Cross-cultural perspectives on sexuality education.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Abortion, Induced↗
SEARCH · PubMed Health
Results for “ASIA, WESTERN”
Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention (ILO No. 156).
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Americas↗
Changes in family formation among Turkish and Moroccan women in Belgium.
"This paper addresses the extent to which the behaviour of migrants...diverges from the pattern observed in the country of origin and converges on that of the country of destination.... In the first part of the analysis we compare the family formation patterns of Turks and Moroccans living in Flanders and Brussels with the patterns of Belgians living in the same regions on the one hand and with the populations of Turkey and Morocco on the other hand. In the second part we look in more detail at the behaviour of Turks and Moroccans in Belgium, distinguishing between the first and the second generation. To what extent, if any, do the immigrant communities diverge from the countries of origin on various aspects of family formation behaviour, and to what extent is there convergence with the patterns observed for Belgians?" (SUMMARY IN ITA AND FRE)
Africa↗
New evidence on the earliest human presence at high northern latitudes in northeast Asia.
The timing of early human dispersal to Asia is a central issue in the study of human evolution. Excavations in predominantly lacustrine sediments at Majuangou, Nihewan basin, north China, uncovered four layers of indisputable hominin stone tools. Here we report magnetostratigraphic results that constrain the age of the four artefact layers to an interval of nearly 340,000 yr between the Olduvai subchron and the Cobb Mountain event. The lowest layer, about 1.66 million years old (Myr), provides the oldest record of stone-tool processing of animal tissues in east Asia. The highest layer, at about 1.32 Myr, correlates with the stone tool layer at Xiaochangliang, previously considered the oldest archaeological site in this region. The findings at Majuangou indicate that the oldest known human presence in northeast Asia at 40 degrees N is only slightly younger than that in western Asia. This result implies that a long yet rapid migration from Africa, possibly initiated during a phase of warm climate, enabled early human populations to inhabit northern latitudes of east Asia over a prolonged period.
Animals↗
[The process of humanization].
As Stefan Zweig expressed the situation of mankind succinctly: There are key moments in history (Sternstunden der Menschheit). Because of their paramount importance their events are minimal. Moreover, among them there are those which are greater in calibre than the ones quoted in Stefan Zweig's Sternstunden der Menschheit. These are the turning points of history. At first glance we can enumerate four major events: first and foremost, the enormous shift of certain communities from food-gathering to agriculture around 8000 BC mainly in Southwest Asia (Mesopotamia). Second, the introduction of the writing system at circa 3500 BC by the Sumerians again in Southwest Asia. Last but not least that tremendous innovation, maybe the greatest in history, once more in western Asia, the emergence of monotheistic religions based on revelation, and the origination of philosophy-science within the realm of the Antique Aegean civilization. Man's basic reality is biotic. He shares this very particularity with all other living beings of this world. Livingness, so far as we know, is a peculiarity of our planet, the Earth. The unfolding of livingness and ultimately the emergence of man as a living being is apparently covered by evolution. Hominization is the biotic, whereas humanization represents the cultural (or spiritual) aspect of becoming the human being. Hominization and humanization complement one another to bring about the human wholeness. Hominization, or put it in another way, the evolutionary aspect is, indeed, not the beginning of the story. There still remains a lower layer, in the ontological sense of the team, to be tackled; and that is the physical one. Just as with every living thing, man's most fundamental building blocks are of a physico-chemical-i.e. subatomic, atomic and molecular-nature.
Civilization↗
Phylogenetic and biogeographic diversification of Rhus (Anacardiaceae) in the Northern Hemisphere.
Sequences of internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA, the chloroplast ndhF gene, and chloroplast trnL-F regions (trnL intron, and trnL [UAA] 3' exon-trnF [GAA] intergenic spacer) were used for phylogenetic analyses of Rhus, a genus disjunctly distributed in Asia, Europe, Hawaii, North America, and Northern Central America. Both ITS and cpDNA data sets support the monophyly of Rhus. The monophyly of subgenus Rhus was suggested by the combined cpDNA and ITS data, and largely supported in the cpDNA data except that Rhus microphylla of subgenus Lobadium was nested within it. The monophyly of subgenus Lobadium was strongly supported in the ITS data, whereas the cpDNA data revealed two main clades within the subgenus, which formed a trichotomy with the clade of subgenus Rhus plus R. microphylla. The ITS and cpDNA trees differ in the positions of Rhus michauxii, R. microphylla, and Rhus rubifolia, and hybridization may have caused this discordance. Fossil evidence indicates that Rhus dates back to the early Eocene. The penalized likelihood method was used to estimate divergence times, with fossils of Rhus subgenus Lobadium, Pistacia and Toxicodendron used for age constraints. Rhus diverged from its closest relative at 49.1+/-2.1 million years ago (Ma), the split of subgenus Lobadium and subgenus Rhus was at 38.1+/-3.0 Ma. Rhus most likely migrated from North America into Asia via the Bering Land Bridge during the Late Eocene (33.8+/-3.1 Ma). Rhus coriaria from southern Europe and western Asia diverged from its relatives in eastern Asia at 24.4+/-3.2 Ma. The Hawaiian Rhus sandwicensis diverged from the Asian Rhus chinensis at 13.5+/-3.0 Ma. Subgenus Lobadium was inferred to be of North American origin. Taxa of subgenus Lobadium then migrated southward to Central America. Furthermore, we herein make the following three nomenclatural combinations: (1) Searsia leptodictya (Diels) T. S. Yi, A. J. Miller and J. Wen, comb. nov., (2) Searsia pyroides (A. Rich.) T. S. Yi, A. J. Miller and J. Wen, comb. nov., and (3) Searsia undulata (Jacq.) T. S. Yi, A. J. Miller and J. Wen, because our analyses support the segregation of Searsia from Rhus.
Biological Evolution↗
Major genomic mitochondrial lineages delineate early human expansions.
BACKGROUND: The phylogeographic distribution of human mitochondrial DNA variations allows a genetic approach to the study of modern Homo sapiens dispersals throughout the world from a female perspective. As a new contribution to this study we have phylogenetically analysed complete mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA) sequences from 42 human lineages, representing major clades with known geographic assignation. RESULTS: We show the relative relationships among the 42 lineages and present more accurate temporal calibrations than have been previously possible to give new perspectives as how modern humans spread in the Old World. CONCLUSIONS: The first detectable expansion occurred around 59,000-69,000 years ago from Africa, independently colonizing western Asia and India and, following this southern route, swiftly reaching east Asia. Within Africa, this expansion did not replace but mixed with older lineages detectable today only in Africa. Around 39,000-52,000 years ago, the western Asian branch spread radially, bringing Caucasians to North Africa and Europe, also reaching India, and expanding to north and east Asia. More recent migrations have entangled but not completely erased these primitive footprints of modern human expansions.
Base Sequence↗
Relationships in medicine between Asia and the Western World.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Asia↗
The epidemiology of sexually transmitted diseases in Southeast Asia and the western Pacific.
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and their complications are common in Southeast Asia (SEA) and the Western Pacific region. Gonorrhea, chancroid, nongonococcal urethritis, and syphilis are still the major STDs. However, the clinical incidence of genital herpes and genital warts show a definite increase. The gonococcal infections in SEA show high levels of antimicrobial resistance. There is a high level of chromosomal-mediated and plasmid-mediated penicillinase resistance. The sex industry, strongly fueled by local consumption, travel, and tourism, continues to play an important focal role in maintaining the high level of transmission of STDs in SEA and the Western Pacific region.
Asia, Southeastern↗
Cervical cancer in the asian pacific-epidemiology, screening and treatment.
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the cervix continues to be a major problem in many areas of the Asian-Pacific, particularly in the Indian subcontinent and Papua New Guinea, and to a lesser extent in South-East Asia, Korea and Mongolia. In contrast, levels in the developed countries of the region are low, as is also the case for the Muslim countries of Western Asia, and mainland China. Incidence generally mirrora associated mortality, although with some exceptions reflecting facilities and infrastructure for early detection. Over the last 25 years there has been a marked decrease in incidence rates across most of the Asian Pacific, although less pronounced in India than elsewhere, and there are exceptions where the incidence is on the increase. The predominant risk factor is well established to be persistent infection with a high risk 'oncogenic' type of human papilloma virus (HPV), along with multiple partners, other sexually transmitted diseases and smoking. Consumption of vegetables, in contrast, appears to be protective. Hormonal factors may also play some role. Modifying factors may either impact on neoplasia by directly influencing the processes underlying carcinogenesis, or indirectly by affecting persistence of viral infections. For primary prevention, avoidance of repeated infections and smoking, as well as a high antioxidant intake may be beneficial. Vaccines against HPV also have promise for the future, but a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying spontaneous clearance of both infection and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) of different grades is also essential for optimal intervention. For screening, the choice of whether the PAP smear, HPV testing or some form of visual inspection are utilized depends on the resources which are available, all approaches having their own advantages and disadvantages, but with similar sensitivity and specificity. One complication is the increase in adenocarcinoma of the cervix which has been reported in some countries, for which risk factors and most effective screening may differ from the SCC case. A focus on high risk groups like sex workers might be warranted where financial and technical support are limited. If cervical intraepithelial neoplasias are detected then cryotherapy or the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) are effective for their removal. Control of cancer of the cervix, however, demands that a comprehensive approach to screening and management is adopted, necessitating major training of personnel and provision of appropriate resources.
Asia↗
Allele variation of DYS19 and Y-Alu insertion (YAP) polymorphisms in Basques: an insight into the peopling of Europe and the Mediterranean region.
Two Y-chromosome DNA polymorphisms, the DYS19 microsatellite and the YAP (at locus DYS287), were tested in males from two autochthonous Basque populations from France and northern Navarre (Spain). The results are compared to those obtained for the same genetic markers in 32 populations from Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia. The high predominance of the DYS19*11 (190-base-pair) allele in Basques indicates that their genetic diversity for microsatellite DYS19 is around half that observed in Europeans, North Africans, and western Asians. The Y-Alu insertion (YAP+) was not detected in the Basque samples. This study attempts to throw some light on the importance of historically recent migratory movements, the main corridors of gene flow, and demographic sizes and their variations in shaping gene frequency patterns in contemporary human populations, particularly in the Mediterranean region. Historical processes may have had more significant effects on the genetic make-up of current human populations than those of prehistoric times.
Alleles↗
Epidemiology of liver cancer in Europe.
Liver cancer (LC) ranks fifth in frequency in the world, with an estimated 437,000 new cases in 1990. The estimates are different when LC frequency is analyzed by sex and geographical areas. In developed areas, the estimates are 53,879 among men and 26,939 among women. In developing areas, the estimates are 262,043 in men and 93, 961 in women. Areas of highest rates include Eastern and South Eastern Asia, Japan, Africa and the Pacific Islands (LC age-adjusted incidence rates [AAIRs] ranging from 17.6 to 34.8). Intermediate rates (LC AAIRs from 4.7 to 8.9 among men) are found in Southern, Eastern and Western Europe, Central America, Western Asia and Northern Africa. Low rates are found among men in Northern Europe, America, Canada, South Central Asia, Australia and New Zealand (LC AAIRs range from 2.7 to 3.2). In Europe, an excess of LC incidence among men compared with women is observed, and the age peak of the male excess is around 60 to 70 years of age. Significant variations in LC incidence among different countries have been described and suggest differences in exposure to risk factors. Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the etiology of LC is well established. In Europe, 28% of LC cases have been attributed to chronic HBV infection and 21% to HCV infection. Other risk factors such as alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking and oral contraceptives may explain the residual variation within countries. Interactions among these risk factors have been postulated. New laboratory techniques and biological markers such as polymerase chain reaction detection of HBV DNA and HCV RNA, as well as specific mutations related to LC, may help to provide quantitative estimates of the risk related to each these factors.
Adolescent↗
Tuberculosis control in Asia and the western Pacific: a role for computer modelling.
Despite the availability of effective treatment, tuberculosis (TB) causes more deaths than any other infection. Most of the world's TB cases and deaths occur in Asia and the Western Pacific, and the growing prevalence of multiple drug-resistant TB and the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) present ever greater obstacles to effective TB control. The management of TB remains difficult, and epidemiologic studies to assess control programmes require significant time and expense and may not be generalizable to other regions. Computer models are powerful and relatively inexpensive tools for rapidly planning and evaluating TB control strategies. Models have demonstrated the value of targeted chemoprophylaxis strategies for the prevention of TB among HIV-infected individuals, and programmes to ensure that all HIV-infected individuals receive TB chemoprophylaxis should be considered in Asia and the Western Pacific. Though directly observed therapy (DOT) is effective when designed to be attractive to patients, modelling has shown that DOT, if poorly accepted by patients, may lead to fewer patients seeking care and thus to paradoxical rises in TB case rates. Models may be used to make accurate predictions of TB morbidity and programme costs using local epidemiologic and demographic inputs. The use of models in Asia and the Western Pacific offers a low-cost way to compare programmes, to improve the evaluation of programmes, to project future cases, and to examine programme needs while providing insights into TB control helpful to countries in and out of the region.
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗
Estimates of the worldwide mortality from 25 cancers in 1990.
We present here worldwide estimates of annual mortality from all cancers and for 25 specific cancer sites around 1990. Crude and age-standardised mortality rates and numbers of deaths were computed for 23 geographical areas. Of the estimated 5.2 million deaths from cancer (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer), 55% (2.8 million) occurred in developing countries. The sex ratio is 1.33 (M:F), greater than that of incidence (1.13) due to the more favourable prognosis of cancer in women. Lung cancer is still the most common cause of death from cancer worldwide with over 900,000 deaths per year, followed by gastric cancer with over 600,000 deaths and colorectal and liver cancers accounting for at least 400,000 deaths each. In men, deaths from liver cancer exceed those due to colo-rectal cancer by 38%. Over 300,000 deaths of women are attributed to breast cancer, which remains the leading cause of death from cancer in women, followed by cancers of the stomach and lung with 230,000 annual deaths each. In men, the risk of dying from cancer is highest in eastern Europe, with an age-standardised rate for all sites of 205 deaths per 100,000 population. Mortality rates in all other developed regions are around 180. The only developing area with an overall rate of the same magnitude as that in developed countries is southern Africa. All of eastern Asia, including China, has mortality rates above the world average, as do all developed countries. The region of highest risk among women is northern Europe (age-standardised rate = 125.4), followed by North America, southern Africa and tropical South America. Only south-central and western Asia (Indian subcontinent, central Asia and the middle-eastern countries) and Northern Africa are well below the world average of 90 deaths per 100,000 population annually. Our results indicate the potential impact of preventive practices. It is estimated that 20% of all cancer deaths (1 million) could be prevented by eliminating tobacco smoking. Infectious agents account for a further 16% of deaths.
Adolescent↗
Typing of urinary JC virus DNA offers a novel means of tracing human migrations.
Although polyomavirus JC (JCV) is the proven pathogen of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, the fatal demyelinating disease, this virus is ubiquitous as a usually harmless symbiote among human beings. JCV propagates in the adult kidney and excretes its progeny in urine, from which JCV DNA can readily be recovered. The main mode of transmission of JCV is from parents to children through long cohabitation. In this study, we collected a substantial number of urine samples from native inhabitants of 34 countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia. A 610-bp segment of JCV DNA was amplified from each urine sample, and its DNA sequence was determined. A worldwide phylogenetic tree subsequently constructed revealed the presence of nine subtypes including minor ones. Five subtypes (EU, Af2, B1, SC, and CY) occupied rather large territories that overlapped with each other at their boundaries. The entire Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia were the domain of EU, whereas the domain of Af2 included nearly all of Africa and southwestern Asia all the way to the northeastern edge of India. Partially overlapping domains in Asia were occupied by subtypes B1, SC, and CY. Of particular interest was the recovery of JCV subtypes in a pocket or pockets that were separated by great geographic distances from the main domains of those subtypes. Certain of these pockets can readily be explained by recent migrations of human populations carrying these subtypes. Overall, it appears that JCV genotyping promises to reveal previously unknown human migration routes: ancient as well as recent.
Adult↗
Dengue: an update.
This review is an update of dengue and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) based on international and Cuban experience. We describe the virus characteristics and risk factors for dengue and DHF, and compare incidence and the case fatality rates in endemic regions (southeast Asia, western Pacific, and the Americas). The clinical picture and the pathogenesis of the severe disease are explained. We also discuss the viral, individual, and environmental factors that determine severe disease. Much more research is necessary to clarify these mechanisms. Also reviewed are methods for viral isolation and the serological, immunohistochemical, and molecular methods applied in the diagnosis of the disease. We describe the status of vaccine development and emphasise that the only alternative that we have today to control the disease is through control of its vector Aedes aegypti.
Adolescent↗
Spectrum and potency evaluation of a new oxazolidinone, linezolid: report from the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program, 1998-2000.
Resistance (R) among Gram-positive cocci has escalated in the last two decades to levels necessitating the development and use in the newer drug classes, oxazolidinones (linezolid) and streptogramins (quinupristin/dalfopristin [Q/D]). The SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program has monitored these classes before, during and after their release by various regulatory agencies. Over 30,000 Gram-positive strains were tested against >30 drugs by reference broth microdilution methods between 1998-2000 in four geographic regions (Asia-Western Pacific [APAC], Europe [EU], Latin America [LA], North America [NA]). The tested strains were 23,188 staphylococci; 5,103 enterococci and 2,045 streptococci. Among staphylococci, linezolid was active against all isolates (MICs, < or =4 microg/ml) regardless of susceptibility patterns of other antimicrobial agents. Similar results were noted for vancomycin (includes one VISA from Hong Kong), teicoplanin, and Q/D (<1% R). Gatifloxacin had the widest spectrum among fluoroquinolones (FQ) against Staphylococcus aureus (1.5-9.2% R) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (0.8-4.0%). Linezolid was also active against all enterococci (MIC50 and (90,) 2 microg/ml). Q/D was active against only 75.3% of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). The VRE rate was highest in NA (12.4%) > EU (3.2%) > LA (1.6%) > APAC (1.3%). Among streptococci, linezolid was consistently active (MIC(90,) 1 microg/ml) as were the glycopeptides and Q/D. Variable penicillin-R (MIC, > or = 2 microg/ml) was observed among regions: EU (32.5%) > APAC (15.1%) > LA (13.8%) > NA (9.6%), and macrolide-R was higher in EU (40.3%). Ciprofloxacin-R at > or =4 microg/ml in streptococcal strains was noted world wide highest in viridans group streptococci (18.4-25.6%). Linezolid remained active (MIC, < or =4 microg/ml) against all Gram-positive species strains tested in the SENTRY Program (1998-2000). Q/D, glycopeptides and newer FQ compounds were generally less effective in vitro. It remains a prudent practice to continue surveillance programs to detect emerging resistance patterns and recognize significant regional variations in the oxazolidinone susceptibilities.
Acetamides↗
Investigating the effect of clustering of the urban field on sustainable population growth of centrally located and peripheral towns.
In a previous study (Portnov and Erell, 1998a), an Index of Clustering was defined, which allowed an analysis of the combined effect of spatial isolation and remoteness of peripheral towns on the long-term patterns of their population growth. In the present paper, the analysis of the effect of clustering of the urban field on the patterns of population growth is extended to centrally located urban places, and the validity of this index is tested in two unevenly populated countries--Israel and Norway. In both countries, the effect of clustering of the urban field on the patterns of urban growth is twofold. In sparsely populated areas, the presence of neighboring towns appears to increase their chances of attracting potential migrants due to inter-urban exchanges, while in more densely populated areas, increasing clustering tends to reduce migration influx to a given locality due to inter-town competition. Following this conclusion, a strategy of "redirecting priorities" leading to the formation of urban clusters is proposed, which may enhance the potential of urban growth in geographical areas where this is desirable.
Asia↗