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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

The role of western Asia in modern human origins.

Western Asia provides the best collection of human skeletal remains relevant to the two basic models for the emergence of modern humans, namely the 'rapid replacement' and the 'regional continuity' models. Regardless of the taxonomies of particular hominids, their chronology is of crucial importance. Thermoluminescence (TL) and electron spin resonance (ESR) dates demonstrate that the Acheulo-Yabrudian and Mousterian entities and their associated fossils (Zuttiyeh, Tabun, Skhul, Qafzeh, Kebara, Shanidar, Amud) span the late Middle and Upper Pleistocene period. These new dates initiated major chronological revisions and renewed discussion of the cultural-archaeological implications. One of the most important conclusions is that the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition (or Revolution) 45-40 ka ago has nothing to do with the appearance of anatomically early modern humans in western Asia, which occurred some 100 ka ago or more. The Levant, the coastal region of the eastern Mediterranean, was both a corridor for movement of humans and animals as well as a refugium during climatically harsh periods. The mixture of morphological characteristics among the available Middle Palaeolithic human fossils is interpreted as reflecting the presence of immigrant and local populations. Archaeologically observable behavioural changes are taken as hints to the pre-adaptations of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic revolution. The archaeological record of western Asia can contribute significantly to explaining the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic revolution. This region was the core area where the 'Neolithic Revolution' took place. The shift to systematic cultivation and the domestication of animals occurred within a short time.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Network analyses of Y-chromosomal types in Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia reveal specific patterns of geographic distribution.

In a study of 908 males from Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, the variation of four Y-linked dinucleotide microsatellites was analyzed within three "frames" that are defined by mutations that are nonrecurrent, or nearly so. The rapid generation and extinction of new dinucleotide length variants causes the haplotypes within each lineage to diverge from one another. We constructed networks of "adjacent" haplotypes within each frame, by assuming changes of a single dinucleotide unit. Two small and six large networks were obtained, the latter including 94.9% of the sampled Y chromosomes. We show that the phenetic relationships among haplotypes, represented as a network, result largely from common descent and subsequent molecular radiation. The grouping of haplotypes of the same network thus fits an evolutionarily relevant criterion. Notably, this method allows the total diversity within a sample to be partitioned. Networks can be considered optimal markers for population studies, because reliable frequency estimates can be obtained in small samples. We present synthetic maps describing the incidence of different Y-chromosomal lineages in the extant human populations of the surveyed areas. Dinucleotide diversity also was used to infer time intervals for the coalescence of each network.

Africa, Northern↗
PubMed1956

Bilharziasis survey in south-western Asia; covering Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Sa'udi Arabia, and Syria: 1950-51.

This paper describes a limited survey of bilharziasis and its vectors carried out during 1950 and 1951 in some countries of south-western Asia. Lack of time and of full facilities prevented the survey from being as comprehensive and systematic as would have been wished, but enough data were obtained to provide a general estimate of the situation.Information already available from the literature was supplemented by collecting unpublished records, questioning the inhabitants, examining random samples of stools and urine, and investigating rivers, wells, and springs. Bilharziasis haematobia is already heavily endemic in the irrigated areas of Iraq and is also present, in comparatively smaller foci, in northern Syria, Israel, and Sa'udi Arabia. In the opinion of the senior author (M. A. A.), the envisaged extension of irrigation is likely to create a serious health problem in Mesopotamia and to introduce the disease into the Jordan region unless the spread of the molluscan vector, Bulinus sp., is checked. Intensification of infection and further spread are possible in Israel and in the Syrian Jezire, while the remainder of Syria and Lebanon are not considered to be endangered. Bilharziasis mansoni is widespread in the fertile areas of Sa'udi Arabia and also occurs in one minor focus in Israel. The industrialization of Sa'udi Arabia which is planned to exploit its oil resources, with its inevitable concentration of population, equally presents a danger in the intensification of bilharziasis. It is considered that, unless prompt measures are undertaken to break the link between the agricultural and industrial expansion and the spread of the disease, the debilitation of large groups of the population and the economic loss which may well result over most of the inhabited parts of the area discussed will be significant.

Arabia↗
PubMed2002

In vitro assessment of gatifloxacin spectrum and potency tested against Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from the Asia-Western Pacific component of the SENTRY antimicrobial surveillance program (1998-1999).

Fluoroquinolones, especially the newer agents, have an increased role in the management of respiratory tract infections worldwide. In the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program for the Asia-Pacific Region for 1998 and 1999, 630 Streptococcus pneumoniae, 583 Hemophilus influenzae and 274 Moraxella catarrhalis isolates were examined to determine the comparative activity of the new fluoroquinolone, gatifloxacin, compared with those of ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and trovafloxacin. Gatifloxacin was highly active against all three species. Decreased susceptibility (MIC >/=2 microg/mL) to gatifloxacin was noted in only seven strains of S. pneumoniae (3 of which were resistant); in three strains of H. influenzae (MIC >/= 0.12 microg/mL), and 2 M. catarrhalis (MIC > 2 microg/mL).

Anti-Infective Agents↗
PubMed2002

Pathogen occurrence and antimicrobial resistance trends among urinary tract infection isolates in the Asia-Western Pacific Region: report from the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program, 1998-1999.

Worldwide surveillance of antimicrobial resistance among urinary tract pathogens is useful to determine important trends and geographical variation for common Gram-positive and -negative species. The most common causative uropathogens often have intrinsic or acquired resistance mechanisms which include ESBL production among enteric bacilli, multi-drug resistant staphylococci and non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter spp. and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. This study evaluates pathogen frequency and the resistance rates among urinary tract infection (UTI) pathogens in 14 medical centres in the Asia-Pacific region between 1998 and 1999. The isolates were referred to a central monitor for reference NCCLS broth microdilution testing, identification confirmation and patient demographic analysis. Over 50% of the 958 pathogens were Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. followed by P. aeruginosa, Enterococcus spp. and Enterobacter spp. Susceptibility for the three enteric bacilli was high for carbapenems (100%), 'fourth-generation' cephalosporins (cefepime 94.9-98.6%) and amikacin (> or = 93.0%). Beta-lactamase inhibitor compounds were more active against E. coli (piperacillin/tazobactam; > 90% susceptible) than the other two enteric species and all other tested agents had a narrower spectra of activity. The rank order of anti-pseudomonal agents was amikacin (91.5% susceptible)> imipenem > piperacillin/tazobactam > tobramycin > ceftazidime and cefepime (77.4 and 76.4% susceptible, respectively). Susceptibility to quinolones for the P. aeruginosa isolates was only 63.2-67.0%. Only one vancomycin-intermediate Enterococcus spp. (van C phenotype) was detected among the 103 strains tested. Newer fluoroquinolones (gatifloxacin; MIC(50), mg/l) were more potent against enterococci than ciprofloxacin (MIC(50), 2 mg/l) and high-level resistance to aminoglycosides was common (41.7%). The data presented are compared to studies of similar design from other areas which are part of the SENTRY surveillance network.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1992

Western Asia--a college visit.

The first newspaper for a fortnight is always read avidly by any homeward bound traveller. So it was for the passengers on Flight KL872 on Monday, November 4 after a Conference in Pakistan and India with the Royal College of Surgeons of England. It was not long before Guardian readers had found the article 'In the ruins of the Raj' by Mark Tully.* Uncannily, it recounted the splendour and majesty of the countries we had visited and yet, at the same time, expressed our fears for the future of these delightfully hospitable and intelligent people who had been our hosts in Pakistan and India for two weeks.

Congresses as Topic↗
PubMed2002

[Origin of caucasoid-specific mitochondrial DNA lineages in the ethnic populations of the Altai-Sayan region].

The data on sequence variation in the first hypervariable segment (HVSI) of human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) representing Caucasoid mtDNA lineages in the gene pools of Altaians and Khakassians are presented. Identification of the subgroups of Caucasoid mtDNA lineages found in the gene pools of the ethnic populations of the Altai-Sayan region and the adjacent territories, Altaians, Khakassians, Tuvinians, Buryats, and Yakuts was carried out. All Caucasoid mtDNA lineages belonged to groups H, HV1, J*, J1, J1b1, T1, T4, U1a, U2, U3, U4, U5a1, I, X and N1a. Taking into consideration possible contribution of southern Caucasoid and eastern European components to the formation of the anthropological type of Altai-Sayan ethnic populations, distribution of the revealed Caucasoid mtDNA lineages among the ethnic populations of the Central Asia, Western Asia, Caucasus, and Eastern Europe was examined. The applied approach permitted identification of 60% of mtDNA types the majority of which had southern Caucasoid origin. Less than 10% of mtDNA types were of eastern European origin. The gene pools of Altaians and Khakassians displayed the presence of autochthonous components represented by mtDNA types from subgroups U2 and U4.

Asian People↗
PubMed1992

Economic gains and social cost of West Asian migration: the case of Nachchaduwa.

The main objective of this article is to examine the economic and social implications of the migration of female workers from a village in Sri Lanka to Western Asia. "The paper examines firstly, the new dependent village economy that has emerged during the past decade and its main characteristics and secondly, the nature of the new local social order that has come into being."

Asia↗
PubMed1992

The earnings of Asian male immigrants in the Canadian labor market.

"The earnings of Asian-born immigrants in the Canadian labor market declined relative to the earnings of native-born workers between 1981 and 1986. Analysis of the labor market performance of immigrants from four regions of Asia--Southern Asia, South East Asia, Eastern Asia and Western Asia--shows that Asian immigrants are a heterogeneous group. However, changes in the birthplace composition of Asian immigrants cannot explain the fall in the relative earnings of the Asian aggregate. Attention is drawn to the switch in the distribution of immigrants across the admission classes as a possible explanation of this phenomenon."

Americas↗
PubMed1969

Antibiotic sensitivity of gonococcal strains isolated in the South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions in 1961-68.

A decreasing susceptibility of gonococcal strains to penicillin and other antibiotics has been observed in most parts of the world, including the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions. In the Neisseria Department, Statens Seruminstitut, Copenhagen, the antibiotic sensitivity of about 100 gonococcal strains from these regions has been determined. The strains were collected during 2 periods, one in 1961 (Ceylon and the Philippines), the other in 1967-68 (Thailand, Taiwan, Viet-Nam and Hong Kong).It was found that the incidence of gonococcal strains with decreased susceptibility to penicillin and most of the more generally used antibiotics is increasing in these regions. The distribution of the 50% inhibitory concentrations of penicillin, tetracycline, streptomycin and spiramycin was similar for the strains isolated in the Philippines in 1961 and for those from the other areas in 1967-68, namely, strains with "normal sensitivity" were lacking. Most of the strains collected in 1961 were fully sensitive to chloramphenicol and erythromycin, whereas about 25% of the strains collected in 1967-68 were only moderately sensitive to chloramphenicol, and about 75% were moderately sensitive to erythromycin; 1 strain was resistant to erythromycin. Only 10% of these strains were sensitive to all the antibiotics employed.In contrast to these findings, several authors report an increasing susceptibility of the gonococcal strains in northern Europe. Possible explanations for the reversion to "normal sensitivity" are discussed briefly.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1983

Arthropod- and rodent-borne viral and rickettsial diseases in the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions: memorandum from a WHO meeting.

Arthropod- and rodent-borne viral and rickettsial diseases continue to be one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions. Both epidemics and sporadic cases occur. In some years, outbreaks of dengue haemorrhagic fever and Japanese encephalitis reached alarming proportions. The significance of other arthropod- and rodent-borne viral and rickettsial diseases has still to be determined. Therefore, continuous epidemiological surveillance, diagnosis, and control of these groups of diseases remains an urgent task.The objectives, targets, priority areas, and strategies for future plans of action have been identified and recommendations formulated.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Cancer in Lebanon: an epidemiological review of the American University of Beirut Medical Center Tumor Registry (1983-1994).

PURPOSE: Cancers recorded in the Tumor Registry at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC), the largest tertiary care center, in Lebanon were reviewed. METHODS: Results were compared with those from the same center 30 years ago and current data from western Asia. RESULTS: Between 1983 and 1994, 9364 cases were recorded, averaging 780 cases per year, representing more than one-third of the national case-load. Cases were almost equally distributed between males and females. Average age of females was significantly younger (48.7 years) than that of males (52.2 years). Among males, the five most frequently reported cancers were of the lung, bladder, larynx, lymphoma, and leukemia. Among females, the four most frequently reported cancers were of the breast, cervix uteri, lymphoma, and brain, with leukemia and corpus uteri ranking equally as fifth. Over the past 30 years, the frequency of colorectal cancer decreased and that of lung cancer increased in both sexes. Oral cancer decreased dramatically among males. Digestive system cancers in this series were less frequent than in cumulative data from western Asia area. CONCLUSIONS: Cancer dynamics changed little since the 1950s, except regard to cancers related to smoking and diet. Diet differences may explain the lower frequencies of digestive cancers in Lebanon as compared with elsewhere in western Asia. The potential impact of cancer prevention and early detection on highly prevalent cancer types such as lung, larynx, breast, and cervix was highlighted.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMed2003

Environmental threats to children's health in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific.

The Southeast Asia and Western Pacific regions contain half of the world's children and are among the most rapidly industrializing regions of the globe. Environmental threats to children's health are widespread and are multiplying as nations in the area undergo industrial development and pass through the epidemiologic transition. These environmental hazards range from traditional threats such as bacterial contamination of drinking water and wood smoke in poorly ventilated dwellings to more recently introduced chemical threats such as asbestos construction materials; arsenic in groundwater; methyl isocyanate in Bhopal, India; untreated manufacturing wastes released to landfills; chlorinated hydrocarbon and organophosphorous pesticides; and atmospheric lead emissions from the combustion of leaded gasoline. To address these problems, pediatricians, environmental health scientists, and public health workers throughout Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific have begun to build local and national research and prevention programs in children's environmental health. Successes have been achieved as a result of these efforts: A cost-effective system for producing safe drinking water at the village level has been devised in India; many nations have launched aggressive antismoking campaigns; and Thailand, the Philippines, India, and Pakistan have all begun to reduce their use of lead in gasoline, with resultant declines in children's blood lead levels. The International Conference on Environmental Threats to the Health of Children, held in Bangkok, Thailand, in March 2002, brought together more than 300 representatives from 35 countries and organizations to increase awareness on environmental health hazards affecting children in these regions and throughout the world. The conference, a direct result of the Environmental Threats to the Health of Children meeting held in Manila in April 2000, provided participants with the latest scientific data on children's vulnerability to environmental hazards and models for future policy and public health discussions on ways to improve children's health. The Bangkok Statement, a pledge resulting from the conference proceedings, is an important first step in creating a global alliance committed to developing active and innovative national and international networks to promote and protect children's environmental health.

Asia, Southeastern↗
PubMed2004

Horse-mounted invaders from the Russo-Kazakh steppe or agricultural colonists from western Central Asia? A craniometric investigation of the Bronze Age settlement of Xinjiang.

Numerous Bronze Age cemeteries in the oases surrounding the Täklamakan Desert of the Tarim Basin in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, western China, have yielded both mummified and skeletal human remains. A dearth of local antecedents, coupled with woolen textiles and the apparent Western physical appearance of the population, raised questions as to where these people came from. Two hypotheses have been offered by archaeologists to account for the origins of Bronze Age populations of the Tarim Basin. These are the "steppe hypothesis" and the "Bactrian oasis hypothesis." Eight craniometric variables from 25 Aeneolithic and Bronze Age samples, comprising 1,353 adults from the Tarim Basin, the Russo-Kazakh steppe, southern China, Central Asia, Iran, and the Indus Valley, are compared to test which, if either, of these hypotheses are supported by the pattern of phenetic affinities possessed by Bronze Age inhabitants of the Tarim Basin. Craniometric differences between samples are compared with Mahalanobis generalized distance (d2), and patterns of phenetic affinity are assessed with two types of cluster analysis (the weighted pair average linkage method and the neighbor-joining method), multidimensional scaling, and principal coordinates analysis. Results obtained by this analysis provide little support for either the steppe hypothesis or the Bactrian oasis hypothesis. Rather, the pattern of phenetic affinities manifested by Bronze Age inhabitants of the Tarim Basin suggests the presence of a population of unknown origin within the Tarim Basin during the early Bronze Age. After 1200 B.C., this population experienced significant gene flow from highland populations of the Pamirs and Ferghana Valley. These highland populations may include those who later became known as the Saka and who may have served as "middlemen" facilitating contacts between East (Tarim Basin, China) and West (Bactria, Uzbekistan) along what later became known as the Great Silk Road.

Agriculture↗