Displaying publications 61 - 80 of 1066 in total

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  1. Yamasaki T, Hashimoto Y, Endo T, Hyodo F, Itioka T, Meleng P
    Zootaxa, 2018 Nov 14;4521(3):335-356.
    PMID: 30486151 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4521.3.2
    The genus Myrmarachne MacLeay, 1839 (Araneae: Salticidae) is one of the most diversified salticid groups in Southeast Asia, with 23 species previously recorded from Borneo. Based on the collections accumulated from 2004 to 2014 in the Lambir Hills National Park, we herein describe six new species: M. amabilis sp. nov., M. hashimotoi sp. nov., M. lagarosoma sp. nov., M. leptosoma sp. nov., M. salaputium sp. nov. and M. tintinnabulum sp. nov. In addition, we describe the female of M. endoi Yamasaki Ahmad, 2013 for the first time. The male-female combination in M. amabilis sp. nov., M. tintinnabulum sp. nov. and M. endoi were confirmed by DNA barcoding.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  2. Kundrata R, Sormova E
    Zootaxa, 2018 Nov 20;4524(1):132-138.
    PMID: 30486135 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4524.1.10
    Platiana Schimmel, 1993 is a moderately large genus in Dimini endemic to South East Asia. Hitherto only four species of this genus were known from Peninsular Malaysia. Here, we describe and figure Platiana cechovskyi sp. nov. from the Cameron Highlands. This species is characteristic by its relatively small body, dark coloration, and strongly serrate antennae which are rarely encountered in Dimini. An identification key to the Platiana species from Peninsular Malaysia as well as a distribution map for all known species are provided.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  3. Kamarulzaman Bin Ibrahim, Abdul Aziz Jermain
    Dengue is one of the main factors of mortality of inhabitants in the region of South East Asia. Malaysia is one of the countries which is facing a high incidence of dengue, particularly in the 70's and early 80's. The Ministry of Health has taken various measures in order to reduce the dengue epidemic. These include educating people about dengue and conducting research such as investigation of factors that influence the epidemic of dengue. In this study, a sequential Bayesian approach is applied to data of the proportion of death due to dengue over the period from 1982 to 1992. In the sequential Bayesian approach, the data for the year 1982 becomes the prior information for the 1983 data and so on. The data for the different periods are combined in a chronological manner until the final posterior distribution of the proportion of death due to dengue is obtained. It is found that the overall proportion is 0.59% and its standard deviation is 0.00002%.
    Denggi adalah satu daripada faktor utama kematian bagi penduduk di rantau Asia Tenggara. Malaysia pula merupakan satu daripada negara yang sedang mengalami kadar insiden denggi yang tinggi, khususnya dalam tahun 70-an dan pada awal 80-an. Kementerian Kesihatan telah mengambil pelbagai langkah untuk mengurangkan wabak denggi. Ini termasuk memberikan pendidikan tentang denggi dan membuat kajian tentang faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhinya. Dalam kajian ini kaedah Bayesan jujukan digunakan terhadap data perkadaran yang mati akibat denggi dalam tempoh 1982 hingga 1992. Dalam kaedah ini, data tahun 1982 digunakan sebagai maklumat prior untuk data tahun 1983 dan seterusnya. Data dari tahun yang berlainan digabungkan secara kronologi sehingga diperoleh taburan posterior yang terakhir bagi perkadaran yang mati akibat denggi. Didapati bahawa perkadaran keseluruhan ialah 0.59% dan sisihan piawainya 0.00002%.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  4. Supari, Tangang F, Juneng L, Cruz F, Chung JX, Ngai ST, et al.
    Environ Res, 2020 05;184:109350.
    PMID: 32179268 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109350
    This study examines the projected precipitation extremes for the end of 21st century (2081-2100) over Southeast Asia (SEA) using the output of the Southeast Asia Regional Climate Downscaling/Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment - Southeast Asia (SEACLID/CORDEX-SEA). Eight ensemble members, representing a subset of archived CORDEX-SEA simulations at 25 km spatial resolution, were examined for emission scenarios of RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. The study utilised four different indicators of rainfall extreme, i.e. the annual/seasonal rainfall total (PRCPTOT), consecutive dry days (CDD), frequency of extremely heavy rainfall (R50mm) and annual/seasonal maximum of daily rainfall (RX1day). In general, changes in extreme indices are more pronounced and covering wider area under RCP8.5 than RCP4.5. The decrease in annual PRCPTOT is projected over most of SEA region, except for Myanmar and Northern Thailand, with magnitude as much as 20% (30%) under RCP4.5 (RCP8.5) scenario. The most significant and robust changes were noted in CDD, which is projected to increase by as much as 30% under RCP4.5 and 60% under RCP8.5, particularly over Maritime Continent (MC). The projected decrease in PRCPTOT over MC is significant and robust during June to August (JJA) and September to November (SON). During March to May (MAM) under RCP8.5, significant and robust PRCPTOT decreases are also projected over Indochina. The CDD changes during JJA and SON over MC are even higher, more robust and significant compared to the annual changes. At the same time, a wetting tendency is also projected over Indochina. The R50mm and RX1day are projected to increase, during all seasons with significant and robust signal of RX1day during JJA and SON.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  5. Bailey ES, Fieldhouse JK, Alarja NA, Chen DD, Kovalik ME, Zemke JN, et al.
    PMID: 32190346 DOI: 10.1186/s40794-020-0105-9
    In 2018, our team collected aerosols samples from five poultry farms in Malaysia. Influenza D virus was detected in 14% of samples. One sample had an 86.3% identity score similar to NCBI accession number MH785020.1. This is the first molecular sequence of influenza D virus detected in Southeast Asia from a bioaerosol sample. Our findings indicate that further study of role of IDV in poultry is necessary.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  6. Myint CY, Pavlova M, Thein KN, Groot W
    PLoS One, 2019;14(6):e0217278.
    PMID: 31199815 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217278
    We systematically review the health-financing mechanisms, revenue rising, pooling, purchasing, and benefits, in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the People's Republic of China, and their impact on universal health coverage (UHC) goals in terms of universal financial protection, utilization/equity and quality. Two kinds of sources are reviewed: 1) academic articles, and 2) countries' health system reports. We synthesize the findings from ASEAN countries and China reporting on studies that are in the scope of our objective, and studies that focus on the system (macro level) rather than treatment/technology specific studies (micro level).The results of our review suggest that the main sources of revenues are direct/indirect taxes and out of pocket payments in all ASEAN countries and China except for Brunei where natural resource revenues are the main source of revenue collection. Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, and Viet Nam have a single pool for revenue collection constituting a national health insurance. Cambodia, China, Lao, Singapore, and Thailand have implemented multiple pooling systems while Myanmar has no formal arrangement. Capitation, Fee-for-Service, DRGs, Fee schedules, Salary, and Global budget are the methods of purchasing in the studied countries. Each country has its own definition of the basic benefit package which includes the services that are perceived as essential for the population health. Although many studies provide evidence of an increase in financial protection after reforming the health-financing mechanisms in the studied countries, inequity in financial protection continue to exist. Overall, the utilization of health care among the poor has increased as a consequence of the implementation of government subsidized health insurance schemes which target the poor in most of the studied countries. Inappropriate policies and provider payment mechanisms impact on the quality of health care provision. We conclude that the most important factors to attain UHC are to prioritize and include vulnerable groups into the health insurance scheme. Government subsidization for this kind of groups is found to be an effective method to achieve this goal. The higher the percentage of government expenditure on health, the greater the financial protection is. At the same time, there is a need to weigh the financial stability of the health-financing system. A unified health insurance system providing the same benefit package for all, is the most efficient way to attain equitable access to health care. Capacity building for both administrative and health service providers is crucial for sustainable and good quality health care.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  7. Tee ES, Tamin S, Ilyas R, Ramos A, Tan WL, Lai DK, et al.
    Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2002;11(2):S80-6.
    PMID: 12074192
    This review includes the situation of nutrition labelling and claims in six countries in South-East Asia: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. With the exception of Malaysia, there is no mandatory nutrition labelling requirements for foods in these countries except for special categories of foods and when nutritional claims are made for fortified or enriched foods. Nevertheless, several food manufacturers, especially multinationals, do voluntarily label the nutritional content of a number of food products. There is, therefore, increasing interest among authorities in countries in the region to start formulating regulations for nutrition labelling for a wider variety of foods. Malaysia has proposed new regulations to make it mandatory to label a number of foodstuffs with the four core nutrients, protein, carbohydrate, fat and energy. Other countries have preferred to start with voluntary labelling by the manufacturers, but have spelt out the requirements for this voluntary labelling. The format and requirements for nutrition labelling differ widely for countries in the region. Some countries, such as Malaysia, closely follow the Codex guidelines on nutrition labelling in terms of format, components to be included and mode of expression. Other countries, such as the Philippines and Thailand, have drafted nutrition labelling regulations very similar to those of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of the United States. Nutrition and health claims are also not specifically permitted under food regulations that were enacted before 1998. However, various food products on the market have been carrying a variety of nutrition and health claims. There is concern that without proper regulations, the food industry may not be certain as to what claims can be made. Excessive and misleading claims made by irresponsible manufacturers would only serve to confuse and mislead the consumer. In recent years, there has been efforts in countries in the region to enact regulations on nutrition claims. Recently enacted regulations or amendments to existing regulations of almost all the countries reviewed have included provisions for nutrition claims. Malaysia is in the process of gazetting regulations to clearly stipulate the permitted nutrition claims and the conditions required to make these claims along the guidelines of Codex Alimentarius Commission. Only two countries in the region permit health claims to be made - Indonesia and Philippines. Other countries in the region are following developments in Codex and examining the need for allowing these claims. There are more differences than similarities in the regulations on nutrition labelling and claims among countries in the South-East Asian region as no previous efforts have been made to address these. Hopefully, through this first regional meeting, countries can initiate closer interaction, with a view to working towards greater harmonization of nutrition labelling and health claims in the region.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  8. Goh CL, Abad-Casintahan F, Aw DC, Baba R, Chan LC, Hung NT, et al.
    J Dermatol, 2015 Oct;42(10):945-53.
    PMID: 26211507 DOI: 10.1111/1346-8138.12993
    The management of acne in South-East Asia is unique, as Asian skin and local variables require a clinical approach unlike that utilized in other parts of the world. There are different treatment guidelines per country in the region, and a group of leading dermatologists from these countries convened to review these guidelines, discuss current practices and recent advances, and formulate consensus guidelines to harmonize the management of acne vulgaris in the region. Emphasis has been placed on formulating recommendations to impede the development of antibiotic resistance in Propionibacterium acnes. The group adopted the Acne Consensus Conference system for grading acne severity. The group recommends that patients may be treated with topical medications including retinoids, benzoyl peroxide (BPO), salicylic acid, a combination of retinoid and BPO, or a combination of retinoids and BPO with or without antibiotics for mild acne; topical retinoid with topical BPO and a oral antibiotic for moderate acne; and oral isotretinoin if the patient fails first-line treatment (a 6- or 8-week trial of combined oral antibiotics and topical retinoids with BPO) for severe acne. Maintenance acne treatment using topical retinoids with or without BPO is recommended. To prevent the development of antibiotic resistance, topical antibiotics should not be used as monotherapy or used simultaneously with oral antibiotics. Skin care, comprised of cleansing, moisturizing and sun protection, is likewise recommended. Patient education and good communication is recommended to improve adherence, and advice should be given about the characteristics of the skin care products patients should use.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  9. Tan SB, Capelle DP, Zainal NZ, Lim EJ, Loh EC, Lam CL
    Ann Acad Med Singap, 2017 Sep;46(9):339-346.
    PMID: 29022034
    Alleviation of suffering in palliative care needs a combination of good symptom control and psychosocial care. The capacity of mindfulness to promote psychological flexibility opens up possibilities of creating a paradigm shift that can potentially change the landscape of psychosocial care. In this review, we attempt to introduce 4 methods to establish mindfulness based on 'The Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness', a core text of Theravada Buddhism, followed by a brief comparison of the concepts and practices of mindfulness in different cultures and religions in Southeast Asia. Next, 2 mindfulness-based interventions specifically designed for palliative psychosocial care - mindfulness-based supportive therapy (MBST) and mini-mindfulness meditation (MMM) are introduced. We hypothesise that mindful practices, tailored to the palliative setting, can promote positive psychosocial outcomes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  10. Chan Phooi M'ng J, Zainudin R
    PLoS One, 2016;11(8):e0160931.
    PMID: 27574972 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160931
    The objective of this research is to examine the trends in the exchange rate markets of the ASEAN-5 countries (Indonesia (IDR), Malaysia (MYR), the Philippines (PHP), Singapore (SGD), and Thailand (THB)) through the application of dynamic moving average trading systems. This research offers evidence of the usefulness of the time-varying volatility technical analysis indicator, Adjustable Moving Average (AMA') in deciphering trends in these ASEAN-5 exchange rate markets. This time-varying volatility factor, referred to as the Efficacy Ratio in this paper, is embedded in AMA'. The Efficacy Ratio adjusts the AMA' to the prevailing market conditions by avoiding whipsaws (losses due, in part, to acting on wrong trading signals, which generally occur when there is no general direction in the market) in range trading and by entering early into new trends in trend trading. The efficacy of AMA' is assessed against other popular moving-average rules. Based on the January 2005 to December 2014 dataset, our findings show that the moving averages and AMA' are superior to the passive buy-and-hold strategy. Specifically, AMA' outperforms the other models for the United States Dollar against PHP (USD/PHP) and USD/THB currency pairs. The results show that different length moving averages perform better in different periods for the five currencies. This is consistent with our hypothesis that a dynamic adjustable technical indicator is needed to cater for different periods in different markets.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  11. Boyd DA, Nithirojpakdee P, Deein G, Vidthayanon C, Grudpan C, Tangjitjaroen W, et al.
    Zootaxa, 2017 Oct 31;4341(2):151-192.
    PMID: 29245684 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4341.2.1
    Acantopsis (Cobitidae) is revised based on analysis of morphological and molecular data. Four of the six available names, A. dialuzona, A. spectabilis, A. octoactinotos, and A. thiemmedhi, are valid, and three new species, A. rungthipae, A. dinema, and A. ioa, are described. All species are described morphologically, distributions are mapped, and relationships are discussed for those for which molecular data (CO1, RAG1) are available. Labial barbels, color pattern, and meristic counts are the most diagnostic features. Although the long snout of Acantopsis is perhaps the most emblematic attribute of the genus, its relative length increases with growth, reducing its taxonomic value. Species can be difficult to identify on the basis of color pattern alone, as habitat and preservation methods appear to strongly influence the color pattern. Despite interspecific overlap of some highly variable traits, each species has a unique set of morphological characteristics that remain observable even when the color pattern is obscured, and some species are restricted to single drainages, greatly simplifying identification. The phylogenetic analyses revealed high molecular divergence between even the most morphologically similar species, with mean uncorrected CO1 p-distances between species ranging from 12.1-15.4%. Species of Acantopsis exhibit significant genetic structuring consistent with recognized freshwater ecoregions. Acanthopsis lachnostoma Rutter 1897, from Swatow, China, is not assignable to Acantopsis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  12. Goh LPW, Marbawi H, Goh SM, Bin Abdul Asis AK, Gansau JA
    J Infect Dev Ctries, 2023 Feb 28;17(2):139-146.
    PMID: 36897896 DOI: 10.3855/jidc.17135
    INTRODUCTION: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) have continually affected the quality of hospital care. Despite medical interventions by healthcare personnel and improved healthcare facilities, the rates of morbidity and mortality due to HAIs is increasing. However, a systematic review of HAIs is lacking. Therefore, this systematic review aims to determine the prevalence rate, types, as well as causes of HAIs in Southeast Asian countries.

    METHODOLOGY: A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed, Cochrane library, World Health Organization database-Index Medicus for South-East Asia Region (WHO-IMSEAR), and Google Scholar databases. The search period was from 1st January 1990 until 12th May 2022. The prevalence of HAIs and subgroups were calculated using MetaXL software.

    RESULTS: The database search retrieved 3879 non-duplicate articles. After applying exclusion criteria, 31 articles with a total number of 47666 subjects were included and a total of 7658 cases of HAIs were recorded. The overall prevalence of HAIs in Southeast Asia was 21.6 % (95% CI: 15.5 - 29.1%) with heterogeneity statistics of I2 = 100%. Indonesia had the highest prevalence rate of 30.4% whereas Singapore had the lowest prevalence rate at 8.4%.

    CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that the overall prevalence of HAIs was relatively high and the prevalence rate of each country was associated with socioeconomic status. Measures should be taken to examine and control the rates of HAIs in countries with high HAI prevalence.

    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  13. Sekar P, Ventura EF, Dhanapal ACTA, Cheah ESG, Loganathan A, Quen PL, et al.
    Nutrients, 2023 Jun 29;15(13).
    PMID: 37447274 DOI: 10.3390/nu15132948
    Diabetes and obesity are chronic diseases that are a burden to low- and middle-income countries. We conducted this systematic review to understand gene-diet interactions affecting the Southeast Asian population's risk of obesity and diabetes. The literature search was performed on Google Scholar and MEDLINE (PubMed) search engines independently by four reviewers who evaluated the eligibility of articles based on inclusion criteria. Out of 19,031 articles, 20 articles examining gene-diet interactions on obesity and/or diabetes-related traits met the inclusion criteria. Three (Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore) out of eleven Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries have conducted studies on gene-diet interactions on obesity and diabetes. From the 20 selected articles, the most common interactions were observed between macronutrients and genetic risk score (GRS) on metabolic disease-related traits in the Malay, Chinese, and Indian ethnicities. Overall, we identified 29 significant gene-diet interactions in the Southeast Asian population. The results of this systematic review demonstrate ethnic-specific gene-nutrient interactions on metabolic-disease-related traits in the Southeast Asian population. This is the first systematic review to explore gene-diet interactions on obesity and diabetes in the Southeast Asian population and further research using larger sample sizes is required for better understanding and framing nutrigenetic approaches for personalized nutrition.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  14. Mohd Nizam SN, Haji Baharudin NS, Ahmad H
    Environ Geochem Health, 2023 Aug;45(8):5557-5577.
    PMID: 37380923 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-023-01668-8
    Pesticides are widely employed in rice crops since the ecosystem and surroundings of paddy promote insects, weeds, and fungal and bacterial pathogens. Each commonly utilised pesticide possesses different uses. For instance, fungicides control fungal issues, herbicides curb weed growth, and insecticides destroy and repel insects. Although several ways to categorise them exist, pesticides are typically classified according to their chemical compositions. Rice production remains one of the most dominant crops grown in most Southeast Asian countries as it is a staple food. Nonetheless, the crop is highly dependent on pesticides, leading to growing concerns over the potential adverse effects of pesticides on the environment and human health. Despite the availability of numerous studies on the subject, a comprehensive understanding of the specific effects of pesticides on paddy fields in Southeast Asia is still lacking. Consequently, reviewing existing knowledge is necessary for synthesising and identifying research gaps to better inform policymakers, farmers, and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector. The objectives of the present review paper were to review the interactions between pesticides and the environment by understanding the physical and chemical properties of the chemicals, compare pesticide transportation modes in air, water, and soil and how they affect the environment, and evaluate and discuss the effects of pesticides on non-targeted organisms. This study assessed pesticide innovation reported between 1945 and 2021 for a better understanding of the utilisation of the chemicals over time. The pesticides assessed in this study were classified based on their chemical compounds, such as organochlorines, organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroid. This review could provide a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between pesticides and the environment and their impacts on non-targeted organisms.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  15. Naserrudin NA, Adhikari B, Culleton R, Hod R, Jeffree MS, Ahmed K, et al.
    BMC Public Health, 2024 Jan 29;24(1):317.
    PMID: 38287308 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-17792-8
    BACKGROUND: Zoonotic malaria is a growing public health threat in the WHO Southeast Asia (SEA) and Western Pacific (WP) regions. Despite vector-control measures, the distribution of Macaque fascicularis and M. nemestrina, and Anopheles mosquitoes carrying non-human simian malaria parasites poses challenges to malaria elimination. The systematic review assesses the literature on knowledge and malaria-preventive practices in zoonotic malaria-affected areas across the WHO SEA and WP, aiming to identify challenges for malaria control.

    METHODS: Peer-reviewed articles published in English, Malay and Indonesian between January 2010 and December 2022 were searched in OVID Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Studies of any design-excluding reviews, conference proceedings, and reports from all WHO SEA and WP countries vulnerable to zoonotic malaria-were included. Backwards-reference screening and thematic analysis were conducted.

    RESULTS: Among 4,174 initially searched articles, 22 peer-reviewed articles met the inclusion criteria. An additional seven articles were identified through backwards-reference screening, resulting in a total of 29 articles for this review. Half of these studies were conducted in Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Thailand, mainly in forests and remote communities. The review highlighted inconsistencies in the operationalization of knowledge, and five major themes were identified related to knowledge: causation and transmission, symptoms, treatment, severity and complications, and malaria prevention. While participants generally had some understanding of malaria causation/transmission, minority and indigenous ethnic groups demonstrated limited knowledge and held misconceptions, such as attributing malaria to drinking dirty water. Preventive practices included traditional and non-traditional or modern methods-with a preference for traditional approaches to avoid mosquito bites. Challenges to malaria control included feasibility, cost, and access to healthcare services.

    CONCLUSION: This review provides insights into knowledge, local understandings, and preventive practices related to malaria in the WHO SEA and WP regions. The findings highlight the need for future research to explore the knowledge of at-risk communities regarding zoonotic malaria, their perceive threat of the disease and factors exposing them to zoonotic malaria. New strategies must be developed for zoonotic malaria programs tailored to local contexts, emphasizing the significance of community participation, health education, and socio-behavioural change initiatives. It is important to consider the interconnectedness of human health, environmental and non-human primates conservation. Socio-cultural nuances should also be carefully considered in the design and implementation of these programs to ensure their effect tailored to local contexts.

    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  16. 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
  17. Karin BR, Lough-Stevens M, Lin TE, Reilly SB, Barley AJ, Das I, et al.
    BMC Ecol Evol, 2024 Feb 20;24(1):25.
    PMID: 38378475 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02212-7
    BACKGROUND: Human-commensal species often display deep ancestral genetic structure within their native range and founder-effects and/or evidence of multiple introductions and admixture in newly established areas. We investigated the phylogeography of Eutropis multifasciata, an abundant human-commensal scincid lizard that occurs across Southeast Asia, to determine the extent of its native range and to assess the sources and signatures of human introduction outside of the native range. We sequenced over 350 samples of E. multifasciata for the mitochondrial ND2 gene and reanalyzed a previous RADseq population genetic dataset in a phylogenetic framework.

    RESULTS: Nuclear and mitochondrial trees are concordant and show that E. multifasciata has retained high levels of genetic structure across Southeast Asia despite being frequently moved by humans. Lineage boundaries in the native range roughly correspond to several major biogeographic barriers, including Wallace's Line and the Isthmus of Kra. Islands at the outer fringe of the range show evidence of founder-effects and multiple introductions.

    CONCLUSIONS: Most of enormous range of E. multifasciata across Southeast Asia is native and it only displays signs of human-introduction or recent expansion along the eastern and northern fringe of its range. There were at least three events of human-introductions to Taiwan and offshore islands, and several oceanic islands in eastern Indonesia show a similar pattern. In Myanmar and Hainan, there is a founder-effect consistent with post-warming expansion after the last glacial maxima or human introduction.

    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  18. Ledger MJ, Sowter A, Morrison K, Evans CD, Large DJ, Athab A, et al.
    PLoS One, 2024;19(2):e0298939.
    PMID: 38394278 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298939
    Tropical peatland across Southeast Asia is drained extensively for production of pulpwood, palm oil and other food crops. Associated increases in peat decomposition have led to widespread subsidence, deterioration of peat condition and CO2 emissions. However, quantification of subsidence and peat condition from these processes is challenging due to the scale and inaccessibility of dense tropical peat swamp forests. The development of satellite interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) has the potential to solve this problem. The Advanced Pixel System using Intermittent Baseline Subset (APSIS, formerly ISBAS) modelling technique provides improved coverage across almost all land surfaces irrespective of ground cover, enabling derivation of a time series of tropical peatland surface oscillations across whole catchments. This study aimed to establish the extent to which APSIS-InSAR can monitor seasonal patterns of tropical peat surface oscillations at North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest, Peninsular Malaysia. Results showed that C-band SAR could penetrate the forest canopy over tropical peat swamp forests intermittently and was applicable to a range of land covers. Therefore the APSIS technique has the potential for monitoring peat surface oscillations under tropical forest canopy using regularly acquired C-band Sentinel-1 InSAR data, enabling continuous monitoring of tropical peatland surface motion at a spatial resolution of 20 m.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  19. Basa JE, Clemens R, Clemens SAC, Nicholson M
    Vaccine, 2024 Apr 02;42(9):2326-2336.
    PMID: 38448324 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.02.047
    This study examined the performance and structures of national immunization program in five middle-income Southeast Asian countries - Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Viet Nam, and Myanmar, and analyzed how the different structures relate to the difference in program performance to identify effective strategies in the study countries that facilitated good immunization performance. Data were derived from published literature, and WHO/UNICEF/Gavi databases, with 2010 as the baseline year. UMICs Malaysia and Thailand maintained ≥90 % coverage from 2010 to 2020 and even during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. LMICs Viet Nam and donor-supported Myanmar also achieved 80-90 % coverage for most routine vaccines in 2020. The Philippines have not reached ≥90 % coverage since 2010, with the maximum only 72 % (MCV1 and Polio3) in 2020. All study countries prioritize immunization and increased government financing since 2010 by minimum 91 % in Malaysia and 1897 % in Myanmar. However, Myanmar still largely depended on donor support with government financing only 32 % of immunization costs in 2021. The Philippines funds 100 % of immunization costs and ensures sustainable financing for the NIP through earmarked "sin tax" revenues from alcohol and tobacco. Donor support influenced new vaccine introductions among the study countries, with Gavi countries Myanmar and Viet Nam introducing more new vaccines, compared to Gavi-ineligible Malaysia and Thailand. The Philippines reported vaccine stock-outs every year amounting to 28 stock-outs events from 2010 to 2019, compared to only 1-4 stockouts in the other study countries. Donor support, innovative financing, and domestic vaccine manufacturing all play an important role in the efficient delivery of immunization services as demonstrated by the several new vaccine introductions and high immunization rates in Myanmar though Gavi and UNICEF support, additional annual $1.2 billion budget for health and immunization from "sin taxes" in the Philippines, and lack of stockouts for vaccines sourced at affordable prices from domestic manufacturers in Viet Nam.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
  20. Guo Y, Lip GY, Apostolakis S
    Malays J Med Sci, 2012 Jul;19(3):1-7.
    PMID: 23610543 MyJurnal
    The prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) is high in both community- and hospital-based studies in the Far East and South East Asia. Hypertension is the most common risk factor, but coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus are other important co-morbidities in these countries. Anticoagulant therapy use was low, being 0.5%-28% in Malaysia, Singapore, and China. The reported rate of stroke related to AF was 13.0%-15.4% based on community studies in those countries, and was 3.1%-24.2% of stroke rate in hospital-based cohorts. Better assessment of thromboembolic and bleeding risks is important. International guidelines now recommend the use of the CHA2DS2-VASc score to identify the ''truly low-risk'' AF patients, who do not need antithrombotic therapy, whilst those with ≥ 1 stroke risk factors can be offered oral anticoagulation. Aspirin is ineffective and may not be any safer than oral anticoagulants, especially in the elderly. It is anticipated that the availability of the new oral anticoagulant drugs would improve our efforts for stroke prevention in the Far East and South East Asia, especially where anticoagulation monitoring for warfarin is suboptimal.
    Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
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