Bhairab Nach and Navadurga

South Asian and Southeast Asian countries are located in the southwest of China, which is an important direction for China’s peripheral diplomacy and building a community of peripheral destiny. The Indian Ocean-Pacific Region is a key strategic channel for China to acquire energy, resources and commodity markets, and it is also a key region for the promotion of the Belt and Road Initiative to advance. The US “Indo- Pacific Strategy” has highlighted the central position of Southeast Asia, which has exerted an influence on South Asian Southeast Asian countries and China’s relations with South Asian Southeast Asia. China needs to pay closer attention to the geopolitical changes of neighboring countries in the southwest, develop cooperative relations with South Asian and Southeast Asian countries and promote friendly exchanges through multiple channels.

Immigrants from South Asian countries are among the fastest growing segment of our population. This work, designed for students and interested readers, provides the first in-depth examination of recent South Asian immigrant groups—their history and background, current facts, comparative cultures, and contributions to contemporary American life. Groups discussed include Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, Nepalis, and Afghans. The topics covered include patterns of immigration, adaption to American life and work, cultural traditions, religious traditions, women's roles, the family, adolescence, and dating and marriage. Controversial questions are examined: Does the American political economy welcome or exploit South Asian immigrants? Are American and South Asian values compatible? Leonard shows how the American social, religious, and cultural landscape looks to these immigrants and the contributions they make to it, and she outlines the experiences and views of the various South Asian groups. Statistics and tables provide information on migration, population, income, and employment. Biographical profiles of noted South Asian Americans, a glossary of terms, and selected maps and photos complete the text. The opening chapter introduces the reader to South Asian history, culture, and politics, material on which the rest of the book draws because of its continuing relevance to South Asians settled in the United States. Leonard provides a fascinating look at the early South Asian immigrant Punjabi Mexican American community whose second and third generations are grappling with the issue of being Mexican, Hindu, and American. A comparative examination of immigrant groups from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Afghanistan illuminates the similarities and differences of their rich cultural and religious traditions, the social fabric of their communities, and how these immigrants have adapted to American life. Leonard looks closely at the diversity of cultural traditions—music, dance, poetry, foods, fashion, yoga, fine arts, entertainment, and literature—and how these traditions have changed in the United States. Keeping the family together is important to these immigrants. Leonard examines family issues, second generation identities, adolescence, making marriages, and wedding traditions. This work provides a wealth of information for students and interested readers to help them understand South Asian immigrant life, culture, and contributions to American life.

This article describes a unique field experiment on Severe Thunderstorm Observations and Regional Modeling (STORM) jointly undertaken by eight South Asian countries. Several pilot field experiments have been conducted so far, and the results are analyzed. The field experiments will continue through 2016. The STORM program was originally conceived for understanding the severe thunderstorms known as nor'westers that affect West Bengal and the northeastern parts of India during the pre-monsoon season. The nor'westers cause loss of human lives and damage to properties worth millions of dollars annually. Since the neighboring South Asian countries are also affected by thunderstorms, the STORM program is expanded to cover the South Asian countries under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). It covers all the SAARC countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) in three phases. Some of the science plans (monitoring the life cycle of nor'westers/severe thunderstorms and their three-dimensional structure) designed to understand the interrelationship among dynamics, cloud microphysics, and electrical properties in the thunderstorm environment are new to severe weather research. This paper describes the general setting of the field experiment and discusses preliminary results based on the pilot field data. Typical lengths and the intensity of squall lines, the speed of movements, and cloud-top temperatures and their heights are discussed based on the pilot field data. The SAARC STORM program will complement the Severe Weather Forecast Demonstration Project (SWFDP) of the WMO. It should also generate large-scale interest for fueling research among the scientific community and broaden the perspectives of operational meteorologists and researchers.

To explore South Asians' experience of choosing and prioritising lifestyle changes during their recovery from first myocardial infarction. Coronary heart disease continues to be a leading cause of premature death globally. South Asians' suffer increased risk of coronary heart disease and have poorer outcomes following myocardial infarction compared to other ethnic groups. Lifestyle modification slows atherosclerosis, and models of behaviour change have been proposed to support such changes. However, little is known about the experiences of South Asians' when attempting to modify their lifestyle. Constructivist grounded theory design, using longitudinal, face-to-face, semistructured in-depth interviews. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research checklist were used to report the study. A series of in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of South Asian patients were conducted at 3 and 16weeks following hospital discharge. Transcripts were analysed line by line with focused and theoretical coding using the constant comparative method and memo writing. Data collection and analysis occurred simultaneously. Three categories characterised the findings. First, patronage of the family, referring to the role that family played in supporting recovery. Conflict often existed between the needs of the family and the individual with the family needs taking priority resulting in lifestyle modifications being abandoned. Second, conforming to beliefs, which explain how religious and health beliefs influenced decisions. Third, affinity towards one's group which refers to the conflictual nature afforded by social norms. The need for "harmony" was identified as the substantive theory. Decisions about choosing and prioritising lifestyle changes were based on what helped participants to maintain harmony in their life rather than meeting individual health needs. South Asians' choose and prioritise lifestyle changes after first myocardial infarction against a backdrop of competing religious, cultural and family beliefs. This paper illustrates that South Asians attempt to balance their individual needs with their family goals, cultural priorities and their religious beliefs when attempting to adopt a healthy lifestyle post myocardial infarction. We propose a model of shared priority setting as a means of promoting behaviour change with South Asians.

South and South-East Asian countries report a great liability for the world's road traffic injuries (RTIs) and deaths. A vast number of research studies tested various interventions including specific protective devices to prevent accidents, but no review papers have been conducted to find out the prevalence of RTIs in South-East and South Asian countries. This review paper was an attempt to find out the prevalence of RTIs and their associated factors in South-East and South Asian countries. Following the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), we searched the articles in the electronic databases of PubMed/Medline, Scopus, CINAHL, ProQuest, and Web of Science. Articles were selected if they reported the prevalence of RTI, or road traffic accident (RTA) deaths. In addition, a data quality assessment was done. Out of the 10,818 article hits from the literature search, ten articles found the eligibility and inclusion criteria. Most of the studies reported that males are involved in the RTIs more than females. The male mortality rate is more than the female mortality in RTI mortality. Young adult males are the major victims when compared with the different age groups of male victims. Two-wheelers are the major contributors to the accident rate. Religious or national festivals are not free from accident-prone times. Climatic seasons and nighttime have a major influence on the RTIs. RTIs are increasing due to the sudden and huge increase in the number of motor vehicles and the development of cities and towns. Accidents are non-predictable but controllable disasters in society. Overspeeding, bad conditions on road, the vulnerability of the vehicles, and careless driving are the major reported reasons for RTIs. Making and implementing strict laws can help us to control RTAs. The major effect on the reduction of RTI can be assured only with the presence of responsible people. That can be achieved only by creating awareness in society about traffic rules and responsibilities.

From South Asia to the world: embracing the challenge of global sustainable nitrogen management

Objective: Religious organizations may influence health behaviors by exerting social influence and reinforcing cultural beliefs. We tested the hypothesis that social influence, constituted by affiliating with or attending religious organizations, was associated with exercise and weight in South Asians. Methods: Multilevel, cross-sectional data were collected from participants in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study. Participants (n=700) were surveyed about their affiliation/membership in religious organizations (e.g., churches, temples, mosques) where South Asians participate using a comprehensive roster. MASALA participants who reported affiliating with or attending the same religious organization were classified as co-attendees. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from measured height and weight, and physical activity (PA) was assessed using a validated questionnaire. The dependent variables were BMI categories (normal and overweight/obese), and meeting the minimum recommended amount of exercise (≥500 metabolic-minutes/week of moderate-vigorous PA). The main independent variable was affiliation exposure, a measure of the level of exposure to overweight/obesity and PA level among co-attendees at religious organizations, which is an indicator of social influence. Exponential random graph models were conducted to examine associations between exposure to co-attendees’ overweight/obesity and PA and individuals’ overweight/obesity and PA. Models controlled for individual-level sociodemographic, cultural, and network characteristics. Results: Participants (average age 59 years, SD=9 and 43% female) affiliated with 163 unique religious organizations, and the median number of affiliations was 3 (IQR 2-7). Participants were significantly more likely to be overweight/obese (aOR=2.3, 95% CI=1.1, 4.8) as they were increasingly exposed to other overweight/obese participants through co-affiliation in religious organizations. Individual-level network characteristics (e.g., number of overweight/obese friends/family) were not associated with overweight/obesity. Co-affiliation in religious organizations was not associated with PA; however participants with less traditional South Asian cultural beliefs were more likely to exercise at least 500 met-min/week (aOR=2.5, 95% CI= 1.4, 4.7) than those who held more traditional cultural beliefs. Conclusion: South Asians who were exposed to other overweight/obese South Asians through co-affiliation in religious organizations were more likely to be overweight/obese. These results provide evidence of multilevel social and cultural influences on health. Lifestyle interventions that address social and cultural drivers of behaviors and are implemented in partnership with religious organizations could be effective at reducing CVD risk in South Asians.

s PLoS Medicine, Daniel Reidpath and Kit Yee Chan challenge the widely cited link between HIV-related stigma and the spread of the epidemic [1].This is an important question, given the heavy emphasis on stigma in policies of the World Health Organization, the Joint United Programme on HIV/AIDS, and other public health institutions, but in making their argument Reidpath and Chan misrepresent the connections that other authors have made between stigma and viral transmission, ignore evidence that does suggest an association, and propose a model of their own for which they offer no evidence.HIV infection establishes itself fi rst in certain high-risk groups-men who have sex with men, intravenous drug users, sex workers, mobile populations-and only later moves into the general population.In the early stages of the epidemic, stigma facilitates transmission within high-risk groups, because these already marginalized groups receive little attention from policy makers and the health-care community and are further discriminated against when they are identifi ed with HIV and AIDS [2].Stigma also prevents or makes it more diffi cult for members of high-risk groups to access preventive services, including HIV antibody testing [3].Reidpath and Chan distort this dynamic by describing a model in which stigma leads to fear which leads to unsafe behavior.We know of no one who suggests that stigma causes sex between men or intravenous drug use.Instead, there is evidence that HIV-related stigma makes it diffi cult for people to take actions to reduce their risks; for example, by accessing HIV education [4], exchanging needles [5], and negotiating condom use [6].Stigma may even lead women who know they are HIV positive to breast-feed their infants rather than arouse suspicion of their serostatus through formula feeding [7].This undoubtedly increases the risk of vertical viral transmission.Reidpath and Chan go on to propose that stigma may actually "slow the spread of infection from those [highrisk] groups to the general population."Although there is a plausible logic to this suggestion, there is no evidence for it.Even if stigma does reduce the opportunities that marginalized groups have to transmit HIV to the broader population, this would have little effect on the dynamics of a generalized epidemic.While they recognize that stigma presents a barrier to the treatment and care of people living with HIV, Reidpath and Chan fail to recognize the association this may have with increased transmission.HIV-related stigma discourages people from disclosing their status, entering care, and adhering to antiretroviral regimens, all of which represent missed opportunities for prevention.Around the world HIV capitalizes on and reinforces social stigma and discrimination, especially the low status of women.Defeating the epidemic requires an honest examination of all these phenomena and interventions that target both the virus itself and its widespread social impacts.

This article conducts an in-depth study on the artistic expression and integration of traditional culture in traditional Chinese medicine art, proposing strategies for innovative paths and practical exploration. Regarding the resonance and innovation in traditional culture, the article emphasizes the urgency of innovation in traditional Chinese medicine art through the exploration of its traditional cultural roots. It also discusses the balance between traditional culture and modern aesthetics. In the diversified exploration of artistic expression, the article pays attention to the inheritance of artistic conception of Chinese painting attempts to integrate contemporary art forms, and explores the application of multimedia technology in traditional Chinese medicine art. Furthermore, the article delves into the reconstruction of cultural symbols and their global dissemination, including the exploration of the connotations of symbols in traditional Chinese medicine culture, innovative methods for symbol reconstruction, and strategies for the international dissemination of traditional Chinese medicine art. Finally, through practical exploration and prospects, the article proposes specific development directions, such as exhibitions and promotion of traditional Chinese medicine art, innovative practices in traditional Chinese medicine art education, and the deep integration of technology with traditional Chinese medicine art. The aim of this article is to provide beneficial insights for the sustainable development of traditional Chinese medicine art, promoting the display of its unique charm on the international stage.

There is an abounding plurality and diversity of cultures and religions in the contemporary world. Globalisation has created a widespread awareness of this fact. Founders of African Independent Churches (AICs) realised this fact and embraced the cultural and religious appreciation of their followers for the establishment and survival of their church organisations. This suggests that interreligious and cultural harmony can be achieved by developing an understanding of other cultural and religious traditions while appreciating the values inherent within them. We advance the religious diversity of AICs in accommodating their members’ cultural beliefs. Focus was on the Guta Ra Jehova (GRJ) Church as we explored its theological deportment with respect to appeasing avenging spirits as a religious and cultural belief among the Shona. Through unstructured interviews and participant observation, we gathered data sufficient to demonstrate that some AICs such as the GRJ Church practise acculturation by accommodating and blending African cultural and religious beliefs with Christian principles. Our findings demonstrated that some AICs did not move much away from their followers’ cultural beliefs with respect to the way they relate with the dead. In this regard, the GRJ Church developed ways of dealing with social problems associated with avenging spirits in ways which its members culturally understand.

Background Menopausal symptoms can have a significant impact on a woman's quality of life. Information on availability of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) in National Essential Medicines Lists (NEMLs) of South Asian (SA) countries has not been widely studied. Objective To review the availability of non-injectable MHT included in NEMLs of SA countries and to assess differences in availability compared to the recommended MHT preparations in the World Health Organization (WHO) model essential medicines list and the list of MHT available to women of a developed country in the Asia Pacific Region, while comparing with the healthcare expenditure and country's economic status. Methods Most recent NEMLs were obtained from all eight SA counties by visiting the Ministry of health/regulatory website of the respective country. Latest WHO model essential medicines list and Pharmaceuticals Benefits Scheme (PBS) schedule from Australia were obtained from the WHO and PBS websites respectively. Per capita health expenditure was obtained from The WHO Global Health Expenditure Database. Two investigators extracted the non-injectable MHT preparations independently from NEMLs and conducted the comparison. Results Except in two countries, in all other SA coun­tries NEMLs were updated within the preceding five years. According to available data, seven SA countries had at least one separate preparation of oestrogen suitable for MHT while all countries had a separate progesterone preparation suitable for MHT. The oestrogen preparations available in the SA NEMLs were limited to either ethinyl estradiol or conjugated oestrogen tablets whilst in the WHO model, oestrogen preparations were not specified. In Australia, estradiol tablets were the only available oral oestrogen while there were four more different dosage forms of oestrogens available through the PBS Scheme. Progesterone preparations found in SA countries, WHO list and PBS schedule were similar, but oestrogen progesterone combination MHT preparations were only available in the PBS schedule. Per capita health expenditure was much higher in Australia compared to SA countries where a wide variation was observed. Conclusions The available evidence suggests that a larger population of SA women have access only to a very limited number of options if in need of MHT. In contrast, importance of MHT is highlighted in PBS Schedule. Although per capita health expenditure was low in SA countries, given that MHT products are relatively low cost and that there is a large proportion of women in menopausal age in this region, it would be imperative to update the WHO model list and NEMLs of SA countries to address the growing need of safe MHT and to improve the quality of life of postlnenopausal women in our region.

South Asians have high rates of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) at younger ages compared with individuals from other countries but the reasons for this are unclear. To evaluate the association of risk factors for AMI in native South Asians, especially at younger ages, compared with individuals from other countries. Standardized case-control study of 1732 cases with first AMI and 2204 controls matched by age and sex from 15 medical centers in 5 South Asian countries and 10,728 cases and 12,431 controls from other countries. Individuals were recruited to the study between February 1999 and March 2003. Association of risk factors for AMI. The mean (SD) age for first AMI was lower in South Asian countries (53.0 [11.4] years) than in other countries (58.8 [12.2] years; P<.001). Protective factors were lower in South Asian controls than in controls from other countries (moderate- or high-intensity exercise, 6.1% vs 21.6%; daily intake of fruits and vegetables, 26.5% vs 45.2%; alcohol consumption > or =once/wk, 10.7% vs 26.9%). However, some harmful factors were more common in native South Asians than in individuals from other countries (elevated apolipoprotein B(100) /apolipoprotein A-I ratio, 43.8% vs 31.8%; history of diabetes, 9.5% vs 7.2%). Similar relative associations were found in South Asians compared with individuals from other countries for the risk factors of current and former smoking, apolipoprotein B100/apolipoprotein A-I ratio for the top vs lowest tertile, waist-to-hip ratio for the top vs lowest tertile, history of hypertension, history of diabetes, psychosocial factors such as depression and stress at work or home, regular moderate- or high-intensity exercise, and daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Alcohol consumption was not found to be a risk factor for AMI in South Asians. The combined odds ratio for all 9 risk factors was similar in South Asians (123.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 38.7-400.2] and in individuals from other countries (125.7; 95% CI, 88.5-178.4). The similarities in the odds ratios for the risk factors explained a high and similar degree of population attributable risk in both groups (85.8% [95% CI, 78.0%-93.7%] vs 88.2% [95% CI, 86.3%-89.9%], respectively). When stratified by age, South Asians had more risk factors at ages younger than 60 years. After adjusting for all 9 risk factors, the predictive probability of classifying an AMI case as being younger than 40 years was similar in individuals from South Asian countries and those from other countries. The earlier age of AMI in South Asians can be largely explained by higher risk factor levels at younger ages.

Cultural factors influencing self-care by persons with cardiovascular disease: An integrative review

The main objective of the study is to examine whether the Bala Vihars (BVs) of Chinmaya Mission promote spiritual well-being among Hindu children in different cultural contexts. Deploying a comparative survey design, 1194 BV participants aged 11–15 years, across 13 South Asian, African and Southeast Asian cities comprised the sample and an equal number comprised the comparison group. Email questionnaire was used comprising scales to assess spiritual well-being, operationalised through attitudes to Hinduism, hope, happiness, strengths and self-concept. Results of scale scores, ANOVA and logistic regression showed that BV participants scored better on all parameters and their scores, in turn, were contingent on attendance regularity, self-practice, and the consolidated learning of Hindu culture tenets, life skills and moral values. The BV programme significantly promotes child spiritual well-being, corroborating the extant literature on religiosity, spirituality and children’s spiritual well-being. The programme works best for children who attend regularly, undertake self-practice and claim to get a consolidated package of tenets of Hindu culture, life skills and moral values. This has implications for practitioners in designing consolidated forms of religious programmes for children’s spiritual well-being, giving a simultaneous emphasis on regularity of engagement and self-practice.

India’s “Neighborhood First Policy” (NFP), one of the key components of its South Asian Foreign Policy (SAFP), focuses on strengthening ties with neighboring South Asian countries. Trade between India and Sri Lanka grew particularly rapidly after the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement came into effect in March 2000. Strategic opportunities are often fleeting, and the same applies to India’s efforts to forge a strategic partnership with Sri Lanka.