East Asia encompasses a wide variety of environments, peoples, cultures and languages. Although this review focuses on East Asia, no geographic region can be considered in isolation in terms of human population history, and migrations to and from East Asia have had a major impact. Here, we review the following topics: the initial colonization of East Asia, the direction of migrations between so...

1Clinical Research Directorate/Clinical Monitoring Research Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, NCI Campus at Frederick, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA; 2Collaborative Clinical Research Branch, Division of Clinical Research, National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, USA; 3Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University/Mahidol Oxford Research Unit, Th...

Despite increasing recognition of the importance of communication in animal health, especially in recent zoonotic disease outbreaks, some studies have showed that there are gaps in its conceptualisation and practice (Alders and Bagnol 2007; Hickler 2007). This research project aims to define animal health communication and propose a model of its practice. The aim of agricultural extension is to...

East Asia is one of the most important regions for studying evolution and genetic diversity of human populations. Recognizing the relevance of characterizing the genetic diversity and structure of East Asian populations for understanding their genetic history and designing and interpreting genetic studies of human diseases, in recent years researchers in China have made substantial efforts to c...

Dengue virus (DENV) is endemic in south-east Asia and Central to South America. In August 2010, a DENV infection was diagnosed in a German traveller returning from a trip to Croatia in south-east Europe. The patient presented with fever and other typical symptoms of DENV-infection. Virological investigation revealed the presence of DENV-specific IgM, a rise in DENV-specific IgG and the presence...

A situation analysis was undertaken to assess impediments to health impact assessment (HIA) in the South-East Asia Region of WHO (SEARO). The countries of the region were assessed on the policy framework and procedures for HIA, existing infrastructure required to support HIA, the capacity for undertaking HIA, and the potential for intersectoral collaboration. The findings show that environmenta...

A case of haemoglobin Bart's hydrops syndrome was characterised in a Greek family with a history of three other fetuses with hydrops. Family studies showed that both the mother and father carried alpha-thalassaemia genes, and globin-chain synthesis analysis of the present fetus showed a total absence of alpha-chain production. The haemoglobin composition of the fetus was similar to that seen in...

There is a profound ignorance in Australia about Islamic law. One of the major aims of the Australian Journal of Asian Law is to inform and to encourage debate. At a time when the distance between Islamic and secular traditions seems wider than at anytime in living memory, this special issue is our attempt to open serious debate among legal scholars about syarî’ah. We believe the initiative is ...

The clinical features of 23 cases of frontoethmoidal meningoencephalocele are described in two South East Asian populations. The clinical, embryological, and epidemiological evidence may support an early teratogenic insult in the aetiology of this congenital defect. Frontoethmoidal meningoencephalocele (FEM) is a congenital abnormality involving the herniation of meninges and cerebral tissue th...