Outbreaks of COVID-19 in a tuberculosis treatment sanatorium on the Thailand-Myanmar border: a retrospective cohort analysis.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic condition, with overlapping symptoms to those of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). There has been inconsistent evidence on whether TB is a predisposing factor for developing severe COVID-19. The aim of this report is to explore whether TB influences the severity of COVID-19.

Hemostatic function, immunomodulatory capacity, and effects of lipemia in cold-stored whole blood.

Background: Whole blood (WB) is increasingly being used for resuscitation of trauma patients. Although platelet-, red blood cell (RBC)- and plasma-specific parameters in cold-stored WB are well characterized, there has been limited investigation of biological response modifiers (BRMs), which may induce adverse reactions in recipients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality and function of RBC, platelets, plasma proteins, and BRMs in cold-stored WB during storage.

Haemolysis in red blood cell components is associated with donor ferritin and body mass index status, but not donation frequency.

Whole blood donors who donate more frequency are more likely to develop iron deficiency, which could potentially affect the quality of the red blood cell (RBC) components during storage. Additional donor factors such as sex, age at donation, donor body mass index (BMI), as well as the manufacturing method could also affect RBC component quality, particularly haemolysis. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between donation frequency, donor ferritin levels and BMI status on an extensive set of RBC characteristics in vitro, during storage at 2-6 °C for 42 days.

SUMOylation of Warts kinase promotes neural stem cell reactivation.

A delicate balance between neural stem cell (NSC) quiescence and proliferation is important for adult neurogenesis and homeostasis. Small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO)-dependent post-translational modifications cause rapid and reversible changes in protein functions. However, the role of the SUMO pathway during NSC reactivation and brain development is not established.

Arl2 GTPase associates with the centrosomal protein Cdk5rap2 to regulate cortical development via microtubule organization.

ADP ribosylation factor-like GTPase 2 (Arl2) is crucial for controlling mitochondrial fusion and microtubule assembly in various organisms. Arl2 regulates the asymmetric division of neural stem cells in Drosophila via microtubule growth. However, the function of mammalian Arl2 during cortical development was unknown.

Active Inference for Learning and Development in Embodied Neuromorphic Agents.

Taking inspiration from humans can help catalyse embodied AI solutions for important real-world applications. Current human-inspired tools include neuromorphic systems and the developmental approach to learning. However, this developmental neurorobotics approach is currently lacking important frameworks for human-like computation and learning.

Educational inequalities and self-reported health among men and women aged 18-49 years in Yangon Region, Myanmar: analysis of a population-based, cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of good self-reported health (SRH) in subpopulations based on the social determinants of health and to investigate the association between education (measured in years of schooling) and good SRH among men and women aged 18-49 years in Yangon Region, Myanmar.

Design: Analysis of data from a population-based, cross-sectional study conducted in Yangon, Myanmar, from October to November 2016. A multistage sampling procedure was employed, and structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with standardised questions adapted from the Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey.

Attitudes towards wife-beating justification and its association with female genital mutilation - analysis of ever-married Somali women in the 2020 Somali Health and Demographic Survey.

Background: In Somalia, despite its prohibition, female circumcision persists alongside significant intimate partner violence. This study examines the prevalence of wife-beating justification among Somali women and its link to the perception that female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a religious obligation.

Methods: We studied 7726 married Somali women 15-49 y of age from the 2020 Somali Health and Demographic Survey.

Vulnerability of NCDs and Mediating Effect of Risk Behaviors Among Tuberculosis Patients and Their Household Contacts Compared to the General Population in the Yangon Region, Myanmar.

Purpose: We investigated the association of TB patients and their household contacts with diabetes mellitus (DM) and hypertension compared to the general population, and the mediating effects of risk behaviors including current smoking, alcohol drinking, and poor diet quality.

Patients And Methods: A cross-sectional study on screening for DM, hypertension, and risk behaviors among newly diagnosed TB patients (n = 221) and their household contacts (n = 257) aged 25-74 years in Yangon in 2018. Health data of the general population (n = 755) were obtained from an NCD risk factor survey in Yangon.

piRNA-823 is a novel potential therapeutic target in aortic dissection.

Aortic dissection (AD) presents a medical challenge for clinicians. Here, to determine the role of a novel small non-coding piRNA-823 (piR-823) in AD, murine and human aorta from patients with AD were used. A high expression levels of piR-823 were found in patients with AD.

Treatment of Mine Water with Reverse Osmosis and Concentrate Processing to Recover Copper and Deposit Calcium Carbonate.

Mine water usually contains heavy metals and other inorganic and organic pollutants that contaminate water bodies. Reverse osmosis (RO) techniques are capable of producing purified water that meets discharge regulations. However, the problem of RO concentrate disposal and utilization is still not solved.

The Selection of Efficient Antiscalant for RO Facility, Control of Its Quality and Evaluation of the Economical Efficiency of Its Application.

Adsorption of polymeric inhibitor molecules to calcium carbonate crystal surface was investigated. Inhibiting efficiencies of phosphonic acid-based antiscalants are dependent on the amount of adsorbed material on the growing crystal surface. A strong antiscalant even at a small dose provides the necessary rate of adsorption.

A large deletion within intron 20 sequence of single-copy gene as a useful marker for the speciation in AA-genome species.

AA-genome complex comprises five wild species, , , , , and . Evolutionary relationships among these five wild species have remained contentious and inconclusive. We found that intron 20 of , a single-copy nuclear gene, was short (S-type: 141-142 bp) in , , and , while long (L-type: 1.

The compound effect of irradiation and familial pseudohyperkalemia on potassium leak from red blood cells.

Background: Familial pseudohyperkalemia (FP) is a rare asymptomatic condition characterized by an increased rate of potassium leak from red blood cells (RBC) on refrigeration. Gamma irradiation compromises RBC membrane integrity and accelerates potassium leakage. Here, we compared the effect of irradiation, applied early or late in storage, on FP versus non-FP RBC.

Gamma and X-ray irradiation do not affect the in vitro quality of refrigerated apheresis platelets in platelet additive solution (PAS-E).

Background: Platelet refrigeration (cold storage) provides the advantages of an extended shelf life and reduces the risk of bacterial growth, compared to platelets stored at room temperature (RT). However, processing modifications, such as irradiation, may further improve the safety and/or alter the quality of cold-stored platelets. Platelet components are irradiated to prevent transfusion-associated graft versus host disease (TA-GvHD) in high-risk patients; and while irradiation has little effect on the quality of RT-stored platelet components, there is no data assessing the effect irradiation has following cold storage.

Evaluation of Main Factors for Improvement of the Scandium Leaching Process from Russian Bauxite Residue (Red Mud) in Carbonate Media.

The carbonate leaching of scandium from the landfilled bauxite residue (red mud) of the Bogoslovsky Aluminum Plant (Russia) and samples of red mud (RM) after alkaline pretreatment has been investigated. The results of kinetic studies allowing to compare and evaluate the effectiveness of different conditions and intensification factors in the process of scandium leaching from RM in carbonate/bicarbonate media are presented. It was determined that for 2.

Association of Health Insurance and Documentation with Stigma and Social Support Among Myanmar Migrants with Tuberculosis Before and During Thailand's Policy on Border Closure Due to COVID-19: a Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the effect of health insurance and documentation status on tuberculosis (TB)-related stigma and social support before and during Thailand's policy on border closure.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two TB clinics in Mae Sot district, a border area of Thailand. Myanmar migrants with new TB were interviewed before (between September 2019 and March 2020) and during Thailand's policy (between April 2020 and January 2021).

X-irradiation and gamma-irradiation inactivate lymphocytes in blood components.

Background: Irradiation of selected blood components is standard practice for the prevention of transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (TA-GvHD). Currently, gamma-irradiation is the most widely used form of irradiation, but there is an increasing interest in X-irradiation, which is considered to be functionally equivalent and safer. However, there is a paucity of contemporary data regarding the ability of X-irradiation to inactivate lymphocytes in blood components.

X- and gamma-irradiation have similar effects on the in vitro quality of stored red cell components.

Background: Blood components are irradiated to inactivate lymphocytes to prevent transfusion-associated graft versus host disease. As there are little data regarding the effects of X-irradiation on red blood cell components (RBCs), the in vitro quality of stored red cells (standard, pediatric, washed, and intra-uterine transfusion [IUT]) following X- or gamma-irradiation was compared.

Study Design And Methods: RBCs were pooled, split, and processed to produce standard (<14 days and < 5 days post-collection), pediatric (<5 days post-collection), washed (<14 days post-collection), or IUT RBCs (<5 days post-collection).

Evaluation of the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of a Community-delivered Integrated Malaria Elimination (CIME) model in Myanmar: protocol for an open stepped-wedge cluster-randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: In the Greater Mekong Subregion, community health workers, known as malaria volunteers, have played a key role in reducing malaria in the control phase, providing essential malaria services in areas with limited formal healthcare. However, the motivation and social role of malaria volunteers, and testing rates, have declined with decreasing malaria burden and reorientation of malaria programmes from control to elimination. Provision of additional interventions for common health concerns could help sustain the effectiveness of volunteers and maintain malaria testing rates required for malaria elimination accreditation by the WHO.

Changes in health-related quality of life and the associated factors among Myanmar migrants with tuberculosis: a cohort study.

Background: Migrants are known to be predominantly poor population which are predisposing to social and health problems, particularly infectious diseases including tuberculosis (TB). TB itself and effect of treatment may further result in substantial morbidity and lowering the quality of life. This study aimed to assess the changes in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) within six months of anti-TB treatment initiation, and the associated factors in Myanmar migrants under anti-TB treatment within this border area.

Evaluation of the forum theatre approach for public engagement around antibiotic use in Myanmar.

Introduction: The risk of emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance is high in Southeast Asian countries and various strategies are being used to raise awareness about appropriate antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance within communities. Public engagement in science has not been widely practised in Myanmar. We describe the use of a forum theatre to engage with the community about antibiotic use.

Examining Organizational, Cultural, and Individual-Level Factors Related to Workplace Safety and Health: A Systematic Review and Metric Analysis.

One major gap in existing health communication research is that few studies have synthesized findings from the literature to map out what are the key factors related to workplace (a) safety awareness, (b) safety risks, (c) health awareness, and (d) health risks. This study bridges the gap by systematically reviewing what these organizational, cultural, and individual-level factors are, and examine the impact of workplace safety and health publications using traditional and alternative metrics in academic and non-academic settings. Through an iterative process of coding, the results revealed six categories of organizational (management commitment, management support, organizational safety communication, safety management systems, physical work environment, and organizational environment), two cultural (interpersonal support and organizational culture), and four individual-level (perception, motivation, attitude, and behavior) factors.

Trends in Diabetes Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment and Control in Yangon Region, Myanmar, Between 2004 and 2014, Two Cross-Sectional Studies.

Myanmar is currently facing the burden of non-communicable diseases due to changes in lifestyle and dietary patterns linked to socio-economic development. However, evidence is scarce about changes in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) over time. We aimed to investigate changes in the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of DM from 2004 to 2014, among adults aged 25-74 years, in the Yangon region.