Consolidated Newborn Bloodspot Screening Efforts in Developing Countries in the Asia Pacific-2024.

Approximately half of all births globally occur in the Asia Pacific Region. Concerted efforts to support local activities aimed at developing national newborn screening (NBS) have been ongoing for almost 30 years, first by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and then through volunteer efforts. Sustainable newborn bloodspot screening (NBS) continues to be initiated and develop in many of the countries with developing economies in the region.

Traditional Chinese medicine trade among RCEP countries: structural characteristics and determinants.

Background: With the increasing global focus on health and the growing popularity of natural therapies, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) products, including extracts, crude drugs, and herbal preparations, are widely utilized as both primary and complementary medicines worldwide. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), spanning 15 countries across East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania, offers a vast market for TCM. However, limited research has been conducted on the complex trade relations among RCEP members.

Epidemiological and cluster characteristics of dengue fever in Yunnan Province, Southwestern China, 2013-2023.

Background: Yunnan Province, located in the southwestern part of China and neighboring endemic dengue regions of Southeast Asia, has experienced annual autochthonous outbreaks of dengue fever from 2013 to 2023. This study examines the epidemiological and spatiotemporal clustering characteristics of dengue within the province.

Methods: Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyse outbreak characteristics.

Predicting dengue incidence in high-risk areas of China through the integration of Southeast Asian and local meteorological factors.

Dengue, a climate-sensitive mosquito-borne viral disease, is endemic in many tropical and subtropical areas, with Southeast Asia bearing the highest burden. In China, dengue epidemics are primarily influenced by imported cases from Southeast Asia. By integrating monthly maximum temperature and precipitation from Southeast Asia and local provinces in China, we aim to build models to predict dengue incidence in high-risk areas of China.

Global distribution and sustainable management of Asian corn borer (ACB), (Lepidoptera: Crambidae): recent advancement and future prospects.

The Asian corn borer (ACB), (Guenée, 1854), is a serious pest of several crops, particularly a destructive pest of maize and other cereals throughout most of Asia, including China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Cambodia. It has long been known as a pest in South-east Asia and has invaded other parts of Asia, Solomon Islands, parts of Africa and certain regions of Australia and Russia. Consequently, worldwide efforts have been increased to ensure new control strategies for management.

Investigation of malaria vectors Anopheles in non-endemic areas of Thailand: in proximity to workplaces housing foreign migrant workers.

Background: Foreign migrant workers from malaria-endemic regions play a critical factor in the transmission of malaria to non-endemic areas, mainly due to their mobility while seeking employment opportunities. This risk is particularly heightened in areas where malaria vectors are present.

Methods: This study aimed to investigate the malaria vectors in two sub-districts in Khon Kaen Province, known for their factory areas and the significant presence of Myanmar migrant worker communities.

Lightweight object detection model for food freezer warehouses.

Warehouses are critical logistics nodes, with food freezer warehouses playing a key role in ensuring food quality while facing challenges such as high-density item distribution and extremely low temperatures required for occupational safety. Traditional management methods struggle to meet these demands, underscoring the need for intelligent and digital solutions to improve efficiency and mitigate safety risks. This study proposes the YOLOv8-RSS model, a lightweight and high-precision approach tailored for food freezer warehouse scenarios.

Antidiabetic effects of two naphthoquinones from the branches and leaves of Tectona grandis and possible mechanism.

Tectona grandis is a Dai medicine that plays an important role in traditional medicine in India, Myanmar, West Africa, and Yunnan Province in China. T. grandis was recorded as an anti-diabetic herb in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia; however, its potential antidiabetic components and possible mechanisms of action have almostly not been described to far.

Considerable genetic diversity within Paragonimus heterotremus in Luang Prabang, northern Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Paragonimiasis, caused by infection with lung flukes of the genus Paragonimus, remains a significant public health concern in Southeast Asia. In Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), information on the distribution and genetic diversity of Paragonimus species is limited. This study investigated Paragonimus metacercariae in freshwater (mountain) crabs and analyzed their genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships.

Implementation outcomes of 1-3-7 focus investigation for malaria in a low transmission setting in Southern Province, Zambia: A mixed methods study.

Eleven countries have been certified as malaria free since 2016, but none of these are in subSaharan Africa where elimination challenges are unique. The 1-3-7 focus investigation approach is an implementation strategy that requires case reporting, case investigation/classification, and focal classification/response to be completed one, three, and seven days, respectively, after index case diagnosis. Real-time short-messaging-service reports are sent at each step to add accountability and data transparency.

A mixed methods study investigating factors affecting adherence to Plasmodium vivax malaria primaquine radical cure regimens among migrants along the Myanmar-Thailand border.

Background: The countries within the Greater Mekong Region of Southeast Asia have pledged to eliminate malaria by 2030. Elimination of Plasmodium vivax malaria is challenging as it requires radical cure to prevent relapse. Understanding and facilitating adherence to primaquine radical cure regimens is necessary for malaria elimination.

Identification of Southeast Asian Anopheles mosquito species with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry using a cross-correlation approach.

Background: Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is proposed for mosquito species identification. The absence of public repositories sharing mass spectra and open-source data analysis pipelines for fingerprint matching to mosquito species limits the widespread use of this technology. The objective of this study was to develop a free open-source data analysis pipeline for Anopheles species identification with MALDI-TOF MS.

The ethanolic extract of Rhaphidophora peepla prevents inflammation by inhibiting the activation of Syk/AKT/NF-κB and TAK1/MAPK/AP-1.

Background: Inflammation is the body's innate reaction to foreign pathogens and serves as a self-regulating mechanism. However, the immune system can mistakenly target the body's own tissues, triggering unnecessary inflammation. For millennia, medicinal plants have been employed for the treatment of diseases.

Predictors of Neonatal Jaundice Admissions: A Comparative Study Between Thai and Myanmar Mothers Residing in Thailand.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the relationship between maternal health literacy, preventive practices, and neonatal jaundice admissions among Thai and Myanmar mothers.

Patients And Methods: A cross-sectional predictive design was employed with 400 mothers of full-term infants, including 200 Thai and 200 Myanmar mothers, recruited from a provincial hospital in Thailand. Data were collected in two phases: baseline demographic and clinical data were obtained before discharge, and maternal health literacy and preventive practices were assessed post-discharge when infants were 4-5 days old.

Body image research among sexual minority men in the Mekong region: A scoping review.

Body image among sexual minority men (SMM) has received increasing attention. However, the current literature has primarily focused on white SMM and body image and physical appearance concerns among SMM. In response to a call for more nuance in understanding how SMM perceive and make sense of their body image in a broader sociocultural context, we conducted a scoping review to examine the extent and nature of body image research among SMM in the Mekong region.

Effectiveness of a tailored forest package of interventions, including topical repellents, in reducing malaria incidence in Myanmar.

Background: In Myanmar, progress towards malaria elimination has stagnated in some areas requiring deployment of new tools and approaches to accelerate malaria elimination. While there is evidence that networks of community-based malaria workers and insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) can reduce malaria transmission in a variety of settings, evidence for the effectiveness of other interventions, such as topical repellents, is limited. Since malaria transmission in Myanmar occurs outdoors, mainly among forest-goers, this study tested the effectiveness of topical repellents in combination with supplemental ITN distribution and strengthened networks of malaria workers.

Detection of I491F and V170F rpoB Mutations Associated with Misdiagnosis of Rifampicin Resistance Among Patients with Drug-susceptible Tuberculosis Treatment Failure, Myanmar, 2022.

Detecting rifampicin resistance is crucial in selecting tuberculosis (TB) treatment. Recently, several studies reported that I491F and V170F rpoB mutations, previously designated as borderline rifampicin-resistance mutations, were found with a varying prevalence. Sputum specimens from first-line tuberculosis treatment failed patients attending Tuberculosis Centers in Yangon Region during 2022 were cultured in solid media.

Cavernous Sinus Syndrome in a Traumatic Dissecting Aneurysm of the Internal Carotid Artery.

We report a rare case of a missed intracavernous internal carotid artery dissecting aneurysm occurring as a complication of the base of skull fracture with severe brain injury causing acute cavernous sinus syndrome with permanent vision loss. A 31-year-old Myanmar lady had an alleged motor vehicle accident and suffered severe traumatic brain injury with multiple intracranial bleeds, multiple facial bone and base of skull fractures, and limb fractures. At one week post-trauma, she had severe right eye proptosis with vision loss, ophthalmoplegia, chemosis, and high intraocular pressure.

Interactive Effects of COVID-19 Infection and Psychological Factors on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Myanmar.

Background: The complex association between COVID-19 and psychological factors may significantly impact oral health, including oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Despite their interconnected nature, literature regarding their collective impact on OHRQoL is limited.

Objective: This study aims to assess the independent and interactive effects of COVID-19 infection and psychological factors on OHRQoL.

Generation of a KDM5D knockout human embryonic stem cell line with CRISPR/Cas9 technology.

KDM5D is a gene implicated in spermatogenic failure and sex-related differences in colon cancer progression, though its role in spermatogenesis remains unclear. We successfully generated a KDM5D knockout human embryonic stem cells using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. This knockout cell line provides a valuable model for studying KDM5D's function in spermatogenesis and its influence on sex differences in various diseases.

Stroke Epidemiology in Asia.

Background Stroke is a major cause of death and disability globally, with different stroke burdens in different regions. This paper reviews the epidemiology of stroke in Asia. Summary There is a wide range in age and sex-standardised stroke incidence, highest in China, lowest in Bhutan.

Click beetle larvae from Cretaceous Burmese amber represent an ancient Gondwanan lineage.

The click beetles (Elateridae) represent the major and well-known group of the polyphagan superfamily Elateroidea. Despite a relatively rich fossil record of Mesozoic Elateridae, only a few species are described from the Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber. Although Elateridae spend most of their lives as larvae, our knowledge on immature stages of this family is limited, which is especially valid for the fossils.

, a New Extant Genus of Keroplatidae, with Notes on the Fossil Genus (Diptera).

A new extant genus of Keroplatidae (Diptera: Bibionomorpha), gen. nov., is described in this paper, which includes two new species, sp.

Assessment of the Potential Suitable Habitat of Chevrolat, 1852 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Under Climate Change and Human Activities Based on the Biomod2 Ensemble Model.

Effective use of species distribution models can assess the risk of spreading forest pests. In this study, based on 434 occurrence records and eight environmental variables, an ensemble model was applied to identify key environmental factors affecting the distribution of Chevrolat, 1852 and predict its potential habitat and its relative areas of change under current and future climatic conditions. The results indicate that humidity, solar radiation, topography, and human activities were the main factors influencing the distribution of .

Genetic Characterization of Japanese Encephalitis Virus Isolates Circulating in Mosquitoes from Pig and Sheep Farms in Shanghai, China.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is regarded as an emerging and reemerging pathogen that is a primary cause of viral encephalitis in humans. However, there is a scarcity of research on the prevalence of JEV genotypes across the different mosquito species in Shanghai. In this study, the diversity of mosquito species and prevalence of JEV in pig and sheep farms in Shanghai were surveyed in 2022.