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.

Adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures among residents in selected townships, Yangon Region, Myanmar: a community-based cross-sectional study.

Background: To fight the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, many countries have implemented various mitigation measures to contain the spread of the disease. By engaging with health service providers, the community's participation in adherence to preventive measures is certainly required in the implementation of COVID-19 mitigation strategies. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures and its associated factors among the residents, Yangon Region, Myanmar.

Job satisfaction among Myanmar working population, a cross-sectional study.

The gap between expectations and reality could lead to low job satisfaction. Although much literature has been described on job satisfaction among different categories of people, more research is needed to acknowledge the judgment of job satisfaction among some of the Myanmar working population. The study aims to find out the satisfaction level of a job and the factors related to it.

Prevalence of G6PD deficiency and diagnostic accuracy of a G6PD point-of-care test among a population at risk of malaria in Myanmar.

Background: Over the past decade, the incidence of malaria has steadily declined in Myanmar, with Plasmodium vivax becoming predominant. The resilience of P. vivax to malaria control is attributed to the parasite's ability to form hypnozoites in the host's liver, which can cause relapse.

Transdermal Photothermal-Pharmacotherapy to Remodel Adipose Tissue for Obesity and Metabolic Disorders.

Despite the increasing prevalence of obesity, the current medications, which act indirectly on the central nervous system to suppress appetite or on the gastrointestinal tract to inhibit fat absorption, suffer from poor effectiveness and side effects. Here, we developed a transdermal mild photothermal therapy directly acting on the root of evil (subcutaneous white adipose depot) to induce its ameliorating remodeling (browning, lipolysis, and apoptosis), based on the injectable thermoresponsive hydrogel encapsulated with copper sulfide nanodots. Further, combining pharmaceutical therapy with codelivery of mirabegron leads to a strong therapeutic synergy.

Pursuing Investigations Establish the Challenging Diagnosis of Primary Aldosteronism.

Primary aldosteronism is one of the causes of secondary hypertension. The most sensitive screening test for primary aldosteronism is the measurement of the plasma aldosterone concentration and plasma renin activity to calculate the aldosterone/renin ratio. We report a case of hypertension and hypokalemia with a negative plasma aldosterone/renin ratio, inconclusive confirmatory saline infusion test.

Readmissions, Death and Its Associated Predictors in Heart Failure With Preserved Versus Reduced Ejection Fraction.

Background Data on rehospitalizations for heart failure (HF) in Asia are scarce. We sought to determine the burden and predictors of HF (first and recurrent) rehospitalizations and all-cause mortality in patients with HF and preserved versus reduced ejection fraction (preserved EF, ≥50%; reduced EF, <40%), in the multinational ASIAN-HF (Asian Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure) registry. Methods and Results Patients with symptomatic (stage C) chronic HF were followed up for death and recurrent HF hospitalizations for 1 year.

Associations Between Prognostic Awareness, Acceptance of Illness, and Psychological and Spiritual Well-being Among Patients With Heart Failure.

Background: This study aimed to (1) investigate the association of prognostic awareness with psychological (distress level and emotional well-being) and spiritual well-being among patients with heart failure, and (2) assess the main and moderating effects of illness acceptance on the relationship between prognostic awareness and psychological and spiritual well-being.

Methods And Results: This study used baseline data of a Singapore cohort of patients with heart failure (N = 245) who had New York Heart Association class 3 or 4 symptoms. Patients reported their awareness of prognosis and extent of illness acceptance.

Evolving Challenges in Diagnosis of Renal Vasculitis.

Renal-limited vasculitis is a rare anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis that presents only with a renal manifestation in the absence of other organs involvement. In this report, a 50-year-old female presented with nonspecific symptoms and anemia, who was subsequently discovered to have renal-limited vasculitis. After receiving a combination of steroid and immunosuppressive therapy, she recovered uneventfully without further relapse.

A survey of visual impairment and blindness in children attending eight schools for the blind in Myanmar: An update.

Purpose: To determine the causes of visual impairment (VI) and blindness among children in schools for the blind in Myanmar; to identify the avoidable causes of VI and blindness; to provide spectacles, low-vision aids, and ophthalmic treatment where indicated; to provide an update of the 2007 survey performed and identify any major epidemiological changes.

Methods: Two hundred and ninety children under 16 years of age from all eight schools for the blind in Myanmar were examined and the data entered into the World Health Organization Prevention of Blindness Examination Record for Childhood Blindness.

Results: In total, 271 children (93.

Mind the Localized Skeletal Pain: Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis.

Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) is a rare idiopathic aseptic inflammatory bone disorder affecting primarily children and adolescents characterized by an insidious onset of pain, swelling, and tenderness over the affected bones. The clinical signs and symptoms of CRMO are nonspecific, radiological and histopathological tests are essential for its diagnosis. We present a case of an 18-year-old young man who was diagnosed with CRMO by a combination of clinical data, laboratory results, radiological imaging, and bone biopsy.

Cryomicroneedles for transdermal cell delivery.

Cell therapies for the treatment of skin disorders could benefit from simple, safe and efficient technology for the transdermal delivery of therapeutic cells. Conventional cell delivery by hypodermic-needle injection is associated with poor patient compliance, requires trained personnel, generates waste and has non-negligible risks of injury and infection. Here, we report the design and proof-of-concept application of cryogenic microneedle patches for the transdermal delivery of living cells.

Financial difficulties and patient-reported outcomes among patients with advanced heart failure.

Purpose: Management of congestive heart failure (CHF) is associated with high health care costs and financial difficulties for patients. We aimed to comprehensively assess the association between financial difficulties and patients' quality of life (QOL) (physical, emotional, social and spiritual), perceived health care quality, and perception of being a burden to the family among patients with CHF; and to assess whether perceived control over stress moderated these associations.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 250 patients using the baseline data of the Singapore Cohort of Patients with Advanced Heart Failure (SCOPAH).

Lancing Drug Reservoirs into Subcutaneous Fat to Combat Obesity and Associated Metabolic Diseases.

Obesity is a serious epidemic health problem that can cause many other diseases including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Current approaches to combat obesity suffer from low effectiveness and adverse side effects. Here, a new self-administrable and minimally invasive transdermal drug delivery strategy for home-based long-term treatment of obesity and other diseases is developed.

Assessment of Noise Exposure and Hearing Loss Among Workers in Textile Mill (Thamine), Myanmar: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: In a wide range of industries, noise-induced hearing loss remains one of the most prevalent occupational problems. This study aimed to assess the noise exposure level and associated factors of hearing loss among textile workers in Yangon Region, Myanmar.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a Textile mill (Thamine), Yangon Region, from April to December 2018.

Global Retinoblastoma Presentation and Analysis by National Income Level.

Importance: Early diagnosis of retinoblastoma, the most common intraocular cancer, can save both a child's life and vision. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many children across the world are diagnosed late. To our knowledge, the clinical presentation of retinoblastoma has never been assessed on a global scale.

Isolated complete unilateral ptosis with intact extraocular eye movements.

An 88-year-old woman presented with a 2-day history of inability to open her left eye with no ocular discomfort or blurred vision. She had a long-standing history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and stroke disease. Examination revealed an isolated complete left eye ptosis with no pupillary involvement and intact extraocular movements.

Starvation-induced diplopia and weakness: a case of beriberi and Wernicke's encephalopathy.

A 56-year-old teetotaller man with hypertension and gout presented with a week duration of painless worsening diplopia on a background of loss of weight and appetite, generalised lethargy and weakness for 1 year. On examination, he was noted to be hypothermic and tachycardic with generalised muscle wasting. Proximal myopathy, lower limb fasciculations and areflexia, restricted bilateral eye abduction and nystagmus were observed.

Self-implantable double-layered micro-drug-reservoirs for efficient and controlled ocular drug delivery.

Eye diseases and injuries impose a significant clinical problem worldwide. Safe and effective ocular drug delivery is, however, challenging due to the presence of ocular barriers. Here we report a strategy using an eye patch equipped with an array of detachable microneedles.

Study protocol for a cohort study of patients with advanced heart failure in Singapore.

Introductio: Understanding the symptom and health expenditure burden among patients with advanced congestive heart failure (CHF) and their family caregivers is essential to reform policy and practice needed to provide quality care to these patients at affordable prices. The proposed cohort study titled Singapore Cohort of Patients with Advanced Heart Failure aims to describe trajectories of quality of life among patients and their primary informal caregivers, quantify healthcare utilisation and expenditures, assess changes in patient and caregiver awareness of and preferences for knowing diagnostic and prognostic information, awareness and utilisation of palliative care services, preferences for treatments and decision making, perceived quality of care, self-care, caregiver psychological distress and caregiver burden.

Methods: This cohort study will recruit 250 patients with New York Heart Association Classification class III and IV CHF from inpatient wards at two public tertiary healthcare institutions in Singapore.

Erratum: Author Correction: Angiotensin type 2 receptor activation promotes browning of white adipose tissue and brown adipogenesis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/sigtrans.2017.

Angiotensin type 2 receptor activation promotes browning of white adipose tissue and brown adipogenesis.

Brown adipose tissue dissipates energy in the form of heat. Recent studies have shown that adult humans possess both classical brown and beige adipocytes (brown-like adipocytes in white adipose tissue, WAT), and stimulating brown and beige adipocyte formation can be a new avenue to treat obesity. Angiotensin II (AngII) is a peptide hormone that plays important roles in energy metabolism via its angiotensin type 1 or type 2 receptors (AT1R and AT2R).