Does \Sigma -\Sigma -\alpha Form a Quasi-Bound State?

We have investigated the possible existence of a quasi-bound state for the \Sigma -\Sigma -\alpha system in the framework of Faddeev calculations. We are particularly interested in the state of total iso-spin T=2, since for an inert \alpha particle there is no strong conversion to \Xi -N-\alpha or \Lambda -\Lambda -\alpha possible. A \Sigma -\alpha optical potential based on Nijmegen model D and original \Sigma -\Sigma interactions of the series of Nijmegen potentials NSC97 as well a simulated Gaussian type versions thereof are used. Our investigation of the \Sigma -\Sigma -\alpha system leads to a quasi bound state where, depending on the potential parameters, the energy ranges between -1.4 and -2.4 MeV and the level width is about 0.2MeV.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, 5 table

Morpheme-Based Myanmar Word Segmenter

"Myanmar script has no fixed delimiters between words or syllables. Therefore, to achieve meaningful and correct segmented words from the text is a challenging task. This paper has proposed a morpheme-based Myanmar word tokenizer which combines rule-based syllable breaking and dictionary lookup syllable merging methods with longest string matching approach. The proposed approach is tested on a Monolingual dictionary that contains useful information for the word segmentation. It also contains above 32,581 words including headwords, stop words and essential words with Myanmar3 font. These words are collected from Myanmar and Essential Words dictionaries. According to the experimental results, it can provide the promising segmentation accuracy of Myanmar text. KEYWORDS: Syllable breaking; Morpheme;

Focusing health equality, efficiency and health maximization policy review

With economic growth and significant technological advances in the health sector, many countries have developed aggregate outcomes in terms of both health services and individual well-being. Life expectancy has seen a remarkable increase of more than fifty per cent between 1950 and 2009. Achievement is uneven, however, and some groups are better able to access health services than others. In our review, we explore the need and how to maximize health equity, efficiency and effectiveness. Methodology is the review and web surfing on public health, social science, humanity and development literature. The increasing gap in health inequality, however, calls for further reform of the health system to achieve both equity and efficiency. Health is essential for survival and human capability. Good health enables people to participate in society. A new approach to efficient and cost-effective health service provision is community participation in health development. Participation can increase the skills and knowledge of local people, thus providing opportunities to improve their lives (empowerment). Analysis suggests four functional changes to achieve equity and efficiency in maximizing health outputs: reforms targeting universal coverage to achieve universal access to health; people-centred service delivery through concentrating on health services based on need; public policy change targeting integrated and multi-system health planning; and collective health system and community response to achieve health for all

Participatory Visioning and Future Planning. Backcasting with Myanmar Farmers for a more Sustainable Future. Methodological Report

This report describes the methodology of participatory visioning and future planning, including a technique called backcasting. Based on literature and experience, we developed and applied this methodology to support smallholder farmers in southern Myanmar. In a highly participatory bottom-up approach, we co-created and documented the vision of these farmers – in direct collaboration with them – including their desirable futures, and we jointly explored possible pathways and action plans to reach these futures. We also co-implemented needs-based actions including concrete trainings, study trips, and a community-led micro-loan system to strengthen their agriculture – their main source of livelihood. Unfortunately, beginning in 2020, Myanmar experienced two overlapping waves of crisis: the health crisis as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and the political crisis following the coup d’etat in 2021. The final two years of the project were implemented under these extremely challenging conditions. We frequently had to adapt our operationalization to the very dynamic, changing circum-stances. Fortunately, our methodology allowed for this kind of adaptive management. Despite the challenging circumstances, the farmers were positive in their assessment of the project outcomes. This suggests that the methodology of participatory visioning and future planning can be effective even under difficult circumstances. We conclude the report by presenting lessons learnt and recommendations. Firstly, we reflect on how useful this methodology was and how it can be applied in similar or different projects (research, development, etc.). Secondly, we share our practical insights and recommendations regarding the application of the methodology in the given or similar contexts. Finally, we provide practical recommendations for project planning for those who want to include participatory visioning and future planning in their projects

A Case of Cardiac Calcified Amorphous Tumor Presenting with Concomitant ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction and Occipital Stroke and a Brief Review of the Literature

Cardiac calcified amorphous tumor (CAT) is an extremely rare benign intracavitary tumor of the heart. It may mimic other cardiac tumors and can present with signs or symptoms of systemic embolization. There are limited data regarding CAT in the literature. We report a case of a 68-year-old woman with a cardiac CAT and mitral annular calcification (MAC), who presented with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and occipital stroke. After extensive review of the literature, we believe that this case is possibly the first description of a cardiac CAT presenting with STEMI. The CAT was surgically removed, and the diagnosis was confirmed by histology. The patient tolerated the surgery and reported no events at 6-month follow-up

A Rare Case of Carotid Web Presenting with Ischemic Stroke in a Young Woman and a Brief Review of the Literature

Carotid web is a radiological description of a shelf-like intraluminal filling defect in the carotid bulb. It is histologically defined as atypical fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), with abnormal fibrosis and smooth muscle cell hyperplasia in the tunica intima. The spur-like intraluminal protrusion can serve as a nidus for thrombus formation, which could cause systemic embolism and ischemic strokes. We report a case of a 20-year-old female patient presenting with acute ischemic stroke in the ipsilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory. We also discuss the incidence, the prevalence, the pathophysiology, the treatment, and the recurrence of carotid web based on the currently available literature

Evaluation on dry forage yields and nutritional characteristics of introduced herbaceous legumes in Myanmar

The study was carried out to evaluate the forage yields, nutritive values and in vitro fermentation parameters of herbaceous legumes. Five varieties of introduced herbaceous legumes; Stylosanthes guianensis cv. Ubon stylo, Macrotyloma axillare cv. Archer, Centrosema brasilianum cv. Ooloo, Stylosanthes guianensis cv. Stylo 184 and Macroptilum bracteatum cv. Cadarga were evaluated at the research farm, University of Veterinary Science, Yezin, Myanmar. No fertilizer and no irrigation were applied for cultivation to test drought resistance. Dry forage yield, nutritive values and gas production at four harvesting times were measured with 4×5 factorial arrangement (5 legumes and 4 harvesting time) in randomized complete block design. There was no interaction between legumes and harvesting time on forage yield, nutritive values and fermentation parameters but they were affected by the main effects of legume types and harvesting time. Among the legume forages, the highest dry forage yields were found in Ooloo, Ubon stylo, and Stylo 184, and followed by the DM yield of Archer and Cadarga. The DM yield of the second harvest was significantly higher (p<0.05) than those of the first, third and fourth harvest which were not significantly different from each other. As a chemical composition, the DM content of Archer was lower (p<0.05) than those of other varieties. Among the legumes forages, the lower CP content was found in Cadarga. The higher NDF was observed in Ooloo. Ooloo, Ubon stylo and Cadarga showed higher ADF in comparison with the other two varieties. Among the harvesting time, the lowest DM content was found at the first harvest. The highest CP content was found at third harvest. The NDF content was not significantly different. The lowest ADF content was found in fourth harvest. According to the dry forage yield, Ubon stylo and Ooloo had the highest dry forage yield and in term of nutritive values, Stylo 184 and Archer had higher nutritive values. As the main effect of forages, Stylo 184 and Archer had higher gas production in comparison with the other varieties. As the main effect of harvesting time, the fourth harvest had the highest gas production in comparison with other harvesting time. It could be better for cultivation by application of fertilizer and irrigation to get more forage yield and quality. &nbsp

Negotiating and Struggling for a New Life: Stigma, Spirituality, and Coping Strategies of People Living with HIV in Myanmar

Although enacted and internalized stigma is a continuing problem for people living with HIV (PLWH) in Southeast Asia, there is little understanding of how PLWH cope with discrimination, exclusion, and other negative outcomes caused by HIV-related stigmatization. This article aims to bridge this gap by analyzing the lived experiences of HIV-related stigmatization and coping strategies among 30 people with HIV in Myanmar, a country heavily influenced by religion, especially Buddhism. Among the 30 study participants, 20 were female and 10 were male, with ages ranging from 18 to 50 years. Through the lens of Bourdieu's concepts of habitus, field, and capital, this article first elucidates the various forms of stigmatization in family, work, social, and other settings as symbolic violence on people with HIV. The present article shows that spirituality serves as a perceptual and action framework for people with HIV to generate reflexivity toward their HIV infection and related stigmatization and to further engage in agentic responses. More importantly, this article demonstrates how people with HIV draw on spirituality to support peers in reclaiming control over their lives and how they are perceived by society. The findings indicate that the local context, especially cultural and religious resources, should be considered when developing interventions to mitigate HIV-related stigmatization in Southeast Asia