Browsing by Author "Magana-Arachchi, D."

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Can infectious modeling be applicable globally: Lessons from COVID-19
(Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health, 2022) Magana-Arachchi, D.; Wanigatunge, R.; Vithanage, M. S.
Contagious diseases are needed to be monitored to prevent spreading within communities. Timely advice and predictions are necessary to overcome the consequences of those epidemics. Currently, emphasis has been placed on computer modeling to achieve the needed forecasts, the best example being the COVID-19 pandemic. Scientists used various models to determine how diverse sociodemographic factors correlated and influenced COVID-19 Global transmission and demonstrated the utility of computer models as tools in disease management. However, as modeling is done with assumptions with set rules, calculating uncertainty quantification is essential in infectious modelling when reporting the results and trustfully describing the limitations. This article summarizes the infectious disease modeling strategies, challenges, and global applicability by focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cyanotoxins uptake and accumulation in crops: Phytotoxicity and implications on human health
(Toxicon, 2022) Weralupitiya, C.; Wanigatunge, R. P.; Gunawardana, D.; Vithanage, M.; Magana-Arachchi, D.
The invasive nature of cyanotoxin-producing cyanobacteria and the adverse effects concerning their toxic impacts have gained heightened scientific attention of late. The persistence of cyanotoxins in irrigation water leads to bioaccumulation in plants, the development of phytotoxic effects, and the threat of groundwater contamination. The accumulation of cyanotoxins in plants is caused by several factors leading to severe toxic effects, including reduced plant growth and seed germination, enhanced oxidative stress, lowered rate of mineral uptake, decreased photosynthetic efficiency, and loss of chlorophyll content. The uptake and accumulation of cyanotoxins in plants can be concentration-dependent, as reported in a myriad of studies. Even though several studies have reported phytotoxic effects of cyanotoxin contamination, field-related studies reporting phytotoxic effects are particularly inadequate. Paradoxically, at realistic conditions, some plants are reported to be tolerant of cyanotoxins. Furthermore, the breadth of adverse impacts of cyanotoxins on human health is significant. Cyanotoxins cause major health effects including cancer, oxidative stress, organelle dysfunction, DNA damage, and enzyme inhibition. This review intends to present compelling arguments on microcystins (MCs), cylindrospermopsins (CYN), β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), and anatoxin-a (ANTX-a), their uptake and accumulation in crop plants, phytotoxic effects on plants, and potential health implications to humans. The accumulation of cyanotoxins implants cultivated as food crops, resulting in phytotoxic effects and adverse impacts on human health are serious issues that require scientific inputs to be addressed.
Risk factors for endemic chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology in Sri Lanka: Retrospect of water security in the dry zone
(Science of the Total Environment, 2021) Hettithanthri, O.; Sandanayake, S.; Magana-Arachchi, D.; Wanigatunge, R.; Rajapaksha, A. U.; Zeng, X.; Shi, Q.; Guo, H.; Vithanage, M.
The prevalence of chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) is receiving considerable attention due to the serious threat to human health throughout the world. However, the roles of geo-socio-environmental factors in the prevalence of the CKDu endemic areas are still unknown. Sri Lanka is one of the countries most seriously affected by CKDu, where 10 out of 25 districts have been identified as the areas with the high prevalence of CKDu (10–20%). This review summarizes the geographical distribution of CKDu and its probable geochemical, behavioral, sociological, and environmental risk factors based on research related to hydrogeochemical influences on CKDu in Sri Lanka. More than 98% of CKDu patients have consumed groundwater as their primary water source in daily life, indicating the interactions of geogenic contaminants (such as F−, total dissolved solids, Hofmeister ions) in groundwater is responsible for the disease. Apart from the hydrogeochemical factors, mycotoxins, cyanotoxins, use of some herbal medicines, dehydration, and exposure to agrochemicals were alleged as risk factors. Sociological factors, including poverty, living habits and anthropogenic activities, may also provoke the emergence of CKDu. Therefore, the interaction of geo-socio environmental risk factors should be sociologically and scientifically considered to prevent the prevalence of CKDu. Future in-depth studies are required to reveal the individual role of each of the postulated etiological factors, possibly using machine learning and advanced statistics.