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Vitamin D status in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): A systematic review and meta-analysis

Islam MA, Khandker SS, Alam SS, Kotyla P, Hassan R

Autoimmun Rev, 2019 Sep 11.
PMID: 31520805 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2019.102392

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease where chronic inflammation and tissue or organ damage is observed. Due to various suspected causes, inadequate levels of vitamin D (a steroid hormone with immunomodulatory effects) has been reported in patients with SLE, however, contradictory.
AIMS: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the serum levels of vitamin D in patients with SLE in compared to healthy controls.
METHODS: PubMed, SCOPUS, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar electronic databases were searched systematically without restricting the languages and year (up to March 2, 2019) and studies were selected based on the inclusion criteria. Mean difference (MD) along with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used and the analyses were carried out by using a random-effects model. Different subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted. Study quality was assessed by the modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and publication bias was evaluated by a contour-enhanced funnel plot, Begg's and Egger's tests.
RESULTS: We included 34 case-control studies (2265 SLE patients and 1846 healthy controls) based on the inclusion criteria. Serum levels of vitamin D was detected significantly lower in the SLE patients than that in the healthy controls (MD: -10.44, 95% CI: -13.85 to -7.03; p Asia (MD: -13.75, 95% CI: -21.45 to -6.05; p = .0005), South America (MD: -3.16, 95% CI: -4.62 to -1.70; p 

Matched MeSH terms: Asia
Spatiotemporal analysis of ground and satellite-based aerosol for air quality assessment in the Southeast Asia region

Nguyen TTN, Pham HV, Lasko K, Bui MT, Laffly D, Jourdan A, et al.

Environ Pollut, 2019 Dec;255(Pt 1):113106.
PMID: 31541826 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113106

Satellite observations for regional air quality assessment rely on comprehensive spatial coverage, and daily monitoring with reliable, cloud-free data quality. We investigated spatiotemporal variation and data quality of two global satellite Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) products derived from MODIS and VIIRS imagery. AOD is considered an essential atmospheric parameter strongly related to ground Particulate Matter (PM) in Southeast Asia (SEA). We analyze seasonal variation, urban/rural area influence, and biomass burning effects on atmospheric pollution. Validation indicated a strong relationship between AERONET ground AOD and both MODIS AOD (R2 = 0.81) and VIIRS AOD (R2 = 0.68). The monthly variation of satellite AOD and AERONET AOD reflects two seasonal trends of air quality separately for mainland countries including Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Taiwan, Hong Kong, and for maritime countries consisting of Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, and Timor Leste. The mainland SEA has a pattern of monthly AOD variation in which AODs peak in March/April, decreasing during wet season from May-September, and increasing to the second peak in October. However, in maritime SEA, AOD concentration peaks in October. The three countries with the highest annual satellite AODs are Singapore, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. High urban population proportions in Singapore (40.7%) and Hong Kong (21.6%) were associated with high AOD concentrations as expected. AOD values in SEA urban areas were a factor of 1.4 higher than in rural areas, with respective averages of 0.477 and 0.336. The AOD values varied proportionately to the frequency of biomass burning in which both active fires and AOD peak in March/April and September/October. Peak AOD in September/October in some countries could be related to pollutant transport of Indonesia forest fires. This study analyzed satellite aerosol product quality in relation to AERONET in SEA countries and highlighted framework of air quality assessment over a large, complicated region.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
Survey of postgraduate medical physics programmes in the Asia-Oceania region

Wong JHD, Ng KH, Sarasanandarajah S

Phys Med, 2019 Oct;66:21-28.
PMID: 31546154 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2019.09.079

The increased use of medical imaging and radiation therapies has resulted in a high demand for medical physicists. Although medical physics programmes are well established in advanced countries, the same cannot be said for many low- and medium-income countries. In some countries, there may be huge variations in the graduates' skill and quality, which pose a problem in ensuring patient safety, providing quality assurance in treatments, optimisation of protocols and standardisation of quality. It also makes any yet-to-be-established regional peer recognition efforts problematic. In order to understand the depth of this problem, a survey was carried out as part of the home-based assignment under the RAS 6088 IAEA programme. A large diversity in terms of course content, duration, clinical training and student profile could be observed across the Asia-Oceania universities surveyed. Out of 25 programmes, only six received recognition from professional bodies, and they were mostly in Australia and New Zealand. Hence, to ensure quality education, a regional curriculum model needs to be developed to harmonise standards. And there is still a long way to go towards standardizing medical physics education and clinical training in the region.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia
Fulltext Measuring and preventing alcohol use and related harm among young people in Asian countries: a thematic review

Jiang H, Xiang X, Hao W, Room R, Zhang X, Wang X

Glob Health Res Policy, 2018;3:14.
PMID: 29761160 DOI: 10.1186/s41256-018-0070-2

Background: The paper reviews alcohol consumption patterns and alcohol-related social and health issues among 15-29-year old young people in Asian countries, and discusses strategies for preventing and controlling alcohol use and related harms.
Methods: We searched Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science for reports, reviews and journal articles published in English between 1st Jan 1990 and 31st August 2016.
Results: Forty-one reports, reviews and journal papers were identified and included in the final review. The current drinking levels and prevalence among young people are markedly different between eight included Asian countries, ranging from 4.2% in Malaysia to 49.3% in China. In a majority of the selected Asian countries, over 15% of total deaths among young men and 6% among young women aged 15-29 years are attributable to alcohol use. Alcohol use among young people is associated with a number of harms, including stress, family violence, injuries, suicide, and sexual and other risky behaviours. Alcohol policies, such as controlling sales, social supply and marketing, setting up/raising a legal drinking age, adding health warning labels on alcohol containers, and developing a surveillance system to monitor drinking pattern and risky drinking behaviour, could be potential means to reduce harmful use of alcohol and related harm among young people in Asia.
Conclusions: The review reveals that drinking patterns and behaviours vary across eight selected Asian countries due to culture, policies and regional variations. The research evidence holds substantial policy implications for harm reduction on alcohol drinking among young people in Asian countries -- especially for China, which has almost no alcohol control policies at present.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia
Fulltext The knowledge, ability, and skills of primary health care providers in SEANERN countries: a multi-national cross-sectional study

Du S, Cao Y, Zhou T, Setiawan A, Thandar M, Koy V, et al.

BMC Health Serv Res, 2019 Aug 27;19(1):602.
PMID: 31455377 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-019-4402-9

BACKGROUND: Primary health care (PHC) is usually the initial point of contact for individuals seeking to access health care and providers of PHC play a crucial role in the healthcare model. However, few studies have assessed the knowledge, ability, and skills (capacity) of PHC providers in delivering care. This study aimed to identify the capacity of PHC providers in countries of the Southeast and East Asian Nursing Education and Research Network (SEANERN).
METHODS: A multi-national cross-sectional survey was performed among SEANERN countries. A 1-5 Likert scale was used to measure eight components of knowledge, ability, and skill of PHC providers. Descriptive statistics were employed, and radar charts were used to depict the levels of the three dimensions (knowledge, skill and ability) and eight components.
RESULTS: Totally, 606 valid questionnaires from PHC providers were returned from seven countries of SEANERN (China, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia), with a responsive rate of 97.6% (606/621). For the three dimensions the ranges of total mean scores were distributed as follows: knowledge dimension: 2.78~3.11; skill dimension: 2.66~3.16; ability dimension: 2.67~3.06. Furthermore, radar charts revealed that the transition of PHC provider's knowledge into skill and from skill into ability decreased gradually. Their competencies in four areas, including safe water and sanitation, nutritional promotion, endemic diseases prevention, and essential provision of drugs, were especially low.
CONCLUSIONS: The general capacity perceived by PHC providers themselves seems relatively low and imbalanced. To address the problem, SEANERN, through the collaboration of the members, can facilitate the appropriate education and training of PHC providers by developing feasible, practical and culturally appropriate training plans.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
The biological standard of living in Indonesia during the 20th century: Evidence from the age at menarche

van der Eng P, Sohn K

Econ Hum Biol, 2019 08;34:216-224.
PMID: 30551996 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2018.11.004

This article analyses long-term changes in the mean age at menarche (MAM) as a biological indicator of changes in the standard of living in Indonesia. It finds that MAM was about 15.5 for birth cohorts in the late-19th century, decreasing to 14.5 by the 1930s, at which level it stagnated until the gradual decrease resumed since the early 1960s to around 12.5 in the mid-2000s. The article considers that long-term improvements in nutrition, educational attainment and health care explain these trends. An international comparison of long-term changes finds that MAM in Indonesia was much lower than in Korea and China until respectively 1970 and 1990, but comparable to Japan until 1950 and to Malaysia until 1930. The article presents reasons why these differences are unlikely to be related to dissimilarities in climate and ethnicity, and concludes that they are indicative of relative standards of living.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia
Increased burden of disease and role of health economics: Asia-pacific region

Shah S, Abbas G, Hanif M, Anees-Ur-Rehman, Zaman M, Riaz N, et al.

Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res, 2019 Oct;19(5):517-528.
PMID: 31401898 DOI: 10.1080/14737167.2019.1650643

Background: Health-care systems in Asian countries are diverse. The economic evaluation provides information on how to make efficient use of the resources available to obtain the maximum benefits. In Asia, diseases such as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes mellitus (DM), tuberculosis (TB) and epilepsy generate a heavy economic burden. The objective of this article is to provide a review of the economic burden of health to patients in Asian countries. Areas covered: All data were collected from already published research article and review papers. The databases searched were Science Direct, PubMed, MEDLINE and Google scholar. We found a total of 4456 articles on health economics. After reviewing the title, only 876 relevant articles were considered. Only 92 (n = 92) articles were considered on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Expert opinion: Available data give evidence that diseases are linked to the low socio-economic status of the Asian population. The cost per capita is high in Asian countries due to insufficient health-care facilities. The cost per capita in Asian countries ranges from $23 (Pakistan) to $1775 (Taiwan). The per capita cost of Malaysia, China, Singapore, and Thailand is $27 $83, $75, and $27, respectively.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia
Fulltext Addressing nutritional requirements of ageing consumers in Asia-recommendations from an expert workshop

Ong S, Woo J, Parikh P, Chan R, Sun J, Mun CY, et al.

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2019;28(2):204-213.
PMID: 31192548 DOI: 10.6133/apjcn.201906_28(2).0001

The number of older persons in Asia is expected to triple by 2050. Ageing is associated with non-communicable chronic diseases, malnutrition, and geriatric syndromes, which influences the burden on the cost related to healthcare, health outcomes, and the quality of life. Experts in the field of older adult nutrition from Asia, Australia, and Europe were invited to participate in a two-day workshop to review the available data, current policies and programs for the ageing population in different countries of Asia to identify the gaps in knowledge and to develop recommendations for action. In Asia, most of the data pertaining to health status, nutritional status, and nutrient intake of the older persons were mainly obtained by conducting studies in nursing homes or hospitals and small cohort studies. There were limited country-specific data on this population. Moreover, the available data pertaining to different countries were difficult to compare due to differences in the reporting format and reference values used. Although nutrition initiatives and policies were realized and public education was conducted to support the older persons, most of these efforts targeted the general population rather than the older persons population segment. In healthcare management, a higher amount of education is required pertaining to the knowledge of nutritional requirements and appropriate feeding of the older persons to reduce underfeeding and its consequences. The expert group recommended the use of a systematic approach for reviewing data pertaining to different countries, initiatives, and programs to further evaluate the available data to underpin future research.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia
The cultural, family and community factors for resilience in southeast asian indigenous communities: A systematic review

Chua RY, Kadirvelu A, Yasin S, Choudhry FR, Park MS

J Community Psychol, 2019 09;47(7):1750-1771.
PMID: 31374592 DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22224

Although faced with historical and ongoing hardships, many indigenous communities in Southeast Asia have managed to survive and thrive. The identification of factors that assist these communities in coping with the challenges experienced would help enhance their overall psychological well-being and resilience. The current review outlines types of protective factors for the indigenous communities in Southeast Asia focusing on the cultural, family and community elements linked to their psychological well-being. Four themes of protective factors were identified strong connection to the land and the environment, embracing cultural norms and traditions, passing down and keeping indigenous knowledge across generations, and emphasis on community and social cohesion. Findings suggest that the value of interconnectedness serves as an overarching theme that forms the worldview of the indigenous communities in Southeast Asia. Interconnectedness was important to the indigenous peoples as they considered themselves to be extensions of their family, community, ancestors, future descendants, the land and to all living things and creations that reside on their lands. Future intervention attempts to promote resilience among these communities should take these factors into account, and pay closer attention to community-level factors that seem to have a profound impact on the indigenous construction of resilience.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
Overview of radiation safety in the tin by-product (amang) industry of South East Asia

Hewson GS

Health Phys, 1996 Aug;71(2):225-34.
PMID: 8690608

Processing of by-product heavy minerals (amang) from tin mining involves potential exposure to external and internal sources of radioactivity. The radioactivity arises through the presence of thorium and uranium series radionuclides in the various minerals. Monazite is the most radioactive mineral, containing 3% to 7% thorium by weight, while ilmenite is generally the least radioactive mineral containing typically less than 0.05% thorium. External exposure occurs when workers are in close proximity to accumulations or stockpiles of the radioactive minerals, whereas internal exposure occurs when workers are involved in dusty processes. This paper summarizes the nature of the amang industry in South East Asia and presents the results of preliminary measurements of external radiation and airborne radioactivity in twelve Malaysian and Thai plants. Although constrained by a paucity of exposure data, it is concluded that radiation doses to some amang plant workers may approach or exceed international standards and that appropriate control measures are required as a matter of priority, Radiation doses may approach or exceed 100 mSv in situations where workers are exposed to excessive levels of ambient dust and no protective measures are used. Observations and recommendations are made relating to monitoring and surveillance, instruction and training, and engineering and administrative protection measures.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
Current status of pharmacovigilance regulatory structures, processes, and outcomes in the Asia-Pacific region: Survey results from 15 countries

Shin JY, Shin E, Jeong HE, Kim JH, Lee EK

Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf, 2019 03;28(3):362-369.
PMID: 30648304 DOI: 10.1002/pds.4717

PURPOSE: Regulatory discrepancies may exist in pharmacovigilance (PV) structure, process, and outcome status worldwide. Our study's objective was to survey the current status of PV in each regulatory body in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region.
METHODS: A modified questionnaire was sent to the PV team heads of 21 PV agencies based in the APEC countries, between June 28 and September 12, 2017, to gather information on the structure, process, and outcome of PV status in these countries.
RESULTS: Of the 21 APEC countries, 15 responded. We found harmonized laws and regulations for general PV and risk management systems. However, variations were found in PV structure: for example, 11 out of 15 countries had national regulatory representatives responsible for PV in pharmaceutical companies, while four did not. For PV process, discrepancies were also found in the source type of adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports and reporting of medication errors and therapeutic ineffectiveness in cumulative ADR reports. With respect to PV outcomes, among countries that performed active surveillance, the United States of America was more active, with hundreds of projects including additional pharmacoepidemiological studies etc. Among the nine countries that responded, Japan had the greatest number of product label changes followed by Taiwan, Malaysia, and Korea.
CONCLUSION: We have identified substantial variations in the structures, processes, and outcomes of PV status among the countries of the APEC region. Therefore, efforts to reduce variations in the PV administration and regulation are warranted for harmonization of PV within the APEC region.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia
Fulltext Prevalence and risk factors of sonographically detected non alcoholic fatty liver disease in a screening centre in Klang Valley, Malaysia: an observational cross-sectional study

Khammas ASA, Hassan HA, Salih SQM, Kadir H, Ibrahim RM, Nasir NNM, et al.

Porto Biomed J, 2018 09 19;4(2):e31.
PMID: 31595260 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbj.0000000000000031

Objectives: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a very common liver disorder in Western countries. As of late, it has been found to be prevalent in Asia as well. It is a benign disease unless it develops into necroinflammation and fibrosis. This study was proposed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of sonography-detected NAFLD among Malaysian adults in Klang Valley, West Malaysia.
Study design: An observational cross-sectional study.
Methods: The participants were aged between 45 and 75 years who participated in a screening program at the Golden Horses Health Sanctuary in Klang Valley. Lipid profile and anthropometric measurements were collected from the subjects' medical records. Ultrasound machine and a structured self-administered questionnaire were used as instruments for recruiting data from the subjects. The subjects who consumed alcohol (>140 g/wk for men and >70 g/wk for females), had hepatitis B or C viruses, liver insults, and surgery, and taken lipid-lowering medications were excluded from the study.
Results: A total of 628 subjects were analyzed, and 235 (37.4%) subjects were diagnosed with definite NAFLD. They comprised 518 (82.5%) Chinese, 92 (14.6%) Malays, and 18 (2.9%) Indians. Peak prevalence of NAFLD was found in 53 to 60 years age group. The higher prevalence of NAFLD was among men (48.3%) than women (27.3%) and among Indians (61.1%) and Malays (51.1%) than among Chinese (34.2%). NAFLD has been found to be strongly correlated with male sex, high body mass index (≥23.0 kg/m2), hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension.
Conclusion: NAFLD is quite common among adults in Malaysian urban population. The prevalence of NAFLD was inordinately high among the 53 to 60 years age group, male sex, Indians, and Malays (as compared with Chinese). Age >60 years, male sex, high body mass index (≥23.0 kg/m2), hypertriglyceridemia, and diabetes mellitus were proven to be risk predictors for NAFLD.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia
Fulltext Genomes of viral isolates derived from different mosquitos species

Sadeghi M, Popov V, Guzman H, Phan TG, Vasilakis N, Tesh R, et al.

Virus Res, 2017 10 15;242:49-57.
PMID: 28855097 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2017.08.012

Eleven viral isolates derived mostly in albopictus C6/36 cells from mosquito pools collected in Southeast Asia and the Americas between 1966 and 2014 contained particles with electron microscopy morphology typical of reoviruses. Metagenomics analysis yielded the near complete genomes of three novel reoviruses, Big Cypress orbivirus, Ninarumi virus, and High Island virus and a new tetravirus, Sarawak virus. Strains of previously characterized Sathuvarachi, Yunnan, Banna and Parry's Lagoon viruses (Reoviridae), Bontang virus (Mesoniviridae), and Culex theileri flavivirus (Flaviviridae) were also characterized. The availability of these mosquito virus genomes will facilitate their detection by metagenomics or PCR to better determine their geographic range, extent of host tropism, and possible association with arthropod or vertebrate disease.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
Genomic structure of the native inhabitants of Peninsular Malaysia and North Borneo suggests complex human population history in Southeast Asia

Yew CW, Lu D, Deng L, Wong LP, Ong RT, Lu Y, et al.

Hum Genet, 2018 Feb;137(2):161-173.
PMID: 29383489 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-018-1869-0

Southeast Asia (SEA) is enriched with a complex history of peopling. Malaysia, which is located at the crossroads of SEA, has been recognized as one of the hubs for early human migration. To unravel the genomic complexity of the native inhabitants of Malaysia, we sequenced 12 samples from 3 indigenous populations from Peninsular Malaysia and 4 native populations from North Borneo to a high coverage of 28-37×. We showed that the Negritos from Peninsular Malaysia shared a common ancestor with the East Asians, but exhibited some level of gene flow from South Asia, while the North Borneo populations exhibited closer genetic affinity towards East Asians than the Malays. The analysis of time of divergence suggested that ancestors of Negrito were the earliest settlers in the Malay Peninsula, whom first separated from the Papuans ~ 50-33 thousand years ago (kya), followed by East Asian (~ 40-15 kya), while the divergence time frame between North Borneo and East Asia populations predates the Austronesian expansion period implies a possible pre-Neolithic colonization. Substantial Neanderthal ancestry was confirmed in our genomes, as was observed in other East Asians. However, no significant difference was observed, in terms of the proportion of Denisovan gene flow into these native inhabitants from Malaysia. Judging from the similar amount of introgression in the Southeast Asians and East Asians, our findings suggest that the Denisovan gene flow may have occurred before the divergence of these populations and that the shared similarities are likely an ancestral component.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
Southeast Asian perspectives on nutrition needs for the new millennium

Tee ES

Biomed Environ Sci, 2001 Jun;14(1-2):75-81.
PMID: 11594483

Over the last three decades, there has been significant changes in the lifestyles of commmunities, including food habits, and food purchasing and consumption patterns in the Southeast Asian region. As a result, there is a definite change in the food and nutrition issues in the region. Nutritional deficiencies in many of these countries are slowly being decreased in magnitude. On the other hand, the significant proportions of the population are now faced with the other facet of the malnutrition problem, namely diet-related chronic diseases. However, because of the different stages of socio-economic development, the extent of each of these extremes of the malnutrition problems varies considerably between the different countries in Southeast Asia. Nutrition needs in the new millennium would necessarily differ somewhat among these countries while at the same time, there would be a considerable amount of similarities. This presentation highlights several macro issues that countries in the region may focus on in the near future. Various intervention programmes have been undertaken by authorities to tackle the co-existence of twin faces of malnutrition in many developing countries. It would be desirable to have a blue print of such programmes and activities in the National Plans of Action for Nutrition (NPANs) . The NPAN should be more than a framework or a descriptive document. It should be a tool for action, an operational plan that sets out priorities; identifies projects and activities, with details of implementation such as what, how and when; designates responsibilities and accountability for the activities; identifies resource requirements and their source; and sets out the plan for monitoring and evaluation. One of the main obstacles in the formulation and effective implementation of intervention programmes in developing countries is the lack of comprehensive data on the extent of the problems in many cases and the causes of such problems specificy to the communities concerned. It is thus imperative to identify appropriate research priorities and conduct relevant studies. It is also important to have basic baseline data collected at regular intervals such as nutritional status of communities and dietary intake. To conduct all these activities, it is vital to ensure adequate funding, preferably through establishing a dedicated fund for research. There should be closer collaboration between countries in the region in all nutrition activities to enable sharing of resources, experiences and learn from the mistakes of others. One existing mechanism is through the ASEAN structure. The other existing mechanisms are through WHO and FAO. One other mechanism is through the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Southeast Asian Branch. Closely related to this need for networking is the need for continuing harmonization of approaches to nutrition activities in the region. Current efforts in harmonisation include RDA, nutritional status assessment methodologies and dietary guidelines. Other areas of harmonisation in the near future include nutrition labelling and claims.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
Phylogenetics of the Old World screwworm fly and its significance for planning control and monitoring invasions in Asia

Wardhana AH, Hall MJ, Mahamdallie SS, Muharsini S, Cameron MM, Ready PD

Int J Parasitol, 2012 Jul;42(8):729-38.
PMID: 22664061 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2012.04.017

Phylogenetic, genealogical and population relationships of Chrysomya bezziana, the Old World screwworm fly (OWSF), were inferred from DNA sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b), nuclear elongation factor-1α (EF-1α) and nuclear white eye colour (white), using sequences of Chrysomya megacephala and Chrysomya rufifacies as outgroups. Cyt b (717bp, 754 specimens), EF-1α (361bp, 256 specimens) and white (577bp, 242 specimens) were analysed from up to two African and nine Asian countries, including 10 Indonesian islands. We show that OWSF occurs as distinctive African and Asian lineages based on cyt b and white, and that there is a marked differentiation between Sumatran and Javan populations in Indonesia, supported by the genealogy and analysis of molecular variance of cyt b alone. Four cyt b sub-lineages are recognised in Asia: only 2.1 occurs on the Asian mainland, from Yemen to Peninsular Malaysia; only 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4 occur in central Indonesia; 2.4 predominates on New Guinea; and 2.1 co-occurs with others only on Sumatra in western Indonesia. This phylogeography and the genetic distances between cyt b haplotypes indicate pre-historic, natural dispersal of OWSF eastwards into Indonesia and other Malesian islands, followed by vicariant evolution in New Guinea and central Indonesia. OWSF is absent from Australia, where there is surveillance for importation or natural invasion. Judged by cyt b haplotype markers, there is currently little spread of OWSF across sea barriers, despite frequent shipments of Australian livestock through Indonesian seas to the Middle East Gulf region. These findings will inform plans for integrated pest management, which could be applied progressively, for example starting in East Nusa Tenggara (central Indonesia) where OWSF has regional cyt b markers, and progressing westwards to Java where any invasion from Sumatra is unlikely. Cyt b markers would help identify the source of any re-emergence in treated areas.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia
Control of parasites in cultured marine finfishes in Southeast Asia--an overview

Seng LT

Int J Parasitol, 1997 Oct;27(10):1177-84.
PMID: 9394188

Mariculture in Southeast Asia began in the 1970s and expanded rapidly during the 1980s, with the commercial hatchery production of the seabass Lates calcarifer. Other important cultured species were Epinephelus coioides, Epinephelus malabaricus, Lutjanus johni, and Lutjanus argentimaculatus. Intensification in the polyculture of these species and the large-scale international movement of fingerlings or juveniles, as well as the rapid expansion and concentration of fish farms, have caused severe problems resulting from parasitic infections. Infections in maricultured fish are predominantly caused by monoxenous parasites, in particular the capsalid and diplectanid monogeneans. Heteroxenous blood parasites also successfully maintained transmission in the culture system despite their requirement for an intermediate host. Prophylactic chemical treatments helped to reduce parasitic infection but did not eliminate them and once introduced into the floating netcage culture system, these parasites managed to maintain their transmission successfully. Despite the current lack of information regarding the biology of many parasites affecting cultured marine fishes, it nevertheless is possible to develop methodologies to produce an integrated health management system specifically designed to the needs of the mariculture practiced in the Southeast Asian region. This system is important and should include a sequence of prophylaxes, adequate nutrition, sanitation, immunization and an effective system of marketing for farmed fishes.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
Fulltext Preliminary review on the prevalence, proportion, geographical distribution, and characteristics of naturally acquired Plasmodium cynomolgi infection in mosquitoes, macaques, and humans: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Kotepui M, Masangkay FR, Kotepui KU, Milanez GJ

BMC Infect Dis, 2021 Mar 12;21(1):259.
PMID: 33711940 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-05941-y

BACKGROUND: Plasmodium cynomolgi is a simian malaria parasite that has been reported as a naturally acquired human infection. The present study aims to systematically review reports on naturally acquired P. cynomolgi in humans, mosquitoes, and macaques to provide relevant data for pre-emptive surveillance and preparation in the event of an outbreak of zoonotic malaria in Southeast Asia.
METHODS: The protocol of the systematic review was registered at PROSPERO with approval ID CRD42020203046. Three databases (Web of Science, Scopus, and MEDLINE) were searched for studies reporting the prevalence of P. cynomolgi infections in Southeast Asian countries between 1946 and 2020. The pooled prevalence or pooled proportion of P. cynomolgi parasitemia in humans, mosquitoes, and macaques was estimated using a random-effects model. Differences in the clinical characteristics of P. cynomolgi infections were also estimated using a random-effects model and presented as pooled odds ratios (ORs) or mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
RESULTS: Thirteen studies reporting on the prevalence of naturally acquired P. cynomolgi in humans (3 studies, 21 cases), mosquitoes (3 studies, 28 cases), and macaques (7 studies, 334 cases) were included. The results demonstrated that the pooled proportion of naturally acquired P. cynomolgi in humans was 1% (95% CI, 0.1%, I2, 0%), while the pooled proportion of P. cynomolgi infecting mosquitoes was 18% (95% CI, 10-26%, I2, 32.7%). The pooled prevalence of naturally acquired P. cynomolgi in macaques was 47% (95% CI, 27-67%, I2, 98.3%). Most of the cases of naturally acquired P. cynomolgi in humans were reported in Cambodia (62%) and Malaysia (38%), while cases of P. cynomolgi in macaques were reported in Malaysia (35.4%), Singapore (23.2%), Indonesia (17.3%), Philippines (8.5%), Laos (7.93%), and Cambodia (7.65%). Cases of P. cynomolgi in mosquitoes were reported in Vietnam (76.9%) and Malaysia (23.1%).
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated the occurrence of naturally acquired P. cynomolgi infection in humans, mosquitoes, and macaques. Further studies of P. cynomolgi in asymptomatic human cases in areas where vectors and natural hosts are endemic are extensively needed if human infections with P. cynomolgi do become public health problems.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
Fulltext The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Hypertension among the Urban Population in Southeast Asian Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Mohammed Nawi A, Mohammad Z, Jetly K, Abd Razak MA, Ramli NS, Wan Ibadullah WAH, et al.

Int J Hypertens, 2021;2021:6657003.
PMID: 33628485 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6657003

The trend of global prevalence for hypertension has been dramatically increasing for the past two decades in Southeast Asian countries. A systematic review aiming to assess the prevalence of hypertension and its risk factors among the urban population in Southeast Asian countries was conducted. We performed database searches of PubMed and Web of Science and performed meta-analysis to determine the pooled prevalence estimate. The overall pooled prevalence estimate of hypertension for Southeast Asian urban population was 33.82%. Among this, 33.98% of hypertension was reported in the community and 32.45% among adolescents in school. The common risk factors that we found were male, ethnicity, education and socioeconomic level, body mass index, waist circumference, smoking, and dyslipidaemia. The review indicates an urgent need for primary and secondary prevention activities. Therefore, a multisectoral and intersectoral approach and collaboration should be undertaken to improve the overall health outcomes of all populations in all Southeast Asian countries.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia, Southeastern
SSR mining in oil palm EST database: application in oil palm germplasm diversity studies

Ting NC, Zaki NM, Rosli R, Low ET, Ithnin M, Cheah SC, et al.

J Genet, 2010 Aug;89(2):135-45.
PMID: 20861564

This study reports on the detection of additional expressed sequence tags (EST) derived simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for the oil palm. A large collection of 19243 Elaeis guineensis ESTs were assembled to give 10258 unique sequences, of which 629 ESTs were found to contain 722 SSRs with a variety of motifs. Dinucleotide repeats formed the largest group (45.6%) consisting of 66.9% AG/CT, 21.9% AT/AT, 10.9% AC/GT and 0.3% CG/CG motifs. This was followed by trinucleotide repeats, which is the second most abundant repeat types (34.5%) consisting of AAG/CTT (23.3%), AGG/CCT (13.7%), CCG/CGG (11.2%), AAT/ATT (10.8%), AGC/GCT (10.0%), ACT/AGT (8.8%), ACG/CGT (7.6%), ACC/GGT (7.2%), AAC/GTT (3.6%) and AGT/ACT (3.6%) motifs. Primer pairs were designed for 405 unique EST-SSRs and 15 of these were used to genotype 105 E. guineensis and 30 E. oleifera accessions. Fourteen SSRs were polymorphic in at least one germplasm revealing a total of 101 alleles. The high percentage (78.0%) of alleles found to be specific for either E. guineensis or E. oleifera has increased the power for discriminating the two species. The estimates of genetic differentiation detected by EST-SSRs were compared to those reported previously. The transferability across palm taxa to two Cocos nucifera and six exotic palms is also presented. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products of three primer-pairs detected in E. guineensis, E. oleifera, C. nucifera and Jessinia bataua were cloned and sequenced. Sequence alignments showed mutations within the SSR site and the flanking regions. Phenetic analysis based on the sequence data revealed that C. nucifera is closer to oil palm compared to J. bataua; consistent with the taxanomic classification.

Matched MeSH terms: Asia

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