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The pond wolf spider Pardosa pseudoannulata Bösenberg & Strand, 1906 (Araneae: Lycosidae) is an important predator of agricultural pests in southern, eastern and southeastern Asia. Here, we report the complete mitogenome of this spider reconstructed from Illumina sequencing data. The circular mitogenome length is 14,533 bp with the nucleotide composition A (33.3%), C (8.2%), G (15.2%), and T (43.3%). The P. pseudoannulata mitogenome comprises 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and a control region. Phylogenetic analyses of Lycosidae mitogenomes supported the monophyly of the subfamily Pardosinae and the two genera Pardosa and Alopecosa, and indicated the polyphyly of the subfamily Lycosinae and the paraphyly of its type genus Lycosa. In this study, P. pseudoannulata is the closest relative to P. pusiola. These results provide useful genetic information for future studies on the diversity, phylogeny, and evolution for wolf spiders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) measurement in the tourism and hospitality industry remains in its infancy, particularly missing a developing country's perspective. Rooted in stakeholder theory, we generated a semantic network from ESG reports and conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with different sub-sector professionals to triangulate ESG measurement guidelines for the industry. The results highlight modifications that could be made to waste and environmentally friendly initiatives in environmental measurements, employee benefits and product quality in social measurements, and R&D and governance structures in governance measurements. Additionally, internal resource support and external awareness changes can ensure that companies comply with ESG guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study adopts a circuits of culture approach to examine the role of tourism performing arts (TPA) storytelling in conveying a sense of place to visitors, and its potential impact on their attitudes towards sustainable tourism development. Through a survey of 437 visitors and structural equation modeling, the study reveals the distinct storytelling attributes that contribute to TPA's effectiveness. The study also finds that tourists' sense of place completely mediates the relationship between these storytelling attributes and their support for tourism development. These findings offer important insights into the potential of TPA storytelling as a tool for promoting sustainable tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Etlingera velutina belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. The plant is known as a potent agent for snakebite and food flavoring in the east of Asia. In this study, the essential oil from the rhizomes of E. velutina was obtained using the hydro-distillation assay. The chemical composition of the oil was identified by chromatographic methods of GC/FID and GC/MS. The MTT assay was run to evaluate the cytotoxicity effect of the essential oil. The oil consists of sesquiterpene hydrocarbon. α-Cubebene (57.4%) and 2-undecanone (28.6%) were the major compounds for the rhizome oil. The MTT assay was run to treat the cell lines with essential oil for evaluation of the cytotoxicity and anti-human colorectal carcinoma properties. The IC50 of essential oil was 241 and 214 μg/mL against ileocecal colorectal adenocarcinoma (HCT-8 [HRT-18]) and Burkitt's lymphoma (Ramos.2G6.4C10) cell lines, respectively. The results showed a dose-dependently on The viability of malignant colorectal cell lines in the presence of essential oil. The obtained results revealed the essential oil of the rhizomes of E. velutina is a potent agent against colorectal carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective: To observe the clinical effect of anterior debridement, decompression, bone grafting, and instrumentation for cervical spinal tuberculosis in four hospitals. Materials and Methods: This research retrospectively analyzed 146 patients with cervical spinal tuberculosis who were treated by anterior debridement, decompression, bone grafting, and instrumentation in four institutions between January 2000 and January 2015. There were 68 males and 78 females with an average age of 31.32 ± 11.69 years. All patients received chemotherapy for 18 months after surgery, and fixed by brace for 3 months. Clinical outcome, laboratory indexes and radiological results were analyzed to evaluate the efficacy of anterior approach surgery in the treatment of cervical spinal tuberculosis. Results: All cases were followed up about 18 to 52 months later (average 24 months). At the last follow-up, all patients obtained bone fusion, pain relief and neurological recovery. There was no recurrence in any of the patients, and no complications related to internal fixation. There were statistically significant differences before and after treatment in terms of Visual analog scale (VAS), Neck disability index (NDI) and Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA)(P < 0.05). During the last follow-up examination, in 83 patients with neurological deficit, 78 patients improved. The kyphosis was significantly improved postoperatively (P < 0.05). At the last follow-up, the Cobb angle had some degree of correction loss, but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Our study suggests that one-stage anterior debridement, decompression, bone grafting, and instrumentation are safe and effective methods in the surgical management of cervical spinal tuberculosis. Abbreviation: VAS: Visual Analog Scale; JOA: Japanese Orthopaedic Association; NDI: Neck Disability Index; ESR: Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate; ASIA: American Spinal Injury Association; TB: Tuberculosis [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudoregma bambucicola is an economically significant bamboo pest which is highly reproductive found in Eastern Asia that influences the normal growth of bamboo, induces the formation of sooty molds, and even causes substantial injury or death among young bamboos. This study provides a theoretical and practical basis for the comprehensive prevention and control of Pseudoregma bambucicola. The results showed that 10 geographical populations of Pseudoregma bambucicola showed high genetic diversity (Hd = 0.879 PI + 0.075, =0.08295 + 0.03901) and the average genetic distance was 0.018. In the haplotype phylogenetic tree constructed, the branches of MP tree and BI tree were basically the same, the Sichuan Basin was clustered into one and the populations from other provinces were clustered into a large branch and had a high posterior probability (the posterior probability of MP tree was 99% and the posterior probability of BI tree was 1). The NJ tree showed the differences among the 10 geographies. It was found that the experimental results were consistent with the actual geographical conditions because different geographical Pseudoregma bambusicola experienced natural isolation due to the possible impact of the natural environment, resulting in no genetic exchange between them, thus having a great genetic variability and high genetic diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The yellow-feather broiler is a popular poultry breed in Asia, particularly in China. In this study, we performed RNA-seq analysis to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the heart of yellow-feather broilers that had been subjected to heat stress treatment (38 ± 1 °C for 8 h, over 7 d) and determine the response of the heart to high temperature and its effects on yellow-feather broiler physiology. We found that body weight (BW) of the heat stress treatment group (BW28 = 354.8 ± 34.8 g) was significantly decreased (p =.033) compared with that of the control group (BW28 = 384.8 ± 58.9 g). However, there was no significant reduction in the heart relative weight (HRW) (p =.538). A total of 37 DEGs related to energy metabolism responded to heat stress in the heart of yellow-feather broiler. The results of KEGG pathways analysis indicated that these genes are involved in oxidative phosphorylation (KO: 00190), cardiac muscle contraction (KO: 04260) and carbon metabolism (KO: 01200). Analysis of the cardiac transcriptome of yellow-feather broilers subjected to heat stress indicated that the heart of these birds has specific physiological mechanisms for regulating body growth in response to high-temperature environments. Yellow-feather broilers, a popular poultry breed in Asia, were used to determine how the heart responds to heat stress. A total of 37 genes in the heart of yellow-feather broilers showed differential expression in response to heat stress. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are associated with oxidative phosphorylation, cardiac muscle contraction and carbon metabolism pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:In recent years, outbreaks of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) have increased throughout East and Southeast Asia, especially in mainland China. The disease now presents as an increasingly serious public health threat in China. Methods:A case–control study was designed to examine risk factors associated with death from severe HFMD. A total of 553 severe HFMD cases were collected from the National Surveillance System. Results:Multifactorial logistic regression was used to analyse independent associations between potential influence factors and death from severe HFMD. We found that the migrants were more likely to die from severe HFMD than the resident population (OR = 3.07, 95%CI: 1.39–8.32). Additionally, the children whose first visit was to a village-level clinic had a high risk of death from severe HFMD. Patients with EV71 infection or symptoms of convulsion, dyspnoea, cyanosis, coolness of extremities, and vomiting had an increased risk of death from severe HFMD. While breastfeeding children, having a confirmed diagnosis at the first visit to the hospital and with symptom of hyperarousal were identified as protective factors for death from severe HFMD. Conclusions:To reduce the mortality from severe HFMD, doctors and health care providers need to pay attention to the patients with EV71 infection or with symptoms of convulsion, dyspnoea, cyanosis, coolness of extremities, and vomiting. Health administration departments should pay more attention to the rational allocation of health resources. Furthermore, they should increase financial support and manpower in village-level health institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

After the outbreak of the Pacific War, China assumed a more active role in shaping a postwar order in Asia. To ease Western powers’ concern about China replacing Japan as the new Asian hegemon, Chiang Kai-shek proposed joint Sino–American sponsorship for Vietnamese independence after the war. Chiang’s strategy was to exploit the friction between the United States and Great Britain over what to do after the war with countries that had been Western colonies and to use the United States to thwart British intervention in Asian affairs. As the war drew to a close, the Sino–American relationship deteriorated. Meanwhile, France began to regain its influence in international affairs. In light of these changes, Chiang made quick adjustments to his diplomatic posture by endorsing the French return to Vietnam. His calculation was that an improved relationship with France would better guarantee China’s interests in Vietnam. His handling of the issue of Vietnam’s post-World War II status shows that he was preoccupied with China’s short-term and immediate interests in Vietnam and that he neglected the Vietnamese Communist movement and its ties with the Soviet Union. As a result, his Vietnam policy in the late 1940s became one of the contributing factors in the Cold War between the United States and the USSR in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The system of rice cultivation associated with duck raising is known as an integrated rice-duck (RD) farming system and has a long history in China and Asia. However, the roles of duck activities on rice physiological characteristics are unknown. Field and laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate mechanical stimulations of duck activities on rice physiological characteristics, and hence on morphology and anatomy. Here, we found that there were substantial variations in anatomical structure of the rice culm internodes and in lodging resistance of rice plants with and without the duck activities. Anatomical analysis showed a distinct difference between the RD and rice-no-duck (RND) treatments in culm wall thickness of the rice internodes. For internode N4, the culm wall from the RD treatment was more than 35% thicker than that from the RND treatment. In general, the epidermal layer of the rice culm was significantly denser for the internodes and the thickness of the culm walls increased from Nl to N4 under the RD farming system. Additionally, the areas of vascular bundles were larger and were better organized and structured in the RD treatment. Our results further revealed that the breaking-resistant strength increased whereas the lodging index of the rice culm decreased with duck activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most appropriate approach to test for weak-form market efficiency is to examine whether the stock returns are Martingale Difference Sequence (MDS). However, the MDS tests have been largely ignored by previous studies, as the empirical analysis is dominated by Variance Ratio (VR) tests and Independent and Identically Distributed (IID)-based nonlinearity tests. This article re-examines the weak-form efficiency of 14 Asian stock markets using the generalized spectral martingale test. The result shows that all the return series are not MDSs, indicating the presence of return predictability and hence market inefficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new cinnamic acid-derived bisamide 1 and a new oplopanone-type sesquiterpenoid diglycoside 2, together with 11 known compounds, were isolated from the 95% ethanolic extract of the leaves of Aglaia perviridis. Their structures were elucidated by chemical and spectroscopic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wild Rubus species Rubus coreanus, which is widely distributed in east Asia, shows great promise as a genetic resource for breeding. The complete chloroplast genome of the species is 155,405 bp in length, with an 85,322 bp large single copy (LSC) and a 17,693 bp small single copy separated by two inverted repeats. The plastid encodes a total of 132 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes and eight rRNA genes. The average GC content of the protein coding genes is 39.7%. Maximum-likelihood (ML)-based phylogenetic analysis indicated that the R. coreanus has the closest relationship to R. nievus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]