Analysis of health status and socio-economic characteristics of households in Hlaing Thar Yar Township (Thida Swe. 2019)

The study examines the relationship between households’ health status and their socio-economic characteristics in Hlaing Thar Yar Township. The primary data were collected from the Hlaing Thar Yar Township Survey. Ten socio-economic variables and eight health variables were collected from 217 sample households using Structured Question on the Socio-economic and Health Status. In this study, appropriate statistical analysis such as descriptive, canonical correlation analysis and binary logistic regression are used. According to the result of the canonical correlation analysis, it is found that the family members’ health status is influenced on the socio-economic characteristics of the households. And then, four canonical functions are obtained for the significant relationship between the two set of variables. In first canonical function, it is found that the occurrence of diarrhea and occurrence of measles are correlated with educational level of household head, source of drinking water, waste disposal method and toilet type. In second canonical function, it is showed that mode of illness treatment and accesses to healthcare are correlated with educational level of household head, monthly family income and waste disposal method. The third function showed that the occurrence of tuberculosis is correlated with monthly family income, household type and house condition. The fourth canonical function is similar to the third canonical function. Canonical Variables from four canonical functions are applied in order to explain the most influential variables for determining the occurrence of diseases by using binary logistic regression. In order to the result of binary logistic regression, impure source of drinking water and unhygienic waste disposal method are increased the occurrence of measles disease in the family members. It is found that the households with better educational level of household head, waste disposal method and sanitation have a reduction in the occurrence of diarrhea disease among the family members

The ecology of phytoplankton with focus on cyanobacteria and of aquatic macrophytes in selected lakes and reservoirs in Myanmar

Myanmar’s freshwater systems are increasingly subjected to degradation, eutrophication, and anthropogenic impacts. The most visible effects of eutrophication in lakes and rivers are dense blooms of noxious, foul-smelling phytoplankton (mainly cyanobacteria), increased organic loading and sedimentation, fish mortalities, reduction of water clarity and degraded water quality and quantity. Many cyanobacterial species are known to produce toxic compounds, cyanotoxins, which can affect terrestrial and aquatic organisms. The control of cyanobacteria, therefore, is vital for freshwater resource management. Many studies have pointed out that aquatic macrophytes can suppress the structure and variation of phytoplankton communities and enhance water clarity by competing for nutrients, releasing allelopathic compounds and shifting environmental light levels. However, no detailed study on the presence of cyanobacteria and their potential toxin production has been conducted so far in Myanmar’s water bodies. There is also limited or no information on the influence of macrophytes on the function of freshwater systems. More broadly, the interaction between macrophytes and phytoplankton is poorly understood in Myanmar’s freshwater lakes. The overall goal of this study is therefore to improve knowledge about the composition and abundance of phytoplankton and macrophytes, and their interaction in Myanmar's freshwater systems. The presence of toxin-producing cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins were investigated at Meiktila Lake and Yezin Dam, while an assessment of the importance of aquatic macrophytes as a stabilizing factor in a tropical shallow lake was conducted at Inlay Lake. The distribution of Chara spp. and their ecological requirements was investigated in six water bodies: two natural lakes and four man-made reservoirs. Water sampling and field surveys were conducted in each lake and reservoir 2 to 8 times from 2014 to 2019. Compared to Inlay Lake, higher phytoplankton biomasses were found in Meiktila Lake and Yezin Dam, of which cyanobacteria were the most dominant groups. Among cyanobacteria species, Raphidiopsis raciborskii was the most dominant taxa (0.2 – 1.9 mg L-1) in Meiktila Lake, while lower biomass (0.0002 - 0.2 mg L-1) was recorded in Yezin Dam. Dolichospermum smithii was only found in Yezin Dam with the highest biomass of 19.18 mg L-1. Neither of these species were observed in Inlay Lake. Low concentrations of Microcystis were found in all the lakes and reservoirs studied in Myanmar. Microcystis has been reported from only a few water bodies in Myanmar before, but is described from many Asian countries. This study clearly demonstrates the presence of CYN- and deoxy-CYN producing R. raciborskii and MC-producing Microcystis in the cyanobacteria communities of the investigated lakes and reservoirs in Myanmar, confirmed by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) (LC-HRMS/MS). Although Dolichospermum smithii was the most dominant species in Yezin Dam, none of the Dolichospermum strains isolated appear to produce any toxins, unlike strains from other locations worldwide. Although 22 Microcystin (MC) congeners were produced by the Microcystis strain (AB2017/08) of Yezin Dam, MC-LR and [D-Asp3] MC-LR were the dominant MC congeners, comprising 76.9 % and 15.7 % of the total MCs detected. Microcystis strain (AB2017/14) from Meiktila Lake with 52 MC congeners produced a considerably higher number of MCs, but MC-LR and [D-Asp3] MC-LR together made up only 20 % of the total MC concentrations. Due to the presence of CYN-and MC-producing cyanobacteria in these lakes and dams, harmful effects on humans, domestic and wild animals cannot be excluded. This study also fills the knowledge gap on the current distributions of Chara species in lakes and reservoirs in Myanmar. Two Chara species, Chara zeylanica and C. fibrosa, were recorded in our lake survey in 2014 – 2019. Both species were recorded in low-impacted lakes only, with total phosphorous (TP) concentrations below 20 μg L−1. Increased human impact on freshwater habitats must therefore be considered as a factor reducing Chara biodiversity in Myanmar. Regression analysis showed that the submerged macrophyte abundance and phytoplankton biomass were inversely correlated in the heavily vegetated northern lake area. Our survey suggests a great importance of the submerged macrophytes to the general water quality and the clear water state in Inlay Lake. Maintaining high macrophyte abundances should thereforepublishedVersio

Integrated Water Resources Management in Myanmar - Aquatic macrophytes in lakes in Myanmar 2014-2020 - Field survey and identification

Prosjektleder: Ingrid NesheimThis report is performed by NIVA, as part of the project Integrated Water Resources Management – Institutional Building and Training. The purpose of this report is to assist experts undertaking biological field surveys in Myanmar. The purpose of the report is to assist the Myanmar experts responsible for the aquatic macrophyte field surveys. In addition to a suggested field method for aquatic macrophyte survey in lakes in Myanmar, the report contains factsheets with short descriptions and photos of 40 hydrophyte species in Myanmar. These factsheets can be used as a supplement to other identifications keys and floras from the Asian region and serve as a “first identification step”.The Norwegian embassy in Yangon, Myanmar Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NorwaypublishedVersio

The Efficacy of Concomitant Vs Clarithromycin Based Triple Therapy in Helicobacter Pylori Infected Peptic Ulcer Patients

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) causes the most common chronic bacterial infection affecting over 50% of the world’s population (more than 80% in developing country). Myanmar is high prevalence area of H. pylori with varying in different areas. It is responsible for the cause of 90% or more of duodenal ulcers and 60% or more of all gastric ulcer. Recently, Maastricht V Consensus Report recommended that concomitant therapy consisting of PPI, amoxicillin, clarithromycin and a nitroimidazole administered concurrently, should be the preferred first line non-bismuth quadruple therapy. Many researchers around the world have been being encouraged to work on the effectiveness of concomitant treatment nowadays. To compare the efficacy of concomitant and clarithromycin based triple therapy in H.pylori infected peptic ulcer patients

Microcystis, Raphidiopsis raciborskii and Dolichospermum smithii, toxin producing and non-toxigenic cyanobacteria in Yezin Dam, Myanmar

6openInternationalInternational coauthor/editorYezin Dam is a man-made reservoir located close to Yezin village in Myanmar. Its water is used for irrigation, domestic purposes and as drinking water for many urban communities in the watershed area. In recent years, increased pollution due to the concurrent development around the dam has led to water quality deterioration. No detailed study on the distribution of cyanobacteria and toxin production has been conducted so far. In order to provide insight into the extent of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins in the dam, water samples were collected once in January 2014 for the isolation of cyanobacterial strains and eight times between March 2017 and June 2018 for the investigation of physical, chemical and biological parameters. A total of 99 phytoplankton taxa belonging to 50 genera were recorded from Yezin Dam. Microscopic examination showed that a Dolichospermum sp. was the dominant cyanobacterium followed by small numbers of Microcystis, and Raphidiopsis raciborskii in all samples throughout the sampling period. 15 isolated cyanobacterial strains were classified morphologically and phylogenetically as Dolichospermum smithii, R. raciborskii and Microcystis and tested for microcystins (MCs), cylindrospermopsins (CYNs), saxitoxins (STXs) and anatoxins (ATXs) by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The toxin analysis of all isolated Dolichospermum strains by ELISA and LC–MS did not indicate the presence of ATXs, STXs, CYNs nor MCs. Four of the five isolated Raphidiopsis strains produced CYN and deoxyCYN. One of the isolated Microcystis strains (AB2017/08) from Yezin Dam produced 22 MC congeners. Concentrations of 0.12 μg L−1 CYNs and 0.34 μg L−1 MCs were also found in an environmental sample from Yezin Dam by ELISA. The potential therefore exists for the use of untreated water from Yezin Dam to cause harmful effects on humans, domestic and wild animals.openSwe, T.; Miles, C.O.; Cerasino, L.; Mjelde, M.; Kleiven, S.; Ballot, A.Swe, T.; Miles, C.O.; Cerasino, L.; Mjelde, M.; Kleiven, S.; Ballot, A

Integrated Water Resources Management in Myanmar. Water usage and introduction to water quality criteria for lakes and rivers in Myanmar. Preliminary report.

The purpose of the report is to present some first recommendation for the development of Myanmar ecological quality criteria using the system of the EU Water Framework Directive (EU WFD) as baseline, with main focus on the characterization and classification processes. As background for the recommendations we first give an overview of the main water use categories in Myanmar. We then provide preliminary suggestions for typology criteria and indices for assessing ecological status in lakes and rivers in Myanmar. The typology factors and physico-chemical parameters are based on common used factors in the EU countries. The biological elements include phytoplankton and aquatic macrophytes for lakes, and benthic invertebrates for rivers. In this first phase we present the official and intercalibrated Norwegian indices and boundaries, and some additional indices.Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry, Myanmar; Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NorwaypublishedVersio

The Incidence of Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancers in Betel Quid-Chewing Populations in South Myanmar Rural Areas

Oral cancer is a very common disease in South and Southeast Asia. Betel quid (BQ)- chewing and tobaccosmoking habits are etiological factors for oral cancer patients in these regions. We conducted an oral cancer screening in BQ-chewing endemic rural areas in South Myanmar for the early detection of oral cancer in BQ-chewing and smoking individuals. We examined 105 subjects who were at high risk of oral cancer due to their oral habits (BQ users and/or smokers). Three carcinoma cases were detected, and there were 8 dysplasia cases. The carcinoma detection rate was 2.9%, and the carcinoma and precancerous lesion detection rate was 10.5%. In Myanmar, oral cancer screening has been conducted sporadically on a voluntary basis, and nationwide surveys have never been performed. There are also few reports of oral cancer screening for high-risk groups among the general population in Myanmar. Our present findings highlight the need for further screening and surveys. Education on betel quid chewing- and tobacco- related oral diseases and screening for the early detection of oral cancer are of the utmost importance in the control and prevention of oral cancer

Phylogenetic relationships among Callosciurus squirrels in the Indochina Peninsula: phylogenetic position of C. pygerythrus from Myanmar

The phylogenetic relationships among seven Callosciurus species from the Indochina Peninsula, including the C. honkhoaiensis which is endemic to Hon Khoai Island, were studied using complete mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences (1140 bases). We primarily focused on the phylogenetic position of C. pygerythrus, which is distributed in the western part of the peninsula. We identified two main lineages: 1) C. caniceps, C. honkhoaiensis, C. inornatus, C. phayrei and C. pygerythrus, and 2) C. erythraeus and C. finlaysonii. Estimated divergence time between the two lineages was at the junction of the Zanclean and Piacenzian in the Pliocene. Within the first linage, the divergence time of sub-lineages corresponded to the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary, although phylogenetic relationships were unclear. These two divergence times estimated in the present study correspond to episodes of global cooling, suggesting that climate may have contributed to the divergence of these Callosciurus squirrels

Estimation of Uncertainty in Measurement of AC Power

The problem on measurement of AC power in single phase or three-phase networks is always very important. In this paper Test Method is to be applied to Unit Under Test (UUT) Meter which is compared by the known error of Standard Power Meter as reference. This method used to measure the error ofUUT Meter. When estimating the uncertainty of measurement, all components which are of importance in the given situation shall be taken into account using appropriate methods of analysis. In this paper calibration procedure is provided for calibration process of single phase AC power meter using comparison method with its capability as declared. A method for calibration of AC power meter, measurement instruments used in the procedure, processing and presentation of the final results are presented as well