University of Sri Jayewardenepura: Journals & Proceedings
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Assessment and Identification of Specific Pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae in the Flesh and Gut of Rastrelliger kanagurta (Indian Mackerel) and the Associated Impact of Different Collection Sources
No full textSeafood is considered a vital source of protein globally. However, industrial or sewage waste discharges can introduce pathogens into the marine environment, making fish highly susceptible to contamination by microorganisms. Improper handling, storage or environmental factors at various collection sources may also contribute to contamination, potentially resulting in human gastrointestinal disease outbreaks. Therefore, the current preliminary study aimed to identify pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella and Shigella spp. in Rastrelliger kanagurta, and the associated impact of two different collection sources. Five Indian mackerel per location were collected directly from a fishing boat off the coast of Elakanda and the Peliyagoda fish market. The fish were transported to the laboratory immediately after capture in an ice box. Samples were taken from the flesh and gut and were homogenised using 0.9% saline. MacConkey agar was used for selective and differential isolation of Enterobacteriaceae. Biochemical characterisation involving Methyl-Red, Voges-Proskauer, Citrate, Sulphur, Indole, and Motility testing was carried out. The isolates were further confirmed by culturing on differential media using Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate (XLD) and chromogenic E.coli agar. Suspected isolates were then selected for an optimised boil-cell bacterial DNA extraction and quantified using a NanoDrop spectrophotometer. Polymerase chain reaction targeting pathogenic genes, including eaeA, bfpA, invC, and ipaH, was carried out. The results revealed two bands at the expected 619bp for the ipaH gene in the marine samples and one band for market samples. No bands were detected for the other genes. This denotes the identification of Enteroinvasive E.coli (EIEC), a pathotype of E.coli that causes dysentery and infection closely related to Shigellosis. Furthermore, a Chi-squared test indicated no significant association (p-value: 0.923) between the presence of pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae and the two collection sources. Based on the EUCAST guidelines, antibiotic susceptibility testing (ABST) revealed that the isolated EIEC was sensitive against Chloramphenicol, Gentamicin, and Tetracycline but completely resistant to Ampicillin and Erythromycin. The isolation of EIEC in this case, combined with its antibiotic susceptibility profile, raises serious concerns related to public health risk, emphasising the significance of stringent waste management and pollution control measures to minimise the risk of microbial contamination in seafood.
Keywords: Pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae, Seafood, Pathogenic genes, Antibiotic susceptibility tests, public healt
A Taxonomic Survey of Bryophytes and Lichens in University of Sri Jayewardenepura
No full textBryophytes are the simplest and most primitive land plants in the world. They do not produce flowers, seeds or fruits and do not consist of a true vascular system. Lichen is a symbiotic association between filamentous fungus, which is a mycobiont and photosynthetic organism/organisms which is a photobiont consisting of a microalga, cyanobacterium or both. Sri Lanka is considered as a biodiversity hotspot, which also has a huge variety of bryophytes and lichens. When considering the University of Sri Jayewardenepura (UoJ), there are several different bryophytes and lichen species that can be found when carefully observed. But there is no research done to find and identify them. The present study was carried out as a taxonomic survey of bryophytes and lichens present within the premises of the UoJ. The major objective was to prepare taxonomic keys for both bryophytes and lichens. Specimens were identified up to the genus level with a thorough observation of morphological and anatomical characters compared with the available literature. Morphological and anatomical characters were observed using hand lens, compound light microscope, dissecting microscope and measurements were taken using a projection microscope. Taxonomic keys to separate genera for bryophytes and lichens, illustrations, photos and taxonomic notes are provided for a more comprehensive knowledge. The geographic distribution of each taxon was recorded as GPS coordinates. Voucher herbarium specimens and permanent slides were prepared and deposited in the herbarium at the Department of Botany, UoJ. A total of 29 specimens (13 bryophytes, 16 lichens) were identified up to their generic level. Phylum Bryophyta consisted of 9 genera that belong to 7 families while phylum Marchantiophyta consisted of 3 genera. There weren’t any hornworts. When considering the lichens, 16 genera that belonged to 11 families were identified. They belonged to the classes Arthoniomycetes, Dothideomycetes and Lecanoromycetes. This taxonomic study provides a primary idea about bryophyte and lichen diversity within the UoJ. This study will be helpful for future surveys on bryophytes and lichens within the university and for taking conservation measurements to protect them.
Keywords: Bryophytes, Genera, Lichens, Taxonom
Impact of Botanicals Exhibiting Insecticidal Properties on Parthenium Beetle, Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister
Get PDFThe invasive, fast spreading, most problematic weed Parthenium hysterophours can be managed eco-friendly using parthenium beetle Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister. The infestation potential of Z. bicolorata on parthenium weeds in farmer fields was lower compared to the parthenium weeds growing around uncultivable land. This observation, supported by research, confirmed that agrochemicals may be toxic to the infestation stages of the parthenium beetle. However, no detailed studies have been conducted on the impact of plants with insecticidal properties on the parthenium beetle. Therefore, the current investigation was designed to investigate the effects of various botanicals with insecticidal properties on the survival of Z. bicolorta. extracts of Azadirachta indica, Ricinus communis, Cascabela thevetia, Senna alata, Nicotiana tabacum, Datura stamonium, Prosopis juliflora, Pavetta indica, Adhatoda vasica and Tagetes patula were derived and tested on Parthenium beetle in laboratory and field. Isolated phytochemicals were chemically characterized. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was chosen. Data collected were subjected to ANOVA and DMRT mean separation using SAS 9.4 version at P<0.05. Results show that N. tabacum is highly toxic to Z. bicolorata, significantly reducing its survival rate (5%±1.25%), and extracts of A. indica and D. stramonium were less harmful in both laboratory and field conditions, with the mortality percentage of 40±12.28% and 30±13.42%, respectively. These findings highlight the importance of selecting appropriate plant extracts to ensure the survival and effectiveness of Z. bicolorata. The toxic effect observed could be attributed to the high concentration of phytochemicals, such as alkaloids and glycosides present in N. tabacum. However, FTIR analysis is needed to confirm the active ingredient for the observed effects, and to plan the way for optimizing the biological control efficacy of Z. bicolorata.
Keywords: Datura stramonium, Nicotiana tabacum, Partenium, Zygogramma bicolorat
Analysis of Factors Affecting Tea Exports of Sri Lanka and Their Dynamic Interrelations Using the Vector Autoregression Approach
No full textSri Lanka is renowned for its high-quality tea and is the world’s third-largest tea exporter. The tea industry is considered a main source of foreign exchange in Sri Lanka. However, Sri Lankan tea exports have been significantly fluctuating over the years, with noticeable reductions recently, which can negatively impact economic stability. Therefore, understanding the influential factors of tea exports and the dynamic relationships between them is crucial, which is the aim of this study. Monthly data on the volume of tea exports, Free-on-board (FOB) price, tea production, exchange rates and the tea export volume of the major competitor, Kenya from August 2011 to April 2024 were obtained from the Sri Lanka Tea Board, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and the Central Bank of Kenya. A Vector Autoregressive model of order 3 was utilized for data analysis using EViews software package. Results of the Wald test revealed that tea export volume in previous periods (F=25.09, p<0.05), FOB (F=3.39, p<0.05), tea production (F=4.06, p<0.05) and exchange rate of Sri Lanka (F=3.02, p<0.05) impact the tea exports. Granger Causality test reveals uni-directional causality from production (Chi-square=12.18, p<0.05), FOB (Chi-square=10.17, p<0.05) and exchange rate (Chi-square=9.05, p<0.05) to tea exports in Sri Lanka. Impulse response analysis shows that the response of tea exports varies through negative and positive values, for a shock given to other variables. In the short run, the forecast error variance of tea exports is mostly explained by tea exports itself. The contribution of production, exchange rate and tea exports of Kenya increases when moving to the future. Moreover, the exchange rate of Sri Lanka explains the forecast error variance of the competitor's tea exports. The findings emphasize the importance of production, exchange rates and the competitors’ performance in determining tea exports of Sri Lanka. The complex interactions revealed by the study are useful for policymakers and industry stakeholders in developing strategies to enhance Sri Lanka’s position in the global tea market.
Keywords: Tea exports, Tea production, Exchange rates, Vector Autoregressio
Assessment of Water Quality of an Urban Wetland: Bellanvila-Attidiya, Colombo, Sri Lanka
No full textThe rapidly urbanizing land-use pattern in Colombo has limited the role of wetlands to sink various pollutants. It has affected their crucial ecological functions. The present study was conducted to assess the surface water quality in the Bellanvilla-Attidiya wetland using twelve key water parameters to examine the suitability of wetland waters for aquatic life. Based on the random sampling technique, ten locations were selected from the wetland area. Surface water samples were collected from January-April (dry months) and September-December (wet months) of 2023. Pollution status and the suitability of the wetland water for aquatic life were assessed using the water pollution index (WPI). Temperature, pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), salinity, and dissolved oxygen (DO) were measured onsite using portable meters. In the laboratory, nitrate-N, ammonia-N, orthophosphate, total phosphate, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) were analyzed using standard analytical methods. Monthly average rainfall data for the study period were procured from the Department of Meteorology, Sri Lanka, corresponding to the meteorological station nearest to the study site. Results were compared with ambient water quality standards for aquatic life in Sri Lanka. COD and DO were not within the standard levels among the tested parameters. Although surface water contamination is possible due to increased surface runoff during the wet months, pearson-correlation results revealed that the monthly average rainfall has significant negative correlations (p<0.05) with concentrations of nitrate-N (r2=-0.880), ammonia-N (r2=-0.802), and COD, (r2=-0.483) which can be attributed to dilution impacts. The WPI was reported as 2.1±0.23 and 1.2±0.1, respectively, during dry and wet months. Therefore, the wetland area can be categorized as highly polluted (WPI>1- highly polluted) and unsuitable for aquatic life. There was a significant difference in WPI between wet months and dry months (P<0.05). Further, the monthly average rainfall of the study area has a strong negative correlation (p<0.05, r2=-0.800) with WPI values suggesting increased pollution levels in water during dry months. It is recommended that immediate intervention measures, such as reducing urban runoff and controlling pollutant discharge, be implemented to mitigate further degradation of water quality and protect the ecological integrity of this vital urban wetland ecosystem.
Keywords: Bellanvila-Attidiya wetland, Water pollution index, Aquatic life, Wet months, Dry month
Enhancement of Water Quality in Kandy Lake with Duckweed: An Assessment of Efficacy
No full textKandy Lake is one of the main tourist destinations in Sri Lanka and recognized as world heritage by UNESCO. The lake's water quality has deteriorated to eutrophic and hyper-eutrophic levels, due to adequate regulations and poor water quality management. Therefore, the present study intends to evaluate the potentiality of duckweed species for phytoremediation of water in Kandy Lake, Sri Lanka. This study examined the effectiveness of two common duckweed species, Spirodela polyrhiza and Lemna perpusilla. The experiment evaluated the impact on water quality over twenty-eight days with assessments at weekly intervals. The results showed that there was a significant difference in total dissolved solid (TDS), salinity, electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), and the concentrations of nitrate, and sulphate with time (P<0.05). L.perpusilla achieved a 100% reduction of nitrate by day 7th day of the experiment, while S. polyrhiza reached a 100% reduction by day 14 of the experiment. DO level increased up to 7.8 mg/L in water treatment with S. polyrrhiza compared to an increase to 6.6 mg/L in the L .perpusilla treatment , from a control level of 0.73 mg/L (P<0.05). TDS level was reduced from 310.0±3.6 mg/L to 203.6±1.5 mg/L by S. polyrhiza indicating a 34.4% reduction rate and the results show 34.13% TDS reduction in L. perpusilla. Among the two plant species S. polyrhiza demonstrated advantages in reducing salinity from the initial 293.96±5.1 mg/L to 197.6±4.9 mg/L and that indicates a 32.78% reduction of salinity from the initial concentration. L. perpusilla reduced salinity to 211.3±4.9 mg/L from the initial concentration which indicates a 28.13% reduction of salinity. It was also found that both plant species effectively contribute to the rise of DO levels up to accepted standards of drinking water. L. perpusilla achieved the highest EC reduction rate at 38.24%, while S. polyrhiza showed a reduction rate of 33.1%. The pH value fluctuated in the 7.6-8.6 range in all treatments. Both Duckweed species showed effective phytoremediation capabilities, with each species excelling in specific areas S. polyrrhiza have a high capacity to maintain TDS, salinity, and DO levels in water. Salinity, nitrate, and sulfate remediation was higher in L. perpusilla spp. Both duckweed species have escalated nitrate removal by supporting microbial activity under available oxygen. These findings suggest that both duckweed species can serve as eco-friendly, cost-effective solutions for phytoremediation, helping to mitigate pollution in freshwater ecosystems.
Keywords: Dissolved Oxygen, Nitrate, Phytoremediation, Total Dissolved Solids, Water pollutants
 
The Public Trust in Representative Democracy: A Study Based in Batticaloa District, Sri Lanka
Get PDFMost countries in the world have a democratic system of government. Debates on representative democracy and public trust have continued for decades. Today, people's faith in representative democracy is waning. Thus, the main objective of this study is to examine people's trust in representative democracy in Batticaloa district. It also aims to explore the reasons for the decline in trust in representative democracy. This study is based on primary and secondary data. A questionnaire method consisting of interviews and structured questions was also used to collect the first-level responses. According to the analysis carried out, the study revealed that the people's confidence in representative democracy is low in Batticaloa district. The economy and the failure of representative democracy have been found to be the main factors behind low public confidence in representative democracy. Increased corruption, non-conduct of elections, non-election of the president through new elections, family rule, abuse of power, majoritarianism, flawed government policies, weakness of the government structure have been found to be the reasons for the decrease in people's confidence. This study highlights the many challenges that representative democracy has faced, and their causes, and solutions. As such, this study emphasizes that people's trust in representative democracy can be established when mechanisms such as government transparency, establishing political trust, holding elections in a timely manner, promoting direct democratic strategies, establishing government accountability, and providing opportunities for people and civil society to participate in political activities are implemented.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.31357/fhss/vjhss.v09i02.1
An Inquiry into the Health Principles and Their Uses Made by the Ancients for Social Compassion (Based on Rajarata Civilization)
Get PDFSince ancient times, health has been given priority among humans. This research aims to identify the health policies made by the ancients during the Rajarata civilization period. The research problem here is how the developed health policies were used for social solidarity and what is their utility. The historical research method was used as the research method here. Sourced facts confirm that the ancient Sri Lankan people also thought of health as an absolute profit. If the health system is of high quality, it is an indication that society at that time acted with compassion. Traditional folk beliefs also prevailed among the people at this time. Accordingly, the ancients strongly believed that diseases are caused by angering the forces called Va-Pit-Sem and other beliefs. It is a mandatory factor to have medical facilities in a state in case of emergencies such as epidemics, pneumonia and war. Therefore, based on these factors, the ancients worked to support the government in making health policies and to raise the health sector. It is stated in the Mahavamsa that ancient medicine was concerned with medical services such as various methods of treatment, style medicine, psychological treatment etc. According to the Mahavamsa, King Dutugemunu has fondly remembered the medical facilities he provided for the public as one of the highest services he did at the time of his death. King Buddhadasa played a special role in the ancient medicine service. The king, who worked with great kindness and compassion to cure the sufferings of his people by performing the affairs of the state well, was a physical and mental doctor who understood it well. During the Polonnaruwa era, King Maha Parakramabahu showed special interest in improving the health of the country's inhabitants. In the continuous history of several centuries, the implementation of the state policies applied by the rulers of the Rajarata Civilization period also on health shows the nature of formal governance. It can also be recognized that Sri Lankan society is not only concerned with public health but also with compassion towards animals and implemented those health policies
The Impact of Digital Marketing Strategies on Consumer Repurchase Intention in the Food and Beverage Industry: A Study in Colombo District, Sri Lanka
Get PDFThe food and beverage industry is considered as one of the most essential industries in Sri Lanka. As a result, marketers need to be aware of consumer behavior and should carefully select the best marketing and promotional strategies. The main purpose of this study is to identify the effect of digital marketing tools on consumer repurchasing intention in the Colombo District of Sri Lanka. This study employed a quantitative design and the convenience sampling technique was used to collect data. 400 UGC-registered university students who are living in the Colombo District have been taken as the sample. According to the findings of the study, social media marketing and conversational marketing have a great impact on consumer repurchasing intention, and the impact of social media marketing is large to some extent, while through email marketing, a significant impact is made on consumer repurchasing intention. The findings identified implications for the management level of the institutions as well as for the policymakers of the country as a whole. However, it is important to note that, although much research has focused on the impact of digital marketing on consumer purchase intention, less attention has been given on the impact of digital marketing on consumer repurchase intention, specifically in Sri Lanka. Therefore, understanding how digital marketing impacts consumer repurchase intention will ultimately synthesize solutions and revolutionize marketing initiatives of organizations specifically in Sri Lanka
Do ESG Factors Drive Market Value in Commercial Property: Insights from Sri Lankan Valuers
Get PDFRecognizing the global emphasis on sustainable development, the RICS incorporated the ESG components into the property valuation standard. Thus, this study empirically examines the influence of ESG components on the market value of commercial properties and analyzes the challenges of ESG applications. Five-point Likert Scaled questionnaire, in-depth interviews were applied to collect data from two types of samples selected from professional valuers. Spearman Rank Correlation Test results shows that all three ESG components were positively correlated with market value changes, with the environment component having the highest mean value. The lower level of ESG concern in small and medium-scale commercial properties and the complex nature associated with estimating the ESG components are generated as the major issues in the word cloud analysis. The preparation of a formal guideline to reduce the complexities in the calculation ESG may improve its use in Sri Lanka