SLIIT International Conference on Advancements in Science and Humanities [SICASH]
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SLIIT International Conference on Advancements in Science and Humanities is organized by the Faculty of Humanities and Sciences of the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), the annual research multi-conference of the faculty.
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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 The old notion of caveat emptor has been replaced by the modern concept of consumer protection by recognizing it in statutes, cases, and theories.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 Perception of Postgraduate Students on Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) During the COVID-19 Lock-Down: A Cohort Study in a Public University in Sri Lanka(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Beneragama, C.K.; Pieris, B.C.N.; Pieris, S.E.Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) is a temporary shift from an instructional delivery to an alternate delivery mode, perhaps online, due to the current pandemic situation, which involves the use of fully remote teaching solutions or some blended learning as a hybrid. The present study was conducted with a cohort of students(n=37) within the age range 25-35, pursuing a Master’s degree program in a public university in Sri Lanka to elucidate their perception about ERT. In the pre-COVID-19 time, the major portion of the course has been offered face-to-face. However, due to the crisis situation under the COVID-19 lock-down since March 2020, the course has been shifted totally to online modes, considering ERT, with the concurrence of the students. All online sessions and activities were carefully selected, planned and executed to ensure effective learning takes place. Sessions were delivered asynchronously using the Learning Management System of the institute, WhatsApp and emails. After completion of the course, an online perception survey was conducted using a Google Form to obtain their feedback. The data was cross-tabulated, and a factor analysis was performed. The results revealed that the students perceived all the activities conducted as Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) highly positively, during the COVID-19 lock-down period. The findings of the present study will give all educationists an opportunity to re-visit the courses offered totally face-to-face until now, and to think of moving towards blended learning to facilitate the 21st Century learning.Publication Embargo Victim-Friendliness of the Personal Injury Law in Sri Lanka: A Critical Analysis(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Liyanage, D.S.E.U.S.A legal regime which is insensitive to socio-economic impact of its application on the community over the time, is not sustained. Such laws are abrogated by the society by ignoring them. Personal injury law is also facing the same problem in Sri Lanka, even though the laws applied are multifaceted in nature. The main argument which is brought against this calamity is that it is not victim-friendly due to several reasons. In fact, victim-friendliness is not a standard in law. Finding a legal definition to recognise the elements of victim- friendliness is problematic. However, it is understood that ‘user-friendliness’ is similar to the concept of victim-friendliness in context. It is further examined that the concept is evolving in the area of Criminal law. The blow-out is apparent in South African countries and India in view of victim’s right to access to justice. Using the main features of a user friendly regime, New Zealand has introduced a new legal model to govern personal injury victims. This study examines whether the same concept can be used to enhance the rights of the victims of personal injury, for obtaining an adequate compensation in Sri Lanka, in comparative perspective with New Zealand.Publication Embargo Level of knowledge, Practice and Attitudes of Taking Anthropometric Measurements for Nutritional Assessments among Nurses Working in Dr. Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital, Malabe(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Wijedasa, P.H.S.A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenient sample of 125 nurses working at Dr. Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital (NFTH). A self-administered questionnaire with both open and close ended questions is used to determine the level of knowledge, practice and attitudes of taking anthropometric measurements for nutritional assessments, among the nurses working in NFTH. Out of 136 questionnaires 125 were correctly completed and returned. Majority of the nurses (53%) had a sound knowledge of taking anthropometric measurements. There is a significant association between the level of knowledge and the educational qualifications of the nurses. Graduate nurses had a ‘good’ knowledge level compared to the diploma or certificate holders which is statistically significant. The majority of nurses had a practice of taking weight measurements (48%) while 37% of nurses had a practice of taking measurements of weight and height. The entire group of participants had the attitude that “anthropometric measurements are important for nutritional measurements”. The majority (93%) of nurses were confident in taking weight measurements. Only 57% of nurses were confident in taking measurements of waist circumference. There is a significant difference in the knowledge level among graduate nurses, nursing diploma holders, and nursing certificate holders. Among them, graduate nurses’ knowledge was higher than the other two groups. The level of knowledge, practice and attitudes in taking anthropometric measurements for nutritional assessments had no significant association with socio-demographic factors.Publication Embargo Common Complications Related to Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation (PIVC)(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Dasanayake, D.M.C.D.K.Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation (PIVC) is the insertion of a short, flexible, hollow plastic catheter into a peripheral vein. Indications of PIVC include facilitating hydration, maintaining electrolyte balance, administration of medication, supporting diagnostic procedures in acute and emergencies, infusion of blood and blood components, and parenteral nutrition. PIVC is associated with risks for several complications. The skin, one of the defence organs of the body is penetrated during the insertion of vascular access that results in additional potential risk for PIVC related complications include local and systemic complications. The PIVC induced complications cause significant discomfort, prolonged hospitalization, higher costs, and leads to other illnesses. This review was done to find out the common peripheral intravenous cannulation (PIVC) related complications. For this review, scholarly articles and guidelines published from 2008 to 2020 were obtained by searching MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Pub Med databases. It was found that the incidence of PIVC related complications were significantly high. Phlebitis, pain, infiltration, occlusion and dislodgement were local complications related to PIVC while phlebitis was the most common complication among them. Fear and anxiety were found as systemic complications of PIVC. The rates of PIVC-induced local complications is higher than PIVC-induced systemic complications. However, nurses must be responsible to apply correct techniques and follow the standard guidelines of PIVC. It is also recommended that the nurses must perform careful observations of patients with peripheral intravenous catheters to identify risks of PIVC induced complications and take necessary actions to prevent them.Publication Embargo Compromising Health to Gain Wealth: A Legal Response to Adverse Health Effects of Night Work(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Puwanitha, S.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 the Sri Lankan law in devising effective legal measures responding to such health issues encountered by night workers due to their engagement at an 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 research 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.Publication Open Access Impact of Spacing and Type of Planting Material on Dry Matter Percentage in Cinnamon Bark: At the Stage of First Harvest(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Aluthgamege, H.N.; Fonseka, D.L.C.K.; Benaragama, C.K.; Kumarasinghe, H.K.M.S.Cinnamomum verum J. Presl (cinnamon), is an evergreen aromatic plant with several uses and considered as a prominent spice throughout the world. Most familiar product of cinnamon is quills, produced by peeling and rolling the bark pieces in to a pipe like structure. Dry mater content in cinnamon bark is a determinant factor of income since weight of quills mainly depends on it. If the dry matter content in cinnamon bark can be increased, returns from cinnamon exports can be increased as well. Therefore, this study was aimed at identifying the effect of spacing and type of planting material on dry matter percentage in cinnamon bark at the stage of first harvest. Seedlings and vegetatively propagated plants of cinnamon variety Sri Gemunu were planted under three different spacings as 1.2×0.6 m with three plants per hill, 1.2×0.4 m with two plants per hill and 1.2×0.2 m with one plant per hill as two factor factorial RCBD at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka. First harvest was collected after two years from establishment and quills were produced with support of skilled cinnamon peelers. Weight of quills per plant was measured after air drying for three days and dry matter percentage in bark was determined by oven drying samples to a constant weight. The results revealed that the mean dry matter percentage in bark of cinnamon seedlings (37.84%) was significantly higher (P<0.05) than the mean dry matter percentage in bark of vegetatively propagated plants (31.69%). The mean quill weight per cinnamon seedling (45.93 g) was significantly higher (P<0.05) than the mean quill weight per vegetatively propagated plant (28.40 g). Interaction effect between spatial pattern and planting material was not significant for both bark dry matter percentage and weight of quills per plant. A moderate correlation between cinnamon bark dry matter percentage and quill weight was observed at the stage of first harvest (r = 0.429, p = 0.036) according to the Pearson’s correlation test. Findings of the current study can be used for further studies.Publication Embargo An Efficient Plant Regeneration Using Leaf Explant for Osbeckia octandra (L.) DC; A Valuable Medicinal and Ornamental Plant(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Dilrukshi, S. K.; Nagahatenna, D.S.K.; Peiris, Sriyani E.Osbeckia octandra (Heen Bovitiya), which is one of the most valuable ayurvedic medicinal and ornamental plants in Sri Lanka is now threatened due to overexploitation in its natural habitat. In order to preserve this economically important plant species, a highly efficient in vitro clonal propagation system using leaf explants was developed in this study. The effects of three different concentrations of plant growth regulators: (6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and kinetin) and incubation conditions on plant regeneration were investigated. The plant growth parameters were analyzed in 15 biological replicates using one- way or two-way ANOVA. The present study revealed that the highest number of shoots per leaf explant with 92.4% shoot induction rate was achieved when young mature leaf explants were inoculated on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 3 mg/L BAP and 0.5 mg/L NAA under dark conditions. When micro shoots were separated and subcultured on hormone-free MS medium with high sugar content (4%), shoots multiplied rapidly and a vigorous root system was developed under light conditions. The in vitro grown plantlets were successfully acclimatized and 89% of the regenerated plantlets survived. Our novel clonal propagation system will open new avenues for large- scale multiplication and improvement of medicinal and ornamental characteristics of this valuable species using biotechnological tools.Publication Embargo Attitudes and Practices of Nurses’ Regarding the First 24 Hours Post- operative Pain Management in Teaching Hospital, Rathnapura(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Amarasinghe, D.I.I.; Meegoda, M.K.D.L.Surgical patients experience a great intensity of pain during the first 24 hours of surgery due to various reasons including tissue damage during the surgery. Therefore, assessing nurses’ attitudes and practices on assessment and management of pain especially in post-operative units is essential because nurses are the professionals who play a key role in managing patients’ pain. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 135 government registered nurses in surgical units, Teaching Hospital, Rathnapura. Cluster sampling technique was performed and self-administered questionnaire was used. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethical Clearance Committee, University of Colombo. The study participants were in the attitude that health workers should not encourage patients to tolerate pain (58.5%), believed non- pharmacological methods are not effective in managing post- operative pain (53.3%), ineffectively treated pain may not lead to chronic pain in future (58.5%), by using placebo injections health professionals can identify whether the pain is real (51.1%), health professionals’ religious background affects for the attitude towards patients pain and suffers (55.6%) and if the patient does not complain pain, continuation of analgesics within first 24 hours is not necessary (64.4%). Of them 79.3% believed that patients should be individually assessed to determine cultural influences in pain and 97% are revealing effective communication and therapeutic relationship are as essential components in post-operative pain management. Although the pain assessment scale indicates the most accurate judgment regarding intensity of patient’s pain (66.7%), only less than 50% of the participants were assessed the pain using a pain scale. Almost all the nurses follow up the post-operative patients’ pain after administration of analgesics (97.8% reassess, 97% observe, 98.5% consider safety measures). However, whether the doctor has prescribed fixed schedule of pain medication, many of them follow that according to their assessment (45.9%). It is recommended to improve nurses’ attitudes and practices regarding the first 24 hours post- operative pain assessment and pain management.Publication Embargo A Study on the Impact of Online Monolingual and Bilingual Dictionary Use on ESL Learners’ Vocabulary Acquisition and Retention(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Wijesuriya, K.; Dissanayake, D.M.M.S.This experimental research comparatively analyzed the impact of online monolingual and online bilingual dictionary use in vocabulary acquisition and retention. Forty Engineering undergraduates in their first term at B1 level in proficiency were divided into two comparison groups: Online Monolingual Dictionary (OMD) and Online Bilingual Dictionary (OBD) groups. Then both groups were exposed to an unknown set of ten academic words using an online monolingual dictionary and an online bilingual dictionary (English-Sinhala/English-Tamil) respectively. After the treatment/exposure, the same vocabulary tests: pretest, immediate test and posttest, were administered in both groups to check the effectiveness of the treatments. While both classes significantly acquired and retained vocabulary under each online dictionary use, the independent sample t -test determined a statistically significant difference in the vocabulary retention of the online monolingual class over the online bilingual class at the immediate test as well as at the post test. The findings confirmed the hypothesis that online monolingual dictionary use is effective over online bilingual dictionary use in vocabulary acquisition and retention.Publication Open Access Effect of 1-Methylcyclopropene and Wrapping Material on Shelf-Life and Postharvest Qualities of Spine Gourd (Momordica dioica)(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Wijesinghe, G.P.M; Kumara, G.D.K; Kumara, J.B.D.A.PSpine gourd (Momordica dioica) is a tropical underutilized, climbing creeper vegetable (commonly known as kakrol, spiny gourd or teasle gourd) belonging to the family cucurbitaceae. It is native to Asia and now extensively distributed in Sri Lanka due to boosted commercial cultivation of hybrid varieties. Spine gourd has a growing demand both in the local and the export market for its distinct taste and promising health properties over thousands of years. However, vulnerability to postharvest damages due to large area/volume ratio and climacteric ripening behaviour result in short shelf- life for this commodity. Consequently, its market potential is significantly affected. The present study attempts to extend shelf-life while maintaining postharvest qualities in spine gourd by using 1- methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) and Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) wrapping at an ambient temperature (27±1 ⁰ᢽ). The experiment was conducted according to the Completely Randomized Design (CRD) using eight treatments: 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 µL L-1 1-MCP treated for 15 hours and stored with and without LDPE wrapping under ambient temperature (27±1 oᢽ). Physical parameters; fresh weight loss, firmness, peel colour changes, and chemical parameters; total soluble solids, titratable acidity, were evaluated daily. Fresh weight loss and peel colour changes significantly declined in wrapped Spine gourd fruits. The highest firmness was observed in chemically treated and LDPE wrapped fruits than the control during 5 days of the storage. Thus, it can be concluded that some postharvest qualities of Spine gourd are positively affected by 1-MCP treatment and LDPE wrapping.Publication Embargo An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis on Factors Affecting Organizational Commitment by HR Managers of Private Sector Service Industries(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Chamindi, D. I.Organizational commitment and its link to various other constructs in organizations has been widely discussed in the Western context. However, the Sri Lankan context is less researched therefore, the present study examines the relationship between organizational commitment and contributing factors of organizational commitment within private sector service industries as perceived by five HR managers from private sector service industries in Sri Lanka.The research has adopted Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach to conduct the research. Five Human Resource managers were interviewed using semi structured interviews for the qualitative analysis to explore the factors affecting organizational commitment. The qualitative data revealed three superordinate themes of Contributions to organizational commitment by the employer, employee, and peers. The research suggests an existing need to study the perception of organizational commitment with relevance to employees intensively due to conclusions obtained. Moreover, the study has proven that organizational commitment is being influenced by more than the individual characteristics of an employee. The present study emphasis the need for in depth studies in defining and perception organizational commitment within the Sri Lanka cultural context.Publication Embargo Identification of SNP-Allelic Polymorphism Based Changes in Two Salt Responsive Proteins, Na+ H+ ANTIPORTER 4 and GLUTAREDOXIN 24 Between Two Rice Varieties(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences - SLIIT, 2021-03-26) Abhayawickrama, B.P.; Hanchapola, C.R.; Kottearachchi, N.S.; Gimhani, D.R.Rice is identified as a salinity vulnerable crop. To avoid the salinity stress problem, advanced steps have been taken, including developing novel plant sources with genetic variation associated with stress tolerance. Therefore, developing salt-tolerant varieties by combining different salt-tolerant mechanisms is a long-term solution to withstand salinity stress. Subsequently, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are largely utilized in crop improvement including rice. This study was focused on analyzing the SNP variations discovered in two key salt responsive genes: Na+ H+ antiporter 4 (OsNHX4) and Glutaredoxin 24 (OsGRX24). The OsNHX4 and OsGRX24 gene sequences of At354 and Bg352 were retrieved from the Next Generation Sequencing derived whole genomes of two rice varieties. The gene sequences were aligned along with the Nipponbare reference gene sequences and the SNP variants present in the coding regions were identified. The amino acid sequences of each gene were obtained and their physiochemical parameters and protein structures were predicted. Results showed that OsNHX4 had 4 and 9 SNPs in At354 and Bg352 while OsGRX24 had 3 and 5 SNPs in At354 and Bg352 respectively. The secondary protein structure of OsNHX4 in Bg352 was modified due to an amino acid residue substitution, causing an alpha-helix to beta-sheet transition. In OsGRX24 of Bg352, two different alpha-helix regions were affected due to amino acid substitutions. Consequently, it could be speculated that these amino acid differences between the two varieties might be one of the causal factors for their phenotypic differences in salinity responsiveness.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 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 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 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 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 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’.