Project-based learning module on creativity and entrepreneurship products subject: Validity and empirical effect

The learning process for Creativity and Entrepreneurship Products subjects in Vocational High Schools still uses printed books which are verbal in nature so this will make it difficult for students to learn the learning material. Apart from that, the learning method used the lecture method which is certainly less effective in supporting students' understanding of the material so that learning is more teacher-centred. Meanwhile, the demand for the current ‘Merdeka’ curriculum is that learning must be student-centered. This research aimed at developing learning tools of PjBL (Project Based Learning) based teaching modules on the Product Creativity and Entrepreneurship subjects. This research was a type of research and development using the ADDIE development model. There were 12 experts who validate this module from 3 aspects, namely material, media and model, and language aspects and there were 30 students for limited trials. The results of this research showed that this module was valid and has a positive effect in supporting the learning process for the Product Creativity and Entrepreneurship subjects. This research had implications for the effectiveness of Creativity and Entrepreneurship Products learning and being one method that can be used by teachers in this learning

Presence of Burkholderia pseudomallei in the 'Granary of Myanmar'.

Melioidosis is a frequently fatal infectious disease caused by the Gram negative bacillus Burkholderia pseudomallei. Although it was originally discovered in Myanmar, the disease disappeared from sight for many decades. This study focuses on detection of B. pseudomallei in soil in selected sampling sites in an attempt to start to fill the gaps in the current status of our knowledge of the geographical distribution of B. pseudomallei in soil in Myanmar. This cross-sectional study consists of 400 soil samples from 10 selected study townships from two major paddy growing regions. Bacterial isolation was done using a simplified method for the isolation of Burkholderia pseudomallei from soil. In this study, only 1% (4/400) of soil samples were found to be positive; two of four were found at 90 cm depth and another two positive samples were found at 30 cm and 60 cm. This survey has confirmed the presence of environmental B. pseudomallei in Myanmar indicating that the conditions are in place for melioidosis acquisition

Fully-automated patient-level malaria assessment on field-prepared thin blood film microscopy images, including Supplementary Information

Malaria is a life-threatening disease affecting millions. Microscopy-based assessment of thin blood films is a standard method to (i) determine malaria species and (ii) quantitate high-parasitemia infections. Full automation of malaria microscopy by machine learning (ML) is a challenging task because field-prepared slides vary widely in quality and presentation, and artifacts often heavily outnumber relatively rare parasites. In this work, we describe a complete, fully-automated framework for thin film malaria analysis that applies ML methods, including convolutional neural nets (CNNs), trained on a large and diverse dataset of field-prepared thin blood films. Quantitation and species identification results are close to sufficiently accurate for the concrete needs of drug resistance monitoring and clinical use-cases on field-prepared samples. We focus our methods and our performance metrics on the field use-case requirements. We discuss key issues and important metrics for the application of ML methods to malaria microscopy.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figure

Observational study of adult respiratory infections in primary care clinics in Myanmar: understanding the burden of melioidosis, tuberculosis and other infections not covered by empirical treatment regimes.

BACKGROUND: Lower respiratory infections constitute a major disease burden worldwide. Treatment is usually empiric and targeted towards typical bacterial pathogens. Understanding the prevalence of pathogens not covered by empirical treatment is important to improve diagnostic and treatment algorithms. METHODS: A prospective observational study in peri-urban communities of Yangon, Myanmar was conducted between July 2018 and April 2019. Sputum specimens of 299 adults presenting with fever and productive cough were tested for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (microscopy and GeneXpert MTB/RIF [Mycobacterium tuberculosis/resistance to rifampicin]) and Burkholderia pseudomallei (Active Melioidosis Detect Lateral Flow Assay and culture). Nasopharyngeal swabs underwent respiratory virus (influenza A, B, respiratory syncytial virus) polymerase chain reaction testing. RESULTS: Among 299 patients, 32% (95% confidence interval [CI] 26 to 37) were diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB), including 9 rifampicin-resistant cases. TB patients presented with a longer duration of fever (median 14 d) and productive cough (median 30 d) than non-TB patients (median fever duration 6 d, cough 7 d). One case of melioidosis pneumonia was detected by rapid test and confirmed by culture. Respiratory viruses were detected in 16% (95% CI 12 to 21) of patients. CONCLUSIONS: TB was very common in this population, suggesting that microscopy and GeneXpert MTB/RIF on all sputum samples should be routinely included in diagnostic algorithms for fever and cough. Melioidosis was uncommon in this population

Socializing One Health: an innovative strategy to investigate social and behavioral risks of emerging viral threats

In an effort to strengthen global capacity to prevent, detect, and control infectious diseases in animals and people, the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Emerging Pandemic Threats (EPT) PREDICT project funded development of regional, national, and local One Health capacities for early disease detection, rapid response, disease control, and risk reduction. From the outset, the EPT approach was inclusive of social science research methods designed to understand the contexts and behaviors of communities living and working at human-animal-environment interfaces considered high-risk for virus emergence. Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, PREDICT behavioral research aimed to identify and assess a range of socio-cultural behaviors that could be influential in zoonotic disease emergence, amplification, and transmission. This broad approach to behavioral risk characterization enabled us to identify and characterize human activities that could be linked to the transmission dynamics of new and emerging viruses. This paper provides a discussion of implementation of a social science approach within a zoonotic surveillance framework. We conducted in-depth ethnographic interviews and focus groups to better understand the individual- and community-level knowledge, attitudes, and practices that potentially put participants at risk for zoonotic disease transmission from the animals they live and work with, across 6 interface domains. When we asked highly-exposed individuals (ie. bushmeat hunters, wildlife or guano farmers) about the risk they perceived in their occupational activities, most did not perceive it to be risky, whether because it was normalized by years (or generations) of doing such an activity, or due to lack of information about potential risks. Integrating the social sciences allows investigations of the specific human activities that are hypothesized to drive disease emergence, amplification, and transmission, in order to better substantiate behavioral disease drivers, along with the social dimensions of infection and transmission dynamics. Understanding these dynamics is critical to achieving health security--the protection from threats to health-- which requires investments in both collective and individual health security. Involving behavioral sciences into zoonotic disease surveillance allowed us to push toward fuller community integration and engagement and toward dialogue and implementation of recommendations for disease prevention and improved health security

Artemisinin resistant falciparum malaria in Myanmar

Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is first-line treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria globally but artemisinin resistance is now prevalent across Southeast Asia. Myanmar has the highest malaria burden in the region, and determining the prevalence of artemisinin resistance and current therapeutic efficacy of first-line antimalarial drugs is critical for both clinicians and policy makers planning malaria control and elimination programmes. The aim of this research was to study the geographical extent, prevalence, degree and optimum treatment of artemisinin-resistant falciparum malaria in Myanmar through a countrywide molecular survey and two multicentre clinical trials supported by parasitological and pharmacological investigations. In a molecular survey of clinical falciparum malaria cases carried out in 55 sites across 10 administrative regions and border sites in neighbouring countries 39% of cases (371/940) were associated with parasites carrying a kelch13 propeller mutation. Kelch13 mutation prevalence exceeded 10% in much of the east and north of the country and was 47% in an area 25 km from the border with India. In a trial conducted in central and northern Myanmar treatment efficacy of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) was 100% but there was delayed parasite clearance associated with the kelch13 mutation F446I (median clearance half-life 4.7 hours, IQR, 3.7 to 6.2). In a randomised controlled trial of 3-days versus 5-days artemether-lumefantrine (AL) treatment efficacy was 100% (95%CI, 94.9-100) and 97% (95%CI, 90-99.7) respectively and the two arms showed equal clearance rates (measured by an ultrasensitive quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay, uqPCR)..There was no association between the presence of kelch13 propeller mutations and residual parasite density at day 21, measured using uqPCR. Gametocyte carriage rates were high reinforcing the need to implement single low-dose primaquine (0.25 mg/kg) with ACTs to kill gametocytes in this area of artemisinin resistance. In conclusion, artemisinin resistant falciparum malaria is widespread in Myanmar. While DP and AL remain efficacious, the partner drugs are vulnerable and if resistance develops treatment efficacy is likely to decline rapidly. Greater efforts are urgently needed to monitor treatment efficacy of first-line antimalarial drugs and develop alternative treatment regimens.</p

Artemisinin resistant falciparum malaria in Myanmar

Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is first-line treatment for Plasmodium falciparum malaria globally but artemisinin resistance is now prevalent across Southeast Asia. Myanmar has the highest malaria burden in the region, and determining the prevalence of artemisinin resistance and current therapeutic efficacy of first-line antimalarial drugs is critical for both clinicians and policy makers planning malaria control and elimination programmes. The aim of this research was to study the geographical extent, prevalence, degree and optimum treatment of artemisinin-resistant falciparum malaria in Myanmar through a countrywide molecular survey and two multicentre clinical trials supported by parasitological and pharmacological investigations. In a molecular survey of clinical falciparum malaria cases carried out in 55 sites across 10 administrative regions and border sites in neighbouring countries 39&percnt; of cases (371/940) were associated with parasites carrying a kelch13 propeller mutation. Kelch13 mutation prevalence exceeded 10&percnt; in much of the east and north of the country and was 47&percnt; in an area 25 km from the border with India. In a trial conducted in central and northern Myanmar treatment efficacy of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP) was 100&percnt; but there was delayed parasite clearance associated with the kelch13 mutation F446I (median clearance half-life 4.7 hours, IQR, 3.7 to 6.2). In a randomised controlled trial of 3-days versus 5-days artemether-lumefantrine (AL) treatment efficacy was 100&percnt; (95&percnt;CI, 94.9-100) and 97&percnt; (95&percnt;CI, 90-99.7) respectively and the two arms showed equal clearance rates (measured by an ultrasensitive quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay, uqPCR)..There was no association between the presence of kelch13 propeller mutations and residual parasite density at day 21, measured using uqPCR. Gametocyte carriage rates were high reinforcing the need to implement single low-dose primaquine (0.25 mg/kg) with ACTs to kill gametocytes in this area of artemisinin resistance. In conclusion, artemisinin resistant falciparum malaria is widespread in Myanmar. While DP and AL remain efficacious, the partner drugs are vulnerable and if resistance develops treatment efficacy is likely to decline rapidly. Greater efforts are urgently needed to monitor treatment efficacy of first-line antimalarial drugs and develop alternative treatment regimens.</p

Development of Hand Safety Control System for Press Brake CNC Machine Using Laser

This paper presents a laser control scheme for press brake CNC machine applied to the operator’s safety security. Press Brake Safety System is designed to keep operators safety while operating press brake machines. Fingers, hands, arms and other appendages can be injured or lost due to unsafe press brake operation. This paper consists of three portions such as 1. Laser transmitter with modulated security signal, 2.Laser receiver with demodulator, 3.PIC based control system for CNC machine process control. The laser transmitter and receiver detect operator’s hand and control system determines the safety of operator in operation. The transmitter used a laser pen with modulated signal for security of laser beam. The receiver detects the transmitter’s laser beam and then it demodulated and gave the processing signal to PIC control unit. Control unit access the receiver’s output signal and confirmed it was defined signal or not. It’s also determined the system was safety or not and then produced a control signal to pause the operation of CNC press brake machine