Title Participants Abstract "Identification and characterization of areas of high and low risk for asymptomatic malaria infections at sub-village level in Ratanakiri, Cambodia" "Lies Durnez, Myrthe Pareyn, Vanna Mean, Saorin Kim, Nimol Khim, Didier Menard, M. Coosemans, Tho Sochantha, Vincent Sluydts" "Background: Malaria elimination needs a concentration of activities towards identification of residual transmission foci and intensification of efforts to eliminate the last few infections, located in so-called 'malaria hotspots'. Previous work on characterizing malaria transmission hotspots has mainly focused on falciparum malaria and especially on symptomatic cases, while the malaria reservoir is expected to be mainly concentrated in the asymptomatic human population when transmission is low. For Plasmodium vivax, there has been less effort in identifying transmission hotspots. The main aim of this study was to uncover micro-epidemiological mechanisms of clustering of malaria infections at a sub-village level, based on geographical or behavioural features.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed in three villages within the highest malaria endemic province of Cambodia. The survey took place in the dry season, when the malaria reservoir is expected to be low and residing in the asymptomatic part of the population. Village and field locations of households were georeferenced, blood samples were taken from as many residents as possible and a short questionnaire probing for individual risk factors was taken. Asymptomatic malaria carriers were detected by PCR, and geographical clustering analysis (SaTScan) as well as risk factor analysis were performed.Results: A total of 1540 out of 1792 (86%) individuals were sampled. Plasmodial DNA was detected in 129 individuals (8.4%). P. vivax was most prevalent (5.5%) followed by Plasmodium malariae (2.1%) and Plasmodium falciparum (1.6%). Mixed infection occurred in 12 individuals. In two out of three villages geographical clustering of high and low malaria infection risk was clearly present. Cluster location and risk factors associated with the infection differed between the parasite species. Age was an important risk factor for the combined Plasmodium infections, while watching television at evenings was associated with increased odds of P. vivax infections [ OR (CI): 1.86 (0.95-3.64)] and bed net use was associated with reduced odds of P. falciparum infections [OR (CI): 0.25 (0.077-0.80)].Conclusions: Clusters of malaria carriers were malaria species specific and often located remotely, outside village centres. As such, at micro-epidemiological level, malaria is not a single disease. Further unravelling the micro-epidemiology of malaria can enable programme managers to define the interventions likely to contribute to halt transmission in a particular hotspot location." "Geographical patterns of malaria transmission based on serological markers for falciparum and vivax malaria in Ratanakiri, Cambodia" "Karen Kerkhof, Vincent Sluydts, Somony Heng, Saorin Kim, Myrthe Pareyn, Laura Willen, Lydie Canier, Siv Sovannaroth, Didier Menard, Tho Sochantha, M. Coosemans, Lies Durnez" "Background: Malaria transmission is highly heterogeneous, especially in low endemic countries, such as Cambodia. This results in geographical clusters of residual transmission in the dry, low transmission season, which can fuel the transmission to wider areas or populations during the wet season. A better understanding of spatial clustering of malaria can lead to a more efficient, targeted strategy to reduce malaria transmission. This study aims to evaluate the potential of the use of serological markers to define spatial patterns in malaria exposure.Methods: Blood samples collected in a community-based randomized trial performed in 98 high endemic communities in Ratanakiri province, north-eastern Cambodia, were screened with a multiplex serological assay for five serological markers (three Plasmodium falciparum and two Plasmodium vivax). The antibody half-lives range from approximately six months until more than two years. Geographical heterogeneity in malaria transmission was examined using a spatial scan statistic on serology, PCR prevalence and malaria incidence rate data. Furthermore, to identify behavioural patterns or intrinsic factors associated with malaria exposure (antibody levels), risk factor analyses were performed by using multivariable random effect logistic regression models. The serological outcomes were then compared to PCR prevalence and malaria incidence data.Results: A total of 6502 samples from two surveys were screened in an area where the average parasite prevalence estimated by PCR among the selected villages is 3.4 %. High-risk malaria pockets were observed adjacent to the 'Tonle San River' and neighbouring Vietnam for all three sets of data (serology, PCR prevalence and malaria incidence rates). The main risk factors for all P. falciparum antigens and P. vivax MSP1.19 are age, ethnicity and staying overnight at the plot hut.Conclusion: It is possible to identify similar malaria pockets of higher malaria transmission together with the potential risk factors by using serology instead of PCR prevalence or malaria incidence data. In north-eastern Cambodia, the serological markers show that malaria transmission occurs mainly in adults staying overnight in plot huts in the field. Pf.GLURP.R2 showed a shrinking pocket of malaria transmission over time, and Pf.MSP1.19, CSP, PvAMA1 were also informative for current infection to a lesser extent. Therefore, serology could contribute in future research. However, further in-depth research in selecting the best combination of antigens is required." "Territorialization, scarcity, and value production" "Mingyue Yang" "Jadeite has evolved from a mysterious curio in far-flung frontier lands into an object of commodity fetishism in contemporary society. Not only do the Chinese regard it as the most expensive and rare jade species, it also has an important impact on Myanmar's political landscape. The question this dissertation wants to address is what kind of power relations and exchange actions are deployed to construct the scarcity of a cultural consumer product that spans history and cross-culture, such as jadeite, so that its price has reached unprecedented levels. I use the concept of ""territorialization"" as a theoretical paradigm to exam this issue which indicates the process of repeated de-territorialization and re-territorialization of multi-scale and multi-dimensional spaces by different cross-cultural power subjects. The research uses multi-sited linguistic ethnography as a methodology, focusing on translation and language use from a diachronic and social perspective when tracing the flow of jadeite and cross-cultural subjects' perceptions and evaluations. The study found that the scarcity of jadeite is constantly shaped and constructed, and its dramatic price changes are closely related to changes in national boundaries and the spatial production of power. This process can be divided into two stages. First, with the development of the southwest border area by the imperial court of China, the Han people brought jade culture to this area and discovered jadeite from it, thus forming the jadeite trade exchange among Han, Kachin and Shan in the area. Second, after the boundaries of modern countries, the origin and market of jadeite were cut off, and the two nation-states territorialized the jadeite trade within their respective territories to obtain more benefits. Multiple powers participate cross-culturally, continuously forming more complex and segmented labor aggregations, and becoming dis-embedded from the original order. Therefore, the value of jadeite has accumulated significantly in quantity and continues to expand in nature or content. In short, jadeite itself is just a kind of stone and has no use value, but Chinese culture endows it with special symbolic meaning, so it assumes value. However, the origin of its raw materials is an border area of ""China"". There, jadeite has no meaning and symbol, and the territorialization makes it valuable. In addition, due to the inter-ethnic conflict in the place of origin, the national and local competition further increases its scarcity and concurrently also its value." "Spatiotemporal distribution of dengue and chikungunya in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region" "Parbati Phuyal, Isabelle Marie Kramer, Doris Klingelhoefer, Ulrich Kuch, Axel Madeburg, David Alexander Groneberg, Edwin Wouters, Meghnath Dhimal, Ruth Müller" "The risk of increasing dengue (DEN) and chikungunya (CHIK) epidemics impacts 240 million people, health systems, and the economy in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region. The aim of this systematic review is to monitor trends in the distribution and spread of DEN/CHIK over time and geographically for future reliable vector and disease control in the HKH region. We conducted a systematic review of the literature on the spatiotemporal distribution of DEN/CHIK in HKH published up to 23 January 2020, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. In total, we found 61 articles that focused on the spatial and temporal distribution of 72,715 DEN and 2334 CHIK cases in the HKH region from 1951 to 2020. DEN incidence occurs in seven HKH countries, i.e., India, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Myanmar, and CHIK occurs in four HKH countries, i.e., India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar, out of eight HKH countries. DEN is highly seasonal and starts with the onset of the monsoon (July in India and June in Nepal) and with the onset of spring (May in Bhutan) and peaks in the postmonsoon season (September to November). This current trend of increasing numbers of both diseases in many countries of the HKH region requires coordination of response efforts to prevent and control the future expansion of those vector-borne diseases to nonendemic areas, across national borders." "Rohingya refugee flooding and changes of the physical and social landscape in Ukhiya, Bangladesh" "Mohammad Abdul Quader, Hemal Dey, Md Abdul Malak, Abdul Majed Sajib" "Bangladesh has been dealing with one of the world’s largest refugee emergencies along its border with Myanmar (especially in the rough wooded zone of Ukhiya sub-district, Cox’s Bazar) due to a massive influx of Rohingya refugees, particularly since 25 August 2017. Resulting high impacts threaten the viability of local plantation as well as natural forests (societal and ecological assets). This research aims to evaluate the impact of the influx on the physical landscape in the Ukhiya sub-district as well as changes of socio-cultural landscape. The study was relied on both geo-spatial and survey data analysis. We argue that Rohingya flooding has a significant impact on changes of physical and socio-cultural landscape of the area in and around Rohingya camps. Results from the normalized difference vegetation index analysis identified that during 2015–2018 the forestry adjacent to the Kutupalong camps (Ukhiya sub-district) declined by 11.23 km2. Forestry cover fell from approximately 68.9% of all land to 2.72%; the decline representing about 15.2% of the entire forested area. Furthermore, the highest elevated area of Kutupalong camps (estimated to be 41 m) is likewise affected by anthropogenic activities, for instance, wholesale cutting into the slope, and street and stair construction which is gradually rising the potentiality of landslide and inland flood in several camps. Out of which 27.76% settlements, 0.35% and 9.61% settlements are at risk of landslide and flood, respectively, in the Kutupalong RC and Kutupalong extension campsite. A large proportion of Rohingyas also used wood for fuel; wood used originates from the adjacent forest and is the primary explanation for forestry consumption in Ukhiya sub-district. Its forests and elevation will never return to their original condition if the consumption of forestry assets proceeds unabated. It is argued, that these research findings may inspire locals, national, and global aid agencies to contribute to the introduction of forestry management and environmental protection." "Quality, equity and utility of observational studies during 10 years of implementing the Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative in 72 countries" "Rony Zachariah, Stefanie Rust, Pruthu Thekkur, Mohammed Khogali, Ajay M V Kumar, Karapet Davtyan, Ermias Diro, Srinath Satyanarayana, Olga Denisiuk, Johan van Griensven, Selma Dar Berger, Saw Saw, Anthony J. Reid, Abraham Aseffa, Anthony D. Harries, John C Reeder" "Introduction: Observational studies are often inadequately reported, making it difficult to assess their validity and generalizability and judge whether they can be included in systematic reviews. We assessed the publication characteristics and quality of reporting of observational studies generated by the Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (SORT IT). Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of original publications from SORT IT courses. SORT IT is a global partnership-based initiative aimed at building sustainable capacity for conducting operational research according to country priorities and using the generated evidence for informed decision-making to improve public health. Reporting quality was independently assessed using an adapted version of 'Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology' (STROBE) checklist. Results: In 392 publications, involving 72 countries, 50 journals, 28 publishers and 24 disease domains, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) first authorship was seen in 370 (94%) and LMIC last authorship in 214 (55%). Publications involved LMIC-LMIC collaboration in 90% and high-income-country-LMIC collaboration in 87%. The majority (89%) of publications were in immediate open access journals. A total of 346 (88.3%) publications achieved a STROBE reporting quality score of >85% (excellent), 41 (10.4%) achieved a score of 76-85% (good) and 5 (1.3%) a score of 65-75% (fair). Conclusion: The majority of publications from SORT IT adhere to STROBE guidelines, while also ensuring LMIC equity and collaborative partnerships. SORT IT is, thus, playing an important role in ensuring high-quality reporting of evidence for informed decision-making in public health." "Delayed parasite clearance after treatment with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine in Plasmodium falciparum malaria patients in central Vietnam" "Angela Thriemer, Van Hong Nguyen, Anna Rosanas-Urgell, Bui Quang Phuc, Do Manh Ha, Evi Pockelé, Pieter Guetens, Nguyen Van Van, Tran Thanh Duong, Alfred Amambua-Ngwa, D'Alessandro, Annette Erhart" "Reduced susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum toward artemisinin derivatives has been reported from the Thai-Cambodian and Thai-Myanmar borders. Following increasing reports from central Vietnam of delayed parasite clearance after treatment with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA-PPQ), the current first-line treatment, we carried out a study on the efficacy of this treatment. Between September 2012 and February 2013, we conducted a 42-day in vivo and in vitro efficacy study in Quang Nam Province. Treatment was directly observed, and blood samples were collected twice daily until parasite clearance. In addition, genotyping, quantitative PCR (qPCR), and in vitro sensitivity testing of isolates was performed. The primary endpoints were parasite clearance rate and time. The secondary endpoints included PCR-corrected and uncorrected cure rates, qPCR clearance profiles, in vitro sensitivity results (for chloroquine, dihydroartemisinin, and piperaquine), and genotyping for mutations in the Kelch 13 propeller domain. Out of 672 screened patients, 95 were recruited and 89 available for primary endpoint analyses. The median parasite clearance time (PCT) was 61.7 h (interquartile range [IQR], 47.6 to 83.2 h), and the median parasite clearance rate had a slope half-life of 6.2 h (IQR, 4.4 to 7.5 h). The PCR-corrected efficacy rates were estimated at 100% at day 28 and 97.7% (95% confidence interval, 91.2% to 99.4%) at day 42. At day 3, the P. falciparum prevalence by qPCR was 2.5 times higher than that by microscopy. The 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) of isolates with delayed clearance times (≥ 72 h) were significantly higher than those with normal clearance times for all three drugs. Delayed parasite clearance (PCT, ≥ 72 h) was significantly higher among day 0 samples carrying the 543 mutant allele (47.8%) than those carrying the wild-type allele (1.8%; P = 0.048). In central Vietnam, the efficacy of DHA-PPQ is still satisfactory, but the parasite clearance time and rate are indicative of emerging artemisinin resistance. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration no. NCT01775592.)." "Provoking Civilian Disruption against Popular Protests: The Myanmar Military’s Counter-Mobilisation Strategies" "Mai Van Tran" "While mass contentious movements face a wide range of state-led counter-mobilisation strategies, existing studies have mainly focused on repression by the security forces and violence contractors. Much less is understood about the impact of governments’ more deceptive strategies to provoke anti-protester hostility among the public, including labelling protesters as criminals and engineering widespread violent crimes. This article examines the effectiveness of these two types of strategy by juxtaposing two similar cases of popular protests under military-ruled Myanmar: the 1988 Four-eight Uprising and 2007 Saffron Revolution. The analysis leverages a novel qualitative dataset consisting of content from state media, authoritative secondary sources, as well as original interviews and written accounts by 109 civilians who witnessed or participated in the protest events. It is found that while anti-protester narratives were ineffective, orchestration of criminal activities targeting civilians on a large scale fuelled civilian distrust toward strangers, leading adult men to disrupt protest events by unfamiliar activists. This finding underscores both the crucial role of nurturing inter-group trust in order to grow a broad-based contentious front as well as the challenging conditions for doing so when a regime is steadfastly committed to crushing dissent." "The Gurudharmas in Taiwanese Buddhist Nunneries" "Ann Heirman, Tzu-Lung Chiu" "Exploring Transparency in the Digital Age Through a Dialogue with the Pneumatological Dimensions of Communication: Addressing Catholic Clergy Sex Abuses in Myanmar" "Brang Mai Lazing" "Due to recent allegations of cases of abuse among the clergy, the topic of transparency has become a significant issue in the contemporary Catholic Church. In addition, in the age of digital media, the spread of information about such abuse cases can be intensified. Against this cultural background, this research examines how the Church in Myanmar can employ the concepts of transparency and openness to tackle the abuse cases that are going viral on digital platforms. First, the research explores the cultural impacts brought about by digital media in order to show why the Church needs to consider transparency and openness. In this regard, literature analysis will be used as a method to examine sources by Marshall McLuhan. Second, the research develops a theology of communication based on pneumatology in order to shed light on the transparency and openness of the Church. To achieve this, literature analysis will be employed as a method to analyze sources consisting of Vatican II documents in dialogue with the modern world, the works of Yves Congar and Cardinal Leon Joseph Suenens. Third, the research examines how, through Church documents on social communications, the Church can employ transparency and openness as pastoral strategies in order to bear witness to the gospel values in the age of digital media. Fourth, through qualitative semi-structured interviews with bishops and lay people, the research analyzes how the Church in Myanmar can utilize the concepts of transparency and openness to tackle the abuse cases that are going viral on digital platforms. In this regard, the boundaries and limitations of transparency will also be considered."