Are Husbands Involving in Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness for their Wives’ Pregnancies?: A Cross-Sectional Study in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar

INTRODUCTION: Husbands’ involvement in birth preparedness and complication readiness (BP/CR) has been encouraged as a new approach to improve maternal health for safe motherhood since 2000. However, Myanmar is a patriarchy society and despite the strong domination of husbands on the health of their families, their role and involvement in maternal health are still limited. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess husbands’ involvement in BP/CR for their pregnant wives in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research was a cross sectional study which was carried out through a structured questionnaire among 198 husbands of pregnant women aged 18 years and above in Nay Pyi Taw. RESULTS: The results showed that 42.4% of husbands included in the study had poor involvement in BP/CR for safe motherhood. Approximately 38% of husbands failed to plan health facility for delivery, 45% did not plan for a skilled birth attendant, 20% did not save money for the delivery, 43% neglected transportation arrangement and 66% did not identify a blood donor in case of emergency. Husbands having good knowledge and positive attitude were significantly (p-value <0.001) involved in BP/CR as compared to those who did not. In addition, husbands who planned the pregnancy along with wives were involved in BP/CR more than those who did not and association was significant at p<0.001. Conclusion: Level of husbands’ involvement in BP/CR is slightly low for their wives’ pregnancies. It was, therefore, recommended that effective husband involvement intervention programmes should be promoted at all levels of healthcare for safe motherhood

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

Knowledge, attitude and practice towards sexual and reproductive health including comprehensive sexuality education among first year students of university Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Malaysia

This study aims to assess knowledge, attitude and behavior in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) including comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) among 439 first year students; 213 sciences and 226 arts students from 5 Faculties of University Malaysia Sabah (2016-2017). Exposure of Malaysian students to sexual education is limited to science subjects which are only being taught at upper elementary and secondary high school levels. Arts students are less exposed to sexual education across Malaysia as it is delivered in Basic Science subject only. It was a university-based, cross-sectional, descriptive study. Pretested self- administered questionnaire was anonymously completed by all participants and was conducted from November 2016 to January 2017. Students’ demographic characteristics from Science and Arts streams were same except females, Sabah ethnics and Malays were more in Arts. Awareness of HIV/AIDS, Condom, Wet dream, COC pills and abortion services were more in Science students and statistically significant. 34.3 % and 81.2% of Science students agreed that CSE should be introduced in primary and secondary school but not statistically significant. 22 out of 439 students were sexually active. Science students had more knowledge about SRH and favourable attitude towards sexuality education but less favourable behaviour of watching and reading pornographic materials. It was concluded that there were gaps in knowledge, attitude and behaviour of SRH and need to remedy these by giving appropriate CSE classes to first-year university students in an elective module according to their culture and religious beliefs in accord with International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education (ITGSE)

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 of physicochemical characteristics and genetic diversity of widely consumed rice varieties in Kyaukse area, Myanmar

Consumer preferences are greatly influenced by eating and cooking qualities of rice grains, along with the economic value of a specific rice variety. This study was to evaluate ten rice varieties including the check variety IR64 on their physicochemical, cooking and eating qualities as well as to identify their genetic diversity using SSR markers. Most rice varieties are medium-grain types based on length-breadth ratio, whereas the famous Myanmar rice variety, Paw San Bay Kyar, (PSBK) is bold. PSBK showed the best cooking and eating quality traits with intermediate amylose content (AC), intermediate gelatinization temperature (GT), soft gel consistency (GC), and the highest elongation ratio among the studied rice varieties. Seventeen SSR markers linked with cooking and eating traits were used to assess the extent of polymorphism and genetic variation among ten rice varieties. There were 49 alleles in total, with an average of 2.88 alleles per locus. RM592 had the maximum number of alleles. The average PIC value ranged from 0.22 (RM540) to 0.77 (RM592). Cluster analysis with UPGMA method based on Jaccard’s similarity coefficient divided ten rice varieties into two main groups and four sub-clusters. In multiple regression analysis, RM190 and Wx primers were discovered to be significantly associated with AC, GC and GT of cooking and eating quality traits. This study could contribute to the choice of rice varieties with superior cooking and eating qualities for rice breeding programs by implementing physicochemical characteristics and molecular analysis

Emotional Intelligence Level of Year One and Two Medical Students of University Malaysia Sarawak: Association With Demographic Data

Emotional intelligence is the ability to monitor one’s own and other’s emotions, to discriminate among them, and to guide one’s thinking and actions. It is very important to assess as it helps to reason out our emotional responses. The objective of this study is to assess the emotional intelligence level of Year one and two medical students of UNIMAS. Majority has strength in all the domains except managing emotions domain where 51.5% need attention. No respondent fall into the development priority competency. There were no significant difference among all the domains between two groups but Year 1 students need more attention in managing emotions domain compared to Year 2 students. There was no significant association between demographic characteristics – age, residency, qualification and ethnicity – but there was a significant association (p value of 0.038) in male with empathy domain. Further study should be done on groups spanning from Year 1 to Year 5 as they have a greater difference in age as well as exposure to clinical practice which may have a significant impact on their emotional intelligence

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

Prevalence and seroprevalence of Plasmodium infection in Myanmar reveals highly heterogeneous transmission and a large hidden reservoir of infection.

Malaria incidence in Myanmar has significantly reduced over recent years, however, completeness and timeliness of incidence data remain a challenge. The first ever nationwide malaria infection and seroprevalence survey was conducted in Myanmar in 2015 to better understand malaria epidemiology and highlight gaps in Annual Parasite Index (API) data. The survey was a cross-sectional two-stage stratified cluster-randomised household survey conducted from July-October 2015. Blood samples were collected from household members for ultra-sensitive PCR and serology testing for P. falciparum and P. vivax. Data was gathered on demography and a priori risk factors of participants. Data was analysed nationally and within each of four domains defined by API data. Prevalence and seroprevalence of malaria were 0.74% and 16.01% nationwide, respectively. Prevalent infection was primarily asymptomatic P. vivax, while P. falciparum was predominant in serology. There was large heterogeneity between villages and by domain. At the township level, API showed moderate correlation with P. falciparum seroprevalence. Risk factors for infection included socioeconomic status, domain, and household ownership of nets. Three K13 P. falciparum mutants were found in highly prevalent villages. There results highlight high heterogeneity of both P. falciparum and P. vivax transmission between villages, accentuated by a large hidden reservoir of asymptomatic P. vivax infection not captured by incidence data, and representing challenges for malaria elimination. Village-level surveillance and stratification to guide interventions to suit local context and targeting of transmission foci with evidence of drug resistance would aid elimination efforts

ပစ်တိုင်းေတာင် = Pyit-taing-htaung = Every time you toss it, it stands up

RESEARCH QUESTION How can a community-based refugee camp experience that includes the building and occupation of vernacular architecture help address alienation and build resilience? ABSTRACT Currently, around 82 million people are displaced globally. Many of them are refugees who have been refused citizenship and have no access to fundamental human rights such as education, health care, work, freedom of movement, and freedom of expression. As we speak, refugees are among those who are vulnerable and in need of support. Through a comprehensive design approach and holistic solutions, architecture can help meet the needs of refugees. Around 1.1 million refugees from Myanmar are situated in large refugee camps between Myanmar and its neighbouring countries, such as Thailand and Bangladesh. Some refugees have been living under these circumstances for over 30 years, which are still described as “temporary shelters” by the authorities. These camps are often isolated from the rest of the world, and refugees are required to live within restricted boundaries. Refugees are often left in the dark about when they will be resettled and where their future lives will occur. A small potion of refugees will be resettled to western countries with help from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). These include countries such as New Zealand, Australia, United States of America, Norway, Sweden, and more. Also, a significant problem lies within refugees’ transition phase after leaving the camp. This is caused by a lack of preparation and guidance when rebuilding their new lives in an entirely new place. However, out of 26.4 million refugees worldwide in 2020, only 34,400 refugees were resettled, and 251,000 refugees were returned to their counties of origin. This means that a long-term solution is needed in solving the refugee crisis, and architecture has the solution for creating meaningful places for millions of refugees who are still trapped in these refugee camps. This research project aims to understand how architecture can promote hope and assist refugees’ within the refugee camp. The question for the research is: How can a community-based refugee camp experience that includes the building and occupation of vernacular architecture help address alienation and build resilience? The project will be approached with the mindset of refugees’ involvement and allowing them to create their own set of rules and use their own skill sets. Alongside this, a construction system will be developed that will be adaptable to those skill sets. Finally, the project will take full advantage of the limited natural resources available in their environment. It ensures their connectedness to the building and creates a sense of pride and ownership amongst the refugee community. The goal is to achieve an architecture that provides a safe space for refugees and a place where one feels a sense of belonging to motivate refugees to express, educate and prepare themselves for the upcoming future. SITE: Nupo Temporary Shelter (UNHCR), Umphang District, Thailan