Remodeling in the Prefrontal Cortex of a Brain-related to Higher Executive Functions in Adolescence: Its effects on Behavior

Adolescence is a critical stage of the developmental trajectory, where a child’s transition to independent living may result in lead healthy or unhealthy styles. During this period, it is easier to mend an individual as a healthy adult; at the same time, misguided children may enter into risky behaviors. The aim of the study to get an insight into changing brains of adolescents and their behavioral outcomes. The current review search engine proceeds with reviewing the literature in the past through electronic databases such as PubMed, Medline, and Scopus databases using keywords such as adolescent stage, the brain of teenagers, risk behaviors, reduction in gray matter in the prefrontal cortex. The current study reviewed and analyzed 20 articles. The reviewed articles would increase the awareness and insights regarding brain changes and their behavioral outcomes. This insightful information’s drawn out of the study may help professionals and parents who intervene in the adolescent’s problem behaviors

Export Performance In Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar And Vietnam (CLMV) Countries : Panel Data Analysis

Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) countries endeavour to increase the country's foreign exchange earnings by export performance. This study aims to identify the macroeconomic determinants of export performance of CLMV countries from the period of 2000 to 2015. This study adopted panel unit roots test, panel co-integration test and Pooled-mean group (PMG) method for testing and estimating purpose. Empirical findings show that the determinants of export performance are inflation, gross domestic and foreign direct investment, where there are positively associated with export performance of CLMV countries while the interest rate and exchange rate cannot influence the export performance in long run

ACUTE FATTY LIVER IN PREGNANCY

Acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) is an obstetric emergency and life threatening condition of the pregnancy. It affects during last trimester of pregnancy and occasionally occurs in postpartum period. It is presented with malaise, nausea, vomiting, and epigastric pain followed by jaundice. Laboratory tests usually derange liver and renal functions with coagulopathy. The incidence of AFLP is approximately 1 in 15,000 pregnancies. We reported the case of a 34-year-old patient, with multiple pregnancy at 35 weeks of gestation presented with dizziness, headache and dyspepsia aggravated by lying down and noted jaundice during operation. She had postpartum haemorrhage after the operation due to coagulopathy and her laboratory investigations findings favoured to diagnosis as AFLP and treated with supportive management at intensive care unit (ICU). Therefore obstetrician must be aware of one of this hepatic problem in pregnant women at latetrimester

The Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus Among the Indigenous Population in Serian, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo

Introduction: Cervical cancer remains a significant problem worldwide, particularly in resource-limited countries, and having persistent HRHPV infection is a necessary risk factor. HPV16/18 are generally regarded as the cause of 70% cervical cancer incidences worldwide, and effective vaccines have been developed against these two HPVs. Although Malaysia has officially adopted an HPV vaccination strategy into the National Vaccination Program, the comprehensive prevalence data on each endemic HPV genotypes was absent in East Malaysia and most parts of the country except for major cities in Peninsular Malaysia. Objective: The objective of this study is to elucidate the endemic HPV genotypes that are circulating in the suburban population in Serian Division, Sarawak, Malaysia. Methods: Non-virgin women who were attending the Women's health campaign on the 5th and 23rd October 2018 were recruited. Informed consent was obtained, and a cervical swab was clinician-collected. The presence of HPV in the cervical swab was detected using MY09/MY11 followed by GP5+/GP6+ nested-PCR and its corresponding genotypes identified via sequencing. HRHPV positive women were screened using Results: We have recruited 43 sexually active women with median age of 51-year-old. HPV18, 39, 52, 56, and 84 were detected at an equal ratio. The overall prevalence rate of HPV, HRHPV and URHPV were 11.62% (5/43), 9.3% (4/43) and 2.3% respectively. Only 20% (n=1/5) of the HRHPV positive women were positive by VIA. Conclusion: HPV18, 39, 52, 56, and 84 were detected in Serian at an equal ratio. HPV16 was absent, and HPV18 was the only vaccine-genotype detected. HPV 39, 52, 56, and 84 were not covered by the bivalent and tetravalent HPV vaccines

Evaluation of Tropical Herbaceous Legumes for Drought Resistance in Myanmar

Animal nutrition systems in the tropical and subtropical countries utilize a wide range of feedstuffs, mainly the crops and agricultural by-products, grasses, legumes, trees and shrubs. During the dry season, the crude protein concentration in the native grasses can drop below 3% crude protein (Atta-Krah and Reynolds, 1989). Fodder tree is not sufficient and is of low quality in Myanmar (Myo and Aye, 2007). Shrubs represent an enormous potential source of protein for ruminants in the tropics (Devendra, 1992). Browses are rich in nitrogen and minerals which are low in other conventional feeds of tropical regions. Herbaceous legume species play an important role in feeding ruminants worldwide. Herbaceous forage legume have been identified as potential protein supplements for ruminants since they contain high crude protein, minerals and vitamins needed for the growth of ruminal microbes (Norton and Poppi,1995). Herbaceous legumes can be grown as a relay within cereal crops or as a rotation with cereals. Herbaceous legumes can access ‎atmospheric ‎N‎ (‘fixation’)‎ through‎ bacterial‎ activity‎ in‎ root ‎nodules.‎ The‎ ‘fixed’ ‎N‎ becomes‎ available ‎to‎ the‎ legume and subsequent cereal crops. Herbaceous legumes are best planted from seed (Nulik et al., 2013). The aim of using herbaceous legumes in cropping systems is to increase animal productivity, particularly live weight gain in animals being prepared for market. Herbaceous legumes may be fed directly to animals as fresh material in the late wet and early dry seasons, with browse or tree legumes retained for later dry season feeding, or stored as hay and fed in the late dry or early wet seasons when the availability and quality of local feed is lower (Nulik et al., 2013). Legume based pastures give high individual animal performance for growth, fattening, reproduction and wool growth. Cattle live weight gain has been related positively to the proportion of legume in the sward (Mureithi et al., 1995). As pastures become mature, they are characterized by high content of fibre with a higher grade of lignifications and low protein content (Enoh et al., 2005). In Myanmar there is only 0.35% cultivated pasture area to that of cultivated acreages. The improvement and development of pasture is a necessity for Myanmar (Myo and Aye, 2007). For that reason it is needed to evaluate the yield herbaceous legumes for the potential use for ruminants in Myanmar

Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus in Women with Abnormal Cervical Smears from Sarawak, Malaysia

Introduction Cervical cancer is common cancer and ranked in fourth place in both incidence and mortality worldwide. It is 3rd most common female cancer in Malaysia with a lifetime risk of 1 in 116. Infection with high-risk oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) is recognized as one of the substantial risk factors for the development of cervical cancers. Methods It was a cross-sectional study conducted to determine the prevalence of HPV infection and its subtypes among women with various degrees of abnormal smears, who were seen in the colposcopy clinic of Sarawak General Hospital within six months’ period from January to June 2018. We recruited 56 participants. There were 23 each for an atypical squamous cell of undetermined significance (ASC-US) and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) and 10 high- grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL). DNA was extracted, and HPV genotypes were determined via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using two primer pairs MY09/MY11 and GP5+/GP6+. Results The age ranged from 23 to 56 years, with a mean age of 42.96 years. HPV was detected in 20 out of 56 (35.7%). There were 6 high-risk oncogenic HPVs (18, 51, 52, 56, 58, 68) detected in participants and the most prevalent subtypes were 18, 52, and 58 (20% each). Four low-risk HPVs detected were 6, 53, 70, and 84. There was a significant association between the severity of cervical lesions and HPV positivity (P < 0.004). HSIL had the highest positive predictive value to have HPV infection as 70% compared to 43.4% of LSIL and 9.3% of ASC-US. Conclusion Distribution of HPV subtypes from women with abnormal smears from Sarawak indicated a high prevalence of HPV 18, 52, and 58. We also identified HPV 70, which has never been reported in West Malaysia. These findings could contribute valuable information for HPV vaccination strategies, particularly for Sarawakian women

Selection of Suitable Varieties of Grasses for Myanmar

The basal feed resources for ruminants available in most developing countries in the tropics are crop residues, pasture from infertile land, for example communal land, or agro-industrial by-products. These are low in protein and of low digestibility. A major problem facing livestock producers in tropical areas is proper nutrition for their animals during the dry season when pastures, cereal residues and maize stover are limiting in nutritional quality. The researchers in Myanmar have tried to improve the nutritive value of fibrous agricultural residues. Aung Aung et al. (2006) supplemented the sesame and chickpea husk to bulls fed on urea-treated rice straw. One way of improving the utilisation of such crop residues is by proper supplementation with leguminous forages (Poppi and McLennan 1995). In most regions of Myanmar, the green forage is available during the rainfall and become shortage during dry season. Therefore, feedstuff for ruminant animals mainly has to depend upon the availability of agricultural by-products. Almost more than half of the livestock population of Myanmar is inhabited in dry zone and thus, to overcome the scarcity of the feedstuff during summer, the irrigation system was introduced in these areas for the development of agriculture. A simple and effective way to increase livestock production is to grow improved pastures. Throughout Myanmar, extensive areas of idle land could grow excellent pasture. At present, most of the “pastures” consist of low rank, poor quality grasses and a limited range of edible shrubs. During prolonged dry periods, grazing animals subsist on dry mature roughage of poor quality (Myo Kywe and Tin Mg Aye, 2007). Grass species, which can rapidly grow after the rain also having drought tolerance, would be very useful in the production system. There is still little information on the use of forage in Myanmar. It is needed to select the grass species which have drought resistance in Myanmar and thus this experiment was conducted to evaluate a range of introduced tropical grasses in the central dry zone of Myanmar