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.

Beyond Syncopal Episodes: A Complicated Hyperkalemic Emergency Manifesting As Complete Heart Block and Seizure Versus Convulsive Syncope Cascade.

We present a case involving an 87-year-old woman who had a hyperkalemic emergency. This condition was further complicated by complete heart block (CHB) and seizure-like activity. This case emphasizes the challenge of differentiating between seizures and convulsive syncope. Achieving an accurate diagnosis is essential for determining the appropriate medical treatment. This case report highlights the various symptoms and complications associated with hyperkalemia, emphasizing the importance of conducting a thorough examination to explore other potential causes. Additionally, it emphasizes the usefulness of the head-upright tilt test (HUTT) as a method to differentiate convulsive syncope from seizures, particularly in cases involving vagal stimulation.

Identifying A New Phylogeographic Population of the Blyth's Tragopan (Tragopan blythii) through Multi-locus Analyses.

Geographically and morphologically distinct populations within a species are frequently the focus of conservation efforts, especially when the populations are evolutionarily significant units. The Blyth's Tragopan (Tragopan blythii) is a globally-threatened species confined to South and Southeast Asia. During our field surveys in western Myanmar, we discovered a distinct group of individuals that differed in their appearance relative to all other populations. We further examined the differences in their DNA sequence using three nuclear introns and three mitochondrial genes through phylogenetic analytical methods. Our results showed the population from Mount Kennedy, Chin Hills formed reciprocal monophyletic groups with the nominate subspecies from Mount Saramati, Sagaing Division. Species delimitation analyses further confirmed this differentiation. Geographical isolation by the intervening lowlands found between high elevation habitats may have been the main cause of their differentiation. Hence, we propose that the Mount Kennedy population be viewed as a distinct evolutionarily significant unit and be given special priority for conservation.

Health-related quality of life and its determinants among patients with hip fracture after surgery in Myanmar.

BACKGROUND: Hip fracture has been regarded as a significant international health problem because of its negative impacts on things such as Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL). The determinants of HRQOL among patients with hip fracture after surgery during transition of recovery are still not clearly understood. OBJECTIVE: To study HRQOL factors and determine the predictive power of elements such as age, gender, co-morbid disease, Body Mass Index (BMI), depression or social support on HRQOL among patients with hip fracture after surgery in Myanmar. DESIGN: Descriptive correlational predictive study. SETTING: Yangon Orthopaedic Hospital and Mandalay Orthopaedic Hospital in Myanmar. RESULTS: The mean age was 60 years (range = 18-91). The level of HRQOL at the 6th week after surgery was moderate. In stepwise multiple regression analysis, gender (ß = -.109, p = .044), depressive symptoms (ß = -.564, p = .000) and social support (ß = .287, p = .000) were the determinants of HRQOL. These three factors accounted for 59.1% of variance to explain HRQOL. CONCLUSION: In order to facilitate a healthy transition, comprehensive rehabilitation, including depressive symptoms screening and enhancing social support, and the health care services with less cost and psychosocial support especially for women, are recommended.