South Southeast Asia Research Articles

Seven Sycoryctine Fig Wasp Species (Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae) Associated with Dioecious Ficus hirta Inhabiting South China and Southeast Asia.

Simple SummaryThe non-pollinating fig wasps are essential components of fig wasp communities, negatively impacting mutualism. However, this group of fig wasps has received less taxonomic attention than pollinating fig wasps. This study presents seven new non-pollinating fig wasp species associated with Ficus hirta fig trees inhabiting South China and Southeast Asia. The presence of a long ovipositor sheath characterizes this group of fig wasps. An identification key is provided to distinguish between them, and the relationships with their host fig trees are discussed. The type specimens and examined materials are deposited in the South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.Even though non-pollinating fig wasps are essential components in tropical and subtropical habitats, yet they are poorly described in the Oriental communities. This study presented seven new sycoryctine fig wasp species associated with Ficus hirta fig trees inhabiting South China and Southeast Asia. These new sycoryctine species belong to the genera Philotrypesis, Sycoryctes, and Sycoscapter. They can be easily distinguished by their adaptive morphologies such as face sculpture, body-color, and ovipositors. An identification key is provided to differentiate between them, and the relationships with their host fig trees are also discussed. The holotypes and paratypes are both deposited in the South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.

Theoretical Thinking on India’s Cognition of Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor from the Perspective of Perception

The Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM) is a regional economic development and cooperation initiative of “the Belt and Road initiative” for South Asia and Southeast Asia. As one of the major countries crossing this economic corridor, India’s attitude towards this initiative has been passive for a long time, showing the phenomenon of “positive-negative-positive again”. This phenomenon has caused some uncertain factors for China to promote the construction of this economic corridor. Based on the analysis framework of “cognitive agreement”, “induced formula” and “historical analogy”, this paper makes a visual comparative analysis of the cognitive agreement of inter-country cooperation, so as to deeply grasp the evolution process and future prospect of India’s cognition, position and decision-making on this economic corridor.

Prediction of global marginal land resources for Pistacia chinensis Bunge by a machine learning method

Biofuel has attracted worldwide attention due to its potential to combat climate change and meet emission reduction targets. Pistacia chinensis Bunge (P. chinensis) is a prospective plant for producing biodiesel. Estimating the global potential marginal land resources for cultivating this species would be conducive to exploiting bioenergy yielded from it. In this study, we applied a machine learning method, boosted regression tree, to estimate the suitable marginal land for growing P. chinensis worldwide. The result indicated that most of the qualified marginal land is found in Southern Africa, the southern part of North America, the western part of South America, Southeast Asia, Southern Europe, and eastern and southwest coasts of Oceania, for a grand total of 1311.85 million hectares. Besides, we evaluated the relative importance of the environmental variables, revealing the major environmental factors that determine the suitability for growing P. chinensis, which include mean annual water vapor pressure, mean annual temperature, mean solar radiation, and annual cumulative precipitation. The potential global distribution of P. chinensis could provide a valuable basis to guide the formulation of P. chinensis-based biodiesel policies.

Infection of the Asian gray shrew Crocidura attenuata (Insectivora: Soricidae) with Sarcocystis attenuati n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae) in China

BackgroundData on the genus Sarcocystis in insectivores are limited. The Asian gray shrew Crocidura attenuata is one of the most common species of the insectivore family Soricidae in South Asia and Southeast Asia. To our knowledge, species of Sarcocystis have never been recorded previously in this host.MethodsTissues were obtained from 42 Asian gray shrews caught in 2017 and 2018 in China. Sarcocysts were observed using light microscopy (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To describe the parasite life cycle, muscle tissues of the host infected with sarcocysts were force-fed to two beauty rat snakes Elaphe taeniura. Individual sarcocysts from different Asian gray shrews, and oocysts/sporocysts isolated from the small intestines and feces of the experimental snakes, were selected for DNA extraction, and seven genetic markers, namely, two nuclear loci [18S ribosomal DNA (18S rDNA) and internal transcribed spacer region 1 (ITS1)], three mitochondrial genes [cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (cox1), cox3 and cytochrome b], and two apicoplast genes (RNA polymerase beta subunit and caseinolytic protease C), were amplified, sequenced and analyzed.ResultsSarcocysts were found in 17 of the 42 (40.5%) Asian gray shrews. Under LM, the microscopic sarcocysts showed saw- or tooth-like protrusions measuring 3.3–4.5 μm. Ultrastructurally, the sarcocyst wall contained numerous lancet- or leaf-like villous protrusions, similar to those described for type 9h of the common cyst wall classification. The experimental beauty rat snakes shed oocysts/sporocysts measuring 11.9–16.7 × 9.2–10.6 μm with a prepatent period of 10–11 days. Comparison of the newly obtained sequences with those previously deposited in GenBank revealed that those of 18S rDNA and cox1 were most similar to those of Sarcocystis scandentiborneensis recorded in the tree shrews Tupaia minor and Tupaiatana (i.e., 97.6–98.3% and 100% identity, respectively). Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rDNA or ITS1 sequences placed this parasite close to Sarcocystis spp. that utilize small animals as intermediate hosts and snakes as the known or presumed definitive host. On the basis of morphological and molecular characteristics and host specificity, the parasite was proposed as a new species, named Sarcocystis attenuati.ConclusionsSarcocysts were recorded in Asian gray shrews, to our knowledge for the first time. Based on morphological and molecular characterization, a new species of parasite is proposed: Sarcocystisattenuati. According to the LM and TEM results, S. attenuati sarcocysts are distinct from those of Sarcocystis spp. in other insectivores and those of S. scandentiborneensis in tree shrews. The 18S rDNA or cox1 sequences of Sarcocystis attenuati shared high similarity with those of Sarcocystisscandentiborneensis, Sarcocystis zuoi, Sarcocystis cf. zuoi in the Malayan field rat, and Sarcocystis sp. in the greater white-toothed shrew. Therefore, we suggest that more research on the relationships of these closely related taxa should be undertaken in the future.Graphical abstract

Late Messinian flora from the post-evaporitic deposits of the Piedmont Basin (Northwest Italy)

In the Piedmont Basin (PB), one of the northernmost Mediterranean basins recording the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC), pollen and plant macroremains (leaves, fruits and seeds) were studied in four sedimentary sections of the post-evaporitic interval (5.6–5.33 Ma). The joint palaeobotanical investigations of the two datasets allowed the reconstruction of a floristic assemblage which consists of 133 taxa (95 woody and 38 non-woody taxa). The lowland/coastal vegetation reconstructed by integrating macro- and microfossil data exhibits several analogies with existing “types/formations” of South-Southeast Asia, whereas taxa occurring solely in the pollen record suggest the existence of altitudinal forests with conifers and a few angiosperms. We suggest that the generalized type of lowland, zonal palaeovegetation in the post-evaporitic Messinian of the PB was of no-analog type, but most similar to either “mixed mesophytic forests” or “broad-leaved evergreen forests”, which indicates a Köppen-Trewartha subtropical palaeoclimate.

Cnidarians as a potential source of antiparasitic drugs

New antiparasitic drugs are urgently required for treating parasitic infections. The marine environment has proven to be a valuable source of compounds with therapeutic properties against many diseases, including parasitic diseases. Cnidarian venoms are known for their toxicological properties and are candidates for developing medications. In this review, the antiparasitic properties of cnidarian toxins, discovered over the last two decades, were examined. A total of 61 cnidarian compounds from 18 different genera of cnidaria were studied for their antiparasitic activities. The assessed genera belonged mainly to three geographical areas: South America, North America, and Southeast Asia. The in vitro activities of crude extracts and compounds against a range of parasites including Plasmodium falciparum, Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, T. cruzi, T. congolense, Leishmania donovani, L. chagasi, L. braziliensis, and Giardia duodenalis are reviewed. The challenges involved in developing these compounds into effective drugs are discussed.

A Critical Ethnography of Myanmar Migrants’ Grassroots Multilingualism at a Chinese Massage Parlour

While China is broadening its gateway into South Asia and Southeast Asia, millions of foreign migrant workers cross the border and seek their transnational fortune in China’s border provinces. However, within the existing literature in migrant workers in China, language is rarely a research target in itself. As one of the important social actors language plays a key role shaping migrant workers’ life trajectories. Adopting Spolsky’s language policy theory and following the critical ethnography with migrant workers (Han, 2013; Mathews, 2011), this study explores the interplay of national polices of massage parlour management at a macro level, employers’ stipulations of managing Myanmar migrants at a meso level and Myanmar migrants’ language practices at micro level. Grounded upon critical sociolinguistic ethnography, data is collected from a China’s massage parlour at border town through the participant observation in and out of massage parlour, field notes, semi-structured interviews and documents. The study probes into how Chinese geopolitics of the wider process of regional development facilitates or constrains Myanmar migrants, how they mobilize social resources to expand their multilingual repertoires and how Chinese employer manages Myanmar migrants in language and life aspects. Findings reveal that there is no specific language policy at the recruitment stage. However, when Myanmar migrant workers start to work, language emerges as implicit but powerful medium streaming the likelihood of upward mobility. Other social factors, such as gender, nationality, religion and class also influence their mobility and integration into China’s local society. The study expands the understanding of language management and grassroots multilingualism in the context of globalization from below. Also the study provides implications on language policy making, migrants integration and education for migrants of multilingual backgrounds.

Diversity and distribution of Asian forest scorpions (Arthropoda, Scorpionidae, Heterometrinae) in Telangana State, India

Asian forest scorpions belong to the subfamily Heterometrinae and include some of the poorly known scorpion fauna in India in general and Telangana State in particular. The Asian forest scorpions occur in South Asia and Southeast Asia and are known from Pakistan in west to the Philippines in the east. There are 27 species of Asian forest scorpions belonging to seven genera Chersonesometrus, Deccanometrus, Gigantometrus, Heterometrus, Javanimetrus, Sahyadrimetrus and Srilankametrus known from India. These are the large-bodied scorpions that are subjected to killing and local collections. Information on their distribution and current taxonomy is not complete. We provide the updated taxonomy, description and distribution maps of four species of Asian forest scorpions known to occur in Telangana State, India.

O-114 Improved safety and efficiency of individualised versus conventional gonadotropin dosing for ovarian stimulation in IVF/ICSI: an individual patient meta-analysis (IPD-MA)

Abstract Study question Does an individualised, weight- and AMH-based dosing approach with follitropin delta improve live birth rate, safety, and efficiency, compared to conventional dosing in IVF/ICSI? Summary answer Individualised ovarian stimulation performs similarly for live birth rate (increased in normal-high AMH), and reduces the incidence of OHSS and total FSH dosage. What is known already Previous studies investigated the effect of individualized gonadotropin dosing in IVF/ICSI using ovarian reserve tests such as anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and antral follicle count (AFC). A Cochrane Review concluded that individualised dosing in IVF is associated with a reduction of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), but no effect on live birth rate. It is hypothesized that an individualised dosing approach is predominantly beneficial in the patients who are potentially normal or high responders. This study addresses the performance of a new human recombinant FSH (follitropin delta) with individualised dosing based on AMH and body weight. Study design, size, duration This is an individual participant data meta-analysis (IPD-MA) of three follitropin delta phase 3 trials, executed in Europe and North- and South America, South-East Asia, and Japan. All trials were randomized, controlled, assessor-blinded, multicenter studies in which individualised follitropin delta vs. conventional follitropin alpha or beta were compared. Women were followed from inclusion, at start of their first fresh IVF/ICSI cycle, until 4 weeks after live birth. Participants/materials, setting, methods Women aged 20-40 yrs, undergoing their first IVF/ICSI cycle, were randomly assigned to follitropin delta (AMH < 15 pmol/L: 12 µg/day; AMH ≥ 15 pmol/L: 0.10-0.19 µg/kg/day: maximum 12 µg/day) or conventional follitropin alpha or beta (150 IU/day for 5 days, possible subsequent dose adjustments). The IPD-MA was performed using logistic regression analysis. Planned subgroup analyses were performed for expected normal/high responders (serum AMH ≥15 pmol/L), and expected low responders (serum AMH <15 pmol/L). Main results and the role of chance Nearly 2,700 women were randomised and exposed: n = 1,348 for conventional dosing regimen with follitropin alpha or beta, and n = 1,334 for individualised dosing with follitropin delta. Live birth rate was similar for both groups (29.5% in follitropin delta vs. 26.9% in follitropin alpha/beta; OR 1.14 (0.96-1.35)). However, in expected normal to high responders live birth rate was significantly increased for those receiving individualised follitropin delta (31.4% vs. 25.9%; OR 1.31 (1.06 - 1.62)). Mean number of transferred embryos/blastocysts was comparable (0.95 vs. 0.94, respectively; mean difference 0.0076; NS), and did not differ when subgroup analyses were performed for normal/high AMH and low AMH. The occurrence of early OHSS was significantly reduced in individualised follitropin delta (4.0% vs. 6.4%; OR 0.62 (95% CI 0.43-0.88)), in subgroup analyses a similar reduction was identified. Total dosage of FSH was significantly lower in individualized follitropin delta (84.5 vs. 112.1 µg; mean difference -27.5 µg (95% CI -30.0 - -25.1)), with a more pronounced effect in normal to high AMH (mean difference -36.5 µg (95% CI -39.2 - -33.7)). Gestational age and birth weight were similar. The IPD-MA identified similar findings among women from the three studies with their different ethnic backgrounds. Limitations, reasons for caution For individualised dosing with follitropin delta, it was observed that the number of cryopreserved embryos was significantly lower (2.4 vs. 3.0, mean difference -0.67 (p < 0.05)), and it remains unclear whether this affects cumulative live birth rate. Wider implications of the findings Individualised dosing with gonadotropin delta is similarly successful in terms of live birth (increased for normal-high AMH women), reduces safety risks, and is more effective with regard to gonadotropin dosage, compared with conventional dosing in IVF/ICSI. Treatment costs are reduced by prescription of lower gonadotropin doses and OHSS reduction. Trial registration number NCT01956110, NCT03228680, NCT03296527

Ecological notes on the filter-feeding water scavenger beetle, Spercheus stangli Schwarz and Barber, 1917 (Coleoptera: Spercheidae), on the Iriomote Island, Japan

Spercheus stangli Schwarz and Barber, 1917 (Coleoptera: Spercheidae) is distributed in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Its Japanese population is known only in one pond on the Iriomote Island. To better understand the ecology of this family and develop conservation strategies for S. stangli, we conducted field surveys and rearing experiments. Our results suggest that S. stangli is bivoltine or multivoltine. We concluded that ponds with substrates, such as wood fragments floating on the water surface, are important habitats for the conservation of these beetles.

An integrative approach reveals a new species of flightless leaf beetle (Chrysomelidae: Suinzona) from South Korea

The leaf beetle genus Suinzona, consisting of over 20 species, is mainly known for species from Southwest China, and its closely related genus Potaninia, with only two species, is widely distributed in South China and upper Southeast Asia. Despite recent morphological studies, the status of these taxa has long been controversial. Here, we investigated the taxonomic status and phylogenetic relationships of the genera Suinzona and Potaninia within Chrysomelinae using molecular, morphological and ecological data. Molecular phylogenetic analysis supported that they should be regarded as distinct genera, which is consistent with morphological evidence, e.g., well-developed/reduced hind wings. Based on combined evidence from examination of larval and adult morphology, host plants and mitochondrial genomes, we demonstrate that P. cyrtonoides should be placed in the genus Suinzona and that specimens from South Korea represent a new species. Suinzona borowieci sp. nov., occurring in narrow strips of habitat, shows high levels of genetic divergence and distantly related host plants between populations. The population differentiation seems to be correlated with its non-functional wings causing reduced dispersal ability and genetic isolation. Several populations have declined dramatically over the last few decades due to loss of habitat and thus are in need of protection as conservation units.

Association between media exposure and family planning in Myanmar and Philippines: evidence from nationally representative survey data

BackgroundAlthough women in South Asia and South-east Asia have developed their knowledge regarding modern contraceptive and other family planning techniques, limited information exists on the influence of mass media exposure on the utilization of contraceptives and family planning. The current study examined the association between media exposure and family planning in Myanmar and Philippines.MethodsThe study analyzed data from the 2017 Philippines National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) and 2015–16 Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS). Three family planning indicators were considered in this study (i.e., contraceptive use, demand satisfied regarding family planning and unmet need for family planning). A binary logistic regression model was fitted to see the effect of media exposure on each family planning indicator in the presence of covariates such as age group, residence, education level, partner education level, socio-economic status, number of living children, age at first marriage, and working status.ResultsThe prevalence of contraception use was 57.2% in the Philippines and 55.7% in Myanmar. The prevalence of demand satisfied regarding family planning was 70.5 and 67.1% in the Philippines and Myanmar respectively. Unmet need regarding family planning was 16.6% and 19.9% in the Philippines and Myanmar respectively. After adjusting for the covariates, the results showed that women who were exposed to media were more likely to use contraception in Philippines (aOR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.42–3.54) and Myanmar (aOR 1.39, 95% CI = 1.15–1.67). Media exposure also had a significant positive effect on demand satisfaction regarding family planning in the Philippines (aOR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.42–3.37) and Myanmar (aOR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.09–1.64). However, there was no significant association between media exposure and unmet need in both countries.ConclusionsThe study established a strong association between mass media exposure and the use and demand satisfaction for family planning among married and cohabiting women in Philippines and Myanmar. Using mass media exposure (e.g., local radio, television- electronic; newspapers) to increase both access and usage of contraceptives as well as other family planning methods in these countries could be pivotal towards the attainment of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) of improving maternal health.

Spatiotemporal visualization for the global COVID-19 surveillance by\xa0balloon chart

BackgroundConsidering the widespread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the world, it is important to understand the spatiotemporal development of the pandemic. In this study, we aimed to visualize time-associated alterations of COVID-19 in the context of continents and countries.MethodsUsing COVID-19 case and death data from February to December 2020 offered by Johns Hopkins University, we generated time-associated balloon charts with multiple epidemiological indicators including crude case fatality rate (CFR), morbidity, mortality and the total number of cases, to compare the progression of the pandemic within a specific period across regions and countries, integrating seven related dimensions together. The area chart is used to supplement the display of the balloon chart in daily new COVID-19 case changes in UN geographic regions over time. Javascript and Vega-Lite were chosen for programming and mapping COVID-19 data in browsers for visualization.ResultsFrom February 1st to December 20th 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic spread across UN subregions in the chronological order. It was first reported in East Asia, and then became noticeable in Europe (South, West and North), North America, East Europe and West Asia, Central and South America, Southern Africa, Caribbean, South Asia, North Africa, Southeast Asia and Oceania, causing several waves of epidemics in different regions. Since October, the balloons of Europe, North America and West Asia have been rising rapidly, reaching a dramatically high morbidity level ranging from 200 to 500/10 000 by December, suggesting an emerging winter wave of COVID-19 which was much bigger than the previous ones. By late December 2020, some European and American countries displayed a leading mortality as high as or over 100/100 000, represented by Belgium, Czechia, Spain, France, Italy, UK, Hungary, Bulgaria, Peru, USA, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico. The mortality of Iran was the highest in Asia (over 60/100 000), and that of South Africa topped in Africa (40/100 000). In the last 15 days, the CFRs of most countries were at low levels of less than 5%, while Mexico had exceptional high CFR close to 10%.ConclusionsWe creatively used visualization integrating 7-dimensional epidemiologic and spatiotemporal indicators to assess the progression of COVID-19 pandemic in terms of transmissibility and severity. Such methodology allows public health workers and policy makers to understand the epidemics comparatively and flexibly.

Evaluation on the Legal Trade of Tokay gecko (Lacertidae; Gekkonidae; Gekko gecko Linnaeus, 1758) in Indonesia

Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko) is a large-sized gecko from the genus of Gekko, which is most commonly found from South Asia, southern China, and Southeast Asia. In Indonesia, these species are common to inhabit human-modified habitat in Sumatera, Borneo, Java, Bali, Lesser Sundas, Sulawesi, and Moluccas. In recent years, the demand for Tokay gekko with high use-value in both national and international markets has increased, one of which is used for traditional medicine. This situation raised the concern on the decreasing of the wild population and the validity of captive breeding programs that produced a large number of individuals. Several reports had estimated millions of individuals have been exported from Indonesia either legally or illegally, however, the exact number never been reported. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the trend on the harvested Tokay gecko and its origin based on the source code information. The data were collected from government records, including specimens harvested from the wild and specimens produced from captivity during 2013 - 2018 (six years). The results showed that the legally exported specimens were sourced from wild (W) and captive breeding (C or F). The total numbers of individuals exported from the wild harvest are 97.146, and all export realization is below the wild harvest quota. However, there are the large numbers of individuals exported and declared as specimens produced from the captive breeding facilities (6.965.000 with source code F, and 1.236.000 with source code C). More importantly, the high level of specimens produced from captive breeding facilities is unlikely to match with the biological capacity of this species. Therefore, we predict that specimens labeled captive breeding were likely sourced from the wild.

Care for patients with leprosy: history of the issue

January 30 is World Leprosy Day. An analysis of the historical and medical aspects of the formation and development of medical care in Hansen's disease reveals the main milestones in the history of the humanity's opposition to the disease that could not be completely defeated in South America, Southeast Asia and Africa.

Covariation of suicide and HIV in 186 countries: a spatial autoregressive and multiscale geographically weighted regression analyses

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death globally, inherently linked with mental health conditions. Existing studies have also found a significant association between suicide and chronic health conditions such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Although there have been enormous studies on these global health issues, knowledge about their co-existence is elusive. This paper examines the link between HIV and suicide in 186 countries using geospatial techniques and spatial statistics. We used country-level suicide and HIV data obtained from the United Nations Development Program database. The local bivariate spatial association technique was used to determine the covariation of HIV and suicide, while autoregressive models were used to estimate the unexplained country-level variables in the model. Due to evidence of spatial dependencies, we applied multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) to examine the spatial variation in the predictor variables. The local bivariate spatial association technique was used to determine the covariation of HIV and suicide. Analysis indicated that HIV significantly covaried with suicide in regions of Africa and Europe. Our result suggests that HIV is a significant driver of suicide among females in sub-Saharan Africa while it drives suicide among males in many regions including the country of South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Oceania, and Southeast Asia. MGWR indicated that HIV was negatively associated with suicide in the Americas and European countries, but positively associated with suicide in Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania. There is a double burden of HIV and suicide in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, investment in both mental healthcare and access to antiretroviral drugs is essential in reducing suicide at both global and local levels.

Editorial: Practical implications of governance and regulation

The authors of papers in this special issue of the Journal of Governance and Regulation come from different parts of the world such as West and South Africa, South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the Balkans, Western Europe, and the USA, and offer interesting, vivid and educational experiences how countries with different economic, political, cultural and regulatory frameworks deal with global challenges, testifying that the universalism of science and good governance practices transcend geopolitical conflicts and divisions. Each of these papers sheds light on some aspect of governance and provides financiers, investors, regulators, scientists, managers, professionals, students, and other interested readers with useful insights into the market opportunities and challenges of developing countries. The practical implications of these academically written papers are supported by a solid research methodology that ensures the credibility of the written word and calls for new empirical verifications.

Application of the ecocultural range expansion model to modern human dispersals in Asia

Modern human dispersal to Asia is drawing more researchers' attention as more Asian records become available in archaeology, paleoanthropology and genetics. The ecocultural range expansion model, based on ecological competition between archaic and modern humans and on a population-culture feedback loop, predicts two types of modern human range expansion, namely the first wave and the second wave. This ‘two-wave model’ has been applied to dispersal from the Levant to Europe. Here, in order to apply this model to dispersal in Asia, we modify the model to allow multiple origins of ‘high culture’, which is defined as something that increases carrying capacity and corresponds to the Early Upper Paleolithic in context of Europe. Comparing with empirical records, we suggest that the multiple-origin model explains dispersal to North Asia better than the single-origin model. As for dispersal to South-Southeast Asia and Wallacea, we propose forest or maritime adaptations as 'skills' of the model. We will discuss how empirical records can be interpreted, including pre- and post-50 ka dispersal hypotheses, if we adopt the ecocultural model.

The Role of State Corporations in the Russian Economy (as in the Case of “Rosatom” and “Rostec” State Corporations)

The article is devoted to the study of the role of state corporations in the economy of the Russian Federation as in the case of Rosatom and Rostec. The authors analyze the existing concept of state corporation, Russian and foreign practices. The article presents the results of the research of economic features based on reports published on official website of Russian state corporation, as well as prospects of Russian state corporations are identified. At the present stage of development and operation of Russian state corporations, society increasingly sees their products, but it doesnt even suspect that these are domestic products that meet all international standards, which are also exported to many countries of the world. Products, goods and services are exported to North and South America, Europe, Central and South-East Asia, and Africa. In a relatively short period of existence and operation, Russian state corporations have increased their revenues and have made a significant contribution to the prosperity of countrys economy.

English

Zika, yellow fever and dengue viruses are three important flaviviruses that are epidemic and endemic in Central Africa, Middle and South America, Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands. Since these three viral diseases present with similar symptoms and there is a possibility of multiple flaviviruses co-infection, it is important to develop an effective and quick diagnostic tool. Here, we designed and validated a one-step triplex real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using TaqMan probes targeting NS5 region for detecting zika virus (ZIKV), dengue virus-4 (DENV-4) and yellow fever virus (YFV). The assay was highly specific for the target viral RNA corresponding to ZIKV, DENV-4 and YFV strains. The sensitivity of the assay was compared to one-step, RT-PCR, it showed a 100-fold higher sensitivity than RT-PCR with ZIKV and DENV and 10-fold higher sensitivity with YFV. In conclusion, the one-step, triplex, TaqMan, real time RT-PCR assay identified and distinguished ZIKV, DENV-4 and YFV by targeting single gene. Key words: Zika, yellow fever, dengue, multiplex real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).