Dryobalanops aromatica Gaertn. f. is a major tropical canopy species in lowland tropical rain forests in Peninsular Malaysia. Diurnal changes in net photosynthetic rate (A) and stomatal conductance to water vapor (g(s)) were measured in fully expanded young and old leaves in the uppermost canopy (35 m above ground). Maximum A was 12 and 10 micro mol m(-2) s(-1) in young and old leaves, respectively; however, because of large variation in A among leaves, mean maximum A in young and old leaves was only 6.6 and 5.5 micro mol m(-2) s(-1), respectively. Both g(s) and A declined in young leaves when T(leaf) exceeded 34 degrees C and leaf-to-air vapor pressure deficit (DeltaW) exceeded 0.025, whereas in old leaves, g(s) and A did not start to decline until T(leaf) and DeltaW exceeded 36 degrees C and 0.035, respectively. Under saturating light conditions, A was linearly related to g(s). The coefficient of variation (CV) for the difference between the CO(2) concentrations of ambient air and the leaf intercellular air space (C(a) - C(i)) was smaller than the CV for A or g(s), suggesting that maximum g(s) was mainly controlled by mesophyll assimilation (A/C(i)). Minimum C(i)/C(a) ratios were relatively high (0.72-0.73), indicating a small drought-induced stomatal limitation to A and non-conservative water use in the uppermost canopy leaves.
It was reported that a 47kDa antigenic polypeptide of Plasmodium falciparum had been strongly presented by the sera from 1) imported Japanese malaria patients with severe symptoms and 2) symptomatic and parasitemic inhabitants in endemic areas in the Sudan, Malaysia and the Philippines. In the present study, we observed the reactivity of the sera from falciparum malaria patients who had been hospitalized in the Bangkok Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, and compared the antibody response against the 47kDa antigenic polypeptide according to the severity of the patients. It was observed that antibodies to this molecule were more commonly shared in sera from severer patients, although the IFAT titers against the whole P. falciparum parasite antigen were lower in the group, which suggested that this antibody against the 47kDa molecule was playing a specific role at a severe stage of the infection. Determination of the immunological features of the antigenic molecules of parasites by this type of sero-epidemiological study will provide a new assay system for evaluation of immune status of individuals in different severity and suggest a way of vaccine development.
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by persistent symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Both, stimulant and nonstimulant medications have been approved for the treatment of this disorder. Several Western guidelines recommend the use of prescribed Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications for ADHD along with parental training in behavior management and behavioral classroom intervention. In 2022, new Japanese guidelines for ADHD were issued, which recommended school environment management and psychosocial treatment as the first-line treatment, with pharmacological treatment added as the second-line treatment. Although Japanese guidelines, including pharmacological treatments, have been established, the guidelines and utilization of ADHD medications across Asian regions are unclear. Therefore, to appropriately evaluate the strategy of pharmacological treatments for ADHD, we investigated Asian regional guidelines for ADHD medication in children. We also reviewed the guidelines in Malaysia, Singapore, India, and the Republic of Korea and found that these guidelines differ from Western guidelines.