients must be devised. Unfortunately, the development of novel drugs also presents its own significant challenges as most novel drugs do not make it to market due to lack of efficacy or safety concerns. A more time and cost-effective strategy is to identify existing drugs, that have already been approved for treatment of other diseases, which can be repurposed to treat EC patients, with drug repositioning. This can be achieved by comparing the gene expression profiles of disease-states with the effect on gene-expression by a given drug. In our analysis, we used previously published microarray data and identified 167 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Using weighted key driver analysis, 39 key driver genes were then identified. These driver genes were then used in Overlap Analysis and Network Analysis in Pharmomics. By extracting drugs common to both analyses, 24 drugs are predicted to demonstrate therapeutic effect in EC patients. Several of which have already been shown to demonstrate a therapeutic effect in EC, most notably Doxorubicin, which is commonly used to treat EC patients, and Ixazomib, which was recently shown to induce apoptosis and supress growth of EC cell lines. Additionally, our analysis predicts multiple psychiatric drugs, including Venlafaxine, as repositioned drugs. This is in line with recent research which suggests that psychiatric drugs should be investigated for use in gastrointestinal cancers such as EC. Our study shows that a drug repositioning approach is a feasible strategy for identifying novel ESCC therapies and can also improve the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the drug targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common types of cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, especially in Asia. In this study, the gene CKAP2L was selected by GEO, TCGA, and GTEx database analysis. The high expression of CKAP2L is related to the occurrence and development of ESCC. In addition, CKAP2L knockdown can inhibit the growth and migration of ESCC cells, while CKAP2L overexpression has the opposite effect. Furthermore, in vivo experiments indicated that down-regulation of CKAP2L can inhibit the tumorigenesis of ESCC cells. KEGG pathway analysis and the STRING database explored the relationship between cell cycle and CKAP2L and verified that depletion of CKAP2L markedly arrested cell cycle in the G2/M phase. Meanwhile, CKAP2L knockdown increased the sensitivity of ESCC cells to flavopiridol, the first CDK inhibitor to be tested in clinical trials, leading to an observable reduction in cell proliferation and an increase in cellular apoptosis. In brief, we identified CKAP2L as a tumor promoter, potential prognostic indicator, and therapeutic target of ESCC, which may play a role in regulating cell cycle progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Fruit spine is an important agronomic trait in cucumber and the "numerous spines (ns)" cucumber varieties are popular in Europe and West Asia. Although the classical genetic locus of ns was reported more than two decades ago, the NS gene has not been cloned yet. In this study, nine genetic loci for the different densities of fruit spines were identified by a genome‐wide association study. Among the nine loci, fsdG2.1 was closely associated with the classical genetic locus ns, which harbors a candidate gene Csa2G264590. Overexpression of Csa2G264590 resulted in lower fruit spine density, and the knockout mutant generated by CRISPR/Cas9 displayed an increased spine density, demonstrating that the Csa2G264590 gene is NS. NS is specifically expressed in the fruit peel and spine. Genetic analysis showed that NS regulates fruit spine development independently of the tuberculate gene, Tu, which regulates spine development on tubercules; the cucumber glabrous mutants csgl1 and csgl3 are epistatic to ns. Furthermore, we found that auxin levels in the fruit peel and spine were significantly lower in the knockout mutant ns‐cr. Moreover, RNA‐sequencing showed that the plant hormone signal transduction pathway was enriched. Notably, most of the auxin responsive Aux/IAA family genes were downregulated in ns‐cr. Haplotype analysis showed that the non‐functional haplotype of NS exists exclusively in the Eurasian cucumber backgrounds. Taken together, the cloning of NS gene provides new insights into the regulatory network of fruit spine development. Significance Statement: We demonstrate that NS gene controls numerous spine traits in cucumber. The cucumber glabrous mutants csgl1 and csgl3 are epistatic to ns. NS regulates fruit spine development independently of the tuberculate gene Tu. Moreover, we found that auxin represses the formation of fruit spine in cucumber. Taken together, the cloning of NS gene provides new insights into the regulatory network of fruit spine development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an important pest on maize, and it can cause large yield losses. As S. frugiperda has invaded many developing countries in Africa and Asia in recent years, it could impact food security. Pesticides remain the main method to control S. frugiperda in the field, and this pest has developed resistance to some pesticides. In this study, we used second-generation sequencing technology to detect the gene expression change of S. frugiperda after treatment by LC20 of three pesticides, lufenuron, spinetoram, and tetrachloroamide, which have different modes of actions. The sequence data were first assembled into a 60,236 unigenes database, and then the differential expression unigenes (DEUs) after pesticide treatment were identified. The DEU numbers, Gene Ontology catalog, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway catalog were analyzed. Finally, 11 types of unigenes related to detoxification and DEUs after pesticide treatment were listed, and Cytochrome P450, Glutathione S-transferase, and ATP-binding cassette transporter were analyzed. This study provides a foundation for molecular research on S. frugiperda pesticide detoxification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has become a major concern for global environmental health, as it can lead to inflammatory diseases, such as allergic rhinitis (AR) and cause a high burden of disease. The aim of this study is to carry out a systematic review and meta-analysis based on available research to present the link between ambient PM2.5 and the risk of AR in global populations. Methods: We systematically searched six databases from their inception to 30 November 2020. An expanded literature search was carried out using the references of the included studies. Data extraction was performed using Excel 2016 software, and meta-analysis and heterogeneity analysis were performed using Review Manager 5.3 software. Results: A total of 14 out of 1361 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The quality assessment showed these studies to be of high quality. Seven out of 14 studies reported a relationship between ambient PM2.5 and AR through Odds ratios (OR, ORoverall = 1.14, 95% CI [1.00, 1.29]), but with a non-significant statistical overall test result (the test result for overall effect was Z = 1.98, p =.05). For subgroups by ages and regions, ORChildren = 1.08 (95% CI [1.04, 1.13]), and OROther ages = 1.50 (95% CI [1.24, 1.81]. The differences between age-related subgroups were significant (p <.01). Meanwhile, the relationship between PM2.5 and the risk of AR in Asia was significant (ORAsia = 1.20, 95% CI [1.01, 1.44], p =.001); whereas the association studies from outside of Asia have reported the relationship as non-significant (OROut-Asia = 1.04, 95% CI [0.82, 1.31], p =.76). Conclusion: There are reports that recognize that the exposure to PM2.5 may contribute to the development of AR. An international framework with a whole-of-society approach, including air quality control efforts and well-being health promotion among AR patients and at-risk populations, should be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic is having a devastating effect on the mental health and wellbeing of healthcare providers (HCPs) globally. This review is aimed at determining the prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress, fear, burnout and resilience and its associated factors among HCPs in Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods: We performed literature search using 4 databases from Medline, Cinahl, PubMed and Scopus from inception up to March 15, 2021 and selected relevant cross-sectional studies. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plot. Random effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence while risk factors were reported in odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI. Results: We included 148 studies with 159,194 HCPs and the pooled prevalence for depression was 37.5% (95%CI: 33.8–41.3), anxiety 39.7(95%CI: 34.3–45.1), stress 36.4% (95%CI: 23.2–49.7), fear 71.3% (95%CI: 54.6–88.0), burnout 68.3% (95%CI: 54.0–82.5), and low resilience was 16.1% (95%CI: 12.8–19.4), respectively. The heterogeneity was high (I2>99.4%). Meta-analysis reported that both females (OR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.30–1.68) and nurses (OR = 1.21; 95%CI = 1.02–1.45) were at increased risk of having depression and anxiety [(Female: OR = 1.66; 95% CI = 1.49–1.85), (Nurse: OR = 1.36; 95%CI = 1.16–1.58)]. Females were at increased risk of getting stress (OR = 1.59; 95%CI = 1.28–1.97). Conclusion: In conclusion, one third of HCPs suffered from depression, anxiety and stress and more than two third of HCPs suffered from fear and burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mammal Review is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Premise: Large disjunctions in species distributions provide excellent opportunities to study processes that shape biogeographic patterns. One such disjunction is the eastern Asia–eastern North America (EA‐ENA) floristic disjunction. For many genera with this disjunction, species richness is greater in EA than in ENA; this pattern has been attributed, in part, to higher rates of molecular evolution and speciation in EA. Longer branch lengths have been found in some EA clades, relative to their ENA sister clades, suggesting that the EA lineages have evolved at a higher rate, possibly due to environmental heterogeneity, potentially contributing to the species richness anomaly. Methods: To evaluate whether rates of molecular evolution are elevated in EA relative to ENA, we used transcriptomes from species in 11 genera displaying this disjunction. Rates of molecular evolution were estimated for up to 385 orthologous nuclear loci per genus. Results: No statistically significant differences were identified in pairwise comparisons between EA and ENA sister species, suggesting equal rates of molecular evolution for both species; the data also suggest similar selection pressures in both regions. For larger genera, evidence likewise argues against more species‐rich clades having higher molecular evolutionary rates, regardless of region. Our results suggest that genes across multiple gene ontology categories are evolving at similar rates under purifying selection in species in both regions. Conclusions: Our data support the hypothesis that greater species richness in EA than ENA is due to factors other than an overall increase in rates of molecular evolution in EA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Speciation is widely accepted to be a complex and continuous process. Due to complicated evolutionary histories, desert plants are ideal model systems to understand the process of speciation along a continuum. Here, we elucidate the evolutionary history of Reaumuria soongarica (Pall.) Maxim., a typical desert plant that is wildly distributed across arid central Asia. Based on variation patterns present at nine nuclear loci in 325 individuals (representing 41 populations), we examined the demographic history, patterns of gene flow, and degree of ecological differentiation among wild R. soongarica. Our findings indicate that genetic divergence between the ancient western and eastern lineages of R. soongarica occurred approximately 0.714 Mya, probably due to the Kunlun–Yellow River tectonic movement and the Naynayxungla glaciation. Later, multiple hybridization events between the western and eastern lineages that took place between 0.287 and 0.543 Mya, and which might have been triggered by the asynchronous historical expansion of the western and eastern deserts, contributed to the formation of a hybrid northern lineage. Moreover, despite continuing gene flow into this population from its progenitors, the northern lineage maintained its genetic boundary by ecological differentiation. The northern lineage could be an incipient species, and provides an opportunity to study the continuous process of speciation. This study suggests that two opposite evolutionary forces, divergence and hybridization, coexisting in the continuous speciation of the desert plant R. soongarica in a short time. Moreover, we provide evidence that this continuous speciation process is affected by geological events, climatic change, and ecological differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a cryptic species complex, including members that are pests of global importance. This study presents a screening of B. tabaci species in China for infection by the primary endosymbiont, Portiera aleyrodidarum, and two secondary endosymbionts, Arsenophonus and Cardinium. The results showed that P. aleyrodidarum was detected in all B. tabaci individuals, while Arsenophonus was abundant in indigenous species of B. tabaci Asia II 1, Asia II 3, and China 1 but absent in the invasive species, Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1); Cardinium presented in the Mediterranean (MED), Asia II 1 and Asia II 3 species but was rarely detected in the MEAM1 and China 1 species. Moreover, phylogenetic analyses revealed that the P. aleyrodidarum and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (mtCO1) phylograms were similar and corresponding with the five distinct cryptic species clades to some extent, probably indicating an ancient infection followed by vertical transmission and subsequent co-evolutionary diversification. In contrast, the phylogenetic trees of Arsenophonus and Cardinium were incongruent with the mtCO1 phylogram, potentially indicating horizontal transmission in B. tabaci cryptic species complex. Taken together, our study showed the distinct infection status of endosymbionts in invasive and indigenous whiteflies; we also most likely indicated the co-evolution of primary endosymbiont and its host as well as the potential horizontal transfer of secondary endosymbionts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to review the top 100 most-cited articles in ophthalmology in Asia since 1970., Methods: The Scopus database was used to identify the top 100 most-cited ophthalmology articles published in ophthalmology (T100-Eye) and nonophthalmology (T100-General) journals., Results: The T100-Eye articles were published between 1982 and 2015, and T100-General from 1982 to 2017. T100-Eye had higher citations [median (range) = 317 (249-1326)] than T100-General [158 (105-2628)], but T100-General were published in journals with higher impact factor (IF) than T100-Eye (median IF= 5.5 vs 4.4) and produced more landmark papers (3 vs 1 articles that were cited >1000 times). Fifty-five % of T100-Eye were published in 3 journals: Ophthalmology (n = 22), Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science (n = 17), and American Journal of Ophthalmology (n = 16). T100-Eye had 88 original research articles and 12 reviews, whereas T100-General had 84 original research and 16 reviews. The most-frequent studied disease categories were myopia (n = 16) and age-related macular degeneration (n = 15) in T100-Eye and diabetic retinopathy (n = 24) and glaucoma (n = 16) in T100-General. Japan and Singapore contributed most to T100-Eye (n = 42, n = 17) and T100-General (n = 36, n = 26) articles. More than 80% and 95% of first and last authors were male in both lists. Emerging research topics were optical coherence tomography in T100-Eye and artificial intelligence in T100-General., Conclusions: Our citation analysis reveals differences in the focus of research topics of top-cited ophthalmology articles published in ophthalmology and nonophthalmology journals in Asia. It highlights that certain eye diseases are studied more in Asia and shows the contribution of specific countries to highly cited publications in ophthalmology research in Asia.

Background: Several association studies with small sample sizes of two SNPs in IL28BB (rs12979860 and rs8099917) showed inconsistent results, so in this study, we aim to evaluate the association between the two SNPs and infection susceptibility of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) in Asian population, especially in Chinese population by meta-analysis. Methods: Search the relevant published papers and perform meta-analysis respectively on IL28B (rs12979860 and rs8099917) in Asian population and Chinese population under an additive genetic model by STATA11.0. Results: The pooled odds ratios (OR) of rs12979860 are 0.79 (95% CI, 0.53-1.18; P = 0.25, I² = 63.2%) and 1.62 (95% CI, 1.04-2.51; P = 0.033, I² = 54.3%) respectively in Asian population and Chinese population analysis. The pooled OR of rs8099917 are 1.05 (95% CI, 0.93-1.19; P = 0.44, I² = 43.3%) and 0.97 (95% CI, 0.84-1.23; P = 0.726, I² = 15.6%) respectively in Asian population and Chinese population analysis. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that T allele of rs12979680 can increase the risk of HBV infection in Chinese population but not Asian population under an additive genetic model. There is no association between rs8099917 and HBV infection in Chinese population and Asian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim We assessed the influence of past environmental changes, notably the importance of palaeogeographical and climatic drivers, in shaping the distribution patterns of Dipodoidea (Rodentia), the superfamily most closely related to the large species-rich superfamily Muroidea ( c. 1300-1500 species). Dipodoids are suitable for testing several biogeographical hypotheses because of their disjunct distribution patterns in the Northern Hemisphere and the numerous species distributed in Asian deserts. Location Holarctic. Methods We inferred molecular phylogenetic relationships for Dipodoidea (34 out of 51 species and 15 out of 16 genera) based on five coding genes. A time-calibrated phylogeny was estimated using a Bayesian relaxed molecular clock with four fossil calibrations. A cross-validation procedure was adopted to examine the impact of each fossil on our estimates. The ancestral area of origin and biogeographical scenarios were reconstructed using time-stratified dispersal-extinction-cladogenesis models. Results Phylogenetic analyses recovered a well-resolved and supported topology. The divergence between Dipodoidea and Muroidea occurred in the late Palaeocene ( c. 57.72 Ma) and modern Dipodoidea diversified during the middle Eocene ( c. 40.62 Ma). Similar results were found with each calibration strategy used with the cross-validation procedure. The reconstruction of ancestral areas and biogeographical events indicated that modern Dipodoidea originated in the Himalaya-Tibetan and Central Asian region. Main conclusions At the time when Dipodoidea diversified (middle Eocene), the Central Asia and Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau region experienced major uplift episodes due to the collision of India with Asia, which also induced diversification events in many other groups. Other important diversification events (e.g. divergence between Zapodidae and Dipodidae in Central Asia) took placed during the Eocene-Oligocene transition when the global temperature decreased significantly and rodent/lagomorph-dominant faunas replaced Eocene perissodactyl-dominant faunas. All of these climatic and geological disruptions in the Central Asia and Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau region modified landscapes and offered new habitats that favoured diversification events, thus triggering the evolutionary history of Dipodoidea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Little is known about the patterns and correlates of mammal diversity gradients in Asia. In this study, we examine patterns of species distributions and phylogenetic diversity in Asia and investigate if the observed diversity patterns are associated with differences in diversification rates between the tropical and non-tropical regions. We used species distribution maps and phylogenetic trees to generate species and phylogenetic diversity measures for 1° × 1° cells across mainland Asia. We constructed lineage-through-time plots and estimated diversification shift-times to examine the temporal patterns of diversifications across orders. Finally, we tested if the observed gradients in Asia could be associated with geographical differences in diversification rates across the tropical and non-tropical biomes. We estimated speciation, extinction and dispersal rates across these two regions for mammals, both globally and for Asian mammals. Results: Our results demonstrate strong latitudinal and longitudinal gradients of species and phylogenetic diversity with Southeast Asia and the Himalayas showing highest diversity. Importantly, our results demonstrate that differences in diversification (speciation, extinction and dispersal) rates between the tropical and the non-tropical biomes influence the observed diversity gradients globally and in Asia. For the first time, we demonstrate that Asian tropics act as both cradles and museums of mammalian diversity. Conclusions: Temporal and spatial variation in diversification rates across different lineages of mammals is an important correlate of species diversity gradients observed in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) is a major subtype of esophageal cancer causing significant morbility and mortality in Asia. Mechanism of initiation and progression of this disease is unclear. Tumor initiating cells (TICs) are the subpopulation of cells which have the ability to self-renew, as well as, to drive initiation and progression of cancer. Increasing evidence has shown that TICs exist in a variety of tumors. However, the identification and characterization of TICs in esophageal carcinoma has remained elusive. Methodology/Principal Findings: to identify TICs in ESCC, ESCC cell lines including two primary cells were used for screening suitable surface marker. Then colony formation assay, drug resistant assay and tumorigenicity assay in immune deficient mice were used to characterize TICs in ESCC. We found that just the CD44 expression correlated with tumorigenicity in ESCC cell lines. And then induced differentiation of ESCC cells by all-trans retinoic acid treatment led to decreased expression of CD44. The FACS isolated cell subpopulations with high CD44 expression showed increased colony formation and drug resistance in vitro, as well as significantly enhanced tumorigenicity in NOD/SICD mice, as compared to the low expressing CD44 ESCC cells. Conclusions/Significance: our study has discovered a novel TIC surface marker, CD44, which can be utilized to enrich efficiently the TICs in ESCC. These findings will be useful for further studies of these cells and exploring therapeutic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the long run relationship of real interest rates within a number of economic blocs such as Asia–Pacific, Europe, North America using cointegration analysis and vector error correction models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which investigated the active tectonics of the Turan and South Kazakh platforms in western central Asia brought about by earthquakes. Two main stages in the tectonic setting of the area; Conclusions.