12,488 results on '"Asia, Eastern"'
Search Results
2. Synergistic effects of Pleistocene geological and climatic events on complex phylogeographic history of widespread sympatric species of Megaloptera in East Asia.
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Lin AL, Zou MM, Cao LJ, Hayashi F, Yang D, and Liu XY
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- Animals, Asia, Eastern, Animal Distribution, Climate, Holometabola genetics, Holometabola classification, Insecta genetics, Insecta classification, Sympatry, Phylogeography
- Abstract
Unraveling the phylogeographic histories of species remains a key endeavor for comprehending the evolutionary processes contributing to the rich biodiversity and high endemism found in East Asia. In this study, we explored the phylogeographic patterns and demographic histories of three endemic fishfly and dobsonfly species ( Neochauliodes formosanus , Protohermes costalis , and Neoneuromus orientalis ) belonging to the holometabolan order Megaloptera. These species, which share a broad and largely overlapping distribution, were analyzed using comprehensive mitogenomic data. Our findings revealed a consistent influence of vicariance on the population isolation of Neoc. formosanus and P. costalis between Hainan, Taiwan, and the East Asian mainland during the early Pleistocene, potentially hindering subsequent colonization of the later diverged Neon. orientalis to these islands. Additionally, we unveiled the dual function of the major mountain ranges in East Asia, serving both as barriers and conduits, in shaping the population structure of all three species. Notably, we demonstrated that these co-distributed species originated from Southwest, Southern, and eastern Central China, respectively, then subsequently migrated along multi-directional routes, leading to their sympatric distribution on the East Asian mainland. Furthermore, our results highlighted the significance of Pleistocene land bridges along the eastern coast of East Asia in facilitating the dispersal of mountain-dwelling insects with low dispersal ability. Overall, this study provides novel insight into the synergistic impact of Pleistocene geological and climatic events in shaping the diversity and distribution of aquatic insects in East Asia.
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- 2024
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3. Comparative phylogenomic study of East Asian endemic genus, Corchoropsis Siebold & Zucc. (Malvaceae s.l.), based on complete plastome sequences.
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Jung J, Deng T, Kim YG, Kim C, Sun H, and Kim JH
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- Microsatellite Repeats, Evolution, Molecular, Plastids genetics, Asia, Eastern, Genomics methods, East Asian People, Phylogeny, Genome, Plastid
- Abstract
Background: Endemic plants are key to understanding the evolutionary history and enhancing biodiversity within their unique regions, while also offering significant economic potential. The East Asian endemic genus Corchoropsis Siebold & Zucc., classified within the subfamily Dombeyoideae of Malvaceae s.l., comprises three species., Results: This study characterizes the complete plastid genomes (plastomes) of C. crenata var. crenata Siebold & Zucc. and C. crenata var. hupehensis Pamp., which range from 160,093 to 160,724 bp. These genomes contain 78 plastid protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA, and four rRNA, except for one pseudogene, infA. A total of 316 molecular diagnostic characters (MDCs) specific to Corchoropsis were identified. In addition, 91 to 92 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) in C. crenata var. crenata and 75 in C. crenata var. hupehensis were found. Moreover, 49 long repeats were identified in both the Chinese C. crenata var. crenata and C. crenata var. hupehensis, while 52 were found in the South Korean C. crenata var. crenata. Our phylogenetic analyses, based on 78 plastid protein-coding genes, reveal nine subfamilies within the Malvaceae s.l. with high support values and confirm Corchoropsis as a member of Dombeyoideae. Molecular dating suggests that Corchoropsis originated in the Oligocene, and diverged during the Miocene, influenced by the climate shift at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary., Conclusions: The research explores the evolutionary relationships between nine subfamilies within the Malvaceae s.l. family, specifically identifying the position of the Corchoropsis in the Dombeyoideae. Utilizing plastome sequences and fossil data, the study establishes that Corchoropsis first appeared during the Eocene and experienced further evolutionary divergence during the Miocene, paralleling the evolutionary patterns observed in other East Asian endemic species., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
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- 2024
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4. Rosacea in East Asian populations: Clinical manifestations and pathophysiological perspectives for accurate diagnosis.
- Author
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Nobeyama Y
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- Humans, Skin pathology, Skin Pigmentation, Asia, Eastern, Pollen adverse effects, Pollen immunology, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, East Asian People, Rosacea diagnosis, Rosacea etiology, Rosacea physiopathology, Asian People
- Abstract
Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory disorder primarily affecting the facial skin, prominently involving the cheeks, nose, chin, forehead, and periorbital area. Cutaneous manifestations encompass persistent facial erythema, phymas, papules, pustules, telangiectasia, and flushing. The pathogenesis of rosacea is associated with various exacerbating or triggering factors, including microbial infestation, temperature fluctuations, sunlight exposure, physical exertion, emotional stress, consumption of hot beverages and spicy foods, and exposure to airborne pollen. These environmental factors interact with genetic predispositions in the development of rosacea. The roles of the lipophilic microbiome, ultraviolet radiation, nociceptive responses, and vascular alterations have been proposed as significant factors in the pathogenesis. These insights contribute to understanding the anatomical specificity of facial involvement and the progressive nature of rosacea. East Asian skin, predominantly classified as Fitzpatrick skin phototypes III to IV, is characterized by relatively diminished skin barrier function and increased sensitivity to irritants. Airborne pollen exposure may particularly act as a trigger in East Asian individuals, possibly mediated through toll-like receptors. The lack of specificity in objective clinical and histopathological findings leads to diagnostic challenges for individuals with colored skin, including East Asians, particularly when erythema is the sole objective manifestation. An alternative diagnostic scheme may thus be necessary. A diagnostic approach emphasizing vascular manifestations and nociceptive symptoms potentially holds promise for individuals with darker skin tones. More research focusing on potential variations in skin physiology across different racial groups is essential to establish more effective diagnostic schemes applicable to both dark and light skin colors., (© 2024 Japanese Dermatological Association.)
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- 2024
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5. Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Anti-Obesity Medications Among Adult East Asian People with Obesity: A Systematic Literature Review and Indirect Treatment Comparison.
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Yokote K, Ota R, Wada S, Matsuda H, and Filomeno R
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- Humans, Asia, Eastern, Adult, Asian People, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Treatment Outcome, Body Mass Index, Weight Loss drug effects, East Asian People, Obesity drug therapy, Anti-Obesity Agents therapeutic use, Anti-Obesity Agents adverse effects, Glucagon-Like Peptides therapeutic use, Glucagon-Like Peptides adverse effects
- Abstract
Introduction: The prevalence of obesity has increased worldwide over the past decades. Regional variations exist in the relationship between body mass index (BMI), body fat, and health risks: Asians typically have a lower BMI than people of European descent, but a higher risk of obesity-related comorbidities. However, there is a paucity of evidence for anti-obesity medications (AOMs) in East Asian populations. In this study, we aimed to systematically review evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of AOMs among adults with obesity disease in East Asia, and to assess the feasibility of conducting an indirect treatment comparison (ITC) between the semaglutide and mazindol trials., Methods: The Embase, MEDLINE, and ICHUSHI databases were searched via the Ovid SP platform for randomized controlled trials, in English or Japanese, reporting data on semaglutide or mazindol therapy with placebo or diet and exercise as comparators. The potential risks of bias in conducting a population-adjusted ITC were determined based on the heterogeneity of potential effect modifiers and variations in study design., Results: Of 21 publications, 2 were included in this study based on the eligibility criteria. The STEP 6 study established the clinical efficacy of subcutaneous semaglutide compared with placebo in the reduction of body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors [glycated hemoglobin (HbA
1c ), total cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure] among Japanese and South Korean people with obesity disease. Mazindol also proved beneficial in reducing body weight and total cholesterol compared with placebo in Japan. Both semaglutide and mazindol were associated with higher rates of adverse events and treatment discontinuation than placebo. An ITC between the two studies was not deemed feasible based on the potential risks of bias., Conclusions: Semaglutide and mazindol are associated with significant body weight reduction among people with obesity in East Asia. Further research based on label indications and up-to-date real-world data among East Asian people with obesity would help determine additional clinical benefits., (© 2024. The Author(s).)- Published
- 2024
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6. Bemarituzumab plus mFOLFOX6 as first-line treatment in East Asian patients with FGFR2b-overexpressing locally advanced or metastatic gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer: subgroup of FIGHT final analysis.
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Kang YK, Qin S, Lee KW, Oh SC, Kim IH, Kim JG, Li Y, Yan Z, Li J, Bai LY, Chan C, Yusuf A, Zahlten-Kümeli A, Taylor K, and Yamaguchi K
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- Humans, Male, Female, Middle Aged, Aged, Adult, Double-Blind Method, Esophageal Neoplasms drug therapy, Esophageal Neoplasms pathology, Asia, Eastern, Aged, 80 and over, Survival Rate, East Asian People, Stomach Neoplasms drug therapy, Stomach Neoplasms pathology, Stomach Neoplasms mortality, Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 2, Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols therapeutic use, Fluorouracil administration & dosage, Fluorouracil therapeutic use, Leucovorin therapeutic use, Leucovorin administration & dosage, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized therapeutic use, Esophagogastric Junction pathology, Organoplatinum Compounds therapeutic use, Organoplatinum Compounds administration & dosage
- Abstract
Background: In the FIGHT study (NCT03694522) bemarituzumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody selective for fibroblast growth factor receptor 2b (FGFR2b), plus mFOLFOX6 showed clinically meaningful efficacy in patients with FGFR2b-positive (2+/3+ membranous staining by immunohistochemistry) locally advanced unresectable/metastatic gastric/gastroesophageal cancer (G/GEJC). A meaningful proportion of patients in FIGHT were enrolled in East Asia, reflecting global epidemiology of G/GEJC., Methods: This subgroup analysis of the global, phase 2, double-blind FIGHT study included all patients enrolled in East Asian sites. Patients were randomized 1:1 to bemarituzumab-mFOLFOX6 (15 mg/kg and one 7.5 mg/kg dose on cycle 1, day 8) or matching placebo-mFOLFOX6. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), objective response rate, and safety. Efficacy was evaluated after a minimum follow-up of 24 months., Results: The East Asian subgroup comprised 89 patients (57% of overall study population); 45 were randomized to bemarituzumab-mFOLFOX6 and 44 to placebo-mFOLFOX6. Median PFS (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 12.9 months (8.8-17.9) with bemarituzumab-mFOLFOX6 and 8.2 months (5.6-10.3) with placebo-mFOLFOX6 (HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.29-0.87); median OS (95% CI) was 24.7 months (13.8-33.1) vs 12.9 months (9.3-21.4), respectively (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.32-0.96). Treatment benefit was more pronounced in patients with FGFR2b-positive G/GEJC in ≥ 10% of tumor cells. No new safety signals were reported., Conclusion: In East Asian patients with FGFR2b-positive advanced/metastatic G/GEJC enrolled in the global FIGHT study, bemarituzumab-mFOLFOX6 showed clinically meaningful outcomes over placebo-mFOLFOX6., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
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- 2024
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7. Carbon footprints and health security: A comparative assessment of the Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 13 in East Asian countries.
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Sun M, Han S, and Liu Y
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- Humans, Asia, Eastern, Carbon Dioxide analysis, Life Expectancy, East Asian People, Carbon Footprint, Sustainable Development
- Abstract
In East Asia, where several countries are among the top emitters of carbon dioxide globally, the need to address the dual challenges of reducing carbon footprints and ensuring health security is paramount. Against this backdrop, this study used a descriptive analysis to provide a comparative assessment of the carbon footprints and the level of health security in East Asia using secondary data, sourced from the World Development Indicators. The findings from the study show that it is only North Korea that its average carbon footprint of every person is less than 2.3 tons. However, China, Japan, Mongolia and South Korea are currently lagging behind in meeting the SDG 13 target. Meanwhile, North Korea recorded the highest incidence of tuberculosis in the region. Despite the fact that South Korea and Japan were the highest emitter of CO2, the duo had the lowest under five mortality, infant mortality, incidence of TB alongside the highest life expectancies which surpassed the regional performance. In view of the above, the policymakers in Asia and the rest of the countries with health insecurity should emulate the policymakers in Japan and South Korea by making adequate investment in health, education, and standard of living of their citizens., Competing Interests: The Authors declared no conflict of interest, (African Journal of Reproductive Health © 2024.)
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- 2024
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8. Seaweeds as a major source of dietary microplastics exposure in East Asia.
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Xiao X, Liu S, Li L, Li R, Zhao X, Yin N, She X, Peijnenburg W, Cui X, and Luo Y
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- Humans, Water Pollutants, Chemical analysis, Water Pollutants, Chemical metabolism, Asia, Eastern, Diet, Kelp chemistry, Kelp metabolism, Seaweed chemistry, Seaweed metabolism, Microplastics analysis, Food Contamination analysis, Dietary Exposure analysis
- Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) occurrence in marine ecosystems is well known, but their accumulation in seaweeds and subsequent human exposure remain understudied. This research quantifies MPs presence in two commonly consumed seaweeds, kelp (Saccharina japonica) and nori (Pyropia yezoensis), in East Asia, revealing widespread contamination dominated by microfibers (<500 μm). Based on dietary patterns, human uptake through seaweed consumption was estimated and quantified. Notably, Chinese people consume an estimated 17,034 MPs/person/year through seaweed consumption, representing 13.1% of their total annual MPs intake. This seaweeds-derived exposure surpasses all other dietary sources, contributing up to 45.5% of overall MPs intake. The highest intake was in South Korea, followed by North Korea, China, and Japan. This research identifies seaweeds as a major, previously overlooked route of dietary MPs exposure. These findings are crucial for comprehensive risk assessments of seaweed consumption and the development of mitigation strategies, particularly for populations in East Asian countries., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)
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- 2024
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9. CMIP6 ESMs overestimate greening and the photosynthesis trends in Dryland East Asia.
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Xiao Y, Chen T, Chen X, Yang Y, Wang S, and Zhou S
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- Asia, Eastern, Climate Models, Environmental Monitoring methods, Desert Climate, Climate Change, Photosynthesis
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The Dryland East Asia (DEA) is one of the largest inland arid regions, and vegetation is very sensitive to climate change. The complex environment in DEA with defects of modeling construction make it difficult to simulate and predict changes in vegetation structure and productivity. Here, we use the emergent constraint (EC) method to constrain the future interannual leaf area index (LAI) and gross primary productivity (GPP) trends in DEA, under four scenarios of the latest Sixth Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) model ensemble. LAI and GPP increase in all scenarios in the near term (2015-2050), with continued growth in SSP370 and SSP585 and stasis in SSP126 and SSP245 in the far term (2051-2100). However, after building effective EC relationships, the constrained increasing trends of LAI (GPP) are reduced by 43.5 %-53.9 % (30.5 %-50.0 %) compared with the uncertainties of the original ensemble, which are reduced by 10.0 %-45.7 % (4.6 %-34.3 %). We also extend the EC in moving windows and grid cells, further strengthening the robustness of the constraints, especially by illustrating spatial sources of these emergent relationships. Overestimations of LAI and GPP trends suggest that current CMIP6 models may be insufficient to capture the complex relationships between climate change and vegetation dynamics in DEA; however, these models can be adjusted based on established emergent relationships., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)
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- 2024
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10. Uncovering ghost introgression through genomic analysis of a distinct eastern Asian hickory species.
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Zhang WP, Ding YM, Cao Y, Li P, Yang Y, Pang XX, Bai WN, and Zhang DY
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- Genomics, Asia, Eastern, East Asian People, Genome, Plant genetics, Phylogeny, Genetic Introgression
- Abstract
Ghost introgression, or the transfer of genetic material from extinct or unsampled lineages to sampled species, has attracted much attention. However, conclusive evidence for ghost introgression, especially in plant species, remains scarce. Here, we newly assembled chromosome-level genomes for both Carya sinensis and Carya cathayensis, and additionally re-sequenced the whole genomes of 43 C. sinensis individuals as well as 11 individuals representing 11 diploid hickory species. These genomic datasets were used to investigate the reticulation and bifurcation patterns within the genus Carya (Juglandaceae), with a particular focus on the beaked hickory C. sinensis. By combining the D-statistic and BPP methods, we obtained compelling evidence that supports the occurrence of ghost introgression in C. sinensis from an extinct ancestral hickory lineage. This conclusion was reinforced through the phylogenetic network analysis and a genome scan method VolcanoFinder, the latter of which can detect signatures of adaptive introgression from unknown donors. Our results not only dispel certain misconceptions about the phylogenetic history of C. sinensis but also further refine our understanding of Carya's biogeography via divergence estimates. Moreover, the successful integration of the D-statistic and BPP methods demonstrates their efficacy in facilitating a more precise identification of introgression types., (© 2024 The Author(s). The Plant Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
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- 2024
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11. The present situation of and challenges in research ethics and integrity promotion: Experiences in East Asia.
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Chou C, Lee IJ, and Fudano J
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- Humans, Taiwan, Republic of Korea, Japan, Asia, Eastern, Ethics, Research, Scientific Misconduct ethics
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As relatively new economies to the global research arena, East Asian nations have fully realized the importance of research integrity in recent decades. This article conducts document analysis to demonstrate and discuss the current situation of research integrity campaigns in Taiwan, Korea, and Japan, nations that have similar cultural backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses. This article emphasizes the common situations faced by these three nations both individually and collectively. Based on a four-pillar framework, research integrity campaigns in these nations are making progress in terms of policies and regulations, institutional management, researchers' education and training, and the handling of misconduct cases. Various issues and challenges have also emerged in this context, although these efforts may have had positive impacts on research communities in these three nations. Challenges associated with research integrity governance, institutional willingness, RCR instructor qualifications, the effectiveness of education, and the standardization of definitions of misconduct and noncompliance are also highlighted. The issues discussed in this article are expected to have implications for research communities and policy-makers in these three nations as well as in a global context.
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- 2024
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12. Evidence for no genetic causal association between skin response to sun exposure and systemic lupus erythematosus: A Mendelian randomization study in Europeans and East Asians.
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Yang F, Li J, and Jiang X
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- Humans, Asia, Eastern, Mendelian Randomization Analysis, East Asian People genetics, European People genetics, Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic genetics, Sunlight adverse effects
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- 2024
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13. Challenges, experiences, and potential supports for East and Southeast Asian mothers in the workforce: a systematic review.
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Ho PJ, Sim TMY, Loo CKY, and Li J
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- Humans, Female, Asia, Southeastern, Breast Feeding statistics & numerical data, Asia, Eastern, Social Support, Health Status, Adult, Southeast Asian People, Mothers psychology, Mothers statistics & numerical data, Women, Working statistics & numerical data, Women, Working psychology, Workplace psychology
- Abstract
Objective: To examine the challenges faced by Asian working mothers with a focus on re-entry to the workplace. In addition, we highlight potential supports that retain women in the workforce., Design: A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendations and registered with PROSPERO database (CRD42022341130)., Methods: Three independent reviewers were involved in the study selection to screen the search results sequentially by title, abstract, and full text using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The methodological quality of each article was assessed via the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool., Results: We analysed a total of 36 studies conducted across different regions: 30 from the East and 6 from Southeast Asia. Among these studies, 20 were quantitative in nature, 15 were qualitative, and one intervention. The 36 studies cover five themes: 1) policies, 2) external support sources, 3) external pressure, 4) breastfeeding and 5) health status. Within each theme the same factor can have a positive or negative impact on the mother depending on her having a pro-career or pro-family mindset. Companies can take various initiatives to support working mothers, such as providing facilities for expressing breast milk at the workplace, educating staff to promote breastfeeding and accommodate childcare needs, and extending maternity leaves. However, there is a lack of literature that directly addresses the barriers and concrete support available to working mothers in Asia, beyond the scope of breastfeeding., Conclusions: Our findings underscore several obstacles that can impede a woman's seamless return to work. Pro-family and pro-career mothers have differing needs that cannot be addressed at the same time. There is a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding effective strategies or interventions that can support a positive reintegration into the workforce., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
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- 2024
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14. Understanding the factors related to how East and Southeast Asian immigrant youth and families access mental health and substance use services: A scoping review.
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Gao C, Cho LL, Dhillon A, Kim S, McGrail K, Law MR, Sunderji N, and Barbic S
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- Humans, Adolescent, Asia, Southeastern ethnology, Child, Young Adult, Family, Asia, Eastern, Southeast Asian People, Emigrants and Immigrants psychology, Substance-Related Disorders therapy, Substance-Related Disorders ethnology, Health Services Accessibility, Mental Health Services
- Abstract
The objective of the review is to identify factors related to how East and Southeast Asian immigrant youth aged 12-24 and their families access mental health and substance use (MHSU) services. To address how East and Southeast Asian youth and their families access mental health and substance use services, a scoping review was conducted to identify studies in these databases: PubMed, MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), PsychINFO, CINAHL, and Sociology Collection. Qualitative content analysis was used to deductively identify themes and was guided by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, the process-person-context-time (PPCT) model, and the five dimensions of care accessibility (approachability, acceptability, availability and accommodation, appropriateness, affordability). Seventy-three studies met the inclusion criteria. The dimensions of healthcare accessibility shaped the following themes: 1) Acceptability; 2) Appropriateness; 3) Approachability; 4) Availability and Accommodation. Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory and the PPCT model informed the development of the following themes: 1) Immediate Environment/Proximal Processes (Familial Factors, Relationships with Peers; 2) Context (School-Based Services/Community Resources, Discrimination, Prevention, Virtual Care); 3) Person (Engagement in Services/Treatment/Research, Self-management); 4) Time (Immigration Status). The study suggests that there is a growing body of research (21 studies) focused on identifying acceptability factors, including Asian cultural values and the model minority stereotype impacting how East and Southeast Asian immigrant youth access MHSU services. This review also highlighted familial factors (16 studies), including family conflict, lack of MHSU literacy, reliance on family as support, and family-based interventions, as factors affecting how East and Southeast Asian immigrant youth access MHSU care. However, the study also highlighted a dearth of research examining how East and Southeast Asian youth with diverse identities access MHSU services. This review emphasizes the factors related to the access to MHSU services by East and Southeast Asian immigrant youth and families while providing insights that will improve cultural safety., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Gao et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)
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- 2024
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15. Delineation of the phenotypes and genotypes of PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum in East asians.
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Chen H, Sun B, Liu H, Gao W, Qiu Y, Hua C, and Lin X
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- Adolescent, Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Infant, Male, Asia, Eastern, East Asian People, Genetic Association Studies, Growth Disorders genetics, Growth Disorders pathology, Mutation, Asian People genetics, Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases genetics, Genotype, Phenotype
- Abstract
PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum (PROS) is an umbrella term to describe a diverse range of developmental disorders. Research to date has predominantly emerged from Europe and North America, resulting in a notable scarcity of studies focusing on East Asian populations. Currently, the prevalence and distribution of PIK3CA variants across various genetic loci and their correlation with distinct phenotypes in East Asian populations remain unclear. This study aims to elucidate the phenotype-genotype correlations of PROS in East Asian populations. We presented the phenotypes and genotypes of 82 Chinese patients. Among our cohort, 67 individuals carried PIK3CA variants, including missense, frameshift, and splice variants. Six patients presented with both PIK3CA and an additional variant. Seven PIK3CA-negative patients exhibited overlapping PROS manifestations with variants in GNAQ, AKT1, PTEN, MAP3K3, GNA11, or KRAS. An integrative review of the literature pertaining to East Asian populations revealed that specific variants are uniquely associated with certain PROS phenotypes. Some rare variants were exclusively identified in cases of megalencephaly and diffuse capillary malformation with overgrowth. Non-hotspot variants with undefined oncogenicity were more common in CNS phenotypes. Diseases with vascular malformation were more likely to have variants in the helical domain, whereas phenotypes involving adipose/muscle overgrowth without vascular abnormalities predominantly presented variants in the C2 domain. Our findings underscore the unique phenotype-genotype patterns within the East Asian PROS population, highlighting the necessity for an expanded cohort to further elucidate these correlations. Such endeavors would significantly facilitate the development of PI3Kα selective inhibitors tailored for the East Asian population in the future., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)
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- 2024
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16. Adaptive Evolution of Two Distinct Adaptive Haplotypes of Neanderthal Origin at the Immunoglobulin Heavy-chain Locus in East Asian and European Populations.
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Ma X, Lu Y, and Xu S
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- Animals, Humans, Europe, Asia, Eastern, Asian People genetics, Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains genetics, White People genetics, Evolution, Molecular, Genetic Introgression, Selection, Genetic, East Asian People, Neanderthals genetics, Haplotypes
- Abstract
Immunoglobulins (Igs) have a crucial role in humoral immunity. Two recent studies have reported a high-frequency Neanderthal-introgressed haplotype throughout Eurasia and a high-frequency Neanderthal-introgressed haplotype specific to southern East Asia at the immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IGH) gene locus on chromosome 14q32.33. Surprisingly, we found the previously reported high-frequency Neanderthal-introgressed haplotype does not exist throughout Eurasia. Instead, our study identified two distinct high-frequency haplotypes of putative Neanderthal origin in East Asia and Europe, although they shared introgressed alleles. Notably, the alleles of putative Neanderthal origin reduced the expression of IGHG1 and increased the expression of IGHG2 and IGHG3 in various tissues. These putatively introgressed alleles also affected the production of IgG1 upon antigen stimulation and increased the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus. Additionally, the greatest genetic differentiation across the whole genome between southern and northern East Asians was observed for the East Asian haplotype of putative Neanderthal origin. The frequency decreased from southern to northern East Asia and correlated positively with the genome-wide proportion of southern East Asian ancestry, indicating that this putative positive selection likely occurred in the common ancestor of southern East Asian populations before the admixture with northern East Asian populations., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.)
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- 2024
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17. Genetic characterization of cucumber genetic resources in the NARO Genebank indicates their multiple dispersal trajectories to the East.
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Shigita G, Shimomura K, Dung TP, Haque NP, Duong TT, Imoh ON, Monden Y, Nishida H, Tanaka K, Sugiyama M, Kawazu Y, Tomooka N, and Kato K
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- Genetics, Population, Genotype, Genetic Variation, Asia, Eastern, Cucumis sativus genetics, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
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Key Message: Genotyping-by-sequencing of 723 worldwide cucumber genetic resources revealed that cucumbers were dispersed eastward via at least three distinct routes, one to Southeast Asia and two from different directions to East Asia. The cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is an economically important vegetable crop cultivated and consumed worldwide. Despite its popularity, the manner in which cucumbers were dispersed from their origin in South Asia to the rest of the world, particularly to the east, remains a mystery due to the lack of written records. In this study, we performed genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) on 723 worldwide cucumber accessions, mainly deposited in the Japanese National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) Genebank, to characterize their genetic diversity, relationships, and population structure. Analyses based on over 60,000 genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms identified by GBS revealed clear genetic differentiation between Southeast and East Asian populations, suggesting that they reached their respective region independently, not progressively. A deeper investigation of the East Asian population identified two subpopulations with different fruit characteristics, supporting the traditional classification of East Asian cucumbers into two types thought to have been introduced by independent routes. Finally, we developed a core collection of 100 accessions representing at least 93.2% of the genetic diversity present in the entire collection. The genetic relationships and population structure, their associations with geographic distribution and phenotypic traits, and the core collection presented in this study are valuable resources for elucidating the dispersal history and promoting the efficient use and management of genetic resources for research and breeding in cucumber., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
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- 2024
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18. The diameter of cutaneous melanoma serves as a prognostic indicator for survival among acral-melanoma predominant East Asian patients.
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Chen KC, Wang TH, Li CY, and Chiu YJ
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- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Young Adult, Asia, Eastern, East Asian People, Lymphatic Metastasis pathology, Melanoma, Cutaneous Malignant, Neoplasm Invasiveness pathology, Prognosis, Retrospective Studies, Survival Rate, Melanoma mortality, Melanoma pathology, Melanoma surgery, Neoplasm Staging, Skin Neoplasms pathology, Skin Neoplasms mortality, Skin Neoplasms surgery
- Abstract
Background: Tumor staging plays a pivotal role in melanoma management, where the depth of tumor invasion has been traditionally used as the cornerstone of staging. Paradoxically, the tumor diameter has not been integrated into the staging system. The aim of this study is to elucidate the clinical implications and prognostic value of tumor diameter in cutaneous melanoma, with a particular emphasis on the acral-melanoma predominant East Asian population, thus potentially enriching the clinical evaluation and treatment strategies for cutaneous melanoma., Methods: From January 1
st , 2006 to December 31st , 2022, a total of 352 patients were diagnosed with melanoma in our center. Among them, there were 135 patients diagnosed as cutaneous melanoma who received complete surgical wide excision and regional lymph nodes assessment. The diameter of the tumor, the depth of tumor invasion, lymph node status and patient survival were all collected and analyzed., Results: The diameter of cutaneous melanoma had a weak positive correlation with tumor thickness (r = 0.26), however, it still had a significant predictive value for patients' overall survival (p = 0.005) and disease free survival (p = 0.023). As for lymph node metastasis prediction, the Breslow thickness had a better predictive value than tumor diameter (p = 0.002 vs. p = 0.565)., Conclusions: In this study, though with only weak positive correlation to tumor thickness, the tumor diameter of melanoma showed a statistically significant correlation with the patients' overall survival and disease free survival. However, the larger tumor diameter cannot be used as an indicator of high risk of lymph node metastasis., (© 2024 The Authors. World Journal of Surgery published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Surgery/Société Internationale de Chirurgie (ISS/SIC).)- Published
- 2024
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19. Maternal origin matters: Country of birth as a risk factor for obstetric anal sphincter injuries.
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André K, Stuart A, and Källén K
- Subjects
- Humans, Female, Sweden epidemiology, Pregnancy, Adult, Risk Factors, Circumcision, Female adverse effects, Circumcision, Female statistics & numerical data, Africa South of the Sahara, Registries, Cohort Studies, Young Adult, Delivery, Obstetric adverse effects, Asia, Southeastern, Asia, Eastern, Episiotomy statistics & numerical data, Episiotomy adverse effects, Anal Canal injuries, Obstetric Labor Complications epidemiology
- Abstract
Objective: Obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS) are severe complications to vaginal births with potential long-term consequences. Maternal origin has been proposed to affect the overall risk, but the association and underlying explanation are uncertain. The objective was to assess the association between maternal country of birth and OASIS., Methods: A Swedish nationwide cohort study including singleton term vaginal births during 2005-2016. Data were extracted from the Swedish Medical Birth Registry and Statistics Sweden. Modified Poisson regression analyses were performed to obtain crude and adjusted risk ratios (RRs). Adjustments were made in four cumulative steps. Sub-analyses were performed to investigate the risk of OASIS associated with female genital circumcision (FGC)., Results: In all, 988 804 births were included. The rate of OASIS in Swedish-born women was 3.5%. Women from East/Southeast Asia had an increased risk of OASIS (adjusted RR [aRR] 1.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.60-1.83), as did women born in Sub-Saharan Africa (aRR 1.60, 95% CI 1.49-1.72). The risk remained significantly increased also after adjustment for maternal height. By contrast, women from South/Central America had a decreased risk of OASIS (aRR 0.65, 95% CI 0.56-0.76). FGC was associated with an increased risk of OASIS (aRR 3.05, 95% CI 2.60-3.58). Episiotomy appeared to have an overall protective effect (aRR 0.95, 95% CI 0.92-0.98), but not significantly more protective among women with female genital mutilation., Conclusions: Country of birth plays an important role in the risk of OASIS. Women from East/Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa are at significantly increased risk as compared with Swedish-born women, whereas women from South/Central America are at lower risk. FGC is also a significant risk factor for OASIS., (© 2024 The Authors. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)
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- 2024
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20. Region-Specific Genetic Diversity of Black Rats ( Rattus rattus Complex) in Southeast and East Asia Shaped by Rapid Population Expansion Events.
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Kai H, Takada N, Thomson V, and Suzuki H
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- Animals, Rats genetics, Asia, Southeastern, Asia, Eastern, Haplotypes, Phylogeny, Animal Distribution, Population Dynamics, Genetic Variation, DNA, Mitochondrial genetics
- Abstract
Among the six mitochondrial DNA lineages of the black rat ( Rattus rattus Complex; RrC), lineages II and IV are widespread in Southeast and East Asia. This study explored their demographic history using 17 new sequences from the Miyako Islands in the Ryukyu archipelago, together with 178 publicly available cytochrome b sequences. We defined six and two haplotype groups showing rapid population expansion signals in Lineages II and IV, respectively. The six haplotype groups of Lineage II were represented by haplotypes from 1) Myanmar/Bangladesh/Northeast India, 2) Laos, 3) Thailand, 4) Indonesia/Philippines, 5) Vietnam/southern China, and 6) the Ryukyu archipelago. These expansion times were estimated using time-dependent evolutionary rates to be 115,300 years ago (ya), 128,500 ya, 9600 ya, 10,600 ya, 7200 ya, and 1400 ya, respectively, although all had large confidence intervals. The two groups of Lineage IV were recovered from the mainland and islands of Southeast Asia with predicted expansion times of 197,000 ya and 5800 ya, respectively. These results suggest that climatic fluctuations during the last 200,000 years of the Quaternary, affected the population dynamics in subtropical areas at different times. Furthermore, the results of the younger rapid expansion events of RrC suggest the possibility of agricultural advancement and dispersal of Neolithic farmers to different areas within the mainland and islands of Southeast Asia during the Holocene. A subset of rats from the Miyako Islands were found to have the same lineage IV haplotypes as those in Southeast Asia, suggesting a recent introduction of these new lineages.
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- 2024
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21. Challenges of Air Pollution and Health in East Asia.
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Du X, Chen R, and Kan H
- Subjects
- Humans, Asia, Eastern, Public Health, Air Pollution adverse effects, Particulate Matter analysis, Particulate Matter adverse effects, Ozone adverse effects, Ozone analysis, Air Pollutants adverse effects, Air Pollutants analysis, Environmental Exposure adverse effects
- Abstract
Purpose of Review: Air pollution has been a serious environmental and public health issue worldwide, particularly in Asian countries. There have been significant increases in epidemiological studies on fine particulate matter (PM
2.5 ) and ozone pollution in East Asia, and an in-depth review of epidemiological evidence is urgent. Thus, we carried out a systematic review of the epidemiological research on PM2.5 and ozone pollution in East Asia released in recent years., Recent Findings: Recent studies have indicated that PM2.5 and ozone are the most detrimental air pollutants to human health, resulting in substantial disease burdens for Asian populations. Many epidemiological studies of PM2.5 and ozone have been mainly performed in three East Asian countries (China, Japan, and South Korea). We derived the following summary findings: (1) both short-term and long-term exposure to PM2.5 and ozone could raise the risks of mortality and morbidity, emphasizing the need for continuing improvements in air quality in East Asia; (2) the long-term associations between PM2.5 and mortality in East Asia are comparable to those observed in Europe and North America, whereas the short-term associations are relatively smaller in magnitude; and (3) further cohort and intervention studies are required to yield robust and precise evidence that can promote evidence-based policymaking in East Asia. This updated review presented an outline of the health impacts of PM2.5 and ozone in East Asia, which may be beneficial for the development of future regulatory policies and standards, as well as for designing subsequent investigations., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)- Published
- 2024
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22. Meta-analysis provides insights into the origin and evolution of East Asian evergreen broad-leaved forests.
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Zhang Q, Yang Y, Liu B, Lu L, Sauquet H, Li D, and Chen Z
- Subjects
- Asia, Eastern, Biodiversity, Phylogeny, Plant Leaves anatomy & histology, Trees physiology, Biological Evolution, Forests
- Abstract
Evergreen broad-leaved forests (EBLFs) are dominated by a monsoon climate and form a distinct biome in East Asia with notably high biodiversity. However, the origin and evolution of East Asian EBLFs (EAEBLFs) remain elusive despite the estimation of divergence times for various representative lineages. Using 72 selected generic-level characteristic lineages, we constructed an integrated lineage accumulation rate (LAR) curve based on their crown ages. According to the crown-based LAR, the EAEBLF origin was identified at least as the early Oligocene (c. 31.8 million years ago (Ma)). The accumulation rate of the characteristic genera peaked at 25.2 and 6.4 Ma, coinciding with the two intensification periods of the Asian monsoon at the Oligocene - Miocene and the Miocene - Pliocene boundaries, respectively. Moreover, the LAR was highly correlated with precipitation in the EAEBLF region and negatively to global temperature, as revealed through time-lag cross-correlation analyses. An early Oligocene origin is suggested for EAEBLFs, bridging the gap between paleobotanical and molecular dating studies and solving conflicts among previous estimates based on individual representative lineages. The strong correlation between the crown-based LAR and the precipitation brought about by the Asian monsoon emphasizes its irreplaceable role in the origin and development of EAEBLFs., (© 2024 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.)
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- 2024
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23. Shared phylogeographic patterns and environmental responses of co-distributed soybean pests: Insights from comparative phylogeographic studies of Riptortus pedestris and Riptortus linearis in the subtropics of East Asia.
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Fu S, Chen X, Wang K, Chen J, Zhou J, Yi W, Lyu M, Ye Z, and Bu W
- Subjects
- Animals, Phylogeny, Genetic Variation, Evolution, Molecular, DNA, Mitochondrial genetics, Phylogeography, Asia, Eastern, Glycine max genetics, Heteroptera genetics
- Abstract
Comparative phylogeographic studies of closely related species sharing co-distribution areas can elucidate the role of shared historical factors and environmental changes in shaping their phylogeographic pattern. The bean bugs, Riptortus pedestris and Riptortus linearis, which both inhabit subtropical regions in East Asia, are recognized as highly destructive soybean pests. Many previous studies have investigated the biological characteristics, pheromones, chemicals and control mechanisms of these two pests, but few studies have explored their phylogeographic patterns and underlying factors. In this study, we generated a double-digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD-seq) dataset to investigate phylogeographic patterns and construct ecological niche models (ENM) for both Riptortus species. Our findings revealed similar niche occupancies and population genetic structures between the two species, with each comprising two phylogeographic lineages (i.e., the mainland China and the Indochina Peninsula clades) that diverged approximately 0.1 and 0.3 million years ago, respectively. This divergence likely resulted from the combined effects of temperatures variation and geographical barriers in the mountainous regions of Southwest China. Further demographic history and ENM analyses suggested that both pests underwent rapid expansion prior to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Furthermore, ENM predicts a northward shift of both pests into new soybean-producing regions due to global warming. Our study indicated that co-distribution soybean pests with overlapping ecological niches and similar life histories in subtropical regions of East Asia exhibit congruent phylogeographic and demographic patterns in response to shared historical biogeographic drivers., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
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- 2024
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24. Swapping Salt for a Substitute May Lower Deaths, Reduce Heart Problems.
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Harris E
- Subjects
- Humans, Cardiovascular Diseases mortality, Cardiovascular Diseases prevention & control, Hypertension mortality, Hypertension prevention & control, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Asia, Eastern, Aged, Diet, Heart Diseases mortality, Heart Diseases prevention & control, Sodium Chloride, Dietary adverse effects
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- 2024
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25. Which contributes more to the relict flora distribution pattern in East Asia, geographical processes or climate change? New evidence from the phylogeography of Rehderodendron kwangtungense.
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Jin J, Zhao W, Chen S, Gu C, Chen Z, Liu Z, Liao W, and Fan Q
- Subjects
- Asia, Eastern, Plant Dispersal, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Phylogeography, Climate Change, Genetic Variation
- Abstract
Background: Relict species are important for enhancing the understanding of modern biogeographic distribution patterns. Although both geological and climatic changes since the Cenozoic have affected the relict flora in East Asia, the contributions of geographical processes remain unclear. In this study, we employed restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) and shallow genome sequencing data, in conjunction with ecological niche modeling (ENM), to investigate the spatial genetic patterns and population differentiation history of the relict species Rehderodendron kwangtungense Chun., Results: A total of 138 individuals from 16 populations were collected, largely covering the natural distribution of R. kwangtungense. The genetic diversity within the R. kwangtungense populations was extremely low (H
O = 0.048 ± 0.019; HE = 0.033 ± 0.011). Mantel tests revealed isolation-by-distance pattern (R2 = 0.38, P < 0.001), and AMOVA analysis showed that the genetic variation of R. kwangtungense occurs mainly between populations (86.88%, K = 7). Between 23 and 21 Ma, R. kwangtungense underwent a period of rapid differentiation that coincided with the rise of the Himalayas and the establishment of the East Asian monsoon. According to ENM and population demographic history, the suitable area and effective population size of R. kwangtungense decreased sharply during the glacial period and expanded after the last glacial maximum (LGM)., Conclusion: Our study shows that the distribution pattern of southern China mountain relict flora may have developed during the panplain stage between the middle Oligocene and the early Miocene. Then, the flora later fragmented under the force of orogenesis, including intermittent uplift during the Cenozoic Himalayan orogeny and the formation of abundant rainfall associated with the East Asian monsoon. The findings emphasized the predominant role of geographical processes in shaping relict plant distribution patterns., (© 2024. The Author(s).)- Published
- 2024
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26. The first mitogenomic phylogenetic framework of Dorcus sensu lato (Coleoptera: Lucanidae), with an emphasis on generic taxonomy in Eastern Asia.
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Jafir M, Zhou L, Chen Y, and Wan X
- Subjects
- Animals, Asia, Eastern, Coleoptera genetics, Coleoptera classification, Phylogeny, Genome, Mitochondrial genetics
- Abstract
Background: Dorcus stag beetles in broad sense are one of the most diverse group in Lucanidae and important saproxylic insects playing a crucial role in nutrient recycling and forest biomonitoring. However, the dazzling morphological differentiations have caused numerous systematic confusion within the big genus, especially the puzzlingly generic taxonomy. So far, there is lack of molecular phylogenetic study to address the chaotic situation. In this study, we undertook mitochondrial genome sequencing of 42 representative species including 18 newly-sequenced ones from Eastern Asia and reconstructed the phylogenetic framework of stag beetles in Dorcus sensu lato for the first time., Results: The mitogenome datasets of Dorcus species have indicated the variable mitogenomic lengths ranged from 15,785 to 19,813 bp. Each mitogenome contained 13 PCGs, 2 rRNAs, 22 tRNAs, and a control region, and all PCGs were under strong purifying selection (Ka/Ks < 1). Notably, we have identified the presence of a substantial intergenic spacer (IGS) between the trnA
ser (UCN) and NAD1 genes, with varying lengths ranging from 129 bp (in D. hansi) to 158 bp (in D. tityus). The mitogenomic phylogenetic analysis of 42 species showed that Eastern Asia Dorcus was monophyletic, and divided into eight clades with significant genetic distance. Four of them, Clade VIII, VII, VI and I are clustered by the representative species of Serrognathus Motschulsky, Kirchnerius Schenk, Falcicornis Séguy and Dorcus s.s. respectively, which supported their fully generic positions as the previous morphological study presented. The topology also showed the remaining clades were distinctly separated from the species of Dorcus sensu lato, which implied that each of them might demonstrate independent generic status. The Linnaeus nomenclatures were suggested as Eurydorcus Didier stat. res., Eurytrachellelus Didier stat. res., Hemisodorcus Thomson stat. res. and Velutinodorcus Maes stat. res. For Clade V, IV, III and II respectively., Conclusion: This study recognized the monophyly of Dorcus stag beetles and provided a framework for the molecular phylogeny of this group for the first time. The newly generated mitogenomic data serves as a valuable resource for future investigations on lucanid beetles. The generic relationship would facilitate the systematics of Dorcus stag beetles and thus be useful for exploring their evolutionary, ecological, and conservation aspects., (© 2024. The Author(s).)- Published
- 2024
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27. Inherited CARD9 Deficiency Due to a Founder Effect in East Asia.
- Author
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Tomomasa D, Lee BH, Hirata Y, Inoue Y, Majima H, Imanaka Y, Asano T, Katakami T, Lee J, Hijikata A, Worakitchanon W, Yang X, Wang X, Watanabe A, Kamei K, Kageyama Y, Seo GH, Fujimoto A, Casanova JL, Puel A, Morio T, Okada S, and Kanegane H
- Subjects
- Adult, Female, Humans, Male, Alleles, Asia, Eastern, Asian People genetics, Candida albicans genetics, Candidiasis, Chronic Mucocutaneous genetics, Candidiasis, Chronic Mucocutaneous diagnosis, Haplotypes, Mutation genetics, Pedigree, East Asian People, CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins genetics, CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins deficiency, Founder Effect
- Abstract
Autosomal recessive CARD9 deficiency can underly deep and superficial fungal diseases. We identified two Japanese patients, suffering from superficial and invasive Candida albicans diseases, carrying biallelic variants of CARD9. Both patients, in addition to another Japanese and two Korean patients who were previously reported, carried the c.820dup CARD9 variant, either in the homozygous (two patients) or heterozygous (three patients) state. The other CARD9 alleles were c.104G > A, c.1534C > T and c.1558del. The c.820dup CARD9 variant has thus been reported, in the homozygous or heterozygous state, in patients originating from China, Japan, or South Korea. The Japanese, Korean, and Chinese patients share a 10 Kb haplotype encompassing the c.820dup CARD9 variant. This variant thus originates from a common ancestor, estimated to have lived less than 4,000 years ago. While phaeohyphomycosis caused by Phialophora spp. was common in the Chinese patients, none of the five patients in our study displayed Phialophora spp.-induced disease. This difference between Chinese and our patients probably results from environmental factors. (161/250)., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)
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- 2024
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28. Mercury contamination is an invisible threat to declining migratory shorebirds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.
- Author
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Ma Y, Choi CY, Shang L, Klaassen M, Ma Z, Chang Q, Jaspers VLB, Bai Q, He T, Leung KK, Hassell CJ, Jessop R, and Gibson L
- Subjects
- Animals, Australia, Birds, Charadriiformes, China, Ecosystem, Environmental Monitoring, Environmental Pollutants analysis, Feathers chemistry, Water Pollutants, Chemical analysis, Water Pollutants, Chemical adverse effects, Asia, Eastern, Australasia, Animal Migration, Mercury analysis, Mercury toxicity
- Abstract
Exposure to pollutants is a potentially crucial but overlooked driver of population declines in shorebirds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. We combined knowledge of moult strategy and life history with a standardised sampling protocol to assess mercury (Hg) contamination in 984 individuals across 33 migratory shorebird species on an intercontinental scale. Over one-third of the samples exceeded toxicity benchmarks. Feather Hg was best explained by moulting region, while habitat preference (coastal obligate vs. non-coastal obligate), the proportion of invertebrates in the diet and foraging stratum (foraging mostly on the surface vs. at depth) also contributed, but were less pronounced. Feather Hg was substantially higher in South China (Mai Po and Leizhou), Australia and the Yellow Sea than in temperate and Arctic breeding ranges. Non-coastal obligate species (Tringa genus) frequently encountered in freshwater habitats were at the highest risk. It is important to continue and expand biomonitoring research to assess how other pollutants might impact shorebirds., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
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- 2024
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29. Association of immune cells and the risk of esophageal cancer: A Mendelian randomization study in a East Asian population.
- Author
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Guo J, Si G, and Si F
- Subjects
- Humans, Asian People genetics, Asia, Eastern, East Asian People, Esophageal Neoplasms genetics, Esophageal Neoplasms immunology, Mendelian Randomization Analysis, Immunophenotyping
- Abstract
Immunotherapy has been used in esophageal cancer (EC), but the causal relationship between EC and immune cells is not clear. Although the cellular phenotype has been reported as a biomarker for immunotherapy, the biomarker studies for immunotherapy in EC still face great challenges. Comprehensive 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed to determine the causal association between immune cell signatures and EC in this study. Based on publicly available genetic data, we explored causal associations between 731 immune cell signatures and EC risk. EC had no statistically significant effect on immunophenotypes. Nine immunophenotype types were positively associated with the risk of EC: CD20-%B cell, CD20% lymphocytes, CD25 on IgD- CD27-, CD25 on IgD+ CD24+, CD27 on IgD+ CD24+, CD28+ CD45RA- CD8br AC, CD3 on TD CD8br, IgD-CD38dim%B cells, and Mo MDSC AC. In addition, a total of 15 immunophenotypes were identified as causally associated with EC. IgD+ CD38- %B cell, IgD- CD24- %lymphocyte, CD19 on IgD- CD38dim, CD20 on IgD+ CD24+, CD62L-myeloid DC AC, CD4+ AC, Lymphocyte %leukocyte, CD3 on HLA-DR+ T cell, CD3 on CD45RA- CD4+, HVEM on naive CD4+ AC, HVEM on CD45RA- CD4+, CD4 on TD CD4+, CD4 on CD4 Treg, and CD4 on CD39+ resting Treg, and CD4 on activated & secreting Treg. Our study has demonstrated the close connection between immune cells and EC by genetic means, thus providing guidance for future clinical research., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)
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- 2024
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30. Existence of typical winter atmospheric circulation patterns leading to high PM 2.5 concentration days in East Asia.
- Author
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Jeong YC, Yeh SW, Jeong JI, Park RJ, and Wang Y
- Subjects
- Environmental Monitoring, Asia, Eastern, Particulate Matter analysis, Air Pollutants analysis, Air Pollution analysis
- Abstract
Understanding the atmospheric circulation patterns responsible for severe air pollution events in East Asia is important because East Asia is one of the most polluted regions in the world, particularly during the boreal winter (December-January-February). Here, by conducting GEOS-Chem simulation with fixed anthropogenic emission sources, we found that there exist three typical atmospheric circulation patterns conducive to leading to high concentrations of particulate matter with a diameter less than or equal to 2.5 μm (PM
2.5 ) in East Asia. These atmospheric circulation patterns are characterized by weakened horizontal winds, which allows PM2.5 to accumulate, and by enhanced relative humidity, which can favor secondary formation of PM2.5 . The occurrence of these atmospheric circulation patterns is associated with increased sea ice cover over the Barents Sea and heavy precipitation over the tropical western Indian Ocean. The existence of these atmospheric circulation patterns among typical atmospheric circulation patterns indicates high PM2.5 days in East Asia are unavoidable given current level of anthropogenic emissions in the region. This conclusion indicates that sustained efforts to reduce anthropogenic emission sources in East Asia should be warranted to avoid high PM2.5 days., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2024
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31. Phylogeography and demographic history of macaques, fascicularis species group, in East Asia: Inferred from multiple genomic markers.
- Author
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Zhou Y, Tian J, Jiang H, Han M, Wang Y, and Lu J
- Subjects
- Animals, Phylogeography, Phylogeny, Asia, Eastern, DNA, Mitochondrial genetics, Genomics, Demography, Macaca fuscata genetics, Macaca genetics
- Abstract
Climate changes at larger scales have influenced dispersal and range shifts of many taxa in East Asia. The fascicularis species group of macaques is composed of four species and is widely distributed in Southeast and East Asia. However, its phylogeography and demographic histories are currently poorly understood. Herein, we assembled autosomal, mitogenome, and Y-chromosome data for 106 individuals, and combined them with 174 mtDNA dloop haplotypes of this species group, with particular focus on the demographic histories and dispersal routes of Macaca fuscata, M. cyclopis, and M. mulatta. The results showed: (1) three monophyletic clades for M. fuscata, M. cyclopis, and M. mulatta based on the multiple genomics analyses; (2) the disparate demographic trajectories of the three species after their split ∼1.0 Ma revealed that M. cyclopis and M. fuscata were derived from an ancestral M. mulatta population; (3) the speciation time of M. cyclopis was later than that of M. fuscata, and their divergence time occurred at the beginning of "Ryukyu Coral Sea Stage" (1.0-0.2 Ma) when the East China Sea land bridge was completely submerged by the sea level rose; and (4) the three parallel rivers (Nujiang, Lancangjiang, and Jinshajiang) of Southwestern China divided M. mulatta into Indian and Chinese genetic populations ∼200 kya. These results shed light on understanding not only the evolutionary history of the fascicularis species group but also the formation mechanism of faunal diversity in East Asia during the Pleistocene., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
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- 2024
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32. Intraspecific divergence in a coastal plant, Euphorbia jolkinii, at a major biogeographic boundary in East Asia.
- Author
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Iwata H, Ito T, Park JS, Kokubugata G, Kakezawa A, Kurosawa T, Nishimura A, Noda H, and Takayama K
- Subjects
- Asia, Eastern, Phylogeny, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Genetic Variation, Ecosystem, Euphorbia genetics, Euphorbia physiology, Phylogeography
- Abstract
Premise: Quaternary climatic fluctuations and long-distance seed dispersal across the sea are critical factors affecting the distribution of coastal plants, but the spatiotemporal nature of population expansion and distribution change of East Asian coastal plants during this period are rarely examined. To explore this process, we investigated the genome-wide phylogenetic patterns of Euphorbia jolkinii Boiss. (Euphorbiaceae), which grows widely on littoral areas of Japan, Korea, and Taiwan., Methods: We used plastome sequences and genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms in samples across the species range to reveal phylogeographic patterns and spatiotemporal distributional changes. We conducted ecological niche modeling for the present and the last glacial maximum (LGM)., Results: Genetic differentiation was observed between the northern and southern populations of E. jolkinii, separated by the major biogeographic boundary, the Tokara Gap. These two groups of populations differentiated during the glacial period and subsequently intermingled in the intermorainic areas of the central Ryukyu Islands after the LGM. Ecological niche models suggested that the potential range of E. jolkinii was restricted to southern Kyushu; however, it was widespread in the southern Ryukyu Islands and Taiwan during the LGM., Conclusions: This study provides evidence of genetic differentiation among coastal plant populations separated by the prominent biogeographical boundary. Although coastal plants are typically expected to maintain population connectivity through sea-drifted seed dispersal, our findings suggest that genetic differences may arise because of a combination of limited gene flow and changes in climate during the glacial period., (© 2024 The Authors. American Journal of Botany published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Botanical Society of America.)
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- 2024
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33. An Investigation in the Comparability of the Exposure and Recommended Dose of Selected Pfizer Drugs in East Asian Countries: Is Mutual Usage of Clinical Data Among East Asian Countries Feasible?
- Author
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Wang DD, Yu Y, Fukuhara K, Liu Y, Park SY, and Parivar K
- Subjects
- Asia, Eastern, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, United States, Drug Approval
- Abstract
The current regulatory path for new drug registration in East Asian countries has led to significant delay of the new medicines in these countries. A unified regulatory path and allowance of mutual usage of clinical data in East Asian countries would lead to cost saving in drug development and expedite the new drug registration in these countries. The objectives of the present analysis are to compare the approval dates of a selection of products developed by Pfizer in the United States and East Asian countries (China, Japan, Korea) and compare the pharmacokinetics and recommended doses of these products in East Asian countries. Eighteen products (20 drugs, 2 products with 2 combination drugs) with exposure data available in at least 2 of the 3 East Asian countries across different therapeutic areas were included in the analyses. The results showed that most products had delayed approval in East Asian countries (up to 8 years) after US or EU approval. No distinct differences were observed in the drug exposure and recommended doses for the selected products in East Asian countries. These results together with literature data of genetic similarity of the East Asian populations support the mutual usage of the clinical data in the East Asian countries for expedited regulatory submission and approval., (© 2024 The Authors. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Clinical Pharmacology.)
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- 2024
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34. Causal relationship between dyslipidemia and risk of facial aging: Insights from Mendelian randomization in East Asian populations.
- Author
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Deng Y, Li C, Luo A, Qiu Y, and Yang M
- Subjects
- Humans, Risk Factors, Skin Aging genetics, Face, Asia, Eastern, Female, Aging genetics, Cholesterol, HDL blood, Male, East Asian People, Dyslipidemias genetics, Dyslipidemias blood, Mendelian Randomization Analysis, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Genome-Wide Association Study, Asian People genetics
- Abstract
Background: Emerging observational studies showed an association between dyslipidemia and aging. However, it remains unclear whether this association is causal, particularly in the case of Asians, which are aging more rapidly than other continents. Given the visible manifestations of aging often include changes in facial appearance, the objective of this study is to assess the causal relationship between dyslipidemia and facial aging in East Asian populations., Methods: SNPs related to dyslipidemia in East Asian people such as Total cholesterol (TC), High-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), Low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and Triglyceride (TG) along with outcomes data on facial aging, were extracted from public genome-wide association studies (GWAS). A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was then performed using publicly available GWAS data to investigate the potential causal relationship. The effect estimates were primarily calculated using the fixed-effects inverse variance weighted (IVW) method., Results: Totally, 88 SNPs related to HDL among 70657 East Asian participants in GWAS. Based on the primary causal effects model using MR analyses with the IVW method, high HDL level was demonstrated as significantly related to the risk of facial aging (OR, 1.060; 95% CI, 1.005-1.119, p = 0.034), while high TC level (OR, 0.995; 95% CI, 0.920-1.076, p = 0.903), high LDL level (OR, 0.980, 95% CI, 0.924-1.041, p = 0.515), as well as high TG level (OR, 0.999, 95% CI, 0.932-1.071, p = 0.974), showed no significant correlation with facial aging., Conclusions: The two-sample MR analysis conducted in this study revealed a positive causal relationship between high HDL levels and facial aging. In contrast, facial aging demonstrated no significant correlation with high levels of TC, LDL, or TG. Further large-sample prospective studies are needed to validate these findings and to provide appropriate recommendations regarding nutrition management to delay the aging process among old patients in East Asia., (© 2024 The Authors. Skin Research and Technology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
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- 2024
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35. Efficacy and safety of fezolinetant for moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause among women in East Asia: a phase 3 randomized study (MOONLIGHT I).
- Author
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Ruan X, Bai W, Ren M, Kim T, Lee JY, Chuang FC, Wang PH, He W, Ma X, Miyazaki K, Song N, Wang X, and Yu Q
- Subjects
- Humans, Female, Middle Aged, Double-Blind Method, Treatment Outcome, Asia, Eastern, Vasomotor System drug effects, Vasomotor System physiopathology, Severity of Illness Index, Adult, Hot Flashes drug therapy, Menopause drug effects, Menopause physiology
- Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of fezolinetant for moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS) associated with menopause in East Asian women., Methods: In this phase 3, randomized, double-blind study, postmenopausal women with moderate to severe VMS (minimum average frequency in the 10 days before randomization, ≥7/day or 50/week) received fezolinetant 30 mg/day or placebo (weeks 1-12), followed by an open-label extension phase with fezolinetant 30 mg/day (weeks 13-24). The co-primary endpoints were the mean changes in the daily frequency and severity of VMS at weeks 4 and 12., Results: Among 301 participants, the difference in the least squares mean change (95% confidence interval) from baseline in the daily frequency of moderate to severe VMS versus placebo was -0.65 (-1.41 to 0.12) at week 4 and -0.55 (-1.35 to 0.26) at week 12. The differences in the least squares mean change from baseline in the VMS severity score versus placebo were -0.06 (-0.14 to 0.03) and -0.13 (-0.27 to 0.01) at weeks 4 and 12, respectively. Serious adverse events occurred in 0.7% of participants receiving fezolinetant in weeks 1 to 12, compared with 1.3% of those receiving placebo., Conclusions: Fezolinetant was generally safe but did not reduce the frequency or severity of VMS versus placebo in postmenopausal women in this study. ClinicalTrials.Gov Identifier: NCT04234204., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsWeizhong He was an employee of Astellas Pharma Global Development, Inc., at the time of the study. Kentaro Miyazaki is an employee of Astellas Pharma, Inc., Xuegong Wang is an employee of Astellas Pharma Global Development, Inc., and Xiao Ma and Nan Song are employees of Astellas (China) Investment Co, Ltd. The remaining authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
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- 2024
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36. Application of multiplatform remote sensing data over East Asia Ocean: aerosol characteristics and aerosol types.
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Luan K, Cao Z, Shen W, Zhou P, Qiu Z, Wan H, Wang Z, and Zhu W
- Subjects
- Air Pollutants analysis, Asia, Eastern, Atmosphere chemistry, Seasons, China, Aerosols analysis, Environmental Monitoring methods, Remote Sensing Technology, Oceans and Seas
- Abstract
It is important to explore the characteristics and rules of atmospheric aerosol in the East Asian Sea for monitoring and evaluating atmospheric environmental quality. Based on Aerosol Robot Network (AERONET), Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer (VIIRS), and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) data, the temporal and spatial variation characteristics and differences of aerosol parameters and types in the East Asian Sea were studied by using figure classification method (FIGCM), aerosol optical depth (AOD)
440 -Angstrom exponent (AE)440-870 method (AA1M), and AOD550 -AE490-670 method (AA2M). The results show that the seasonal variation trend of aerosol characteristics and types is obvious in East Asia Sea. AOD, volume concentration (Cv), and aerosol effective radius (reff) in the Bohai-Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan in autumn are lower than those in other seasons, and the occurrence frequency of ocean-type aerosols is high. Different from the Bohai-Yellow Sea and Sea of Japan, human activities in winter, summer, and autumn seriously affect the air quality in the East China Sea and South China Sea. Especially at the Taipei CWB site, from aerosol parameters and high biomass burning/urban industrial (BB/UI) aerosol, human activity is an important factor for high pollution at the Taipei CWB site. Aerosol types of AA1M, FIGCM, AA2M, and CALIPSO were compared at Anmyon and Yonsei University sites in the Bohai-Yellow Sea in March 2020. The results show that aerosol types based on threshold classification methods generally have higher mixed aerosol results, and the marine (MA) results of AA1M, FIGCM, and AA2M are close to the clean marine aerosol results of CALIPSO. Comparing the results of AA 2 M and CALIPSO on a spatial scale, it is found that the clean marine aerosol proportion identified by CALIPSO (0.38, 0.48, 0.82) is consistent with the MA proportion identified by AA 2 M (0.43, 0.46, 0.97) in the East China Sea, South China Sea, and Western Pacific Ocean., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)- Published
- 2024
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37. Current treatment strategies for ovarian cancer in the East Asian Gynecologic Oncology Trial Group (EAGOT).
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Kobayashi Y, Shimada M, Tamate M, Cho HW, Zhu J, Chou HH, Kajiyama H, Okamoto A, Aoki D, Kang S, Lee JW, Kim JW, Kim JH, Lin Z, Liu J, Wu X, Lai HC, Chang TC, Lai CH, Kim YM, and Enomoto T
- Subjects
- Humans, Female, Laparoscopy methods, Neoplasm Recurrence, Local, Maintenance Chemotherapy methods, Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols therapeutic use, Drug Resistance, Neoplasm genetics, Antineoplastic Agents therapeutic use, Asia, Eastern, East Asian People, Ovarian Neoplasms genetics, Ovarian Neoplasms therapy, Ovarian Neoplasms drug therapy, Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors therapeutic use
- Abstract
Ovarian cancer, notable for its severe prognosis among gynecologic cancers, has seen substantial progress in treatment approaches recently. Enhanced protocols in chemotherapy and the introduction of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors for maintenance therapy have markedly improved outcomes for patients with specific genetic profiles, such as those positive for BRCA mutations or exhibiting homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). Additionally, the method of intraperitoneal chemotherapy administration has emerged as a valuable alternative to traditional transvenous routes, showing promise for wider clinical adoption. The field of surgery has also evolved, with increasing exploration into the benefits and feasibility of laparoscopic methods over more invasive traditional surgeries, aiming for complete tumor removal but with reduced patient impact. The hereditary nature of ovarian cancer underscores the importance of genetic testing, which has become integral in tailoring treatment strategies, particularly in determining suitability for PARP inhibitors. The formation of the East Asian Gynecologic Oncology Trial Group (EAGOT) aims to optimize treatment across Japan, Korea, China, and Taiwan. The ovarian cancer committee of EAGOT shared the current policies, focusing on 5 topics: 1) strategies for maintenance therapy after initial surgery and chemotherapy, 2) drug regimens for platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant recurrence, 3) intraperitoneal chemotherapy, 4) laparoscopic surgery as an alternative to laparotomy, and 5) current status of genetic testing (BRCA, HRD, and panel tests) for ovarian cancer and its prospects. EAGOT's multi-national trials aim to harmonize these evolving treatment strategies, ensuring that the latest and most effective protocols are accessible across the region, thereby significantly impacting patient outcomes in East Asia., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (© 2024. Asian Society of Gynecologic Oncology, Korean Society of Gynecologic Oncology, and Japan Society of Gynecologic Oncology.)
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- 2024
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38. Factors influencing access to and participation in rehabilitation for people with lower limb amputation in East, South, and Southeast Asian developing countries: the perspective of rehabilitation professionals - a qualitative study.
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Sayeed MSI, Oakman J, and Stuckey R
- Subjects
- Adult, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Amputees rehabilitation, Asia, Southeastern, Attitude of Health Personnel, Cross-Sectional Studies, Lower Extremity surgery, Southeast Asian People, Surveys and Questionnaires, Asia, Eastern, Asia, Southern, Asian People, Amputation, Surgical rehabilitation, Developing Countries, Health Services Accessibility, Qualitative Research
- Abstract
Purpose: To identify barriers and enablers for access to and participation in rehabilitation for people with LLA in East, South, and Southeast Asian developing countries from the perspective of rehabilitation professionals., Material and Methods: A mixed-method study involving an anonymous cross-sectional screening survey followed by in-depth interviews of rehabilitation professionals in these regions following the COREQ guidelines. Participants were surveyed online using convenience and snowball sampling techniques to inform a purposive heterogenic sample for semi-structured online interviews, between September 2021 to February 2022. Interview transcripts were analysed and thematically coded using the modified Health Care Delivery System Approach (HCDSA) framework., Results: A total of 201 quantitative survey responses shaped the interview questions and participation of 28 participants from 13 countries for the qualitative investigation. Important factors at the patient level were sex, economics, health issues, language differences, and lack of awareness; at the care team level, peer and/or family support, referrals, and the gender of the professional; at the organizational level, service availability, resources, and quality; and at the environmental level, policies, supports, and physical and/or social accessibility., Conclusions: Identified interlinked factors at multiple levels of the HCDSA underpin the need for a systems approach to develop and address regional rehabilitation service provision but requires contextually adapted policy.
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- 2024
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39. Population genetic structure and wing geometric morphometrics of the filarial vector Armigeres subalbatus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Thailand.
- Author
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Laojun S, Changbunjong T, and Chaiphongpachara T
- Subjects
- Animals, Thailand, Mosquito Vectors genetics, Genetics, Population, Asia, Eastern, Culicidae genetics
- Abstract
Armigeres subalbatus (Diptera: Culicidae) is a mosquito species of significant medical and veterinary importance. It is widely distributed across Southeast and East Asia and is commonly found throughout Thailand. This study assessed the genetic diversity and population structure of Ar. subalbatus in Thailand using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences. Additionally, wing shape variations among these populations were examined using geometric morphometrics (GM). Our results demonstrated that the overall haplotype diversity (Hd) was 0.634, and the nucleotide diversity (π) was 0.0019. Significant negative values in neutrality tests (p < 0.05) indicate that the Ar. subalbatus populations in Thailand are undergoing a phase of expansion following a bottleneck event. The mismatch distribution test suggests that the populations may have started expanding approximately 16,678 years ago. Pairwise genetic differentiation among the 12 populations based on F
st revealed significant differences in 32 pairs (p < 0.05), with the degree of differentiation ranging from 0.000 to 0.419. The GM analysis of wing shape also indicated significant differences in nearly all pairs (p < 0.05), except for between populations from Nakhon Pathom and Samut Songkhram, and between those from Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son, suggesting no significant difference due to their similar environmental settings. These findings enhance our understanding of the population structure and phenotypic adaptations of mosquito vectors, providing vital insights for the formulation of more efficacious vector control strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)- Published
- 2024
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40. Inference of selective forces on house mouse genomes during secondary contact in East Asia.
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Fujiwara K, Kubo S, Endo T, Takada T, Shiroishi T, Suzuki H, and Osada N
- Subjects
- Animals, Mice, Female, Male, Asia, Eastern, Haplotypes, Selection, Genetic, Humans, Phylogeny, Evolution, Molecular, Genome, Y Chromosome genetics
- Abstract
The house mouse ( Mus musculus ), which is commensal to humans, has spread globally via human activities, leading to secondary contact between genetically divergent subspecies. This pattern of genetic admixture can provide insights into the selective forces at play in this well-studied model organism. Our analysis of 163 house mouse genomes, with a particular focus on East Asia, revealed substantial admixture between the subspecies castaneus and musculus , particularly in Japan and southern China. We revealed, despite the different level of autosomal admixture among regions, that all Y Chromosomes in the East Asian samples belonged to the musculus -type haplogroup, potentially explained by genomic conflict under sex-ratio distortion owing to varying copy numbers of ampliconic genes on sex chromosomes, Slx and Sly Our computer simulations, designed to replicate the observed scenario, show that the preferential fixation of musculus -type Y Chromosomes can be achieved with a slight increase in the male-to-female birth ratio. We also investigated the influence of selection on the posthybridization of the subspecies castaneus and musculus in Japan. Even though the genetic background of most Japanese samples closely resembles the subspecies musculus , certain genomic regions overrepresented the castaneus -like genetic components, particularly in immune-related genes. Furthermore, a large genomic block (∼2 Mbp) containing a vomeronasal/olfactory receptor gene cluster predominantly harbored castaneus -type haplotypes in the Japanese samples, highlighting the crucial role of olfaction-based recognition in shaping hybrid genomes., (© 2024 Fujiwara et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.)
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- 2024
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41. Sources-attributed contributions to health risks associated with PM 2.5 -bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during the warm and cold seasons in an urban area of Eastern Asia.
- Author
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Ting YC, Zou YX, Pan SY, Ko YR, Ciou ZJ, and Huang CH
- Subjects
- Child, Humans, Adolescent, Seasons, Particulate Matter analysis, Environmental Monitoring methods, China, Asia, Eastern, Risk Assessment, Air Pollutants analysis, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons analysis, Lung Neoplasms
- Abstract
Despite the well-established recognition of the health hazards posed by PM
2.5 -bound PAHs, a comprehensive understanding of their source-specific impact has been lacking. In this study, the health risks associated with PM2.5 -bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and source-specific contributions were investigated in the urban region of Taipei during both cold and warm seasons. The levels of PM2.5 -bound PAHs and their potential health risks across different age groups of humans were also characterized. Diagnostic ratios and positive matrix factorization analysis were utilized to identify the sources of PM2.5 -bound PAHs. Moreover, potential source contribution function (PSCF), concentration-weighted trajectory (CWT) and source regional apportionment (SRA) analyses were employed to determine the potential source regions. Results showed that the total PAHs (TPAHs) concentrations ranged from 0.08 to 2.37 ng m-3 , with an average of 0.69 ± 0.53 ng m-3 . Vehicular emissions emerged as the primary contributor to PM2.5 -bound PAHs, constituting 39.8 % of the TPAHs concentration, followed by industrial emissions (37.6 %), biomass burning (13.8 %), and petroleum/oil volatilization (8.8 %). PSCF and CWT analyses revealed that industrial activities and shipping processes in northeast China, South China Sea, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea, contributed to the occurrence of PM2.5 -bound PAHs in Taipei. SRA identified central China as the primary regional contributor of ambient TPAHs in the cold season and Taiwan in the warm season, respectively. Evaluations of incremental lifetime cancer risk demonstrated the highest risk for adults, followed by children, seniors, and adolescents. The assessments of lifetime lung cancer risk showed that vehicular and industrial emissions were the main contributors to cancer risk induced by PM2.5 -bound PAHs. This research emphasizes the essential role of precisely identifying the origins of PM2.5 -bound PAHs to enhance our comprehension of the related human health hazards, thus providing valuable insights into the mitigation strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2024
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42. Predicting the global potential distribution of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus using an ecological niche model: expansion trend and the main driving factors.
- Author
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Xiao Y, Guo Q, Xie N, Yuan G, Liao M, Gui Q, and Ding G
- Subjects
- Ecosystem, Forests, Temperature, Asia, Eastern, Xylophilus, Pinus parasitology
- Abstract
Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner&Buhrer) Nickle is a global quarantine pest that causes devastating mortality in pine species. The rapid and uncontrollable parasitic spread of this organism results in substantial economic losses to pine forests annually. In this study, we used the MaxEnt model and GIS software ArcGIS10.8 to predict the distribution of B. xylophilus based on collected distribution points and 19 environmental variables (with a correlation coefficient of|R| > 0.8) for the contemporary period (1970-2000), 2041-2060 (2050s), 2061-2080 (2070s), and 2081-2100 (2090s) under four shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs). We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the key environmental factors affecting the geographical distribution of B. xylophilus and suitable distribution areas. Our results indicate that in current prediction maps B. xylophilus had potential suitable habitats in all continents except Antarctica, with East Asia being the region with the most highly suitable areas and the most serious epidemic area currently. Precipitation of the warmest quarter, temperature seasonality, precipitation of the wettest month, and maximum temperature of the warmest month were identified as key environmental variables that determine the distribution of B. xylophilus. Under future climatic conditions, the potential geographic distribution of B. xylophilus will expand relative to current conditions. In particular, under the SSP5-8.5 scenario in 2081-2100, suitable areas will expand to higher latitudes, and there will be significant changes in suitable areas in Europe, East Asia, and North America. These findings are crucial for future prevention and control management and monitoring., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
- Published
- 2024
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43. Fecal DNA analysis coupled with the sighting records re-expanded a known distribution of dugongs in Ryukyu Islands after half a century.
- Author
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Ozawa H, Yoshihama T, Gishitomi S, Watanabe N, Ichikawa K, Sato K, Watanabe K, Takano K, Ochiai Y, Yamanaka H, and Maruyama A
- Subjects
- Animals, DNA, Asia, Eastern, Feces, Islands, Japan, Dugong
- Abstract
DNA analysis of large herbivore feces samples collected from seagrass beds at two distant sites (Irabu Island in Miyako Islands and Kushi in Okinawa Island) in the Ryukyu Islands proved that some of these feces were from dugongs, which had been treated in recent studies as extinct in this region since the last stranding of a deceased individual in 2019. In addition, local knowledge of sightings of animals thought to be dugongs and confirmed cases of dugong feeding trails since 2010 were compiled to estimate its recent distribution. This is the first scientific report on the presence of this mammal in the Ryukyu Islands within the last four years, and particularly in the Miyako Islands within the last half-century. As the Ryukyu Islands are known to be the northern limit of the dugong's fragmented distribution in East Asia, conservation efforts are therefore needed., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
- Published
- 2024
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44. VespAI: a deep learning-based system for the detection of invasive hornets.
- Author
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O'Shea-Wheller TA, Corbett A, Osborne JL, Recker M, and Kennedy PJ
- Subjects
- Animals, Introduced Species, Europe, Asia, Eastern, Wasps, Deep Learning
- Abstract
The invasive hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax is a rapidly proliferating threat to pollinators in Europe and East Asia. To effectively limit its spread, colonies must be detected and destroyed early in the invasion curve, however the current reliance upon visual alerts by the public yields low accuracy. Advances in deep learning offer a potential solution to this, but the application of such technology remains challenging. Here we present VespAI, an automated system for the rapid detection of V. velutina. We leverage a hardware-assisted AI approach, combining a standardised monitoring station with deep YOLOv5s architecture and a ResNet backbone, trained on a bespoke end-to-end pipeline. This enables the system to detect hornets in real-time-achieving a mean precision-recall score of ≥0.99-and send associated image alerts via a compact remote processor. We demonstrate the successful operation of a prototype system in the field, and confirm its suitability for large-scale deployment in future use cases. As such, VespAI has the potential to transform the way that invasive hornets are managed, providing a robust early warning system to prevent ingressions into new regions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
- Published
- 2024
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45. Ancient Mitogenomes Reveal the Maternal Genetic History of East Asian Dogs.
- Author
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Zhang M, Song Y, Wang C, Sun G, Zhuang L, Guo M, Ren L, Wangdue S, Dong G, Dai Q, Cao P, Yang R, Liu F, Feng X, Bennett EA, Zhang X, Chen X, Wang F, Luan F, Dong W, Lu G, Hao D, Hou H, Wang H, Qiao H, Wang Z, Hu X, He W, Xi L, Wang W, Shao J, Sun Z, Yue L, Ding Y, Tashi N, Tsho Y, Tong Y, Yang Y, Zhu S, Miao B, Wang W, Zhang L, Hu S, Ni X, and Fu Q
- Subjects
- Animals, Dogs, Animals, Domestic genetics, Asia, Eastern, DNA, Mitochondrial genetics, Genetic Variation, Haplotypes, Mammals genetics, Phylogeny, Genome, Mitochondrial
- Abstract
Recent studies have suggested that dogs were domesticated during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in Siberia, which contrasts with previous proposed domestication centers (e.g. Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia). Ancient DNA provides a powerful resource for the study of mammalian evolution and has been widely used to understand the genetic history of domestic animals. To understand the maternal genetic history of East Asian dogs, we have made a complete mitogenome dataset of 120 East Asian canids from 38 archaeological sites, including 102 newly sequenced from 12.9 to 1 ka BP (1,000 years before present). The majority (112/119, 94.12%) belonged to haplogroup A, and half of these (55/112, 49.11%) belonged to sub-haplogroup A1b. Most existing mitochondrial haplogroups were present in ancient East Asian dogs. However, mitochondrial lineages in ancient northern dogs (northeastern Eurasia and northern East Asia) were deeper and older than those in southern East Asian dogs. Results suggests that East Asian dogs originated from northeastern Eurasian populations after the LGM, dispersing in two possible directions after domestication. Western Eurasian (Europe and the Middle East) dog maternal ancestries genetically influenced East Asian dogs from approximately 4 ka BP, dramatically increasing after 3 ka BP, and afterwards largely replaced most primary maternal lineages in northern East Asia. Additionally, at least three major mitogenome sub-haplogroups of haplogroup A (A1a, A1b, and A3) reveal at least two major dispersal waves onto the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in ancient times, indicating eastern (A1b and A3) and western (A1a) Eurasian origins., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest The authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.)
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- 2024
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46. Out of Place: Phylogenomics resolves the placement of Eurasian taxa and sheds light on origin of Thermopsideae in North America.
- Author
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Farmer TA and Jansen RK
- Subjects
- Humans, Phylogeny, Asia, Eastern, North America, Phylogeography, Biological Evolution, Fabaceae genetics
- Abstract
The North American Thermopsideae (Fabaceae: Papilionoideae), a monophyletic group comprising the North American endemic genus Baptisia, and the paraphyletic Eurasian-North American disjunct Thermopsis, is nested within the tribe Sophoreae. Previous phylogenetic studies have identified two East Asian taxa within the North American Thermopsideae, suggesting two independent dispersal events between North America-East Asia. More recent studies have also placed a third taxon, Vuralia turcica, an endemic species from Turkey, among the North American Thermopsideae. The presence of three geographically distant Eurasian taxa within a relatively young clade of North American origin is unprecedented among papilionoid legumes, and the biogeographic implications of this observation are not clear. To investigate this matter, 1540 low-copy nuclear genes and complete plastomes were obtained from 36 taxa across the core genistoids, including 26 newly sequenced taxa. Nuclear and plastome based maximum likelihood (ML) and ASTRAL analyses were conducted based on varying degrees of taxon coverage and read mapping consensus threshold values. Additional analyses were performed to estimate divergence times and to reconstruct biogeographic history. The results strongly support a previously undetected Old World clade, presently composed of V. turcica and T. chinensis, which diverged from the ancestor of the North American lineage during the mid to late Miocene. A single and recent North America-East Asia dispersal involving T. lupinoides is reported. Furthermore, the traditional inclusion of the genus Ammopiptanthus among Thermopsideae is not supported, and the monotypic generic status of Vuralia is called into question. A relatively high degree of cytonuclear discordance is reported within each sub-clade of the North American Thermopsideae. This finding is likely attributable to the high degree of interspecific hybridization reported within these groups and raises the need for more rigorous genome-scale testing to better delimit species within each of the reticulating subclades. Subjects: Biodiversity, Biogeography, Evolutionary Studies, Genetics, Plant Science., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)
- Published
- 2024
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47. Surgical site infections in the Far East.
- Author
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Morikane K
- Subjects
- Humans, Asia, Eastern, Surgical Wound Infection epidemiology, Surgical Wound Infection prevention & control
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. Letter to the Editor: Uneven Distribution of Physicians by Specialty in East Asia.
- Author
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Kinoshita S, Wang S, and Kishimoto T
- Subjects
- Humans, Asia, Eastern, Asian People, Republic of Korea, Physicians, Medicine
- Abstract
Competing Interests: Shotaro Kinoshita and Shuo Wang declare no competing interests.
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
49. A chromosome-level genome assembly of East Asia endemic minnow Zacco platypus.
- Author
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Xu X, Chen J, Guan W, Niu B, Yi S, and Lou B
- Subjects
- Animals, Female, Asia, Eastern, Chromosomes genetics, Genomics, Molecular Sequence Annotation, Phylogeny, Cyprinidae genetics
- Abstract
Zacco platypus is an endemic colorful freshwater minnow that is intensively distributed in East Asia. In this study, two adult female individuals collected from Haihe River basin were used for karyotypic study and genome sequencing, respectively. The karyotype formula of Z. platypus is 2N = 48 = 18 M + 24SM/ST + 6 T. We used PacBio long-read sequencing and Hi-C technology to assemble a chromosome-level genome of Z. platypus. As a result, an 814.87 Mb genome was assembled with the PacBio long reads. Subsequently, 98.64% assembled sequences were anchored into 24 chromosomes based on the Hi-C data. The chromosome-level assembly contained 54 scaffolds with a N50 length of 32.32 Mb. Repeat elements accounted for 52.35% in genome, and 24,779 protein-coding genes were predicted, with 92.11% were functionally annotated with the public databases. BUSCO analysis yielded a completeness score of 96.5%. This high-quality genome assembly provides valuable resources for future functional genomic research, comparative genomics, and evolutionary studies of genus Zacco., (© 2024. The Author(s).)
- Published
- 2024
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50. Comparative and phylogenetic analysis of the complete chloroplast genomes of ten Pittosporum species from East Asia.
- Author
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Zhang SD, Ling LZ, and Zhang QH
- Subjects
- Phylogeny, Asia, Eastern, Genome, Chloroplast
- Abstract
Pittosporum (Pittosporaceae) is famous as the ornamental and medical values, which is distributed tropical and subtropical regions of Eastern Hemisphere. The few phylogenetic studies have included samples from the Pacific Island, but the phylogenetic relationships of Asian species has not been studied. Here, the complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of ten Pittosporum species from East Asia were first sequenced and compared with those of the published species of this genus. Our results indicated that cp genomes of these species had a typical and conserved quadripartite structure. 131 genes were identical in order and orientation and no changes of inverted repeat (IR) occurred. However, the comparative analysis of cp genomes suggested that sequence divergence mainly appeared in non-coding or intergenic regions, in which several divergence hotspots were identified. By contrast, protein-coding genes showed the lowest variance under strong purifying selection. Phylogenetic analysis based on the cp genome sequences showed that the tested Pittosporum species were clustered into two major clades, in which the Asian species formed Clade I and the remaining species from Australia and New Zealand formed Clade II with high support values, which was consistent with the results of ITS data with low support values. These results suggested that cp genome is a robust phylogenetic indicator for deep nodes in the phylogeny of Pittosporum. Meanwhile, these results will provide the valuable information to better understand the phylogeny and biogeography of Pittosporum., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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