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This fMRI study explored the relationship between social interactions and neural representations of emotionality in a foreign language (LX). Forty-five late learners of Japanese performed an auditory Japanese lexical decision task involving positive and negative words. The intensity of their social interactions with native Japanese speakers was measured using the Study Abroad Social Interaction Questionnaire. Activity in the left ventral striatum significantly correlated with social interaction intensity for positive words, while the right amygdala showed a significant correlation for negative words. These results indicate neural representations of LX emotional words link with the intensity of social interactions. Furthermore, LX negative words activated the left inferior frontal gyrus more than positive and neutral words, suggesting greater cognitive effort for processing negative words, aligning with a bias in adult social interactions towards more positively-valenced language. Overall, our findings underscore the importance of social interaction experiences in the processing of LX emotional words. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an experimental study aimed at investigating the learning effectiveness of a Web-based course called "Academic English" (EAP) for Japanese learners of English. The main focus of the study was to examine the form, function, and impact of interaction in the course. Twenty university-level EFL students participated in this experiment. They were randomly assigned to two treatment groups: a controlled group with "inter-personal task" treatment and an experiment group with "intra-personal task" treatment. Regarding effectiveness of the interactivity dimension in language acquisition, there was one independent variable, "type of treatments," and two dependent variables, "achievement" and "attitude measurements". The achievement variable was used to address the extent of learning due to the two treatment conditions. The attitude variable was used to address the degree of motivation towards a Web-based communication platform as well as the enforced interaction functions. Statistical analyses revealed no significant effect of treatment on either comprehension or general L2 development, but significant differences were found with respect to language interaction for task completion under different task treatments. Therefore, it was concluded that this Web-based course was well designed to maximize the students' language learning experience as well as to improve their language abilities in English. Further research is needed to examine the notion of self-repair in students' production in the target language. (Contains 6 figures, 12 tables and 2 notes.)

Although the input–output model has been widely used for both pure economic analysis and environmental issues, demographic analysis has been relegated to the periphery of the input–output literature. Previous researchers have made significant contributions in developing the economic–demographic modeling from the unemployment perspective, in the context of shrinking regional economies. This study aims to develop an extended input–output model for urbanization, based on the Batey–Madden model by incorporating the "urbanization process". This process is associated with one of the facets of demographic change and has received little attention in the literature. The effectiveness of the model is theoretically explored and empirically tested using Chinese data, which show rapid progress of urbanization in China. The study proposes a new "urbanization multiplier", which implies intense population concentration in cities based on an employment multiplier in urban areas and labor allocation possibilities between urban and rural areas. The result from a preliminary application shows that the economic structure can determine the urbanization multiplier, indicating that the extent of employment opportunities promotes urbanization and the size of the population attracts more workers from rural areas. The model provides a fresh aspect of urbanization in the existing literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Central Ryukyus, a group of islands in southwestern Japan, harbor many endemic reptiles and amphibians, and the geographic ranges of the endemics are limited to south of the Tokara Gap, an old sea strait. Ateuchosaurus pellopleurus is a lizard with an exceptionally wide geographic range that encompasses the Central Ryukyus and north of the Tokara Gap. The intraspecific geographic variation of this species and the divergence time between A. pellopleurus and its sister species in southern China, Ateuchosaurus chinensis , were assessed by molecular phylogeographic analyses. The results indicated that the populations north of the gap were established by recent northward dispersal, prior to which the distribution of this species was limited to the Central Ryukyus. The estimated divergence time between A. pellopleurus and A. chinensis was in the Oligocene or Miocene, which was concordant with the divergence times of most Central Ryukyu endemics. These results demonstrated that A. pellopleurus is essentially a Central Ryukyu endemic that shares a common biogeographic history with other endemics. The common divergence times suggested that isolation of the endemics from their sister species in surrounding areas are attributable to geographic isolation by a tectonic event in the Miocene. In addition, A. pellopleurus showed distinct divergence between the populations in the northern and southern parts of the Central Ryukyus, and further diversification within and between islands in the southern part. Comparison of the phylogeographic patterns between this species and other endemics revealed that the present diversity in the Central Ryukyu endemics was formed by a complex history that involved occasional dispersal rather than simple vicariance events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Maintenance therapy with the PARP inhibitor olaparib (with or without the antiangiogenic agent bevacizumab) leads to significant progression-free survival (PFS) benefits in patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer (OC) (with or without a BRCA' and/or BRCA2 mutation [ BRCA m]) (Moore et al. N Eng J Med 2018; Ray-Coquard et al. N Eng J Med 2019). Preclinical data have shown a potential synergistic antitumor effect when combining an immune checkpoint inhibitor with an antiangiogenic agent and a PARP inhibitor. The combination has shown promise as a treatment in platinum-sensitive relapsed non-germline BRCA m OC patients (Drew et al. ESMO 2020). The Phase III DUO-O trial (NCT03737643) began global enrollment in January 2019 and will evaluate the efficacy and safety of combinations of the standard of care platinumbased chemotherapy, bevacizumab, and the anti-PD-L1 antibody durvalumab, followed by maintenance bevacizumab, durvalumab, and olaparib in patients with newly diagnosed advanced OC (Harter et al. ASCO 2019). The China cohort will evaluate these combinations in a standalone analysis of patients with non- BRCA m tumors. Methods: Eligible patients must have newly diagnosed stage III or IV high-grade ovarian, epithelial, fallopian, or primary peritoneal cancer and have undergone upfront primary surgery or be planned to have interval debulking surgery. From sites in China, ~120 patients with a non- BRCA m tumor (using a China-based central laboratory to determine BRCA m status) will be randomized 1:1:1 to: chemotherapy + bevacizumab + durvalumab, followed by bevacizumab + durvalumab + olaparib maintenance; chemotherapy + bevacizumab + durvalumab, followed by bevacizumab + durvalumab + placebo maintenance; or chemotherapy + bevacizumab + placebo, followed by bevacizumab + placebo. Olaparib (300 mg bid) and durvalumab (1120 mg q3w) will be administered for up to 24 months, and bevacizumab (15 mg/kg q3w) for up to 15 months, or until disease progression. The primary endpoints are investigator-assessed PFS (modified RECIST v1.1) in all patients with a non- BRCA tumor and patients with a non- BRCA , homologous recombination deficiency-positive tumor. A key secondary efficacy endpoint is overall survival, and safety will be summarized descriptively. Local China protocol amendments are in progress, and relevant updates will be presented. Enrollment in China began in April 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have documented associations between peer influences and smoking among US and Chinese adolescents. Few studies, however, have shown how these influences occur in relation to adolescents' positions in their social networks. Social media channels such as online social networking and text messaging extend adolescents' networks and sphere of influence. This study examines the interplay between social media channels, peer influences, and smoking outcomes. Data were collected from 6,073 students from 24 high schools in Chengdu, China. Multilevel models suggest that mobile phone use (AOR = 1.45, p < .0001) and social Internet activity are risk factors for smoking (AOR = 1.18, p = .002), whereas informational Internet activity is protective (AOR = 0.87, p = .038). High social status was also positively associated with smoking (AOR = 1.16, p = .001), whereas the relationship with smoking intentions was moderated by mobile phone use (AOR = 1.11, p = .013). Findings suggest that media usage and social standing may have differential effects on smoking and other risky adolescent behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Two samples of Cremanthodium stenactinium (Asteraceae) were collected in Sichuan Province, China. From the ethyl acetate extracts of the roots, three new eremophilane-type sesquiterpenoids and one new trinoreremophilane compound were isolated, together with other known eremophilanes. Their structures were determined based on the spectroscopic data. This is the first report of isolation of eremophilane-type compounds from the genus Cremanthodium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a controversy in Japan regarding the historiography of the Sino-Japanese theater of the Second World War. The author contends that a revisionist school of history denies or justifies Japanese atrocities during that war such as the massacre in Nanking, China, and the forced prostitution of so-called comfort women. Further the author contends that this school of history is backed by certain Japanese politicians, and that a textbook reflecting this school has been endorsed by the Japanese government ministry in charge of education.

To evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of swine hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in Inner Mongolia, China, serum samples obtained from 356 2- to 4-month-old pigs on 14 farms in Inner Mongolia were tested for the presence of anti-HEV antibodies and HEV RNA. Overall, 186 pigs (52%) tested positive for anti-HEV antibodies, while 30 pigs (8%) had detectable HEV RNA levels. The 30 HEV isolates recovered from the viremic pigs were phylogenetically classified into genotype 4 and differed from each other by up to 15.3% in a 412 nt sequence within ORF2. The Inner Mongolian swine HEV strains were most similar to human or swine HEV strains isolated in the other provinces of China but differed by 15.9–18.9% from those in Mongolia (formerly known as Outer Mongolia). These results indicate that farm pigs in Inner Mongolia are frequently infected with markedly divergent genotype 4 HEV strains that may be indigenous to China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, we measured polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aerosols in Xi''an, China from 2005 to 2007, by using a modified Soxhlet extraction followed by a clean-up procedure using automated column chromatography followed by HPLC/fluorescence detection. The sources of PAHs were apportioned by using the positive matrix factorization (PMF) method. The PM10 concentration in winter (161.1±66.4μgm−3, n =242) was 1.5 times higher than that in summer (110.9±34.7μgm−3, n =248). ΣPAH concentrations, which are the sum of the concentrations of all detected PAHs, in winter (344.2±149.7ngm−3, n =45) was 2.5 times higher than that in summer (136.7±56.7ngm−3, n =24) in this study. These strong seasonal variations in atmospheric PAH concentration are possibly due to coal combustion for residential heating. According to the source apportionment with PMF method in this study, the major sources of PAHs in Xi''an are categorized as (1) mobile sources such as vehicle exhaust that constantly contribute to PAH pollution, and (2) stationary sources such as coal combustion that have a large contribution to PAH pollution in winter. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article discusses Japan's perspective on its relationship with China and the United States with regard to maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific area and in the world. The article notes that the three countries have their own national interests and different views about human rights and other basic values, but Japan is especially concerned about China's expansion plans and its efforts to develop a navy that would protect territorial claims to the seas. China's territorial plans are a concern to Japan because they have staked claims to international waters.

To examine the tectonic history of the Taiwan segment of the eastern margin of South China, six rock samples from the Tailuko belt, the metamorphic basement of Taiwan, were selected for zircon SHRIMP dating. The aim was to identify evidence shedding light on the timing of the change from passive to active tectonics for this part of the continental margin since South China separated from the supercontinent of Rodinia. The results lead to two age groups, 190-200 and 88-90 Ma. These age groups, augmented by the previously published age data, suggest that they could have resulted from two Mesozoic accretion/subduction events. In addition, this mid-late Mesozoic Tailuko belt might have also been reactivated and structurally complicated by the late Cenozoic collision/accretion of the Luzon arc with the Eurasian continent. Records of older tectonic events, such as those derived from the Japanese Islands, are absent in this metamorphic basement. An important finding of this study is the existence of the 191±10 Ma Talun metagranite, the oldest granitic intrusion ever reported in the Taiwan region and along the eastern coast area of South China. In spite of a large age uncertainty, the occurrence of this metagranite is not consistent with the apparent younging trend of Jurassic-Cretaceous igneous activity toward the coastline in South China, and should be taken into consideration by future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood samples were collected from four native breeds (Chahua chicken, Xishuangbanna Game chicken, Wuding chicken, and Yangbi Huang chicken) in the Yunnan province of China, and their protein polymorphisms were analyzed by using electrophoresies. Out of 16 loci examined, polymorphisms were found in the following eight loci: plasma esterase, plasma amylase, plasma alkaline phosphatase, plasma albumin, plasma transferrin, plasma postalbumin, and hemoglobin. The other eight loci, erythrocyte lactate dehydrogenase, erythrocyte 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, erythrocyte phosphoglucomutase, erythrocyte phosphohexose isomerase, erythrocyte tetrazolium oxidase, erythrocyte malate dehydrogenase, erythrocyte esterase and hemoglobin, were monomorphic. The proportion of the polymorphic loci and the expected average heterozygosity were estimated as 0.438–0.500 and 0.141–0.174, respectively. A dendrogram was drawn according to the genetic distance, which was calculated by the Nei's genetic distance matrix, among four Chinese native breeds. The results indicated that Chahua, Wuding and Yangbi Huang chickens were genetically remote from Xishuangbanna Game chicken. Moreover, the genetic distance was calculated among the Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi and Nepalese native fowl populations, and another dendrogram was constructed. In the latter dendrogram, Chahua, Wuding and Yangbi Huang chickens were genetically closer to Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi native fowls than Xishuangbanna Game chicken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North China craton destruction (i.e., NCC destruction) during the Early Cretaceous is typically considered within the context of continuous, westward subduction of the Izanagi /paleo-Pacific plate beneath eastern Eurasia (i.e., Andean-style subduction). However, geological evidence indicates intra-oceanic arc accretions along east Eurasia during the Early Cretaceous that are incompatible with Andean-style plate tectonics. Here we review oceanic terrane accretions along NE Asia during Cretaceous times from published magmatism, stratigraphy, and paleomagnetism. We synthesize an alternative 'intra-oceanic subduction'-style NE Asian plate tectonic model between ~15–40° N latitudes during the Early Cretaceous (130–100 Ma) and discuss implications for NCC destruction. Well-known NE Asian magmatism migrated >1000 km inboard to NE China during the Jurassic, and then >1000 km outboard during early Cretaceous (140–110 Ma). Early Cretaceous NE Asian igneous rocks include: (1) arc-related igneous rocks, (2) 132–99 Ma adakites in Japan and Sikhote-Alin, and (3) 145–120 Ma K-rich adakites in NE China. Roughly co-eval to these periods (130 to 100 Ma), intra-oceanic arcs accreted diachronously along the Sambagawa belts, SW Japan, Oku-Niikappu belts, NE Japan, and Kema and Kiselevka-Manoma, Russian Far East. Based on the adakite geochemistry and spatiotemporal overlap between the arc accretions and adakites, we link the NE China adakites to lower NCC crustal melting, whereas the Japan-Sikhote Alin adakites originated from oceanic slab melting. We show that eastern Eurasia-NW Panthalassan plate tectonics during the Early Cretaceous was more complex than generally recognized, involving intra-oceanic subduction zones and multiple oceanic plates. The Early Cretaceous-aged NE Asian adakites were generated within elevated mantle geotherms during 140–110 Ma slab rollback and 130–100 Ma intra-oceanic arc accretions. Oceanic mantle emplaced during these events replaced the NCC subcontinental lithospheric mantle with more juvenile mantle during final NCC destruction at 115 Ma. The more complete plate tectonic picture provided here suggests that NCC destruction models that rely on straightforward Andean-style subduction are likely oversimplified. Instead, future NCC destruction studies should include more complex geodynamics with intra-oceanic subduction and additional plates that will alter boundary conditions for geodynamic modeling, petrogenesis, and magmatic mixing models. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper assesses the impact of climate change on China''s agricultural production at a cross-provincial level using the Ricardian approach, incorporating a multilevel model with farm-level group data. The farm-level group data includes 13,379 farm households, across 316 villages, distributed in 31 provinces. The empirical results show that, firstly, the marginal effects and elasticities of net crop revenue per hectare with respect to climate factors indicated that the annual impact of temperature on net crop revenue per hectare was positive, and the effect of increased precipitation was negative when looking at the national totals; secondly, the total impact of simulated climate change scenarios on net crop revenues per hectare at a Chinese national total level, was an increase of between 79 USD per hectare and 207 USD per hectare for the 2050s, and an increase from 140 USD per hectare to 355 USD per hectare for the 2080s. As a result, climate change may create a potential advantage for the development of Chinese agriculture, rather than a risk, especially for agriculture in the provinces of the Northeast, Northwest and North regions. However, the increased precipitation can lead to a loss of net crop revenue per hectare, especially for the provinces of the Southwest, Northwest, North and Northeast regions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Five new 1β-angeloyloxyeremophilanolides (subspicatins H–L) and 1β-angeloyloxytetranoreremophilanone (norsubspicatin A), were isolated from the EtOAc extracts of Parasenecio petasitoides and their structures established on the basis of spectroscopic analyses. They are biogenetically mutually related to each other and represent a new category in the Parasenecio group. These findings suggest that there is diversity in this species, too. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract Secobakkane B (C-6/C-7 cleaved secobakkane type aldehyde), secovirgaurenols B and C (C-8/C-9 cleaved secoeremophilane type), a 1β,10β-epoxyfuranoeremophilane, two 1β,10β-epoxyeremophilanolides, and fukinospirolide C (bakkane-type lactone), as well as 33 known compounds were isolated from three samples of Ligularia virgaurea collected in China. Two of the three analyzed samples were grouped in the neoadenostylone (N) type, and the rest, a mixture of the 6-hydroxyeuryopsyn (H) and cacalol (C) types, out of five chemotypes found in this species. Graphical abstract Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Further chemical investigation of two Ligularia virgaurea samples collected in China resulted in the isolation of 21 new compounds, two of which were bakkane-type sesquiterpenoids bearing an anhydride-type ring C, which was a previously unknown partial structure. These samples belonged to the V-type (the major component was virgaurenone) among the five chemotypes found in this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five new 12-oxygenated eremophilane sesquiterpenoids bearing a B-ring enone system were isolated from Ligularia lingiana S.W. Liu (Asteraceae) collected in China. Compound 5 was a Diels-Alder adduct of 3α-angeloyloxy-7βH-8-oxoeremophila-9,11(13)-dien-12-al and the monoterpene, ocimene. Compound 1 showed cytotoxic activities against HeLa, HL60, Jurkat, and NIH-3T3 cells at IC50 0.0407, 0.440, 0.313, and 3.48 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Root chemicals and DNA sequences were analyzed for Ligularia virgaurea collected in the northern Sichuan Province and adjacent areas of China. Thirty-eight samples were found to contain five chemotypes, two known and three new ones. From samples of the new chemotypes, 13 new compounds were isolated, including 3 sesquiterpene dimers and some rearranged eremophilanes. The DNA sequences suggested that the chemotype differentiation had a genetic origin. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Rabbit hepatitis E virus (HEV) strains have recently been isolated in several areas of China and in the US and France. However, the host range, distribution and zoonotic potential of these HEV strains remain unknown and their propagation in cultured cells has not yet been reported. A total of 211 4-month-old rabbits raised on a farm in Inner Mongolia were tested for the presence of anti-HEV antibodies and HEV RNA. Overall, 121 rabbits (57.3%) tested positive for anti-HEV antibodies, and 151 (71.6%) had detectable HEV RNA. The 174 HEV strains recovered from these viremic rabbits, including two distinct strains each from 23 rabbits, differed from each other by up to 13.6% in a 412-nucleotide (nt) sequence within ORF2, and were 89.3–95.9% identical to the reported rabbit HEV strains in other provinces of China. Three representative Inner Mongolian strains, one each from three phylogenetic clusters, whose entire genomic sequences were determined, shared 79.6–96.7% identities with reported rabbit HEV strains within the entire or 242- to 1349-nt partial genomic sequence. Rabbit HEV strains recovered from liver tissues of rabbits with a high HEV load propagated efficiently in human cell lines (A549 and PLC/PRF/5 cells), suggesting the potential zoonotic risk of rabbit HEV. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Taeniasis refers to the infection with adult tapeworms of Taenia spp. in the upper small intestine of humans, which is also a cause of cysticercosis infection in either both humans and/or animals. Currently the most commonly applied anthelminthics for treatment of taeniasis are praziquantel and niclosamide. Praziquantel is very effective, but has the risk of induction of epileptic seizures or convulsions in carriers with asymptomatic concurrent neurocysticercosis. In contrast, niclosamide is safe and effective, but is not readily available in many endemic countries including China. In the current community-based study, we assessed the curative effect of either pumpkin seeds or areca nut extract alone in taeniasis, and also looked at synergistic effects of these two herb drugs on tapeworms. In the study group with the pumpkin seed/areca nut extract treatment, 91 (79.1%) of 115 suspected taeniasis cases (with a history of expulsion of proglottids within the previous one year) released whole tapeworms, four (3.5%) expelled incomplete strobila, and no tapeworms or proglottids were recovered in the remaining 20 cases. In these 115 persons, 45 were confirmed as taeniasis before treatment by microscopy and/or coproPCR. Forty (88.9%) of 45 confirmed cases eliminated intact worms following treatment. The mean time period for complete elimination of tapeworms in 91 taeniasis cases was 2h (range 20min to 8h 30min), and 89.0% (81) of 91 patients discharged intact worms within 3h after drug administration. In Control Group A with treatment of pumpkin seeds alone, 75.0% (9/12) of confirmed taeniasis cases expelled whole tapeworms, but the mean time period for complete elimination was about 14h 10min (range 3h 20min to 21h 20min), which was much longer than that (2h) for the study group, whereas in Control Group B treated with areca nut extract alone, only 63.6% (7/11) of taeniasis cases discharged whole tapeworms, and the mean time period was 6h 27min (range 1–22h). Mild side effects included nausea and dizziness in about 46.3% of patients with the pumpkin seeds/areca nut extract treatment, but all discomforts were transient and well tolerated. In conclusion, a synergistic effect of pumpkin seed and areca nut extract on Taenia spp. tapeworms was confirmed in the current study, primarily in producing an increased rate of effect on tapeworm expulsion (average time 2h for combination vs 6–21h for individual extracts). The pumpkin seed/areca combined treatment was indicated to be safe and highly effective (89%) for human taeniasis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Five Taenia tapeworms collected from humans in Tibetan Plateau, Sichuan, China, where three species of human Taenia are sympatrically endemic, were examined for the mitochondrial cox1 gene and two nuclear genes, ef1 and elp. Phylogenetic analyses of these genes revealed that two adult worms showed nuclear-mitochondrial discordance, suggesting that they originated from hybridization between Taenia saginata and Taenia asiatica. One of two worms had T. asiatica-type mtDNA, whereas another worm had T. saginata-type mtDNA, indicating that reciprocal hybridization between T. saginata and T. asiatica could occur. The worm having T. asiatica-type mtDNA was heterozygous at both nuclear loci with T. saginata-type alleles and T. asiatica-type alleles. In another worm, the ef1 locus was heterozygous with a T. saginata-type alleles and T. asiatica-type alleles, while the elp locus was homozygous with T. saginata-type alleles. Self-fertilization is the main reproductive method of the genus Taenia. Since self-fertilization represents a type of inbreeding, each locus in the offspring would become homozygous over generations with genetic drift. The fact that some nuclear loci are still heterozygous means that hybridization might have occurred recently. Hybridization between T. asiatica and T. saginata is probably an ongoing event in many areas in which they are sympatrically endemic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The method of electron spin resonance (ESR) dosimetry was applied to human tooth enamel to obtain estimates of individual absorbed dose for residents of Makanchi, Urdzhar and Taskesken settlements located near the Kazakhstan–Chinese border (about 400 km to the South–East, from the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site (SNTS) and about 1000 km from the Lop Nor Nuclear Weapons Test Base, China). Since the ground and atmospheric nuclear tests (1964–1981) at Lop Nor, the people residing in these settlements are believed to have been heavily exposed to radioactive fallout. Tooth samples had been extracted for medical reasons during the course of ordinary dental treatment. The village of Kokpekty, located 400 km to the South–east of the SNTS, was chosen as the control group since it has not been subjected to any radioactive contamination. The mean excess doses in tooth enamel obtained after subtraction of the contribution of natural background radiation do not exceed 62 ± 28 mGy, 64 ± 30 mGy, 49 ± 27 mGy and −19 ± 36 mGy for all ages of the residents of Makanchi, Urdzhar, Taskesken and the control village of Kokpekty, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Root chemicals and evolutionarily neutral DNA regions in L. cyathicepssamples collected in the Zhongdian Shangrila County of Yunnan, P.R. China, were examined. Twenty compounds were isolated, including three new ones, 1β,10βepoxy6βpropionyloxyfuranoeremophilan9one 6, 1β,10βepoxy8αethoxyeremophila6,11diene 14, and 11αH6βisobutyryloxy1β,10β,7β,8βdiepoxyeremophilan12,8αolide 15. The chemical diversity was found to be limited, with cacalol 1 and 6acyloxyfuranoeremophilan9ones 4andor 5 being major components in all the samples. The nuclear ribosomal RNA gene was also found to harbor little variation, although two distinct sequence types were found for the plastid atpBrbcLintergenic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Intra-specific diversity in Liularia vellerea growing in the northwestern to central Yunnan province of China was studied by chemical and genetic approaches. Samples collected in the Jianchuan, Lijiang, and Zhongdian areas contained 6,15-dioxygenated furanoeremophilanes as their major components (type A); whereas samples from the Luguhu area accumulated 1,6-dioxygenated furanoeremophilanes (type B); a sample from near Kunming, however, contained 6,15-dioxygenated eremophilanolides (type C). 11βH- and 11αH-6β-angeloyloxy-15-carboxyeremophil-7-en-12,8-olides (eremofarfugins D and E) were also isolated and their structures were determined. A correlation between the composition and the DNA sequence was observed in the ITSs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Five Ligularia samples are analyzed and twenty compounds, including two new compounds (I) and (II), are isolated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a hallmark of reproductive medicine. However, the inconclusive outcome leads to marital disharmonies; thus, the choices of gamete donation and surrogacy (GD/S) are often offered. In restricted countries, the child-rearing choice through foster/adoption care is promising, but the uptake remains low. We explore the current reproductive services and adoption scenarios in Asian countries to delineate this issue. The web and literature search using PubMed and Ichushi was conducted in Japanese and English using the keywords "adoption", "foster care", "reproductive medicine", including the interview with the respective Asian clinicians. We found that an established adoption system was seen in China, Malaysia, and the Philippines, mainly due to the restriction of GD/S. Although GD/S were allowed in Thailand, Singapore, and India, the different local affordability of IVF cost led to various adoption system scenarios. Nevertheless, the country's economic aspect does influence the establishment of adoption care, mainly due to financial support from local government. Otherwise, the significant barrier was the cultural/religious background leading to low adoption rates. We concluded that the adoption option should always be highlighted as an alternative strategy as it synergistically contributes to children's and infertile couples' welfare.