Malnutrition in South Asia—A Critical Reappraisal

Malnutrition continues to be a major public health challenge especially in South Asian developing countries. The aim of the present review is to spotlight the magnitude of the prevalence of malnutrition and its dynamics in South Asian region and to suggest potential approaches for the prevention and control of this issue of public health significance. An extensive review of literature, covering malnutrition and its determinants, health and economic consequences and pragmatic preventive strategies was performed on computer based bibliographic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Medline and Sciencedirect.com) to retrieve abstracts and full texts for India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. All relevant titles and abstracts were examined and evaluated for malnutrition and its prevalence in South Asia. The results revealed malnutrition to be a major public health problem and a potential cause of high disease burden and mortality in South Asia. Compelling evidence suggests malnutrition to be the leading cause of stunting, wasting and underweight with drastic economic consequences among vulnerable populations. Reduced cognitive performance and low productivity have also been associated with micronutrients malnutrition. Suboptimal breastfeeding, inadequate food supply, micronutrient deficiencies, low household income, poor health care system, increased healthcare costs, illiteracy, unhygienic and substandard living, inappropriate child's care and the caregiver, food insecurity and on top of that vicious cycle of poverty, have been recognized as principal indicators for growing malnutrition prevalence in South Asia. Global organizations, local governments, program managers, NGOs, academia, industry in particular and the society at large need to take up the challenge to completely confiscate malnutrition from the region for economic prosperity and a healthier future.     

Internet Authorship: Social and Political Implications Within Kyrgyzstan

This paper presents the results of our corroborated study of grassroots Internet sites and authors in the nation of Kyrgyzstan, exceptional in Central Asia for its deregulated Internet policy. The study presents a set of semistructured interviews with notable grassroots Internet authors and activists, including bloggers, forum participants, and journalists, and analyzes this data via a critical communication and media studies lens to point to significant implications on emergent social, cultural, and political movements in the nation.     

Response of seasonal vegetation development to climatic variations in eastern central Asia

Meteorological records show that central Asia has experienced one of the strongest warming signals in the world over the last 30 years. The objective of this study was to examine the seasonal vegetation response to the recent climatic variation on the Mongolian steppes, the third largest grassland in the world. The onset date of green-up for central Asia was estimated using time-series analysis of advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) biweekly composite data collected between January 1982 and December 1991. Monthly precipitation and mean temperature data (1982-1990) were acquired from 19 meteorological stations throughout the grasslands of the eastern Mongolian steppes in China. Our results showed that while the taiga forest north of the Mongolian steppes (>50°N) experienced an earlier onset of green-up during the study period, a later onset was observed at the eastern and northern edges of the Gobi Desert (40°N-50°N). Responses of different vegetation types to climatic variability appeared to vary with vegetation characteristics and spring soil moisture availability of specific sites. Plant stress caused by drought was the most significant contributor to later vegetation green-up as observed from satellite imagery over the desert steppe. Areas with greater seasonal soil moisture greened up earlier in the growing season. Our results suggested that water budget limitations determine the pattern of vegetation responses to atmospheric warming.     

亚洲的香水市场

亚洲的香水市场复杂多变,消费者在香水的使用习惯和香水香型的选择上呈现出多样性。尽管亚洲地区的香水市场存在着极大的挑战性,然而亚洲地区的香水市场为那些选对目标消费者的经销商提供了发展机遇,并对那些潜心研究错综复杂的市场的人们提供了极好的机会。     

亚洲部分地区化妆品市场法规现状

回顾了亚洲一些主要国家在化妆品方面的立法状况,并分析了这些国家法规的要点及相互之间的共同点和差异性。尽管亚洲各国的化妆品法规要求不同,但仍然在注册程序、标识、生产许可、成分限制和产品安全性等方面存在很多共同点。同时,就法规的主要方面做一些实用性的介绍。     

对走向21世纪亚太经济合作的若干思考

本文论述已为世界瞩目的亚太经济合作中的几个重要问题：经济过热引起的高通胀等弊端;地区多元化给经济合作带来的困难;亚太经济合作的主旋律以及中国在亚太经济合作中的地位和采取的对策等。     

亚洲石化工业概况

概述了亚洲石化工业的现状和发展前景，对２０００年前亚洲地区烯烃和芳烃等基础石化品的生产、供需进行了分析和预测，并对亚洲各国石化品现有生产能力和发展计划进行了详细的报道。     

“一带一路”与中国对外油气战略的调整（增刊）

“一带一路”战略必将引起区域经济结构包括国家能源战略的调整。现阶段逐步完成油气产业从中东地区向中亚油气中心的倾斜、转移和布局调整,逐步调整和实现“加强中亚、稳定中东、争夺非洲、开拓其它” 的中国油气对外合作战略,实现.3.5亿吨的海外份额油和采购油目标。加强在中亚等地区的陆路油气管网投入,推动能源装备制造及能源服务企业“走出去”与中亚诸国开展多层次、全产业链的深度合作。建设炼油化工基地,技术研发基地、装备制造基地;加强油气管网的互联互通建设,建立和完善中亚石油天然气交易中心,强化上合组织框架内的经贸合作、文化融合、司法认知等往来交流。