IPRC - 2019

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/20881

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 168

Adsorption of Chromium (III) from Aqueous Solutions Using Activated Carbon Derived from Wood Waste of Cinnamomum verum
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Samaraweera, I.D.H.T.; Rajapakse, C.S.K.
Contamination of water by heavy metals has readily increased as a result of urbanization and industrialization. Among the available techniques of contaminant removal, adsorption has widely been used for the removal of various pollutants including heavy metals from water. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the potential of utilizing an agricultural waste, Cinnamomum verum wood waste, as a precursor for the production of low-cost activated carbon (AC) to use as an adsorbent for the removal of Cr (III) from aqueous solutions. First, the effect of carbonization time on production of AC derived from wood waste of Cinnamomum verum and their Cr (III) removal potential was evaluated to determine the optimum carbonization time for AC production. Cleaned and dried powdered wood waste samples (20.00 g) were carbonized at 400 °C for 30-120 minutes (30 min, 60 min, 90 min, 120 min) and chemically activated by H3PO4. The yield of AC samples prepared at different carbonization time and their Cr removal percentages (% Cr) at pH 7 and at room temperature (30 ± 2 0C) were determined. As the highest % Cr removal (~ 90 %) was observed for the AC prepared by carbonization of wood waste at 400 °C for 60 minutes with H 3PO 4 activation, AC prepared under the given conditions were selected for batch adsorption and isotherm studies. The surface morphology and the elemental composition of the novel adsorbent was examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy & Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). Further, the adsorbent was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and proximate analysis. The effect of initial Cr (III) concentration (1.00, 3.00, 5.00, 8.00, 9.00, 12.00 mg/L), shaking time (30, 60, 90, 120,150,180 min) and adsorbent dosage (0.05, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00, 1.25 g) on adsorption of Cr onto AC was then investigated by conducting batch experiments at pH 7 and at room temperature (30 ± 2 0C). According to the results the highest % Cr removal of 92.5% was obtained at initial Cr (III) concentration of 2.00 mg L-1, shaking time of 120 minutes and at adsorbent dosage of 0.05 g. The equilibrium data for the adsorption of Cr (III) on the AC derived from wood waste were tested with two adsorption isotherm models namely Freundlich isotherm and Langmuir isotherm and the results showed that the equilibrium data were better represented by the Langmuir isotherm model (R² = 0.998) with the maximum Cr adsorption capacity (q0) of 10.75 mg g −1. Therefore, the results of the study revealed that the AC derived from wood waste of Cinnamomum verum could be considered as a promising and environmentally friendly novel adsorbent for the removal of Cr from aqueous solutions including wastewater.
The Adulthood Difficulties on Childhood Physical Abuse
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Serasinghe, H.
Childhood Physical abuse simply defined as brutality and other unexpected prohibit human actions that inflict pain on a child and injury or lifelong destruction to growth or work on. Further, bumps, wounds, fractures, burns, bites, poisoning, internal injuries, drowning, smothering, prohibiting, shaking and cutting were identified as the types of physical abuse. In the literature there were less researches have been done related to adulthood difficulties on physical abuse yet. The purpose of the study is to identify the adulthood difficulties on childhood physical abuse. To achieve the purpose of the research qualitative approach has been used. Further, Prisma methodology coded the content of each of the 50 journal article based on themes to identify the latent idea of the phenomena. Content analysis was used to develop the conceptual model. According to data, Substance abuse, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Antisocial behavior, Eating disorder and Attempt to suicide were identified as the direct adulthood difficulties on childhood Physical abuse. Furthermore, Sexual problems, Divorce or Separation, Decline in Socio economic status, frailer to graduate from high school were identified as the indirect adulthood difficulties on childhood physical abuse. Based on the analyzed data, it could be concluded that the victims of the childhood physical abuse are effect on adulthood difficulties directly or indirectly. Thus, further research needed to be measure the conceptualized model and difficulty which could more effect on childhood physical abuse
An Analysis on Common Errors Made by German Language Learners Working in the Travel and Tourism Sector
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Cooray, B.M.S.
Being .a global industry, tourism involves cross-cultural encounters where Foreign Languages play a crucial role. Mastering a Foreign Language proficiency is considered essential for employees working in the tourism sector, as it provides many benefits for employees to enhance their interpersonal relationships between customers from different cultures and to engage in successful communications with overseas clients. The tourist arrival data, published by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) for February 2019 shows that India, the United Kingdom, China, France and Germany are the five most important international tourist markets in Sri Lanka in February this year. (Gamini Gunaratna, S.2019)2 Due to the increasing tourist arrivals in the recent years, many employment opportunities are being created for qualified graduates with a foreign language speaking background. Yet, the lack of practical knowledge and experience of graduates in the travel and tourism sector was questioned by many experts during the past few years. The main objective of this research is to do an analysis on the common errors made by the German language learnt Graduates in the travel and tourism sector to identify how the errors could be minimized through professional training oriented teaching activities during their undergraduate period. Expert interview data collection method, which uses to collect data from experts in a particular subject field was used to collect data from the tour guides. When selecting the research sample, purposeful sampling method was used and priority was given for individuals with the most experience in the German market. This research is beneficial for the professional purposes course unit, conducted by the Department of Modern Languages for German, Russian, Korean, French, Chinese and for Japanese Language learners focusing professional training in the travel and tourism sector, to identify the pitfalls in their current teaching methods. The findings of the research revealed that the errors made by foreign language learning graduates, in the tourism sector, can be mainly divided in to two categories, which are errors made due to lack of knowledge and experience and errors made due to lack of cultural competency. Through the data analysis it was revealed that the graduates receive more theoretical knowledge than practical training during their teaching sessions at the university. Furthermore, it was identified that although the culture teaching activities used to enhance the learner’s cultural knowledge about the target language country are at a satisfactory level, the graduates find it difficult to interact with tourists representing different cultural backgrounds when they enter in to the professional working environment. Therefore it was suggested, that there is the necessity to introduce teaching activities not only to enhance the learner’s knowledge about the target language culture but also about common cultural themes such as cultural conflicts, stereotypes, discriminations and about prejudices. In addition to that, it was highlighted that the learners should be given more opportunities to participate for overseas training programs, workshops, internships and field visits which enhance both their theoretical and practical knowledge about the future working environment
An Analytical Study on the Role of the Ministry of Public Administration and Management and Law and Order with Regard to he Ptopulation Right to Information Act
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Lakmali, H.A.N.
The communication is conveying information and ideas.it is a featured inheritance for all beings including human. As a result of this the information access, transparency, responsibility, of the existing government and the participation of the community are expected through this act. The information act, No: 12 was establish in Sri Lanka on 3rd of August in 2016. One of such government institutions is Ministry of Public Administration & Management and Law and order Sri Lanka. in this study, the issues which affect the effective of the information act will be identified and the solutions will be presented. The steps which have been taken by the Ministry of Public Administration & Management and Law and order to enhance the community right to get the information of the secondary data are not in a satisfactory level Therefore the main objective of this study was to examine the community awareness, operations of the Authorities, challenges faced by them. The primary data and secondary data was collected. As a whole, although the awareness on information act was in a satisfactory level, the usage was not satisfactory. Hence, the awareness programs should be conducted through schools, universities, libraries, press media and social media. Both human and physical resources should be enhanced to promote the dissemination of information within the given community.
Android Mobile Malware Detection using Deep Ensemble Machine Learning
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Liyanapathirana, C.; Rajapakse, C.
The Android operating system is one of the most used operating systems in the world and has become a target to malware authors. Traditional malware detection methods such as signatures find it impossible to deal with detecting complex and intelligent malware which are capable of obfuscating and repackaging to avoid being detected. There is therefore an increase in the need to have more efficient and intelligent forms of malware detection. Recently deep machine learning and ensemble machine learning algorithms were used to malware detection and classification. Most of the shallow learning models such as SVM, Random Forest etc. had given less accurate results. Hence this research is focused on using deep learning and ensemble methods for better accurate results. Due to its accuracy and intelligence it has become an ideal solution to bridge the gap between traditional classifiers and the intelligent malware. Methodology used was based on opcode, syscalls and API calls in integrated using static and dynamic analysis. Currently, research is mainly being conducted using deep learning techniques to target all or a given malware family. Research addresses several issues related to android malware detection. One such is to proper identification of obfuscated and repackaged android malware packages using the implemented platform. Next research managed to solve one of the major problems faced in dynamic analysis. This is namely the issue of malware going to a silent mode once tested in the sandbox. This problem was also addressed within the research. This paper proposes a methodology which brings an ensemble solution between the shallow machine learning algorithm and deep learning algorithm to create a solution that provides a higher accuracy and performance friendly application to detect and classify malware
Antifungal Activity of Methanolic Extracts of Ceylon Green Tea and Black Tea against Candida tropicalis, Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Navaratnasingham, C.; Wijeyaratne, C.; Gunasena, D.K.
‘Ceylon’ tea is one of the popular beverages around the world. Its wide range of organoleptic and chemical characteristics is partly due to the topographic differences in the cultivating regions. In this research antifungal property of ceylon green tea and black tea were investigated by comparing different grades of Camellia sinensis grown at different elevations to find out whether topography has an influence on antifungal activity due to its high amino acid and low total polyphenol contents in higher elevations. High grown (elevation >1200m) green tea grade Gun powder (GP); high grown black tea grades Orange Pekoe (OP), Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP) and mid grown (elevation 600- 1200m) black tea grades Orange Pekoe, Broken Orange Pekoe were used in this investigation. Methanolic extracts of tea samples were prepared by macerating 20.0g of each sample in 200ml of 85% methanol at 800rpm in a magnetic stirrer for 6 hours at constant temperature of 50o C. Extracts were filtered with Whatman No 1 filter paper, dried at 45o C and stored in refrigerator. A concentration gradient (1%, 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% w/v) of crude extract was prepared from 10% w/v in 85% methanol and were tested five times (n=5) against three human pathogenic fungal species Candida tropicalis (NCYC 2699), Candida parapsilosis (ATCC 22019) and Candida albicans (ATCC 10231) which are resistant to many antifungal agents. 0.25ml of the above concentrations was tested against 0.2ml of fungal suspension which was standardized with 0.5 McFarland standards. Agar well- diffusion method was used with Mueller- Hinton agar plates and diameters of inhibition zones were measured after incubating the cultures at 25o C for 48 hours. Diameters of inhibition zones were categorized as susceptible (≥20mm), intermediate (15- 19mm) and as resistant (≤14mm) based on CLSI standards and the mean diameters of the inhibition zones were used to identify the statistical significance using Minitab15. Mean diameters of inhibition zones for high grown GP were 23.2mm (SD ±0.84), 21.4mm (SD±0.55), 21.2mm (SD±0.84) for 10%, 8%, 6% concentrations against C. parapsilosis and 20.0mm (SD±1.00) for 8% against C.albicans. Statistically significant differences among mean diameters of inhibition zones were high between high grown GP and BOP where 83% of p- values were ≤0.05. High grown black tea grades, mean diameter for BOP were 21.2mm (SD±0.84), 21.2mm (SD±0.45) for 10% and 8% concentrations against C.parapsilosis where it was higher than OP in 54.7%, 44.2% respectively. However mean diameters of inhibition zones for mid grown black tea grades were not statistically significant where 60% of p- values ≥0.05. Thus, it could be concluded that the topographical differences have influence on antifungal property of Sri Lankan tea.
Antioxidant Effect of Coconut Milk on Oxidative Damage in Commensal Lactobacilli in the Gastrointestinal Tract
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Karunasiri, A.N.; Gunawardena, M.; Seneviratne, K.; Jayathilaka, N.
Coconut milk (CM) is the aqueous extract of coconut endosperm which is rich in polyphenols. Coconut milk is commonly used in culinary applications in South Asia. In this study, protective effect of phenolic antioxidants (PA) extracted from CM was tested in lactobacilli which are the prominent probiotic forms in the human gut. These commensals help to maintain the immune and metabolic homeostasis. The intestinal environment can be altered by many factors that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) resulting in oxidative stress. Enteric bacteria have been reported to mediate redox homeostasis through the regulation of ROS production. However, oxidative damage to the gut microbiota has been suggested to contribute to several diseases including intestinal and neurodegenerative disorders. Here, the activity of phenolic antioxidants extracted from CM on oxidative damage in Lactobacillus acedophillus, L. plantarum, L. lactis, L. casei and L. fermentum under aerobic conditions were evaluated based on the amount of products of macromolecular damage. The total polyphenol content of aqueous extract of CM was 8.21±0.13 mg/L as determined by the Folin Ciocalteu method. Bacterial cultures at optical density of 0.5 at 620 nm were incubated at 37°C under aerobic conditions to induce the oxidative damage. The cells were cultured overnight with a concentration series of PA (0, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8 and 0.9 mg/mL) to assess the protective effect on oxidative damage. The concentration of PA was kept below the concentration that affect cell viability as determined by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride assay at 620 nm. Lipid peroxide levels (μg/mL) and protein carbonyl levels (nmol/mL) were detected with thiobarbituric acid and 2,4-DNPH respectively. Growth under aerobic conditions affected the cell viability and induced significant (P<0.05) damage to proteins and lipids in the lactobacilli under investigation. Treatment with increasing concentrations of PA from CM showed a corresponding increase in the cell viability and a corresponding decrease in the amount of lipid peroxides and protein carbonyls under aerobic conditions. Therefore, PA from CM protect gut microbiota from oxidative damages in lipid and proteins without affecting their viability.
Anxiety Experienced by Adult ESL Learners in Sri Lanka: A Case of First Year Undergraduates of University of Peradeniya
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Ratnayake, J.C.; Ekanayake, E.M.P.E.
According to theorists like R. C. Gardner and Stephen Krashen, extra-linguistic factors with socio-psychological overtones play as much a critical role as linguistic factors in teaching/learning ESL/EFL. Anxiety has been identified as one of the aforementioned affective factors that can have a significantly negative impact on language acquisition/learning process of students. As such, the current study investigates the nature and scale of anxiety experienced by first year undergraduates of Faculty of Arts, University of Peradeniya, belonging to groups of basic level competence in English. The study was exploratory in nature and both quantitative and qualitative data were collected for the purpose of the research. Questionnaires were distributed using the purposive sampling method i.e. 25 questionnaires were distributed among undergraduates whose L1 was Sinhala while another 25 were distributed among undergraduates whose L1 was Tamil. Also, interviews were conducted with 10 instructors that teach undergraduates of basic level competence in English. The quantitative and qualitative data collected through questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive and inferential analysis. The qualitative data gathered though interviews were analyzed using the discourse and thematic analysis methods and then the data triangulation method was deployed. The analysis of data from the questionnaires revealed that students whose L1 is Tamil face significantly higher levels of anxiety (88%) compared to students whose L1 is Sinhala (48%). The students faced anxiety in the form of communication apprehension/ anxiety, test anxiety, anxiety regarding negative evaluation and anxiety in the ESL classroom environment. These findings were corroborated through findings from the interviews with the instructors. While the study provides insight into the intensity and scale of anxiety experienced by adult ESL learners of tertiary level education, it also highlights on the role of the student L1 as a defining factor in ESL learner anxiety.
Applicability of Google Translate in Sinhalese Diglossic Contexts
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) de Silva, J.
Diglossia is the co-occurrence of two different varieties of a language, for distinct functions, throughout a speech community. Sinhalese is one of the languages which depict this phenomenon, with standard written Sinhalese and spoken Sinhalese as the two varieties. Nevertheless, the necessity of employing both varieties occur in certain contexts, for example, in the translation of prose work into Sinhalese, in which narrative is generally translated into standard written Sinhalese and dialogues are translated into spoken Sinhalese, unless the necessity of foreignizing or classicizing occurs. The aim of this study has been to examine the response of Google Translate in the translation of prose work from English into Sinhalese, in which the diglossic nature of Sinhalese language should be taken into consideration. Accordingly, the study is based on Sinhalese translations of selected parts of English prose texts, produced by Google Translate. The selected parts of source texts consisted of both narratives and dialogues, and pertained to different social and cultural backgrounds. The Sinhalese translations were compared with relevant source texts and an analysis was conducted in order to determine their appropriateness. The findings of this study indicate that the diglossic nature of Sinhalese language is not given consideration in Google Translate and both written and spoken varieties are employed inconsistently in producing a translation. This inconsistently is identified to occur in both sentence level and paragraph level, with a blend of morphological and syntactic attributes of standard written Sinhalese and spoken Sinhalese. Incompatibility with diglossic languages can be adjudged a significant weakness of Google Translate, which stands parallel to the failure of producing natural output consistently. Developing the option for the user to select the required variety is identified as the measure to solve this issue.
Application of Queuing Models to Reduce the Waiting Time: Case Study Based on Dental Clinic of Colombo South Teaching Hospital
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Perera, P.G.T.N.
One of the major essentials in improving efficiency in the provision of health care services is patient flow. The growing population and health-need due to adverse environmental conditions have led to escalating waiting times and crowding in government hospitals. Queuing theory has effectively been applied to various fields including health care. According to the previous literature, the application of queuing theory enhanced the efficiency of the waiting time of both dentists and patients. As a developing country, Sri Lankan government hospitals also face the challenge of queuing problems. The problem of this study is identifying an appropriate queuing model to enhance the efficiency of waiting time in the Dental clinic in Colombo South Teaching Hospital (CSTH). This study has used the secondary data obtained through the annual bulletin of Colombo South Teaching Hospital Statistic unit, Hospital data Queries and also primary data were obtained by the direct observations and structured questionnaire within January 2019. In the analysis purpose, this study mainly used queuing approach with M/M/1, M/M/S, M/M/S/N systems and the service disciplines like first come first out, priority and shortest job first. Under these queuing models, study has calculated the various parameters to measure the queue performance in a dental clinic in the CSTH. In this case study use M/M/4 queue model to characterize the patient flow in the Dental clinic of CSTH and M/M/S/N system characterized at the light surgery section of the dental. Under these queuing models, this study has measured various parameters such as Utilization factor, Average queue length, Average number of system, Average waiting time in the queue, Average waiting time in the system, Idle time of the servers and Probability of exactly n customers in the system, etc. The Multiple Single-Server queuing model is employed at the dental clinic. This implies that patients on arrival to the clinic join a queue to see any out of about 3 to 5 doctors who are consulting at the same time. All dentists have a single line of patients waiting to be attended to and the patients are directed to the queues by the nurses and record staff of the clinic. The patients are directed to queues in the order they arrived. This study has considered that the number of dentists is less than with the number of beds. Practice shows that the majority of the cases the dentists can deal with more than 1 patient in 25 minutes. Some of the suggestions from patients included more dentists be employed to reduce waiting time on the queue, doctors need to come on time to avoid stagnation of patients at the clinic, first-come-first-serve discipline should be observed on the queue to ensure fair play, and records staff should not take bribe from patients for the purpose of jumping the queue. Queues should arrange on the aspect of service provided by each dentist
Assessment of Awareness and Socio – Economic Status on Edible Oil Consumption among Housewives in Dehiwala Divisional Secretariat Area
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Manori, H.A.C.; Jayasekara, K.G.T.
Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) prevail in the present-day society due to unhealthy food habits and inactive lifestyle of the people. Excessive consumption of edible oil is a cause for obesity which is a contributory factor for NCDs. Edible oils should be used in moderation by adopting proper methods of cooking to minimize their unhealthy effects. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in Dehiwala divisional secretariat area to assess the awareness, socio-economic status on edible oil consumption among housewives and, the individual’s fat intake through edible oil consumption. Since, the total fat intake of an individual includes fats received from coconut kernel, processed coconut milk and coconut milk powder used in food preparations, in addition to edible oils, fats coming from these food items were also considered in calculating the daily per capita fat intake. The study sample consisted of 405 randomly selected housewives representing all the fifteen Grama Niladari divisions of the area including 27 housewives from each division. Data were gathered using a self-administered questionnaire. Results showed that daily per capita edible oil consumption was 59.75 ml. Only 31.50% housewives consumed edible oils, within the recommended level of fat and oil intake per person as in Food based dietary guidelines for Sri Lankans, prepared by the Ministry of Health. The daily per capita fat intake by consuming edible oil together with coconut kernel, processed coconut milk and coconut milk powder was 80.13 g. 77.75% housewives used edible oils and coconut products in food preparations to receive energy more than the amount of energy recommended to be received from fat (no more than 30% of the total energy coming from fat). Chi-square test results showed that there were significant relationships between educational level of housewives and the type of edible oil used (p<0.01) and monthly family income and the type of edible oil used (p<0.01). Since, the majority of the individuals consume more fat than the recommended level, there is a need for an intervention to educate people on healthy use of edible oil as to prevent from obesity, a contributory factor of NCDs.
Assessment of Possible Risk Factors Affecting Transmission of Dengue in the District of Gampaha Based on Reported Dengue Cases
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Perera, E.H.L.; Viswakula, S.; Gunawardene, Y.I.N.S.; Subasinghe, U.; Hapugoda, M.D.
Dengue is a fast spreading arboviral infection transmitted by the bite of infected females of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) and Ae. albopictus (Skuse). According to the Epidemiology Unit, the second highest number of dengue cases is reported in the District of Gampaha, Sri Lanka over past ten years. Objective of this study was to investigate the entomological and socio-economic risk factors affecting transmission of dengue in laboratory-confirmed dengue case reported stations in the District of Gampaha. Laboratory confirmed positive dengue patients (n=100) by dengue NS1 antigen test during the period of June, 2018-August, 2019 were selected. Entomological surveillance was conducted by visiting to each patient within one week of notification of a positive case. For the collection of socio-economic data, an interviewer-administrated questionnaire was used. Adult Aedes mosquito samples collected using a back-pack aspirator showed, 98.64% (73/74) of Ae. albopictus and 1.35% (1/74) of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. Larval collection using standard larval surveillance techniques showed 92.96% (185/199) and 7.04% (14/199) of Ae. albopictus and Ae.aegypti larvae respectively. The highest House Index (55.17%-16/29), Container Index (28.89%-13/45) and Breteau Index (44.83%-13/29) were reported in the month of June, 2019. The major Aedes breeding place was identified as plastic buckets/barrels (48.6%-84/173) that being used to discard waste. Piped borne water (88%-88/100) was the major water source of the house-holds. Water source of tube well (9%-9/100) was the next popular water source and 66.67%(6/9) of tube wells were positive breeding places for Aedes larvae. Average homestead of the premises of dengue patients was 16.14 perches. From the 100 dengue cases, 67 cases were from middle of town areas, while 2 were from rural areas. Vegetation coverage of the 78% (78/100) house-holds were grass, bushes and small trees and 3% (3/100) house-holds didn’t have any vegetation coverage. The major mosquito prevention method was usage of mosquito nets (54%-54/100) and among dengue patients 7% (7/100) of dengue patients weren’t using any mosquito prevention method. High density of Ae. albopictus mosquitoes, was reported although Ae. aegypti is the major vector of dengue. Therefore, it is required to draw more attention about the Ae. albopictus breeding sites in dengue control programmes. Participants from the study sites were well aware about the disease but still there is a lack of knowledge on breeding sites and vector control methods. Drawbacks in the waste disposal methods, lack of cleanliness in gardens, unplanned water sources and neglecting preventive actions could be considered as the possible risk factors.
Assessment of Proximate and Mineral Element Content of Crude Methanolic Extract of Clausena indica (Dals) Oliver Leaves in Sri Lanka
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Abeysinghe, D.T; Kumara, K.A.H.; Alwis, D.D.D.H.; Chandrika, U.G.
Clausena indica (Dals.) Oliver commonly known as “mee-gon-karapincha” plant in Sinhala, belongs to family Rutaceae. In comparison to the other members of Rutaceae family in Sri Lanka, C. indica is a less common plant which is usually associated with rain forests. However, C. indica is frequently used in traditional medical practices in Sri Lanka, especially in fixing bone fractures and joint dislocations. It is rich in essential photochemical constituents and minerals. In the current study, proximate and mineral content of a crude methanol extract of C. indica were analyzed following the standard methods. Moisture content was analyzed by oven drying method and the value was 54.67 ± 0.00%. Total ash content was determined to be 3.00 ± 0.07% by AOAC methods. Rose-Gottlieb method was used to determine the total fat content, which was 1.32 ± 0.38%. The protein content determined by Kjeldahl method was 18.93% ± 0.73 and the total carbohydrate content was 22.08%. Mineral elements were analyzed according to AOAC official methods and Fe, Zn, Na, K contents were 9.08 ± 0.23 mg/100g, 1.99 ± 1.14 mg/100g, 0.15 ± 0.025 mg/100g, and 0.19 ± 0.04 mg/100g respectively. These findings revealed that the C. indica plant leaves are a rich source of Fe and Zn, which also has a significant amount of proximate composition.
Assessment of Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Assay for the Early Diagnosis of Leptospirosis in Humans
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Uduwawala, U.M.H.U.; Manamperi, A.; Gunaratna, G.P.S.; Karunanayake, L.; Chandani, W.L.; Hapugoda, M.
Leptospirosis is the most widespread zoonotic disease worldwide having a great impact on health issues in developing countries. It is caused by a pathogenic spirochete of the genus Leptospira where humans become infected through contact with the urine of infected animals. It is often exceptionally under-recognized as the clinical manifestation mimics variety of similar disease conditions that occur in the same environmental and climatologic conditions which accentuate the importance of laboratory diagnosis of leptospirosis. At present, no hospital based facilities are available for acute confirmation of the disease. The existing practice is retrospective confirmation with serological diagnosis. Therefore, the establishment of acute phase diagnosis will help in monitoring the disease, determining when hospital admission is required and reduce case fatalities. The objective of this study was to establish and evaluate a molecular-based assay to provide laboratory confirmation of leptospirosis at the acute phase of the infection (1-5 days of fever). Patients fulfilling clinical criteria stipulated by the accepted case definition were selected for the study and patients who failed to show evidence of sero conversion were considered as true negatives. A real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay with targeting a 203 bp fragment in the secY gene which is conserved among pathogenic serovars of Leptospira was established using a reference DNA sample (L.interrogans serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae strain RGA). Analytical sensitivity and the analytical specificity of the assay were calculated. The accuracy of the real time PCR was determined by a panel of acute blood samples collected from laboratory confirmed leptospirosis patients (n=35) and non-leptospirosis (n=44) patients based on Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) and/or IgM immunochromatography. Patients who failed to give positive test results either with MAT or IgM immunochromatography were considered as true negatives. Analytical sensitivity was approximately 314 genome equivalents per reaction and analytical specificity showed no amplification of Leptospira saprophytic sp. and other micro-organisms. The assay could effectively detect Leptospira DNA from clinically diagnosed leptospirosis suspected patients with 60.0% (21/35) diagnostic sensitivity and 77.27% (34/44) diagnostic specificity. This may be attributed to some samples failing laboratory confirmation despite their collection based on clinical suspicion. Therefore, real time PCR established can be used for rapid and definitive diagnosis of leptospirosis during the acute phase of infection
Assessment of the Heavy Metals in Rice Grains Grown in Paddy Soil in CKDu Endemic Area in Eppawala, Anuradhapura
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Perera, W.P.R.T.; Dissanayake, D.M.U.C.; Kannangara, A.T.; Liyanage, J.A.
Global public health attention is being focused on Chronic kidney disease due to significant prevalence and the enormous cost of the treatment process. It was revealed that longterm consumption of bioavailable metals in grains causes CKD in humans. Therefore, the present study was planned to assess the levels of heavy metals in rice grains grown in paddy soil in CKDu endemic area in Eppawala, Anuradhapura. The soil samples (n=30) were collected from paddy fields in Eppawala GN division. Rice plants with rice grains (n=30) were also collected from the same fields. Collected samples (soil, rice roots and rice grains) were digested using the microwave digester (MDS-6G). Concentrations of heavy metals (Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb) of the paddy soil, rice roots and ride grain samples were analyzed by ICP-MS (Agilent 7800). Based on the analyzed concentrations, Geo acumination indices were calculated to evaluate the heavy metal contamination conditions in the agricultural soil.The results indicated that the average concentrations of Cr, Cd, As and Pb in soil were 49.918 mg/kg, 0.107 mg/kg 5.033 mg/kg and 9.882 mg/kg respectively and they were 1.709 mg/kg, 0.027 mg/kg, 0.217 mg/kg, 0.566 mg/kg respectively in roots. Nevertheless, the lowest levels of metals were observed from rice grains (Cr, Cd, As and Pb were recorded as 0.342 mg/kg, 0.011 mg/kg, 0.035 mg/kg, 0.112 mg/kg respectively). According to the Igeo calculations, agricultural paddy soil in the Eppawala area has been moderately contaminated with Pb, As, Zn, and Cu. (Class 2). Nevertheless, Cd and Cr levels were between near to moderate contamination level. (Class 1). Although the levels of metals in rice grains were low, long term consumption of metal contaminated rice may contribute to chronic failure.
Attitude of Officer Cadets at SLMA towards English Language Acquisition
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Bandara, N.G.J.P.
Second Language Acquisition (SLA) of the trainee Officer Cadets at Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA) has become rather a challenging task as they are expected to involve in language learning process while undergoing their military training which has been designed to produce military commanders. The study mainly focused on investigating attitude of the Officer Cadets who follow the Bachelors Science Degree in Military Studies at SLMA. The quantitative and qualitative investigation gathered the required data through a self administrated questionnaire distributing among 50 participants, conducting unstructured interviews with the target group, respective academic and military staff while incorporating researcher’s own experiences and observations. The data presentation has been graphically displayed in percentage. The study analszed cadets’ attitude towards English by using ABCs (Affective, Behavioral. Cognitive) components and discussed key areas like use of English, students’ mental preparedness, English difficulty level, confidence, intrinsic motivation, support of military training environment, orientation and their perception on the role of English and its significance in military domain having incoperated educational theories such as Knowles’ Adults Learning (Andragogy), Krashen’s Second Language Acquisition and the concept of Culture Shock. The findings revealed that though the Cadets were intrinsically motivated to learn English at the initial stage of their training. However, their interest seemed to gradually diminish due to some extrinsic and intrinsic reasons such as restlessness, physical exhaustion and health issues (physical), ESL teaching methods and evaluation methods (methodological), culture shock, military command and control system, (environmental), language phobia, anxiety, low self-esteem, linguistic problems, prioritization of military and routine activities, self biased schema, personal backgrounds and perception towards English learning (cognitive). In order to uplift their attitudinal state, the study suggests to implement some improvements/adjustments to the ongoing teaching and learning process, cognitive development of the Officer Cadets and to the military environment.
Awareness of Rickettsial Infections (Typhus Fever) in a High Endemic Community in Hambantota District, Sri Lanka
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Ashani, M.L.S.; Chandrasena, T.G.A.N.; Gunathilaka, P.A.G.N.; Premaratna, B.A.H.R.
Rickettsial infections are re-emerging in Sri Lanka with an average annual incidence of 1500 patients. Low awareness and the scarcity of proper diagnostic tools has resulted in delayed disease diagnosis and negligence towards the disease leading to extended morbidity in Sri Lanka. Community awareness of the disease is important for timely diagnosis and control. Hambantota district in Southern Province of Sri Lanka, which records the fourth highest incidence of typhus, was selected for the study. Households (n= 204) situated around index cases of typhus fevers were randomly selected for the survey. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to gather data on illness awareness (disease aetiology, symptoms, transmission, disease associations) by selecting a consenting representative from each household. Descriptive and inferential analysis of the data was carried out using SPSS IBM statistical software. Of the 204 interviewed, only one (0.5%) identified the illness as “typhus”. Majority identified the disease as “Peacock fever” (43.12%; n= 88) followed by “tick fever” (14.71%; n=30). It is interesting to note that 41.67% (n=85) of the households were not aware of the disease even though they are living in a disease endemic area. None were aware of the etiological agents of typhus fever. Among those with awareness, 65.55% (n=78), believed that infection was tick-borne and the vector ticks were harbored by peacocks. About 27.73% (n=33) believed that the transmission was directly from peacocks, followed by other birds (2.52%; n=3). Majority 82.35 %, (n=98) were unaware of symptomatology while only 1.77%, (n=14) recognized it only as a febrile illness and myalgia (4.20%; n=5). Of those who were aware, 73.95 %, (n=88) had received information through acquaintances, 25.21% (n=30) from health personnel and one through mass media. None were aware of preventive measures. The results of the present study highlight the lack of proper awareness of the disease condition, which may adversely impact on disease control efforts
Bacterial Diversity in the Midgut of Field Caught Culex tritaeniorhynchus
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Ranasinghe, H.A.K.; Gunathilaka, P.A.D.H.N.; Amarasinghe, L.D.; Rodrigo, W.W.P.
Ingestion of blood meal by female mosquitoes triggers a series of physiological processes in midgut where symbiotic microbes also exist. These symbiotic microbes can be engineered to produce molecules that inhibit pathogens; through paratransgenic approach. Little is known about the midgut microbes of Culex mosquitoes and no attempt has been made so far in Sri Lanka. Cx. tritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes were separated from the entomological surveys conducted at Kelaniya Medical officer of Health (MOH) area from June – August 2019. Unfed adult female mosquitoes were sacrificed using a cold shock and were surface sterilized using 70% ethanol followed by rinsing with phosphate buffer saline (PBS). Midgut of mosquitoes were dissected and midgut of ten mosquitoes were pooled in sterile PBS (250 μL) to make a homogenized lysate. A dilution series (100- 10-7) was made from lysate. 100 μL from each dilution was plated on Plate Count Agar (PCA) and were incubated for 48 hours at 37 0C. Pure cultures for each microbe were obtained from the primary plates using streak plate method, sub culturing in Nutrient Agar. The experiment set up was repeated 25 times with ten mosquito pools at each effort. Colony separation was done based on phenotypical differences and basic biochemical tests. Stab cultures of isolates were sequenced for 16S ribosomal RNA partial gene. To identify the closest related sequence, obtained sequences were analyzed by Bioedit software package and completely aligned sequences were compared with the BLAST database. The evolutionary history was inferred using the neighbor-Joining method and the evolutionary analyses were conducted in MEGA X. A total of eight bacterial strains namely; Staphylococcus pasteuri, Bacillus megaterium, Staphylococcus cohnii, Pantoea dispersa, Staphylococcus chromogenes, Bacillus aquimaris, Staphylococcus arlettae, Staphylococcus scuiri was isolated from Cx. tritaeniorhynchus (n=250). All of these species were belonged to two phyla; Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Phylum Firmicutes was the dominant phyla which include seven species. The evolutionary distances which were computed using Tajima-Nei method were used to infer the phylogenetic tree. It represented a close relationship between the species of two genera; Staphylococcus and Bacillus while the relationship was distant for genus Pantoea. The present data strongly encourage further investigations to explore the potential usage of these microbes through the paratransgenic approach which is a novel eco-friendly vector control strategy
The Bacteriological Profile of Ear Infections: An Analysis from a Secondary Health Care Center of Sri Lanka
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Wijesooriya, L.I.; Jayawardana, G.P.C.; de Silva, S.H.N.A.; Karunasekara, H.C.I.
Introduction: Bacteria responsible for ear infections are diverse. Therefore, the treatment of such infections needs to be guided by the antibiotic sensitivity data. To prevent shift into the chronic form which leads the burden of morbidity and increased healthcare cost. Having a microbiological profile of ear infections with its antibiotic sensitivity pattern would minimize the burden. Objective: To find out the bacteriological profile and their antibiotic resistance pattern in patients with ear infections Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted prospectively from 01.10.2018 to 30.09.2019 involving sixty-two patients with clinically diagnosed otitis media or otitis externa by the . Organisms responsible were identified and their antibiotic sensitivity was recorded. Antibiotic sensitivity data of the most common organisms were analyzed. Data related to demography, clinical history and previous antibiotic therapy were noted. The level of significance was considered as P<0.05. Results: Of the sixty-two patients, 63% (39/62) had otitis externa whereas 37% (23/62) had otitis media. The difference was not significant statistically (P = 0.096). In 97% (60/62) of patients, the ear infection was unilateral and in 3% (2/62), it was bilateral. In 48% (30/62) of patients, the current presentation was the first episode, in 27% (17/62), it was the second, in 16% (10/62), it was the third and in 8% (5/62), it was beyond the third episode. In 89% (55/62), patients were treated with empirical antibiotics whereas, in 11% (7/62), the samples were obtained before antibiotics. Of the organisms causing ear infections, Pseudomonas–32% (20/62), Staphylococcus aureus–25% (15/62), Candida spp 12% (8/62), other fungal spp-3%, (2/62) Coliforms-3% (2/62), Proteus spp- %, (1/62), Streptococcus pneumoniae-2%, (1/62), mixed bacterial growth in 2% (1/62) and no bacterial growth in 19%, (12/62). According to ABST of Pseudomonas spp sensitivity was 85% (17/62) for piperacillin-tazobactam, 80% (16/62) for ceftazidime, 75% (15/62) for meropenem, 75% (15/62) for cefoperazone-sulbactam, 70% (14/62) for ticarcillin–clavulanic acid, 70% (14/62) for amikacin, 50% (10/ 62) for gentamicin, 50% (10/62) for Ciprofloxacin and 40% (8/62) for norfloxacin. Of the S. aureus, 66.7% (10/15) were methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) and 33.3% (5/15) were Methicillin-resistant (MRSA). According to ABST of MSSA, sensitivity was 100% for gentamicin, chloramphenicol, fusidic acid, teicoplanin and vancomycin, 90% (9/10) for clindamycin, 80% for co-trimoxazole, 70% (7/10) for ciprofloxacin, 60% (6/10) for erythromycin and 50% (5/10) for norfloxacin. Of MRSA, all were sensitive for vancomycin, teicoplanin and fusidic acid, 60% (3/5) were sensitive for clindamycin and none were sensitive for gentamicin, chloramphenicol, co-trimoxazole, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin and norfloxacin. Conclusion: Of ear infections, there was no significant difference between otitis externa and otitis media in proportions. Almost all had unilateral infections. Pseudomonas spp were the predominant bacterium identified and the S. aureus was the second. More than 75% of the Pseudomonas spp were sensitive to piperacillin-tazobactam, ceftazidime, meropenem and cefoperazone-sulbactam. The sensitivity was <50% for gentamicin and norfloxacin. MSSA was sensitive to most antistaphylococcal antibiotics. However, MRSA was sensitive only for limited antistaphylococcal antibiotics.
A Behavioural Model to Assess the Risk Perception and Behaviour of Individuals in Investment Decisions
(International Postgraduate Research Conference 2019, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019) Mendis, M.N.M.Y.; Peter, S.; Niwunhella, H.
Risk behaviour is the controlled conduct of people in contexts with uncertainty, where there is a possibility of the outcome received deviating from the outcome expected. As any kind of investment bears a certain proportion of risk, investors qualify as a competent sample in analyzing risk behaviour. Investor behaviour depends on external factors such as macro stability, expected earnings, broker recommendations, dividends paid and stock marketability, as well as internal factors such as herd behaviour, optimism and risk appetite of the investor. In developing countries like Sri Lanka, the investment markets are less informationally efficient and investor risk appetite is a less prominent factor. Therefore, the need of upgrading the investment culture of a developing country through a customized model which accurately determines the investor risk appetite has become a timely need. Although numerous studies have been carried out, use of a psychological approach to explain the investor behaviour remains relatively unexplored. The overarching goal of this study is to assess the determinants of risk behaviour and how these factors can be used in developing a comprehensive model that facilitates categorization of people according to their risk profiles. This study focuses on interpreting the individual investor behaviour through a combination of the cognitive psychological approach of perceived self-efficacy and the reconceptualized model of risk behaviour in a developing country context. Perceived self-efficacy is the concept where people’s beliefs and perceptions on their own personal abilities affect their actions taken to reach designated goals. The reconceptualized model suggests that an individual’s risk behaviour is dominated by two major characteristics, namely risk propensity and risk perception. It was further specified that risk propensity positively affects the risk-seeking behaviour while risk perception has a negative effect on it. The reconceptualized model incorporates the cognitive psychological approach of perceived self-efficacy to the risk behaviour model. The risk behaviour model has been adjusted by removing the organizational-related factors from it. The developed model is validated through expert opinion and data obtained from investors who engage in high risk investments.