• Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 2019

During the Obama administration, America made a shift in its foreign policies to re-focus on Asia. The strategy, known as 'Pivot to Asia', was used to contain a rising China. In this editorial note, I appropriate the geopolitical term to call for a scholarly refocus on Asia (and the broader Asia Pacific region). JCEA started as an area journal. While it has become more technology-focused and less geographically-bounded in its coverage of topics, the journal recognizes the centrality of the region's political economy and technological forces in setting (and upsetting) global norms and rules. The Asia Pacific contains the world's freest economies as well as the most oppressive regimes. It breeds both technology giants and laggards. As new geopolitical tensions loom, it is where the digital iron curtain is drawn, and where the vice and virtue of innovations debated. Social scientists in the English world, who lend extensively on European and American cases, can benefit from studying the Asia Pacific by testing whether and how local experience conforms to or confronts with universal theories. Very likely, western-centric norms and models become morphed and entangled in the grounded local particularity, reflecting many shades of this diverse place. In my arguments below, I highlight the Asia Pacific as a site of contradiction, as well as a site of contention and negotiation. My emphasis is that regional particularity holds the key to answer concurrent debates in the West concerning governance and accountability in the digital age.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.2159-2165
• /
• 2013

Cancer registries help to establish and maintain cancer incidence reporting system, serve as a resource for investigation of cancer and its causes, and provide information for planning and evaluation of preventive and control programs. However, their wider role in directly enhancing oncology drug access has not been fully explored. We examined the value of cancer registries in oncology drug access in the Asia-Pacific region on three levels: (1) specific registry variable types; (2) macroscopic strategies on the national level; and (3) a regional cancer registry network. Using literature search and proceedings from an expert forum, this paper covers recent cancer registry developments in eight economies in the Asia-Pacific region - Australia, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand - and the ways they can contribute to oncology drug access. Specific registry variables relating to demographics, tumor characteristics, initial treatment plans, prognostic markers, risk factors, and mortality help to anticipate drug needs, identify high-priority research area and design access programs. On a national level, linking registry data with clinical, drug safety, financial, or drug utilization databases allows analyses of associations between utilization and outcomes. Concurrent efforts should also be channeled into developing and implementing data integrity and stewardship policies, and providing clear avenues to make data available. Less mature registry systems can employ modeling techniques and ad-hoc surveys while increasing coverage. Beyond local settings, a cancer registry network for the Asia-Pacific region would offer cross-learning and research opportunities that can exert leverage through the experiences and capabilities of a highly diverse region.

• Journal of Information Technology Applications and Management
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.83-100
• /
• 2016

In this paper, we present the DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) application case study to investigate the regionally distinctive telco management characteristics of the Asia-Pacific countries. This study attempts to exploit the implications of DEA for the assessments of core process capabilities of telcos. Accordingly, we extract input variables of CAPEX (capital expenditure), operating expense, marketing expense, and number of employees, each to reflect the competitiveness of the core processes such as fixed asset utilization, operation & sales efficiency, and white collar productivity. In conjunction with the input variables, the output variables are chosen as EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization), ARPU (Average Revenue per User), and number of subscribers. The computational testing results, conducted with total 37 telcos of the 12 Asia-Pacific countries, are analyzed in various ways to understand the distinctive performance characteristics across the region. The managerial implication captured from this study provides useful insight for using DEA as the international telco management purpose.

• Journal of Korea Port Economic Association
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.27-45
• /
• 2002

The continuing pace of technological change and the trend toward larger and faster ships is evident as shipping lines compete in seeking economies of scale in the global market and ports. become increasingly reliant on sophisticated equipment. Across the Asia and Pacific region some of the worlds most modern container ships are calling at an extensive network of mainline and feeder ports. This paper shows that during the period from 1999 to 2011, Asian container trade is expected to continue to increase more rapidly than the world average, i.e., 7.2 per cent per annum compared with the world average of 6.3 per cent. It is forecast that the total volumes of international containers handled at the ports in Asia and the Pacific will increase at an average growth rate of 7,2 per cent per annum. In order to handle the anticipated port container traffic in 2011, new container berths are required in nearly every country in the Asia and the Pacific region. This will entail very significant capital investment requirements. If countries in the UNESCAP region are to position their ports to meet the challenges of the next decade, there is an urgent need to implement more robust strategies to address important issues including prioritisation of port development projects, promotion of private sector participation in ports, emphasis on productivity and preparation for intermodal integration and logistics growth.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.636-663
• /
• 2020

Smartwatch, one of the popular forms of wearable gadget and a converging point of information technology innovation and fashion, is gaining much acceptance in countries belonging to the Asia-Pacific region. However, little is known about factors affecting consumers' intention to use smartwatches in Bangladesh. Therefore, this study explores factors driving Bangladeshi consumers' intention to use smartwatches and expands the general understanding of the emerging Asia-Pacific region's market. The study extends the conventional Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by incorporating perceived enjoyment, aesthetic appeal, healthology, and two fashion-related factors, such as fashion innovativeness and fashion involvement. Data representing 300 respondents were analyzed using the structural equation model (SEM). The results reveal that, among other predictors, attitude toward using has the strongest direct effect on behavioral intention to use smartwatches. Moreover, attitude toward using smartwatches is significantly influenced by perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, fashion innovativeness, and fashion involvement. The study further discusses some interesting theoretical contributions that would be important insights for future studies. The empirical findings of this study would benefit the manufacturers and marketers who are trying to enter or penetrate the market in the Asia-pacific region.

• Atmosphere
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.1-16
• /
• 2017

In this study, trends of upper jet stream characteristics (intensity, altitude, latitude, and longitude) over the Asia-North Pacific region during the recent 30 (1979~2008) years were analyzed by using four reanalysis datasets (CFSR, ERA-Int., JRA-55, MERRA). We defined the characteristics of upper jet stream as the averages of mass weighted wind speed, mass-flux weighted altitude, latitude and longitude between 400 and 100 hPa. Due to the vertical averaging of jet stream characteristics, our results reveal a weaker spatial variabilities and trends than previous studies. In general, the four reanalysis datasets show similar jet stream properties (intensity, altitude, latitude and longitude) although the magnitude and trends are slightly different among the reanalysis datasets. The altitude of MERRA is slightly higher than that of others for all seasons. The domain averaged intensity shows a weakening trend except for winter and the altitude of jet stream shows an increasing trend for all seasons. Also, the meridional trend of jet core shows a poleward trend for all seasons but it shows a contrasting trend, poleward trend in the continental area but equatorward trend in the Western Pacific region during summer. The zonal trend of jet core is very weak but a relatively strong westward trend in jet core except for spring and winter. The trends of jet stream characteristics found in this study are thermodynamically consistent with the global warming trends observed in the Asia-Pacific region.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.11
• /
• pp.6821-6832
• /
• 2013

Background: Soft-tissue sarcomas require tailored and multidisciplinary treatment and management. However, little is known about how sarcomas are treated and managed throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Materials and Methods: MEDLINE was systematically searched using prespecified criteria. Publications (previous 10 years) that reported tumour characteristics, treatment patterns, survival outcomes, and/or safety outcomes of patients with soft-tissue sarcoma were selected. Exclusion criteria were studies of patients <18 years of age; ${\leq}10$ patients; countries other than Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, or Thailand; >20% benign tumours; sarcomas located in bones or joints; gastrointestinal stromal tumour; Kaposi's sarcoma; or not reporting relevant outcomes. Results: Of the 1,822 publications retrieved, 35 (32 studies) were included. Nearly all patients (98%, 1,992/2,024; 31 studies) were treated with surgery, and more studies used adjuvant radiotherapy than chemotherapy (24 vs 17 studies). Survival outcomes and recurrence rates varied among the studies because of the different histotypes, sites, and disease stages assessed. Only 5 studies reported safety findings. Conclusions: These findings highlight the lack of specific data available about soft-tissue sarcomas in the Asia-Pacific region. Better efforts to understand how the sarcoma is managed and treated will help improve patient outcomes in the region.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.293-306
• /
• 2005

In order to bridge the digital divide issues in the Asia Pacific region, Japan initiated the Asia Broadband Program, during implementing E-Japan and U-Japan Plans with collaboration among Asia Pacific Counties. This paper describes first joint experiments that were undertaken in Japan, Singapore and China. Then this paper also describes Japanese efforts to build space infrastructure for development of ICT Society in the Asia Pacific region for further international cooperation to bridge the digital divide Article 1, para. 1, of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, calls for exploration and use of outer space to be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific development. The augmentation of common benefit from space communication could contribute to bridge the digital divide issues in developing countries in Asia Pacific region. Accordingly, space- infrastructure building would be very important to implement common benefit among countries concerned through international cooperation and collaboration

• East Asian Economic Review
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.303-325
• /
• 2023

This paper examines how APEC has transformed itself into an international forum for the vision of regional integration. It aims to quantify the documentation produced by the international organization and provide quantifiable evidence that aligns with prior knowledge rather than relying solely on intuition. For this purpose, I use various text mining techniques to extract multi-dimensional features from the text of APEC Leaders' Declarations from 1993 to 2023. In terms of interest and expectations for APEC as a forum, it is found that members have experienced two major peaks and troughs over the last three decades. It is found that the change point coincides with the Asian financial crisis of 1997 and the tensions between the United States and China since 2017. To explore more various aspects of economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region, this study also considers how consistently APEC has been an international forum for addressing issues, which members are active, and how members have clustered based on their views of APEC.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
• /
• v.7 no.8
• /
• pp.175-183
• /
• 2020

This study explores the effect of trade of Information Communications Technology (ICT) products and government's role, measured by three factors: Control of corruption, Government effectiveness, and Administrative tax level, on raising the economy across the East Asia-Pacific region. Secondary data were collected from the World Bank database of 21 countries over 12 years from 2006 to 2017. Applying the Panel corrected standard error model and running a robustness check based on the Dynamic panel data method, this research found that the exported ICT products, control of corruption, and government effectiveness could increase the economic income of a country in the region. The paper also provided the evidence indicating that the imported ICT products and the Administrative tax level are two harmful factors for economic growth. The major finding confirmed the useful contribution on improving government quality and its economy. First, improving the economy of a country always poses various challenges to its government. During the past decades, although much of the literature confirmed that exporting ICT products could promote an economy, very few studies investigated the role of Administrative tax level and the Government effectiveness. Second, there are only a few studies exploring the capability of government and the economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region.