Search Results (2,262)

Background/Objective: The rising prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), coupled with sedentary behavior and an increase in obesity rates in South Asian countries, calls for effective management strategies. We aimed to assess the efficacy of lifestyle interventions on glycemic control among adults with T2DM in South Asian countries. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were conducted to assess the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions on glycemic control in adults diagnosed with T2DM in South Asia. We conducted a comprehensive search in CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science (WoS), and Scopus to identify related studies published from 2000 to 13 June 2024. We assessed the risk of bias using the ROB 2.0 tool and calculated the pooled mean differences in HbA1c and FBG levels under a random-effects model. We conducted subgroup and leave-one-out sensitivity analyses to assess and explore sources of heterogeneity. PROSPERO Registration: CRD42024552286. Results: We included 16 RCTs with a total of 1499 participants. Lifestyle interventions reduced HbA1c levels by 0.86% (95% CI: −1.30 to −0.42, p < 0.01) and FBG levels by 22.49 mg/dL (95% CI: −32.88 to −12.10, p < 0.01). We observed substantial heterogeneity (I² = 98% for HbA1c and I² = 87% for FBG). Subgroup analyses indicated larger HbA1c reductions in long-term (−1.44%) than short-term trials (−0.62%), and greater FBG decreases in long-term (−23.7 mg/dL) versus short-term studies (−22.5 mg/dL). Physical activity interventions had the largest improvements (HbA1c −0.99%; FBG −26.1 mg/dL), followed by dietary (HbA1c −0.59%; FBG −15.8 mg/dL) and combined programs (HbA1c −0.55%). Participants aged >50 years achieved greater glycemic improvements (HbA1c −0.92%; FBG −24.0 mg/dL) compared to younger adults (HbA1c −0.60%; FBG −21.3 mg/dL). Despite high heterogeneity, sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the overall findings. Conclusions: Lifestyle modifications yielded a clinically significant reduction in HbA1c and FBG in adults with T2DM in South Asia. Although heterogeneity of the included studies was substantial, the direction of the effects was uniformly consistent across subgroups. To further validate these findings and assess their long-term effects, large-scale and standardized RCTs conducted for longer durations are necessary. Full article

Invasions by alien plants are major global drivers of ecosystem changes and loss of biodiversity. Guangxi is an ecological barrier in southern China that is increasingly being affected by invasive alien plant species. We comprehensively reviewed the literature, compiling and analyzing the long-term changes in species composition, native range, life forms, municipal-scale patterns, and correlates of invasive alien plant richness in Guangxi at three time points (1973, 2010, and 2023). Over the 50-year period, the number of invasive alien plant species markedly increased from 31 species in 1973 to 84 in 2010 and 158 in 2023; the number of families, genera, and species increased 2.05-, 3.75-, and 5.10-fold, respectively. Species native to North America consistently dominated the invasive flora, followed by those native to Africa. The number of species native to South America and Asia increased in the records from 2010 to 2023. Annual herbaceous plants accounted for the largest proportion of invasive species throughout the study period and showed the largest absolute increase in species number. However, no substantial temporal shifts in the overall life-form composition were detected. At the municipal scale, the invasive alien plant richness exhibited pronounced spatial heterogeneity. The invasive alien plant richness was highest in Guilin and Baise in 1973, in Guilin in 2023, followed by Nanning and Baise. Correlation analyses based on 2023 data revealed a significant positive association between invasive alien plant richness and tourism intensity, whereas relationships between population size, gross domestic product, and climatic variables were weak or nonsignificant. Overall, our results document the continued expansion and the spatial differentiation of invasive alien plants in Guangxi over the 50-year period of 1973–2023. These patterns primarily reflect the accumulation in the number of recorded invasive species under a consistent classification framework and should be interpreted with caution given the potential variation in survey effort among periods and cities. The results provide a descriptive baseline for the provincial-scale monitoring, risk assessment, and management of invasive alien plants. Full article

Wildfires profoundly impact carbon cycles, climate, and human societies. However, a comprehensive understanding of the long-term spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of global wildfires remains limited. This study analyzes the spatiotemporal patterns and influencing factors of wildfires from 1982 to 2018 using a global satellite-derived burned area (BA) product. We classified fire-prone regions into four types based on climate: Tropical dry season (Tr-ds), Arid fuel-limited (Ar-fl), Boreal hot season (Bo-hs), and Temperate dry and hot season (Te-dhs). Major fire hotspots include Africa, northern Australia, South America’s Brazilian highlands, the Indochina Peninsula, and Central Asia. The global multi-year average BA is 4.59 × 10⁸ ha yr⁻¹, with Africa (3.04 × 10⁸ ha yr⁻¹) and northern Australia (2.83 × 10⁷ ha yr⁻¹) being the most affected. Fire activity peaks annually in July–September and December–January. From 1982 to 2018, both the global and sub-regional BA show significant increasing trends, except northern and temperate areas, though reduced burn-down areas from shorter periods have been reported during the MODIS era. At both the global scale and in the Tr-ds region, wildfire activity is strongly associated with hot and dry conditions in combination with abundant fuel availability. Fire activity in the Ar-fl region is mainly constrained by fuel availability. Surface dryness plays a dominant role in fire activity in the Bo-hs. In contrast, fire activity in the Te-dhs region shows no clear pattern. The influence of different factors on the BA is subject to threshold effects. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of long-term wildfire dynamics across different regions globally. Full article

In this study, we investigate the Suvarṇabhūmi area, corresponding to central–southern Mainland Southeast Asia. We test the hypothesis that this region, located to the south of the Himalayan foothills, can be characterised as a convergence zone in which diverse entities involving humans, animals, and artefacts have significantly diverged from their related counterparts outside the area. We argue that this process of convergence was facilitated by the Maritime Silk Road trade networks, which were particularly active between the 3rd century BCE and the 9th century CE. Comparative data are derived from multiple scientific disciplines, including linguistic typology, onomastics, epigraphy, archaeology, and evolutionary biology. This includes typological features of language, toponyms, inscriptions, glass bead chemistry and related material culture, and phylogenetic data from patterns of endemism to illustrate parallel convergence scenarios observed for each data type. The results reveal recurring patterns of convergence. Linguistic, technological, and biological entities tend to diverge from their original forms and realign with predominant regional types when entering the Suvarṇabhūmi area. The spread of Indic and Sinitic linguistic and cultural elements, the adaptation and development of Brāhmī scripts into distinct local forms, the secondary manufacturing of glass beads, and unique genetic lineages in mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish, and plants all point to the region’s role as a dynamic interaction sphere. We argue that Suvarṇabhūmi functions as an ecological system, in which trajectories of convergence are notable across a number of individual aspects of cultural and biological diversity. Altogether, these components have contributed to shaping the region’s distinctive natural and cultural history. Full article

This study examines how Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is framed in Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean English-language mainstream media during four high-salience geopolitical events (2023–2025). Methodologically, it employs a qualitative comparative framing and discourse analysis of 28 systematically selected news articles from leading outlets in each media system, coded using Entman’s four framing functions (problem definition, causal attribution, moral evaluation, and treatment recommendation) and supplemented by representational logics and explicitly stated platform-governance indicators. Drawing on framing theory, representation, platform governance, and critical geopolitics, the analysis finds that ASEAN is portrayed not as an autonomous actor but as a flexible signifier within nationally inflected narratives. Chinese media emphasize regional cooperation and developmental connectivity, Japanese outlets foreground liberal-normative order and security alignment, and South Korean coverage prioritizes technocratic and pragmatic partnership. The study argues that ASEAN’s mediated visibility is shaped by recurring editorial framing patterns and, where explicitly invoked, by infrastructural and platform-related cues, revealing ongoing narrative contestation over regional power and legitimacy in East Asia. Full article

This study examines the relationship between energy consumption and energy-related CO₂ emissions for a sample of 79 reporting entities, grouped into seven regions, over the period 2013–2023. The methodology uses three empirical tools: (i) Tapio elasticity to classify types of decoupling; (ii) Kaya–LMDI decomposition to identify factors that determine emissions; and (iii) a log-difference panel model to separate year- and country-specific effects. The results indicate a reduction in carbon intensity in all regions, more pronounced in Europe and North America. According to the Tapio classification, Europe is in recessive decoupling, the Middle East is on the verge of expansive decoupling, North and South America are in strong expansive decoupling, and Asia Pacific, Africa, and CIS show only weak signals of expansive decoupling. The LMDI results show that, in regions with strong decoupling, the decrease in carbon intensity contributes to reducing emissions. In those with weak decoupling, the effects are partially canceled out by population growth and energy demand. Finally, the fixed-effects panel model does not identify any structural decoupling at the regional level. Overall, this study contributes to the literature by separating long-term structural effects from annual fluctuations. On this basis, we provide clear guidelines for designing regional energy policies. Full article

Interest in Zika virus (ZIKV, Orthoflavivirus zikaense) evolution and pathogenicity has attracted the attention of a wider circle of the research community ever since ZIKV emerged on the South American continent in 2015, after more or less island hopping across the Pacific Ocean from Southeast Asia on its way from Africa where it was first described in Uganda in 1947 [...] Full article

Lichens, symbiotic associations between fungi and photobionts, are essential and sensitive bioindicators of environmental change. Despite their resilience, lichens face increasing threats from air pollution, land-use change, unsustainable harvesting, and climate change. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of global research on lichen threats between 1981 and 2024, using data from Scopus and Web of Science, combined with an additional analysis based on the database Recent Literature on Lichens (RLL). A total of 319 research publications were analyzed through VOSviewer (version 1.6.20) and Biblioshiny (R core team version 4.5.2) to assess temporal trends, thematic evolution, authorship, and geographical distribution of affiliations, and 1354 publications from RLL were studied for frequent authors and geographical distribution of study sites. Results show that research output was initially dominated by air pollution studies (1981–2004) but shifted after 2005 toward conservation and climate change impacts, with a sharp increase after 2017. North America and a few European countries led in scientific production, while biodiversity-rich regions in Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia remained underrepresented. Despite increasing publication trends, collaboration remains moderate (23% international co-authorship), and many threatened species remain unassessed. Recovery measures emphasize habitat protection, improved forest management, pollution control, integration of lichens into global biodiversity frameworks, and enhanced international collaboration. This study provides a systematic overview of how lichen conservation research has evolved, suggesting strategies for decelerating lichen diversity loss under accelerating global change. Full article

Background: Clostridium perfringens is an infectious agent of concern in wild/farmed shellfish. Hence, this study assessed shellfish-borne Clostridium perfringens (ShbCp) prevalence. Methods: A total of 1469 ShbCp from 2336 shellfish were modelled using hierarchical generalized linear and 1000-permutation-based-mixed-effects, meta-regression models. Results: The overall ShbCp prevalence was 54.12% (19.73–84.99) with a 32.02% (14.52–56.64) toxigenic rate and a higher estimate in 2020–2025 (41.01%, 17.00–70.23) versus 1970–2019 (20.01%, 4.49–57.08). Culture media significantly affect ShbCp recovery, with cooked meat medium and thioglycollate medium registering higher estimates (77% and 25.15%, respectively) than selective agars (<7%). The molluscans had a higher ShbCp rate (60.68%) than crustaceans (1.57%) and cephalopods (0.14%); oysters (85.97%) than mussels (71.81%), clams (50.38%), slug/snails (48.23%), scallops (16.24%), crabs (11.91%), shrimps (1.05%), and squids (0.42%); and Crassostrea gigas (89.27%) versus Ruditapes philippinarum (45.92%) versus Mytilus galloprovincialis (30.14%). ShbCp differed significantly by nations but not by continent with Spain (87.79%) having the highest rate, then China (47.01%), Japan (43.91%), the USA (10.44%), and Greece (0.00%); South America (51.36%), then Asia (44.77%), Europe (21.97%), and North America (10.44%). Sample size, growth medium, nation, and shellfish class significantly explained 27.58%, 72.30%, 67.52%, and 28.51% ($R^2$) variance in ShbCp prevalence, respectively. Conclusions: The present study estimated a high ShbCp prevalence, suggesting a significant public health risk. It recommends that C. perfringens should be incorporated as a supplemental indicator into shellfish safety/shellfish water quality monitoring alongside traditional indicators. Also, geographical data gaps from Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Oceania underline the need for national and global monitoring attention and priority on C. perfringens in shellfish/shellfish beds. Full article

Background: Obesity is a major health concern worldwide and the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it a global epidemic. We aimed to analyze temporal trends of obesity prevalence worldwide. Methods: We used data of “The Global Health Observatory” of the WHO and analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2023. Obesity prevalence (crude estimates) among adults in different worldwide WHO regions and temporal trends from 1976 and 2016 were analyzed. Results: Obesity prevalence showed large regional differences. In 2016, obesity prevalence was highest in the WHO European region and the region of the Americas, at more than 20%, whereas prevalence was lower in the WHO African region, the WHO Western Pacific region and the WHO South-East Asia region, at less than 10%. The absolute increase from 1976 to 2016 comprised an increase of 19.7% in the region of the Americas, of 14.8% and 14.2% in the WHO European region and the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region, followed by 7.3% in the WHO African region, 6.0% in the WHO Western Pacific region, and 4.2% in the WHO South-East Asia region. We observed a substantially higher prevalence of obesity in females. High BMI has risen sharply in rank worldwide, now ranging among the top six global risk factors for death. Major BMI-related causes include ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertensive heart disease, and ischemic stroke. Conclusions: Obesity prevalence showed large regional differences and was highest in Europe and America. The prevalence of obesity increased worldwide between 1976 and 2016. Obesity prevalence was higher in females than in males. The importance of obesity for premature death increased between 1990 and 2023. Full article

Background/Objectives: The risk factors for ovarian and uterine cancer remain insufficiently known. This study aimed to assess global trends in mortality from ovarian and uterine cancer attributable to high body-mass index (BMI) in 1990–2023. Methods: An observational epidemiological study was conducted. The age-standardized rates (ASRs) of mortality were retrieved from the Global Burden of Disease study. Trends were evaluated using joinpoint analysis. The Average Annual Percentage Change (AAPC, %), with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI), was calculated. Results: Globally, the trend in ASRs of ovarian cancer deaths attributable to high BMI increased significantly (AAPC = +0.4%, 95% CI = 0.3 to 0.5). The growth trend in South Asia (AAPC = +8.7%, 95% CI = 8.1 to 9.2) was 30 times greater than in Eastern Europe (AAPC = +0.3%, 95% CI = 0.1 to 0.5). Declining trends in mortality from ovarian cancer were observed only in Australasia (AAPC = −0.2%, 95% CI = −0.4 to −0.1), High-income North America (AAPC = −0.3%, 95% CI = −0.6 to −0.0), and Western Europe (AAPC = −0.7%, 95% CI = −0.8 to −0.6). For uterine cancer, the global trend of mortality also increased (AAPC = +0.1, 95% CI = 0.0 to 0.2), with the trend growing fastest in South Asia (AAPC = +4.2%, 95% CI = 4.0 to 4.4). Decreasing trends in mortality from uterine cancer due to high BMI were observed only in Central Asia (AAPC = −0.6%, 95% CI = −0.9 to −0.4), East Asia (AAPC = −2.2%, 95% CI = −2.6 to −1.8), and Southern Latin America (AAPC = −0.4%, 95% CI = −0.6 to −0.1). Additionally, an accelerated increase in mortality trends for both ovarian and uterine cancer attributable to high BMI was observed in 2020–2023, which corresponds to the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: Further analytical epidemiological studies are required to clarify the relationship between ovarian and uterine cancer and high BMI. Full article

Acacia melanoxylon R.Br. demonstrates strong biological nitrogen–fixation capacity and favourable economic returns, making it a promising candidate for the development of subtropical forestry in South Asia. It is a fast–growing leguminous tree species widely promoted for cultivation in China, and it is also one of the ideal tree species for improving soil fertility in forest lands. What are the synergistic mechanisms between A. melanoxylon-Eucalyptus stands and pure Eucalyptus spp.? Current theories regarding A. melanoxylon–Eucalyptus systems remain relatively fragmented due to the lack of effective silvicultural measures, resistance studies, and comprehensive ecological–economic benefit evaluations. The absence of an integrated analytical framework for holistic research on A. melanoxylon–Eucalyptus systems makes it difficult to summarise and comprehensively analyse their growth and development, thereby limiting the optimisation and widespread application of their models. This study employed CiteSpace bibliometric analysis and qualitative methods to explore ideal tree species combination patterns, elucidate their intrinsic eco–economic synergistic mechanisms, and reasonably reveal their collaborative potential. This study systematically reviewed silvicultural management, stress physiology, ecological security, and economic policy using the Chinese and English literature published from 2010 to 2025. The narrative synthesis results indicated that strip intercropping (7:3) is widely documented as an effective model for creating vertical niche complementarity, whereby canopy light and thermal utilisation by A. melanoxylon species improve subsoil nutrient cycling by enhancing stand structure. A conceptual full–cycle economic assessment framework was proposed to measure carbon sequestration and timber premiums. Correspondingly, this conversion of implicit ecological services into explicit market values acted as a critical tool for decision–making in assessing benefit. A three–dimensional “cultivation strategy–physiological ecology–value assessment” assessment framework was established. This framework demonstrated how to move from wanting to maximise the output of an individual component to maximising the value of the whole system. It theorised and provided guidance on resolving the complementary conflict between “ecology–economy” in the management of sustainable multifunctional plantations. Full article

The genus Satyrium (Orchidaceae) is a large, mostly sub-Saharan genus with a single species reported from Madagascar and Asia. Taxonomical complexity and high morphological diversity make the classification within the genus difficult to handle. In this study, we attempted to solve this problem using a comprehensive approach based on data from multiple sources. We combined morphological data from vegetative parts with data on flower structure using timescale phylogenetics conducted for both nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and plastid markers (matK, trnS-trnG, trnL, trnL-trnF). Phylogenetic studies confirmed most of the results of previous studies and led to the identification of six potential hybridization events within the genus. Morphological diversity often does not correspond to phylogenetic relationships within the genus, and many evolutionary lineages began to diverge only at the end of the early Miocene and in the late Miocene. The development of similar characteristics is the result of this diversification under the influence of similar environmental pressures. Reconstruction of the historical geographical range of Satyrium showed that the regions of South Africa and the mountainous areas of Eastern Africa played the most important role in the diversification of the genus. Full article

Yellow Mosaic Disease (YMD) caused by mungbean yellow mosaic virus (MYMV, begomovirus) is one of the main causes of low mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) productivity, primarily in South Asia. Agroinoculation screening for MYMV resistance in mungbean cultivar VGGRU 1, an interspecific derivative of mungbean × rice bean and VRM (Gg)1 across replications, revealed VGGRU1 as highly resistant to MYMV infection. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry analysis was performed on the methanolic leaf extracts of susceptible and resistant genotypes, along with necessary controls. The metabolite profiling of the susceptible and resistant genotypes, along with controls, identified 121 discriminant metabolites belonging to 24 different classes of metabolites. A maximum number of 27 metabolites were accumulated in agroinoculated VGGRU1 alone. Metabolite profiles of VGGRU1 and VRM1 were clustered hierarchically and revealed substantial variations between the genotypes. Fold change revealed the upregulation of amino acids and phenol in the resistant genotype. The resistant genotype, VGGRU1, showed significantly higher levels of key defense-related metabolites, such as amino acids and phenolics. In this study, 18 significant VIP metabolites were identified, differentiating the resistant VGGRU1 and susceptible VRM (Gg)1 genotypes. Full article

Background: There is a high prevalence of the double burden of malnutrition (DBM) in children and adolescents in South Asia. This research aims to explore which sociodemographic factors are attributed to DBM in urban Bangladesh, a South Asian country. Methods: We conducted secondary analyses of data obtained from the national survey of childhood obesity among school-age children in Bangladesh (2012–2013). The sample includes 4140 children (aged 5–9 years) and adolescents (10–19 years) randomly recruited from the city corporation (urban) areas in all administrative divisions. At the population level, DBM was defined as the coexistence of underweight and overweight/obesity among children and adolescents. At the household level, DBM was defined as maternal underweight co-occurring with child overweight/obesity within the same mother-child dyad. A multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. A rapid policy review was conducted to understand the implication of the results obtained from the analysis. Results: The prevalence of DBM at the population level was 45.2% (95% CI: 42.5–45.5%), ranging between 40.0% and 47.6% across seven divisions (p < 0.001). At the household level, DBM prevalence was 16.6% (95% CI: 14.7–18.7%), ranging between 14.0% and 19.0% across seven divisions (p = 0.015). At the population level, DBM odds were 56% higher among younger children (5–9 years) than adolescents (10–19 years) (OR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.37–1.78), and this association was found in four divisions. At the household level (mother-child pairs), DBM odds were 64% higher in younger children than adolescents (OR: 1.64; 95% CI:1.38–1.95); and higher in children living at a lower-middle socioeconomic status (SES) and middle SES, than upper SES. The policy review revealed that Bangladesh has made substantial commitments to improve nutrition; however, reference to DBM is absent from policy documents. Conclusions: The prevalence of DBM is high among children in urban areas in Bangladesh, disproportionately affecting younger children and households with low SES. In the current policy space, Bangladesh should revise national nutrition frameworks to recognize DBM as a public health priority and implement region-sensitive strategies for preventing and reducing malnutrition among school-aged children. Full article