South-East Countries Research Articles

Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) – Economic corridor: an opportunity for regional connectivity and development cooperation in south and Southeast Asia

China is the largest country in terms of the purchasing power parity (PPP); and the country has started to invest hugely in the developing countries of the Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa, Central Asia and the Middle-East. It wants to be connected with Europe, Africa and Middle East through its economic corridors such as BCIM, BRI, MSR and OBOR. It can be mentioned here that most of the South and Southeast countries are poor and need huge investment in the infrastructural projects. Therefore, the concept of BCIM is a win-win geostrategic and economic policy for South, Southeast and China. On the other hand, India is largest country in terms of the size of population; and its economy is also rising rapidly. And this country also needs huge investment and development cooperation from the different countries including China. Besides, Bangladesh is a lower middle-income country; it also wants to grow rapidly in terms of economic growth, transfer of technology and infrastructural developments. On other hand, Myanmar is a developing country in Southeast Asia which requires vast developments, transfer of technology, foreign investments in the coastal regions and regional connectivity for economic growth and development. Therefore, carrying out study on BCIM economic corridor is extremely important in the region. It’s a qualitative study in the context of mythology. This study has found that implementation of BCIM economic corridor is very important for South and Southeast Asia including Bangladesh for regional connectivity, trade and investment and development cooperation.

Optimisation of global stem cell donor recruitment based on analysis of unsuccessful donor searches.

Despite over 41 million registered potential volunteer stem cell donors worldwide, many patients in need of a transplant do not find an HLA-matched unrelated donor or cord blood units, with the respective odds differing significantly between various populations. In this study, we analysed data of 2205 unsuccessful real-life donor searches sent to the DKMS Registry to identify populations in which further donor recruitment would be associated with particularly large patient benefits. For that purpose, we estimated haplotype frequencies of 67 donor populations at various sample sizes and entered them into two different mathematical models. These models assessed patient benefits from population-specific donor recruitment, operationalised by the number of originally unsuccessful searches that may become successful due to new donors. Consistently, across the different mathematical models and sample sizes, we obtained several countries from East and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, China, and the Philippines) and the population of Asians in the USA as countries/populations where donor recruitment activities would be particularly beneficial for patients. We also identified various countries in Southeast and Central Europe as possible target regions for donor recruitment with above-average patient benefits. The results presented are registry-specific in the sense that they were obtained by optimising unsuccessful searches that had been sent to the DKMS Registry. Therefore, it would be desirable to apply the presented methods to a global data set that includes all unsuccessful stem cell donor searches worldwide and uses population-specific haplotype frequencies based on all donors available in the WMDA Search & Match Service.

A REVIEW ON BANGLADESH-CHINA-INDIA-MYANMAR ECONOMIC CORRIDOR IN THE CONTEXT OF BANGLADESH’S INTEREST

Carrying out study on BCIM economic corridor is extremely important; because, Bangladesh is surrounded by India, Myanmar and China, where Bangladesh needs to maintain friendly relations with these three neighboring countries. China is rising rapidly in terms of socio-economic and political development in the South, Southeast and Northeast Asian region. China has the highest foreign currency reserves through which many countries of South, Southeast and Northeast Asia might be economically benefitted. Besides, India is a big country with huge population which might be a potential development partner of South and Southeast Asian countries. On the other hand, Myanmar has huge reserves of gas, oil and other mineral resources from which Bangladesh can be greatly benefitted. This study has found that the BCIM economic corridor is very significant for Bangladesh’s regional connectivity, people to people contacts, cultural exchanges, soft–power diplomacy and economic interests. This study has a geostrategic and development cooperation implication for the South Asian region. This study is an important policy paper for Bangladesh’s geopolitical and economic interests.

Variation in adaptation and growth among Corymbia citriodora natural-stand and landrace seed sources in southern China

ABSTRACT Corymbia citriodora subsp. citriodora has a long history of cultivation as a multipurpose tree in China and many other countries in Southeast and South Asia. Despite this history and longstanding interest in the species, published studies examining genetic variation among and/or within provenances/seed sources are scarce. Recognising this and to initiate an improvement program for this species, a field trial was established in southern coastal China in 2015 with 171 open-pollinated single mother-tree family seedlots representing five natural-stand seed sources in Australia and six planted seed sources in China. Large significant variation was found among seed sources for pest and disease resistance, survival, growth and stem form up to age 81 months. Australian seed sources were generally superior to Chinese ones for most traits. Phenotypic correlations among traits, at both the individual tree and seed-source mean levels, were favourable, with the strongest individual tree correlations found between disease susceptibility at 10 months and various tree growth traits. Overall, the variation observed in this field trial indicates the potential gains in this species from seed-source selection and ongoing breeding.

Teachers’ Insight on Digital Competencies and Maturity among School Administrators in Sarawak, Malaysian Schools

Digital in education is always evolving at a quick pace and Malaysia experienced a slower rate of adaption among the some Southeast countries. the administrators at the schools possess inadequate digital competence. This article aims to investigate the competence of school administrators from the perspective of teachers, as well as to classify Malaysian schools' level of digital maturity. Moreover, digital maturity is a prerequisite for the success of digital transformation, yet research on digital maturity in Malaysian education is lacking. Six Malaysian teachers participated in a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) by utilising a qualitative method. This study identified school administrators' competence for digital leadership are vision and mission, digital culture, digital professional development, digitally go-forward, digital safety and digital resilience. The subthemes are problem-solving, communication, teamwork, creativity, critical thinking, ethical and cultural awareness, adaptability, self-direction, technical skills, lifelong learning, and information management. Malaysian schools' digital maturity, as measured by the Educational Process-Capability Digital Maturity (EPCMM), is at level 3, which is designated as "Management." In order to empower and improve school administrators' competences to fully integrate digital technology into daily administrative tasks while leading the digital cultural changes in their schools, it is helpful to know the level of digital maturity in Malaysian schools.

Public Awareness, and its Impacts on Climate Change

This research paper explores public awareness's important role in shaping effective responses to climate change. Focusing on the relationship between informed communities and environmental action, the paper investigates how heightened awareness directly influences climate change by inspiring sustainable practices and driving demand for shared work. Also, the research underscores the transformative power of public awareness, emphasizing its capacity to empower individuals as active participants in the collective endeavor toward a resilient and sustainable future. In essence, the research aims to highlight how public awareness contributes to climate action in Afghanistan, celebrating the local initiatives that contribute to a more sustainable future while recognizing the broader implications for the global environmental movement. The methodology extends to incorporating real-life narratives and experiences in Afghanistan and southeast countries, offering a rich tapestry of insights into how awareness manifests in everyday decisions amid unique climate challenges. Also, this research not only contributes to the localized understanding of climate action in Afghanistan but provides a broader perspective on the global implications of informed choices. To ensure the research's success, various sources were used. These included books, journals, and special reports (UNFCCC, UNESCO, COP27, COP28, IPCC, and Land Portal special reports on public awareness and education). Therefore, by utilizing surveys, interviews, and case studies, the research aims to provide a clear understanding of how public awareness translates into actions in the face of climate change.

Protection of the Right to Health Care During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Southeast Asia: A Retrospective and Prospective Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a public health crisis which affected all the fields including economic, social, humanitarian, and human rights fields. According to International human rights law and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the right to healthcare stands as a fundamental aspect of ensuring the right to life due to its inherent connection to human well-being. To measure the state of health care in a country, we should assess four criteria which are availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of healthcare services. Using doctrinal research and legal analysis, this paper aims to evaluate the status of the right to healthcare in Southeast Asia during the COVID-19. It is concluded that most Southeast countries effectively managed to control the spread of COVID-19. However, they grappled with challenges related to the availability, accessibility, quality, and acceptability of healthcare services. Therefore, this paper recommends that Southeast countries work to provide health care for all. As well as to take steps to achieve systemic reforms to improve the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of healthcare services. These improvements include Investment in healthcare infrastructure, equitable resource allocation, community engagement and health education, training and support for healthcare workers, and international collaboration among Southeast countries through (ASEAN) and collaboration with other countries and organizations. All these improvements are essential not only for future pandemic preparedness but also for ensuring the fundamental right to health care for all as stated by International human rights law and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Extra-Regional Influence on the Development of Economic Integration in the ASEAN Region

This study discusses the extra-regional influence and scenarios for the development of regional integration of the countries of the Association of States Southeast Asia (ASEAN), in particular, the role of the future free trade agreement between the EAEU and Indonesia in maintaining the effect of convergence in Southeast Asia (Southeast Asia) in the horizon of 2025.Aim. To Determine the main trends in the development of extra-regional influence and forecasts for regional economic convergence in ASEAN countries by 2025.Tasks. Determine the trends and perspective scenarios for the development of the integration of the countries of Southeast Asia.Methods. Both the descriptive method and the system analysis method are used. Also, this study uses the approaches of the Eurasian Development Bank to assess the disproportion in the level of development of the ASEAN countries (macroeconomic indicators; in the analysis of time series of GDP, GDP per capita for ASEAN countries, the Box-Jenkins methodology (ARIMA) is used. The key concept in this study is convergence. Convergence is seen as the process of approaching a certain level or decreasing the difference between two values over time [7]; real convergence contributes to the convergence of the economic level of countries within an integrated group (differences in the economic levels of development of countries hinder the process of integration). The effect of real economic convergence for ASEAN countries in the future 2025 can take on different meanings depending on the implementation of the initiatives proposed by non-regional actors (for example, Indo-Pacific Economic Structure and FTA between the EAEU and Indonesia).Results. The results of the study present four probability-ranked scenarios for the development of regional economic convergence in the ASEAN countries. It has been established that the most likely scenario is one in which the initiative of the EAEU and the Republic of Indonesia will take place, while the Indo-Pacific Economic Structure proposed by the United States will not be implemented by 2025. In this case, regional economic convergence in the ASEAN countries may take on the most favorable meaning.Conclusions. Along with the global trend, the expansion of economic integration through the creation of free trade zones with other integration associations, the development of economic integration in the region is influenced by the rivalry between the People’s Republic of China and the United States of America. Looking forward to the mid-second half of the 2020s. years as a result, the adoption of a free trade agreement between the EAEU countries and the Republic of Indonesia will have a positive impact on the increase in the pace of regional economic convergence in Southeast Asia.

US Deterrence against Russia and China (based on strategic documents of J. Biden administration)

The contemporary world order is rapidly changing, which is manifested, inter alia, in the growing erosion of the US global military superiority. This trend is acknowledged in the US military-strategic and policy planning documents. In this context the strengthening of the military potential of both the Russian Federation and the PRC, coupled by the expansion of political and economic cooperation between them, is a matter of particular concern for the US ruling elites. At the same time, recognizing a problem does not mean assessing it correctly. A closer examination of key strategic documents published in recent years shows that if from a political and military point of view, the US strategists come up with a generally rational list of measures aimed at countering the challenge, posed by Russia and China, from an ideological point of view they doggedly follow liberal-hegemonic premises that are increasingly inconsistent with current international political realities. The author notes that the policy of D. Trump and J. Biden administrations towards China is characterized by a high degree of continuity. The main role in containing the PRC should be played by a system of military-political alliances with the countries of Southeast and South Asia located along the perimeter of its borders. In addition to the alliances inherited from the Cold War, the Biden administration is seeking to develop new ‘bloc structures’ in the Indo-Pacific region, in particular the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD). However, not all countries in the region, in particular India, support the anti-Chinese orientation of the US initiatives. Washington’s relations with Moscow deteriorated sharply after the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, but even before that, the United States faced serious challenges in maintaining strategic parity with the Russian Federation. This primarily concerns the quantitative, rather than qualitative side of the equation: according to the US military strategists, Russia has made significant progress in modernizing its strategic nuclear forces and developing fundamentally new types of nuclear delivery vehicles. At the same time, the Biden administration’s approaches to building relations with Moscow are no less ideological than in the case of the PRC, which makes the prospects for resuming Russian-American (and ideally trilateral Russian-American-Chinese) negotiations on strategic arms control extremely vague. The question arises to what extent this ideologized foreign policy of the Biden administration meets the new international realities and the strategic interests of the United States itself.

Momordica cochinchinensis Suppresses the Human Breast Cancer Cells Growth and Migration by Inhibiting Mevalonate Pathway

Background: Momordica cochinchinensis (MC) is shown with high antioxidation and is used as herbal medicine in South-East countries. Objectives: This study aims to determine the four parts (aril, fruit, leaf, and seed) of MC extract against human breast cancer cells with underlying mechanisms of actions. Materials and Methods: The effects of MC extract were examined by sulforhodamine B, colony formation, wound healing, real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and Western blotting method. Results: Four parts of MC extracts significantly increased MCF-7 cells death, interestingly, seed extract had the greatest activity with IC50 values of 412.3 ± 49.8 µg/mL for 24 h and 113.3 ± 6.4 µg/mL for 48 h. MC extracts potentiated the anticancer drug effect, doxorubicin, with lower IC50 values when compared with MC treatment alone. Moreover, MC extracts decreased colony formation and accompanied by inhibited cell migration. Furthermore, Seed extract inhibited migration by reducing matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) 2, MMP 9, and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) inhibition. The molecular analyses revealed that seed extract inhibited cell viability by decreasing cyclin D1 consistent with activating p21, cytochrome c, and caspase-3 protein levels along with reduction of mevalonate (MVA) pathway, Rac1, and RhoA levels, it appeared to inhibit growth and migration. Conclusion: Taken together, MC extract induces MCF-7 cell death and decreases cell migration relatively via attenuation of MVA pathway.

Modeling CO2 Emission in Residential Sector of Three Countries in Southeast of Asia by Applying Intelligent Techniques

Residential sector is one of the energy-consuming districts of countries that causes CO2 emission in large extent. In this regard, this sector must be considered in energy policy making related to the reduction of emission of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. In the present work, CO2 emission related to the residential sector of three countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam in Southeast Asia, are discussed and modeled by employing Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH) and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) neural networks as powerful intelligent methods. Prior to modeling, data related to the energy consumption of these countries are represented, discussed, and analyzed. Subsequently, to propose a model, electricity, natural gas, coal, and oil products consumptions are applied as inputs, and CO2 emission is considered as the model’s output. The obtained R2 values for the generated models based on MLP and GMDH are 0.9987 and 0.9985, respectively. Furthermore, values of the Average Absolute Relative Deviation (AARD) of the regressions using the mentioned techniques are around 4.56% and 5.53%, respectively. These values reveal significant exactness of the models proposed in this article; however, making use of MLP with the optimal architecture would lead to higher accuracy.

Mathematical model estimation of dengue fever transmission risk from Southeast and South Asia into Japan between 2016 and 2018.

Dengue fever is a viral infection transmitted to humans through the bite of a mosquito infected with the dengue virus. Dengue is one of the most common infectious diseases in the world, and its incidence is rapidly increasing. We estimated the risk of dengue importation from endemic countries to Japan and the transmission risk within Japan using data collected between 2016 and 2018. We conducted simulations that included the number of reported dengue infections and travelers per month in ten countries in Southeast and South Asia. The estimated importation risks for Japanese returnees and international travelers from each of the ten endemic countries was approximately 1.0 every month from 2016 to 2018. The autochthonous transmission risk in Japan from any target country was 1.0 from June to September yearly. The estimated number of Japanese dengue cases returning to Japan is approximately 25 times higher than that of imported cases reported in Japan. The risk of dengue importation into Japan can be sufficiently high. Attention should be paid to autochthonous transmission spread between June and September when mosquitoes are active in Japan. Estimates of seasonal risk variation from each dengue virus-endemic country can be used to inform preventive and control measures for dengue in Japan.

ІНТЕРГАЦІЯ УКРАЇНИ У СВІТОВИЙ РИНОК ПРАЦІ

The article examines the international labor market and presents the place of Ukraine in its system. The main reasons and the main factors that determine the strengthening of the territorial migration of the population are shown. The problems of migration processes caused by the economic crisis, unemployment, low living standards of the population and political instability are considered. The influence of socio-economic processes of labor market integration through the activation of the activities of transnational corporations, the development of offshoring and foreign trade, and the strengthening of labor migration is studied. Special attention is paid to the effects of these processes on the development of the national labor market. The results of the study can be used for further analysis of the peculiarities of Ukraine’s integration processes into the global labor market. A characteristic feature of the modern world economic system is the uneven distribution of labor and production capacity within national economies. Thus, in particular, in some countries or often entire regions with a high level of natural population growth, there is a low level of production, which leads to the formation of a stable unemployment rate (for example, countries in Africa, Southeast and Central Asia), and, conversely, a number of countries with low levels of natural population growth, such as most countries in Western Europe and North America, are characterized by a high level of production, which reveals the problem of labor shortages. This factor, as well as the differentiation that accompanies it, in the level of remuneration are fundamental in the formation of international migration flows of labor in the modern world economy.The emergence of the opening of the Ukrainian society will surely attract more involvement of Ukraine in the international economy by a lot of force. The transition to market economics creates real minds for the development of the labor market. One of the important features of the state is the rapid growth of migratory practices both within the country and abroad.The state of market activity is carried out in the minds of acute crisis phenomena in economic, sociological and political life. The market transpartnership of Ukraine's ecology is carried out extremely unsubstantiatedly, which will lead to the emergence of negative phenomena, deepening of the state of haos. The feeling of the country's population neglecting is caused by two factors that threaten the physical and economic security: the unprecedented rise of banditry and the impending mass unemployment.

In the crossfire: Multinational companies and consumer boycotts

Multinational firms face challenges as geopolitical tensions are rising when stakeholders may have divergent views on contentious issues. Sharply different attitudes toward the proposed extradition law by the Hong Kong SAR Government in 2019 and related issues were observed among some residents in mainland China and Hong Kong. While firms such as Cathay Pacific Airways expressed support of the government, it was perceived by some of its customers in mainland China that the firm was hostile to them due to the views expressed by some of its staff based in Hong Kong. In this paper, we estimate the impact of such perceived divergent staff political attitudes on consumer demand. Using a triple differences design that controls for changes in market demand and supply conditions, we find that passenger volumes from mainland China were adversely affected for Cathay Pacific, leading to a monthly decrease of approximately 20%, after contentious political views of some of its staff were widely reported in mainland China. However, the negative effects subside within a quarter. Further analysis reveals heterogeneity in consumer responses by regions, with passengers from South East Asia or countries having closer migration or trade ties with mainland China behaving similarly with those from mainland China.

A unique hub-and-spoke model to optimize patient management in lymphoma using novel CAR-T cell therapy in Southeast and South Asia.

Novel therapeutic options for cancer offer hope for patients and their families, particularly when the cancer has not responded to established treatment regimens. The CAR-T cell therapeutic approach has changed the treatment paradigm for relapsed or refractory lymphoma, extending the capacity of the patient's own T cells to detect and eliminate cancer cells through genetic modification of T-cell surface receptors. The process of establishing treatment centers and developing clinical expertize in this novel treatment strategy is complex. Time, resources, and a commitment to focusing health budgets on a new area are required. Currently, Singapore is the only country in southeast and south Asia with market authorization of the CAR-T product, tisagenlecleucel. Availability of CAR-T treatment across international borders provides patients in neighboring countries with choice in therapeutic options. This paper describes the unique hub-and-spoke cross-border collaboration developed between Singapore and its neighbors to provide access to CAR-T cell therapy for patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma. To date in 2022, four patients have been included in the CAR-T treatment cross-border collaboration. Their stay in Singapore has been at least 2months' duration, including the pre-treatment evaluation, apheresis, CAR-T cell infusion and post-treatment monitoring. Patient support from referring and treating physicians, critical to the success of the undertaking, is characterized by early communication, patient selection, multi-disciplinary care, post-treatment monitoring, and attention to detail. The patient journey and the development and implementation of this unique collaboration are discussed.

A unique hub-and-spoke model to optimize patient management in lymphoma using novel chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy in Southeast and South Asia.

Novel therapeutic options for cancer offer hope for patients and their families, particularly when the cancer has not responded to established treatment regimens. The chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapeutic approach has changed the treatment paradigm for relapsed or refractory lymphoma, extending the capacity of the patient's own T cells to detect and eliminate cancer cells through genetic modification of T-cell surface receptors. The process of establishing treatment centers and developing clinical expertize in this novel treatment strategy is complex. Time, resources, and a commitment to focusing health budgets on a new area are required. Currently, Singapore is the only country in southeast and south Asia with market authorization of the CAR-T product, tisagenlecleucel. Availability of CAR-T treatment across international borders provides patients in neighboring countries with choice in therapeutic options. This paper describes the unique hub-and-spoke cross-border collaboration developed between Singapore and its neighbors to provide access to CAR-T cell therapy for patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma. To date in 2022, four patients have been included in the CAR-T treatment cross-border collaboration. Their stay in Singapore has been about 2months' duration, including the pre-treatment evaluation, apheresis, CAR-T cell infusion and post-treatment monitoring. Patient support from referring and treating physicians, critical to the success of the undertaking, is characterized by early communication, patient selection, multi-disciplinary care, post-treatment monitoring, and attention to detail. The patient journey and the development and implementation of this unique collaboration are discussed.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Toward Coronavirus Disease (COVID- 19) in Southeast and South Asia: A Mixed Study Design Approach.

BackgroundCoronavirus has spread to almost every country since its emergence in Wuhan, China and countries have been adopted an array of measures to control the rapid spread of the epidemic. Here, we aimed to assess the person's knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) toward the COVID-19 epidemic in Southeast and South Asia applying the mixed study design (cross-sectional and systematic review).MethodsIn the cross-sectional study, 743 respondents' socio-demographic and KAP-related information was collected through an online population-based survey from the Malaysian population. In the systematic review, the database PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar search engine were searched and related published articles from South and Southeast Asia were included. Frequency distribution, Chi-square association test and binary logistic regression were fitted using cross-sectional data whereas random effect model and study bias were performed in meta-analysis. We used 95% confidence interval and P <0.05 as statistical significances.ResultsThe prevalence of good knowledge, positive attitude and frequent practice toward COVID-19 epidemic were 52.6%, 51.8% and 57.1%, respectively, obtained by cross-sectional data analysis. The KAP prevalence were ranged from 26.53% (Thailand) to 95.4% (Nepal); 59.3% (Turkey) to 92.5% (Pakistan); and 50.2 (Turkey) to 97% (Afghanistan), respectively, obtained by 18 studies included in the meta-analysis. The prevalence of KAP was higher [84% vs. 79%, Pheterogeneity <0.001; 83% vs. 80%, Pheterogeneity <0.001; 85% vs. 83%, Pheterogeneity <0.001] in South Asia compared to Southeast Asia, obtained by subgroup analysis. Some studies reported mean level instead of the proportion of the KAP where the score varied from 8.15–13.14; 2.33–33.0; and 1.97–31.03, respectively. Having more knowledge and attitude were encouraged more likely to practice toward COVID-19. Study suggests age, gender, education, place of residence and occupation as the most frequent significant risk factors of KAP toward COVID-19.ConclusionThe study sufficiently informs how other countries in Southeast and South Asia enriches their KAP behaviors during the pandemic which may help health professionals and policymakers to develop targeted interventions and effective practices.

“Golden triangle of separatism” - problems of the relevant cooperation of countries of the region

This article attempts to analyze the situation in North-East India (NER) and the entire region in the light of existing and potential interaction between countries of South, South East and East Asia for solving the serious problem of the local separatism and terrorism. The author states that even a superficial glance at the situation demonstrates a very contradictory approaches and actions of the different countries in this field. The relevance of the research implies the possibilities of practical application of the potential of cooperation between countries of this region (using examples of the positive interaction between India and some of its neighbors) to choose the best ways to solve the problem of separatism and terrorism.

Benefits and challenges of telepsychiatry services in SouthEast Asian nations during the COVID-19 era: An integrative review.

COVID-19's long-term consequences on people's mental health include social isolation, job insecurity, illness and sorrow, physical separation, and disrupted access to normal health and mental treatment. Until recently, telepsychiatry has become increasingly mainstream in the delivery of mental health services under COVID-19 and have grown significantly in Western nations. However, telepsychiatry is not generally provided in Asian countries, particularly that of SouthEast countries. In this study, the reviewer made an integrative review of the available literature, in examining the benefits and challenges of telepsychiatry services of SouthEast Asian countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. This review utilized electronic resources such as PubMED, Google Scholar, Taylor and Francis, SAGE, IEEE, Springer, ScienceDirect, Wiley, and ACM. The review covered publications published from December 1, 2019, to December 1, 2021, as well as articles published in English and translated into English. Two (2) articles were included in this review. All the papers studied are classified as having a level of evidence VI. Both publications were based on research done in the Philippines. The total sample size for all papers analyzed was 149 respondents. The telepsychiatry platforms or systems employed in investigations vary. There was no continuous usage of a single telepsychiatry platform. Each research employed a different telepsychiatry service or system, depending on the technology available in the nation where the study was done. Findings in this review show that the concept or notion of telepsychiatry services within SouthEast Asian countries is exceptionally novel and needs further research in the medical and allied health discipline. For countries that are part of the SouthEast Asia, the critical issue today is how to sustain progress and how to increase and maintain care standards, at the same time utilizing telepsychiatry services in this aspect.

Talaromyces marneffei Mp1p Antigen Detection may Play an Important Role in the Early Diagnosis of Talaromycosis in Patients with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.

Talaromycosis is a life-threatening fungal disease commonly seen in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is endemic in Southern China and Southeast countries. The diagnostic methods available for talaromycosis are relatively time-consuming and yield a high mortality. Therefore, early diagnosis of talaromycosis is extremely important. We aimed to determine a potential method for assisting in its early diagnosis. A total of 283 patients with AIDS admitted to our hospital were prospectively included in this cross-sectional study and divided into those with Talaromyces marneffei (TSM group, n = 93) and those without Talaromyces marneffei (non-TSM group, n = 190). The diagnostic accuracy of the Mp1p enzyme immunoassay (EIA), galactomannan (GM) assay, and blood culture performed within 3 days of hospitalisation were evaluated, using talaromycosis confirmed by culture and/or pathology as the gold standard. The positivity rates in the Mp1p EIA, GM assay, and blood culture were 72%, 64.5%, and 81.7%, respectively, in the TSM group. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the Mp1p EIA were 72.0% (67/93), 96.8% (184/190), 91.8% (67/73), and 87.6% (184/210), respectively. The Mp1p EIA showed a substantial agreement with the gold standard (kappa: 0.729) and superiority to the GM assay (kappa: 0.603); it also showed a superior diagnostic accuracy in the patients with CD4+ counts of < 50 cells/µL compared to those with CD4+ counts ranged from 50–100 cells/µL. The Mp1p EIA has the advantage of assisting in the early diagnosis of talaromycosis in patients with AIDS, especially those with low CD4+ counts.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11046-022-00618-9.