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This paper furthers and updates the research on the nature of the so-called global trade slowdown. Not only do we explain and discuss the determinants of this phenomenon, but we also offer an empirical description of the recent evolution of trade and trade elasticity. With the purpose of testing whether this is a structural phenomenon or not, we build an Error Correction Model for both world and regional data on trade and income using data from the World Bank for the period 1970-2017. World, OECD and Asian countries trade elasticity figures show a remarkable reduction after the hyperglobalization period (1986-2001), opposed to those of Latin America where trade volume has not stagnated so much. This slowdown might have major consequences for any country, but especially for those which have relied more intensively on trade as an engine for growth.Keywords: Global trade, Trade-income elasticity, ECM. JEL: C22, F15.

Black rice (Zizania aqatica) is famous for its high nutritional value. Other names given for this rice are forbidden rice, emperor’s rice and royal’s rice. Mainly this rice is originated from Asian countries. The richest country in cultivation of black rice is China (62%) followed by Sri Lanka (8.6 %), Indonesia (6.2%) and India holds the 4th placed with (5.1%) follows by different countries. It contains a high amount of antioxidant which is known as anthocyanin and tocopherols (which is one of the most powerful antioxidants and it is also known as vitamin E). Foods which consist of antioxidant are black in colour or dark purple. It is also rich in fibre, protein, carbohydrates, potassium and B vitamins respectively. Activity of “free radicals” in our body is naturally dominated by another group of chemical compounds called ‘antioxidant’ which are present in our regularly consumed food. Therefore, consuming of black rice in your regular diet can prevent many non-communicable diseases (NCD) like occurrence of cancer cells, atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, asthma, digestive health, reduces stroke risk level in women. Black rice is also use in developing a new novel food product.

With the rapid and massive vaccination campaign against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) taking place across the globe, there are increasing reports of thrombotic complications with various COVID-19 vaccines such as the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA, Moderna mRNA, AstraZeneca Oxford (serum institute), and JohnsonJohnson/Janssen vaccines. We report a case of successful organ donation from an 18-year-old woman who presented with cerebral venous thrombosis caused by vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia following the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (AstraZeneca, University of Oxford, and Serum Institute of India), which caused brain death. Four recipients received 5 organs, kidneys (2), liver (1), and combined heart and lung (1). All 4 recipients had normal graft function without any thrombotic complications after 16 weeks of transplantation. This is first such case being reported from Asian countries.

Among Asian countries, India has a vast potential to adopt a public bicycle-sharing system (PBSS) as a sustainable mode of transport after China. However, various barriers pose as hindrances in the implementation of PBSS in Indian urban areas. The primary objective of this paper is to identify and prioritise PBSS barriers, which inhibit the implementation of PBSS. For this study, a total of 31 barriers out of 41 reported barriers worldwide are shortlisted and ranked using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process. A group of experts assisted in ranking the barriers by using a pair-wise comparison survey. The main contribution of this paper is to identify critical barriers and to rank them according to the Indian scenario. These findings can help practitioners, municipal engineers, urban planners and decision makers to formulate PBSS planning policy, which will overcome the PBSS implementation issues.

Blood fruit is a tropical liana bearing edible fruit rich in anthocyanins. The species is distributed in many Asian countries, wherein it provides livelihood and nutritional security to native dwellers. However, in many of these regions produce is harvested from the wild by employing destructive harvesting practices, thereby damaging the natural stand. Systematic studies were initiated to popularize this species as a novel crop in the humid tropical parts of the world. Present study aims at studying four collections (HV/NE/TRI, HV/MA/KAL, HV/MA/SNU and HV/MA/SND) for morphological and biochemical traits. Results revealed considerable variability for fruit and seed traits, total soluble solids and pH. Total anthocyanin content among the collections varied between 183.63 and 328.28 mg CE/ 100 g pulp. Strong positive correlation was noticed between fruit dimensions with fruit weight, while negative correlation was noticed between pulp content and peel thickness. Ratio of material: solvent for obtaining better anthocyanins recovery was optimized to 1:15 (w/v). Promising genotype (HV/MA/SND) with superior fruit size, TSS content and total anthocyanins content was identified for further exploitation.

This study investigates the role of governance quality in maintaining financial stability and enhancing financial inclusion in Asian countries using the stakeholder theory. Composite variables were constructed for the governance quality, financial stability, and financial inclusion dimensions using principal component analysis (PCA). The impact of governance quality on financial stability and financial inclusion was analyzed using dynamic system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimations. Additionally, using Baron and Kenny's approach, the mediating role of financial inclusion in the relationship between governance quality and financial stability was examined. The results obtained were robust to various standardization techniques. This study's findings suggest that governance quality negatively affects financial inclusion but has a positive influence on financial stability. Furthermore, financial inclusion positively affects financial stability in Asia. Finally, based on the results, we conclude that financial inclusion mediates the relationship between governance quality and financial stability.

Widening income inequality and environmental degradation are two of the most important problems that threat the sustainable development. For that, this study aims to examine the effect of income distribution on CO2 emissions in seven Asian countries over the period 1971–2014 using a non-parametric panel estimation method and time-varying coefficients. Specifically, we apply the local linear dummy variable estimator (LLDVE) approach that allows evaluating the coefficients which vary over time for the panel data models. The results reveal that there is a strong non-linear correlation between income inequality and per capita CO2 emissions. The non parametric model suggest that there is a negative relationship between income inequality and environment degradation over the whole study period expect for the period 1988–1997 which was positive. Our findings broadly support the existence of the "equity-pollution dilemma", whereby income redistribution induces environmental pollution. This dilemma has potential implications for policies designed to promote redistribution in the selected Asian countries.

Low global influenza circulation was reported during the coronavirus-19 pandemic. We explored relationships between non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and influenza in tropical Asian countries.Using World Health Organization (WHO) surveillance data from 2015 to 2019 and the WHO shiny app, we constructed expected seasonal influenza epidemic curves from March 2020 to June 2021 and compared the timing, and average percent positivity with observed data. We used multivariate regression to test associations between ordinal NPI data (from the Oxford Stringency Index) 4 weeks before the expected 2020/21 epidemics and present adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) or relative proportion ratio (RPR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).Data from nine countries predicted 18 seasonal epidemics; seven were observed. Five started 6-24 weeks later, and all were 4-21 weeks shorter than expected. Five epidemics had lower maximum peak values (percent positivity), and all but one had lower average percent positivity than expected. All countries implemented NPIs. Each increased level of school closure reduced risk of an epidemic by 43% (IRR = 0.57, CI: 0.34, 0.95). Each increased level of canceling public events reduced the average percent positivity across the season by 44% (RPR = 0.56, CI: 0.39, 0.82) and each increased level in restricting internal movements reduced it by 41% (RPR = 0.59, CI: 0.36, 0.96). Other NPIs were not associated with changes.Among nine countries, the 2020/21 seasonal epidemics were delayed, shorter, and less intense than expected. Although layered NPIs were difficult to tease apart, school closings, canceling public events, and restricting internal movements before influenza circulation seemed to reduce transmission.

Pesticide is one of the major inputs in modern agriculture and its uses are increasing annually. Pesticides are seen as inherently benign, in the same way that medicines are. Many local languages even use the same word for “pesticide” and “medicine”. Along with the increasing consumption of pesticides, Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs), which are more toxic are still in widespread use in Asia and constitute a substantial challenge to human health and the environment especially in low- and middle-income countries with less resources, training and capacities to deal with them. Reducing the risks posed by HHPs has become a priority in various international chemicals management policies, and many countries have started taking action accordingly. The objective of the paper is to establish the national status of the use of HHPs in Asia in line with FAO/WHO criteria for HHPs and encourage deliberate consideration of mitigation options for effective management of HHPs. This report is based on the nationally registered pesticide active ingredients and other related information obtained from Pesticide Registration Authorities of 13 Asian countries and research reports of different national and international journals. There are currently about 3557 pesticide products (active ingredients) registered in 13 Asian countries to control pests on crops and for public health uses, and 214 HHPs among the list of registered pesticides still in use in these Asian countries. An analysis of the list of registered formulated products revealed that 61 different active ingredients are included in these 214 registered HHPs in Asian countries. Considering the global concern of HHPs, there is thus every reason to develop mass awareness raising programmes based on knowledge, aptitude and practices and to disseminate them within the community in order to inform about the risks of HHPs and to replace HHPs and mitigate human risk and exposure to HHPs. It is concluded that detailed surveys and studies should be formulated with help of experts from academia and research organizations to construct a baseline data which may be helpful to tone down the HHP situation in the country.

Cyperus rotundus L. (Cyperaceae) is a species widely used in traditional medicine in various regions of the world, mainly in Asian countries such as India and Pakistan. The anticancer potential of this species has been reported in the literature, indicating that its chemical compounds may be effective against different tumor cell lines. The present work aimed to carry out a systematic review on the traditional uses, chemical composition, toxicity, and anticancer potential of C. rotundus. Scientific articles were searched in Google Scholar, PubMed®, ScienceDirect®, and SciELO. Only works published in the last twenty years (2000-2020) were eligible. A total of 85 articles were included in the review. According to the scientific documents analyzed, C. rotundus is widely used for stomach disorders (11%), diarrhea and/or dysentery (11%), fever (10%), menstrual problems (9%), diuresis (9%), and worms (8%). Regarding the in vivo and in vitro anticancer potential, the extracts, fractions, and essential oils from C. rotundus were effective against colorectal, breast, prostate, ovarian, endometrial, liver and cervical cancer, leukemia, and neuroblastoma cell lines. A total of 49 chemical compounds belonging to the classes of sesquiterpenes, iridoid glycosides, and phenolics were identified in this review. Extracts obtained from C. rotundus did not show toxicity in preclinical tests. The pharmacological investigation of the chemical compounds isolated from this plant is important to elucidate the mechanisms of action against cancer cell lines.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first detected in China in late 2019 and rapidly spread to nearby Asian countries in early 2020. Outbreaks occurred differently in each country and affected nuclear medicine (NM) practice significantly even before the COVID-19 pandemic. The Asian NM community has worked together from the beginning of the pandemic. Fortunately, the Asian Regional Cooperative Council for Nuclear Medicine annual general meeting and Asia Nuclear Medicine Board examination was held in Manila from January 28 to February 2, 2020; these were the last face-to-face events of these organizations to date. Members shared information about COVID-19 at the conference, and through online means afterwards. Web-based surveys performed from March to April 2020 for the Asian Regional Cooperative Council for Nuclear Medicine and Asia Nuclear Medicine Board communities showed a significant reduction of NM practice and supply of radioisotopes (RI) at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. A follow-up survey in March to April 2021 clearly showed the recovery of both NM practice and RI supplies. The pattern of recovery is variable according to institutions and countries. Herein, we have reported the case-in-point operational histories of four representative institutions in the East, Southeast, South, and West Asia. The second outbreak in India is ongoing on a worrisome scale. Various communications and educational sessions were actively performed online in the Asian NM community during the pandemic.

People with severe mental illness (SMI) have considerable unmet physical health needs and an increased risk of early mortality. This cross-sectional survey utilized the Physical Health Attitude Scale (PHASe) to examine the attitudes, practices, and training needs of nurses towards physical health care of people with SMI in three Asian countries (Hong Kong, Japan, Qatar). Cross-country differences were explored and linear regression was used to investigate if nurses’ attitudes and confidence were associated with their level of involvement in physical health care. A total of 481 questionnaires were returned. Hong Kong nurses were less involved in physical health care than those from Japan and Qatar. Nurses’ attitudes and confidence were significant predictors of their participation in managing physical health. Compared with western countries, more nurses in this study felt that mental illness was a barrier to improving physical health. Three-quarters reported that they needed additional training in promoting cardiometabolic health. The perceived need for additional training in physical health care was held by Mental Health Nurses (MHN) irrespective of their type of nursing registration and nationality. Nurse educators and service providers should reconsider the physical health care training requirements of nurses working in mental health settings in order to improve the physical health of people with SMI.

The current cross-cultural study examined the construct of workaholism across European and Asian cultures during the pandemic caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A total of 2,617 recipients, aged 18-80 years from three Asian countries (China, India, and Indonesia) with higher levels of collectivistic values, and three European countries (Bulgaria, Germany, and Hungary) supposing to have higher individualistic values. The participants completed the online version of the two-dimensional measure, dubbed the Dutch Workaholism Scale (DUWAS). The goal of the study was to demonstrate that during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the cultural context that mediates and influences the way of change in workaholics' attitudes. The results led to the conclusion that the way in which the COVID-19 crisis affects workaholism and workaholics' behavior depends on cultural and sex differences, and stages of the human life cycle. The data analysis revealed that cultural differences and sex affect the configuration of workaholism (excessive/compulsive): in the Asian sample, unlike the European, there was a significant increase in the level of workaholism compulsive; European female participants reported higher levels of workaholism compulsive and workaholism excessive, but the sex difference was not found in Asian sample. Along with cultural context, and sex differences, age also influences the configuration of workaholism. In this case, the separate stages of the human life cycle contribute in different ways to changes in levels of workaholism excessive and workaholism compulsive.

Because of the strong demand for English language teachers (ELTs) at different educational levels in Asian countries, many kindergartens are hiring ELTs to teach English courses as part of regular early childhood curricula. Collaboration between classroom early childhood teachers (ECTs) and ELTs significantly affects children’s English learning. Via observations and interviews, this study examined seven Taiwanese ECTs’ perspectives on and experiences of collaborative teaching with ELTs and analyzed the factors influencing this collaboration. The results showed that most participants collaborated minimally with ELTs and usually followed a “one teach, one assist” approach. Organizational, interpersonal, and personal factors affected collaboration. Specifically, this study’s findings suggest that traditional Chinese values, with their emphasis on harmony, may prevent ECTs from offering advice, co-planning curricula, or sharing their expertise with ELTs. Although most ECTs performed secondary roles and viewed English lessons as a break from their duties, they acknowledged their own contribution to children’s education. Finally, an individual case revealed that raising teachers’ pedagogical awareness led to greater engagement in English instruction. The implications of this study and future research directions are discussed.

The paper focuses on various factors that affect the inflow of Foreign Direct Investment in developing countries. The study majorly deals with Asian countries, namely India, China, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan, that are progressing from being aid-dependent to trading giants. The factors affecting FDI are majorly categorised into dependent and independent variables. Here, in this study, the dependent variable considered is FDI inflow, and independent variables are market size, the value of the currency, export, import, gross fixed capital formation, GDP deflator, cost of borrowing and economic reforms. Pooled Ordinary Least Square (OLS), fixed effect and random effect regression analysis is done to ascertain the best regression model and various tests are performed to check the intensity of effect caused by each independent variable on our dependent variable.

Consumers’ concerns about the protection of the environment affect their consumption. People in Asian countries generally choose two-wheels scooters for commuting, because they are relatively inexpensive and convenient. Although electric scooters have entered the market with an emphasis on environmental responsibility, their market penetration is still low, and there has been little research on this topic. This study attempts to explore university students’ intent to use electric scooters by using the theory of planned behavior and supplemented with environmental awareness variable in Taiwan. Overall, 500 questionnaires were collected and analyzed using the structure equation model. The results show that environmental awareness has a significant effect on students' attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Attitude is the strongest predictor of the intent to use electric scooters. The results provide guidance for companies and policy makers to refine further strategy on the marketing of electric scooters.

This article aims for revisiting the terrorism studies from different perspective. The terror attacks itself cannot be hundred percent zero but it just fluctuated trend. More specifically, terrorism always adaptive in following trends. While terror attacks still to target innocent civilians, the perpetrators could be closest relatives and neighbors. The way terror attack to reach out that group of people basically shows the silent role of returning foreign fighters (RFF)/returnees nurturing dan breeding terror ideologies. By using critical literature review especially historical narrative analysis, this study wants to examine the current terror trend that utilizes social media. It can spread terror narration and also affecting people to join. The way to analyze data is making clear connection from each literature. The findings of this study are: the RFF is adept at social media in nurturing terror ideologies and then making their home country and new terrorist cells to be breeding grounds.

The article is devoted to the study of cybersport as a legal phenomenon. The analysis of the Russianlegislation showed that the term “computer sports’ is the most frequently used in the texts of regulations.Equivalent to this term are such as “cybersport” and “e-sports”. Russia became the first country in the worldto recognize cybersport as an official sport. Currently, the legal regulation of cybersport in Russia is carriedout mainly at the subordinate level. The main regulations in this area are listed. The authors came to theconclusion that cybersport relations are an understudied area, so it is still difficult to make a decision onthe need for a special law. It is proved that such a decision will be justified if such a specificity of this sportis established, the level of which will not allow the existing legislation to be applied to these relations andwill require other approaches. The main discussions on the studied issue that take place in the scientificliterature are named. Special legislation on international cybersport has not yet emerged either, althoughthe development of cybersport in the world is quite dynamic, and the International Esports Federation unites 100 countries, and the Asian Electronic Sports Federation — 45 countries. Some features of the developmentand legal regulation of the area under consideration in some Asian countries are identified. The authorspredict further development of legislation in this area in the near future.

This epidemiological cross-sectional data-based study aimed to explore the morbidity and mortality patterns of novel coronavirus infections (COVID-19) among the worst affected regions of the world. The data on the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 were obtained from World Health Organization (WHO), John Hopkin’s University research center, Worldometer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), since its outbreak until August 5, 2020. The evidences were also recorded from research papers published in international scientific journals indexed in Pub Med and Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Science. The findings show that the average of COVID-19 cases in Europe is 154754 cases per million of the population, in America (both north and south) is 47982 cases per million of the population and in Asia is 13280 cases per million of the population. The mean value of mortality rate in Europe, America (both north and south) and Asia is 2436 deaths per million of population, 2158 deaths per million of population, and 181 deaths per million people, respectively. The study broadly concludes that the infection rate and mortality are higher in developed countries than in developing or underdeveloped countries. The perceptible causes of increase in infection rate and mortality in developed European and American countries may be the difference in individual and herd immunity in the population due to less exposure to similar viruses. The lack of exposure may be attributed to better economic conditions leading to relatively good hygienic practices as compared to the developing and underdeveloped countries of the Asian region.

Background Panax notoginseng is a highly valued medicinal herb used widely in China and many Asian countries. Its root and rhizome have long been used for the treatment of cardiovascular and hematological diseases. Imaging the spatial distributions and dynamics of metabolites in heterogeneous plant tissues is significant for characterizing the metabolic networks of Panax notoginseng, and this will also provide a highly informative approach to understand the complex molecular changes in the processing of Panax notoginseng. Methods Here, a high-sensitive MALDI-MS imaging method was developed and adopted to visualize the spatial distributions and spatiotemporal changes of metabolites in different botanical parts of Panax notoginseng. Results A wide spectrum of metabolites including notoginsenosides, ginsenosides, amino acids, dencichine, gluconic acid, and low-molecular-weight organic acids were imaged in Panax notoginseng rhizome and root tissues for the first time. Moreover, the spatiotemporal alterations of metabolites during the steaming of Panax notoginseng root were also characterized in this study. And, a series of metabolites such as dencichine, arginine and glutamine that changed with the steaming of Panax notoginseng were successfully screened out and imaged. Conclusion These spatially-resolved metabolite data not only enhance our understanding of the Panax notoginseng metabolic networks, but also provide direct evidence that a serious of metabolic alterations occurred during the steaming of Panax notoginseng.

El presente trabajo se elabora a partir de la reflexión personal y el análisis de la literatura jurídica y jurisprudencial lituana, desde una posición crítica sobre la maternidad o gestación subrogada con una extensión de tal análisis al derecho comparado. Los autores de este trabajo pertenecen (junto a otros) a un amplio grupo internacional de investigación que son de diferentes países europeos, latinoamericanos o asiáticos (GIDEPA). El objetivo del trabajo es analizar los aspectos de la regulación jurídica del instituto de gestación subrogada, mediante la aplicación de métodos como la investigación y análisis comparativo de la literatura científica actualizada, la práctica judicial y fuentes online, por los profesores que intervienen en el mismo. Partiendo desde los orígenes y conceptos de la gestación subrogada también se observa y expone la regulación legal (y no regulación) en diferentes e importantes países así como los diferentes efectos legales en cada uno. El trabajo concluye ofreciendo la posición de los autores, ya deslizada a lo largo del trabajo, pero con especial incidencia al final del mismo, en las conclusiones y recomendaciones finales.

Fertility has a close relationship with female labor force participation and is predicted to be the prominent factor affecting female labor force participation in rich and emerging countries. The decline in fertility worldwide, accompanied by increased female education, is assumed to increase female labor force participation. The increase in the female labor force participation rate can improve economic incentives for the country. Therefore, this study estimates the effect of fertility and female education on female labor force participation in cross-country panel datasets from 39 Asian countries, using panel ARDL analysis from 1990-2018. This study also examines the panel causality between the variables employing Dumitrescu and Hurlin’s (2012) Granger non-causality test. According to the Hausman test, among the three models in panel ARDL, DFE is the preferred model compared to the PMG and MG. The results revealed that fertility was negatively significant on female labor participation in the short run but not in the long run. In contrast, female education was positively significant on female labor participation in the long run but not in the short run. Meanwhile, the panel causality showed a bidirectional relationship between female labor participation and fertility, female labor participation and education, and fertility and female education.

Given their high dependence on energy imports, Asian countries’ energy security is challenged by international political conflicts that interfere with the global energy supply. This study examines the impacts of the sanctions imposed on Iran on the energy security and economic growth of oil-importing Asian countries. A global computable equilibrium model is applied, and three illustrative scenarios are developed to simulate a full embargo on Iran's oil exports, the utilization of spare oil production capacity of other Persian Gulf countries, and a reduction of their oil exports. The impacts of a full embargo are not disastrous if oil exports from other Persian Gulf petrostates are secured. The utilization of spare oil production capacity could largely buffer the impacts on Asian countries’ oil prices than oil supply. Under a pessimistic scenario, the oil supply of Asian countries would be disastrously disturbed. Moreover, political conflicts would force Asian countries to struggle for oil import sources, straining their relations and causing intense international competition.

The article presents literature data andown observations of some rare congenital malformationsof the colorectal area in newborns that require surgicaltreatment. These are defects such as congenital pouch colonand congenital segmental dilatation of the colon. Thereare isolated cases of birth of children with these defectsin European countries and North America. They are morecommon in Asian countries, especially in India. Diagnosisand surgical correction of such congenital malformationscause difficulties associated with insufficient awarenessof pediatric surgeons, neonatologists, pediatricians aboutthis pathology. Data is presented on clinical manifestations,antenatal and postnatal diagnosis and treatment tactics, aswell as the histopathological structure of the affected colonin these defects.The analysis of literature data and the presented clinicalobservations of congenital pouch colon and congenitalsegmental dilatation of the colon in newborns indicate thepossibility of their antenatal and preoperative diagnosis.It is concluded that children with anorectal malformationsand Hirschsprung's disease require a thorough differentialdiagnosis with congenital pouch colon and segmentaldilatation of the colon, as the tactics of their surgicalcorrection significantly differ from the treatment tacticsof common anorectal malformations and Hirschsprung'sdisease surgical management.

Porter’s generic strategies are important for organizations to gain a competitive edge in their respective market. This is especially true for companies in Asia, the world’s largest continental economy in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) which is also characterized by foreign exchange restrictions, anti-trust laws, and price wars. This paper focuses on the literature on Porter’s generic strategies within the contexts of the three biggest Asian countries (China, Japan, and India). Our review highlights the generic strategies pursued by multinationals in Asia and factors to consider when executing strategic plans in business expansion to the region.

Background: Knee Osteoarthritis is considered as the leading cause of the disability in almost all over the world after age of 40. Almost about 54 percent people will end up in knee osteoarthritis in old age. Awareness of non-pharmacological treatment for knee osteoarthritis is more in practice in European as well as in Asian countries. Physical therapy, Ultrasound therapy, Otago exercises etc. are the treatments that are available for conservative management as well as preventive measure of knee Osteoarthritis. Methodology: Subjects with knee osteoarthritis with grade II to III on Kallgren and Lawrence classification will be included in the study N = 52. Two groups each of 26 will be allocated randomly as group A who will receive ultrasound treatment with Otago exercises control group and group B who will receive ultrasound treatment with zingiber Cassumunar based gel and Otago exercises as experimental group. The Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), VAS, star excursion balance test will be performed before and after the treatment after 2 weeks with single blind procedure. Objective: This research will examine the effect of treatment with Zingiber Cassumunar based gel applied by means of phonophoresis with ultrasound therapy in knee osteoarthritis patients with Randomized control trial.

Pheretima has been used as an animal-derived traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years in Asian countries due to its multi-activities. However, more than half of the commercial Pheretima are adulterants according to the previous research. Besides, the standards of Pheretima are still inadequate in the identification of Pheretima species. In this study, an amino acids (AAs) analytical method established based on the ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-QqQ-MS) in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode through derivatization with 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl chloride (Fmoc-Cl) was used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the total AAs of three main commercial Pheretima (two major Pheretima species, Amynthas aspergillum, Metaphire vulgaris, and one main counterfeit, M. magna). As a result, 16 AAs were detected and quantitated in their hydrolyzed samples. Then, multivariate statistical analysis was applied to distinguish the three commercial Pheretima based on their AAs level. Finally, four AAs (Thr, Glu, Asp, and Arg) were screened as species-differential AAs, which may be used as chemical markers to distinguish the three commercial Pheretima. This study deeply described the outline of AAs in Pheretima and offered a good reference for its species authentication.

In Western countries, breast cancer tends to occur in older postmenopausal women. However, in Asian countries, the proportion of younger premenopausal breast cancer patients is increasing. Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiota plays a critical role in breast cancer. However, studies on the gut microbiota in the context of breast cancer have mainly focused on postmenopausal breast cancer. Little is known about the gut microbiota in the context of premenopausal breast cancer. This study aimed to comprehensively explore the gut microbial profiles, diagnostic value, and functional pathways in premenopausal breast cancer patients. Here, we analyzed 267 breast cancer patients with different menopausal statuses and age-matched female controls. The α-diversity was significantly reduced in premenopausal breast cancer patients, and the β-diversity differed significantly between breast cancer patients and controls. By performing multiple analyses and classification, 14 microbial markers were identified in the different menopausal statuses of breast cancer. Bacteroides fragilis was specifically found in young women of premenopausal statuses and Klebsiella pneumoniae in older women of postmenopausal statuses. In addition, menopausal-specific microbial markers could exhibit excellent discriminatory ability in distinguishing breast cancer patients from controls. Finally, the functional pathways differed between breast cancer patients and controls. Our findings provide the first evidence that the gut microbiota in premenopausal breast cancer patients differs from that in postmenopausal breast cancer patients and shed light on menopausal-specific microbial markers for diagnosis and investigation, ultimately providing a noninvasive approach for breast cancer detection and a novel strategy for preventing premenopausal breast cancer., Breast cancer: gut microbes before and after menopause Women developing breast cancer before the menopause have less diverse gut microbe populations than their healthy peers, and significantly different gut microbial profiles than postmenopausal breast cancer patients. There is increasing evidence of a link between gut microbes and breast cancer, but most studies have focused on women after the menopause. The incidence of breast cancer in premenopausal women is increasing, especially in Asia. Researchers in Taiwan led by Chih-Po Chiang at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital compared gut microbial populations in 267 breast cancer patients at different menopausal stages to matched controls. The results suggest that gut microbe profiling might offer a novel and noninvasive method for diagnosing and monitoring breast cancer. It may also lead to new strategies for prevention and treatment, as evidence emerges of a link between gut microbes and cancer.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is one of the main air pollutants, formed due to both natural and anthropogenic processes, which has a significant negative impact on human health. The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted countries to take various measures, including social distancing or stay-at-home orders. This study analyzes the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on nitrogen dioxide (NO2) changes in Central Asian countries. Data from TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) on the Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite, as well as meteorological data, make it possible to assess changes in NO2 concentration in countries and major cities in the region. In particular, the obtained satellite data show a decreased tropospheric column of NO2. Its decrease during the lockdown (March 19-April 14) ranged from - 5.1% (Tajikistan) to - 11.6% (Turkmenistan). Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that limitations in anthropogenic activities have led to improvements in air quality. The possible influence of meteorology is not assessed in this study, and the implied uncertainties cannot be quantified. In this way, the level of air pollution is expected to decrease as long as partial or complete lockdown continues.

Background aims Cell-based regenerative medicine is an innovative field that can potentially alter the overall survival and quality of life of patients with devastating diseases. Several cell therapy products (CTPs) have been approved within the last two decades, and more are under development. The establishment of an effective developmental strategy in accordance with the regulatory bodies of each country/region is crucial for fast delivery of each respective CTP. In particular, facilitating investigational new drug (IND) approval is important for accelerating the transition from non-clinical to clinical research/trial phases. Methods Here the authors compared the non-clinical prerequisites for initiating clinical studies in five Asian countries/regions (India, China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan) from an industry viewpoint. The authors first identified the differences and tried to clarify the perspectives/considerations underpinning the different requirements. Results The authors’ findings revealed that differences in regulations and development experiences, especially with CTPs, have led to clear differences in the non-clinical study package and its corresponding study design. Conclusions By sharing experiences of the research and development of CTPs among Asian countries/regions and including not only industry but also regulatory authorities, we will be able to expedite cross-border IND approval and eventually contribute to the early delivery of innovative CTPs to many Asian patients.

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, state governments all over the world were forced to respond to the crisis, prioritizing not only inbound activities but also their citizens abroad. Our study focused on the reasons for the differences in the evacuation operations, procedures, and outcomes in each country. This study focused on Asian countries/territories that experienced the pandemic earlier than other regions, to compare their prompt evacuation processes between January and May, 2020. Data on the evacuation missions and COVID-19 situation in each studied country/territory were collected. The evacuation operations were reviewed and analyzed using the Business Process Model and Notation to identify the differences that made some of the operations more effective. The insight can contribute to future adaptation and development to implement more effective operations during the emergency response to a pandemic.

Central Asia (CA) is one of the key regions in the foreign policy of the Russian Federation (RF) and the People Republic of China (PRC). The interaction of the countries of CA with RF and PRC, the Russian and Chinese involvement in the affairs of the region have inherent characteristics. The significance of the region and its specific states for Russia and China differ, as well as the nature of the relationship of this large group of actors with each other and the rest of the world. This paper analyzes the main directions of the relations of CA with the RF and PRC using an integrated, systemic, comparative-comparative and interdisciplinary approaches. Authors note, that the economic relations of the countries of region with Russia and China are diverse, multi-dimensional and multi-format. They identify and discuss the following key issues: (1) economic and geographical isolation of Central Asia, as well as a number of territories of Russia and China; (2) raw-resource orientation of most economies of the region; (3) weak economic integration in CA, as well as within the framework of concrete key institutions; (4) asymmetry of economic development of Russia and China. It is indicated that it is precisely the solution of strategic tasks that can and should become the main incentive for building mechanisms of multifaceted and full-fledged cooperation at the bilateral and multilateral levels, not only between Central Asia and China, but also between Central Asia and the Russia. This should facilitate the process of regional and interregional economic integration in the interior of the continent to a qualitatively new level, initiate the formation of sustainable institutional framework designed to ensure integrated security (economic, political, social and other) and the progressive development of Eurasia.

This article provides an analysis of the structure of foreign economic relations of Central Asian countries, in particular, the geography and structure of exports and imports. The analysis of the commodity composition of foreign trade of Central Asian countries highlights a number of common features:-The share of mineral resources, fuel and energy resources in the structure of exports of countries is very high, they specialize in these products;-The share of finished and semi-finished products in exports is low and in some countries their share is growing;-Countries have a high share of imports of machinery, equipment and vehicles, as well as components, as well as their increase, and this is directly related to foreign investment;-The share of chemical and chemical products, metals and metal products in the country's imports remains high.Keywords: Central Asia, export, import, foreign trade, export geography, trade partners.

Large-scale food fortification of vegetable oils with vitamin A has been implemented successfully for decades in numerous African and Asian countries, contributing demonstrably to reductions in vitamin A deficiency. For these programmes, reliable and validated analytical data are essential to demonstrate compliance with legal standards and fortification levels. Commonly, many analytical laboratories use a saponification method for the quantitative analysis of retinyl palmitate (the mostly used form of vitamin A for fortification) in fortified oils, which implies a multiple-step procedure with long analysis times and the potential risk of analyte loss. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a direct High-performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method that reduces these sample preparation steps, leading to the cost- and time-efficient quantification of retinyl palmitate in fortified oils. Oil samples are dissolved into the HPLC solvents, then injected directly into a common C

Since gaining independence in 1991, the Central Asian countries have embarked on state building with regard for the experience of developed countries. During the political modernization process, the countries of Central Asia heeded great attention to the constitution. The political elites in power have enshrined the separation of powers between the government branches in the basic law. At the same time, the institution of the president retained a special status in the state power system. This fact reflected the specifics of the development of new states, where the legislative body was absent or played an insignificant role for a prolonged time period. The president plays a major role in the political systems of the regional states (with the exception of Kyrgyzstan), which was manifested in his special status. As a result, a patron-client model has developed in the regional states, where the president acquires and maintains the loyalty of political elites through material incentives. Meanwhile, the regional countries were undergoing continuous constitutional reforms. The amendments to the fundamental law have been and are being used by the presidents of the Central Asian countries to maintain and reinforce their legitimacy. The need to solve this problem has increased in the context of a decline in economic growth and accumulated internal socio-economic problems. In 2020-2021, the coronavirus pandemic produced a negative impact. These challenges posed the task of implementing a new democratic transformation strategy for the executive authorities of the regional states, in particular, the expansion of powers in the legislative branch of government. At the present stage, a new balance of forces has emerged in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which involves a higher responsibility of the parliament and government for the implementation of socio-economic reforms. This afforded greater stability to the political regimes in these countries. In Tajikistan, a power centralization tendency has developed, and the position of the incumbent is being solidified. Hopes for carrying out structural economic reforms are pinned on the president. Kyrgyzstan has demonstrated a desire to develop parliamentarianism in order to prevent the development of authoritarian tendencies. However, the introduction of a parliamentary form of government did not lead to the solution of the country’s internal problems, primarily due to the continued enormous influence of informal institutions on the authorities. Major socio-economic problems faced by the Kyrgyz authorities in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic triggered another round of political tension in the country and ultimately led to a change of power and a transition to a presidential form of government. The changes introduced to the constitutions of the regional states create the appearance of the implementation of democratic principles and the use of procedures to improve the efficiency of the government. At the same time, institutional changes undermine socio-political stability, creating problems for further national development.

The beginning of year 2020 has brought with it mass destruction of mankind in form of novel coronavirus, named as CoVID-19. Declared as pandemic by World Health Organization (WHO), CoVID-19 has its origin in bats and pangolin from which it was probably transferred to human. Subsequent human to human transmission has been seen by respiratory droplets, fomites and oral-fecal route. The disease has caused widespread deaths in America, China, France and Italy followed by many European and Asian countries. CoVID-19 targets the human lungs and multiplies in alveoli using host machinery. Interstitial edema and alveolar edema at later stages cause alveoli collapse and difficulty in breathing. Severe cases may pave to systemic inflammatory response that has fatal response in body. Unfortunately, researchers are still struggling for potential vaccine or promising drug to combat the disease. WHO has issued guidelines suggesting regular hand washing, social distancing, wearing masks and quarantination as the best ways to prevent infection. This review gives an overview of the novel CoVID-19, conditions and immune response of human body related with it. © 2021 World Research Association. All rights reserved.

Background and Aim: The high prevalence of sparganosis has been reported globally, especially in Asian countries where the majority of individuals consume raw meat from wild-caught reptiles. In Indonesia, similar cases regarding the high prevalence of sparganosis were recorded from wild reptiles such as snakes that utilized for culinary purposes, whereas, there are no data regarding other species such as water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator), which also provided as daily culinary with a high number of trades. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the prevalence of sparganosis in water monitor lizard (V. salvator), which is frequently utilized as culinary products in East Java Province, Indonesia. Materials and Methods: A total of 313 living wild-caught and captive-bred Asian water monitor lizards were collected from the reptile markets and breeders. All samples were euthanized and observed for the presence of plerocercoid. Identification of the plerocercoid as larval infective stage was made using carmine staining method. Results: The total prevalence of sparganosis was recorded at 69.64%. A total of 393 plerocercoids were collected in which divided 280 (71.24%) infecting muscles and 113 (28.75%) located in subcutaneous tissues. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this study not only recorded as the first evidence but also confirms the role of monitor lizards as sparganosis transmitters in Asia and reveals additional routes of sparganosis transmission in Indonesian reptiles. Local conservation laws should be strengthened to effectively control or ban wildlife trade in traditional markets. Moreover, public awareness regarding sparganosis as a neglected zoonotic disease should be applied to prevent disease transmission in Indonesia.

The article is devoted to researching and assessing the state of affairs, identifying problems and prospects for Russia’s presence in the markets of Central Asian countries. The relevance of the problem is connected with the goals of maintaining the export positions of the Russian Federation in this market and with the goals of increasing the volume of non-resource non-energy exports. The authors investigated the dynamics and structure of world and Russian exports to the countries of Central Asia, highlighted the dominant commodity groups of Russian exports for each importing country. As a result of the study of the territorial aspect and the related specifics of trade and economic relations, it was concluded that a deeper study of export opportunities and prospects of Russian regions bordering on countries-importers of Russian products in Central Asia was made. The article outlines the problems of increasing competition in the markets of Central Asia and the negative impact on the prospects of Russian exports of falling incomes of the population and reducing market capacity due to the pandemic, the need to take a set of measures to maintain Russia’s competitive position in this market. As a result the studies of the problems of the development of Russian exports the authors came to the conclusion that it is mutually beneficial and promising, to increase the supply Russian products to the countries of Central Asia the need to find ways to increase its efficiency, and strengthen state support for non-resource non-energy exports.

This paper analyzes patterns of long-term economic performance in all five Central Asian countries. We first look at sources of economic growth based on a simple growth accounting exercise. Our findings show that under the period of study total factor productivity growth rates were modest ranging from 1.7% for Kazakhstan, 1.4% for Uzbekistan, and 0.8% for Tajikistan and Turkmenistan to—0.4% for the Kyrgyz Republic. The second part of the paper is connected with exploring productivity level analysis across all Central Asian countries by decomposing differences in output per worker into differences in capital intensity and productivity. Results reflect different levels of productivity performance in the region compared with Japan and South Korea as frontier economies for the analysis.

PurposeThis study aims to examine the unemployment hysteresis effects from the perspective of the heterogeneity of genders within Asian countries.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use the annual unemployment rate dataset of 12 Asian countries ranging from 1991–2020. Traditional unit root tests are initially employed to investigate the unemployment hysteresis effect. Considering the structural break and cross-section dependence problems, the sequential panel selection method (SPSM) and the Kapetanios–Snell–Shin (KSS) panel unit root test with Fourier functions have proven to be more applicable.FindingsThe empirical results indicate that the unemployment rate is stationary in most Asian regions for both females and males, which confirms the mean reversion process of the natural unemployment hypothesis. This suggests that these countries' unemployment rates are flexible to quickly revert to its long-run equilibrium determined by the labor markets. However, only the female unemployment rate in Pakistan and Nepal and adult female unemployment rates in these two economies present non-stationary series. In line with the unemployment hysteresis effect, it means shocks will leave a permanent impact on their labor market.Practical implicationsOn the one hand, in most of the Asian countries, it can be inferred that the trade-off between inflation and unemployment is temporary because the natural unemployment hypothesis holds. Therefore, policymakers may consider using monetary policy as a tool to control inflation and stimulate growth during a recession. Such policy measures should not have a long-run impact on unemployment or cause a permanent shift in the natural unemployment rate. On the other hand, the government should implement active labor protective programs such as education or training schemes, job search assistance programs and maternity protection, especially for female adults, to reduce the negative shocks in the economic downturn, which is beneficial for them away from being long-term unemployed. It is also necessary to improve the labor unions to reduce the discrimination between female and male labors.Originality/valueThis paper innovatively concentrates on the heterogeneity performances between genders about the unemployment hysteresis effect within Asian countries. Furthermore, taking into account the age-specific characteristics, the youth and adult unemployment rates have been investigated. Additionally, the approximation of bootstrap distribution and the advanced panel KSS unit root test with a Fourier function are employed. Thereby, targeted policies for the government can be applied to reduce the discrimination and negative shocks on female adults in the labor market.

Background: The global epidemiological situation of gastric cancer has changed considerably over time, and it is essential to understand the epidemiological trends and future perspectives of gastric cancer. Summary: Although gastric cancer was common in the United States less than a century previously, it is no longer common in this country. Currently, over 60% of gastric cancers are found in Eastern Asia. In some Eastern Asian countries such as Japan and Korea, population-based gastric cancer screening has been conducted using upper gastrointestinal endoscopy or radiography to lower gastric cancer mortality. Due to earlier detection of gastric cancer, the survival of patients with gastric cancer is more favorable in these countries than in other Western countries. Even in Eastern Asia, a remarkable decrease in the age-standardized incidence and mortality of gastric cancer has been observed. This downward trend is mainly due to the reduced Helicobacter pylori infection, and this trend is considered to continue. Nevertheless, both the absolute number of incident cases and deaths of gastric cancer are still increasing at present due to the aging population. For the time being, the management of gastric cancer in elderly population is a critical issue in Eastern Asia. The absolute numbers of gastric cancer cases and deaths are believed to peak in the near future, following the decreasing age-standardized incidence and mortality. Key Messages: After a long period, gastric cancer may become a rare cancer even in Eastern Asia, and new efficient approaches for its prevention, screening, and treatment are warranted.