Displaying publications 41 - 60 of 82 in total

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  1. Shang L, Xu Y, Leaw CP, Lim PT, Wang J, Chen J, et al.
    Sci Total Environ, 2021 Aug 01;780:146484.
    PMID: 33774286 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146484
    The dinoflagellate genus Alexandrium has been well known for causing paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) worldwide. Several non-PSP toxin-producing species, however, have shown to exhibit fish-killing toxicity. Here, we report the allelopathic activity of Alexandrium leei from Malaysia to other algal species, and its toxicity to finfish and zooplankton, via laboratory bioassays. Thirteen microalgal species that co-cultured with Al. leei revealed large variability in the allelopathic effects of Al. leei on the test algae, with the growth inhibition rates ranging from 0 to 100%. The negative allelopathic effects of Al. leei on microalgae included loss of flagella and thus the motility, damages of chain structure, deformation in cell morphology, and eventually cell lysis. The finfish experienced 100% mortality within 24 h exposed to the live culture (2000-6710 cells·mL-1), while the rotifer and brine shrimp exhibited 96-100% and 90-100% mortalities within 48 h when exposed to 500-6000 cells·mL-1 of Al. leei. The mortality of the test animals depended on the Al. leei cell density exposed, leading to a linear relationship between mortality and cell density for the finfish, and a logarithmic relationship for the two zooplankters. When exposed to the treatments using Al. leei whole live culture, cell-free culture medium, extract of algal cells in the f/2-Si medium, extract of methanol, and the re-suspended freeze-and-thaw algal cells, the test organisms (Ak. sanguinea and rotifers) all died at the cell density of 8100 cells·mL-1 within 24 h. Toxin analyses by HILIC-ESI-TOF/MS and LC-ESI-MS/MS demonstrated that Al. leei did not produce PSP-toxins and 13-desmethyl spirolide C. Overall, our findings demonstrated potent allelopathy and toxicity of Al. leei, which do not only pose threats to the aquaculture industry, fisheries, and marine ecosystems but may also play a part role in the population dynamics and bloom formation of this species.
  2. Wu F, Jiang H, Beattie GAC, Holford P, Chen J, Wallis CM, et al.
    Pest Manag Sci, 2018 Nov;74(11):2569-2577.
    PMID: 29688605 DOI: 10.1002/ps.5044
    BACKGROUND: Diaphorina citri (Asian citrus psyllid; ACP) transmits 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' associated with citrus Huanglongbing (HLB). ACP has been reported in 11 provinces/regions in China, yet its population diversity remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated ACP population diversity in China using representative whole mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequences. Additional mitogenome sequences outside China were also acquired and evaluated.

    RESULTS: The sizes of the 27 ACP mitogenome sequences ranged from 14 986 to 15 030 bp. Along with three previously published mitogenome sequences, the 30 sequences formed three major mitochondrial groups (MGs): MG1, present in southwestern China and occurring at elevations above 1000 m; MG2, present in southeastern China and Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam) and occurring at elevations below 180 m; and MG3, present in the USA and Pakistan. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in five genes (cox2, atp8, nad3, nad1 and rrnL) contributed mostly in the ACP diversity. Among these genes, rrnL had the most variation.

    CONCLUSION: Mitogenome sequences analyses revealed two major phylogenetic groups of ACP present in China as well as a possible unique group present currently in Pakistan and the USA. The information could have significant implications for current ACP control and HLB management. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

  3. Lau YL, Lee WC, Chen J, Zhong Z, Jian J, Amir A, et al.
    PLoS One, 2016;11(6):e0157893.
    PMID: 27347683 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157893
    Anopheles cracens has been incriminated as the vector of human knowlesi malaria in peninsular Malaysia. Besides, it is a good laboratory vector of Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax. The distribution of An. cracens overlaps with that of An. maculatus, the human malaria vector in peninsular Malaysia that seems to be refractory to P. knowlesi infection in natural settings. Whole genome sequencing was performed on An. cracens and An. maculatus collected here. The draft genome of An. cracens was 395 Mb in size whereas the size of An. maculatus draft genome was 499 Mb. Comparison with the published Malaysian An. maculatus genome suggested the An. maculatus specimen used in this study as a different geographical race. Comparative analyses highlighted the similarities and differences between An. cracens and An. maculatus, providing new insights into their biological behavior and characteristics.
  4. Chen MX, Zhang RL, Xu XN, Yu Q, Huang DN, Liu W, et al.
    Trop Biomed, 2020 Mar 01;37(1):50-57.
    PMID: 33612717
    A 24-year-old man born in Guizhou province was diagnosed with obstructive jaundice and bile duct stones in 2013. Four living trematodes were found during laparotomy and cholecystectomy. Based on the morphology and molecular genetics analysis of internal transcribed spacer and pcox1 genes of the flatworm specimens, the trematodes from the patient were confirmed to be Fasciola hepatica. This report provided the clinical and molecular diagnosis information on human fascioliasis, which is an emerging sanitary problem still ignored in China. Human fascioliasis constantly occurs due to climatic changes and frequency of human travel. Therefore, it deserves more attention from physicians working in both developing and developed countries.
  5. Ai L, Hu W, Zhang RL, Huang DN, Chen SH, Xu B, et al.
    Trop Biomed, 2020 Dec 01;37(4):947-962.
    PMID: 33612748 DOI: 10.47665/tb.37.4.947
    Different miRNAs are involved in the life cycles of Schistosoma japonicum. The aim of this study was to examine the expression profile of miRNAs in individual S. japonicum of different sex before and after pairing (18 and 24 dpi). The majority of differential expressed miRNAs were highly abundant at 14 dpi, except for sja-miR-125b and sja-miR-3505, in both male and female. Moreover, it was estimated that sja-miR-125b and sja-miR-3505 might be related to laying eggs. sja-miR-2a-5p and sja-miR-3484-5p were expressed at 14 dpi in males and were significantly clustered in DNA topoisomerase III, Rap guanine nucleotide exchange factor 1 and L-serine/L-threonine ammonia-lyase. Target genes of sja-miR-2d-5p, sja-miR-31- 5p and sja-miR-125a, which were expressed at 14 dpi in males but particularly females, were clustered in kelch-like protein 12, fructose-bisphosphate aldolase, class I, and heat shock protein 90 kDa beta. Predicted target genes of sja-miR-3483-3p (expressed at 28 dpi in females but not in males) were clustered in 26S proteasome regulatory subunit N1, ATPdependent RNA helicase DDX17. Predicted target genes of sja-miR-219-5p, which were differentially expressed at 28 dpi in females but particularly males, were clustered in DNA excision repair protein ERCC-6, protein phosphatase 1D, and ATPase family AAA domaincontaining protein 3A/B. Moreover, at 28 dpi, eight miRNAs were significantly up-regulated in females compared to males. The predicted target genes of these miRNAs were significantly clustered in heat shock protein 90 kDa beta, 26S proteasome regulatory subunit N1, and protein arginine N-methyltransferase 1. To sum up, differentially expressed miRNAs may have an essential role and provide necessary information on clarifying this trematode's growth, development, maturation, and infection ability to mammalian hosts in its complex life cycle, and may be helpful for developing new drug targets and vaccine candidates for schistosomiasis.
  6. Lee CY, Jenq CC, Chandratilake M, Chen J, Chen MM, Nishigori H, et al.
    Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract, 2021 Dec;26(5):1555-1579.
    PMID: 34254202 DOI: 10.1007/s10459-021-10060-z
    Clinical reasoning is the thought process that guides practice. Although a plethora of clinical reasoning studies in healthcare professionals exists, the majority appear to originate from Western cultures. A scoping review was undertaken to examine clinical reasoning related research across Asian cultures. PubMed, SciVerse Scopus, Web of Science and Airiti Library databases were searched. Inclusion criteria included full-text articles published in Asian countries (2007 to 2019). Search terms included clinical reasoning, thinking process, differential diagnosis, decision making, problem-based learning, critical thinking, healthcare profession, institution, medical students and nursing students. After applying exclusion criteria, n = 240 were included in the review. The number of publications increased in 2012 (from 5%, n = 13 in 2011 to 9%, n = 22) with a steady increase onwards to 12% (n = 29) in 2016. South Korea published the most articles (19%, n = 46) followed by Iran (17%, n = 41). Nurse Education Today published 11% of the articles (n = 26), followed by BMC Medical Education (5%, n = 13). Nursing and Medical students account for the largest population groups studied. Analysis of the articles resulted in seven themes: Evaluation of existing courses (30%, n = 73) being the most frequently identified theme. Only seven comparative articles showed cultural implications, but none provided direct evidence of the impact of culture on clinical reasoning. We illuminate the potential necessity of further research in clinical reasoning, specifically with a focus on how clinical reasoning is affected by national culture. A better understanding of current clinical reasoning research in Asian cultures may assist curricula developers in establishing a culturally appropriate learning environment.
  7. Gong Y, Wei X, Sun W, Ren X, Chen J, Aweya JJ, et al.
    PLoS Pathog, 2021 08;17(8):e1009837.
    PMID: 34379706 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009837
    It is well known that exosomes could serve as anti-microbial immune factors in animals. However, despite growing evidences have shown that the homeostasis of the hemolymph microbiota was vital for immune regulation in crustaceans, the relationship between exosomes and hemolymph microbiota homeostasis during pathogenic bacteria infection has not been addressed. Here, we reported that exosomes released from Vibrio parahaemolyticus-infected mud crabs (Scylla paramamosain) could help to maintain the homeostasis of hemolymph microbiota and have a protective effect on the mortality of the host during the infection process. We further confirmed that miR-224 was densely packaged in these exosomes, resulting in the suppression of HSP70 and disruption of the HSP70-TRAF6 complex, then the released TRAF6 further interacted with Ecsit to regulate the production of mitochondrial ROS (mROS) and the expression of Anti-lipopolysaccharide factors (ALFs) in recipient hemocytes, which eventually affected hemolymph microbiota homeostasis in response to the pathogenic bacteria infection in mud crab. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first document that reports the role of exosome in the hemolymph microbiota homeostasis modulation during pathogen infection, which reveals the crosstalk between exosomal miRNAs and innate immune response in crustaceans.
  8. Liu J, Chen J, Wang S, Xie J, Wang Y, Chai TT, et al.
    Food Chem, 2022 May 30;377:132000.
    PMID: 34999460 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.132000
    The aim of this study was to investigate the digestion and fermentation properties of fish protein fermented by Monascus. Semi-dried fish was fermented by applying Monascus purpureus Went M 3.439. Our results show that the Monascus fermentation of the fish protein enriched the free amino acids and achieved a relatively higher glutamate content than the control group. The Monascus treatment promoted the decomposition of the fish protein during in vitro digestion, reduced the ammonia and indole content and tended to increase the propionic acid content during in vitro fermentation. The Monascus treatment considerably changed the gut microbiota composition, and particularly increased the relative abundance of Parabacteroides in the in vitro fermentation model of human distal colon. Consumption of Monascus fermented fish protein could result in positive changes in fermentation metabolites and gut microbiota, which brings potential health benefits.
  9. Zhang YT, Lu DD, Chen JY, Yu B, Liang JB, Mi JD, et al.
    Animal, 2018 Oct;12(10):2056-2064.
    PMID: 29362016 DOI: 10.1017/S1751731118000058
    Fermented soybean meal (FSM), which has lower anti-nutritional factors and higher active enzyme, probiotic and oligosaccharide contents than its unfermented form, has been reported to improve the feeding value of soybean meal, and hence, the growth performance of piglets. However, whether FSM can affect the bacterial and metabolites in the large intestine of piglets remains unknown. This study supplemented wet-FSM (WFSM) or dry-FSM (DFSM) (5% dry matter basis) in the diet of piglets and investigated its effects on carbon and nitrogen metabolism in the piglets' large intestines. A total of 75 41-day-old Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire piglets with an initial BW of 13.14±0.22 kg were used in a 4-week feeding trial. Our results showed that the average daily gain of piglets in the WFSM and DFSM groups increased by 27.08% and 14.58% and that the feed conversion ratio improved by 18.18% and 7.27%, respectively, compared with the control group. Data from the prediction gene function of Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) based on 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing showed that carbohydrate metabolism function families in the WFSM and DFSM groups increased by 3.46% and 2.68% and that the amino acid metabolism function families decreased by 1.74% and 0.82%, respectively, compared with the control group. These results were consistent with those of other metabolism studies, which showed that dietary supplementation with WFSM and DFSM increased the level of carbohydrate-related metabolites (e.g. 4-aminobutanoate, 5-aminopentanoate, lactic acid, mannitol, threitol and β-alanine) and decreased the levels of those related to protein catabolism (e.g. 1,3-diaminopropane, creatine, glycine and inosine). In conclusion, supplementation with the two forms of FSM improved growth performance, increased metabolites of carbohydrate and reduced metabolites of protein in the large intestine of piglets, and WFSM exhibited a stronger effect than DFSM.
  10. Wei Q, Xie K, Wang H, Shao X, Wei Y, Chen Y, et al.
    Plants (Basel), 2023 Jan 04;12(2).
    PMID: 36678938 DOI: 10.3390/plants12020224
    The effect of fructose on γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content and its metabolic pathway in broccoli sprouts was investigated. The results demonstrated that the fructose treatment not only significantly increased the fresh weight, GABA, and glutamate contents in sprouts, but also promoted the activity of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) and the expressions of BoGAD1 and BoGAD2. Meanwhile, fructose treatment inhibited the stem length of broccoli sprouts and enhanced the abscisic acid (ABA) production in comparison with the control. Ca2+, CaM contents, and BoCaM2 expression in broccoli sprouts were also stimulated after fructose treatment. Exogenous fructose increased inositol trisphosphate (IP3) content and activated the activity of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) and the expression of BoPLC2, contributing to Ca2+ influx into the cells. These results suggested that Ca2+ played an essential role in GABA enrichment under fructose treatment, which may be associated with GAD and PI-PLC.
  11. Cao W, Kadir AA, Wang Y, Wang J, Dai B, Zheng Y, et al.
    Digit Health, 2023;9:20552076231181473.
    PMID: 37342095 DOI: 10.1177/20552076231181473
    BACKGROUND: As a principal cause of mortality and disability worldwide, stroke imposes considerable burdens on society and effects on the lives of patients, families, and communities. Owing to their growing global popularity, health-related applications (apps) offer a promising approach to stroke management but show a knowledge gap regarding mobile apps for stroke survivors.

    METHODS: This review was conducted across the Android and iOS app stores in September-December 2022 to identify and describe all apps targeting stroke survivors. Apps were included if they were designed for stroke management and contained at least one of the following components: medication taking, risk management, blood pressure management, and stroke rehabilitation. Apps were excluded if they were unrelated to health, not in Chinese or English, or the targeted users were healthcare professionals. The included apps were downloaded, and their functionalities were investigated.

    RESULTS: The initial search yielded 402 apps, with 115 eligible after title and description screening. Some apps were later excluded due to duplicates, registration problems, or installation failures. In total, 83 apps were included for full review and evaluated by three independent reviewers. Educational information was the most common function (36.1%), followed by rehabilitation guidance (34.9%), communication with healthcare providers (HCPs), and others (28.9%). The majority of these apps (50.6%) had only one functionality. A minority had contributions from an HCP or patients.

    CONCLUSION: With the widespread accessibility and availability of smartphone apps across the mHealth landscape, an increasing number of apps targeting stroke survivors are being released. One of the most important findings is that the majority of the apps were not specifically geared toward older adults. Many of the currently available apps lack healthcare professionals' and patients' involvement in their development, and most offer limited functionality, thus requiring further attention to the development of customized apps.

  12. Tao J, Chen J, Li J, Mathurin L, Zheng JC, Li Y, et al.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2017 09 12;114(37):9832-9837.
    PMID: 28855335 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1709163114
    The optimal functionalities of materials often appear at phase transitions involving simultaneous changes in the electronic structure and the symmetry of the underlying lattice. It is experimentally challenging to disentangle which of the two effects--electronic or structural--is the driving force for the phase transition and to use the mechanism to control material properties. Here we report the concurrent pumping and probing of Cu2S nanoplates using an electron beam to directly manipulate the transition between two phases with distinctly different crystal symmetries and charge-carrier concentrations, and show that the transition is the result of charge generation for one phase and charge depletion for the other. We demonstrate that this manipulation is fully reversible and nonthermal in nature. Our observations reveal a phase-transition pathway in materials, where electron-induced changes in the electronic structure can lead to a macroscopic reconstruction of the crystal structure.
  13. Xu X, Liu F, Cheng RC, Chen J, Xu X, Zhang Z, et al.
    Proc Biol Sci, 2015 Jun 07;282(1808):20142486.
    PMID: 25948684 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2486
    Living fossils are lineages that have retained plesiomorphic traits through long time periods. It is expected that such lineages have both originated and diversified long ago. Such expectations have recently been challenged in some textbook examples of living fossils, notably in extant cycads and coelacanths. Using a phylogenetic approach, we tested the patterns of the origin and diversification of liphistiid spiders, a clade of spiders considered to be living fossils due to their retention of arachnid plesiomorphies and their exclusive grouping in Mesothelae, an ancient clade sister to all modern spiders. Facilitated by original sampling throughout their Asian range, we here provide the phylogenetic framework necessary for reconstructing liphistiid biogeographic history. All phylogenetic analyses support the monophyly of Liphistiidae and of eight genera. As the fossil evidence supports a Carboniferous Euramerican origin of Mesothelae, our dating analyses postulate a long eastward over-land dispersal towards the Asian origin of Liphistiidae during the Palaeogene (39-58 Ma). Contrary to expectations, diversification within extant liphistiid genera is relatively recent, in the Neogene and Late Palaeogene (4-24 Ma). While no over-water dispersal events are needed to explain their evolutionary history, the history of liphistiid spiders has the potential to play prominently in vicariant biogeographic studies.
  14. Yang Y, Wei X, Zhang N, Zheng J, Chen X, Wen Q, et al.
    Nat Commun, 2021 08 12;12(1):4876.
    PMID: 34385436 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25075-8
    While the printed circuit board (PCB) has been widely considered as the building block of integrated electronics, the world is switching to pursue new ways of merging integrated electronic circuits with textiles to create flexible and wearable devices. Herein, as an alternative for PCB, we described a non-printed integrated-circuit textile (NIT) for biomedical and theranostic application via a weaving method. All the devices are built as fibers or interlaced nodes and woven into a deformable textile integrated circuit. Built on an electrochemical gating principle, the fiber-woven-type transistors exhibit superior bending or stretching robustness, and were woven as a textile logical computing module to distinguish different emergencies. A fiber-type sweat sensor was woven with strain and light sensors fibers for simultaneously monitoring body health and the environment. With a photo-rechargeable energy textile based on a detailed power consumption analysis, the woven circuit textile is completely self-powered and capable of both wireless biomedical monitoring and early warning. The NIT could be used as a 24/7 private AI "nurse" for routine healthcare, diabetes monitoring, or emergencies such as hypoglycemia, metabolic alkalosis, and even COVID-19 patient care, a potential future on-body AI hardware and possibly a forerunner to fabric-like computers.
  15. Huang Q, Gu L, Zhu J, Peng C, Du S, Liu Q, et al.
    Cancer, 2020 May 01;126 Suppl 9:2062-2072.
    PMID: 32293724 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.32748
    BACKGROUND: A quantitative nephrometry scoring system specifically for renal sinus tumors will assist in classifying surgical complexity and treatment planning.

    METHODS: By using preoperative computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and 3-dimensional image reconstruction, 5 critical components were assessed: the ratio of the sinus area occupied by the tumor in relation to the whole sinus area (R), the compression of the renal segmental vessels or collection system by the tumor (O), the anteroposterior relation of the tumor relative to the segmental vessels or collection system (A), the tumor diameter (D), and whether the tumor affects a solitary kidney (S) ("ROADS"). The ROADS score, indicating low, moderate, or high surgical complexity, was then used to guide surgical strategy planning, including cooling techniques, surgical approaches, and parenchyma incision techniques. A cohort of 134 patients with renal sinus tumors was treated based on their ROADS score and was retrospectively analyzed.

    RESULTS: The authors successfully performed 113 nephron-sparing surgeries and 21 radical nephrectomies with a complication rate of 7.9%. During follow-up, 3 cases were classified according to surgical margin status because they lacked an intact tumor capsule. There was only 1 case of local recurrence, and there were no cases of metastasis. A high ROADS score was correlated with greater operative complexity, such as longer operation and ischemia times and higher estimated blood loss and complication rates. However, renal function and short-term oncologic outcomes were not related to the score.

    CONCLUSIONS: The ROADS scoring system provides a standardized, quantitative, 3-dimensional anatomic classification to guide surgical strategy in renal sinus tumors.

  16. Vermunt J, Bragg F, Halsey J, Yang L, Chen Y, Guo Y, et al.
    PMID: 34728472 DOI: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2021-002495
    INTRODUCTION: We examined the associations between long-term usual random plasma glucose (RPG) levels and cause-specific mortality risks among adults without known diabetes in China.

    RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The China Kadoorie Biobank recruited 512,891 adults (59% women) aged 30-79 from 10 regions of China during 2004-2008. At baseline survey, and subsequent resurveys of a random subset of survivors, participants were interviewed and measurements collected, including on-site RPG testing. Cause of death was ascertained via linkage to local mortality registries. Cox regression yielded adjusted HR for all-cause and cause-specific mortality associated with usual levels of RPG.

    RESULTS: During median 11 years' follow-up, 37,214 deaths occurred among 452,993 participants without prior diagnosed diabetes or other chronic diseases. There were positive log-linear relationships between RPG and all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD) (n=14,209) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) (n=432) mortality down to usual RPG levels of at least 5.1 mmol/L. At RPG <11.1 mmol/L, each 1.0 mmol/L higher usual RPG was associated with adjusted HRs of 1.14 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.16), 1.16 (1.12 to 1.19) and 1.44 (1.22 to 1.70) for all-cause, CVD and CKD mortality, respectively. Usual RPG was positively associated with chronic liver disease (n=547; 1.45 (1.26 to 1.66)) and cancer (n=12,680; 1.12 (1.09 to 1.16)) mortality, but with comparably lower risks at baseline RPG ≥11.1 mmol/L. These associations persisted after excluding participants who developed diabetes during follow-up.

    CONCLUSIONS: Among Chinese adults without diabetes, higher RPG levels were associated with higher mortality risks from several major diseases, with no evidence of apparent thresholds below the cut-points for diabetes diagnosis.

  17. Teo YY, Sim X, Ong RT, Tan AK, Chen J, Tantoso E, et al.
    Genome Res, 2009 Nov;19(11):2154-62.
    PMID: 19700652 DOI: 10.1101/gr.095000.109
    The Singapore Genome Variation Project (SGVP) provides a publicly available resource of 1.6 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyped in 268 individuals from the Chinese, Malay, and Indian population groups in Southeast Asia. This online database catalogs information and summaries on genotype and phased haplotype data, including allele frequencies, assessment of linkage disequilibrium (LD), and recombination rates in a format similar to the International HapMap Project. Here, we introduce this resource and describe the analysis of human genomic variation upon agglomerating data from the HapMap and the Human Genome Diversity Project, providing useful insights into the population structure of the three major population groups in Asia. In addition, this resource also surveyed across the genome for variation in regional patterns of LD between the HapMap and SGVP populations, and for signatures of positive natural selection using two well-established metrics: iHS and XP-EHH. The raw and processed genetic data, together with all population genetic summaries, are publicly available for download and browsing through a web browser modeled with the Generic Genome Browser.
  18. Yang C, Li Q, Wang X, Cui A, Chen J, Liu H, et al.
    Research (Wash D C), 2023;6:0226.
    PMID: 37746659 DOI: 10.34133/research.0226
    Asia stands out as a priority for urgent biodiversity conservation due to its large protected areas (PAs) and threatened species. Since the 21st century, both the highlands and lowlands of Asia have been experiencing the dramatic human expansion. However, the threat degree of human expansion to biodiversity is poorly understood. Here, the threat degree of human expansion to biodiversity over 2000 to 2020 in Asia at the continental (Asia), national (48 Asian countries), and hotspot (6,502 Asian terrestrial PAs established before 2000) scales is investigated by integrating multiple large-scale data. The results show that human expansion poses widespread threat to biodiversity in Asia, especially in Southeast Asia, with Malaysia, Cambodia, and Vietnam having the largest threat degrees (∼1.5 to 1.7 times of the Asian average level). Human expansion in highlands induces higher threats to biodiversity than that in lowlands in one-third Asian countries (most Southeast Asian countries). The regions with threats to biodiversity are present in ∼75% terrestrial PAs (including 4,866 PAs in 26 countries), and human expansion in PAs triggers higher threat degrees to biodiversity than that in non-PAs. Our findings provide novel insight for the Sustainable Development Goal 15 (SDG-15 Life on Land) and suggest that human expansion in Southeast Asian countries and PAs might hinder the realization of SDG-15. To reduce the threat degree, Asian developing countries should accelerate economic transformation, and the developed countries in the world should reduce the demands for commodity trade in Southeast Asian countries (i.e., trade leading to the loss of wildlife habitats) to alleviate human expansion, especially in PAs and highlands.
  19. Dureja S, McDonnell M, Van Genechten D, Bouvier C, Kolarova T, O'Toole D, et al.
    J Neuroendocrinol, 2023 Jun;35(6):e13310.
    PMID: 37351944 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13310
    SCAN, an online survey, measured access to diagnosis, treatments and monitoring of neuroendocrine tumor (NET) patients globally. Between September and November 2019, NET patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) completed an online, semi-standardized survey with 54 patient questions and 33 HCP questions. A total of 2359 patients with NETs and 436 HCPs responded. Misdiagnosis was common (44% [1043/2359]). Mean time to diagnosis was 4.8 years (standard deviation [SD], 6.2). Compared with global figures (60% [1407/2359]), the availability of 68 Ga-DOTA positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) was significantly lower in Asia (45% [126/280]) and higher in Oceania (86% [171/200]). HCPs reported that 68 Ga-DOTA PET/CT was free/affordable to fewer patients in Emerging and Developing Economies (EDE) than Advanced Economies (AE; 17% [26/150] and 59% [84/142], respectively). Compared with global data (52% [1234/2359]), patient-reported availability of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) was significantly lower in Asia (31% [88/280]) and higher in Oceania (61% [122/200]). Significant differences were observed in average annual NET specialist costs between AE and EDE ($1081 and $2915, respectively). Compared with AE, patients in EDE traveled further for NET specialists (1032 [SD, 1578] and 181 [SD, 496] km, respectively). Patients and HCPs both recommended referral to HCPs that were more knowledgeable in the field of NETs and had better access to NET experts/specialist centers. National care pathways, enhancing HCP NET knowledge and ensuring effective diagnostics and access to appropriate treatments are crucial to improving patient survival and NET care worldwide.
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