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The genus Akebia belongs to the Lardizabalaceae family and comprises five species that are primarily distributed in East Asia. Plants of the Akebia genus comprise deciduous and semi-evergreen perennial twining vines that have been used in Chinese herbal medicine for at least 2000 years. The plants of this genus have the potential to form a novel forest crop with high nutritional and economic value because their fruit has a delicious sweet taste and rich nutrient components. In this study, we organized, analyzed, and evaluated the available published scientific literature on the botanical, ecological, and phytochemical characteristics of Akebia plants. Based on these studies, we briefly introduced botanical and ecological characteristics and focused on reviewing the development and utilization of wild genetic resources in the genus Akebia. We further explored the genus' rich nutritional components, such as triterpenes, flavonoids, polyphenols, polysaccharides, and fatty acids, and their potential use in food and health improvement applications. In addition, several papers describing advances in biotechnological research focusing on micropropagation, nutrient biosynthesis, and fruit ripeness were also included. This review provides comprehensive knowledge of the Akebia genus as a new forest crop for food and fruit utilization, and we also discuss future breeding and research prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Damnacanthus indicus C.F.Gaertn. is an understorey shrub widely distributed in East Asia. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of D. indicus was assembled and annotated. The chloroplast genome is 153,997 bp in total length, consisting of a large single-copy region (LSC 85,159 bp), a small singlecopy region (SSC 17,584 bp) and two inverted repeat regions (25,627 bp for IRA and IRB,respectively). It contains 134 genes, including 89 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that D. indicus is sister to Mitchella repens, suggesting a close relationship of the two genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay investigates the determinants of institutional trust in six emerging democracies in East Asia. Citing cognitive dissonance theory, our research question concerns whether identifiers with opposition parties, in comparison to identifiers with incumbent parties, have weaker institutional trust. We look into different types of political institutions to see if the asymmetry is more pronounced in partisan institutions than in neutral ones. Using data from Wave 3 of the Asian Barometer Survey (2010-2011), we construct indicators of trust in partisan and neutral institutions and identify their determinants. Our findings show that the effect of partisanship on trust in partisan institutions is indeed asymmetric in most cases, although such asymmetry in trust in some neutral institutions may still be present. These finding raise the question whether the recent decline in political trust in some emerging East Asian democracies is due to bad governance or to increasing partisan polarization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]