Displaying publications 41 - 60 of 122 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Climate Change, Extreme Weather Events, and Human Health Implications in the Asia Pacific Region
    Hashim JH, Hashim Z
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2016 Mar;28(2 Suppl):8S-14S.
    PMID: 26377857 DOI: 10.1177/1010539515599030
    The Asia Pacific region is regarded as the most disaster-prone area of the world. Since 2000, 1.2 billion people have been exposed to hydrometeorological hazards alone through 1215 disaster events. The impacts of climate change on meteorological phenomena and environmental consequences are well documented. However, the impacts on health are more elusive. Nevertheless, climate change is believed to alter weather patterns on the regional scale, giving rise to extreme weather events. The impacts from extreme weather events are definitely more acute and traumatic in nature, leading to deaths and injuries, as well as debilitating and fatal communicable diseases. Extreme weather events include heat waves, cold waves, floods, droughts, hurricanes, tropical cyclones, heavy rain, and snowfalls. Globally, within the 20-year period from 1993 to 2012, more than 530 000 people died as a direct result of almost 15 000 extreme weather events, with losses of more than US$2.5 trillion in purchasing power parity.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands
  2. Computers stand out at Tenth Population Census Conference
    Hearn RL
    Asian Pac Cens Forum, 1985 May;11(4):1-4, 9-14, 16.
    PMID: 12267276
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands
  3. Fulltext Raising cigarette excise tax to reduce consumption in low-and middle-income countries of the Asia-Pacific region:a simulation of the anticipated health and taxation revenues impacts
    Ho LM, Schafferer C, Lee JM, Yeh CY, Hsieh CJ
    BMC Public Health, 2018 Oct 19;18(1):1187.
    PMID: 30340557 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-6096-z
    BACKGROUND: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 80% of the world's smokers live in low- and middle-income countries. Moreover, more than half of the world's smoking-addicted population resides in the Asia-Pacific region. The reduction of tobacco consumption has thus become one of the major social policies in the region. This study investigates the effects of price increases on cigarette consumption, tobacco tax revenues and reduction in smoking-caused mortality in 22 low-income as well as middle-income countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

    METHODS: Using panel data from the 1999-2015 Euromonitor International, the World Bank and the World Health Organization, we applied fixed effects regression models of panel data to estimate the elasticity of cigarette prices and to simulate the effect of price fluctuations.

    RESULTS: Cigarette price elasticity was the highest for countries with a per capita Gross National Income (GNI) above US$6000 (China and Malaysia), and considerably higher for other economies in the region. The administered simulation shows that with an average annual cigarette price increase of 9.51%, the average annual cigarette consumption would decrease by 3.56%, and the average annual tobacco tax revenue would increase by 16.20%. The number of averted smoking-attributable deaths (SADs) would be the highest in China, followed by Indonesia and India. In total, over 17.96 million lives could be saved by tax increases.

    CONCLUSION: Excise tax increases have a significant effect on the reduction of smoking prevalence and the number of averted smoking-attributable deaths. Middle- and upper-middle income countries would be most affected by high-taxation policies.

    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands/epidemiology
  4. First Report of Plumeria spp. Rust Caused by Coleosporium plumeriae in Louisiana and Malaysia and Catheranthus roseus, a New Host of this Rust
    Holcomb GE, Aime MC
    Plant Dis, 2010 Feb;94(2):272.
    PMID: 30754293 DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-94-2-0272C
    Plumeria spp., native to tropical America, are popular small trees grown widely in tropical areas of the world and as potted plants elsewhere. P. rubra and P. obtusa cultivars and hybrids are most common. A rust disease of a Plumeria sp. (likely P. rubra based on pointed leaf tips, leaves more than 18 cm (7 inches) long, and high rust susceptibility) was observed in November 2008 and again in June 2009 on homeowner plants in Baton Rouge, LA. A survey of five Baton Rouge retail nurseries in September 2009 revealed that 87% (90 of 103) of the plumeria plants were heavily infected with rust. Early symptoms included numerous 1-mm chlorotic spots on adaxial leaf surfaces followed by leaf chlorosis, necrosis, and abscission. Uredinia were numerous, mostly hypophyllous and yellowish orange. Urediniospores were catenulate, orange en masse, verrucose, globose, ovoid, ellipsoidal or angular, and measured 21.8 to 41.9 × 16.4 to 32.8 μm (average 29.4 × 22.6 μm). The rust was identified as Coleosporium plumeriae Pat. (= C. plumierae) (3). Teliospores were not found during this study. Pathogenicity tests were performed by spraying urediniospores (20,000/ml of deionized water) on three healthy Thai hybrid plumeria plants. Five leaves of each plant were misted with water and covered with plastic bags and three to five leaves were inoculated. Plants were held at 27°C for 27 h in a dew chamber and then moved outdoors. Typical rust symptoms and uredinia with urediniospores developed in 10 days on all inoculated leaves while noninoculated leaves remained healthy. Characteristics and spore measurements matched those of the rust from original infected plants. Additional plumeria rust inoculations were made to other Apocynaceae family members that included Allamanda cathartica, Catheranthus roseus (Madagascar periwinkle), Mandevilla splendens, Nerium oleander, and Vinca major. Catheranthus roseus was very susceptible to C. plumeriae with chlorotic leaf spots developing on the six inoculated plants after 8 days and uredinia with urediniospores appearing after 11 days. None of the other plant genera were susceptible to the rust. Plumeria rust was also observed on plumeria trees in urban landscapes in peninsular (Penang) and Bornean (Kota Kinabalu, Sabah) Malaysia in December 2007. To confirm identity, ~1,000 bp of nuclear rDNA 28S subunit from each (Lousiana, Penang, and Kota Kinabalu) was sequenced with rust-specific primers (1) and shared 100% identity (GenBank No. GU145555-6). Plumeria rust was first found on the island of Guadeloupe (3) and then spread to Central and South America. It has been known from Florida since 1960 under the synonym C. domingense (2), but has not been reported elsewhere in the continental United States. In more recent years, plumeria rust has spread to Hawaii, many Pacific islands, India, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, and Nigeria (4). To our knowledge, this is the first report of plumeria rust from Louisiana and Malaysia and of susceptibility of another member of the Apocynaceae, Madagascar periwinkle, to C. plumeriae. Voucher material from Louisiana and Malaysia has been deposited in the Mycology Herbarium of Louisiana State University (LSUM). References: (1) M. C. Aime. Mycoscience 47:112, 2006. (2) Anonymous. Index of Plant Diseases in the United States. U.S. Dept. Agric. Handb. No. 165. Washington, D.C., 1960. (3) N. Patouillard. Bull. Soc. Mycol. Fr. 18:171, 1902. (4) C. To-Anun et al. Nat. Hist. J. Chulalongkorn Univ. 4:41, 2004.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands
  5. The age structure of selected countries in the ESCAP region
    Hong S
    Popul Res Leads, 1982.
    PMID: 12264851
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands
  6. The Oryctes virus: its detection, identification, and implementation in biological control of the coconut palm rhinoceros beetle, Oryctes rhinoceros (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)
    Huger AM
    J Invertebr Pathol, 2005 May;89(1):78-84.
    PMID: 16039308
    In view of the increasing and devastating damage by rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros) to coconut palms in the middle of last century, many efforts were made to find an efficient natural control factor against this pest, which could not be controlled by pesticides. The basic procedures of these monitoring programmes are outlined together with the final detection of a virus disease in oil palm estates in Malaysia in 1963. In extensive laboratory studies, the virus was isolated and identified as the first non-occluded, rod-shaped insect virus, morphologically resembling the baculoviruses. Infection experiments clarified the pathology, histopathology, and virulence of the virus and demonstrated that the virus was extremely virulent to larvae after peroral application. These findings encouraged the first pilot release of virus in 1967 in coconut plantations of Western Samoa where breeding sites were contaminated with virus. Surprisingly, the virus became established in the Samoan rhinoceros beetle populations and spread autonomously throughout the Western Samoan islands. As a consequence, there was a drastic decline of the beetle populations followed by a conspicuous recovery of the badly damaged coconut stands. This unexpected phenomenon could only be explained after it was shown that the adult beetle itself is a very active virus vector and thus was responsible for the efficient autodissemination of the virus. The functioning of the beetle as a 'flying virus factory' is due to the unique cytopathic process developing in the midgut after peroral virus infection. Pathological details of this process are presented. Because of the long-term persistence of the virus in the populations, rhinoceros beetle control is maintained. Incorporation of virus into integrated control measures and successful virus releases in many other countries are recorded.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands
  7. Knocking at the door: Asian immigration to Australia
    Hugo G
    Asian Pac Migr J, 1992;1(1):100-44.
    PMID: 12317236
    "This paper assesses the level and composition of contemporary Asian immigration to Australia and explores its processes and impacts. The final reversal of the White Australia Policy in the 1970s opened the door to substantial increases in Asian immigration, particularly from Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, China, India and Hong Kong." Aspects considered include migrant categories, age, sex, and social and economic adaptation to Australia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands
  8. [Current trends of NASH/NAFLD in Asia-Pacific region]
    Ishii H
    Nippon Rinsho, 2006 Jun;64(6):1017-9.
    PMID: 16768103
    In Japan, much attention has been paid to NASH and NAFLD for the past several years and the prevalence of this disease entity has been estimated, and NASH is thought to be present in 10% of those who have fatty liver diseases. Other points out the prevalence of NASH in Japan as 6 to 8 hundred thousand patients. The last two or three decades have seen the evolution of Western-style life of near complete inactivity, energy-dense food choices and liberal fiscal resources to obtain them and other means to avoid physical activity. Moreover, what is increasingly apparent is that NASH and NAFLD is not a Western disease and many population groups in the Asia-Pacific region are particularly prone to type 2 diabetes. Thus, it is not surprising that NASH has increasingly been diagnosed in several regions in Asia including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and India.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands/epidemiology
  9. Population change and educational development
    Jayasuriya JE
    Bull Unesco Reg Off Educ Asia Pac, 1982 Jun.
    PMID: 12265642
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands
  10. Fulltext Melastoma malabathricum (L.) Smith Ethnomedicinal Uses, Chemical Constituents, and Pharmacological Properties: A Review
    Joffry SM, Yob NJ, Rofiee MS, Affandi MM, Suhaili Z, Othman F, et al.
    Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2012;2012:258434.
    PMID: 22242040 DOI: 10.1155/2012/258434
    Melastoma malabathricum L. (Melastomataceae) is one of the 22 species found in the Southeast Asian region, including Malaysia. Considered as native to tropical and temperate Asia and the Pacific Islands, this commonly found small shrub has gained herbal status in the Malay folklore belief as well as the Indian, Chinese, and Indonesian folk medicines. Ethnopharmacologically, the leaves, shoots, barks, seeds, and roots of M. malabathricum have been used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery, hemorrhoids, cuts and wounds, toothache, and stomachache. Scientific findings also revealed the wide pharmacological actions of various parts of M. malabthricum, such as antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, antidiarrheal, cytotoxic, and antioxidant activities. Various types of phytochemical constituents have also been isolated and identifed from different parts of M. malabathricum. Thus, the aim of the present review is to present comprehensive information on ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical constituents, and pharmacological activities of M. malabathricum.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands
  11. Population policies in Southeast Asia and Australia: the international relevance of domestic affairs
    Jones GW
    J Aust Popul Assoc, 1984;1:109-20.
    PMID: 12267174
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands
  12. From 'White Australia' to 'part of Asia': recent shifts in Australian immigration policy towards the region
    Jupp J
    Int Migr Rev, 1995;29(1):207-28.
    PMID: 12319613
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands
  13. Fulltext Molecular Systematics of the Firefly Genus Luciola (Coleoptera: Lampyridae: Luciolinae) with the Description of a New Species from Singapore
    Jusoh WFA, Ballantyne L, Chan SH, Wong TW, Yeo D, Nada B, et al.
    Animals (Basel), 2021 Mar 04;11(3).
    PMID: 33806564 DOI: 10.3390/ani11030687
    The firefly genus Luciola sensu McDermott contains 282 species that are distributed across major parts of Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, and the Pacific islands. Due to phenotypic similarities, species identification using external morphological characters can be unreliable for this group. Consequently, decades of piecemeal taxonomic treatments have resulted in numerous erroneous and contentious classifications. Furthermore, our understanding of the group's evolutionary history is limited due to the lack of a robust phylogenetic framework that has also impeded efforts to stabilize its taxonomy. Here, we constructed molecular phylogenies of Luciola and its allies based on combined mitogenomes and Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COX1) sequences including a newly sequenced mitogenome of an unidentified taxon from Singapore. Our results showed that this taxon represents a distinct and hitherto undescribed evolutionary lineage that forms a clade with L. filiformis from Japan and L. curtithorax from China. Additionally, the Singaporean lineage can be differentiated from other congeners through several external and internal diagnostic morphological characters, and is thus described herein as a new species. Our phylogeny also strongly supported the paraphyly of Luciola with regard to L. cruciata and L. owadai, which were inferred to be more closely related to the genus Aquatica as opposed to other members of Luciola sensu stricto. The genus Hotaria was inferred as a derived clade within Luciola (sister to L. italica), supporting its status as a subgenus of Luciola instead of a distinct genus. This is the first time since 1909 that a new species of luminous firefly has been discovered in Singapore, highlighting the need for continued biodiversity research, even in small, well-studied and highly developed countries, such as Singapore.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands
  14. The emerging epidemic of HIV infection and AIDS in Asia and the Pacific
    Kaldor JM, Sittitrai W, John TJ, Kitamura T
    AIDS, 1994;8 Suppl 2:S1-2.
    PMID: 7857551
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands/epidemiology
  15. Age at first marital union and fertility: evidence from some Asian and Pacific countries
    Kanjanapan W
    Ingu munje nonjip, 1986 Jun.
    PMID: 12222504
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands
  16. AIDS in Asia and the Pacific
    Karel SG, Robey B
    Asian Pac Cens Forum, 1988 Sep;2(1-2):1-4, 18-30.
    PMID: 12342138
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands
  17. Fulltext Evaluation of WHO monoclonal antibody kit for diagnosis of acute respiratory viral infections
    Khairullah NS, Lam SK
    Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 1995 Jun;26(2):263-7.
    PMID: 8629057
    In 1990 and 1991, six laboratories located in the WHO Western Pacific Region (WPR) and South East Asian Region (SEAR) were selected, based on their experience in the immunofluorescence antibody technique (IFAT), to participate in the evaluation of a WHO monoclonal antibody (Mab) kit to detect respiratory syncytial (RS) virus, influenza A virus, influenza B virus, parainfluenza virus and adenovirus. Despite differences in the initial standardization procedures, the WHO monoclonal antibodies were found to be of high quality, sensitivity and specificity when tested on clinical specimens. The constant supply of affordable high quality reagents from WHO would enable their use in clinical virological laboratories in the developing countries as well as promote the utilization of IFAT as an adjunct to cell culture isolation in the diagnosis of acute respiratory viral infections.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands
  18. Physical activity and obesity research in the Asia-Pacific: a review
    Khoo S, Morris T
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2012 May;24(3):435-49.
    PMID: 22593220 DOI: 10.1177/1010539512446368
    Obesity is a global health concern and has a great impact on countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for obesity, but physical activity levels are declining in much of this region. Increasing physical activity is a priority in many countries. Considerable research has been conducted on physical activity related to obesity in Western countries, but populations in the Asia-Pacific region differ in physical, psychological, social, and cultural ways that warrant local and regional research. The authors reviewed research conducted in the Asia-Pacific region that examined either the impact of physical activity interventions on obesity-related outcomes or the effect of behavior-change interventions on physical activity participation. The number of studies found was limited, and their samples and methods varied too much to draw conclusions. The authors recommend further research in the Asia-Pacific region using systematic protocols to permit sound conclusions to be drawn and promote informed action at local levels.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands/epidemiology
  19. Cardiovascular epidemiology in the Asia-Pacific region
    Khor GL
    Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2001;10(2):76-80.
    PMID: 11710361
    By 2020, non-communicable diseases including cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are expected to account for seven out of every 10 deaths in the developing countries compared with less than half this value today. As a proportion of total deaths from all-causes, CVD in the Asia Pacific region ranges from less than 20% in countries such as Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia to 20-30% in urban China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Malaysia. Countries such as New Zealand, Australia and Singapore have relatively high rates that exceed 30-35%. The latter countries also rank high for coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rate (more than 150 deaths per 100,000). In contrast, death from cerebrovascular disease is higher among East Asian countries including Japan, China and Taiwan (more than 100 per 100,000). It is worth noting that a number of countries in the region with high proportions of deaths from CVD have undergone marked declining rates in recent decades. For example, in Australia, between 1986 and 1996, mortality from CHD in men and women aged 30-69 years declined by 46 and 51%, respectively. In Japan. stroke mortality dropped from a high level of 150 per 100,000 during the 1920s-1940s to the present level of approximately 100 per 100,000. Nonetheless, CVD mortality rate is reportedly on the rise in several countries in the region, including urban China, Malaysia, Korea and Taiwan. In China, CVD mortality increased as a proportion of total deaths from 12.8% in 1957 to 35.8% in 1990. The region is undergoing a rapid pace of urbanization, industrialization and major technological and lifestyle changes. Thus, monitoring the impact of these changes on cardiovascular risks is essential to enable the implementation of appropriate strategies towards countering the rise of CVD mortality.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands/epidemiology
  20. An overview of inhalant abuse in selected countries of Asia and the Pacific Region
    Kin F, Navaratnam V
    NIDA Res. Monogr., 1995;148:29-49.
    PMID: 8929883
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Islands/epidemiology
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links