Serum bleomycin-detectable iron in patients with thalassemia major with normal range of serum iron.

&#34;Free&#34; iron, a potentially radical-generating low mass iron, and not found in normal human blood, was increased in the serum of blood-transfused thalassemia major patients seen in the Yangon General Hospital, Yangon, Myanmar (Burma). The low mass iron was detected by the bleomycin assay. Fifty-one blood samples were analyzed (from 28 males and 23 females). High &#34;free&#34; iron was detected in 47 sera samples from thalassemia patients. Serum ferritin, which reflects the body store iron, was higher than the normal range (10-200 ng/ml) in 49 patients. On the other hand, serum iron of 39 sera samples fell within the normal range (50-150 micrograms/dl). Four were less than 50 micrograms/dl and eight were more than 150 micrograms/dl. Almost all the patients' sera of normal or higher serum iron level contained &#34;free&#34; iron. Thus, almost all the sera from thalassemic patients from Myanmar contain bleomycin-detectable iron, even when serum iron is within the normal range. In developing countries where undernutrition is prevalent (serum albumin in these patients was 3.6 +/- 0.4 g/dl, P &#60; 0.0001 vs. control value of 4.0 - 4.8 g/dl), normal serum iron does not preclude the presence of free iron in the serum.</p

CONSUMER USAGE BEHAVIOR AND BRAND LOYALTY OF OOREDOO MYANMAR M-PITESAN

This study aims to investigate M-Pitesan usage behavior based on the influencing factors and analyze the relationship between usage behavior and brand loyalty of consumers. Along with technology development, the role of cash payment is gradually replaced by many forms of e-payment and mobile money is one of them. Simple random sampling method is applied to select three stores from Yangon and two stores from Mandalay out of 20 stores. Then systematic random sampling method is applied to collect the data from respondents at these selected stores. Structured questionnaires are used to collect the primary data from 384 respondents. The findings of this study point out five factors influencing on the M-Pitesan usage behavior. These five factors are ease of use, compatibility, knowledge, perceived trust and perceived risk. Moreover, the result shows that usage behavior is affecting to the loyalty of the consumers. In this study, most of the respondents have positive feedback on influencing factors and also show positive usage behavior. Thus they are willing to recommend M-Pitesan to others and continue using this as loyal consumers

Effect of Different Seed Moisture Contents and Storage Containers on Seed Quality of Green Gram (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) and Chickpea (Cicer arietinum)

The experiments were conducted separately for green gram and chickpea at laboratory of the De-partment of Agronomy, Yezin Agricultural University, from March to December 2016. The objectives were (1) to study the effect of seed moisture content and storage container on seed quality, (2) to investi-gate the interaction effect of seed moisture content and storage container on seed quality, and (3) to find out the optimum seed moisture content and proper storage container to preserve seed quality of green gram and chickpea. For each crop, the factorial experiment (6 x 3) was laid out in randomized complete block (RCB) design comprising of six levels of seed moisture contents (7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, 12%) as factor A and three types of storage container (air tight tin bin, bamboo basket, woven plastic bag) as factor B with three replications. Green gram was stored for six months and chickpea for nine months at ambient condition. Evaluation of seed quality parameters was done before and after storage for compari-son. After storage, significant variations were observed in seed quality parameters in both crops, but no interaction effect between seed moisture content and storage container in all observations except in seed moisture of stored seeds. In green gram, germination percentage, germination index, seed vigour index I and II were relatively higher in air tight tin bin than other containers at all seed moisture levels tested. In case of chickpea, maximum values were recorded in germination percentage, germination index, seed vigour index I and seed vigour index II at seed moisture content of 7 % and 8 % in the storage with air tight container. Seed quality decreased with increase in moistue of seeds to be stored. Based on the find-ing of this research, it can be recommended that the range of seed moisture contents from 7 % to 12 % was the optimal during six months of air tight storage for seed quality of green gram. For chickpea seed quality, storage in air tight tin bin at 7 % seed moisture content was appropriate for nine months

Evolution of coagulation abnormalities following Russell's viper bite in Burma.

The evolution of coagulation abnormalities was studied in Russell's viper bite victims who, on admission to hospital, showed no clinical signs of systemic envenoming. Based on the laboratory results and subsequent clinical course, three groups were distinguished. The first group, consisting of five cases, showed no activation of coagulation at any stage. The second group, consisting of six cases, developed mild to moderate abnormalities in some tests, particularly in the aPTT and factor V assay, which corrected to normal without treatment. The third group, consisting of nine patients, developed haemostatic abnormalities as early as 1-2 h after the bite, which progressed to severe defibrination 4-8 h later at which time antivenom was given. Comparison of the haemostatic abnormalities in the three groups suggested that serial monitoring of the serum FDP concentration may be of value in predicting the likelihood of systemic envenoming and progression to complete defibrination

Thigh-length compression stockings and DVT after stroke

Controversy exists as to whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy improves survival in patients with invasive bladder cancer, despite randomised controlled trials of more than 3000 patients. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effect of such treatment on survival in patients with this disease

Azithromycin in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial

Background Azithromycin has been proposed as a treatment for COVID-19 on the basis of its immunomodulatory actions. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of azithromycin in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Methods In this randomised, controlled, open-label, adaptive platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy [RECOVERY]), several possible treatments were compared with usual care in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 in the UK. The trial is underway at 176 hospitals in the UK. Eligible and consenting patients were randomly allocated to either usual standard of care alone or usual standard of care plus azithromycin 500 mg once per day by mouth or intravenously for 10 days or until discharge (or allocation to one of the other RECOVERY treatment groups). Patients were assigned via web-based simple (unstratified) randomisation with allocation concealment and were twice as likely to be randomly assigned to usual care than to any of the active treatment groups. Participants and local study staff were not masked to the allocated treatment, but all others involved in the trial were masked to the outcome data during the trial. The primary outcome was 28-day all-cause mortality, assessed in the intention-to-treat population. The trial is registered with ISRCTN, 50189673, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04381936. Findings Between April 7 and Nov 27, 2020, of 16 442 patients enrolled in the RECOVERY trial, 9433 (57%) were eligible and 7763 were included in the assessment of azithromycin. The mean age of these study participants was 65·3 years (SD 15·7) and approximately a third were women (2944 [38%] of 7763). 2582 patients were randomly allocated to receive azithromycin and 5181 patients were randomly allocated to usual care alone. Overall, 561 (22%) patients allocated to azithromycin and 1162 (22%) patients allocated to usual care died within 28 days (rate ratio 0·97, 95% CI 0·87–1·07; p=0·50). No significant difference was seen in duration of hospital stay (median 10 days [IQR 5 to >28] vs 11 days [5 to >28]) or the proportion of patients discharged from hospital alive within 28 days (rate ratio 1·04, 95% CI 0·98–1·10; p=0·19). Among those not on invasive mechanical ventilation at baseline, no significant difference was seen in the proportion meeting the composite endpoint of invasive mechanical ventilation or death (risk ratio 0·95, 95% CI 0·87–1·03; p=0·24). Interpretation In patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19, azithromycin did not improve survival or other prespecified clinical outcomes. Azithromycin use in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 should be restricted to patients in whom there is a clear antimicrobial indication. Funding UK Research and Innovation (Medical Research Council) and National Institute of Health Research