Browsing by Author "Perera, S.S."

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Expression of Nitric Oxide synthase and Nitric Oxide levels in peripheral blood cells and oxidized low-density lipoprotein levels in saliva as early markers of severe dengue.
(Hindawi, 2021) Hapugaswatta, H.; Ruwani, L.; Wimalasekara; Perera, S.S.; Premaratna, R.; Seneviratne, K.N.; Jayathilaka, N.
BACKGROUND: Severe dengue (SD), experienced by only a fraction of dengue patients, can be lethal. Due to the lack of early markers that can predict the evolution of SD, all dengue patients have to be monitored under hospital care. We discovered early oxidative stress markers of SD to identify patients who can benefit from early intervention before the symptoms appear. METHODS: The expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in peripheral blood cells (PBC), nitric oxide (NO), and oxidized lowdensity lipoprotein (oxLDL) levels in plasma and saliva collected at early stages of dengue infection from 20 nonsevere dengue fever (DF) patients and 20 patients who later developed SD were analyzed in a retrospective nested case-control study. RESULTS: The expression of iNOS is significantly (P < 0:05) lower in patients who developed SD than in DF patients at admission within 4 days from fever onset. Median plasma NO concentration within 4 days from fever onset is also significantly (P < 0:05) lower in patients who developed SD (17:9±1:6 μmol/L) than DF (23:0±2:1 μmol/L). Median oxLDL levels in plasma within 3 days from fever onset is significantly (P < 0:05) lower in patients who developed SD (509:4 ± 224:1 ng/mL) than DF (740:0 ± 300:0 ng/mL). Median salivary oxLDL levels are also significantly (P < 0:05) lower in patients who developed SD (0:8±0:5 ng/mL) than DF (3:6±2:6 ng/mL) within 4 days from fever onset. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the expression of iNOS (73% sensitivity, 86% specificity) and plasma NO (96% sensitivity, 61% specificity at 22.3 μmol/L; P < 0:05) may serve as early markers of SD within 3 days from fever onset. Salivary oxLDL levels may serve as early noninvasive markers of SD with a sensitivity and specificity, respectively, of 57% and 91% at 0.9 ng/mL; 76% and 55% at 2.3 ng/mL; and 100% and 50% at 4.6 ng/mL (P < 0:05) within 4 days from fever onset
The Impact Of Hegemonic Masculinity On English Language Learning In A Sri Lankan Context
(, Proceedings of the Undergraduate Research Symposium (HUG 2018), Department of English Language Teaching, Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Udeshika, D.; Wickramage, N.; Perera, S.S.
An English language learner is a person who is learning the English language in addition to his or her native language. In Sri Lanka, a language learning classroom comprises a majority of a female population than a male population. Since Sri Lankan society possesses a misconception that learning a language, specifically English, will only open the path to a profession such as teaching which is believed to be a ‘female profession’, and the majority of the male population are hesitant to engage in the field of learning English language. The males in society fear the harm that would be caused to their hegemonic masculine identity by learning English as a language instead of a subject like Mathematics which is believed to be a ‘masculine subject’. Raewyn Connell’s concept of hegemonic masculinity serves as an analytical instrument to identify those attitudes and practices among men that perpetuate gender inequality, involving both men’s domination over women and the power of some men over other (often minority groups of) men. This paper examines the impact of hegemonic masculinity on English language learning in a Sri Lankan context and the reasons for the aforementioned. It was found out that the majority of the male population held into the conception that their hegemonic masculine identity would be detrimental by choosing to learn English language over a subject such as Mathematics.
A Study on the Most Productive Morphological Processes in Sri Lankan English Fiction
(Proceedings of the Undergraduate Research Symposium (HUG 2019), Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya. Sri Lanka, 2019) Perera, S.S.; Chandrasekara, W.; Hewawasam, T.
Among the morphological processes used by the English language speakers, Sri Lankan English users tend to use certain processes more frequently compared to other processes in speech and writing. These morphological processes utilized by most of the Sri Lankans are characterized by the influence of the two languages Sinhala and Tamil. Therefore, to find out the most productive morphological processes used by the Sri Lankan English users whose native tongue is Sinhala and/or Tamil, scrutinizing the appearance of morphological processes in fiction written in Sri Lankan English is one way. Since the distinctive features of Sri Lankan English morphology lie in the expressive terminology, borrowed mainly from Sinhala and Tamil, this study analyzes fiction penned by writers of both Sinhala and Tamil origins. The two texts used in this study are, the novel, “Funny Boy” by Shyam Selvadurai and the short story “Action and Reaction” by Chitra Fernando written in Sri Lankan English. Therefore, the main aims and objectives of the research study are to identify and raise awareness of the most widely used and most productive morphological processes among the morphological processes found within Sri Lankan English by scrutinizing the aforementioned Sri Lankan English fiction. Since adequate research has not been conducted regarding the research focus, this study sheds light on what the most productive morphological processes are and how they contribute towards raising the level of creativity and expressiveness of language. Through the data collected by the textual analysis of the selected fiction and findings evaluated statistically, this quantitative study concludes that borrowing and compounding are the two most productive morphological processes used in Sri Lankan English fiction and these two morphological processes contribute best towards adjusting the meaning of a word or a sentence to fit its syntactic and communicational context enhancing the creativity, expressiveness and nativity.