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  1. Bohlen J, Dvořák T, Šlechta V, Šlechtová V
    Mol Phylogenet Evol, 2020 07;148:106806.
    PMID: 32247884 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106806
    Western Southeast Asia is hosting one of the world's most diverse faunas, and one of the reasons for this huge diversity is the complex geologic past of the area, increasing the frequency of isolation and expansion events over evolutionary time scale. As an example case, the present study reveals the phylogeny and biogeographic history of the Paracanthocobitis zonalternans species complex, small benthic freshwater fish (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae) that are commonly occurring across western Southeast Asia (from central Myanmar through western and southern Thailand to northern Malaysia). The group is particularly interesting since it occurs in three biogeographic subdivisions (Indian, Indochinese, Malay/Sundaic) and across all of the major biogeographic barriers in the region. Basing on mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data of 93 samples from about 50 localities we found six major clades, most with exclusive geographic distribution. Divergence time dated the origin of the P. zonalternans species complex to early Miocene (17.8 MYA) and a biogeographic analysis identified the Tenasserim region as the ancestral region. From this region the fish spread during periods of lowered global sea level, particularly during late Miocene (11-8 MYA) northwards into all Burmese river basins and southwards into south Thailand and northern Malaysia. Besides lowered global sea level periods, local stream capture events allowed the complex to expand, e.g. into the Mae Klong basin. Strong fragmentations during periods with elevated sea level during the Pliocene and Pleistocene repeatedly restricted populations to refuges and shaped the observed major lineages. Our results document a higher diversity within the P. zonalternans species complex than formerly believed and a strong impact of global sea level on its evolutionary history. Low sea levels promoted dispersal and elevated sea levels fragmentation events. A very similar impact of sea level changes can be expected in all stationary fauna (freshwater and terrestrial) in all non-mountainous coastal regions worldwide.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  2. Andersen F, Douglas NM, Bustos D, Galappaththy G, Qi G, Hsiang MS, et al.
    Malar J, 2011 May 18;10:131.
    PMID: 21586174 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-10-131
    BACKGROUND: Quantitative data are lacking on published malaria research. The purpose of the study is to characterize trends in malaria-related literature from 1990 to 2009 in 11 Asian-Pacific countries that are committed to malaria elimination as a national goal.

    METHODS: A systematic search was conducted for articles published from January 1990 to December 2009 in PubMed/MEDLINE using terms for malaria and 11 target countries (Bhutan, China, North Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vanuatu). The references were collated and categorized according to subject, Plasmodium species, and whether they contained original or derivative data.

    RESULTS: 2,700 articles published between 1990 and 2009 related to malaria in the target countries. The annual output of malaria-related papers increased linearly whereas the overall biomedical output from these countries grew exponentially. The percentage of malaria-related publications was nearly 3% (111/3741) of all biomedical publications in 1992 and decreased to less than 1% (118/12171; p < 0.001) in 2009. Thailand had the highest absolute output of malaria-related papers (n = 1211), followed by China (n = 609) and Indonesia (n = 346). Solomon Islands and Vanuatu had lower absolute numbers of publications, but both countries had the highest number of publications per capita (1.3 and 2.5 papers/1,000 population). The largest percentage of papers concerned the epidemiology and control of malaria (53%) followed by studies of drugs and drug resistance (47%). There was an increase in the proportion of articles relating to epidemiology, entomology, biology, molecular biology, pathophysiology and diagnostics from the first to the second decade, whereas the percentage of papers on drugs, clinical aspects of malaria, immunology, and social sciences decreased.

    CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of malaria-related publications out of the overall biomedical output from the 11 target Asian-Pacific countries is decreasing. The discovery and evaluation of new, safe and effective drugs and vaccines is paramount. In addition the elimination of malaria will require operational research to implement and scale up interventions.

    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern/epidemiology
  3. Kanchanachitra C, Lindelow M, Johnston T, Hanvoravongchai P, Lorenzo FM, Huong NL, et al.
    Lancet, 2011 Feb 26;377(9767):769-81.
    PMID: 21269674 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)62035-1
    In this paper, we address the issues of shortage and maldistribution of health personnel in southeast Asia in the context of the international trade in health services. Although there is no shortage of health workers in the region overall, when analysed separately, five low-income countries have some deficit. All countries in southeast Asia face problems of maldistribution of health workers, and rural areas are often understaffed. Despite a high capacity for medical and nursing training in both public and private facilities, there is weak coordination between production of health workers and capacity for employment. Regional experiences and policy responses to address these challenges can be used to inform future policy in the region and elsewhere. A distinctive feature of southeast Asia is its engagement in international trade in health services. Singapore and Malaysia import health workers to meet domestic demand and to provide services to international patients. Thailand attracts many foreign patients for health services. This situation has resulted in the so-called brain drain of highly specialised staff from public medical schools to the private hospitals. The Philippines and Indonesia are the main exporters of doctors and nurses in the region. Agreements about mutual recognition of professional qualifications for three groups of health workers under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Framework Agreement on Services could result in increased movement within the region in the future. To ensure that vital human resources for health are available to meet the needs of the populations that they serve, migration management and retention strategies need to be integrated into ongoing efforts to strengthen health systems in southeast Asia. There is also a need for improved dialogue between the health and trade sectors on how to balance economic opportunities associated with trade in health services with domestic health needs and equity issues.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  4. Beck SV, Carvalho GR, Barlow A, Rüber L, Hui Tan H, Nugroho E, et al.
    PLoS One, 2017;12(7):e0179557.
    PMID: 28742862 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179557
    The complex climatic and geological history of Southeast Asia has shaped this region's high biodiversity. In particular, sea level fluctuations associated with repeated glacial cycles during the Pleistocene both facilitated, and limited, connectivity between populations. In this study, we used data from two mitochondrial and three anonymous nuclear markers to determine whether a fresh/brackish water killifish, Aplocheilus panchax, Hamilton, 1822, could be used to further understand how climatic oscillations and associated sea level fluctuations have shaped the distribution of biota within this region, and whether such patterns show evidence of isolation within palaeodrainage basins. Our analyses revealed three major mitochondrial clades within A. panchax. The basal divergence of A. panchax mitochondrial lineages was approximately 3.5 Ma, whilst the subsequent divergence timings of these clades occurred early Pleistocene (~2.6 Ma), proceeding through the Pleistocene. Continuous phylogeographic analysis showed a clear west-east dispersal followed by rapid radiation across Southeast Asia. Individuals from Krabi, just north of the Isthmus of Kra, were more closely related to the Indian lineages, providing further evidence for a freshwater faunal disjunction at the Isthmus of Kra biogeographic barrier. Our results suggest that Sulawesi, across the Wallace Line, was colonised relatively recently (~30 ka). Nuclear DNA is less geographically structured, although Mantel tests indicated that nuclear genetic distances were correlated with geographic proximity. Overall, these results imply that recent gene flow, as opposed to historical isolation, has been the key factor determining patterns of nuclear genetic variation in A. panchax, however, some evidence of historical isolation is retained within the mitochondrial genome. Our study further validates the existence of a major biogeographic boundary at the Kra Isthmus, and also demonstrates the use of widely distributed fresh/brackishwater species in phylogeographic studies, and their ability to disperse across major marine barriers in relatively recent time periods.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  5. da Silva Voorham JM
    Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd, 2014;158:A7946.
    PMID: 25227888
    Sylvatic dengue viruses are both evolutionarily and ecologically distinguishable from the human dengue virus (DENV). Sporadic episodes of sylvatic human infections in West Africa and Southeast Asia suggest that sylvatic DENV regularly come into contact with human beings. Following a study on the sylvatic transmission cycle in Malaysia in 2007, researchers announced that a new DENV serotype, DENV-5, had been discovered. Scientists are still sceptical about these new findings, and indicate that more data is necessary to determine whether this 'new' virus really is a different serotype or whether it is a variant of one of the four DENV serotypes already known. The good news is that this new variant has not yet established itself in the human transmission cycle. However, if it really is a new serotype this will have implications for the long-term control of dengue using vaccines currently under development.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  6. Slik JW, Aiba S, Bastian M, Brearley FQ, Cannon CH, Eichhorn KA, et al.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2011 Jul 26;108(30):12343-7.
    PMID: 21746913 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1103353108
    The marked biogeographic difference between western (Malay Peninsula and Sumatra) and eastern (Borneo) Sundaland is surprising given the long time that these areas have formed a single landmass. A dispersal barrier in the form of a dry savanna corridor during glacial maxima has been proposed to explain this disparity. However, the short duration of these dry savanna conditions make it an unlikely sole cause for the biogeographic pattern. An additional explanation might be related to the coarse sandy soils of central Sundaland. To test these two nonexclusive hypotheses, we performed a floristic cluster analysis based on 111 tree inventories from Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo. We then identified the indicator genera for clusters that crossed the central Sundaland biogeographic boundary and those that did not cross and tested whether drought and coarse-soil tolerance of the indicator genera differed between them. We found 11 terminal floristic clusters, 10 occurring in Borneo, 5 in Sumatra, and 3 in Peninsular Malaysia. Indicator taxa of clusters that occurred across Sundaland had significantly higher coarse-soil tolerance than did those from clusters that occurred east or west of central Sundaland. For drought tolerance, no such pattern was detected. These results strongly suggest that exposed sandy sea-bed soils acted as a dispersal barrier in central Sundaland. However, we could not confirm the presence of a savanna corridor. This finding makes it clear that proposed biogeographic explanations for plant and animal distributions within Sundaland, including possible migration routes for early humans, need to be reevaluated.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  7. Siew Tin, Tan, Mohd-Sidik, Sherina, Lekhraj, Rampal, Normala, Ibrahim, Kit-Aun, Tan, Zuriati, Ibrahim
    MyJurnal
    As reported by the World Health Organisation (2014), Malaysia is the fattest country among the Southeast Asia. Among others, obesity is a leading contributor of non-communicable diseases (e.g., type II diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cancer). This article aims to review the exiting weight management programmes targeting overweight and obesity in Malaysia from 2005 to 2015. The findings from this review could be useful for future intervention efforts in an attempt to address such issues in Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  8. Yusof K, Zulkifli SN
    Malays J Reprod Health, 1985;3(1):31-45.
    PMID: 12268887
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  9. Tan GH, Azrif M, Shamsul AS, Ho CC, Praveen S, Goh EH, et al.
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2011;12(10):2727-30.
    PMID: 22320982
    INTRODUCTION: Testicular cancer mainly affects young men worldwide. There is lack of published data on patients with this malignant condition from the Southeast Asian region. The aim of this study was therefore to determine the clinicopathologic features of testicular cancer patients treated in a Southeast Asian university hospital and their overall survival rate.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study of testicular cancer patients treated between January 2001 and February 2011. Their epidemiological data, clinical presentation, pathologic diagnosis, stage of disease and treatment were gathered and the overall survival rate of this cohort was analyzed.

    RESULTS: Thirty-one patients were included in this study. The majority of them were of Malay ethnicity. The average age at presentation was 33.7 years. The commonest testicular cancer was non-seminomatous germ cell tumour, followed by seminoma, lymphoma and rhabdomyosarcoma. More than half of all testicular germ cell tumour (GCT) patients had some form of metastasis at diagnosis. All the patients were treated with radical orchidectomy. Adjuvant chemotherapy was given to those with metastatic disease. Four seminoma patients received radiotherapy to the para-aortic lymph nodes. The 5-year survival rate for all testicular cancers in this cohort was 83.9%. The survival rate was 88.9% in 5 years when GCT were analyzed separately.

    CONCLUSION: GCT affects patients in their third and fourth decades of life while lymphoma patients are generally older. Most of the patients treated for GCT are of Malay ethnicity. The majority have late presentation for treatment. The survival rate of GCT patients treated here is comparable to other published series in other parts of the world.

    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  10. Nenny Noorina Saaid, Reena Rahayu Md Zin, Siti Aishah Md Ali, Sharifah Noor Akmal Syed Hussain, Zulkifli Zainuddin, Zubaidah Zakaria
    Sains Malaysiana, 2014;43:1317-1326.
    The identification of chromosomal aberrations in prostate cancer has been widely studied with several known oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes have successfully been discovered. The most frequent aberrations detected in western population were losses in chromosome 5q, 6q, 8p, 13q, 16q, 17p, 18q and gains of 7p/q and 8q. The purpose of this study was to determine the chromosomal aberrations among Malaysian men of Southeast Asia population and discover those potential genes within that chromosomal aberrant region. Thirty-six formalin-fixed paraffin embedded specimens consist of eight organ-confined prostate cancer cases, five with capsular invasion, 14 showed metastasis and nine cases had no tumor stage recorded, were analyzed by array CGH technique. Chromosomal losses were frequently detected at 4q, 6q, 8p, 13q, 18q while gains at 7q, 11q, 12p, 16q and 17q. Gain of 16q24.3 was statistically significant with tumor size. Gains of 6q25.1 and Xq12 as well as losses of 3p13-p1.2 and 13q33.1-q33.3 were significantly correlated with Gleason grade whereas 12p13.31 gain was associated with bone metastasis. Several potential genes have also been found within that aberrant region which is myopodin (4q26-q27), ROBO1 (3p13-p11.2), ERCC5 (13q33.1-q33.3) and CD9 (12p13.31), suggesting that these genes may play a role in prostate cancer progression. The chromosomal aberrations identified by array CGH analysis could provide important clues to discover potential genes associated with prostate tumorigenesis of Malaysian men.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  11. Huh, B.P., Zafarina, Z., Zilfalil, B.A.
    MyJurnal
    The multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious, and multi-cultural Malaysia is situated at the crossroads of Southeast Asia. It has a total population of about 23 million, comprising of more than fifty ethnic groups: Malays, Chinese, Indian, and the minorities of Orang Asli in Peninsular; Iban, Bidayuh, Melanau, Kenyah Kayan, Ukit, Penan, Sekapan, Lahanan, Lun Bawang, Kelabit, Berawan, Punan Bah etc. in Sarawak; and Kadazan, Bajau, Murut, Paitan, Suluk Bonggi, Illanun, Bengkahak Tidung etc. in Sabah. The origin of the multi-ethnic character of this country traces back to decades of human migration from various regions of Southeast Asia. With her rich human biodiversity, a study of the human population genetics is imperative, either for forensic database purposes, or as the stepping stone for medical applications.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  12. Lü L, Zhou HZ
    Zootaxa, 2015;3992(1):1-94.
    PMID: 26250256 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3992.1.1
    Oxytelus species are widespread over all continents except Antarctica. Southeast Asia is one of the biodiversity hotspots in the world. In this paper, we review the Oxytelus species currently known from Southeast Asia. Seven species are described as new to science: O. castaneus sp. nov. (Vietnam), O. finitimus sp. nov. (Laos), O. grandiculus sp. nov. (Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand), O. insulanus sp. nov. (Malaysia and Indonesia), O. lompobatangensis sp. nov. and O. poecilopterus sp. nov. (Indonesia), and O. sublividus sp. nov. (Vietnam and Laos). Seven new synonymies are proposed: O. ruptus Fauvel = O. sublucidus Cameron, O. lucens Bernhauer = O. malaisei Scheerpeltz, O. puncticeps Kraatz = O. (Anotylus) micantoides Scheerpeltz, O. subferrugineus Cameron = O. kedirianus Cameron, O. megaceros Fauvel = O. kalisi Bernhauer, O. subincisus Cameron = O. fruhstorferi Cameron, O. antennalis Fauvel = O. cheesmani Bernhauer. Lectotypes are designated for the following names: O. armiger Fauvel, O. bellicosus Fauvel, O. discalis Cameron, O. gigantulus Fauvel, O. ginyuenensis Bernhauer, O. javanus Cameron, O. kalisi Bernhauer, O. kedirianus Cameron, O. lucens Bernhauer, O. lucidulus Cameron, O. mandibularis Cameron, O. megaceros Fauvel, O. nilgiriensis Cameron, O. subferrugineus Cameron, O. subincisus Cameron, O. sublucidus Cameron, O. subsculptus Cameron, O. antennalis Fauvel (New Caledonia, New Guinea and Australia), O. cheesmani Bernhauer (New Hebrides), O. cheesmanianus Cameron (Papua New Guinea), O. hingstoni Cameron (India), and O. tibetanus Bernhauer (China). The species O. (Anotylus) transversipennis Scheerpeltz is transferred to the genus Anotylus. Other than the new species, nine previously known species are redescribed, a key to 30 species and line drawings or color photographs of 42 species are provided. Thus, a total of 30 species are recorded from Southeast Asia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  13. Zhao S, Huang L, Basu P, Domingo EJ, Supakarapongkul W, Ling WY, et al.
    Cancer Lett, 2022 Jan 28;525:22-32.
    PMID: 34728309 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.10.036
    Multiple barriers impede the transformation of evidence-based research into implementation of cervical cancer screening in ASEAN countries. This review is the first of its kind to show the disease burden of cervical cancer, progress till date to implement screening and corresponding challenges, and propose tailored solutions to promote cervical cancer prevention in ASEAN. In 2020, approximately 69 000 cervical cancer cases and 38 000 deaths happened in ASEAN, and more than 44% and 63% increases on new cases and deaths are expected in 2040. Only four countries have initiated population-based cervical cancer screening programs, but the participation rate is less than 50% in some countries and even lower than 10% in Myanmar and Indonesia. Inequity and unavailability in service delivery, lack of knowledge and awareness, limited follow-up and treatment capacity, and funding sustainability affect successful scale-up of cervical cancer screening most in ASEAN. Implementing HPV detection-based primary screening, appropriate management of screen-positives, enhancing health education, integrating health services can accelerate reduction of cervical cancer burden in ASEAN. Achieving high screening coverage and high treatment compliance will help ASEAN countries remain aligned to cervical cancer elimination strategies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern/epidemiology
  14. Yang F, Guo GZ, Chen JQ, Ma HW, Liu T, Huang DN, et al.
    Epidemiol Infect, 2014 Feb;142(2):225-33.
    PMID: 23587429 DOI: 10.1017/S0950268813000897
    A suspected dengue fever outbreak occurred in 2010 at a solitary construction site in Shenzhen city, China. To investigate this epidemic, we used serological, molecular biological, and bioinformatics techniques. Of nine serum samples from suspected patients, we detected seven positive for dengue virus (DENV) antibodies, eight for DENV-1 RNA, and three containing live viruses. The isolated virus, SZ1029 strain, was sequenced and confirmed as DENV-1, showing the highest E-gene homology to D1/Malaysia/36000/05 and SG(EHI)DED142808 strains recently reported in Southeast Asia. Further phylogenetic tree analysis confirmed their close relationship. At the epidemic site, we also detected 14 asymptomatic co-workers (out of 291) positive for DENV antibody, and DENV-1-positive mosquitoes. Thus, we concluded that DENV-1 caused the first local dengue fever outbreak in Shenzhen. Because no imported case was identified, the molecular fingerprints of the SZ1029 strain suggest this outbreak may be due to vertical transmission imported from Southeast Asia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern/epidemiology
  15. Lee YS, Oh YS, Choi EK, Chern AKC, Jiampo P, Chutinet A, et al.
    Open Heart, 2021 12;8(2).
    PMID: 34857666 DOI: 10.1136/openhrt-2021-001745
    PURPOSE: Dabigatran is a direct thrombin inhibitor approved for stroke prophylaxis in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Real-world data about patient preference, satisfaction and convenience in patients in Asia are not available. The study aimed to explore the perception of patients with newly diagnosed NVAF regarding dabigatran versus vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), when used for stroke prevention.

    PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a multinational, multicentre, non-interventional study involving 49 sites across 5 countries in South East Asia and South Korea where 934 patients newly diagnosed with NVAF were initiated on either dabigatran (N=591) or VKA (N=343). Data were collected at baseline and over two follow-up visits across 6 months. Treatment satisfaction and patient convenience were evaluated using the Perception on Anticoagulant Treatment Questionnaire-2 (PACT-Q2).

    RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 65.9±10.4 years, and 64.2% were male. Mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was 2.4±1.5, and mean HAS-BLED score was 1.2±0.9. At baseline, patients initiated on dabigatran had higher stroke risk, bleeding risk, creatinine clearance and proportion of patients with concomitant illnesses compared with patients initiated on VKAs. Treatment convenience was perceived to be significantly better with dabigatran versus VKAs at visits 2 and 3 (p=0.0423 and 0.0287, respectively). Treatment satisfaction was significantly better with dabigatran compared with VKAs at visit 3 (p=0.0300).

    CONCLUSION: In this study, dabigatran is associated with better patient perception in terms of treatment convenience and satisfaction compared with VKAs when used for stroke prevention in newly diagnosed NVAF patients from South East Asia and South Korea.

    TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02849509.

    PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Patient satisfaction with dabigatran versus VKAs in South East Asia. Patients with atrial fibrillation are at high risk of stroke and require anticoagulants for stroke prevention. Two such anticoagulants are dabigatran and VKAs. We wanted to compare the extent of satisfaction and treatment convenience among newly diagnosed patients with atrial fibrillation from the South East Asian region when they were given either dabigatran or VKAs. Consenting patients filled out a standardised questionnaire called the PACT-Q2 over three visits after they were started on either dabigatran (591 patients) or VKAs (343 patients). We found that satisfaction and convenience were significantly higher when patients received dabigatran than when they received VKAs.

    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern/epidemiology
  16. Dickinson L, Noble H, Gardner E, Puad ASA, Zakaria WNFW, Zerega NJC
    PeerJ, 2020;8:e9897.
    PMID: 33005490 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9897
    Limestone karsts of Southeast Asia can harbor high levels of endemism, but are highly fragmented, increasingly threatened, and their biodiversity is often poorly studied. This is true of the Padawan Limestone Area of Sarawak, Malaysia, home to the endemic Artocarpus annulatus, the closest known wild relative of two important and underutilized fruit tree crops, jackfruit (A. heterophyllus) and cempedak (A. integer). Identifying and conserving crop wild relatives is critical for the conservation of crop genetic diversity and breeding. In 2016 and 2017, five A. annulatus populations were located, and leaf material, locality information, and demographic data were collected. Microsatellite markers were used to assess genetic diversity and structure among populations, and to compare levels of genetic diversity to closely related congeneric species. Results indicate no evidence of inbreeding in A. annulatus, and there is no genetic structure among the five populations. However, diversity measures trended lower in seedlings compared to mature trees, suggesting allelic diversity may be under threat in the youngest generation of plants. Also, genetic diversity is lower in A. annulatus compared to closely related congeners. The present study provides a baseline estimate of A. annulatus genetic diversity that can be used for comparison in future studies and to other species in the unique limestone karst ecosystems. Considerations for in situ and ex situ conservation approaches are discussed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  17. Wang MMH, Gardner EM, Chung RCK, Chew MY, Milan AR, Pereira JT, et al.
    Am J Bot, 2018 05;105(5):898-914.
    PMID: 29874392 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1094
    PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Underutilized crops and their wild relatives are important resources for crop improvement and food security. Cempedak [Artocarpus integer (Thunb). Merr.] is a significant crop in Malaysia but underutilized elsewhere. Here we performed molecular characterization of cempedak and its putative wild relative bangkong (Artocarpus integer (Thunb). Merr. var. silvestris Corner) to address questions regarding the origin and diversity of cempedak.

    METHODS: Using data from 12 microsatellite loci, we assessed the genetic diversity and genetic/geographic structure for 353 cempedak and 175 bangkong accessions from Malaysia and neighboring countries and employed clonal analysis to characterize cempedak cultivars. We conducted haplotype network analyses on the trnH-psbA region in a subset of these samples. We also analyzed key vegetative characters that reportedly differentiate cempedak and bangkong.

    KEY RESULTS: We show that cempedak and bangkong are sister taxa and distinct genetically and morphologically, but the directionality of domestication origin is unclear. Genetic diversity was generally higher in bangkong than in cempedak. We found a distinct genetic cluster for cempedak from Borneo as compared to cempedak from Peninsular Malaysia. Finally, cempedak cultivars with the same names did not always share the same genetic fingerprint.

    CONCLUSIONS: Cempedak origins are complex, with likely admixture and hybridization with bangkong, warranting further investigation. We provide a baseline of genetic diversity of cempedak and bangkong in Malaysia and found that germplasm collections in Malaysia represent diverse coverage of the four cempedak genetic clusters detected.

    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  18. Cooper DLM, Lewis SL, Sullivan MJP, Prado PI, Ter Steege H, Barbier N, et al.
    Nature, 2024 Jan;625(7996):728-734.
    PMID: 38200314 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06820-z
    Trees structure the Earth's most biodiverse ecosystem, tropical forests. The vast number of tree species presents a formidable challenge to understanding these forests, including their response to environmental change, as very little is known about most tropical tree species. A focus on the common species may circumvent this challenge. Here we investigate abundance patterns of common tree species using inventory data on 1,003,805 trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm across 1,568 locations1-6 in closed-canopy, structurally intact old-growth tropical forests in Africa, Amazonia and Southeast Asia. We estimate that 2.2%, 2.2% and 2.3% of species comprise 50% of the tropical trees in these regions, respectively. Extrapolating across all closed-canopy tropical forests, we estimate that just 1,053 species comprise half of Earth's 800 billion tropical trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm. Despite differing biogeographic, climatic and anthropogenic histories7, we find notably consistent patterns of common species and species abundance distributions across the continents. This suggests that fundamental mechanisms of tree community assembly may apply to all tropical forests. Resampling analyses show that the most common species are likely to belong to a manageable list of known species, enabling targeted efforts to understand their ecology. Although they do not detract from the importance of rare species, our results open new opportunities to understand the world's most diverse forests, including modelling their response to environmental change, by focusing on the common species that constitute the majority of their trees.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  19. Rajadurai J, Lopez EA, Rahajoe AU, Goh PP, Uboldejpracharak Y, Zambahari R
    Nat Rev Cardiol, 2012 Aug;9(8):464-77.
    PMID: 22525668 DOI: 10.1038/nrcardio.2012.59
    Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an under-recognized major health problem among women in South-East Asia. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, physical inactivity, and being overweight or obese has shown a significantly increasing trend among women in the region, with the exception of Singapore. The problem is compounded by low awareness that CVD is a health problem for women as well as for men, by misconceptions about the disease, and by the lack of suitable, locally available health literature. Efforts have been made by the national heart associations and other organizations to increase heart health awareness and promote healthy lifestyles. Singapore initiated these prevention programs in the early 1990s and has been successful in reducing the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. The governments of the region, in accordance with the Noncommunicable Disease Alliance, have begun implementing appropriate preventive strategies and improving health-delivery systems. However, psychological, social, and cultural barriers to cardiovascular health awareness in women need to be addressed before these programs can be fully and successfully implemented.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern/epidemiology
  20. Isobe T, Takada H, Kanai M, Tsutsumi S, Isobe KO, Boonyatumanond R, et al.
    Environ Monit Assess, 2007 Dec;135(1-3):423-40.
    PMID: 17370135
    A comprehensive monitoring survey for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and phenolic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) utilizing mussels as sentinel organisms was conducted in South and Southeast Asia as a part of the Asian Mussel Watch project. Green mussel (Perna viridis) samples collected from a total of 48 locations in India, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Philippines during 1994-1999 were analyzed for PAHs, EDCs including nonylphenol (NP), octylphenol (OP) and bisphenol A (BPA), and linear alkylbenzenes (LABs) as molecular markers for sewage. Concentrations of NP ranged from 18 to 643 ng/g-dry tissue. The highest levels of NP in Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia were comparable to those observed in Tokyo Bay. Elevated concentrations of EDCs were not observed in Vietnam and Cambodia, probably due to the lower extent of industrialization in these regions. No consistent relationship between concentrations of phenolic EDCs and LABs were found, suggesting that sewage is not a major source of EDCs. Concentrations of PAHs ranged from 11 to 1,133 ng/g-dry, which were categorized as "low to moderate" levels of pollution. The ratio of methylphenanthrenes to phenanthrene (MP/P ratio) was >1.0 in 20 out of 25 locations, indicating extensive input of petrogenic PAHs. This study provides a bench-mark for data on the distribution of anthropogenic contaminants in this region, which is essential in evaluating temporal and spatial variation and effect of future regulatory measures.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
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