East Asian Region Research Articles

Current status and trends in thalassemia burden across South, East and Southeast Asia, 1990–2021 a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2021

ObjectiveThalassemia, an inherited hemoglobin synthesis disorder, imposes a significant health burden in Asian regions with high prevalence. Detailed patterns and trends of the disease across countries and territories within these regions remain underexplored. Our study focuses on the disease burden indices of thalassemia within the four GBD-defined Asian regions and the twenty-five included countries and territories. It provides insights into the gender-age distribution, temporal changes, and economic aspects of the thalassemia burden.MethodsData on thalassemia prevalence, incidence, mortality, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 study for South, East, Southeast, and high-income Asia regions, encompassing the relevant countries and territories from 1990 to 2021. The Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC) in age-standardized rates of thalassemia was determined to assess temporal trends. Age-gender cohort proportions were considered. The economic aspect of the disease burden and frontier analysis were evaluated using the GBD Socio-Demographic Index and Global Health Expenditure data.ResultsSoutheast Asia exhibited notably high age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR), age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR), and age-standardized DALYs rate among the four studied Asian regions in 2021. The East Asia region had recorded the highest age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR). A general decline in disease burden indices across the four regions from 1990 to 2021 was evident, with the exception of ASIR in Southeast Asia. The ASMR was highest among pediatric population under five years old, with a significant male preponderance. An unusual increase in ASMR was detected among females of childbearing age and the elderly within the studied region. Further analysis had identified six high-burden countries and territories, particularly those with low-middle Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) rankings and limited health expenditure.ConclusionAlthough the overall burden of thalassemia has decreased substantially, the disease burden was influenced by gender, age, geography, temporal trends, and economic factors in distinct manners. Based on the current SDI, many countries and regions still have greater improvement potential in the disease burden. There is a necessity for enhanced attention and resource allocation, particularly in low-middle and low SDI countries, with an emphasis on policies that promote early diagnosis and comprehensive care.

Effect of Adaptation to High Concentrations of Cadmium on Soil Phytoremediation Potential of the Middle European Ecotype of a Cosmopolitan Cadmium Hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum L.

The Cd hyperaccumulator Solanum nigrum L. exhibits a cosmopolitan character and proven high and differentiated efficiency. This suggests the possibility of optimizing its Cd phytoremediation capacity and applicability through searching among remote ecotypes/genotypes. However, the extensive studies on this hyperaccumulator have been limited to Far East (Asian) regions. Pioneer pot experiments on the Middle European ecotype of S. nigrum within a concentration range of 0–50 mg kg−1 Cd in soil revealed its Cd phytoremediation capacity to be comparable to Asian ecotypes but with a fundamentally different Cd tolerance threshold. While biomass of the Asian ecotypes declined sharply at Csoil ≈ 10 mg kg−1 Cd, in the Middle European ecotype, a gradual mild biomass decrease occurred within the whole Csoil ≈ 0–50 mg kg−1 Cd range with no toxic symptoms. Its adapted A50 variety was obtained from the seeds of first-generation plants grown in soil with Csoil ≈ 50 mg kg−1 Cd. In this variety, Cd tolerance, accumulation performance, and all physiological parameters (chlorophyll, carotenoids, RuBisCO, and first- and second-line defense anti-oxidant activity) were significantly enhanced, while cell damage by ROS was considerably lesser. This makes the Middle European ecotype and its adapted variety A50 particularly useful to sustainable decontamination of heavily polluted “hot spots” in degraded post-industrial areas.

Illuminating the shadows: the role of private supplementary tutoring on student math performance in PISA 2022

Recent decades have witnessed a global expansion of private supplementary tutoring, known as shadow education—additional support in academic subjects that takes place outside of regular school hours. Using the data of 55 countries from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022, this study examines the association between students’ participation in shadow education and their academic achievement in mathematics and how these relationships change for developed, developing, and East Asian regions. This study also sheds light on the moderating effect that socio-economic status has on the relationship between engagement in shadow education and math performance. Multilevel regression analyses revealed that, at the between-school level, only one of the five forms of shadow education, namely the degree to which students received asynchronous video-recorded instruction, was associated with improved math performance. Similarly, at the within-school level, only the degree to which students received video-recorded instruction was statistically significantly associated with improved mathematical outcomes. Incidentally, we find that institutional-related school-level factors such as the overall quality of student–teacher relationships, provision of math-related extra-curricular activities, and support in terms of peer-to-peer tutoring appear to be associated with improved school math performance, while the quality of student–teacher relationships and level of math teacher support also feature positively for students within-schools. Regarding differential effects by region, at the between-school level, only the degree to which students received large-group study or practice was associated with math performance in East Asian countries. With regards to the moderating effect of SES on the positive relationship between asynchronous shadow education and math performance, we find the effects to be negative, suggesting that asynchronous engagement might be more beneficial for students from lower SES backgrounds. Finally, while the overall negative relationships between synchronous forms of shadow education and math performance appear counter-intuitive, we speculate that this may reflect the use of such tutoring for remedial purposes. We suggest that further research into these “remedial reverse effects” in post-COVID AI-bot-capable educational contexts may provide a more definitive understanding of the role that student engagement in shadow education has on their academic performance.

Unveiling autism spectrum disorder in South East Asia through a public health Lens

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifaceted developmental condition characterized by persistent challenges in social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviors. Though there is no cure, early and intensive interventions can significantly improve the quality of life for those affected. The aim of this paper is to examine the complexities of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from a public health perspective in South East Asian region, highlighting the global rise in prevalence and the compounded challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The rise in ASD prevalence from 4 to 5 cases per 10,000 children in the 1980s to 11.3 per 1,000 children in 2012 highlights the need for effective interventions. The pandemic exacerbated behavioral issues, anxiety, and screen time-related health problems, underscoring the importance of adjusting strategies for early identification and support. Diagnostic tools like the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) and the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) play a critical role in community-based screening. Effective prevention strategies include primary measures such as public awareness campaigns and genetic counseling, secondary measures focusing on early identification and intervention, and tertiary measures involving ongoing support and therapy. Addressing implementation challenges, particularly in low-income countries, requires enhanced public awareness, training of community health workers, and integration of ASD services into primary healthcare systems. Future research should aim to develop and evaluate scalable, culturally relevant interventions and explore the impact of environmental factors on ASD. Comprehensive strategies at the community level, combined with robust public health policies, are crucial for improving outcomes for individuals with ASD and their families.

Thin‐Plate Spline Interpolation Spatial Modelling of GNSS Retrieved Water Vapour Over Northeast Japan

ABSTRACTThe study investigated precipitable water vapour (PWV) variation over Northeast Japan by using more than two decades (2000 to 2022) of measurements. These data have been extracted from 36 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) networks and interpolated with thin‐plate spline interpolation to understand its spatial variation over the region. PWV annual and seasonal variation is studied and correlated with ERA5 reanalysis observations. These PWV variation shows that the northern part of Northeast Japan which is located at higher latitudes showed a smaller magnitude compared to PWV magnitude in the southern part of low latitudes. This is possible because the cold air is drier and the warm air holds more moisture in the lower southern part. The correlation coefficient variation based on geographical area is visible which quantifies the consistency between GNSS PWV and ERA5 and visualises the effects in sampling. The southern part, where the correlation coefficients are very high (more than 0.80), indicates good agreements between GNSS PWV and ERA5 values and can be considered well‐sampled observations. Moreover, the correlation coefficients drop the values to approximately 0.40–0.60 for poorly sampled observations on the northern coast, pointing out the interannual inconsistency of PWV measurements, which are loosely related to ERA5 observations. Finally, the correlation coefficient between PWV with surface temperature and atmospheric pressure over Northeast Japan is investigated. This is clear from the results that the correlation coefficient between PWV and temperature is around 0.98 for each site, indicating that PWV has a very high dependency on surface temperature. The correlation coefficient between PWV and pressure is highly negative around −0.80, indicating their inverse relationship. We believe the outcomes from this study will contribute to a better understanding of PWV over Japan and the future refinements of atmospheric models over the East Asian region.

Cooling induced the stagnation of vermicularisation in the subtropical region of East Asia during the Late Quaternary

The loess-like Quaternary Red Clay (QRC) documented the variations in regional and/or global climate during the Late Quaternary. However, the limited well-dated age of the loess-like QRC sections in the subtropical region of East Asia has previously hindered the establishment of a connection between the loess-like QRC records and global climate changes. In this study, we present ten optically stimulated luminescence ages, detrital zircon dating data, and analyses of particle size, K2O/Al2O3 molar ratio, chemical index of alteration values, and δ7Li values from 32 samples acquired from the loess-like QRC sections in the subtropical region of East Asia. The data analysis reveals that the period of vermicularisation stagnation in the region occurred approximately between 0.13 and 0.10 million years ago, and the stable source materials for the loess-like QRC section predominantly originated from the bedrock. Furthermore, the palaeoenvironmental proxies suggest that the stagnation of vermicularisation corresponds to a period characterised by dry and cold conditions with relatively weak silicate weathering and/or pedogenesis. A comprehensive analysis suggests that cooling during the Late Quaternary induced the stagnation of vermicularisation in the subtropical region of East Asia.

The Development of Overseas Corporate Culture of Chinese Bank in the Qing Dynasty: A Case Study of Heshengyuan

The Heshengyuan (合盛元) Bank is a paradigmatic example of the Shanxi merchants (晋商) during the Qing Dynasty. Established in the early 19th century, the bank actively expands its domestic operations and takes the initiative to extend its services eastward. It establishes branches and subsidiaries in Korea and Japan, engaging in financial transactions. During its overseas expansion, the firm develops an innovative corporate culture that includes the following elements: a proactive approach to business expansion and the exploration of international financial territories; an astute awareness of customer demands, with a business strategy oriented towards market needs; and a policy of prioritizing the employment of young executives and the hiring of expatriate personnel. These culturally open and progressive corporate values facilitate Heshengyuan’s significant commercial influence within the East Asian region and bequeath a legacy of corporate ethos that serves as a valuable reference for subsequent generations.

Projections of future tropical cyclone landfalling activity in the East Asia region

This study reveals the possible future changes in tropical cyclone (TC) landfalling activity along the East Asian coast under different climate change scenarios based on global circulation model (GCM) simulations. We first identify those GCMs that have the “best” performance in simulating the TC activity over the western North Pacific (WNP) during the current climate (1979–2014) by examining the simulated TCs in each of the GCMs and then compare these simulated TCs with the observed TC climatological features of annual frequency, track densities and genesis locations. Based on such comparisons, we have identified five (TaiESM1, EC-Earth3, ACCESS-CM2, ACCESS-ESM1-5 and HadGEM3-GC31-LL) models among all the available GCMs. A multi-model ensemble gives a further improvement when compared with observations.Future projections from some of these models are then used to identify the frequency of TC activity over the entire WNP as well as landfalling TCs in six East Asia coastal regions under two climate change scenarios (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) for two periods, 2041-70 and 2071-2100. A bias-correction method is also applied to the projected intensity of these landfalling TCs to estimate the landfall intensity.In general, these GCMs project a possible decrease in TC genesis frequency over the entire WNP, consistent with the results of most of the other studies. At mid-century, decreases in TC genesis frequency are projected to be around 10% for both scenarios. Towards the end of the century, the decreases will be more significant, with the percentage changes of 14.9% (SSP2-4.5) and 22.4% (SSP5-8.5). For landfalling TCs, the northern part of the East Asian coast will likely have an increase in frequency, ranging from 17 to 60% but a decrease of 14–27% in the southern part. In general, the average intensity of landfalling TCs will likely increase although the percentages are not large, ranging from 2 to 14%.

Genome-wide Association Studies of Diabetic Kidney Disease in East Asians With Type 2 Diabetes: Achievements and Future Perspectives.

Diabetic kidney disease is a devastating diabetic complication, affecting up to half of people suffering from diabetes. The global burden of diabetic kidney disease is steadily increasing worldwide along with the growing prevalence of type 2 diabetes. The epidemic rise of type 2 diabetes is primarily observed in Asia, including the East Asian regions. It is generally accepted that heredity is one of the main determinants in the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease. Since the advent of genome-wide association studies, numerous studies have been published to identify the genetic loci susceptible to diabetic kidney disease among diverse populations. Although genome-wide association studies exploring diabetic kidney disease susceptibility loci have focused primarily on populations of European descent, a number of novel genetic variants associated with diabetic kidney disease have also been successfully revealed among East Asians. A comprehensive analysis of the genetic architecture and pathophysiological pathways of diabetic kidney disease may allow the identification of new potential therapeutic targets. This review aimed to summarize genome-wide association studies examining genetic variants associated with diabetic kidney disease in the populations of East Asian ancestry with type 2 diabetes and presented our perspective on the future of this field.

Drying trend in land and sea in East Asia during the warm season over the past four decades

Abstract The East Asian region is typically characterized by warm and humid conditions from late spring to summer. However, in recent decades, this region has experienced an increase in severe drying conditions, deviating from historical climatological patterns. This study investigated the precipitation − evaporation (P − E) trends across land and sea regions in East Asia (EA) during the extended summer season (April–September) from 1980 to 2022, and the key physical processes driving these trends through moisture budget decomposition and numerical experiments. The results reveal pronounced drying trends in southeastern China and the Yellow Sea and parts of the Korea Strait and Korean Peninsula over the past 43 years. The underlying physical processes driving these drying conditions differ between land and sea in EA. In southeastern China, the drying is driven by dynamic processes, particularly moisture divergence related to wind changes. This is linked to anomalous strengthening of descending motion due to the Indo-Pacific warm pool warming induced by both anthropogenic global warming and natural Pacific Decadal Oscillation-like sea surface temperature (SST) patterns. Conversely, drying in the Yellow Sea and adjacent areas is influenced by thermodynamic moisture advection. The altered humidity distribution due to global warming-induced SST patterns, which are higher over the Northwest Pacific marginal sea and lower in inland China, drives dry air transport from inland China to the Yellow Sea via background southwesterly wind. These findings enhance our understanding of the drying trend and their distinct processes in EA’s land and sea areas during the extended summer.

National early warning systems for emerging AMR in high-income countries: a systematic review

Abstract Background An urgent need of implementing national surveillance systems for timely detection and reporting of emerging antimicrobial resistance (AMR) was recently advocated by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, public information on existing national early warning systems (EWSs) is often incomplete. Furthermore, when findings are available, understanding these systems is challenging due to different approaches used for data collection, reporting and definitions, with a comprehensive overview on this topic currently lacking. The aim of this study was to map existing EWSs for emerging AMR, focusing on high-income countries, and describe their main characteristics. Methods A systematic review was performed on bibliographic databases, and a targeted search was conducted on national websites. Any article, report or webpage describing national EWSs in high-income countries was eligible for inclusion. EWSs were identified considering the emerging AMR reporting WHO framework. Results We identified seven national EWSs in 72 high-income countries: two (Australia, Japan) in the East Asia and Pacific Region, three (France, Sweden, United Kingdom) in Europe and Central Asia, and two (United States, Canada) in North America. The systems were established quite recently; in most cases they covered both community and hospital settings, but their main characteristics varied widely across countries in terms of organization and microorganisms under surveillance, with also different definitions of emerging AMR and alert functioning. A formal system assessment was available only in Australia. Conclusions A broader implementation and investment of national surveillance systems that allow early detection of emerging AMR is still needed to establish EWSs in countries and regions lacking such capabilities. A more standardized data collection and reporting is also advisable to improve cooperation on a global scale. Key messages • This study provides a synthesis of publicly available information on national EWSs for emerging AMR in high-income countries, highlighting the urgent need for a broader implementation of such systems. • Main characteristics of EWSs have been outlined, varying widely across countries. Findings could help stakeholders in strengthening current standard national AMR surveillance systems.

A Satellite-Based Indicator for Diagnosing Particulate Nitrate Sensitivity to Precursor Emissions: Application to East Asia, Europe, and North America.

Particulate nitrate is a major component of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and a key target for improving air quality. Its formation is varyingly sensitive to emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx ≡ NO + NO2), ammonia (NH3), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Diagnosing the dominant sensitivity is critical for effective pollution control. Here, we show that satellite observations of the NO2 column and the NH3/NO2 column ratio can effectively diagnose the dominant sensitivity regimes in polluted regions of East Asia, Europe, and North America, in different seasons, though with reduced performance in the summer. We demarcate the different sensitivity regimes using the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model and apply the method to satellite observations from the OMI (NO2) and IASI (NH3) in 2017. We find that the dominant sensitivity regimes vary across regions and remain largely consistent across seasons. Sensitivity to NH3 emissions dominates in the northern North China Plain (NCP), the Yangtze River Delta, South Korea, most of Europe, Los Angeles, and the eastern United States. Sensitivity to NOx emissions dominates in central China, the Po Valley in Italy, the central United States, and the Central Valley in California. Sensitivity to VOCs emissions dominates only in the southern NCP in the winter. These results agree well with those of previous local studies. Our satellite-based indicator provides a simple tool for air quality managers to choose emission control strategies for decreasing PM2.5 nitrate pollution.

Developing and validating a self-assessment tool for assessing confidence of nurse-midwives against competency domains of the International Confederation of Midwives, in India.

While midwives are recognized as primary care-providers for maternal and new-born care in many parts of the world, India is transitioning to professional midwifery. The pathway to midwifery in India has been through integrated nursing and midwifery education. Since 2018, India has introduced an 18-month post nursing midwifery education programme. To establish a baseline for midwives' competence and measure progress, there is a need for a quick, easy-to-administer and low-cost tool that can be used at scale to guide programme efforts. This paper describes the process of validation and testing of a tool to assess the confidence of practicing nurse-midwives as a proxy indicator for competence against the seven competency domains of the International Confederation of Midwives (2013). A total of 2198 nurse-midwives, providing maternal and new-born services at the time of the study, from 442 public and private hospitals across six states in India, responded to a self-administered questionnaire. The tool is psychometrically sound and can potentially be used in low-middle-income countries to measure confidence of midwives and nurse-midwives against international competence standards. It is suitable for quick large-scale programmatic assessments within a short time period, providing evidence to inform midwifery strengthening initiatives. The tool can be contextualized to suit specific country contexts. Since it was tested in India, where a distinct cadre of midwives is not yet established and nurse-midwives provide maternity care, the tool can be easily adapted for use in other countries in the South East Asia Region with similar contexts.

Industrially induced warming triggered synchronous intensity changes in the East Asian summer and winter monsoons

Anomalies in the East Asian monsoon system significantly disrupt the densely populated East Asian region, underscoring the importance of understanding such changes and improving current predictive abilities. On the basis of instrumental records, previous studies have shown that the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) and summer monsoon (EASM) interact with each other. However, owing to the lack of long-term high-resolution EAWM records, it remains unclear how and whether human activity has affected the phase relationship between the EASM and EAWM since the Industrial Revolution. In this study, we present a precisely dated high-resolution EAWM record for the last 300 years from a crater lake in northeastern China. Our results indicate that the EAWM intensity was relatively weak and fluctuated significantly between 1700 and 1850 CE. After 1850 CE, the EAWM strengthened rapidly and exceeded its intensity observed at the end of the Little Ice Age. In addition, a comparison of our reconstructed EAWM record with the published EASM record clearly shows in-phase variations during the Current Warm Period. We concluded that the climatic effects of industrially induced warming enhance the EAWM by slowing the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation and increasing the meridional temperature gradient, while also strengthening the EASM by increasing hemispheric meridional gradients and affecting other large-scale processes. Under the sustained intensification of human activity, the EASM and EAWM are likely to continue exhibiting synchronous variations in the future.

The changing characteristics of torrential rainfall in the Huaihe River Basin from 1961 to 2020

Abstract The Huaihe River Basin (HRB) is one of the most severely affected regions by torrential rain disasters in China. However, with climate warming, it is unclear what new features torrential rain exhibits and how the main modes of torrential rain change in this region. This study analyzes the first two modes of torrential rain in the HRB from 1961 to 2020 and their driving factors. Results show that in the last 30 years, the frequency of torrential rain events in the HRB has clearly increased, especially in southern HRB region during the flood season. The first mode of torrential rain is an entire basin-wide mode, with a period of 2–3 years. The mode is primarily influenced by the low-level westerly jet stream and Jianghuai cyclones, which are closely linked to the stratospheric Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) through influencing planetary wave propagation and convective activity under different phases of QBO. The second mode is a north-south distribution mode, with a period of 4–6 years. The leading circulation system is the frontal systems. Both the East Asia/Pacific (EAP) teleconnection wave train and ENSO drive the second torrential rain mode. During El Niño years, anomalous subsidence and anticyclone in the western tropical Pacific, induced by sea surface temperature warming in the eastern tropical Pacific through the East Asia/Pacific teleconnection, can trigger the EAP wave train poleward in the East Asian region. This wave train leads to the cold-warm confrontation conducive to the second torrential rain mode.

LOMU Type Alkali Basalts in East Asia Sourced from Subduction Recycling of Multiple Ancient Crustal Components

Abstract The origin of alkali basalts with distinctive time-integrated low U/Pb (low μ, LOMU) from East Asia is controversial due to the complex geochemical and tectonic signatures reported from this region. We report new data on the petrology and geochemistry of the Higashi-Matsuura and Kita-Matsuura alkali basalts from Southwest Japan, which confirm the presence of a LOMU-type mantle component below the Japanese Islands, similar to East Asian intraplate volcanoes. We use whole rock geochemistry and mineral chemistry to determine mantle melting, magma evolution conditions and isotopic evolution of the LOMU mantle source. Petrological studies show that the Higashi-Matsuura alkali basalts (~3 Ma) were derived from a hydrous mantle source with ~880 μg/g H2O, at a pressure of 1.8 to 2.3 GPa at a mantle potential temperature of ~1300°C. Trace element modelling concludes that these basalts may have been generated through the hydrous upwelling and partial melting of the asthenospheric mantle containing ~15% dehydrated eclogitic component. Higashi-Matsuura alkali basalts show 206Pb/204Pb values of 17.72 to 18.04 which are among the lowest values from Southwest Japan. Relatively older (6–8 Ma) alkali basalts from the Kita-Matsuura area showing similar physicochemical characteristics, do not show LOMU-type isotopic trends. Trace element and Pb–Sr–Nd isotopic data indicate that the Higashi-Matsuura mantle component is similar to the extreme LOMU components reported from the Northeast China alkali basalts, as well as the recently discovered Petit Spot volcanoes on the Pacific Plate. We model the origin of the LOMU signature from the lowest reported Pb isotope ratios in East Asia, from intraplate alkali basalts in Northeast China. Our model suggests that at least two separate subduction events of marine sediments, at 1.8 and 2.2 Ga, are required to explain the observed Pb isotopic variation in the East Asian region. Other LOMU type basalts from East Asia, including Southwest Japan and Petit Spot, define a linear trend between the Xiaogulihe basalts and lithospheric mantle xenoliths, with 40% to 60% Pb in Higashi-Matsuura basalts being derived from the lithospheric mantle during upwelling. This suggests that the LOMU array in East Asia may have been formed by mixing between multiple ancient, subducted sediment components accumulated at the mantle transition zone for about 2 billion years, and its recent upwelling due to dehydration of the stagnant Pacific slab and related melting of the metasomatised asthenospheric mantle.

A hybrid deep learning-based short-term forecast model for ionospheric foF2 in East Asia region

The short-term forecast of the critical frequency of the ionospheric F2 layer (foF2) is particularly challenging due to its nonlinear and non-stationary characteristics. To improve the short-term forecast accuracy of foF2, we propose a short-term hybrid deep learning model that integrates the improved complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (ICEEMDAN) and long short-term memory (LSTM) algorithms. The proposed model leverages the ICEEMDAN decomposition algorithm to expand foF2 time series data into multi-dimensional space and utilizes the LSTM algorithm to preserve long-term data information, capturing detailed changes in foF2 parameters and obtaining internal information about foF2. The 2014 and 2017 foF2 data from four observation stations located in Mohe, Beijing, Jeju, and Kokubunji in the mid-latitudes of East Asia were utilized for modeling and 1-hour forecast analysis. The forecast values of the proposed model align closely with the measured data, exhibiting minimal fluctuation in forecast error and effectively tracking the changing trend of foF2. The average root mean square error (RMSE) across the four stations in 2014 is 0.40 MHz, with a relative RMSE (RRMSE) of 7.11 % and a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.98. The average RMSE in 2017 is 0.43 MHz, RRMSE is 7.68 %, and R2 is 0.92. The proposed model reveals significant improvements in the forecast accuracy of the comparison model compared with the CCIR, URSI, NN, and LSTM models. Especially compared with the CCIR and URSI models in the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI), demonstrating superior real-time tracking capability for foF2 and effectively addressing the challenge of poor short-term forecast accuracy observed in the IRI model.

Association between cigarette smoking and nasopharyngeal cancer risk: a meta-analysis.

Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is a relatively rare yet aggressive malignancy, primarily affecting regions of East and Southeast Asia. This study aims at providing an up-to-date quantification of the association between cigarette smoking and NPC risk, overall and by histological subsites. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies on the association between cigarette smoking and NPC risk published up to May 2023. The methodology used is original and efficient and includes both a comprehensive umbrella review and a traditional review. We estimated pooled relative risks (RR) of NPC according to smoking status, intensity, duration, and time since quitting. Among 46 eligible articles, 40 original studies were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with never smokers, the pooled RR of NPC was 1.61 for current, 1.28 for former, and 1.62 for ever smokers. The RR for ever compared with never smokers was 2.37 for squamous cell NPC and 1.06 for undifferentiated NPC. NPC risk significantly increased linearly with smoking intensity and duration, and decreased linearly with increasing time since quitting. This meta-analysis confirms the link between tobacco smoking and NPC, highlighting the significant risk posed even by moderate cigarette consumption. Additionally, our findings underscore the differential risk between squamous cell and undifferentiated subtypes of NPC, shedding light on the distinct implications for NPC prevention strategies.

Optimization of snow-related processes in Noah-MP land surface model over the mid-latitudes of Asian region

Snow plays a critical role in modulating surface energy, water cycles, and climate prediction. Optimizing snow-related parameterizations can enhance the model behaviors in simulating snow-related physical processes and reduce the cold bias observed in winter climate simulations in the Northern Hemisphere. In this study, the topographic complexity and wind speed were incorporated into the parameterization of the snow cover fraction (SCF) and newly fallen snow density (SFD) respectively within the Noah with multi-parameterization (Noah-MP) LSM to optimize the simulation of snow-related processes in the mid-latitude regions of East Asia. A control simulation and three sensitivity experiments were conducted to investigate and quantify the effects of topographic complexity and wind speed on the simulation of snow-related processes and land surface temperature (LST) against MODIS products. The results showed that modifications to the two schemes effectively mitigated the overestimation of snow cover and albedo, and alleviated cold biases in the most of study area. The influence of SFD scheme considering wind speed was more pronounced in regions with more snowfall and higher wind speed, while the SCF scheme considering topographic complexity showed a more widespread effect. The combination of these two modified schemes yielded the best performance. The mean biases of SCF, albedo, and LST over the entire study region with both modified schemes were reduced by 0.126 (∼63 %), 0.044 (∼41 %), and 0.584 °C (∼18 %), respectively. Their RMSEs were reduced by 0.119 (∼36 %), 0.036 (∼22 %), and 0.489 °C (∼10 %), respectively. This study highlights the importance of wind conditions and topographic complexity in the simulations of snow-related characteristics over the mid-latitudes of Asian region.

Traces of Bronze Age globalization in East Asia: Insights from a revised phylogeography of the Y-chromosome haplogroup Q1a1a-M120.

In this study, we aim to explore the genetic imprint of Bronze Age globalization in East Asia from a phylogeographic perspective by examining the Y-chromosome haplogroup Q1a1a-M120, and to identify key demographic processes involved in the formation of early China and the ancient Huaxia people. Over the past few decades, we have collected the sequences of 347 Y chromosomes from the haplogroup Q1a1a-M120. These sequences were utilized to analyze and reconstruct a highly revised phylogenetic tree with age estimates. And we analyzed the geographical distribution and spatial autocorrelation of nine major sub-branches of Q1a1a-M120. Finally, we observed the expansion of Q1a1a-M120 from the beginning of the Bronze Age in East Asia, along with the continuous dissemination of its sub-lineages among East Asian populations. We suggest that certain sub-lineages played a significant role in the formation of states and early civilizations in China, as well as in the development of the ancient Huaxia people, who are the direct ancestors of the Han population. Overall, we propose that haplogroup Q-M120 played a role in the introduction of Bronze Age culture to the central region of East Asia. Therefore, it is haplogroup Q-M120, rather than the Western Eurasian paternal lineage, that expanded and contributed to the gene pool of the East Asian population. In summary, the globalization of the Bronze Age led to large-scale population replacement and admixture across various regions of Eurasia; our findings highlight the unique demographic processes that occurred in East Asia during this period.