Heterogeneity in the prevalence of subclinical malaria, other co-infections and anemia among pregnant women in rural areas of Myanmar: a community-based longitudinal study.

Background: Due to the low prevalence of clinically suspected malaria among pregnant women in Myanmar, little is known about its impact on mothers and newborns. Helminth and Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) co-infections cause anemia in pregnant women. This study assessed the prevalence of subclinical malaria and co-infections among pregnant women, and its association with adverse outcomes of pregnancy in the presence of infection.

A cross-sectional study of avian influenza A virus in Myanmar live bird markets: Detection of a newly introduced H9N2?

Background: Zoonotic influenza surveillance in Myanmar is sparse, despite the risks of introduction of such viruses from neighboring countries that could impact the poultry industry and lead to spillover to humans.

Methods: In July and August 2019, our multi-institutional partnership conducted a One Health-oriented, cross-sectional surveillance (weekly for 3 weeks) for influenza A and influenza D viruses at the three largest live bird markets in Yangon, Myanmar.

Results: The 27 bioaerosols, 90 bird cage swabs, 90 bird oropharyngeals, and 90 human nasopharyngeal samples yielded molecular influenza A detections in 8 bioaerosols (30.

Deficiency of the circadian clock gene Rev-erbα induces mood disorder-like behaviours and dysregulation of the serotonergic system in mice.

Mood disorders such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder are highly associated with disrupted daily rhythms of activity, which are often observed in shift work and sleep disturbance in humans. Recent studies have proposed the REV-ERBα protein as a key circadian nuclear receptor that links behavioural rhythms to mood regulation. However, how the Rev-erbα gene participates in the regulation of mood remains poorly understood.

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.

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.

Information and communication technology literacy, knowledge and readiness for electronic medical record system adoption among health professionals in a tertiary hospital, Myanmar: A cross-sectional study.

Some developing countries are currently introducing and implementing an electronic medical record system (EMRs) for improvement in healthcare delivery services. Availability of information and communication technology (ICT), technical skillful staff, and strong resistance to change by the health professionals impacted the successful adoption of EMRs. This study aimed to assess the ICT literacy, knowledge, and readiness for EMRs adoption among health professionals in a tertiary hospital, Myanmar.

Malaria Exposure in Ann Township, Myanmar, as a Function of Land Cover and Land Use: Combining Satellite Earth Observations and Field Surveys.

Despite progress toward malaria elimination in the Greater Mekong Subregion, challenges remain owing to the emergence of drug resistance and the persistence of focal transmission reservoirs. Malaria transmission foci in Myanmar are heterogeneous and complex, and many remaining infections are clinically silent, rendering them invisible to routine monitoring. The goal of this research is to define criteria for easy-to-implement methodologies, not reliant on routine monitoring, that can increase the efficiency of targeted malaria elimination strategies.

Improvement of GPS-attached Pocket PM2.5 Measuring Device for Personal Exposure Assessment.

Assessment of personal exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than or 2.5 µm (PM2.5) is necessary to study the association between PM exposure and health risk.

Challenges in early phase of implementing the 1-3-7 surveillance and response approach in malaria elimination setting: A field study from Myanmar.

Background: The National Plan for Malaria Elimination (NPME) in Myanmar (2016-2030) aims to eliminate indigenous Plasmodium falciparum malaria in six states/regions of low endemicity by 2020 and countrywide by 2030. To achieve this goal, in 2016 the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) implemented the "1-3-7" surveillance and response strategy. This study aims to identify the barriers to successful implementation of the NPME which emerged during the early phase of the "1-3-7" approach deployment.

Microbiome dataset from the upper respiratory tract of patients living with HIV, HIV/TB and TB from Myanmar.

This article contains microbiome data from the upper respiratory tract of patients living with HIV/TB, HIV and TB from Meiktila, a town in Myanmar where there is a high incidence of HIV and TB. Microbiomes were compared for HIV/TB infected and healthy adults from the same population. We collected nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs from a total of 33 participants (Healthy {5}, HIV/TB {8}, HIV {14}, and TB {6}).

Use of Rapid Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays for Serological Screening of Melioidosis in Myanmar.

, the etiologic agent of melioidosis, is an important but under-recognized cause of disease in the tropics. Although first described over a century ago as a septicemic illness associated with morphine addicts in Rangoon, Burma, there is little information regarding the incidence of melioidosis in present-day Myanmar. To address this issue, we used two recently developed and validated serological assays to detect -specific antibodies in 124 serum samples obtained from febrile patients in the delta region of Myanmar.

Acceptability of Peer-Delivered HIV Testing and Counselling Among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) and Transgender Women (TW) in Myanmar.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TW) are a priority population for HIV prevention in Myanmar but report sub-optimal HIV testing frequency. Previous studies have shown that peer involvement in HIV testing can normalize stigmatized sexualities and reduce barriers to testing. We explored the acceptability of peer-delivered HIV testing among 425 undiagnosed MSM and TW in Yangon and Mandalay.

Impact of heart-specific disruption of the circadian clock on systemic glucose metabolism in mice.

The daily rhythm of glucose metabolism is governed by the circadian clock, which consists of cell-autonomous clock machineries residing in nearly every tissue in the body. Disruption of these clock machineries either environmentally or genetically induces the dysregulation of glucose metabolism. Although the roles of clock machineries in the regulation of glucose metabolism have been uncovered in major metabolic tissues, such as the pancreas, liver, and skeletal muscle, it remains unknown whether clock function in non-major metabolic tissues also affects systemic glucose metabolism.

Willingness to use HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among gay men, other men who have sex with men and transgender women in Myanmar.

Introduction: HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has emerged as a key component of contemporary HIV combination prevention strategies. To explore the local suitability of PrEP, country-specific acceptability studies are needed to inform potential PrEP implementation. In the context of Myanmar, in addition to resource constraints, HIV service access by gay men, other men who have sex with men, and transgender women (GMT) continues to be constrained by legislative and community stigma and marginalization.

Losing a jewel-Rapid declines in Myanmar's intact forests from 2002-2014.

New and rapid political and economic changes in Myanmar are increasing the pressures on the country's forests. Yet, little is known about the past and current condition of these forests and how fast they are declining. We mapped forest cover in Myanmar through a consortium of international organizations and environmental non-governmental groups, using freely-available public domain data and open source software tools.

Effectiveness of an Integrated Community- and Clinic-Based Intervention on HIV Testing, HIV Knowledge, and Sexual Risk Behavior of Young Men Who Have Sex With Men in Myanmar.

Purpose: Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) in Myanmar are disproportionately affected by HIV, with prevalence five times that of the general population. The Link Up project implemented an intervention using peer education and outreach providing education and counseling on health seeking around sexually transmitted infections and reproductive health, combined with focused clinic capacity building to improve the sexual and reproductive health of YMSM. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of the intervention.

Ex vivo expansion of conjunctival and limbal epithelial cells using cord blood serum-supplemented culture medium.

Purpose: Conventional cell culture methods use fetal bovine serum (FBS) as a growth supplement. The purpose of this study was to develop a xenobiotic-free culture system using umbilical cord blood serum (CBS) as an alternative growth supplement for the cultivation of human conjunctival and limbal epithelial cells.

Methods: Human conjunctival and limbal epithelial cells were cultivated in varying concentrations of CBS-supplemented medium and compared with FBS-supplemented medium.

Cultivated human conjunctival epithelial transplantation for total limbal stem cell deficiency.

Purpose: To determine the feasibility of cultivated conjunctiva as a viable epithelial sheet for transplantation and corneal resurfacing in eyes with limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD).

Methods: Human corneal epithelial (HCE) and human conjunctival epithelial (HCjE) cells were cultivated on human amniotic membrane (AM) to confluence and then air lifted to allow further stratification and differentiation. Denuded AM and cultivated HCE and cultivated HCjE cells were then transplanted into 18 eyes of rabbits with induced LSCD.

Characteristics of dual species Candida biofilms on denture acrylic surfaces.

Unlabelled: Biofilms contribute to the pathogenesis of oral candidiasis, some 15% of which may be due to dual Candida species. Despite extensive studies on monospecies biofilms (MSB) on denture acrylic surfaces, few have investigated the characteristics of dual species Candida biofilms (DSB).

Objectives: To examine interactions of DSB of Candida albicans and Candida krusei on denture acrylic surfaces.

In vitro biofilm formation of Candida albicans and non-albicans Candida species under dynamic and anaerobic conditions.

An understanding of biofilm behavior of Candida species under different environmental conditions is key to the development of effective preventive measures for candidal infections. Hence in this study we assessed the impact of the environmental milieu on Candida biofilm formation using polystyrene, flat-bottomed 96-well microtiter plates. A total of 20, comprising 10 clinical isolates each of Candida albicans and, non-albicans species of Candida were compared for their biofilm forming ability both under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, and static and dynamic conditions.

Effect of oral bacteria on growth and survival of Candida albicans biofilms.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of eight aerobic and anaerobic oral commensal bacterial species on in vitro Candida albicans biofilm development. A single isolate of C. albicans 2560 g, and eight different species of oral bacteria comprising, Actinomyces israelii, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Prevotella nigrescens, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus mutans, and Streptococcus intermedius were studied using an in vitro biofilm assay.