All Creatures Great and Small #39
Imported Malaria
Although most kinds of malaria have been eradicated in Sarawak, malaria, Plasmodium knowlesi, continues to be imported from other areas. Kapit, Sibu and Miri lead the way in cases because of workers returning from malaria-infested areas. DOI: 10.1111/tmi.13875
New Species
A new species of shining fungus (Cyparium ) beetle has been made known to science from the Danum Valley of Sabah.DOI: 10.35929/RSZ.0084
Bidayuh Cancer NPC
A study about nasopharyngeal cancer, cancer-specific to the Bidayuh and Sarawak, shows the genetic pathway to change normal cells to cancer cells does not follow this research. DOI 10.1088/1742-6596/1175/1/012078
Iban Pop Songs
People who listened to Iban songs played on YouTube channels and other places firmly believe the Iban songs can represent the Malaysian identity, and modern Iban culture and attain an international standard. DOI: https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/1512
Malaria
The Malaria parasite Plasmodium knowlesi has been found in Denmark by a person who visited from Sabah. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2023.102580
Pan Borneo Highway
The Pan Borneo Highway connecting Sarawak with Sabah will have impacts on increased smuggling, human trafficking, smuggled products, and poachers. DOI: 10.31838/ecb/2023.12.s3.050
Timber
A new method to trace exactly where the timber was grown has been developed to help counter the illegal timber trade. DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/acc81b
Brunei Bay
The decomposition of products brought by the Padas River at the bottom of Brunei Bay has resulted in critically low oxygen levels during the dry season. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-26948-9
New Species
Cyrtinoclerus sabahensis sp. nov., a new species of beetle from Sabah has been made known to the world of science. It is the first collecting record of the genus in 100 years. DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.5271.3.9
A New Book
Conceptualizing the Malay World is one of the few works in English on the thoughts of Ibrahim Yaakob (1911–79), a Malay nationalist and founding leader of the left-wing Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM, Young Malay Association) Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 12, No. 1, April 2023, pp. 189–210
More New Species
Five genera (one new) and eight species (four new)of freshwater crabs are now recorded from the islands of Anabas and Natuna. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcbiol/ruad012
Wattles or Acacia
This shrub has been invading the Borneo heath forests changing the soil and water properties. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition Issue 1 (2023
Sedimentary Records from Borneo
Late Triassic sedimentary rocks exhibit overall mature mineral assemblages that indicate erosion during a period of limited to completely inactive subduction. 10.1029/2022GL102370
Dayak Tribes
A summary of the culture of the Dayak tribes in Kalimatan. An excellent read. https://doi.org/10.55927/eajmr.v2i4.3767
Peatland Fires
This study aims to identify the fire weather conditions during active fires that are needed to stop future occurrences of peat fires in Indonesia. https://doi.org/10.3390/fire6050182
Forest Recovery in Logged Forests
This paper concluded that a 25-year harvesting cycle will not be sufficient for the forest to recover. A 37-year recovery rate was also not enough time for the forest to attain a mature state. DOI:10.3759/tropics.MS22-07
Orchids
The Spathoglottis is a genus of terrestrial orchids in the family of Orchidaceae. They are divided into two main groups depending on the colour of the flower, purple-flowered and yellow-flowered. Species within each group are further divided by size and the shape of the lip. This study supports these divisions. https://doi.org/10.3390/f14050940
Bats
A new species of nose leaf bat had been made known to science. Hipposideros kingstonae sp. nov has been found in Sabah and elsewhere. DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.5277.3.1
History
A new article about the history of Sulu entitled “Uncovering the Unsung Hero of Sulu: Panglima Sayyadi’s Character Archetypes in Kissa” is available from Southeastern Philippines Journal of Research and Development, Vol. 28, No. 1, p.49
Big Eyed Bug
A new species of this bug has been made known to science. oi.org/10.1556/038.2023.00178
Preserving Iban Culture
This paper advocates the preservation of “jadi mali” the aim of attaining a marriage free from any unwanted catastrophe due to violating a taboo in the Iban tradition. https://doi.org/10.21315/km2023.41.1.3
Peat Swamp Tree
We assessed the genetic diversity, genetic structure and divergence time of current genetic groups for Shorea albida in Brunei. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1266/ggs.22-00112
Masting
Masting is when just about every tree in the forest produces abnormally high amounts of fruit or seeds all at once. This study has found that those rare trees that produce small amounts of seeds during regular times produce vast quantities during a mast. DOI: 10.1111/btp.13225
Crime among the Ibans
There is a relationship between anxiety and crime for Ibans who reside in the crime hotspots of Kuching, Miri and Sibu. Sci.Int.(Lahore),34(6),111-114,2022
New Publication
The Paddy and Rice Industry of Sabah and Sarawak STATUS AND POTENTIAL is available from Khazanah Research Institute. Chapter 5 has historical interest about Sabah and Sarawak. www.KRInstitute.org.
Another New Publication
Port City Evolution: The History of Kuching’s Urban Morphology as a Colonial Entrepot http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:fd98fe81-465a-461b-b4e2-e11be4bd66b4 ( I have a copy)
15th General Election in Malaysia
An analysis of the 15th General election. doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v8i4.2229
15th General Election: Another article
The 15th General Election: Party Polarization, Shifting Coalitions and the Hung Parliament. https://doi.org/10.2307/27211196