A comparative study of the physical performance capacity of rural and urban Burmese women aged 19-24 years.

A comparative study of the physical performance capacity of 32 Burmese women aged 19-24 years of the rural and urban area was conducted. Difference in physique was found between the two groups. Maximal oxygen uptake of the rural group was 39.21 ml/kg/min and that of the urban group was 32.32 ml/kg/min, the difference being significant at 0.1% level. Maximal oxygen pulse and maximal work load were significant only at 2% and 5% levels respectively. Though maximal ventilation in the rural group had a higher mean value it was not significant. These showed a higher cardiorespiratory fitness in the rural group, which was attributable to their high work intensity of 55.13% of the maximal aerobic power. However, a positive training effect of habitual physical activity on muscle strength could not be observed in this study.

Medical, anthropomentric and physiological data of Burmese athletes

Male and 34 female Burmese athletes were examined between July and September 1966. The Olympic Medical Archives Examination Form was used. Data on personal history, anthropometry, physiological and biochemical measurements and gynaecology are presented in 63 tables.

Hypotensive property of Plantago major Linn

50 per cent water-alcohol soluble extract of Plantago major Linn, from Rangoon, Kalaw and Taunggyi was tested for hypotensive action on anaesthetized normotensive dogs. Early trials with the water-alcohol soluble extract in a dose of 125 mg/kg given intravenously was found to produce a fall in arterial blood pressure of 20-40 mm Hg. Further fractionation of the extract was carried out and screened for hypotensivity activity. The fraction designated F -7 produced a fall in the arterial blood pressure which was sustained up to 1 hr.

The basal metabolic rate of the Burmese

The basal metabolism of 180 males and 236 females was studied. In the male 15 and above age group, the percentage deviation from both the Du Bois and the Mayo Foundation standards was found to be negative, weather the BMRI or the Du Bois Body Surface Area formula was used. In the 5 to 9 year and the 10 to 14 year male groups, the percentage deviation from the Du Bois and the Mayo Foundation standards were positive when the Du Bois formula was used. It shifted to the negative side when the BMRI nomogram was used. In the case females in all age groups, the percentage deviations were positive whether the body surface area standard of Du Bois or the BMRI was used. It was also found that neither the Aub and Du Bois nor the Mayo Foundation standard can be used for Burmese subjects. Therefore, a fresh standard for the Burmese was drawn for use as an interim measure in Burma before data on large sample of the population were obtained.

A comparative study of the ventricular escape phenomenon from vagal stimulation

The phenomenon of ventricular escape from continued vagal stimulation has so far not been satisfactorily explained. Recently, Friedman and Campos (1960) and Friedman and Bhagat (1962) have postulated that the phenomenon of vagal escape might be explained as the basis of the catecholamine content of the heart. We have tested this hypothesis by correlating the degree of vagal inhibition with that of the catecholamine content of the heart in different species of animals. The hearts were depleted of catecholamines by the administration of reserpine and the degrees of vagal influence on these hearts compared with that on control animals. There was no correlation between the total catecholamine content of the heart and the degree of vagal inhibition. However, in resepinised dogs and cats, guinea-pig and fish stimulation of the vagas resulted in a greater inhibition of the heart than in non-reserpinised animals.

Blood groups of the Inthas and Tavoyans of Burma

The distribution of the ABO, MNS and Rh Blood groups in the Intha and Tavoyan populations have been studied and compared. In the ABO and MNS systems there was no significant difference between the two populations. In the Rh system however, a significant difference was found. The cDe (R? ) and cde r chromosome frequencies of the Tavoyans are significantly different from those of the Inthas. It is suggested that the introduction of the non-South-East asian cde r chromosome into the genetic structure of the Tavoyans may be due to admixture with a population giving a high d gene frequency. The present study favours the theory that the Inthas are a branch of the original Burmese stock and not the inhabitants of Tavoy who moved later to the Inle Lake.

Glycogen content of the various parts of the dog heart using desoxyribonucleic acid as a reference standard

Comparison of the metabolic activity of the various cardiac tissues is liable to error if the activity is expressed on the basis of wet weight as is usually done. This is because of the varying amounts of fibrous tissue in the various cardiac tissues, especially in the false tendons which is taken as representative of Purkinje tissue. The use of desoxyribonucleic acid as a reference standard for tissue analysis was suggested by the work of Bolvin, Vendrely & Vendrely (1948) and for metabolic experiments by the work of Gray & Deluca (1956). The amount of DNA per nucleus in different somatic tissues of a species is constant and from the DNA content of a given mass of tissue the number of cells in it can be calculated. The metabolic activity is then expressed on a per cell basis. In this work, the above method has been modified taking into consideration the fibrous content of the tissue samples, and has been applied to the determination of glycogen in cardiac tissues.

The male toad test for pregnancy diagnosis using Burmese toads

(1) Catheterise toad and examine for presence of spermatozoa.(2) Inject urine sample into dorsal lymph sac of toad.(3) Collect urine from toad every hour up to 4 hours and examine for spermatozoa.(4) Positive diagnosis indicated by presence of spermatozoa in any sample. (5) If no reponse, inject 50 I.U. Chorionic Gonadotropin and examine urine an hour later. Spermatozoa in urine indicate negative pregnancy teat.

Calendar for determining "safe period"

A table is given showing the comparative failure rate of the various methods of contraception. The safe period method compares favourably with other well-recognised and established methods. A disadvantage in the use of the safe period method is the calculations involved monthly. To obviate this disadvantage a ready-reference calendar has been devised and described. In addition to its use for contraceptive purposes the calendar may also be used by couples desiring children to indicate the dates of highest fertility.