Matching action to need: an analysis of Global Burden of Disease 2017 and population health data to focus adolescent health policy and actions in Myanmar

Background: Myanmar is a country undergoing rapid transitions in health. Its national strategic policy for young people's health is being revised but there is a paucity of population data to inform local priorities and needs. Objective: In this paper we describe a comprehensive profile of adolescent health in Myanmar to focus policy and health actions. Methods: We used available primary data, and modelled estimates from the GBD 2017, to describe health outcomes (mortality and morbidity), health risks and determinants for adolescents in Myanmar between 1990-2017. A governance group of key stakeholders guided the framing of the study, interpretation of findings, and recommendations. Results: Overall health has improved for adolescents in Myanmar since 1990, however adolescent mortality remains high, particularly so for older adolescent males; all-cause mortality rate for 10-24 years was 70 per 100,000 for females and 149 per 100,000 for males (16,095 adolescent deaths in 2017). Overall, the dominant health problems were injuries for males and non-communicable disease for females in a context of ongoing burden of communicable and nutritional diseases for both sexes, and reproductive health needs for females. Health risks relating to undernutrition (thinness and anaemia) remain prevalent, with other health risks (overweight, binge alcohol use, and substance use) relatively low by global and regional standards but increasing. Gains have been made in social determinants such as adolescent fertility and modern contraception use; however, advances have been more limited in secondary education completion and engagement in employment and post education training. Conclusions: These results highlight the need to focus current efforts on addressing disease and mortality experienced by adolescents in Myanmar, with a specific focus on injury, mental health and non-communicable disease.Karly I. Cini, Phone Myint Win, Zay Yar Swe, Kyu Kyu Than, Thin Mar Win ... Peter S. Azzopardi ... et al

Friction and wear durability studies on the 3D negative fingerprint and honeycomb textured SU-8 surfaces

10.1016/j.triboint.2012.10.020Tribology International60187-197TRBI

Dry Season Rice Yield Responses to Nitrogen Fertilizer in Central Myanmar

Rice crop yields in central Myanmar are considered to be relatively low due to inadequate applications of fertilizer, and particularly of nitrogen (N). In this study, replicated field experiments were conducted at two sites, Taungoo and Yezin, in Central Myanmar to determine the crop yield responses to N fertilizer for dry season irrigated rice in 2017. The two field experiments were identical in design and conducted at the same time. The experiments had a randomized complete block design with 3 replicates of 8 treatments. The 8 treatments included 6 rates of N fertilizer (0, 30, 77.6, 100, 130, and 160 kg N/ha), applied as two split surface-broadcast applications at 10 days after transplant (10DAT) and at crop panicle initiation (PI) in accordance with local farmer practice. In addition a urea deep placement (UDP) treatment with placement of 2.7 g urea briquettes at IFDC-recommended spacing and soil depth at a N rate of 77.6 kg N/ha was included, as well as a nil input control. All treatments except for the nil input control received basal applications of P, K, S, and Zn. Mean grain yields at Taungoo ranged from 3.54 t/ha (0 kg N/ha) to 5.24 t/ha (160 kg N/ha) whilst at Yezin they ranged from 6.78 t/ha (0 kg N/ha) to 8.15 t/ha (130 kg N/ha). The Taungoo site may represent a typical low-fertility farm site whereas the Yezin site had a more fertile soil. The 77.6 kg N/ha application rate was found to result in a 33% increase (i.e. +1.18 t/ha) in grain yield (P<0.05) at the Taungoo site and a 12 % increase (i.e. + 0.84 t/ha) at the Yezin site (P<0.05) indicating benefits from this N fertilizer rate, depending on economic analysis. At the Taungoo site the UDP treatment (77.6 kg N/ha) produced yields consistently higher than the comparable 77.6 kg N/ha surface broadcast treatment, with a UDP mean yield of 5.23 vs 4.72 t/ha for surface broadcast. However, analysis of variance (ANOVA) found this not to be significant at P=0.05, with a t-test estimating P=0.054 for this comparison. This is sufficient to encourage further research on UDP in this environment. Yield response curves were derived for N fertilizer applications from the experimental data from the two experiment sites. The Taungoo site yield response curve for N was thought to be more applicable to the general soil fertility levels of rice farms in central Myanmar. This paper presents the first results from these experiments which will be expanded on as the full dataset including soil and plant analysis is obtained

Absent otoacoustic emissions predict otitis media in young Aboriginal children: A birth cohort study in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children in an arid zone of Western Australia

Background: Otitis media (OM) is the most common paediatric illness for which antibiotics are prescribed. In Australian Aboriginal children OM is frequently asymptomatic and starts at a younger age, is more common and more likely to result in hearing loss than in non-Aboriginal children. Absent transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) may predict subsequent risk of OM. Methods: 100 Aboriginal and 180 non-Aboriginal children in a semi-arid zone of Western Australia were followed regularly from birth to age 2 years. Tympanometry was conducted at routine field follow-up from age 3 months. Routine clinical examination by an ENT specialist was to be done 3 times and hearing assessment by an audiologist twice. TEOAEs were measured at ages <1 and 1-2 months. Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate the association between absent TEOAEs and subsequent risk of OM. Results: At routine ENT specialist clinics, OM was detected in 55% of 184 examinations in Aboriginal children and 26% of 392 examinations in non-Aboriginal children; peak prevalence was 72% at age 5-9 months in Aboriginal children and 40% at 10-14 months in non-Aboriginal children. Moderate-severe hearing loss was present in 32% of 47 Aboriginal children and 7% of 120 non-Aboriginal children aged 12 months or more. TEOAE responses were present in 90% (46/51) of Aboriginal children and 99% (120/121) of non-Aboriginal children aged <1 month and in 62% (21/ 34) and 93% (108/116), respectively, in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children at age 1-2 months. Aboriginal children who failed TEOAE at age 1-2 months were 2.6 times more likely to develop OM subsequently than those who passed. Overall prevalence of type B tympanograms at field follow-up was 50% (n = 78) in Aboriginal children and 20% (n = 95) in non-Aboriginal children. Conclusion: The burden of middle ear disease is high in all children, but particularly in Aboriginal children, one-third of whom suffer from moderate-severe hearing loss. In view of the frequently silent nature of OM, every opportunity must be taken to screen for OM. Measurement of TEOAEs at age 1-2 months to identify children at risk of developing OM should be evaluated in a routine health service setting