Clinical importance of the Mandalay spitting cobra (Naja mandalayensis) in Upper Myanmar – Bites, envenoming and ophthalmia

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Elsevier in Toxicon on 03/06/2020, available online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2020.05.023 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.© 2020 Elsevier Ltd Examination of 18 cobras brought to three hospitals in the Mandalay Region by patients bitten or spat at by them distinguished 3 monocled cobras (Naja kaouthia) and 15 Mandalay spitting cobras (N. mandalayensis), based on their morphological characteristics. We confirm and extend the known distributions and habitats of both N. mandalayensis and N. kaouthia in Upper Myanmar. Clinical symptoms of local and systemic envenoming by N. mandalayensis are described for the first time. These included local swelling, blistering and necrosis and life-threatening systemic neurotoxicity. More information is needed about the clinical phenotype and management of bites by N. mandalayensis, the commoner of the two cobras in Upper Myanmar. Since the current cobra antivenom manufactured in Myanmar has lower pre-clinical efficacy against N. mandalayensis than N. kaouthia, there is a need for more specific antivenom therapy.Published versio

Effects of pulsed electric field on the viscoelastic properties of potato tissue

We have investigated whether transient permeabilization caused by the application of pulsed electric field would give rise to transient changes in the potato tissue viscoelastic properties. Potato tissue was subjected to nominal field strengths (E) ranging from 30 to 500 V/cm, with a single rectangular pulse of 10−5, 10−4, or 10−3 s. The changes on the viscoelastic properties of potato tissue during pulsed electric fields (PEF) were monitored through small amplitude oscillatory dynamic rheological measurements. The elastic (G′) and viscous moduli (G″) were measured every 30 s after the delivery of the pulse and the loss tangent change (tan-δ) was calculated. The results were correlated with measurements of changes on electrical resistance during the delivery of the pulse. Results show a drastic increase of tan-δ in the first 30 s after the application of the pulse, followed by a decrease 1 min after pulsation. This response is strongly influenced by pulsing conditions and is independent of the total permeabilization achieved by the pulse. Our results, supported by similar measurements on osmotically dehydrated control samples, clearly show that PEF causes a rapid change of the viscoelastic properties of the tissue that could be attributed to a partial loss in turgor pressure. This would be an expected consequence of electroporation. The recovery of tan-δ to values similar to those before pulsation strongly suggests recovery of cell membrane properties and turgor, pointing at reversible permeabilization of the cells. A slight increase of stiffness traduced by a negative change of tan-δ after application of certain PEF conditions may also give an indication of events occurring on cell wall structure due to stress responses. This study set the basis for further investigations on the complex cell stress physiology involving both cell membrane functional properties and cell wall structure that would influence tissue physical properties upon PEF application.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

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Dengue haemorrhagic encephalitis: report of a child from Myanmar with bilateral thalamic involvement

Win Kyawt Khin, Kyaw Linn, Aye Mya Min Aye, Chaw Su Hlaing, Aye Mu Sann, Hnin Wint Wint Aung, Myo Thiri Swe, Cho Thair , Yi Yi Mar, Nway Nway, Phyu Phyu Myint, Ei Hnin Kyu</p

A Comparative Analysis of Co-Production in Public Services

This study investigates current research trends in co-production studies and discusses conceptual approaches. The conceptual paper contains studies on co-production in the field of public administration. This study identifies significant gaps in the field of study by systematically examining 32 co-production research works. The study’s contributions include (1) defining two common characteristics of co-production, (2) classifying three forms of co-production by end-users, and (3) discovering that the aims and performance of co-production are more effective for service providers when the strategy is citizen-centric. Future research should (1) concentrate on the reasons for co-production failures or successes, (2) identify additional barriers to co-production in service production, (3) investigate influences on service providers as well as structural impacts on the co-production process, and (4) provide practical assessments of co-production research

Application of new serological (Major Membrane Protein II) enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for leprosy patients in Myanmar

As serodiagnosis is the easiest way of diagnosing a disease, the utility of (Major Membrane Protein II) MMP-II antigen in the serodiagnosis of leprosy was examined and compared with NTP-BSA ELISA test. It was carried out on the blood samples of new leprosy cases and their contacts from Nyaungdon Township, and on new adult pulmonary TB cases of Yangon TB Center and childhood TB cases of Yangon Children's Hospital and North Okkalapa General Hospital between November 2006 and December 2007. The sensitivity of the tests on detecting leprosy patients who had not been treated was 58/77 (75.32%) and 54/77 (70.1%) for MB patients using MMP-II and NTP-BSA ELISA tests, respectively. It was 48/64 (75.0%) and 40/64 (62.50%) for PB patients using MMP-II and NTP-BSA ELISA tests, respectively. The sensitivity of MMP-II ELISA test was higher than that of NTP-BSA ELISA test on both leprosy patients. The sensitivity of MMP-II ELISA test was also higher than that of NTP-BSA ELISA test on TB patients in our study. Therefore, our data indicate that MMP-II ELISA could be useful as a supporting serodiagnostic tool in diagnosis of leprosy and childhood tuberculosi

A novel checker-patterned AlN MEMS resonator as gravimetric sensor

This paper presents the design and experimental verification of a new class of piezoelectric aluminum nitride (AlN) resonator with checker-patterned electrode architecture for mass sensing applications. The mass sensitivity of the developed sensor is analytically derived and confirmed with FEM simulations and experimental results. The results show that a 773 MHz resonator has mass sensitivity of 175.42 μm2/ng and detection limit of 18.7 ng/cm2. The developed sensor has an obtained mass sensitivity of 2–3 times higher than that of state-of-the-art mass sensors and provides high potential for developed piezoelectric transducers for mass sensing applications

Rurally rooted cross‐border migrant workers from Myanmar, Covid‐19, and agrarian movements

This paper examines the situation of rurally rooted cross-border migrant workers from Myanmar during the Covid-19 pandemic. It looks at the circumstances of the migrants prior to the global health emergency, before exploring possibilities for a post-pandemic future for this stratum of the working people by raising critical questions addressed to agrarian movements. It does this by focusing on the nature and dynamics of the nexus of land and labour in the context of production and social reproduction, a view that in the context of rurally rooted cross-border migrant workers necessarily requires interrelated perspectives on labour, agrarian, and food justice struggles. This requires a rethinking of the role of land, not as a factor in either production or social reproduction, but as a central component in both spheres simultaneously. The question is not ‘whether’ it is necessary and desirable to forge multi-class coalitions and struggles against external capital, while not losing sight of the exploitative relations within rural communities and the household; rather, the question is ‘how’ to achieve this. It will require a messy recursive process, going back and forth between theoretical exploration and practical politics