Study on the Effect of Different Urea Fertilizer Rates and Plant Populations on the Severity of Bacterial Blight (BB) of Rice

To study the effect of different urea fertilizer rates and plant populations on disease severity of bacterial blight of rice and yield lasses related to disease, the experiments including three plant populations (110000, 150000, 190000) and five urea fertilizer rates (0,56 lb, 112 lb, 168 lb and 224 lb per acre) were conducted at Central Agriculture Research Institute farm in 1999 and 2000 rainy seasons. Manawthukha was used as a test variety that is susceptible to bacterial blight of rice. The disease severity could be increased by the application of urea. Although urea 112 lb per acre gave moderate disease severity than without urea, its yield is highest. The higher disease severity also showed the related effect of plant population of 150000 and above. However the combination of urea 224 lb per acre with the population of 190000 and 150000 gave the highest severity of bacterial blight disease and the minimum grain yield. The application of urea 224 lbs per acre can cause yield reduction ranging from 18.67 percent to 27.57 percent over the application of urea 112 lb per acre

High prevalence of hepatitis C in patients with thalassemia and patients with liver diseases in Myanmar (Burma).

We conducted Myanmar-Japan cooperation studies on hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus markers in patients with thalassemias and those with liver diseases. Among the 102 patients with liver diseases, 92% had a history of hepatitis B virus infection (antibody to hepatitis B core antigen positive), 35% were hepatitis B surface antigen positive, 39% were positive for anti-HCV. Among 28 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, 46% had hepatitis B surface antigen, 21.4% had antibody to hepatitis C virus, and 7% were positive for both hepatitis B surface antigen and anti hepatitis C virus. The history of HCV infection among blood recipients at the Haematology Department of the Yangon General Hospital and at the Yangon Children's Hospital was found to be 55.5% and 46.7%, respectively, which is comparable to the history of hepatitis B infection (66.7% and 46.7%, respectively). This preliminary survey also encountered 2 cases positive for anti-HCV among 34 voluntary blood donors. This survey is the first one to report that hepatitis C is at the epidemic stage in Myanmar. As there is no effective treatment for hepatitis C in this country, a screening program for blood used in transfusion should be started immediately.</p

Effect of seminal plasma removal, washing solutions, and centrifugation regimes on boer goat semen cryopreservation

Three experiments were carried out to improve semen quality during cryopreservation process. Total motility, forward motility, acrosome integrity, live spermatozoa, and normal spermatozoa were measured as semen quality. In Experiment 1, the effects of seminal plasma removal were analyzed by using two different extenders (GE and FE). The removal of seminal plasma gave higher and significant (P<0.05) effect in the total motility, forward motility, and live spermatozoa after cryopreservation. For two different extenders, however, the differences were not observed on the semen quality. In Experiment 2, three different washing solutions (namely, phosphate buffered saline, normal saline and Tris-based extender) were tested to evaluate the effects of semen quality after cryopreservation. Tris-based extender (TCG) conferred the highest (P<.05) sperm quality values in the total motility, forward motility, and live spermatozoa after cryopreservation. In Experiment 3, the effects of different centrifugation regimes (3000 × g for 3 min, 1600 × g for 10 min, 800 × g for 15 min) were evaluated on Boer semen quality. Semen quality parameters (namely, total motility, forward motility, acrosome integrity, and live spermatozoa) were significantly (P<.05) higher for cryopreserved spermatozoa centrifuged with 3000 × g for 3 min than the others. In conclusion, the removal of seminal plasma, washing solution TCG, and the use short-term centrifugation with a relative high g-force could contribute to the increased Boer semen quality after cryopreservation

Myanmar Dengue Outbreak Associated with Displacement of Serotypes 2, 3, and 4 by Dengue 1

In 2001, Myanmar (Burma) had its largest outbreak of dengue—15,361 reported cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS), including 192 deaths. That year, 95% of dengue viruses isolated from patients were serotype 1 viruses belonging to two lineages that had diverged from an earlier, now extinct, lineage sometime before 1998. The ratio of DHF to DSS cases in 2001 was not significantly different from that in 2000, when 1,816 cases of DHF/DSS were reported and dengue 1 also was the most frequently isolated serotype. However, the 2001 ratio was significantly higher than that in 1998 (also an outbreak year) and in 1999, when all four serotypes were detected and serotypes 1, 2, and 3 were recovered in similar numbers. The large number of clinical cases in 2001 may have been due, in part, to a preponderance of infections with dengue 1 viruses

Effect of sugars on characteristics of Boer goat semen after cryopreservation

In order to improve Boer goat semen quality during cryopreservation process, the influence of sugar supplementation on semen characteristics of sperm were investigated. Three experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of (a) addition of two monosaccharides (fructose and glucose) and two disaccharides sugars (trehalose and sucrose) (b) sugar combination (fructose and trehalose, sucrose and trehalose, glucose and trehalose), and control (glucose without trehalose) (c) different concentrations of trehalose on cryopreservation using Tris based extender. The total motility, forward motility, viability, normal spermatozoa, acrosome integrity and membrane integrity were assessed subjectively. Differences were not detected among monosaccharides, but glucose increased (P 0.05) among disaccharide sugar supplementation. Combination of glucose and trehalose significantly improved the characteristics of Boer spermatozoa after cryopreservation (P < 0.05). Supplementation of trehalose (198.24 mM) into the glucose extender significantly increased total motility, forward motility, live spermatozoa, acrosome integrity and membrane integrity following cryopreservation (P < 0.05). In conclusion, glucose had the better ability to support Boer sperm motility and movement patterns. Combination of monosaccharide (glucose) and disaccharide (trehalose) improved semen quality following cryopreservation. Trehalose supplementation at the concentration of 198.24 mM to the glucose extender conferred the greater improvement of semen quality for Boer semen cryopreservation

Investigation of Japanese Encephalitis Virus Infection in Bogalay Township, Myanmar in 1999

An investigation was in Nyi-naung-wa village, Bogalay township for Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus infection and the possibility of a JE outbreak. JE virus antibody was determined among the pigs and the people living near the pig farms in that village and at an adjacent village as a control. The known JE virus vector Culex mosquito species were also identified in both villages. Haemagglutination inhibition (HAI) methods were used for the detectioon of JE and dengue antibodies. Homotypic or monotypic JE antibodies were detected in 33% of the pigs tested. No homotypic nor monotypic JE antibodis was detected among the villagers. Although there was no JE virus infection among the people, because of the presence of JE virus infection among the pigs and the presence of Culex mosquito vector in that area, the possibility of a JE outbreak in humans in that area, if the number of pig breeding per household increase and the mosquito density become higher is discussed

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

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

Detection of East/Central/South African Genotype of Chikungunya Virus in Myanmar, 2010

In 2010, chikungunya virus of the East Central South African genotype was isolated from 4 children in Myanmyar who had dengue-like symptoms. Phylogenetic analysis of the E1 gene revealed that the isolates were closely related to isolates from China, Thailand, and Malaysia that harbor the A226V mutation in this gene