Study to measure alcohol related attitudes and drinking behaviours in rural Sabah

Alcohol related problems are the biggest cause of life years lost to disability in Malaysian men· Alcohol use is an important part of the culture of many of the ethnic groups of Sabah. It is widely believed that the alcohol consumption in rural Sabah is high, since a large amount of alcohol related harm is seen in the health system there. Objectives of this study are to estimate the prevalence of alcohol consumption in the study area.to determine the magnitude of harmful drinking, to explore into the factors associated with alcohol consumption.to determine the knowledge and attitude towards alcohol among different ethnic groups.to develop recommendation for future health intervention to combat against alcohol problem in the study areas. A Community-based Cross sectional study was conducted from 2009 Oct -2011 Oct for 2 years in 4 areas of rural Sabah in northern Borneo; Kudat, Kota Marudu, Pitas and Kotabelud. FGDs( Qualitative ) and questionnaires survey with face to face interview( Quantitative ) methods were used by trained local Research Assistants. Survey questionnaire was developed after qualitative survey and designed to detect alcohol consumption and other informations together with the AUDIT screening instrument .This study can find out find out which factors put people at risk of alcohol abuse and dependence.the knowledge and attitudes towards drinking, in particular how much alcohol subjects perceive to be an unhealthy amount, moral perceptions of alcohol use, perceptions about the importance of alcohol to their culture in northern rural community , Sabah

Unrecorded alcohol and alcohol-related harm in rural Sabah, Malaysia: a socio-economically deprived region with expensive beer and cheap local spirits

To investigate recorded and unrecorded alcohol and the relation to alcohol-related harm in a region with high taxation, economic deprivation and cultural use of alcohol. Methods: Two participants per household were systematically sampled from 12 different villages chosen using stratified random sampling in the North of Sabah, Malaysia. Participants were asked about each type and amount of drink consumed; price paid, whether tax was paid, number of days sick in the last year and whether they had experienced various health problems. A brief screen for mental disorders (PHQ) and an alcohol disorder screening test (AUDIT) were completed. Village heads were also interviewed about alcohol-related problems at village level. Results: 470 people were interviewed. The most commonly drunk beverages were beer and Montoku (a local distilled beverage), which had average prices of RM3.85 and RM0.48 per standard drink respectively. Montoku was more likely to be drunk by problem drinkers. Only 3.1% of alcohol drunk was believed by respondents to be taxed. Men with an AUDIT score of more than 15 were more likely to have had a sick day in the last year and have a female household member with symptoms of mental disorder on PHQ. Conclusions: Change in the taxation structure needs to be considered to reduce alcohol-related harm. Most alcohol consumed in rural Sabah is smuggled or informal. The low price of local spirits is likely to be contributing to alcohol-related harm. Differential effects on minority populations need to be considered when designing alcohol policy

A partial prehistory of the Southwest Silk Road: Archaeometallurgical networks along the sub-Himalayan corridor

Historical phenomena often have prehistoric precedents, with this paper we investigate the potential for archaeometallurgical analyses and networked data processing to elucidate the progenitors of the Southwest Silk Road in Mainland Southeast Asia and southern China. We present original microstructural, elemental and lead isotope data for 40 archaeological copperbase metal samples, mostly from the UNESCO-listed site of Halin, and lead isotope data for 25 geological copper-mineral samples, also from Myanmar. We combined these data with existing datasets (N=98 total) and compared them to the 1000+ sample late prehistoric archaeometallurgical database available from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Yunnan. Lead isotope data, contextualised for alloy, find location and date, were interpreted manually for intra-site, inter-site and inter-regional consistency, which hint at significant multi-scalar connectivity from the late 2nd millennium BC. To test this interpretation statistically, the archaeological lead isotope data were then processed using regionally-adapted productionderived consistency parameters. Complex networks analysis using the Leiden community detection algorithm established groups of artefacts sharing lead isotopic consistency. Introducing the geographic component allowed for the identification of communities of sites with consistent assemblages. The four major communities were consistent with the manually interpreted exchange networks and suggest southern sections of the Southwest Silk Road were active in the late 2nd millennium BC

Intestinal Parasites among school children (7 to 12 years) in rural areas of Kudat District Sabah Malaysia

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Collaborative Survey and Collection of Brassica Vegetable Genetic Resources in and around the Southern Shan State of Myanmar

From the 3rd to the 16th of September 2015, the Seed Bank, Biotechnology, Plant Genetic Resources and Plant Protection Division, Department of Agricultural Research, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Myanmar and the Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan conducted a collaborative survey to collect vegetable genetic resources, especially those of brassica vegetables, in Kayah State and the southern part of Shan State in Myanmar. We collected a total of 121 samples, including five Amaranthus samples, 63 Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. samples, seven B. oleracea samples, including three subspecies, 18 Capsicum samples, 11 Lactuca sativa L. samples, 14 Raphanus sativus L. samples, and three unidentified brassica plants. The collected plant materials were divided into two subsets, with one to be conserved at Seed Bank of Myanmar and the other at Genetic Resources Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Japan, after being transferred to Japan in accordance with international and national rules. Most of the B. oleracea vegetables grown in the areas were improved varieties that had been introduced from foreign countries. In contrast, most of the B. juncea vegetables were native varieties that had been cultivated in the area for a long time. Indeed, B. juncea has great importance in the diet of those living in and around the southern part of Shan State and is used as fresh and dry leaf vegetables, pickles, edible oil, or essential oil that is used cosmetically. The collected R. sativus samples were landraces that were mostly consumed locally as oilseed and as a root vegetable. A large diversity of B. juncea in Myanmar was observed in morphological and physiological characters and quality traits in this survey. We suggest that the genetic diversity of B. juncea is conserved in Myanmar, which is located between two secondary centers of diversity, China and India.ミャンマー連邦共和国のシャン州南部、およびカヤー州の一部において，主としてアブラナ科野菜類を対象に，遺伝資源探索収集調査を2015年9月3日～16日にかけて実施した．その結果，キャベツ類の7点（キャベツ1点，カリフラワー1点，カイラン5点），カラシナ類63点，ダイコン類14点のアブラナ科野菜類とアマランサス属植物5点，トウガラシ属植物18点，未同定のアブラナ属植物3点の計121点の遺伝資源を収集した．収集品は2分し、一方はミャンマー・シードバンクで、他方は国際および国内法に従って日本に導入され、農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構・遺伝資源センターにて保存される．シャン州南部および隣接地域では，キャベツやカリフラワーは換金作物として地域に普及しているため，改良品種がほとんどであった．他方，カラシナ類は地域に伝統的に栽培されている地方品種が優占していた．カラシナ類は地域の食生活に欠かせない重要な野菜で，新鮮なあるいは乾燥野菜の利用のみならず，漬け物や，精油し食用あるいはスキンケアとしての利用がみられた．ダイコン類も伝統的品種が多く，収集した4点はカラシナと同様に種子から精油し，油利用されていた．　ミャンマーのカラシナ類には，葉形，葉柄・中肋の幅と色，辛みなど多様な変異が存在することが確認された．インドや中国は，カラシナ類の多様性2次センターで，両国の間に位置するミャンマーは，国内の他地域においてもカラシナ類遺伝資源が豊富に存在すると推察された

Collaborative Survey and Collection of Vegetable Genetic Resources in Myanmar, 2019 and 2020

Exploration and collection surveys were conducted from November 2 to November 15, 2019, and from December 26, 2019, to January 7, 2020, under a collaboration between the Tokyo University of Agriculture (TUA), Japan and the Department of Agriculture Research, Myanmar. The first survey was conducted in the northern part of the Sagaing region, and the second in the southern part of Sagaing region, the mountainous area of Nay Pyi Taw, and Shan State. For both surveys, genetic resources were collected from farmlands, farm houses, and local markets. In November 2019, 27 accessions were collected, including 17 samples of Brassica juncea, 4 of the B. oleracea L. Alboglabra group, 3 Brassica sp., and 3 Raphanus sativus L. specimens. From December 2019 to January 2020, 104 samples were collected: 34 Brassica juncea, 7 of the B. oleracea L. Alboglabra group, and 7 Raphanus sativus L. Root and tuber crops, such as Dioscorea spp. and Colocasia esculenta L. Schott, as well as one Xanthosoma sagittifolium, Amorphophallus spp., accounted for 15, 29, and 12 accessions, respectively. The collected genetic resources were divided between the Myanmar Seed Bank and the TUA for the PGRAsia Project, and 50 % were exported to Japan as per the Standard Material Transfer Agreement. The exported seeds and tubers will be multiplied and evaluated in Japan and will be available at the NARO Genebank, Japan for research, breeding, and educational purposes.ミャンマー連邦共和国において，農業畜産灌漑省農業研究局（DAR）と東京農業大学の共同で”Mohn Nyin” と呼ばれるカラシナを中心としたアブラナ科野菜およびイモ類の探索収集を行った．１度目の調査は2019年11月１日から15日にかけてザガイン地方域北部において，2度目の調査は2019年12月26日から2020年1月7日にかけてザガイン地方域およびマンダレー地方域，シャン州において行った．その結果，Brassica juncea 51点，Brassica oleracea L. Alboglabra Group 11点，Brassica sp. 3点，Raphanus sativus L. 10点のアブラナ科野菜遺伝資源およびDioscorea spp. 15点，Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott 28点，Xanthosoma sagittifolium 1点，Amorphophallus spp. 12点の計131点が収集された．収集品は2分し，一方はミャンマーシードバンクで，他方はSMTA に基づき日本に導入された後，農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構遺伝資源センターにて保存される．Figure 1点, Table 2点, Photo 20

Collaborative Survey and Collection of Brassica Vegetable Genetic Resources in Myanmar in 2018 and 2019

Exploration and collection surveys were conducted from October 25 to November 9, 2018 and from February 10 to 26, 2019, under the collaboration between Tokyo University of Agriculture (TUA), Japan, and the Department of Agriculture Research, Myanmar. The 2018 survey was conducted at Shan State, Mandalay Region, and in a part of the Sagaing Region. In 2019, genetic resources were collected from the Eastern Shan State. Genetic resources were collected from farmlands, farmers’ houses, local markets, and areas surrounding administrative offices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation. In all, 110 accessions, including 82 of Brassica juncea, 11 of Brassica oleracea L. Alboglabra Group, one of Brassica oleracea L. Capitata Group, and 16 of Raphanus sativus L, were collected. The collected genetic resources were divided between the Myanmar Seed Bank and TUA for the Plant Genetic Resources in Asia Project, and half of the collected resources was imported to Japan and introduced there as per the Standard Material Transfer Agreement. Imported seeds will be multiplied and evaluated in Japan and will become available from the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization Genebank, Japan, for research, breeding, and educational purposes.ミャンマー連邦共和国において，“Mohn Nyin” と呼ばれるカラシナを中心としたアブラナ野菜の遺伝資源探索収集を行った．2018 年 10 月 25 日から 11 月 9 日までシャン州カロー周辺，マンダレー管区およびザガイン管区の一部で収集を行った．また，2019 年 2 月 10 日から 26 日は東部シャン州において収集を行った．その結果，Brassica juncea 82 点，B. oleracea L. Alboglabra Group 11 点，B. oleracea L. Capitata Group 1 点，Raphanus sativus L. 16 点の計 110 点が収集された．調査はミャンマー農業畜産潅漑省農業研究局および東京農業大学の共同で行われた．収集品は 2 分し，一方はミャンマーシードバンクで，他方は SMTA に基づき日本に導入された後，農業研究，育種，教育目的で配布可能な遺伝資源として，農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構遺伝資源センターにて保存される

Political transition and emergent forest-conservation issues in Myanmar.

Political and economic transitions have had substantial impacts on forest conservation. Where transitions are underway or anticipated, historical precedent and methods for systematically assessing future trends should be used to anticipate likely threats to forest conservation and design appropriate and prescient policy measures to counteract them. Myanmar is transitioning from an authoritarian, centralized state with a highly regulated economy to a more decentralized and economically liberal democracy and is working to end a long-running civil war. With these transitions in mind, we used a horizon-scanning approach to assess the 40 emerging issues most affecting Myanmar's forests, including internal conflict, land-tenure insecurity, large-scale agricultural development, demise of state timber enterprises, shortfalls in government revenue and capacity, and opening of new deforestation frontiers with new roads, mines, and hydroelectric dams. Averting these threats will require, for example, overhauling governance models, building capacity, improving infrastructure- and energy-project planning, and reforming land-tenure and environmental-protection laws. Although challenges to conservation in Myanmar are daunting, the political transition offers an opportunity for conservationists and researchers to help shape a future that enhances Myanmar's social, economic, and environmental potential while learning and applying lessons from other countries. Our approach and results are relevant to other countries undergoing similar transitions

Political transition and emergent forest-conservation issues in Myanmar.

Political and economic transitions have had substantial impacts on forest conservation. Where transitions are underway or anticipated, historical precedent and methods for systematically assessing future trends should be used to anticipate likely threats to forest conservation and design appropriate and prescient policy measures to counteract them. Myanmar is transitioning from an authoritarian, centralized state with a highly regulated economy to a more decentralized and economically liberal democracy and is working to end a long-running civil war. With these transitions in mind, we used a horizon-scanning approach to assess the 40 emerging issues most affecting Myanmar's forests, including internal conflict, land-tenure insecurity, large-scale agricultural development, demise of state timber enterprises, shortfalls in government revenue and capacity, and opening of new deforestation frontiers with new roads, mines, and hydroelectric dams. Averting these threats will require, for example, overhauling governance models, building capacity, improving infrastructure- and energy-project planning, and reforming land-tenure and environmental-protection laws. Although challenges to conservation in Myanmar are daunting, the political transition offers an opportunity for conservationists and researchers to help shape a future that enhances Myanmar's social, economic, and environmental potential while learning and applying lessons from other countries. Our approach and results are relevant to other countries undergoing similar transitions