Kebolehupayaan sistem penuaian hujan sebagai bekalan air alternatif di Malaysia: Suatu penelitian awal

Sistem Penuaian Air Hujan dianggap sebagai Kaedah Pengurusan Terbaik atau "Best Management Practice (BMP)" yang diamalkan di Malaysia. Sistem ini bukan sahaja bertujuan untuk melambatkan aliran air larian permukaan malahan ianya juga dijadikan sebagai sumber bekalan air alternatif yang percuma dan selamat digunakan. Terdapat juga pandangan yang mengatakan sistem tersebut tidak viable dan praktikal memandangkan kos binaan dan penyelenggaraan yang terpaksa ditanggung oleh pengguna sistem berkenaan. Bagaimanapun, terdapat beberapa kajian di dalam dan diluar negara menunjukkan faktor ‘return on capital’ atau ROC bagi sistem ini hanyalah di dalam tempoh masa yang pendek, iaitu antara dua hingga tiga tahun. Artikel ini cuba meneliti tapak pelaksanaan sistem berkenaan di kampus Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia sebagai makmal ujikaji khusus. Hasil pengoperasian sistem analisis TANGKINAHRIM (2010), telah mendapati taburan hujan yang konsisten sepanjang tahun, di samping keluasan tapak tadahan air yang besar dan mencukupi untuk kegunaan operasi pejabat di Fakulti Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan. Kebolehpercayaan terhadap sistem berkenaan adalah tinggi iaitu 89.3% dan didapati saiz tangki yang optimum adalah di sekitar 60 hingga 65 meter padu air yang mampu diisi. Anggaran saiz berkenaan adalah didapati bersesuaian dengan saiz tadahan, jumlah populasi (pengguna) dan juga perletakan lokasi yang strategik

Clinical importance of the Mandalay spitting cobra (Naja mandalayensis) in Upper Myanmar – Bites, envenoming and ophthalmia

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Elsevier in Toxicon on 03/06/2020, available online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2020.05.023 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.© 2020 Elsevier Ltd Examination of 18 cobras brought to three hospitals in the Mandalay Region by patients bitten or spat at by them distinguished 3 monocled cobras (Naja kaouthia) and 15 Mandalay spitting cobras (N. mandalayensis), based on their morphological characteristics. We confirm and extend the known distributions and habitats of both N. mandalayensis and N. kaouthia in Upper Myanmar. Clinical symptoms of local and systemic envenoming by N. mandalayensis are described for the first time. These included local swelling, blistering and necrosis and life-threatening systemic neurotoxicity. More information is needed about the clinical phenotype and management of bites by N. mandalayensis, the commoner of the two cobras in Upper Myanmar. Since the current cobra antivenom manufactured in Myanmar has lower pre-clinical efficacy against N. mandalayensis than N. kaouthia, there is a need for more specific antivenom therapy.Published versio

Evaluation of Myanmar Rice Germplasms for Resistance to Bacterial Blight

Pathogenic diversity of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae from four major rice growing divisions of Myanmar was investigated. One hundred and thirty two isolates: 28 isolates from Ayeyarwady Division, 17 from Yangon Division, 42 from Bago Division and 45 from Mandalay Division, collected during 2004 and 2005 rice growing seasons were very diverse in virulence on 12 near-isogenic lines each of which carrying a specific resistance gene, Xa 1, Xa 2, Xa 3, Xa 4, xa 5, Xa 7, xa 8, Xa 10, Xa 11, xa 13, Xa 14, or Xa 21. The isolates were classified into 19 races based on their virulence. Among 19 races, Race 17 which consisted of 21.97% of the test isolates, was not only the most predominant race but also prevalent in 4 major rice growing divisions of Myanmar. It was also virulent on most of the differentials except IRBB 13 and IRBB 21. Race 7 and Race 11 fell into the second and third position in terms of predominance, respectively. However, Race 11 was found in four major rice growing divisions except Yangon Division, and Race 7 was detected in Bago and Mandalay Divisions only. Similarly, most of the other races found in one or two divisions were not detected in other divisions. The most predominant race in one division was also different from that of other divisions. Pathogenic diversity of four selected isolates collected from Hmawbi, Bogale, Paukkhaung and Kyaukse was confirmed by computer-assisted image analysis method in quantifying disease severity. The virulence of each of the four isolates on three near-isogenic lines, IRBB 3, IRBB 7 and IRBB 13 each carrying a specific resistance gene Xa 3, Xa 7, and xa 13, respectively, was qualitatively different from that of other isolates. One hundred and thirty-four Myanmar rice germplasms obtained from Seed Bank, Department of Agricultural Research, Yezin, were evaluated for their resistance to the representative isolates of four races. The test rice germplasms were divided into four groups, Group A, B, C and D, based on their reaction to four isolates. Two rice germplasms namely Mya Wut Yi and Talay were belonged to Group D and resistant to three representative isolates of the three most predominant races detected in four major rice growing divisions of Myanmar

Household ownership and utilization of insecticide-treated nets under the Regional Artemisinin Resistance Initiative in Myanmar

Abstract Background Malaria is a major public health problem in Myanmar with reported artemisinin resistance. Myanmar promotes the use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) through the free delivery of long-lasting insecticide nets (LLINs) with target coverage of at least 80% in moderate and high-risk areas by 2014. Migrant people are at greater risk of malaria. They have significant barriers to health care services for febrile illness and malaria. Thus, a community-based survey was conducted among the migrant population to assess the ownership and utilization of bed nets (ITN/LLINs) for malaria. Methods The study analyzed secondary data from a community-based malaria survey conducted in 2014 among migrant population in 30 randomly selected townships out of 52 Regional Artemisinin Resistance Initiative (RAI) townships. In each township, five migrant sites were randomly selected (total of 150 migrant sites). A total of 3933 households (approximately 125 households from each township) were selected. Results Of 3923 households assessed, 97% had access to at least one bed net (any type), but only half had access to ITN/LLINs. Only 24% of households had adequate ITN/LLIN access (at least one ITN/LLIN per two persons). In terms of household utilization, 94.3% slept under a bed net (any type) the previous night. Only 43.4% slept under an ITN/LLIN. ITN/LLIN utilization in children under 5 years and pregnant women (high-malaria risk groups) was 45.3 and 46.6%, respectively. Of all nets, 31.3% had holes or had already undergone repairs. In terms of insecticide treatment status, 52.9% of bed nets were untreated and 35.9% of ITNs had not been treated with insecticide for more than a year. Conclusion This study highlights poor access and high utilization of ITN/LLINs among migrant population, particularly among children and pregnant women. It highlights the need for improving bed net coverage and access to ITN/LLINs through bed net distributions and/or social marketing with the focus on migrant population and targeting of households with children and pregnant women

Assessment of household ownership of bed nets in areas with and without artemisinin resistance containment measures in Myanmar

Abstract Background Myanmar lies in the Greater Mekong Subregion where there is artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria. As the artemisinin compound is the pillar of effective antimalarial therapies, containing the spread of artemisinin resistance is a national and global priority. The use of insecticide-treated bed nets/long-lasting insecticidal nets (ITNs/LLINs) is the key intervention for ensuring the reduction of malaria transmission and the spread of resistant strains, and for eventually eliminating malaria. This study aimed at assessing household ownership of, access to, and utilization of bed nets in areas of Myanmar with and without artemisinin resistance containment measures. Methods Secondary data from a nationwide community-based malaria survey conducted by the National Malaria Control Program in 2014 were analyzed. Based on evidence of artemisinin resistance, Myanmar was divided into tiers 1, 2, and 3: townships in tiers 1 and 2 were aggregated as the Myanmar Artemisinin Resistance Containment (MARC) areas and were compared with tier 3 townships, which were defined as non-MARC areas. The chi-square test was used to compare groups, and the level of significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. Results Of the 6328 households assessed, 97.2% in both MARC and non-MARC areas had at least one bed net (any type), but only 63% of households had ITNs/LLINs. Only 44% of households in MARC areas and 24% in non-MARC areas had adequate numbers of ITNs/LLINs (one ITN/LLIN per two persons, P <  0.001). Nearly 44% of household members had access to ITNs/LLINs. Regarding the utilization of ITNs/LLINs, 45% of household members used them in MARC areas and 36% used them in non-MARC areas (P <  0.001, desired target = 100%). Utilization of ITNs/LLINs among children aged below five years and pregnant women (high malaria risk groups) was low, at 44% and 42%, respectively. Conclusions This study highlights the nationwide shortfalls in the ownership of, access to, and utilization of ITNs/LLINs in Myanmar, which is of particular concern in terms of containing the spread of artemisinin resistance. It highlights the need for priority attention to be paid and mobilization of resources in order to improve bed net coverage and utilization through bed net distribution and/or social marketing, information dissemination, and awareness-raising

A Multi-Proxy Provenance Study of Eocene to Oligocene Sandstones in the Salin Sub-basin, Myanmar

The Salin Sub-basin, Myanmar, contains up to 15,000 metres of Cenozoic sediments, but their provenance remains ambiguous. Here, a multi-proxy provenance study that employed Raman Spectroscopy-assisted heavy mineral analysis, light mineral petrography, and U-Pb detrital zircon geochronology, is used to identify source areas and sediment pathways of nine samples from three formations of Eocene to Oligocene age. The heavy mineral assemblages are diverse and highly immature and indicate that sediments were principally provided from a range of igneous and metamorphic lithologies, with some recycling of older sediments. The metamorphic basement rocks in northern Myanmar are identified as a source in all three formations, suggesting that the headwaters of the sedimentary pathway were situated in this area. Detrital zircons overwhelmingly yield Cretaceous and Palaeogene ages. A population of Late Cretaceous and Palaeocene zircons could indicate input from the Mogok Metamorphic Belt, or a currently buried section of the Wuntho-Popa Arc; the diminishing of this signal by the end of the Rupelian suggests reduction in transport from the former, or burial of the latter. Late Cretaceous grains exhibit rounded and euhedral morphologies, suggesting input from recycled Wuntho-Popa Arc material via the sediments of the Chin Hills, and direct input from the Wuntho-Popa Arc, respectively. A persistent Palaeoproterozoic and Triassic signal in the Shwezetaw and Padaung Formations suggests provenance in the Pane Chuang Formation of the Indo-Myanmar Ranges, showing that by the early-mid Oligocene, the ranges were topographically prominent enough to be an important source of sediment for the Central Myanma