Tanisa Tawichsri, Thiti Tosborvorn, Suparit Suwanik
et al.
In politically divided environments like Thailand, affective polarization (AP) and social distrust threaten democratic stability and hinder consensus-building. Using an original survey (N = 2,016) conducted in 2021 during intense political turmoil, we examine how perceived ideological differences and media consumption shape AP. Our findings show that perceived—rather than actual—ideological differences drive out-group animosity, affecting trust in policymaking, political discourse, and attitudes toward justice. We also highlight the role of echo chambers created by the consumption of one-sided media that exaggerates polarization and amplifies hostility toward the out-group.
South Asia. Southeast Asia. East Asia, Social Sciences
Objective: Utilizing the 2021 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data, this study assessed the global epidemiological landscape of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), offering an empirical foundation for PCOS-related health service planning. Methods: Data from the GBD 2021 database were extracted to examine the global distribution and trends of PCOS. The metrics included total case counts, prevalence, disability-adjusted life years, age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR), and estimated annual percentage change (EAPC). Analyses incorporated age–period–cohort modeling and frontier efficiency assessments. Results: Between 1990 and 2021, the global ASPR of PCOS exhibited a marked upward trajectory. Significant regional heterogeneity was observed; Southeast, East, and South Asia registered the steepest ASPR growth, whereas tropical Latin America and high-income Asia Pacific displayed relatively stable trends. At the national level, countries such as Equatorial Guinea, Maldives, and Myanmar recorded ASPR increases exceeding 100%, in contrast to reductions seen in high-income nations including Italy. Age-specific patterns revealed that women aged 20–44 years consistently bore the highest burden. The age–period–cohort analysis indicated heightened risk in more recent birth cohorts from low- and middle-socioeconomic development index (SDI) regions, coupled with persistent health disparities despite some narrowing in socioeconomic gaps, as reflected by a decline in concentration indices from 0.24 to 0.1. The frontier analysis identified high-SDI countries, including the United States and Japan, as performing suboptimally in mitigating the PCOS burden relative to their resource capacity. Conclusion: The global burden of PCOS has intensified over the past three decades, with a disproportionate impact in low- and middle-SDI regions. The syndrome predominantly affects women of reproductive age, especially those between 20 and 39 years of age. Although socioeconomic inequalities have lessened to some extent, disparities remain significant, and resource-rich nations continue to underperform in addressing the disease burden. Comprehensive strategies emphasizing timely diagnosis, equitable health care access, and lifestyle interventions are imperative to address this escalating global health concern.
Gynecology and obstetrics, Public aspects of medicine
The mainland Indochina Southwest Monsoon (MSwM) is a crucial climatic phenomenon in Southeast Asia, significantly influencing the climate of countries such as Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand, Laos, and Southwest China. Traditionally, the intensity of the MSwM has been challenging to quantify due to its complex nature. This study introduces a new Southwest Monsoon Intensity Index (SMII), based on sea level pressure (SLP), which offers a more comprehensive understanding of the monsoon’s intraseasonal to interannual variability and its associated climate anomalies. The SMII is designed to overtake the limitations of local indices, which often rely on data from only two costal stations and may lack the resolution necessary for seasonal outlooks or long-term forecast modeling. By considering both south-north and west-east annual dominant pressure field gradients, the SMII provides a more robust measure of monsoon intensity. This large-scale index is influenced by key pressure systems, such as the Tibet Low and the Mascarenes High, and is characterized by the movement of a concentrated north-south rain belt and a quasi-stationary low-level jet. Our analysis reveals strong correlations between the SMII and regional rainfall patterns, particularly during the peak intensity of the summer months. Additionally, significant associations with El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) indices and the eastern Indian Ocean suggest potential teleconnections, which can enhance predictive capabilities. This improved index is crucial for operational climate centers to monitor and predict monsoon behavior effectively, ultimately aiding in the forecasting and managing the MSwM’s socio-economic impacts.
As an outlet in the field of multilingual studies, Sustainable Multilingualism (ISSN: 2335-2019; eISSN: 2335-2027) has contributed significantly to research on language diversity, education, and policy. Since its establishment in 2012, the journal has provided a platform for scholarship that addresses the complex dynamics of multilingualism in both local and global contexts. This bibliometric study examines the first 25 volumes of Sustainable Multilingualism (2012–2024) to evaluate its thematic evolution, authorship patterns, institutional and geographic reach, and citation performance. The corpus comprises 249 peer-reviewed research articles, which were analyzed using manual coding and bibliometric tools, including Excel and VOSviewer. The findings reveal that annual article output stabilized at ten per issue after 2016, reflecting consistent editorial capacity. Thematically, early volumes focused on identity, language policy, and rights, while more recent issues highlight digital multilingualism, English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI), and artificial intelligence in education. Lithuania, Türkiye, Latvia, Spain, and Poland emerge as leading contributors, with author affiliations spanning more than 40 countries. However, contributions remain unevenly distributed, with a strong European concentration and limited or no participation from the Middle East (excluding Türkiye and Iran), Oceania, Southeast Asia, South Asia, East Asia, Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and Central Asia. Citation metrics demonstrate a modest but growing impact: the journal’s CiteScore increased to 0.9 in 2024, its SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) rose to 0.211, and its h5-index reached 10, reflecting a steady integration into global scholarly discourse. Frequently cited and downloaded articles highlight the journal’s impact on multilingual education, migration studies, and research on endangered languages. The study concludes that while Sustainable Multilingualism has achieved international visibility and sustained scholarly contributions, expanding representation to include underrepresented regions would enhance diversity and further increase global engagement. Building on the findings, some recommendations are also included to guide the journal’s editorial strategy and future growth.
Special aspects of education, Geography. Anthropology. Recreation
ZHANG Bao1,2, JIN Qianqian3, CHEN Tingting1,2, LI Li3, SUN Xu4, LIU Jia1,2, LI Yongjun3, LI Yue1,2*
Potentilla kleiniana belongs to the family Rosaceae, which distributes in Central Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia. In China, this plant is mainly found in east, south and southwest provinces. P. kleiniana has been prescribed for the treatment of various diseases in the field of traditional Chinese medicine, such as cough, fever, tuberculosis, mastitis, rheumatoid arthritis. Our previous study found that P. kleiniana had a certain cytotoxicity on tumor cells, and 28 compounds were isolated and identified from P. kleiniana, some of which were cytotoxic to tumor cells. In order to further study the chemical constituents of P. kleiniana and their cytotoxicity, 60% ethanol extract of P. kleiniana were isolated by D-101 macroporous adsorptive resins, silica gel, ODS, Toyopearl HW-40, Sephadex LH-20 and other methods. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectroscopic data. Meanwhile, all these compounds were evaluated for cytotoxic activities against human cervical cancer cell line Hela. The results were as follows:(1)Fifteen triterpenoids were isolated and identified as ursolic acid(1), 3β-O-acetyl pomolic acid(2), 2-oxopomolic acid(3), pomolic acid(4), fupenzic acid(5), euscaphic acid(6), tormentic acid(7), 2α-hydroxyursolic acid(8), rosamultin(9), asiaticoside A(10), hederagenin(11), maslinic acid(12), arjunic acid(13), glycyrrhetinic acid(14), glycyrrhizic acid(15). Among them, compounds 10, 11, 13-15 were isolated from genus Potentilla for the first time, and compounds 2-5, 9 and 12 were isolated from P. kleiniana for the first time.(2)Cytotoxicity activity studies showed that compounds 1, 2, 4, 6, 12 display certain inhibitory activities against Hela cells with half maximal inhibitory concentration(IC50)values of(34.14±1.04)、(86.43±2.01)、(14.05±0.91)、(34.45±1.67)、(28.76±2.18)μmol·L-1, respectively. Thus, the study enriches the chemical constituents of P. kleiniana, and provides experimental basis for the development of anti-cervical cancer drugs.
The article traces the history of the creation and current activities of the periodical edition/journal published by the ICCA RAS “China in World and Regional Politics. History and Modernity”. The author describes the scientific merits of the founders of the periodical – prominent Russian scientists A.G. Yakovlev and B.T. Kulik, and characterizes the stages of its development: from an internal collection of scientific articles of one department to a scientific journal recognized both in Russia and abroad. The article presents topics of the research, which results appeared on the pages of the journal, names their leading developers and emphasizes the fact that the range of the analyzed problems is very broad and it continues to expand in accordance with the requirements of the current situation and scientific research carried out by the ICCA RAS.
South Asia. Southeast Asia. East Asia, Bibliography. Library science. Information resources
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered the global economic crisis and aggravated a number
of social problems in most countries, first of all, in the spheres of education and healthcare. The article
consideres in detail the experience of China, which managed to overcome these difficulties during the global
epidemic through informatization and the development of the digital economy. The author also tries to figure
out how the global emergency helped China to intensify the process of digitalization in the socio-economic
sphere. Taking into account these prerequisites, the author gives a brief assessment of the factors of
successfuladdressing the challenges, caused by the epidemic, and outlines the basic trends of the country's
informatization. The characteristic features of the Chinese version of national digitalization, which determine
its overall successful implementation, are highlighted and investigated. The article also outlines key
indicators of the development of the network information society.
South Asia. Southeast Asia. East Asia, Bibliography. Library science. Information resources
In the Soviet/Russian historical science, the personality of Miao Boying has not been fully
researched, and the CCР's 100th anniversary gives all the reasons to light up her biography. Miao Boying
(1898–1929) belongs to a generation of the Chinese youth who in the early 1920s after the Xinhai revolution under the influence of the “New Culture Movement” and the “May Fourth Movement” began the campaign
for the renewal of the state, for the rejection of outdated traditions, related to women in particular. Before the formation of the CCP, she criticized moral and ethical principles of the old society, spoke about the
importance of raising women's self-awareness and improving social rights and the system in general.
Acquaintance to Marxism led her to the communist movement. She became the first female member of the Chinese Communist Party. Miao Boying was engaged in propaganda and agitation campaigns for the
liberation of workers, male and female, both openly within Trade Union groups and illegally along the party line. She also used all the opportunities of the United Front of CCP and Kuomintang in practical work. In Beijing, Changsha, Wuhan and Shanghai she was always in the thick of revolutionary events, whether preparing petitions, speaking at rallies, organizing demonstrations or strikes, firmly following the path indicated by the CCP, demonstrating a sincere willingness to die for the cause of the party.
South Asia. Southeast Asia. East Asia, Bibliography. Library science. Information resources
After signing the Joint Declaration of the USSR and Japan on October 19, 1956 in Moscow
the question of signing a peace treaty was periodically raised in the Soviet-Japanese and then in the Russian Japanese political relations, with the help of which the Japanese side wanted to change the de jure and de facto post-war borders between the countries. During the reign of the Abe cabinet, 27 meetings were held between Russia and Japan at the level of the leaders of the countries. After Abe Shinzo's sudden departure from the post of the Prime Minister for health reasons, Suga Yoshihide turned out to be in this position. In 2020 and 2021 he never met with the Russian President V.V. Putin, but was actively building relations with the United States. During a year of Suga cabinet’s leadership in the context of coronavirus restrictions, the Russian-Japanese relations have noticeably “cooled down”. However, the actions of Y. Suga on the world stage and the policy of the Russian government in relation to the Kuril Islands make it possible to speak not only of Japan's new approaches to security in the Asia-Pacific region, which are focused on the idea of “containment” of China, but also of a more pragmatic Russian approach to Japan's territorial claims. It is possible that the development of these trends will lead to a new vision of building mutually beneficial Russian-Japanese relations in the future.
South Asia. Southeast Asia. East Asia, Bibliography. Library science. Information resources
Andrei Ungur, Cristina Daniela Cazan, Luciana Cătălina Panait
et al.
The World Organisation for Animal Health has listed African swine fever as the most important deadly disease in domestic swine around the world. The virus was recently brought from South-East Africa to Georgia in 2007, and it has since expanded to Russia, Eastern Europe, China, and Southeast Asia, having a devastating impact on the global swine industry and economy. In this study, we report for the first time the molecular characterization of nine African swine fever virus (ASFV) isolates obtained from domestic pigs in Mureş County, Romania. All nine Romanian samples clustered within p72 genotype II and showed 100% identity with all compared isolates from Georgia, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and Poland. This is the first report of ASFV genotype II in the country.
Gaurang Gowande, Saunak Pal, Daniel Jablonski
et al.
Abstract The genus Calotes Cuvier, 1817 (Agamidae: Draconinae) is highly diverse, with species occurring in South and Southeast Asia, and Oceania. Most species of the subfamily except C. versicolor have narrow geographic distributions. Calotes versicolor is distributed from western Iran in the west to south China and Indonesia in the east and has been introduced to parts of Africa and North America. The species has had a complicated taxonomic history; multiple species and subspecies related to C. versicolor were described from India and adjoining regions, which were synonymized in subsequent revisions. However, a study of Burmese C. versicolor yielded two new species, C. htunwini and C. irawadi, indicating that C. versicolor is a species complex. Such integrative taxonomic studies have not been carried out in India, the supposed type locality of C. versicolor. Hence, we studied C. versicolor sensu lato from the Indian subcontinent and generated sequences of mitochondrial 16S and COI fragments from tissues sampled from multiple localities in the region, including the type localities of its synonyms. Phylogenetic analyses revealed four well-supported, deeply-divergent lineages, supported by morphological data. These lineages represent (i) C. versicolor sensu stricto, from South India and parts of the east coast, (ii) C. irawadi sensu lato from northeast India and Southeast Asia, (iii) a synonym from the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains which we resurrect here, and (iv) a subspecies from Pakistan which we elevate to species level. We provide re-descriptions for the resurrected or elevated species, and a diagnostic key to the species of the C. versicolor complex. The study shows that C. versicolor sensu stricto is endemic to parts of southern and eastern India, and not widely distributed, though it may have been introduced to other parts of the world.
Din Syafruddin, Yulia E Lestari, Dendi H Permana
et al.
Anopheles sundaicus s.l. is an important malaria vector primarily found in coastal landscapes of western and central Indonesia. The species complex has a wide geographical distribution in South and Southeast Asia and exhibits ecological and behavioural variability over its range. Studies on understanding the distribution of different members in the complex and their bionomics related to malaria transmission might be important guiding more effective vector intervention strategies. Female An. sundaicus s.l. were collected from seven provinces, 12 locations in Indonesia representing Sumatra: North Sumatra, Bangka-Belitung, South Lampung, and Bengkulu; in Java: West Java; and the Lesser Sunda Islands: West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara provinces. Sequencing of ribosomal DNA ITS2 gene fragments and two mitochondrial DNA gene markers, COI and cytb, enabled molecular identification of morphologically indistinguishable members of the complex. Findings allowed inference on the distribution of the An. sundaicus s.l. present in Indonesia and further illustrate the phylogenetic relationships of An. epiroticus within the complex. A total of 370 An. sundaicus s.l specimens were analysed for the ITS2 fragment. The ITS2 sequence alignment revealed two consistent species-specific point mutations, a T>C transition at base 479 and a G>T transversion at base 538 that differentiated five haplotypes: TG, CG, TT, CT, and TY. The TG haplotype matched published An. epiroticus-indicative sequences from Thailand, Vietnam and peninsular Malaysia. The previously described insertion event (base 603) was observed in all identified specimens. Analysis of the COI and cytb genes revealed no consistent nucleotide variations that could definitively distinguish An. epiroticus from other members in the Sundaicus Complex. The findings indicate and support the existence of An. epiroticus in North Sumatra and Bangka-Belitung archipelago. Further studies are recommended to determine the full distributional extent of the Sundaicus complex in Indonesia and investigate the role of these species in malaria transmission.
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine, Public aspects of medicine
Juthamas Phadungsombat, Hisham Imad, Mizanur Rahman
et al.
In recent decades, chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has become geographically widespread. In 2004, the CHIKV East/Central/South African (ECSA) genotype moved from Africa to Indian ocean islands and India followed by a large epidemic in Southeast Asia. In 2013, the CHIKV Asian genotype drove an outbreak in the Americas. Since 2016, CHIKV has re-emerged in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. In the present study, CHIKVs were obtained from Bangladesh in 2017 and Thailand in 2019, and their nearly full genomes were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the recent CHIKVs were of Indian Ocean Lineage (IOL) of genotype ECSA, similar to the previous outbreak. However, these CHIKVs were all clustered into a new distinct sub-lineage apart from the past IOL CHIKVs, and they lacked an alanine-to-valine substitution at position 226 of the E1 envelope glycoprotein, which enhances CHIKV replication in <i>Aedes albopictus</i>. Instead, all the re-emerged CHIKVs possessed mutations of lysine-to-glutamic acid at position 211 of E1 and valine-to-alanine at position 264 of E2. Molecular clock analysis suggested that the new sub-lineage CHIKV was introduced to Bangladesh around late 2015 and Thailand in early 2017. These results suggest that re-emerged CHIKVs have acquired different adaptations than the previous CHIKVs.
On the basis of historical linguistic and language geographic evidence, the authors advance the novel hypothesis that the Munda languages originated on the east coast of India after their Austroasiatic precursor arrived via a maritime route from Southeast Asia, 3,500 to 4,000 years ago. Based on the linguistic evidence, we argue that pre-Proto-Munda arose in Mainland Southeast Asia after the spread of rice agriculture in the late Neolithic period, sometime after 4,500 years ago. A small Austroasiatic population then brought pre-Proto-Munda by means of a maritime route across the Bay of Bengal to the Mahanadi Delta region – an important hub location for maritime trade in historic and pre-historic times. The interaction with a local South Asian population gave rise to proto-Munda and the Munda branch of Austroasiatic. The Maritime Hypothesis accounts for the linguistic evidence better than other scenarios such as an Indian origin of Austroasiatic or a migration from Southeast Asia through the Brahmaputra basin. The available evidence from archaeology and genetics further supports the hypothesis of a small founder population of Austroasiatic speakers arriving in Odisha from Southeast Asia before the Aryan conquest in the Iron-Age.
Languages and literature of Eastern Asia, Africa, Oceania
The aim of the article is to analyze the relationship between Singapore and the People’s Republic of China in the light of the current policy of the President of the United States Donald Trump. The point of reference for the presented analysis is the foreign policy of the former President Barack Obama, based on the strategy known as “pivot to Asia” – the strategic turnabout of the United States to the Asia-Pacific region. One of its main objectives was the signing of a multilateral agreement on the establishment of a free trade zone, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), bringing together 12 countries. The main subject of the present analysis is to examine the impact of Donald Trump’s decision of January 2017 to withdraw from the TPP trade agreement on the relations between the remaining signatories of the agreement, as well as to examine Beijing’s actions, which may seek to increase its sphere of influence in Asia through the breakdown of TPP. The main part of the research is focused on the triangle politics concept in international politics, which will include China, Singapore and the United States. Besides the two largest economic powers, Singapore is included because of its membership in the TPP and ASEAN, and due to its strong economy and its population (predominantly) of Chinese origin it can be viewed as the “fifth column” or may otherwise play a role in the Greater China concept.
When discussing various issues of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Western
politicians and experts focus exclusively on finding ways to force the DPRK to abandon its nuclear and
missile capabilities. At the same time, the US is employing all the sorts of inducements to persuade
the DPRK to move to the American security zone in NEA. Meanwhile, the joint statement of the leaders of
the United States and North Korea, adopted at the end of their summit in June 2018 in Singapore, refers to
the denuclearization of the entire Peninsula (not only North Korea, but South Korea as well). The author
offers his vision of these aspects of denuclearization of Korea, almost untouched by experts.
South Asia. Southeast Asia. East Asia, Bibliography. Library science. Information resources
Sonerileae/Dissochaeteae (Melastomataceae) comprises ca. 50 genera, two thirds of which occur in Southeast Asia. Phylogenetic relationships within this clade remain largely unclear, which hampers our understanding of its origin, evolution, and biogeography. Here, we explored the use of chloroplast genomes in phylogenetic reconstruction of Sonerileae/Dissochaeteae, by sampling 138 species and 23 genera in this clade. A total of 151 complete plastid genomes were assembled for this study. Plastid genomic data provided better support for the backbone of the Sonerileae/Dissochaeteae phylogeny, and also for relationships among most closely related species, but failed to resolve the short internodes likely resulted from rapid radiation. Trees inferred from plastid genome and nrITS sequences were largely congruent regarding the major lineages of Sonerileae/Dissochaeteae. The present analyses recovered 15 major lineages well recognized in both nrITS and plastid phylogeny. Molecular dating and biogeographical analyses indicated a South American origin for Sonerileae/Dissochaeteae during late Eocene (stem age: 34.78 Mya). Two dispersal events from South America to the Old World were detected in late Eocene (33.96 Mya) and Mid Oligocene (28.33 Mya) respectively. The core Asian clade began to diversify around early Miocene in Indo-Burma and dispersed subsequently to Malesia and Sino-Japanese regions, possibly promoted by global temperature changes and East Asian monsoon activity. Our analyses supported previous hypothesis that Medinilla reached Madagascar by transoceanic dispersal in Miocene. In addition, generic limits of some genera concerned were discussed.
<h4>Background</h4>Schistosomiasis is a snail-borne parasitic disease and is endemic in many tropical and subtropical countries. Biomphalaria straminea, an intermediate host for Schistosoma mansoni, is native to the southeastern part of South America and has established in other regions of South America, Central America and southern China during the last decades. S. mansoni is endemic in Africa, the Middle East, South America and the Caribbean. Knowledge of the potential global distribution of this snail is essential for risk assessment, monitoring, disease prevention and control.<h4>Methods and findings</h4>A comprehensive database of cross-continental occurrence for B. straminea was compiled to construct ecological models. We used several approaches to investigate the distribution of B. straminea, including direct comparison of climatic conditions, principal component analysis and niche overlap analyses to detect niche shifts. We also investigated the impacts of bioclimatic and human factors, and then used the bioclimatic and footprint layers to predict the potential distribution of B. straminea at global scale. We detected niche shifts accompanying the invasions of B. straminea in the Americas and China. The introduced populations had enlarged its habitats to subtropical regions where annual mean temperature is relatively low. Annual mean temperature, isothermality and temperature seasonality were identified as most important climatic features for the occurrence of B. straminea. Additionally, human factors improved the model prediction (P<0.001). Our model showed that under current climate conditions the snail should mostly be confined to the tropic and subtropic regions, including South America, Central America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Our results confirmed that niche shifts took place in the invasions of B. straminea, in which bioclimatic and human factors played an important role. Our model predicted the global distribution of B. straminea based on habitat suitability, which would help for prioritizing monitoring and management efforts for B. straminea control in the context of ongoing climate change and human disturbances.
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine, Public aspects of medicine