SLIIT Journal of Humanities and Sciences [SJHS]

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Open Access
A Blend of Arbitration and Mediation: Analysis of the Possibilities and Challenges in Utilising MedArb Practice in Sri Lanka
(Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, 2024-12-31) Vithanage, P
The ADR landscape is evolving at a rapid level across the world and one of the latest trends in such is transferring dispute resolution into Arb-Med-Arb and Med-Arb. Arbitration and Mediation are recognised as two favourable dispute resolution methods, especially in commercial dispute resolution. When considered in isolation, both mediation and arbitration have unique features. Despite a few substantive and procedural drawbacks in both methods, mediation, and arbitration have gained popularity recently. While transferring into a mixed approach of MedArb and Arb-Med-Arb is still in its infancy in the context of Sri Lanka, this paper examines the possibility of utilising MedArb practice within the existing landscape in the country. Arbitration practice in Sri Lanka has a long history and the Arbitration Act No. 11 of 1995 and its amendments suggested which are to be in force in the future lays the statutory framework for arbitration. Notably, the background for Mediation in Sri Lanka started with community mediation and now it has reached a significant milestone in commercial mediation as the enabling legislation for the Singapore Convention was enacted recently. This paper uses a doctrinal approach in dealing with primary resources as well as secondary resources when conducting the research. This paper uses an exploratory analytical method. It also includes a comparative study that examines the MedArb practice in Hong Kong as a progressive Common law jurisdiction. In its findings, the paper highlights that the MedArb practice is adaptable in Sri Lanka within the existing statutory framework and the institutional setup. However, it urges that the professionals and the commercial community pay attention to the points discussed in the recommendations for the successful functioning of the MedArb practice.
Open Access
A Fly in the Ointment; Undue Liability on E-commerce Platforms
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2022) Rajaguru, K.
Trade is now largely internet-centric, meaning the internet is the medium through which most commercial transactions occur in today’s (information) economy. As e-commerce uptake has accelerated globally, it has opened new possibilities for buyers and sellers alike, helping them integrate into a global marketplace and promoting innovations across different business lines. Ecommerce is considered one of the main drivers of recent economic and social developments. In Sri Lanka, e-commerce is emerging and in its infancy. The industry is expected to operate within the margin of the law and be self-regulated. In the absence of a separate law for e-commerce, ecommerce platforms (e-commerce marketplaces) meaning, digital storefronts that connect sellers and customers to transact online, are exposed to a higher risk of being unreasonably penalized by applying the existing laws without mitigation. On the other hand, the platform users are left in a desperate situation with no remedy for harm caused. However, there are many developments globally around e-commerce and platform liability. Therefore, this article explores the responses of advanced jurisdictions such as China, the EU, and the USA regarding platform liability. This concludes that facilitating a business-enabled environment with holistic and innovative strategies that are aligned with the social and economic status of the country with a business-friendly legal landscape that matches the reality of the industry is imperative.
Open Access
Advisory Opinion on Kosovo’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence: Strategic Silence by the International Court of Justice
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2020) Jayamaha, J.M.D.S.U
Kosovo, one of Serbia’s autonomous provinces unilaterally declared independence in 2008. In denial of such, Serbia sought an opinion from the International Court of Justice, which returned an advisory opinion stating that Kosovo’s said declaration does not violate the contemporary international law. The opinion has attracted much criticism for failing to adopt a broader interpretation of the question posed and the limited discussion engaged with, in terms of law related to the posited question. Despite the non-binding nature of the advisory opinions, and the supposedly narrow approach of this opinion, it still has posed many implications not only on the status of Kosovo but also on the development of the international law in relation. This paper attempts to engage in an analysis of the said advisory opinion, its alleged narrowness, and the wider implications it may pose to the international law and its actors, more pertinently on issues of statehood, recognition of states, territorial integrity, and future ramifications for UN peace arrangements.
Open Access
An Alternative Proof of Ptolemy’s Theorem and its Variations
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-05-10) Amarasinghe, I. S.
This paper introduces a pure geometric proof for Ptolemy’s Theorem, without using trigonometry, coordinate geometry, complex numbers, vectors or any other geometric inversion techniques focusing on cyclic quadrilaterals and employing a generalized identity in relation to a cevian of an arbitrary Euclidean plane triangle. Additionally, the paper provides proofs to the converse of Ptolemy’s Theorem to which almost no pure geometric complete proof is available, and to the standard Ptolemy’s Inequality, to fulfil the research gap in the proofs to some extent. It also includes applications, new corollaries, derived from Ptolemy’s Theorem and its converse.
Open Access
An Analysis of Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used by Sri Lankan IT Undergraduates: Frequency, Technology Usage and Performance at a Formative Assessment
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2022-11-10) Kalinga, J. C.
Learning vocabulary is an integral part in language acquisition and acquisition of academic vocabulary is a determinant for the success in an academic context. Therefore, many studies have been conducted to formulate academic vocabulary lists and identifying vocabulary learning strategies. This study seeks to explore the vocabulary learning strategies employed by IT undergraduates when studying academic vocabulary and to examine their performance on academic vocabulary related questions at the mid-term examination which is one of their formative assessments. The sample of the study includes 276 first year IT undergraduates who follow the module English for Academic Purposes in a Sri Lankan non-state university. A questionnaire is used as the research tool to obtain data from the sample and the result of the formative exam is used to examine the performance related to academic vocabulary. According to the data analysis, most of the students often use either monolingual or bilingual dictionary as a strategy for the discovery of a new word meaning. This is more emphasized as they have mentioned that they prefer using dictionary apps as a vocabulary strategy using online. A significant number of students study the spelling, meaning and form of a word and ask for help from their friends as strategies for consolidating a word once it has been encountered. When comparing the marks obtained for the vocabulary related questions at the exam, it is noted that the students have obtained less marks to the question in which they had to replace the underlined word/phrases with a more academic alternative. Thus, students need to adopt more effective strategies to acquire mastery of academic vocabulary. Moreover, they should reflect on the current strategies used by them.
Open Access
Applicability of Civil Remedies in Redressing the Victims of Online Harassment
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2022) Jayamaha, S.; Harasgama, K. S.; Mahingoda, C. B
Online harassment has undoubtedly become a menace that has severe negative impacts on victims and society at large. Owing to its critical nature, jurisdictions around the world have utilized different branches of law such as criminal law, tort law and intellectual property law to redress the victims of online harassment, as well as to penalize its perpetrators. This paper attempts to analyse whether actio inuriarum under the law of delict could be employed as a corrective justice mechanism to provide redress to victims of online harassment, considering the severe emotional distress they undergo due to harm caused to their dignity, reputation and privacy. The paper adopts the view that actio injuriarum provides an effective remedy to plaintiffs for impairment of dignity, person and reputation, caused by insult. Thereby, it analyses how actio injuriarum could be utilized as a general remedy for sentimental damages suffered by the victims of online harassment. It concludes with the finding that the principles and elements of actio injuriarum are broad enough to redress the victims of online harassment.
Open Access
Application of Natural Justice Principles in Workplace Discipline: The Need for Legal Reform in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-05-17) Rajapakse, R. L. W; Seneviratne, P. K.; Seneviratne, P. K.S. K.
Principles of natural justice, including fair hearings and unbiased decision-makers, should apply in employee disciplinary procedures. However, Sri Lankan labor law does not statutorily require employers to conduct domestic inquiries before imposing disciplinary punishments. This study investigated whether courts continue to uphold principles of natural justice in the absence of a legal mandate requiring domestic inquiries, thereby assessing the necessity for legal reforms. Through examining legislation, case law, and academic literature, this study found courts generally only consider if a valid reason exists for the punishment, not whether fair procedures were followed. Further discrimination arises between public and private sector employees in applying natural justice principles. Reforming labor law to mandate domestic inquiries before employee punishment would strengthen natural justice rules and align with international standards like ILO Convention 158. This reform is needed to universally uphold procedural fairness in workplace discipline. Until then, the judiciary cannot fully ensure employees’ rights to fair disciplinary procedures are protected. Courts have upheld natural justice primarily under writ or fundamental rights jurisdiction, mainly benefiting public sector employees. Private sector employees lack that protection. Requiring domestic inquiries before punishment through amending the Industrial Disputes Act would fill this gap. This suggested legal reform would bolster the rule of law in Sri Lanka’s employment relations. As the law stands, employers currently have full discretion on disciplinary procedures. Statutorily mandating domestic inquiries would check that unilateral authority. This study demonstrates the need to embed fair process requirements into labor legislation to fully realize principles of natural justice.
Open Access
Assessing Statistical Methods for Generating Forecasts for COVID-19
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-06-09) Siriwardena, S. M. D. G. A; Dharmaratne, G.; Amaratunga, D.
The COVID-19 pandemic, a persistent global health emergency that has affected almost all facets of daily life, was initially discovered in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Since that time, the virus has rapidly spread over the globe, causing serious social and economic upheavals necessitating the need for reliable forecasting methods. This study compares ten distinct models to predict the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka, aiming to assess the performance of statistical models using limited and volatile real-world data characterized by trends, random peaks, and autocorrelations. In addition to the classical ARIMA model, various smoothing and filtering techniques were explored to capture the unique characteristics of the data. The model consistencies in multiple-day predictions were demonstrated, and robust evaluation criteria, along with non-robust measures, were utilized to enhance the effectiveness of the evaluation process. The results highlight the effectiveness of traditional smoothing and filtering strategies such as Simple Exponential Smoothing, Holt’s Exponential Smoothing, and the Smoothing Splines technique coupled with the ARIMA model. This study also discovered that the ARIMA model, when applied directly to the original data without using any smoothing or filtering approaches, failed to forecast adequately, thereby demonstrating the insufficiency of the ARIMA model on its own to provide credible forecasts when given a volatile set of data.
Open Access
Association among Depression, Social Anxiety, and Aggression caused by Cyberbullying on Facebook among Sri Lankan Adults
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS) of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Malabe, 2020-12-01) Gunathillake, N.A.; Perera, H.K.
Cyberbullying has become a growing social concern as electronic platforms provide perpetrators an alternative medium through which they can easily target their victims from any place, at any time. The present study aimed to investigate whether depression, social anxiety, and aggression were significantly related to cyberbullying perpetration on Facebook among Sri Lankan adults. A cross-sectional, non experimental study was conducted using 168 Sri Lankan Facebook users between the ages 21 and 60. Data were collected using an online survey. Cyberbullying perpetration on Facebook, depression, social anxiety, and aggression were assessed using the Prevalence of Facebook Bullying Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10), Interaction Anxiousness Scale, and Brief Aggression Questionnaire respectively. Results of the Spearman correlation analysis revealed that depression and aggression were significantly and positively correlated to cyberbullying perpetration, while there was no significant correlation between social anxiety and cyberbullying perpetration. The findings of the present study provide insight into the importance of addressing the psychological and behavioural issues of perpetrators using appropriate interventions in order to reduce the occurrence of cyberbullying. The study also emphasizes the importance of reporting the incidents of cyberbullying and taking necessary legal actions against the perpetrators.
Open Access
Attitude of the Students towards the Usage of Group Activities as a Remedy for Secondary Language Speaking Anxiety
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS) of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Malabe, 2020-12-01) Peiris, A.E.
As literature suggests Second Language (L2) speaking has always been a challenge for students. One of the main issues is the apprehension occurring when a learner is expected to perform in the second language. As facilitators at the tertiary level, it is vital to create a low-anxiety classroom to help students with L2 speaking anxiety. This research attempts to investigate the perspective of students towards using group activities to reduce speaking anxiety in the English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom. The sample group consisted of forty-five Post Advanced Level Students from an intensive course in a private institute. A questionnaire prior to any speaking activity and weekly questionnaires while conducting both group and individual speaking activities were given to this mixed ability group for three weeks to study their attitude towards L2 speaking. Initial findings were that majority (86.7%) of students were afraid of L2 speaking due to several reasons. However, that percentage was dropped to 56.5% and 38.7% at the second and third week respectively irrespective of the medium of communication at school, and the usage of English at home. . In contrast the initial percentage of not afraid of L2 speaking (13.3%) was increased to 43.5% and 61.3% respectively at second and third week. These results clearly indicate that the students preferred group activities more than individual activities. Group activities have helped the students to make an effort to speak as there were students who did speaking activities for the first time in their life. It is recommended that group activities can be used to a certain extent as an effective tool to reduce speaking anxiety.
Embargo
Biotive Molecules in Canadian Gooseberry and Blackcurrant
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences,SLIIT, 2021-09-25) Wijekoon, C; Sura, S
Wild berry varieties are widely distributed in Canada and are mainly used by the indigenous population as food. Gooseberries and blackcurrants are the two tart berries with a strong taste that are used to make preserves such as jams, jellies, and wines. Fruits such as berries provide significant health benefits because of bioactive compounds and their high antioxidant properties. Phenolic compounds and fatty acids are the predominant bioactive metabolites present in these berries. Recently, researchers are more interested in exploring the fruits such as berries for functional properties that benefit human health. However, research evidence related to the profiling of bioactive molecules in these wild berries such as Canadian gooseberry and blackcurrant is limited. These traditional wild berries may help to address the issues related to indigenous populations’ food insecurity and chronic diseases. In this study, we assessed and compared the bioactive phenolic and fatty acid composition in these two berries using liquid and gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The cyanidine glucoside, which is a polyphenolic anthocyanin present in blackcurrant is significantly higher compared to that in Canadian gooseberry. However, fatty acids such as oleic acid, linoleic, and alpha-linolenic acid, which are important in cardiovascular health, are present in both blackcurrant and gooseberry. Further characterization of these berries for antioxidant activity, bio-accessibility, and bioavailability studies will improve the value of these two types of wild berries to harness their full potential as a functional food.
Open Access
Challenges and Frontiers in Intellectual Property Rights Amidst the Rise of Artificial Intelligence
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-05-25) Mahingoda, C.D
This article investigates the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on intellectual property (IP) rights, addressing challenges in ownership and authorship of AI-generated creations while exploring legal and ethical dilemmas in traditional IP domains. It offers strategies for navigating these complexities, drawing on legal precedents, international agreements, and policy recommendations. The research emphasizes the urgent need for legislative updates to address these challenges effectively. Recommendations include the enactment of innovative constitutional provisions, updating IP legislation to encompass AI-related issues comprehensively, and advocating for effective judicial intervention. By implementing these strategies, Sri Lanka can foster a harmonious coexistence of AI and IP, ensuring the protection of intellectual property rights while stimulating innovation in the AI era.
Open Access
Combatting Cyber-Sextortion; Lessons for Sri Lanka from Australia and the United States
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2020) Harasgama, K. S.; Munasinghe, M.A.P.M.
With the world rapidly becoming digitalized and the internet being an indispensable part of human life, incidents of cyber harassment including cyber-sextortion have also increased. Cyber-sextortion often involves a perpetrator threatening to disseminate private sexual images or videos of a victim unless more sexual image/sexual favours, money or other benefit are provided by the victim. This paper analyses the adequacy of current laws in Sri Lanka in comparison with those of Australia and USA in combating cyber-sextortion. The analysis reveals that although Sri Lank lacks specific laws on cyber-sextortion, some of its existing criminal laws such as the Penal Code provisions on extortion, criminal intimidation, sexual harassment and obscene publications relating to children can be used to a certain extent to prosecute cyber-sextortion. Some provisions of the Computer Crime Act of 2007, Prohibition of Ragging and Other Forms of Violence in Educational Institutions Act of 1998 and Obscene Publications Ordinance No. 4 of 1927 too can be used to a certain extent for this purpose. Australia, on the other hand, has targeted laws on cyber-sextortion, both at federal and state levels. At the Commonwealth level, section 474.14A of the Criminal Code of 1995 and several provisions of the Enhancing Online Safety Act 2015 (as amended) provide an apt gateway to combat cyber sextortion, while at states level, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria appear to have more comprehensive cyber sextortion laws in terms of capturing the offence. USA at the federal level does not have specific provisions on cyber-sextortion but has used non-specific provisions such as general extortion, child pornography, hacking and stalking laws for prosecutions on cyber-sextortion while at the state level, some states have introduced quite comprehensive targeted laws on cyber-sextortion, some have provisions that cover only certain types of cybersextortion. The paper concludes by proposing adoption of a targeted law on cyber sextortion outlining the key elements of a suitable law for Sri Lanka and until then to rely on non-specific provisions which are already available, in order to prosecute perpetrators of cyber-sextortion.
Open Access
Comparing Methods for Detecting Anomalous Values in Automated Laboratory Processes
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-05-30) Madhushanka, H. M. S; Amaratunga, D
Outlier detection is used in many domains. In automated laboratory processes, detecting anomalous values is critical for ensuring the reliability of experimental results. This study compares various outlier detection methods, including traditional statistical approaches like Mahalanobis distance, Median and mean absolute deviation (MAD), as well as modern machine learning techniques such as Isolation Forest, Angle Based Outlier Detection (ABOD), and Local Outlier Factor (LOF). The performances of these methods were evaluated using simulated multivariate data, with different types of outliers and levels of contamination. Comparisons are made using sensitivity, precision, and mainly the F2 score, a weighted metric of sensitivity and precision that gives more weight to precision. The results show that in univariate settings, the Median MAD method works consistently well. For multivariate scenarios, Mahalanobis methods with Minimum Covariance Determinant estimates and Minimum Volume Ellipsoid estimates work well even for high contamination percentages. This study highlights the importance of selecting an appropriate outlier detection method for the situation.
Embargo
Comparing Trends in Data (with Applications to COVID and Image Data)
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences,SLIIT, 2021-09-25) Amaratunga, D; Cabrera, J
Many applications involve looking at and comparing trends in data. We will discuss some statistics that can be used to assess the similarity or dissimilarity between pairs of cumulative trends. These statistics can then be used to study sets of trends – for example, to cluster them or to compare them across different groups We will describe one possible approach and illustrate its use in two case studies. In the first case study, we studied the trend over time of COVID-19 in New Jersey in the USA– it was found that areas close to New York City had significantly different (more rapidly increasing) cumulative trends compared to areas further from New York City during the early days of the pandemic, but this difference dissipated as the pandemic progressed and spread within New Jersey itself. In the second case study, we compared two sets of CT scan images of lungs – a significant difference could be detected between COPD-diseased lungs and normal lungs. Overall, the method performed well and detected insightful differences.
Open Access
A Comparison of Mental Well-being among Female Undergraduates in Sri Lanka based on Relationship Status
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-05-20) Gomes, J. C.; Ponnamperuma, L.; Hettiarachchi, A.
Principles of natural justice, including fair hearings and unbiased decision-makers, should apply in employee disciplinary procedures. However, Sri Lankan labor law does not statutorily require employers to conduct domestic inquiries before imposing disciplinary punishments. This study investigated whether courts continue to uphold principles of natural justice in the absence of a legal mandate requiring domestic inquiries, thereby assessing the necessity for legal reforms. Through examining legislation, case law, and academic literature, this study found courts generally only consider if a valid reason exists for the punishment, not whether fair procedures were followed. Further discrimination arises between public and private sector employees in applying natural justice principles. Reforming labor law to mandate domestic inquiries before employee punishment would strengthen natural justice rules and align with international standards like ILO Convention 158. This reform is needed to universally uphold procedural fairness in workplace discipline. Until then, the judiciary cannot fully ensure employees’ rights to fair disciplinary procedures are protected. Courts have upheld natural justice primarily under writ or fundamental rights jurisdiction, mainly benefiting public sector employees. Private sector employees lack that protection. Requiring domestic inquiries before punishment through amending the Industrial Disputes Act would fill this gap. This suggested legal reform would bolster the rule of law in Sri Lanka’s employment relations. As the law stands, employers currently have full discretion on disciplinary procedures. Statutorily mandating domestic inquiries would check that unilateral authority. This study demonstrates the need to embed fair process requirements into labor legislation to fully realize principles of natural justice.
Open Access
Compromising Health to Gain Wealth: A Legal Response to Adverse Health Effects of Night Work
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2020) Selvaraj, P
Although night work has responded to a variety of social, technical, and economic reasons, it has adversely affected the health, safety, and work-life balance of such night workers. Thus, this article aims to explore the hiatus in Sri Lankan law in devising effective legal measures responding to such health issues encountered by night workers due to their engagement in irregular work time. This research is conducted as a literature review based on secondary sources approaching both qualitative and quantitative methods. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and its recommendations provide for an effective mechanism for an organised night working culture in response to the health effects of such working community. However, Sri Lanka, not being a signatory to those Conventions, failed to address the issue through legislative measures. Further, the delinquency of statistics and medical researches on the health status of night workers in Sri Lanka also worsened the situation. Thus, the author attempts to draw a Constitutional justification to delineate the fundamental duty of the State to address the said issue and recommends suitable strategies and mechanisms to truncate the adverse health effects to those workers by drawing examples from initiatives taken by the European Union, especially from Spain.
Open Access
Coupling Therapeutic Justice with Professional Mediation for Settlement of Disputes in Sri Lanka.
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-06-10) Gamage, T
The concept of Therapeutic Justice examines how the legal processes and the behaviour of justice sector actors have a psychological impact on the people. The adversarial judicial system invariably calls for exercise of authority, vigorous advocacy for the vindication of rights and proceeds to jjudgment without understanding the disputants’ perceptions or emotions. This paper argues for conceptualising Therapeutic Justice into mediation as the latter recognizes the human element in conflict and the two schools of thought share similar attributes such as party autonomy and procedural fairness. The Study reviews the evidence from Eleven (11) civil cases litigated in Sri Lanka with its focus on anti-therapeutic impact on the disputants during the pre-litigation, litigation and post litigation stages of each case during the years 2021 to 2023 resulting from partaking in adversarial processes. The findings highlight the need to experiment and adopt private or professional mediation within the legal framework for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) through the lens of therapeutic justice as part of judicial reforms in Sri Lanka and of the corresponding need to set up an independent and vibrant professional culture of mediation.
Open Access
Design of a Framework for Professional Development Programs for Teachers in the Use of Interactive Touch Screen
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FHS) of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Malabe, 2020-12-01) Perera, K.G.S.K.; Wijesundara, M.; Siriwardhena, I.
Interactive Touch Screens (ITSs) are distributed in selected schools in Sri Lanka. Although, in these schools, selected teachers are trained on the use of the ITS, comprehensive training on the instructional strategies of ITS is yet to be provided. The objective of the study was to design and develop a framework for professional development programme (PDP) for teachers on the use of ITS. The sample of 31 teachers of an educational zone in the Colombo district was selected to test the methodology. Instruments for quantitative data collection were six scales and to collect qualitative data open-ended questions were used. Design Based Research (DBR) approach was made to evaluate the new methodology. DBR approach is characterized by analysis of the problem domain, design of the solution (intervention), iterative cycles of testing and refining the solution and finally reflecting on the whole process to arrive at design principles and inventing the solution. Intervention of this study was in terms of two professional development programmes on the integration of ITS in instruction. The results of the first intervention are presented in this paper. Analysis of data formed the feedback to design the revised PDP. The results of the study are the feedback to the proposed revisions to the next PDP. The feedback was to increase the time allocation of the PDP, provide more hands-on experience, demonstrate ITS-based instructional strategies related to different subject areas and conduct separate PDPs for non-ICT teachers.
Open Access
Determining Differentially Expressed Genes in Dengue Patients During Disease Progression
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-05-15) Coorey, H.; Jayatillake, R.; Jayathilaka, N.; Ambanpola, N.
Gene expression studies on gene transcription to synthesize functional gene products have been used extensively to understand biological differences between different disease conditions. Thus, this study determines differentially expressed genes in dengue infection during disease progression following the three phases: Febrile, Defervescence and Convalescent. Integrative data analysis of two publicly available longitudinal datasets in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database has been employed to accomplish the prime objective of exploring temporal gene expression patterns. The Friedman test was given more emphasis due to the non-normality distributions of data. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and linear mixed models were also implemented to examine the potential of detecting differentially expressed genes despite non-normality. The Friedman test revealed significant differences in gene expression levels across different phases in dengue disease over time. This led to a notably higher count of genes showing differential expression compared to the other two methods: Repeated measures ANOVA and linear mixed models. The pathway analysis approach consists of significant differentially expressed genes derived from the Friedman test. The results identified upregulated pathways with any significant change in the overall expression of genes within pathways over time for the Febrile and Defervescence phases considering the Convalescent phase as a baseline. Moreover, genes available in pathways were not identified by the two parametric tests for non-normal data implying that the parametric approaches resulted in the least significance for data with non-normal distributions.