• Title/Summary/Keyword: Asia-Pacific Region

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Effects of Two Chemotherapy Regimens, Anthracycline-based and CMF, on Breast Cancer Disease Free Survival in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and Asia: A Meta-Analysis Approach for Survival Curves

  • Zare, Najaf;Ghanbari, Saeed;Salehi, Alireza
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.14 no.3
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    • pp.2013-2017
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    • 2013
  • Background: To compare the effects of two adjuvant chemotherapy regimens, anthracycline-based and cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, fluorourical (CMF) on disease free survival for breast cancer patients in the Eastern Mediterranean region and Asia. Methods: In a systematic review with a multivariate mixed model meta-analysis, the reported survival proportion at multiple time points in different studies were combined. Our data sources were studies linking the two chemotherapy regimens on an adjuvant basis with disease free survival published in English and Persian in the Eastern Mediterranean region and Asia. All survival curves were generated with Graphdigitizer software. Results: 14 retrospective cohort studies were located from electronic databases. We analyzed data for 1,086 patients who received anthracycline-based treatment and 1,109 given CMF treatment. For determination of survival proportions and time we usesb the transformation Ln (-Ln(S)) and Ln (time) to make precise estimations and then fit the model. All analyses were carried out with STATA software. Conclusions: Our findings showed a significant efficacy of anthracycline-based adjuvant therapy regarding disease free survival of breast cancer. As a limitation in this meta-analysis we used studies with different types of anthracycline-based regimens.

Southeast Asian Studies: Insiders and Outsiders, or is Culture and Identity a Way Forward?

  • King, Victor T.
    • SUVANNABHUMI
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    • v.8 no.1
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    • pp.17-53
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    • 2016
  • Debates continue to multiply on the definition and rationale of Southeast Asia as a region and on the utility of the multidisciplinary field of area studies. However, we have now entered a post-colonialist, post-Orientalist, post-structuralist stage of reflection and re-orientation in the era of globalization, and a strong tendency on the part of insiders to pose these issues in terms of an insider-outsider dichotomy. On the one hand, the study of Southeast Asia for researchers from outside the region has become fragmented. This is for very obvious reasons: the strengthening and re-energizing of academic disciplines, the increasing popularity of other non-regional multidisciplinary studies, and the entry of globalization studies into our field of vision. On the other hand, how has the local Southeast Asian academy addressed these major issues of change in conceptualizing the region from an insider perspective? In filling in and giving substance to an outsider, primarily Euro-American-Australian-centric definition and vision of Southeast Asia, some local academics have recently been inclined to construct Southeast Asia in terms of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN): a nation-state-based, institutional definition of what a region comprises. Others continue to operate at a localized level exploring small-scale communities and territories, while a modest number focus on sub-regional issues (the Malay-Indonesian world or the Mekong sub-region are examples). However, further reflections suggest that the Euro-American-Australian hegemony is a thing of the past and the ground has shifted to a much greater emphasis on academic activity within the region. Southeast Asia-based academics are also finding it much more important to network within the region and to capture, understand, and analyze what Chinese, Japanese, and Korean scholars are saying about Southeast Asia, its present circumstances and trajectories, and their increasingly close involvement with the region within a greater Asia-Pacific rim. The paper argues that the insider-outsider dichotomy requires considerable qualification. It is a neat way of dramatizing the aftermath of colonialism and Orientalism and of reasserting local priorities, agendas, and interests. But there might be a way forward in resolving at least some of these apparently opposed positions with recourse to the concepts of culture and identity in order to address Southeast Asian diversities, movements, encounters, hybridization, and hierarchies.

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Operation and Current Issues of Asia-Pacific Regional Standardization Organization (APT의 지역 표준화기구 운영과 현안 이슈)

  • Kim, Young-Tae;Sohn, Hong;Park, Ki-Shik
    • Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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    • 2000.10a
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    • pp.129-134
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    • 2000
  • The APT(Asia Pacific Telecommunity) Standardization Program(ASTAE) as means of regional cooperation in standardization was launched on February 1998. Its major functions are to study standardization-related issues and make contributions to the international standardization organizations like ITU, to bring about harmonization of telecommunications standards for the region and to disseminate information on regional and international standardization activities. In addition, through the third ASTAP forum of the An which held at Seoul on lune 2000, its organizational structure was changed and focused on the creation of more productive outputs and the more active participation of industry-related organization, for the pursuit of regional common interest and the enhancement of regional positions toward international standardization arena. Bearing in mind the consideration outlined above, this paper aims to analyze telecommunications standardization policy and current issues intended by Asia-Pacific regional standardization organization and accordingly, to suggest a strategy for strengthening telecommunications standardization activities in Asia-Pacific region.

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Making Consumer to Buy Funds: Factor Portfolio in Global Stock Distribution Market (일반 소비자의 공모펀드 구매유인 제고 방안: 글로벌 주식유통시장에서 요인포트폴리오 활용)

  • LIU, Won-Suk
    • Journal of Distribution Science
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    • v.17 no.9
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    • pp.117-125
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    • 2019
  • Purpose - We investigate how to increase consumer incentives to buy public offering funds, resulting in activating the public offering fund market. In particular, this study aims to find ways to expand diversity and to improve efficiency of public offering fund. The public fund market of Korea has been stagnant in recent years. However, the public offering fund market plays a very significant role in terms of consumer welfare. Since only a few wealthy investors can participate in the private equity market, the stagnation in the public offering fund market usually reduces the opportunity of consumer's buying funds thus ultimately affecting their future wealth. Research design, data, and methodology - To attain our purpose, the 'factor-based portfolio strategy' has been considered. It is an alternative portfolio strategy, which composites the advantages of the passive management and active management. For our empirical anaylsis, we used global stock distribution market data over the period of 1991 and 2016. Then we constructed portfolios based on firm-size, firm-value, and momentum. Finally, a regression model was set, then hypotheses were tested, analyzing the performances. Results - First, among the 15 factor-based portfolios of global, Europe, Asia-Pacific(ex Japan), US and Japan, in eight portfolios, positive excess returns are observed at 5% significance level. Further, there is another portfolio with positive excess return at 10% significance level. Second, most of the portfolios with significant excess performance show positive relationship with the market portfolio. However, the firm-value based portfolio in Asia-Pacific region shows no relationship, and the firm-value based portfolio in US shows negative relationship. Third, we confirmed that the two firm-value factor portfolios in Asia-Pacific region and US, not having positive relationship with market portfolio, provide significant excess returns. Conclusions - In this paper, we provide empirical evidences supporting that the factor-based portfolios expand the diversity of funds and improve the efficiency of investment performance. However, there is no guarantee that the efficiency will continue in the future. In addition, various constraints and costs must be considered. Nevertheless, our novel findings in the advanced financial market such as US and Asia-Pacific are very interesting and offers important implications.

Operation and Current Issues of Asia-Pacific Regional Standardization Organization (APT의 지역 표준화기구 운영과 현안 이슈)

  • Kim, Young-Tae;Sohn, Hong;Park, Ki-Shik
    • Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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    • v.4 no.4
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    • pp.853-859
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    • 2000
  • The APT(Asia Pacific Telecommunity) Standardization Program(ASTAP) as means of regional cooperation in standardization was launched on February 1998. Its major functions are to study standardization-related issues and make contributions to the international standardization organizations like ITU, to bring about harmonization of telecommunications standards for the region and to disseminate information on regional and international standardization activities .In addition, through the third ASTAP Forum of the APT which held at Seoul on June 2000, its organizational structure was changed and focused on the creation of more productive outputs and the more active participation of industry-related organization, for the pursuit of regional common interests and the enhancement of regional positions toward international standardization arena. Bearing in mind the consideration outlined above, this paper aims to analyze telecommunications standardization policy and current issues intended by Asia-Pacific regional standardization organization and accordingly, to suggest a strategy for strengthening telecommunications standardization activities in Asia-Pacific region.

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Clustering Asian and North African Countries According to Trend of Colon and Rectum Cancer Mortality Rates: an Application of Growth Mixture Models

  • Zayeri, Farid;Sheidaei, Ali;Mansouri, Anita
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.16 no.9
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    • pp.4115-4121
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    • 2015
  • Background: Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death with half a million deaths per year. Incidence and mortality rates have demonstrated notable changes in Asian and African countries during the last few decades. In this study, we first aimed to determine the trend of colorectal cancer mortality rate in each Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) region, and then re-classify them to find more homogenous classes. Materials and Methods: Our study population consisted of 52 countries of Asia and North Africa in six IHME pre-defined regions for both genders and age-standardized groups from 1990 to 2010.We first applied simple growth models for pre-defined IHME regions to estimate the intercepts and slopes of mortality rate trends. Then, we clustered the 52 described countries using the latent growth mixture modeling approach for classifying them based on their colorectal mortality rates over time. Results: Statistical analysis revealed that males and people in high income Asia pacific and East Asia countries were at greater risk of death from colon and rectum cancer. In addition, South Asia region had the lowest rates of mortality due to this cancer. Simple growth modeling showed that majority of IHME regions had decreasing trend in mortality rate of colorectal cancer. However, re-classification these countries based on their mortality trend using the latent growth mixture model resulted in more homogeneous classes according to colorectal mortality trend. Conclusions: In general, our statistical analyses showed that most Asian and North African countries had upward trend in their colorectal cancer mortality. We therefore urge the health policy makers in these countries to evaluate the causes of growing mortality and study the interventional programs of successful countries in managing the consequences of this cancer.

Island ecology on biological-cultural diversities and human adaptation in seascapes

  • Hong, Sun-Kee
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
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    • v.33 no.2
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    • pp.115-120
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    • 2010
  • The Asian cultural landscape is a mirrored ecosystem of great complexity, formed by the interaction of man and nature, coupled with a host of ecological processes. The human dependencies on and environmental adaptation of the bio-organisms and the surrounding landscape constitute the typical cultural landscape. Islands are a good example of a cultural landscape, and each mosaic pattern of marine and coastal ecosystems reflects bio-cultural diversity. Along with land-use patterns, wise use of biological organisms and indigenous knowledge has expanded to islands in the Asia-Pacific region in several ways (sea current and human impact, etc.). Loss in biodiversity and landscape diversity as well as cultural diversity owing to global warming and rapid urbanization are emerging issues for island ecosystems all over the world. In order to sustain the historical coexistence between man and natural systems, we ecologists must continue to search for a holistic solution for academic consilience. In this paper, I present the vision and practical characteristics of island ecology with a view toward the conservation of the traditional landscape and bio-cultural diversities in the seascape.

Leadership of AAAP scientists and journals in animal science: achievements, limitations, and challenges

  • Jong K., Ha
    • Animal Bioscience
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    • v.36 no.1
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    • pp.1-9
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    • 2023
  • The Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies (AAAP), the only international scientific organization in animal science representing Asia and Pacific region, showed a remarkable development since its inception in 1980. The number of member countries increased from 8 to 19 while 19 congresses were held in 11 different member countries. The AAAP also helped creating the official journal, Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences in 1988 with the title being changed to Animal Bioscience in 2021. It is an open access journal indexed by most global databases and has become one of the most respected global journals in animal science. Through scientific meetings and journal publication, the AAAP has made a tremendous contribution to the advancement of animal science and industry throughout its member countries over the last 40 years. This paper summarizes the advances in animal science in the Asia-Pacific region, together with the roles of the AAAP scientists and journals in developing animal science.

Collaboration through the Asia Pacific MPS Network (APMN), Asia Pacific MPS Registry (APMR), and Association for Research of MPS & Rare Diseases (ARMRD)

  • Cho, Sung Yoon
    • Journal of mucopolysaccharidosis and rare diseases
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    • v.1 no.1
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    • pp.2-4
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    • 2015
  • Though the rate of incidence of each rare disease, including mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS), is low, this is not the case if they are taken as a whole. Rare diseases often have genetic causes and vary in type. However, the signs and symptoms vary greatly by disease, making it difficult to make accurate diagnoses and conduct necessary research, which is why we believe it is a field that deserves more attention and research. It is important to establish an infrastructure of experts in each country and promote cooperation within the Asia-Pacific region in order to improve specialist training and communication. Given the need for a system of cooperation, the Asia Pacific MPS Network (APMN) was established by several MPS experts in South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan in January 2013. Thereafter, the Asia Pacific MPS Registry (APMR), an electronic remote data system, was established by the APMN. Then, the Association for Research of MPS & Rare Diseases (ARMRD), an academic society that supports research on MPS and other rare diseases, was established by President Dong-Kyu Jin in April in 2015. The main task of the ARMRD is to support APMN-related work. The ARMRD published a uniform guideline that reflects the characteristics and circumstances of local patients through the Korean MPS Expert Council. Now, the APMN, APMR, and the annual Korean MPS Symposium are supported by ARMRD. Organizations like the APMN and APMR are necessary because international cooperation and collaboration are needed to conduct clinical trials on those diseases. ARMRD members hope to encourage the interest of experts and researchers of MPS & rare diseases as well as active participation in the research and treatment of patients suffering from rare diseases, including MPS, to ultimately improve the quality of life of the patients as well as their families.