Detection of I491F and V170F rpoB Mutations Associated with Misdiagnosis of Rifampicin Resistance Among Patients with Drug-susceptible Tuberculosis Treatment Failure, Myanmar, 2022.

Detecting rifampicin resistance is crucial in selecting tuberculosis (TB) treatment. Recently, several studies reported that I491F and V170F rpoB mutations, previously designated as borderline rifampicin-resistance mutations, were found with a varying prevalence. Sputum specimens from first-line tuberculosis treatment failed patients attending Tuberculosis Centers in Yangon Region during 2022 were cultured in solid media.

Use of Antihypertensives, Blood Pressure, and Estimated Risk of Dementia in Late Life: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis.

Importance: The utility of antihypertensives and ideal blood pressure (BP) for dementia prevention in late life remains unclear and highly contested.

Objectives: To assess the associations of hypertension history, antihypertensive use, and baseline measured BP in late life (age >60 years) with dementia and the moderating factors of age, sex, and racial group.

Data Source And Study Selection: Longitudinal, population-based studies of aging participating in the Cohort Studies of Memory in an International Consortium (COSMIC) group were included.

Comparison of deforestation and forest land use factors for malaria elimination in Myanmar.

Objectives: Within the remote region of Ann Township in Myanmar's Rakhine State, malaria prevalence has remained steady at ∼10% of the population from 2016-2019. Previous studies have linked areas of higher malaria prevalence in the region to heavily forested areas, however, little is known about how people live, work, and move through these areas. This work aims to disentangle landscape from land use in regard to malaria exposure.

Risk Factors of Progression to Cognitive Frailty: Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Study 2.

Introduction: Cognitive frailty is associated with higher risk of dementia and adverse health outcomes. However, multidimensional factors that influence cognitive frailty transitions are not known. We aimed to investigate risk factors of incident cognitive frailty.

Longitudinal associations of housework with frailty and mortality in older adults: Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Study 2.

Background: Housework may provide a sustainable form of physical activity for older adults and improve health and survival outcomes. Longitudinal studies on associations between housework status over time and health outcomes are lacking. We aim to assess the longitudinal association of intensity and duration of housework with frailty and mortality outcomes.

Temporal and Spatial Differences between Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Malaria Infections in the Chittagong Hill Districts, Bangladesh.

Mapping asymptomatic malaria infections, which contribute to the transmission reservoir, is important for elimination programs. This analysis compared the spatiotemporal patterns of symptomatic and asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum malaria infections in a cohort study of ∼25,000 people living in a rural hypoendemic area of about 179 km2 in a small area of the Chittagong Hill Districts of Bangladesh. Asymptomatic infections were identified by active surveillance; symptomatic clinical cases presented for care.

Temporal Dynamics of Subclinical Malaria in Different Transmission Zones of Myanmar.

Countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion have committed to eliminate Plasmodium falciparum malaria by 2025. Subclinical malaria infections that can be detected by highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing in asymptomatic individuals represent a potential impediment to this goal, although the extent to which these low-density infections contribute to transmission is unclear. To understand the temporal dynamics of subclinical malaria in this setting, a cohort of 2,705 participants from three epidemiologically distinct regions of Myanmar was screened for subclinical P.

Prevalence of Polymorphisms and Its Contribution to Antimalarial Response.

As more sporadic cases of chloroquine resistance occur (CQR) in Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) malaria, molecular markers have become an important tool to monitor the introduction and spread of drug resistance. P.

Understanding Spatiotemporal Human Mobility Patterns for Malaria Control Using a Multiagent Mobility Simulation Model.

Background: More details about human movement patterns are needed to evaluate relationships between daily travel and malaria risk at finer scales. A multiagent mobility simulation model was built to simulate the movements of villagers between home and their workplaces in 2 townships in Myanmar.

Methods: An agent-based model (ABM) was built to simulate daily travel to and from work based on responses to a travel survey.

An In Silico Analysis of Malaria Pre-Erythrocytic-Stage Antigens Interpreting Worldwide Genetic Data to Suggest Vaccine Candidate Variants and Epitopes.

Failure to account for genetic diversity of antigens during vaccine design may lead to vaccine escape. To evaluate the vaccine escape potential of antigens used in vaccines currently in development or clinical testing, we surveyed the genetic diversity, measured population differentiation, and performed in silico prediction and analysis of T-cell epitopes of ten such pre-erythrocytic-stage antigens using whole-genome sequence data from 1010 field isolates. Of these, 699 were collected in Africa (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, and Tanzania), 69 in South America (Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, and Peru), 59 in Oceania (Papua New Guinea), and 183 in Asia (Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand).

Association of Tai Chi exercise with physical and neurocognitive functions, frailty, quality of life and mortality in older adults: Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Study.

Background: real-world observations on the long-term benefits of Tai Chi (TC) exercise, in terms of physical and cognitive functioning, frailty, quality of life (QOL) and mortality are lacking.

Methods: prospective cohort study participants were community-dwelling adults aged 55+, including 5,407 non-frequent TC participants (<1x/week) and 572 frequent TC participants (≥1x/week). Outcome measures at baseline and 3-5 years follow-up included physical performance (Knee Extension Strength, POMA Balance and Gait, Timed-up-and-go, Gait Speed) and neurocognitive performance (attention and working memory, visual-motor tracking and mental flexibility, verbal learning and memory, visual memory, spatial and constructional ability), Frailty Index ≥0.

Curcumin-Rich Curry Consumption and Neurocognitive Function from 4.5-Year Follow-Up of Community-Dwelling Older Adults (Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Study).

The potential neurocognition protective effects of dietary curcumin in curry consumed with food was investigated in this study of 2734 community-dwelling adults (aged ≥ 55, mean ± SD: 65.9 ± 7.4).

Malnutrition Risk and Kidney Function and Decline in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Objectives: The association of malnutrition with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is well established. However, there is a paucity of studies of the effect of malnutrition risk (MR) on kidney function decline among older persons who do not have end-stage or dialyzable CKD. This study aimed to examine the association between MR status and kidney function, and future risks of kidney function decline and CKD progression in community-dwelling older adults.

Functional health index of intrinsic capacity: multi-domain operationalisation and validation in the Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Study (SLAS2).

Background: ad hoc approaches are used to create composite indexes of intrinsic capacity (IC) based on five domains recommended by the World Health Organization for healthy ageing. We examined how combinations of domain-specific measures determine measurement performances of composite IC indexes.

Methods: in this population-based prospective cohort study, community-dwelling older persons (N = 2,906) aged 55 years and above were recruited.

Therapeutic efficacy of chloroquine for uncomplicated Plasmodium vivax malaria in southeastern and western border areas of Myanmar.

Background: In the Greater Mekong Subregion of Southeast Asia, Plasmodium vivax malaria is endemic and causes significant morbidity. In this study, the efficacy of chloroquine for treating uncomplicated P. vivax malaria at the eastern and western borders of Myanmar was investigated.

Co-occurrence of Physical Frailty and COPD and Association With Disability and Mortality: Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Study.

Background: Physical frailty commonly is associated with COPD, and its evaluation in COPD may provide important prognostic information for risk stratification.

Research Questions: What are the comorbid associations of physical frailty with COPD? Does physical frailty singly and in combination with FEV percent predicted and dyspnea predict disability and mortality?

Study Design And Methods: Prospective cohort study of community-dwelling adults 55 years of age or older in the Singapore Longitudinal Ageing Study. Baseline data of 1,162 participants with COPD and 3,465 participants without COPD included physical frailty, FEV percent predicted, and dyspnea.

Residual malaria among migrant workers in Myanmar: why still persistent and how to eliminate it?

Background: Residual malaria is probably an important source for the re-emergence of malaria infection in the elimination era. Assessment to identify the factors influencing residual malaria in high-risk groups is needed to develop evidence-based decisions by stakeholders and policymakers.

Methods: This study was conducted to explore the factors influencing the residual malaria infection among migrant workers in two sentinel sites (endemic vs.

Antibody signatures of asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum malaria infections measured from dried blood spots.

Background: Screening malaria-specific antibody responses on protein microarrays can help identify immune factors that mediate protection against malaria infection, disease, and transmission, as well as markers of past exposure to both malaria parasites and mosquito vectors. Most malaria protein microarray work has used serum as the sample matrix, requiring prompt laboratory processing and a continuous cold chain, thus limiting applications in remote locations. Dried blood spots (DBS) pose minimal biohazard, do not require immediate laboratory processing, and are stable at room temperature for transport, making them potentially superior alternatives to serum.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress response and bile acid signatures associate with multi-strain seroresponsiveness during elderly influenza vaccination.

The elderly are an important target for influenza vaccination, and the determination of factors that underlie immune responsiveness is clinically valuable. We evaluated the immune and metabolic profiles of 205 elderly Singaporeans administered with Vaxigrip. Despite high seroprotection rates, we observed heterogeneity in the response.

Surge of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections linked to single introduction of a virus strain in Myanmar, 2020.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is a major health concern globally. Genomic epidemiology is an important tool to assess the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Several mutations have been reported by genome analysis of the SARS-CoV-2.