Getting Ready for Business Expansion: To Enhance Employee Motivation and Work Performance Through HR Management Practices, Emotional Intelligence and Initiating Organization Learning Culture: A Study of a Fintech Company in Myanmar

Purpose: The purpose of the study is 1) To investigate the current situation of employees’ motivation, work performance, HR management practices, emotional intelligence, and organization learning culture of ABC Co., Ltd. employees, 2) To implement appropriate Organization Development Interventions (ODIs) in order to support the organization for business expansion, 3) To determine the differences in employees motivation, work performance, HR management practices, emotional intelligence, and organizational learning culture between pre- and post-ODI, and 4) To gain insights of the participants on employees motivation, work performance, HR management practices, emotional intelligence, and organizational learning culture between pre- and post-ODI. Research design, data and methodology: This study employs questionnaires and semi-structured interviews for data collection for two phases: pre-ODI and post-ODI. After data collection, OD interventions such as human resources interventions, employees stress and wellness interventions and knowledge management interventions were performed. After data collection, quantitative data analysis with SPSS software and qualitative content analysis with NVivo software was performed. Results: The results reveal that ODI made significant improvements on employees motivation, work performance, HR management practices, emotional intelligence, and organization learning culture. Conclusions: According to the results, improving HRM policies and practices, emotional intelligence and organization learning culture improved employees motivation and work performance

Relationship between Financial Development and Foreign Direct Investment

This study examines the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and financial development (FD) based on a sample of 93 countries including high-income, upper middle-income and low-income countries. The estimation results for the entire sample indicate that FDI is beneficial instrument to enhance the speed of FD. The empirical results for the high-income countries indicate that FDI stimulates only the loan sector and does not have a significant effect on domestic credit for the private sector. The empirical results for upper middle-income countries show that FDI can speed up the FD of upper middle-income countries. Finally, the results for low-income countries indicate that the effects of both FDI on both the domestic credit sector and domestic credit for private financial sector of FD are unclear and inconsistent

Myanmar traditional medicine formulations and their antioxidant, antiglycation and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activities: Potentials for antidiabetes complications

Myanmar Traditional Medicine (MTM) has been used since ancient times to treat life-threatening diseases like diabetes. In this study, various in vitro assays were used to prove that four MTM formulations were effective at treating diabetes. Antioxidant activities were determined using in vitro DPPH, nitric oxide (NO), and superoxide (SO) radical scavenging assays. The Folin-Ciocalteu method was used to quantify the total phenolic content, while the BSA-fluorescent antiglycation and α-glucosidase inhibitory assays were utilized to determine the antidiabetic activity of MTMs. Among the tested samples, MTM3 showed the best activities for almost all the biological assays tested in this experiment with the % inhibition of 82.89 ± 1.64 for NO and 65.02 ± 2.82 for SO radical scavenging activity, 92.12 ± 1.18 for α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and IC50 of 180.29 ± 1.6 µg/ml for the antiglycation activity. It also possessed the highest total phenolic content of 149.41 ± 3.7 mg GAE/g of extract/l among the tested samples. Therefore, the findings suggested that MTM could help diabetic patients improve their quality of life through antioxidant activity against several free radicals and their antiglycation and α-glucosidase inhibitory characteristics

Hyperglycaemia-related visual seizure

Introduction: Visual seizure is one of the rare complications of poorly controlled chronic hyperglycaemia. This condition can be debilitating for patients. Early recognition and careful control of hyperglycaemia is vital. Case description: A middle-aged female was found collapsed at her home after missing insulin for several days. She was found to have diabetes ketoacidosis (DKA) and she was started on treatment for DKA. She reported visual hallucinations in the right side of her visual field for a week. Further assessment with EEG and brain MRI suggested an occipital seizure consistent with metabolic disturbances. She was initially started on antiepileptic medication. After strict diabetes control, her symptoms resolved, and she no longer needed antiepileptic treatment. Conclusion: Experiencing diabetes-related seizures can be terrifying both for patients and their family. Early recognition and quick control of hyperglycaemia is important in treating these patients

Effect of dietary garlic and thyme seed supplementation on the production performance, carcass yield and gut microbial population of broiler chickens

A total of 200 Cobb 500 male broilers were randomly allocated to 4 treatments consisting of 5 replications with 10 chicks each in order to evaluate the effect of dietary garlic and thyme seed supplementation on the production performance, carcass yield and gut microbial population. Treatments were control diet (T1), control diet with 1% thyme seed powder (T2), control diet with 1% garlic powder (T3) and control diet with 0.5% thyme seed and 0.5% garlic powder (T4). Feed intake, body weight, weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcass yield was not significantly (p>0.05) improved by dietary treatments compared to control. Escherichia coli (E. coli) count in the gut of broilers did not show significant difference among dietary treatments. However, Lactobacilli count in the gut of broilers significantly (p<0.05) increased in T2 compared to that of T1. Lactobacilli count in the gut of broilers received T1, T3 and T4 did not differ significantly (p>0.05) with each other. It was concluded that thyme seed was reliable as feed additive in the broiler diet and could provide positive advantages to the colonization and proliferation of Lactobacilli

The Safety of a Conservative Fluid Replacement Strategy in Adults Hospitalised with Malaria

BackgroundA conservative approach to fluid resuscitation improves survival in children with severe malaria; however, this strategy has not been formally evaluated in adults with the disease.MethodsAdults hospitalised with malaria at two tertiary referral hospitals in Myanmar received intravenous fluid replacement with isotonic saline, administered at a maintenance rate using a simple weight-based algorithm. Clinical and biochemical indices were followed sequentially.ResultsOf 61 adults enrolled, 34 (56%) had Plasmodium falciparum mono-infection, 17 (28%) Plasmodium vivax mono-infection and 10 (16%) mixed infection; 27 (44%) patients were at high risk of death (P. falciparum infection and RCAM score ≥ 2). In the first six hours of hospitalisation patients received a mean 1.7 ml/kg/hour (range: 1.3–2.2) of intravenous fluid and were able to drink a mean of 0.8 ml/kg/hour (range: 0–3). Intravenous fluid administration and oral intake were similar for the remainder of the first 48 hours of hospitalisation. All 61 patients survived to discharge. No patient developed Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome, a requirement for renal replacement therapy or hypotension (mean arterial pressure < 60mmHg). Plasma lactate was elevated (> 2 mmol/L) on enrolment in 26 (43%) patients but had declined by 6 hours in 25 (96%) and was declining at 24 hours in the other patient. Plasma creatinine was elevated (> 120 μmol/L) on enrolment in 17 (28%) patients, but was normal or falling in 16 (94%) at 48 hours and declining in the other patient by 72 hours. There was no clinically meaningful increase in plasma lactate or creatinine in any patient with a normal value on enrolment. Patients receiving fluid replacement with the conservative fluid replacement algorithm were more likely to survive than historical controls in the same hospitals who had received fluid replacement guided by clinical judgement in the year prior to the study (p = 0.03), despite having more severe disease (p < 0.001).ConclusionsA conservative fluid resuscitation strategy appears safe in adults hospitalised with malaria

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. Methods COVID-19 cases at two TB sanatoria on the Thailand-Myanmar border were reviewed. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data including TB treatment and co-morbidities, were analyzed. Characteristics and COVID-19 clinical outcomes were compared between two groups of patients: TB and those without TB (the caretakers and the medical personnel). Multivariable ordered logistic regression was conducted to compare the risk of severe COVID-19 between the two groups. Results Between September 2021 and March 2022, 161 COVID-19 cases were diagnosed. Over half of the COVID-19 patients were infected with TB (n= 104, 64.6%), and the rest were not (n=57, 35.4%). The median (interquartile range) age was 48 (33.5-57.0) and 27 (23-33) years in the TB and in the non-TB COVID-19 patients, respectively. Before COVID-19 infection, 67.1% (106/158) of patients had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The median cycle threshold value at diagnosis was not different between TB (18.5, IQR 16.1-32.3) and non-TB patients (18.8, 15.1-30.0). Fever, gastrointestinal symptoms and ageusia were more common in non-TB patients. Six patients (3.8%, 6/156) all from the TB group became severe of which five (3.2%, 5/156) required oxygen therapy. One TB patient died (1/104, 0.96%) of lung cancer. After adjustment for potential confounders, the final clinical severity was not different between the two groups (adjusted odds ratio 1.40, 95% confidence interval 0.16–12.39). Conclusions TB was not associated with severe outcomes in the two TB sanatoria. The high uptake of COVID-19 vaccination and active screening could have impacted on disease progression and prevented unfavorable outcomes

Malaria epidemiology in central Myanmar: identification of a multi-species asymptomatic reservoir of infection.

BACKGROUND: The spread of artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum is a global health concern. Myanmar stands at the frontier of artemisinin-resistant P. falciparum. Myanmar also has the highest reported malaria burden in Southeast Asia; it is integral in the World Health Organization's plan to eliminate malaria in Southeast Asia, yet few epidemiological data exist for the general population in Myanmar. METHODS: This cross-sectional, probability household survey was conducted in Phyu township, Bago Region (central Myanmar), during the wet season of 2013. Interviewers collected clinical and behavioural data, recorded tympanic temperature and obtained dried blood spots for malaria PCR and serology. Plasmodium falciparum positive samples were tested for genetic mutations in the K13 region that may confer artemisinin resistance. Estimated type-specific malaria PCR prevalence and seroprevalence were calculated, with regression analysis to identify risk factors for seropositivity to P. falciparum. Data were weighted to account for unequal selection probabilities. RESULTS: 1638 participants were sampled (500 households). Weighted PCR prevalence was low (n = 41, 2.5%) and most cases were afebrile (93%). Plasmodium falciparum was the most common species (n = 19. 1.1%) and five (26%) P. falciparum samples harboured K13 mutations. Plasmodium knowlesi was detected in 1.0% (n = 16) and Plasmodium vivax was detected in 0.4% (n = 7). Seroprevalence was 9.4% for P. falciparum and 3.1% for P. vivax. Seroconversion to P. falciparum was 0.003/year in the whole population, but 16-fold higher in men over 23 years old (LR test p = 0.016). DISCUSSION: This is the first population-based seroprevalence study from central Myanmar. Low overall prevalence was discovered. However, these data suggest endemic transmission continues, probably associated with behavioural risk factors amongst working-age men. Genetic mutations associated with P. falciparum artemisinin resistance, the presence of P. knowlesi and discrete demographic risk groups present opportunities and challenges for malaria control. Responses targeted to working-age men, capable of detecting sub-clinical infections, and considering all species will facilitate malaria elimination in this setting

Geographical distribution of Burkholderia pseudomallei in soil in Myanmar.

BACKGROUND: Burkholderia pseudomallei is a Gram-negative bacterium found in soil and water in many tropical countries. It causes melioidosis, a potentially fatal infection first described in 1911 in Myanmar. Melioidosis is a common cause of sepsis and death in South and South-east Asia, but it is rarely diagnosed in Myanmar. We conducted a nationwide soil study to identify areas where B. pseudomallei is present. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We collected soil samples from 387 locations in all 15 states and regions of Myanmar between September 2017 and June 2019. At each site, three samples were taken at each of three different depths (30, 60 and 90 cm) and were cultured for B. pseudomallei separately, along with a pooled sample from each site (i.e. 10 cultures per site). We used a negative binomial regression model to assess associations between isolation of B. pseudomallei and environmental factors (season, soil depth, soil type, land use and climate zones). B. pseudomallei was isolated in 7 of 15 states and regions. Of the 387 sites, 31 (8%) had one or more positive samples and of the 3,870 samples cultured, 103 (2.7%) tested positive for B. pseudomallei. B. pseudomallei was isolated more frequently during the monsoon season [RR-2.28 (95% CI: 0.70-7.38)] and less in the hot dry season [RR-0.70 (95% CI: 0.19-2.56)] compared to the cool dry season, and in the tropical monsoon climate zone [RR-2.26; 95% CI (0.21-6.21)] compared to the tropical dry winter climate zone. However, these associations were not statistically significant. B. pseudomallei was detected at all three depths and from various soil types (clay, silt and sand). Isolation was higher in agricultural land (2.2%), pasture land (8.5%) and disused land (5.8%) than in residential land (0.4%), but these differences were also not significant. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This study confirms a widespread distribution of B. pseudomallei in Myanmar. Clinical studies should follow to obtain a better picture of the burden of melioidosis in Myanmar