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Ficus benjamina (Moracaeae subfamily Urostigma, section Conosycea) grows naturally in tropical Asia and in Australia in the north of the Northern Territory and the Cairns region of Queensland. It is widely grown as an ornamental in more temperate regions of Australia. Schistonchus benjamhza sp. n. is described from sycones of F. benjamina in Brisbane, and is differentiated from other species of Schistonchus by a combination of morphological characters including having the excretory pore opening near the head, a short post-vulval uterine sac, rose thorn-shaped spicule, lightly sclerotised stylet and spicule, and three pairs of subventral papillae on the tail (one adcloacal, one at mid-tail length and one near the tail tip); and apparent biogeographical range. Phylogenetic analyses based on D3 sequences from collections from both northern and southern Queensland suggest that S. benjamina sp. n. is a species complex, but specimens from the different locations cannot be separated on morphological or morphometric data. Schistonchus benjamina sp. n. is closest to S. microcarpus from F. microcarpa (Urostigma, section Urostigma) in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Data about prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux diseases (GERD) from Asian populations are still scarce. To provide additional data on prevalence of GERD and investigate its potential risk factors, we performed this cross-sectional study in the Taizhou Retiree Cohort. Methods: After physical examination, the participants were asked whether they suffered with heartburn or acid regurgitation in the last 12 months by trained interviewers, and if yes, the severity and frequency of the symptoms were recorded. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations of obesity and other risk factors with GERD were derived from logistic regression models. Results: 8831 retirees completed the questionnaire and physical examination. In total 150 (1.7%) reported the symptoms occurring at least once per week within the last 12 months before the interview. Compared with subjects without GERD, having a history of diabetes mellitus (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.4-3.5), hypertension (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.0-2.1), gastritis (OR 8.2, 95% CI 5.8-11.5), peptic ulcer (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.8-6.1) and high triglyceride level (⩾1.81mmol/L) (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2-3.4) were associated with a significantly increased risk of GERD. However, there was no significant association between body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio or waist alone, smoking, consumption of alcohol & tea, and the occurrence of reflux symptoms. Conclusions: Compared with Western populations, the prevalence of GERD in this Chinese retiree cohort is low. A history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, gastritis, peptic ulcer or hypertriglyceridaemia increases GERD risk in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]