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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The novel use of 'Asian' as an ethnic category in the New Zealand health sector.

'Asian' is increasingly used as an ethnic category in the health sector in New Zealand but does not have a 'natural', fixed, uncontested meaning. Two differing constructions of 'Asian' are commonly used in New Zealand. One is racially based and includes only East and Southeast Asian peoples. It is commonly employed in popular discourse and by the media. The other construction includes peoples from East, South and Southeast Asia, but excludes peoples from the Middle East and Central Asia. This construction is recent and unique to New Zealand and is being increasingly operationalised in the health sector. This use for planning and research is problematic. For the health sector, 'Asian' does not differentiate a group of people with shared characteristics in terms of health status or needs. The diversity of the 'Asian' category, with several axes of difference, will result in an averaging of health indicators. This may result in the high health needs of groups within this category being masked or the inappropriate targeting of services. Another major concern is the general lack of acknowledgement of the contestable nature of the 'Asian' category or justification for its use. However, the 'Asian' category provides a political platform to advocate for resources and enable research into the previously ignored health status of the diverse 'Asian' population. Despite its shortcomings, usage of the category is likely to continue in the New Zealand health sector. As such, the sector needs to be aware of the limitations of the category and show greater precision in its use.

Ethnicity↗
PubMed1999

Metric analyses of an early holocene human skeleton from Gua Gunung Runtuh, Malaysia.

A nearly complete human skeleton dating to the Early Holocene (epi-Paleolithic culture) excavated from Gua Gunung Runtuh, Malaysia, is described. Cranial, dental, and limb bone measurements are recorded on the skeleton, and compared with early and modern skeletal samples from Southeast Asia and Australia. The comparisons demonstrate that the Gua Gunung specimen is most similar to Australian Aborigines in dental and limb measurements, while the cranial measurements indicate a close affinity to Mesolithic samples from Malaysia and Flores. These findings further suggest that the Gua Gunung skeleton, as well as other fossils from Tabon and Niah, are representative of an early group of people who occupied Sundaland during the late Pleistocene, and may be the ancestors of Australian Aborigines. Some of the dental and limb bone measurements exhibited by the ancestors persist in Southeast Asian populations until the early Holocene. Differences in cranial traits have, however, accumulated since the late Pleistocene in Australian Aborigines and early Southeast Asian peoples.

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed1998

Ophthalmic anthropometry for Hong Kong Chinese adults.

A database of ophthalmic anthropometry is established which is useful for the design of spectacles for southeast Asian people. Statistical analysis reveals significant variations in the facial dimensions between male and female subjects. Results of the study are given separately for each sex and for the combined population. Hong Kong Chinese are found to have larger frontal angles, bigger angles of splay, and a less prominent bridge in the nose. Spectacle frames should be designed according to the targeted gender population, and to accommodate the characteristics of Asian faces.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

The mutant androgen receptor T877A mediates the proliferative but not the cytotoxic dose-dependent effects of genistein and quercetin on human LNCaP prostate cancer cells.

High consumption of soybean products, such as phytoestrogens, has been hypothesized to contribute to a reduced incidence of prostate cancer in Southeast Asian people, although there have been inconsistent results among studies. Human LNCaP cells, extensively used as a model for androgen-dependent prostate tumor, express the androgen receptor (AR) mutant T877A promiscuously transactivated by estrogens and other ligands, which may further facilitate cancer progression. Here, for the first time to our knowledge, we demonstrate that genistein and quercetin, two phytoestrogens abundantly present in soybeans, activate either the AR mutant T877A in LNCaP or in transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells. This observation is supported by their capability to induce AR accumulation in the nuclear compartment of LNCaP together with mRNA down-regulation of the androgen target genes AR and PAP, and PSA up-regulation. Of interest, at concentrations eliciting transcriptional activity, both genistein and quercetin stimulate LNCaP cell growth, whereas at high levels, they become cytotoxic independently of AR expression, as ascertained in steroid receptor-negative Hela cells. The results of our study provide evidence that phytoestrogens may regulate several signaling processes in LNCaP cells; however, further studies are needed to assess their potential capability to restrain prostate tumor progression.

Active Transport, Cell Nucleus↗
PubMed1994

The impact of hate violence on victims: emotional and behavioral responses to attacks.

Criminal acts stemming from prejudice based on race, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity--frequently referred to as "hate violence"--have increased during recent years. This study explored the nature of hate attacks and victims' responses to them. The sample consisted of 59 victims and included black, white, and Southeast Asian people. Data were obtained through focus group meetings, individual interviews, and questionnaires. More than half of the victims reported experiencing a series of attacks rather than a single attack. Anger, fear, and sadness were the emotional responses most frequently reported by victims. About one-third of the victims reported behavioral responses such as moving from the neighborhood or purchasing a gun. The responses of hate violence victims were similar to those of victims of other types of personal crime. Implications for social work intervention are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1992

Dental and cranial affinities among populations of east Asia and the Pacific: the basic populations in east Asia, IV.

The origins of the four major geographical groups recognized as Australomelanesians, Micronesians, Polynesians, and East and Southeast Asians are still far from obvious. The earliest arrivals in Sahulland may have migrated from Sundaland about 40,000-50,000 years B.P. and begun the Australomelanesian lineage. The aboriginal populations in Southeast Asia may have originated in the tropical rain forest of Sundaland, and their direct descendants may be the modern Dayaks of Borneo and Negritos of Luzon. These populations, the so-called "Proto-Malays," are possible representatives of the lineage leading to not only modern Southeast Asians, but also the Neolithic Jomon populations in Japan. The present study suggests, moreover, that the Polynesians and western Micronesians have closer affinities with modern Southeast Asians than with Melanesians or Jomonese.

Humans↗
PubMed1991

Tuberculosis in New South Wales.

Surveillance of tuberculosis in New South Wales depends on notification of cases by medical practitioners and careful follow-up by public health nurses dedicated to the control of tuberculosis. Evaluation of tuberculosis surveillance data enables identification of patterns of infection, highlighting areas requiring specific interventions. In 1986, 290 cases of tuberculosis were notified to the Department of Health, New South Wales. The majority of patients (72.8%) were diagnosed as having pulmonary disease. The highest rates of infection were in people from Southeast Asian countries. Whereas 5.2% of cases were identified when the patients entered Australia, a substantial proportion of diagnoses (23.1%) were made in people who had been resident in Australia for 10 or more years. This article highlights the need to continue efforts to improve tuberculosis surveillance and control programmes in New South Wales.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Ethnic identity, resettlement stress and depressive affect among Southeast Asian refugees in Canada.

Does commitment to an ethnic identity enhance or jeopardize psychological well-being? Using data from a study of Southeast Asian "Boat People", this study examined the mental health effects of ethnic identification as the former refugees confronted common resettlement stressors in Canada--unemployment, discrimination and lack of fluency in the dominant society language. The study team administered a questionnaire to 647 respondents covering ethnic identification, demographic and employment information, language fluency, experiences with discrimination, and depressive affect. Context helped determine the relationship between ethnic identification and depressive affect. When the Southeast Asians encountered racial discrimination or unemployment, ethnic identity attachment amplified the risk of depressive affect. By contrast, a strongly held ethnic identity provided a psychological advantage for individuals experiencing difficulties with the dominant language.

Acculturation↗
PubMed2025

Epstein-Barr Virus Sequence Variations Among the Understudied Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients of Diverse Ancestries in Southeast Asia.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with cancers, including lymphomas and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). To date, risk variants for NPC were mainly identified from Chinese populations, which dominated the world's total number of cases. Although Southeast Asia (SEA) countries have among the world's top yet intriguingly diverse NPC age-standardized incidence rates across subpopulations, data on EBV from SEA remains scarce. In this study, we examined 83 NPC patients of different ancestries for the presence of risk haplotypes associated with the Southern Chinese NPC and generated and analyzed 67 EBV sequences (from tissue, patient-derived xenografts and lymphoblastoid cell lines of 60 NPC patients) together with 838 published EBV genomes. Our study revealed that NPC patients of non-Chinese ancestry had fewer risk variants and haplotypes that are associated with Southern Chinese NPC and clustered distinctly from lymphomas, Southern Chinese NPC, and non-cancer controls. The distribution of non-synonymous variants was similar among NPC patients of Chinese ancestry, irrespective of geographical location. Meanwhile, non-synonymous variants in genes related to packaging, latency, and structural proteins such as BPLF1, LF3, and LMP1 varied across different ancestries. Our findings suggest possibilities of EBV adaptation to host genetics for NPC pathogenesis and warrant further research for the understudied NPC subpopulations.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Vascular-type disruptive defects in fetuses with homozygous alpha-thalassemia: report of two cases and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: The thalassemias are an inherited group of heterogeneous anemias in which one or more of the globin chains in the hemoglobin tetramer are absent. Fetuses with homozygous alpha-thalassemia, which is particularly prevalent in people of Southeast Asian extraction, experience deficient alpha-globin chain synthesis and cannot produce hemoglobin F (the primary fetal hemoglobin after 8 weeks' gestation). Instead, they produce an anomalous hemoglobin, hemoglobin Bart's, with an unusually high affinity for oxygen, leading to profound anemia and tissue hypoxia. METHODS AND RESULTS: Here we report on two fetuses with homozygous alpha-thalassemia who displayed structural defects of a vascular disruptive type. Both fetuses demonstrated limb anomalies, including terminal transverse limb deficiencies, and one fetus was found to have a brain malformation consisting of a neuronal migrational defect. The limb anomalies and suspected brain malformation were detected on prenatal ultrasound prior to confirmation of the diagnosis of alpha-thalassemia in one case; in the other case prenatal records were not available. While microcephaly, hydrocephalus, and retarded brain growth have been rarely reported in association with homozygous alpha-thalassemia, this is the first report of a true brain malformation in an affected fetus. Limb anomalies, on the other hand, appear to be more frequent. Recently, aggressive in utero and postnatal therapies for homozygous alpha-thalassemia have been attempted with some success. CONCLUSIONS: Our cases and those from the medical literature suggest that couples need to be counseled about the risks of congenital anomalies of a vascular disruptive type in affected fetuses. Furthermore, data from the literature suggests that in utero therapy may not significantly decrease these risks as such anomalies may be present prior to the institution of therapy. In addition, in hydropic infants with vascular disruptive defects, especially in those of Southeast Asian origin, homozygous alpha-thalassemia should be suspected as a likely etiology.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Treating psychiatric disorders among Mien refugees from highland Laos.

The Mien, a Southeast Asian hill people, have immigrated to various countries throughout the world since the mid-1970s. They have brought their ancient culture with them, including beliefs and practices related to health, illness, and healing. During the last several decades they have suffered much war-related trauma, including extensive human, material and symbolic losses. This report describes our clinical experience with Mien refugees in the Indochinese Psychiatric Program of the Oregon Health Sciences University. We discuss symptom presentation among this group of patients, diagnostic and treatment issues, and the impact of cultural health beliefs upon illness and treatment. Major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder have been the most commonly encountered psychiatric diagnoses, usually revealed through somatic symptoms. Not only must clinicians take careful medical and psychiatric histories, but they must also be alert to the high probability of an extensive history of trauma. Clinical improvement in response to psychotropic medications has been limited. As a result, psychosocial and psychotherapeutic approaches to treatment have been developed and expanded and now are commonly employed, effectively combining support and education in the creation of a holding environment that includes both individual and group formats. Two case histories are presented which describe symptom presentation, health belief systems and therapeutic issues involved in treating Mien patients. They also illustrate that traditional and Western healing approaches can co-exist in the optimal care of these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2025

Discovery of diverse anellovirus sequences in Thai human sequencing data.

UNLABELLED: Anelloviruses are part of the normal human viral flora. Although their diversity in humans has been investigated in many countries, and despite their initial detection in Thailand in 1999, knowledge of Thai anelloviruses remains very limited. This study analyzed 1,175 whole-genome sequencing data sets from Thai individuals to mine for potential anellovirus sequences. Our analyses detected anellovirus sequences in 149 data sets (12.68%), uncovering 434 partial anellovirus sequences and 77 complete genome sequences, characterized by the presence of terminal redundancy, complete orf1, and the conserved untranslated region upstream of the orf1 gene. Sequence analyses indicated that these viruses belong to seven genera, including Alphatorquevirus, Betatorquevirus, Gammatorquevirus, Hetorquevirus, Lamedtorquevirus, Samektorquevirus, and Yodtorquevirus. Notably, Hetorquevirus, Lamedtorquevirus, Samektorquevirus, and Yodtorquevirus had not previously been reported in Thailand. Phylogenetic analysis of ORF1 protein sequences showed that Thai anelloviruses form multiple phylogenetic clusters with non-Thai anelloviruses, indicating frequent cross-country transmission and multiple origins of the virus in Thailand. Furthermore, sequence similarity network analysis identified 33 potentially novel anellovirus species in our data set. Our findings greatly expand the knowledge of anellovirus diversity in Thailand and demonstrate the potential of human whole-genome sequencing data as a valuable resource for viral discovery. Lastly, we highlight and discuss some challenges with the use of the current pairwise sequence similarity-based classification scheme, in particular, how gaps can influence similarity calculation and potentially lead to inconsistencies with a phylogenetic-based classification scheme. IMPORTANCE: Anelloviruses are widespread in humans, yet their diversity remains poorly characterized in many regions, including Thailand. Here, we demonstrate that human sequencing data sets, originally generated without the intention for virome research, can be effectively mined for anellovirus sequences, including complete genomes. Our findings reveal a substantial number of previously unreported anelloviruses in Thailand, significantly expanding the known diversity of the virus. We also highlight potential limitations of the current anellovirus species classification scheme, which is based on pairwise orf1 sequence similarity analysis with a hard threshold cutoff at 69%. Our results reveal that the current scheme can sometimes yield taxonomic groupings that are inconsistent with phylogenetic relationships, particularly when significant alignment gaps are present. Overall, our results show that existing human sequencing data can be effectively repurposed for virus discovery research and suggest the need for more robust and phylogenetically informed classification frameworks as viral sequence databases continue to expand.

Humans↗
PubMed1996

Alkaline-fermented foods: a review with emphasis on pidan fermentation.

Alkaline-fermented foods constitute a group of less-known food products that are widely consumed in Southeast Asia and African countries. They can be made from different raw ingredients. For instance, Japanese natto, Thai thua-nao, and kinema are made from cooked soybeans, dawadawa from African locust beans, ogiri from melon seeds, ugba from African oil beans, kawal from fresh legale leaves, owoh from cotton seeds, and pidan from fresh poultry eggs. In alkaline-fermented foods, the protein of the raw materials is broken down into amino acids and peptides; ammonia is released during the fermentation, raising the pH of the final products and giving the food a strong ammoniacal smell. Most alkaline fermentations are achieved spontaneously by mixed bacteria cultures, principally dominated by Bacillus subtilis. In other cases, pure cultures can be used. For example, Japanese natto is inoculated with a pure culture of B. subtilis var natto. Pidan is a special example of alkaline fermentation. Instead of using microorganisms, pidan is made using an alkali-treated fermentation. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is produced from the reaction of sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), water (H2O), and calcium oxide (CaO) of pickle or coating mud. NaOH penetrates into the eggs, causing the physicochemical changes, color changes, and gelation. The appearance of pidan differs from fresh eggs in that the white becomes a semitransparent tea-brown color, and the yolk is solid or semisolid with a dark-green color. The nutritional value of pidan is slightly decreased compared with fresh eggs, but pidan has an extremely long shelf life and a pleasant, fragrant taste that is preferred by most people in Southeast Asian countries. In a small-scale laboratory study conducted by the authors, B. subtilis was not found in pidan. Four Staphylococcus spp. (S. cohnii, S. epidermidis, S. haemolyticus, and S. warneri) and two strains of Bacillus spp. (B. cereus and B. macerans) were isolated from pidan. Staphylococcus spp. did not contribute to the fermentation and were considered contaminants.

Africa↗
PubMed1985

Hemoglobin E and pregnancy.

Hemoglobin E occurs in 30 million people, primarily Southeast Asians. Their resettlement within the US has dramatically increased the incidence of E hemoglobinopathies. A gravid Vietnamese woman with thalassemia major is reported herein. Her pregnancy was complicated by severe anemia, intrauterine growth retardation, and a paraspinal mass representing extramedullary hematopoiesis. The diagnosis of hemoglobin E/beta o-thalassemia was established when analysis of her hemoglobin showed 60% F, 40% E, and 0% A. The patient was transfused with packed red blood cells to maintain the maternal hematocrit at 30%. A term growth-retarded infant was delivered who had severe thrombocytopenia and an imperforate anus. The infant's thrombocytopenia responded only to infusion of maternal platelets. The differential diagnosis and expected hematologic manifestations of the various E hemoglobinopathies are detailed. Hematologic and obstetric guidelines for management during pregnancy are offered.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Genetic origins of the Japanese: a partial support for the dual structure hypothesis.

Based on the morphological characteristics of the skull and teeth, Hanihara ([1991] Japan Review 2:1-33) proposed the "dual structure model" for the formation of modern Japanese populations. We examine this model by dividing it into two independent hypotheses: 1) the Upper Paleolithic population of Japan that gave rise to the Neolithic Jomon people was of southeast Asian origin, and 2) modern Ainu and Ryukyuan (Okinawa) populations are direct descendants of the Jomon people, while Hondo (Main Island)-Japanese are mainly derived from the migrants from the northeast Asian continent after the Aeneolithic Yayoi period. Our aim is to examine the extent to which the model is supported by genetic evidence from modern populations, particularly from Japan and other Asian areas. Based on genetic distance analyses using data from up to 25 "classic" genetic markers, we find first that the three Japanese populations including Ainu and Ryukyuan clearly belong to a northeast Asian cluster group. This negates the first hypothesis of the model. Then, we find that Ainu and Ryukyuans share a group contrasting with Hondo-Japanese and Korean, supporting the second hypothesis of the model. Based on these results, we propose a modified version of the dual structure model which may explain the genetic, morphological, and archaeological evidence concerning the formation of modern Japanese populations.

Asia↗
PubMed2005

Southeast Asian tropical medicine and parasitology network.

The SEAMEO TROPMED Network is a regional cooperative network established in 1967 for education, training and research in tropical medicine and public health under the Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organization. The Network operates through four Regional Centers with respective areas of specialization and host institutions: Community Nutrition/Tropmed Indonesia; Microbiology, Parasitology and Entomology/Tropmed Malaysia; Public Health/Tropmed Philippines; and Tropical Medicine/Tropmed Thailand. To train health workers, to support research on endemic and newly emerging diseases, and to advocate relevant health policies are the main functions of these centers. SEAMEO TROPMED Network in collaboration with the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University and other institutions has regularly organized the Seminar on Food-borne Parasitic Zoonoses every 3-5 years over the past 15 years. The Faculty of Tropical Medicine has organized the annual Joint International Tropical Medicine Meeting since 1996. Full papers of the presentations at these two meetings have been published as supplementary issues to the Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health, an in-house journal of SEAMEO TROPMED Network. Recently, the Parasitology Association of ASEAN Countries has rotated the hosting of the ASEAN Congress of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine. These institutional and conference networks will enable closer links, to promote the health of people in the Southeast Asian region.

Animals↗