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This paper investigates the intended audience and the purpose of the Fourth Gospel by first examining the grammatical and textual problem of the purpose statement in John 20:30-31. The examination shows that the purpose statement itself cannot establish decisively the audience of the Gospel. The question can only be answered by exploring John's concept of faith in the context of the whole Gospel. Our study shows that John writes for a believing community facing persecution and oppression, not necessarily a specific Johannine community. If such is the case, the Fourth Gospel has special relevance to Asian Christians facing persecution. Even though they might lose their lives they should persevere in faith because they already have eternal life. But for those living in affluent societies, their faith is challenged in a different way. They should remind themselves to serve the true Lord Jesus, the Son of God and Savior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the recent trends of globalization and regionalization, the idea of Asia has been revived in political, economic, and cultural fields. This essay examines some of the various uses of this idea in modern East Asian and especially Chinese history. The essay consists of four parts. Part One discusses the derivativeness of the idea of Asia, that is, how this idea developed from modern European history, especially the nineteenth-century European narrative of ‘World History,’ and it points out how the early modern Japanese ‘theory of shedding Asia’ derived from this narrative. Part Two studies the relationship between the idea of Asia and two forms of populism against the background of the Chinese and Russian revolutions – one, exemplified by Russian Narodism, attempted to use Asian particularity to challenge modern capitalism; the other, represented by Sun Yat-sen, attempted to construct a nation-state according to a socialist revolutionary program, and to develop agricultural capitalism under the particular social conditions of Asia. Part Three considers the differences and tensions between the ‘Great Asia-ism’ of Chinese revolutionaries such as Sun and the Japanese idea of East Asia (Tōyō),and it discusses the need to overcome the categories of nation-state and international relations in order to understand the question of Asia. Part Four discusses the need to go beyond early modern maritime-centered accounts, nationalist frameworks, and Eurocentrism in re-examining the question of Asia through historical research by focusing on the particular legacies of Asia and Toyo (such as the tributary system) and the problems of ‘early modernity.’ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial leaf streak (BLS), caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc), is a bacterial disease affecting rice production in Asia and Africa, whose severity is expected to increase with climate change. Identification of new quantitative-trait loci (QTL) or resistance genes for BLS resistance is essential for developing resistant rice. A genome-wide association study to identify QTL associated with BLS resistance was conducted using phenotypic and genotypic data from 429 rice accessions. Of 47 QTL identified, 45 were novel and two co-localized with previously reported QTL or genes conferring BLS resistance. qBLS6.2 on chromosome 6 explained the greatest phenotypic variation. Combined analysis of differential expression and annotations of predicted genes near qBLS6.2 based on haplotype and disease phenotype identified OsBLS6.2 (LOC_Os06g02960) as a candidate gene for qBLS6.2. OsBLS6.2 knockout plants showed higher resistance to Xoc than wild-type plants. Many other candidate genes for resistance to Xoc were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is highly prevalent in hospitals in many Asian countries. Recent emergence of community-associated (CA) MRSA worldwide has added another serious concern to the epidemiology of S. aureus infections. To understand the changing epidemiology of S. aureus infections in Asian countries, we performed a prospective, multinational surveillance study with molecular typing analysis. Methods We evaluated the prevalence of methicillin resistance in S. aureus isolates in CA and healthcare-associated (HA) infections, and performed molecular characterization and antimicrobial susceptibility tests of MRSA isolates. Results MRSA accounted for 25.5% of CA S. aureus infections and 67.4% of HA infections. Predominant clones of CA-MRSA isolates were ST59-MRSA-SCCmec type IV-spa type t437, ST30-MRSA-SCCmec type IV-spa type t019 and ST72-MRSA-SCCmec type IV-spa type t324. Previously established nosocomial MRSA strains including sequence type (ST) 239 and ST5 clones were found among CA-MRSA isolates from patients without any risk factors for HA-MRSA infection. CA-MRSA clones such as ST59, ST30 and ST72 were also isolated from patients with HA infections. Conclusions Our findings confirmed that MRSA infections in the community have been increasing in Asian countries. Data also suggest that various MRSA clones have spread between the community and hospitals as well as between countries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]