SLIIT International Conference on Advancements in Sciences and Humanities [SICASH] 2020
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Publication Embargo Manufacturer v. Consumer: A Critical Analysis of Sri Lankan Product Liability Law in Respect of Electronic and Electrical Products(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-02-26) Segarajasingham, S.Consumer protection is an area that is being subjected to many recent developments globally. The old notion of caveat emptor has been replaced by the modern concept of consumer protection by recognizing it in statutes, cases, and theories. International forum and States are moving towards providing protection to consumers. The buyers of goods and users of products and services are brought under consumer law, and this includes users of all types of goods including software, hardware, literature, music, photograph, motion picture, game, information, data, gas, water and electricity. In this paper, the writer focuses on liability for defective electrical and electronic products. Although the larger area of law relating to product liability is analysed the researcher’s focus is limited to the above-mentioned products. The applicable statutes in relation to consumer protection in the law of Sri Lanka are compared and contrasted with the statutes of the UK and South Africa. Theories connected to consumer protection have been taken into consideration. This paper suggests that Sri Lanka needs a consolidated statute to safeguard the rights of consumers.Publication Embargo A Comparative Study between Tissue Biopsy and Liquid Biopsy in the Diagnosis of Cancer(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Balaakshayan, B.; Sathsarani, A. M. A.; Kumarasinghe, N. M.; Rathnayake, R. M.; Perera, M. R. N.; Annan, N.J.Tissue biopsy is invasive, and it can be accompanied by surgical complications and pain. Concept of liquid biopsy is the analysis of tumors utilizing biomarkers circulating in liquids, for example, the blood. Samples may be insufficient and need repeating- Tissue biopsies may not generally be effortlessly acquired and frequently may include the utilization of progressively obtrusive methodology. In tissue biopsy, a long thin needle is inserted into the area of suspicion. Liquid biopsy is a test done on a blood sample to find DNA fragments from cancer cells or cancer cells in a blood clot. The basic needle biopsy uses a large needle with a cutting tip to draw a strip of tissue from a suspicious area. Liquid biopsies can be used to help detect cancer at an early stage. Most pathologists depend on playing out a tissue biopsy to analyze a malady and they are prepared explicitly to perform different cytological tests on the submitted tissue example. The needle used throughout a core biopsy is Associate in Nursing empty cylinder that allows to untangle a core of tissue for testing. Tissue diagnostic test to assist Associate in Nursing analyze Associate in Nursing upset or to preclude an upset or condition. Advantages and Disadvantages of Liquid biopsy Advantages of Liquid biopsy ct-DNA and CTCs represent the overall tumor heterogeneity and help in the complete assessment of patient's resistance and in predicting response to 1790M- targeted inhibitors.Publication Embargo The Public Primary School Teachers’ Perception of Integrating Information and Communication Technology for Teaching & Learning in the Zonal Education of Colombo, Sri Lanka(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Bukhari, S.K.; Peiris, C.N.; Thelijjagoda, S.; Nawinna, D. P.; Wijekoon, W.M.J.L.This study examined teachers’ perceptions of integration of information and communications technologies (IICT) for teaching and learning in the primary sections of the public schools in the Zone of Colombo, Sri Lanka. It has been noticed that there is a considerable delay in technology acquaint in public schools in Sri Lanka. Thus, it is important that teachers and other educational professionals in the school system are equipped with up-to-date trends in education and that they accept the new educational challenges that are emerging. Even though the government has offered IICT infrastructure facilities to Secondary schools, Primary section IICT infrastructure has been neglected. Thus, more attention should be focused on factors which influence IICT and how teachers can apply their ICT skill to the teaching and learning process and improve the subjects, especially Mathematics, English and Social Science (MES), in their classroom activity. Therefore, the study investigated 120 teachers from the primary sections of the public schools in the Colombo Zone, under the criteria of ICT available primary schools and ICT not available primary schools. This study utilized a quantitative approach based on a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Data were collected through questionnaires and analysed by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS software). The results of the analysis revealed that the R Square value was 20.4% of the variation in the perception of teachers explained by their knowledge & skill (KS), ICT Training and ICT experience and the p-value of independent variables were less than 0.05. The research identified that lack of knowledge and skill, inadequate teacher training, and lack of ICT experience are the hindering or impeding factors of IICT in the school environment. Hence, the knowledge of ICT was influenced by penetrating ICT, the skill of ICT was influenced by training and the experience of ICT was influenced by professional development. Future research could focus on classroom observations to determine the actual integration of ICT in the teaching and learning process.Publication Embargo Protecting Human Rights in Pandemic Situations: An Analysis of International Legal Responses in the Context of ‘Covid 19’ Outbreak(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Seneviratne, S.S.M.W.In the context of domestic and international legal and institutional frameworks on protecting human rights, the responsibility of guaranteeing the rights of people cannot be entirely cast either on the sovereign States or the international community but a shared responsibility of both. However, how to draw the dividing line between the two has been an issue of legal, moral, political and many other forms. This research aims at examining the legal dimension of the paradigm shift of sovereignty that allows the international community to step into the areas once were determined exclusively as internal matters with no international interventions to be done. In this premise, this research particularly wishes to explore the questions of ‘why the matters under the purview of the domestic authorities should be taken over by the international community, what legal doctrine/s would support such a move and how to strike a balance between the two parties to harmonize the potential for disputes among the two with special reference to global pandemic situations such as Covid 19 health crisis. Since the research is a doctrinal analysis, qualitative method is used. Key findings expose that the doctrine of Responsibility to Protect (R2P) is a globally accepted legal response in this millennium that provides a legitimate basis to divide the responsibility between two duty bearers. R2P recognizes that the primary responsibility should lie with the national authorities and in the cases of failure of this, the residual responsibility should be taken over by the international community. Although the ambit of this doctrine is to halt specifically designated mass atrocities against human beings, this research argues to adapt it suitably to guarantee the relevant human rights in circumstances where human rights are grossly violated, such as pandemic situations like Covid 19 health crisis, in par with the relevant international standards.Publication Embargo Effects of Silver Nitrate in In Vitro Establishment of Cordyline fruticosa (L.) cv ‘Purple Compacta Tri Colour’ with CSUP Media Sterilization(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Peiris, S.E.; Hemathilaka, H.; Peiris, C.N.; Wijerathna, A.W.Cordyline Varieties have gained high interest in the export markets for the in vitro ex agar plant material. Though in vitro plants have many advantages in export markets required quantities cannot be produced in a given period of time due to the high contamination rates in establishment of explants. Hence, this study was carried out to investigate silver nitrate (AgNO3) in three concentrations, on Cordyline fruticosa cv ‘Purple Compacta Tri Colour’ as an efficient chemical which can overcome contaminations occurring during introduction of explants to the in vitro environment. Actively growing shoot tips and nodal explants from 6 cm below from the shoot tip of C. fruticosa were selected as explants. Surface sterilization of these explants was carried out with silver nitrate in three concentrations, 0.025%, 0.05% and 0.1%. Clorox™ in 10% was used as the control. The explants were cultured in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, with 0.5mg/L benzyl amino purine (BAP), which was sterilized with CSUP media sterilization. Data of non-contaminated cultures was collected after three weeks and shoot growth from explants was recorded after two months. According to the results obtained the explants treated with 10% Clorox™, 0.025%, 0.05% and 0.01 % of AgNO3 had 13, 17, 22 and 40% uncontaminated cultures, respectively. These survived explants produced shoots in 50, 50, 60 and 66 % of uncontaminated explains, respectively after 2 months in the same medium. The production of uncontaminated cultures was significantly (P=0.001) different from the other two concentrations used and the control. The shoot production was not significantly affected by the AgNO3 levels and when compared with the control. Hence, it can be concluded that 0.1 % of Silver Nitrate is an efficient chemical to obtain high amount of axenic cultures and shoots, in CSUP sterilized medium, which can be used for multiplication in vitro.Publication Embargo Case Study on Safety Culture in Chemical Laboratories in Western Province, Sri Lanka(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Samaranayake, A.D.A.I.; Nishadya, S.M.S.; Jayasundara, U.K.A laboratory where chemicals are handled can be considered as a hazardous environment and hence, prudential practices should be strictly enforced. In Sri Lanka and around the world, there are numerous reports of accidents involving injuries such as deaths from chemical laboratories due to lack of safety rules. The purpose of this case study was to analyse the safety culture and the level of safety regulations existing within the chemical laboratories in Sri Lanka. A survey was conducted with the supervisors of the final year students (academic year 2018/2019) who attended industrial training at laboratories in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, representing both the private and government sector. Even though 80 surveys were distributed among 80 laboratories, only 46 surveys were submitted. The majority of the individuals who participated in the survey were between the age of 30 - 35, and none were below 20 years. Regardless of the working experience among the participants, 80% of them continue in the same workplace with the intention of moderate self-perceived risks. However, the majority considers safety an important factor with improved safety inspections compared to previous years. About half of the surveyed individuals stated that monthly inspections were carried out while 54% of the respondents mentioned that it was attended to by the employees from the laboratory. An astounding number of participants were prepared to take action in case of an emergency as they were aware of the location of the safety equipment and how to handle it. This study shows that the participants have positive attitudes towards the laboratory safety rules and inspections. However, the safety culture should be improved further to minimize laboratory related accidents or injuries.Publication Embargo ZnO Nanoparticles Deposited on Gamboge (Garcinia gummi-gutta L.) Based Activated Carbon for Removal of Phenol from Synthetic Wastewater(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Nadeeshani, M.LN.; Edussuriya, , M.This study was performed to investigate the potential utilization of Gamboge in the green synthesis of ZnO nano particles (NPs) and production of activated carbon (AC) in order to explore both ZnO NPs and Gamboge based AC for the removal of phenol from synthetic wastewater. Aqueous extracts of dried fruits of Garcinia gummi-gutta L. were used for the synthesis of ZnO NPs and formation of NPs was confirmed by the characteristic absorption peak at 364 nm in the UV-Vis spectroscopic analysis. X-ray diffraction pattern confirmed a well crystallized hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO NPs. Gamboge based activated carbon (AC) samples were prepared using two activating agents: ZnCl2 and H3PO4. Deposition of NPs on AC was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. Photo catalytic degradation ability of synthesized NPs and NPs deposited AC was studied for the removal of phenol from synthetic phenol solution. The present study revealed that, incorporation of AC produced by activation with ZnCl2 into ZnO NPs has enhanced the removal efficiency of phenol by 12%. The effect of experimental parameters such as pH, contact time, dosage and initial phenol concentration on degradation of phenol was studied. It was revealed that NPs loaded onto ZnCl2/AC have higher degradation ability (94.23%) for phenol when compared with NPs loaded onto H3PO4/AC (81.72%) at optimized experimental conditions. The highest phenol degradation efficiency was observed under optimum conditions of pH 6.9, dosage of 3.0 g L-1 and initial phenol concentration of 100 mg L-1 in natural sunlight for 6.00 h. It is evident that the intensity of sunlight which was measured using the Lux meter plays a major role in photo catalytic degradation of phenol. This research opens a new path to enhance photo catalytic degradation of phenol in which both NPs and ACs are used.Publication Embargo Multilocational Evaluation of Growth and Antioxidant Content of Curly Kale (Brassica oleracea L. var acephala) and Chinese Kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra) in Sri Lanka(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Jayasooriya, R. Y.; Chamara, R.M.S.R; Gunathilake, G.K.D.C.S.; Liyanage, L.P.H.; Beneragama, C.K.Curly Kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) and Chinese Kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra) are cruciferous vegetables, which have recently gained great popularity in the world as a ‘super-food’. Generally, Kale has the capacity to tolerate diverse climatic conditions while demanding fewer inputs, thus making it possible to cultivate with a minimum cost for crop management. However, Kale is still not popular in Sri Lanka as a vegetable. Therefore, it has not been a commercialized crop to date. This study was conducted to explore the potential of cultivating Kale in Sri Lanka. Two cultivars of curly Kale (‘Dwarf green curled’ and ‘Winterbor F1’) and Chinese kale were cultivated in three agro-climatic zones representing three main climatic zones in the country, namely the Mid-Country Wet Zone, Mid country Intermediate Zone and Low-Country Dry Zone, using three different media (M1: Existing soil in each location; M2: Sand and coir dust mixture - ratio 1:1; M3: Sand, coir dust, and soil - ratio 1:1:1) at each location. The experiment was carried out as a three-factor factorial with three replicates as a pot experiment. Based on the results of the present study, even though all the varieties displayed a significantly (p<0.05) higher growth in terms of dry matter accumulation in the Wet Zone, the growth in the other two locations were also found to be satisfactory. Within each location, dry matter accumulation was not significantly (p>0.05) different among the varieties. Different media did not have a significant influence on growth. Even though the antioxidant contents in all varieties varied among locations, the values were within the acceptable range. Therefore, both Curly kale and Chinese kale can be successfully grown in the tested locations in Sri Lanka and can be easily introduced to local consumers as a ‘super-food’.Publication Embargo Depressive Symptoms, Social Anxiety and Aggression as Predictors of Cyber bullying Perpetration in Adulthood(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Gunathillake, N.A.; Perera, H.KThe present study aimed to investigate whether depressive symptoms, social anxiety, and aggression were significant predictors of cyber bullying perpetration on Facebook in adulthood. A cross- sectional, non-experimental study was conducted using 168 Sri Lankan Face book users between the ages 21 and 60. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling method. Data were collected exclusively online using a structured questionnaire. The study variables cyber bullying, depressive symptoms, social anxiety, and aggression were assessed using the self-reports, Prevalence of Face book Bullying Scale, Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10), Interaction Anxiousness Scale, and Brief Aggression Questionnaire respectively. Data were analysed using the statistical techniques Spearman correlation and multiple regression analysis. Results of the Spearman correlation analysis revealed that depressive symptoms and aggression were significantly and positively related to cyber bullying perpetration, while there was no significant relationship between social anxiety and cyber bullying perpetration. Results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that depressive symptoms and aggression were significant predictors of cyber bullying perpetration, while social anxiety did not significantly predict cyber bullying perpetration. The findings of the present study highlight the importance of addressing the psychological and behavioural health issues of the perpetrators using appropriate interventions in order to reduce the occurrence of cyber bullying. This study also emphasizes the importance of reporting incidents of cyber bullying and taking necessary legal actions against the perpetrators.Publication Embargo The Use of Colour Shade Material in Black Pepper (Piper nigrum L) Propagation(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Jayasinghe, J.A.T.U.; Wickramanayake, D.S.D.D.S.; Kirthisinghe, J.P.Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), is the second most important spice crop grown in Sri Lanka, having the potential of generating substantial foreign exchange earnings. Black pepper is grown as an intercrop with tea and coconut. Black pepper is commercially propagated through stem cuttings. In the traditional propagation method, coir netting is used as the shading material and it takes 5 months to plant in the field. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to find the correct shading to reduce the nursery period and to improve the quality of planting material by using coloured high-quality flame retardant, heavy- duty lock stitch knit, black, green and blue coloured shade fabric specifically for shade covers of 50 and 75% shade. The longest shoot length of 8.1 cm, highest fresh weight of 121 mg, highest dry weights of 18.1 mg, highest number of roots of 21 per plant, total root length of 13 cm per plant and highest root dry weight of 2.5 mg at 90 days were recorded in the treatment 50% blue shade. Therefore, the use of 50% blue shading material in pepper commercial nurseries provides better growth of pepper nursery plants.Publication Embargo A comparison study of removing Rhodamine B from waste water by functionalized natural and synthetic porous carbon.(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Ranchagoda, R.A.S.S.; Jayaruk, T.C.Textile industry discharge a huge amount of dye containing waste water which pollutes water, soil and also have adverse effect on human health, animal and plant. Approximately 10 - 15% of the synthetic dyes is released into the industrial waste, causing serious environmental problem, flora and fauna of aquatic ecosystem. It causes contamination of surface water, accumulation of toxic and carcinogenic substances in water. Rhodamine B is widely used in industrial purposes. However, the organic dyes will cause serious environmental and biological problems. Thus the removal of dye from water is a great challenge and a pressing task. Various porous carbon materials were applied to remove organic dye materials such as Rhodamine B from wastewater. Synthetic porous carbon was synthesized through the sol-gel method and carbonization process and naturally abundant waste materials like Rice husk and Coconut husk available at low cost were used as functionalized porous carbon materials which were obtained from slow pyrolysis process. According to the FT-IR, SEM and adsorption analysis adsorption capacities of these porous carbon materials were determined for Rhodamine B. HNO3 treated porous carbon materials were expressed positive results for absorptivity of RhB.Publication Embargo Molecular Approach to the Covid 19 VIRUS(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Duleela, S.; Dulara, S.; Silva, S.; Inuli, U.; Shivani, T.Covid - 19 has become a burning problem that has spread all over the world. Cities locked down, airports closed, children have no way of attending school. It is said that for the past few months, more than 2/3 of the world’s population were under lockdown. All these happened as a result of a tiny virus. This article refers to the scientific approach of the Covid -19 virus and how this virus could be eradicated from the world. It includes the latest facts that are found by researchers, scientists and biotechnologists all around the world. It mainly focusses on the structure of the virus, the types of Corona viruses and the lifecycle of the Covid -19 virus. Further it discusses different types of the Corona virus that have affected the whole world in the past and this article shows how this virus has spread among the main countries in the world. University of Oxford, a leading university in UK as well as around the world is taking the lead in finding a vaccine for this deadly virus. Also, how our very own Sri Lankan Scientists and Biotechnologists are striving hard to find a cure for this virus is further discussed in this article. Few recommendations are given in order to get protected from this deadly virusPublication Embargo Electrochemical Evaluation of Delayed Release Behaviour of Diclofenac Sodium Tablets(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Sewwandi, A.A.M.; Soysa, H.; Sasimali, M.Diclofenac Sodium is a commonly used electro active anti-inflammatory drug. There are various analytical techniques to detect Diclofenac Sodium active ingredient including cyclic voltammetry. Cyclic voltammetry was used with different kinds of modified electrodes. In this project, drug release action of Diclofenac Sodium is detected by introducing bare Platinum electrode as the working electrode instead of the modified electrodes. Carbon and silver/silver chloride electrodes are counting and reference electrodes respectively. Platinum electrode is characterized by using 0.5 mM potassium ferrocyanide in a 0.1 M Potassium chloride solution at different scan rates. Diclofenac Sodium dissolution medium is a phosphate buffer solution. The optimum pH value of the phosphate buffer solution for the Diclofenac Sodium dissolution is identified as 6.8. From the resultant cyclic voltammograms of current density at bare platinum electrode Vs. applied potential, the variation of drug concentration with respect to the time is analyzed. The limit of detection (LOD) of Diclofenac Sodium and the limit on quantification (LOQ) on the bare platinum electrode are 0.21 mM and 0.63 mM respectively. The limit of detection is suitable to detect the delayed release behaviour of Diclofenac Sodium. All the three selected brands take around 12 hours to reach a constant concentration. Finally, the characteristic drug release curve of delayed release drugs can be obtained from the resultant graphs of drug concentration Vs. drug dissolution time for the three selected brands. Electrochemical sensors are therefore proposed as an alternative tool for delayed release analysis in medical sciences and pharmaceutical industries.Publication Embargo The Social Vision Reflected Through the Poetry of William Blake(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Abeywickrama, D.D.The poetry of William Blake is an ideal portrayal of social issues which prevailed during the poetic period of romanticism. The poem “London” has been presented in a way to make the readers aware about the concept of commercialization. London, was not a peaceful city anymore. Corruption has gnawed the innocence of people. Thus, it has made them immoral. Furthermore, Blake’s progressive vision of the 20th century concept on gender equality is promoted in ‘The Sick Rose’, which is a symbolical representation of women’s plight in parasitic relationships. The poem, ‘The Sick Rose’ indicates problems which are parallel to those of our current society where, sensual pleasures are given more prominence over spirituality. Simply, reciprocation of love does not exist anymore due to insatiable sensual desires of mankind. In addition, Blake displays his social vision in presenting children as the victimized entity in “Holy Thursday” and “The Chimney Sweeper”. The pain, torture and agony encountered by children who were brought up under institutional care were not publicly displayed. However, all this was suppressed by religion and the religious leaders, which indeed is ironic and repulsive. “The Chimney Sweeper” is a denunciation of the material conditions and the institutions: the established church, mercenary and the uncaring parents who promoted child labour. Blake’s social vision could have been influenced by the French revolution and industrialization which would have brought out quite a few social problems which are valid in the 21st century as well.Publication Embargo Improvement of the Survival Rate of In Vitro Propagated Dendrobium intermediate CV ‘White’ during Acclimatization(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Isaac, P.N.; Peiris, S.E.Dendrobium intermediate cv 'White', an ornamental plant with exquisite flowers which is produced through In vitro propagation, undergoes hyperhydricity in vitro conditions. As a result, they project a low survival rate during acclimatization which is a bottleneck for its success in micropropagation. This research aimed at overcoming the low survival rate during acclimatization of Dendrobium intermediate cv ‘White’ by improving the medium used in the pre- transplant stage. In vitro seedlings were cultured on Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium, without any growth regulators, with 3 sugar concentrations (3, 4 and 5% (w/v) at the pre-transplant stage for six weeks before being acclimatized in the protected house. After four weeks of acclimatization, the highest survival rate (100%), moderate survival rate (66.7 %) and lowest survival rate (12.5%) were observed in plants grown in vitro in MS medium fortified with 5, 4 and 3% (w/v) sugar concentrations respectively at the pre-transplant stage. Thus, increased sugar levels (5%, w/v) in the pre-transplant stage, can be recommended to achieve a 100% survival rate of Dendrobium intermediate cv ‘White’ during acclimatization. This is a promising solution to facilitate continuous mass production of Dendrobium intermediate cv ‘White’.Publication Embargo Denial of Justice Claims under the Fair and Equitable Standard: Scope and Limitations(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Kumarasoorier, T.The cause of action for denial of justice claims lies either on the procedural irregularities of a case or systematic shortcomings of the host state’s judicial system which could result in losses for the investor. The evolution of denial of justice claims began in the mid-1990s along with the rise of investor - state arbitration. Within the period of 2000 - 2019, nineteen denial of justice claims have been brought before the ICSID tribunal under the ambit of Fair and Equitable Standard (FET). Among those, the claimant was successful only in three claims. Approximately 84% of the claims were unsuccessful. This raises an interesting question to examine how the principle of denial of justice has been utilized in arbitral awards to afford protection for foreign investors under the FET standard. Pursuant to the arbitral awards analyzed for this study, key aspects that decide the scope and limitation of denial of justice claims are related to the standard to evaluate denial of justice claims, the application of the local remedy rule and the role of the arbitration tribunal.Publication Embargo Review on Methods of Explant Surface Sterilization for Efficient Micropropagation(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Hemathilake, H.M.; Peiris, S.E.Surface sterilization of plant parts which are introduced to commence in vitro establishment is a crucial activity in micropropagation. To begin the elimination of microbial contaminations, selected plant parts should come from healthy mother plants which are grown in a protected environment with minimal biotic and a biotic stress. However, other than epiphytic microorganisms, plants also harbour microorganisms in the intercellular spaces which are referred to as endophytes. Thus elimination of contaminants to obtain axenic cultures is a challenge especially since endophytes can be carried over to the multiplication stage. Bacteria, fungi and viruses are popular among in vitro culture contaminants; hence sterilizing agents which can destroy epiphytic as well as endophytic microorganisms should be used with different concentrations and exposure time according to the explant type and plant variety. In this respect, disinfectants such as Sodium Hypochlorite, Benzalkonium Chloride, antibiotics (tetracycline + vancomycin + streptomycin + gentamycin + rifampicin), fungicides (Daconil™, Benomyl,) are used in plant culture to control or destroy pathogens. Efficacy, handling and storage must be carried out in aseptic conditions. This article has filtered all the surface sterilization methods and obtained the easiest and effective methods of sterilization of commonly used explants such as leaves, buds, nodes and seeds.Publication Embargo Contractarian Approach in Protecting Trade Secrets in An Employment Context(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Sumanadasa, D.Today, we live in a knowledge-based society where everything is valued upon knowledge. Trade secrets in this knowledge-based economy amount to capital although there is insufficient protection for them compared to other intellectual property rights. In a typical scenario, an employer believes that the comprehensive employment contract which includes non-disclosure and non-competition clauses would be the best way to protect their trade secrets from employees. However, these restraint of trade clauses may prejudicially affect employees’ right to have employment options. As such, this paper proposes that the courts should be able to equally concern the rights of employers in protecting trade secrets and the rights of employees in terms of their right to employability.Publication Embargo Production of Disease Free Rumohra adiantiformis (Leatherleaf Fern) Using In Vitro Propagation(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Perera, D.; Peiris, S.E.This study investigated the use of rhizome tips as explants in regenerating disease-free plantlets of Rumohra adiantiformis (G. Frost) using the micropropagation technique. Rhizome tips of 0.5 cm, 1 cm, 1.5 cm, and 2 cm in length, and with and without outer skin were used as explants.The highest regeneration rate (30%) was achieved with an explant size of one centimetre when the outer skin was not present in rhizome explants. Rhizome tips produced complete plantlets in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium without any growth regulators in 80 - 90 days of culture initiation. In vitro multiplication of disease-free plants was achieved by culturing four months old in vitro plantlets in the MS medium supplemented with 2 mg/L Benzyl Amino Purine (BAP) and 0.1mg/L Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA). Plantlets produced clusters of shoot primordia which are known as green globular bodies (GGB) in the multiplication medium, 10 weeks after culturing. Plantlets were obtained by culturing 2-3 mm size GGB segments in the basal medium without any plant growth regulators. Disease indexing of the in vitro derived plantlets verified that at in vitro level 60% of the plantlets obtained from the rhizome tips of one centimetre were free from bacterial and fungal diseases.Publication Embargo Applications, Benefits and Drawbacks of Bioprinting – A Review(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Hewagama, H.; Chamathka, H.; Nilaweera, G.Tissue regeneration technology, also known as ‘bioprinting’ is a work in progress and has made many advances in recent years. Following the invention of 3D printing in the 1980’s, bioprinting has evolved to print various tissues such as heart valves, hepatic tissues and breast cancer cells. Now, many commercial bioprinters are available. Bioprinters show variety in the way they function, their speed, and their cost of operation. There are three common techniques used in this technology: inkjet-based, laser-assisted and extrusion-based bioprinting. The printers require a bioink and scaffold to ensure production of mechanically stable constructs which are able to mimic human tissues. Specific hydrogels and biomaterials are chosen for each printing method. Mainly, gelatin, agarose, alginate, hyaluronic acid, chitosan and fibrin are used. Biopolymers such as PEGDA, PEG and PEGX- PEG are used for structural maintenance of tissues. The Bioprinting technology aims to improve treatments for burns, injuries and cardiovascular diseases by replacing traditional treatments such as autografts, allografts and skin grafts. Ethical issues and legal issues exist with this novel technology but its benefits for animal testing, drug discovery and organ transplantation cannot be ignored.
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