The digital twin (DT) research field is experiencing rapid expansion, yet the research in industrial practices in this area remains poorly understood. This paper aims to address this knowledge gap by sharing feedback and future requirements from the manufacturing industry. The methodology employed in this study involves an examination of a survey that received 99 responses and interviews with 14 experts from 10 prominent UK organisations, most of which are in the defence industry in the UK. The survey and interviews explored topics such as DT design, return on investment, drivers, inhibitors, and future directions for DT development in manufacturing. The study findings indicate that DTs should possess characteristics such as adaptability, scalability, interoperability, and the ability to support assets throughout their entire life cycle. On average, completed DT projects reach the break-even point in less than two years. The primary motivators behind DT development were identified to be autonomy, customer satisfaction, safety, awareness, optimisation, and sustainability. Meanwhile, the main obstacles include a lack of expertise, funding, and interoperability. The study concludes that the federation of twins and a paradigm shift in industrial thinking are essential components for the future of DT development.

Vancomycin is one of the ‘last-line’ classes of antibiotics used in the treatment of life-threatening infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria. Even though vancomycin was discovered in 1950s it was widely used after 1980s for the treatment of infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococci as prevalence of such strains were increased. However, currently it is evident that vancomycin resistant Staphylococcusaureusandvancomycin-resistant Enterococci have been developed as a result of various reasons including use of avaparcin, which is an analog of vancomycin, as feed additive in livestock. In present day context, more attention should be paid on prevention of emergence of resistance for the antibiotics in order to keep antibiotics effective. In order to prevent emergence of resistance, proper guidance for the responsible use of antimicrobials is indispensable. Therefore, almost all stakeholders who use antibiotics should have in depth understanding on the antibiotic they use. As such, it is imperative to be aware of the important aspects of vancomycin. In the present review, efforts have been made to discussthe pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, indications, emergence of resistance, control of resistance, adverse effects and alternative therapy for vancomycin.

Due to bacterial contamination, natural medicinal preservatives may be an alternative to enhance the quality of milk. Besides, thorough biocompatibility testing is deemed essential before integrating natural extracts into food products. To address this matter, our research focused on evaluating the antimicrobial potential of Plectranthus amboinicus, Flueggea leucopyrus, Cymbopogon citratus, and Bacopa monnieri against prevalent foodborne pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and investigating the efficacy of plant extracts as natural preservatives along with biocompatibility and toxicity assessments. The methanolic extracts of plant materials were used for measuring antimicrobial activity using the agar well diffusion method, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. The preservative activity was tested by isolating pathogenic organisms in a sterilized milk medium and toxicity and biocompatibility was assessed using zebrafish embryo and brine shrimp lethality assays. At a concentration of 400 mg/ml, all plant extracts demonstrated notable activity against bacterial strains. B. monnieri at 400 mg/ml exhibited particularly significant effects on S. aureus (30.3 mm ± 0.6), surpassing the positive control, gentamicin (28.3 mm ± 0.6), while also displaying pronounced activity against E. coli. F. leucopyrus, at the same concentration, showed antimicrobial activity comparable to the positive control against both S. aureus (28.0 mm ± 1.0) and E. coli (27.0 mm ± 1.0). However, as there’s weak-mild toxicity in these herbs, prior to consumption, careful consideration of their toxicity and biocompatibility is imperative for ensuring their safe use.

Green spaces take part a vital role in reducing the harmful effects occurred through the process of rapid urbanization. This study focuses on evaluating the change of green space and per capita green space in Colombo District, Sri Lanka in between 2008 and 2015 using Landsat images. The NDVI differencing method and classification method were used to detect the change of land cover. According to the results, a gradual decline of green space from 629.1km2 to 591.16km2 with a rate of 6.03% can be depicted. The change is considerable in Kaduwela, Moratuwa and Maharagama DSDs and quite better in the areas such as Avissawella, Homagama and Padukka. The per capita green space has been decreased from 272.361 m2 to 248.811 m2. Though these rates are very well higher than the UN, EU and WHO standards for the district, Colombo DSD do not comply with UN and EU standards. The case would turn into worst in 2025, as the predictions with current rates. Therefore, the study recommends taking immediate actions to make a greener city. Further, a tax system is proposed to get the attraction of the general public.

Rice provides ~20% of human dietary energy and, for many people, a similar share of their protein. Rice cultivation, however, produces significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, comparable to those from the aviation sector. The main GHG from rice production is methane, mostly a result of conventional rice cultivation (CRC) keeping rice fields continuously flooded during the crop cycle. There is extensive evidence that alternate wetting and drying (AWD) of rice fields substantially reduces methane emissions. AWD is one component of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), an agroecological approach to the management of plants, water, soil and nutrients practiced by millions of farmers in both lowland irrigated rice and upland rainfed cultivation. Thirteen countries have included SRI in their Nationally Determined Contributions to GHG reduction or climate change mitigation. This article reviews 16 field studies of the net reduction in GHG emissions from the adoption of AWD, eight from the adoption of SRI, and two that compared SRI and AWD. Where available, the review includes data on yield and therefore on carbon dioxide-equivalent GHG emissions per kilogram of rice produced. The evidence indicates that AWD and SRI offer a similar and substantial reduction (~35–41%) in GHG emissions per hectare compared with conventional rice cultivation. However, SRI offers ~66% greater yield than CRC, and therefore greater reduction in emissions per kilogram of rice, ~54% more than AWD. The limited data directly comparing SRI and AWD support this finding. SRI also appears to have greater potential to sequester carbon in the soil. SRI lowers rice farmers’ costs of production, adds to their income and can make climate-friendly methods more attractive. Both AWD and SRI are greatly preferable to current conventional practices, but SRI offers opportunities to contribute to food security while directly addressing the drivers of climate change.

Cancer being a multi-factorial disease, a multi-target approach is needed to treat it with minimal side-effects. Therefore, combined use of a proven herbal formula with chemo-therapy could be the better therapeutic. It may maintain homeostasis by synergistically targeting multiple signaling pathways involved in tumorigenesis, thus circumventing recurrence, resistance, and immunosuppression. Here we aim to determine the effectiveness and safety of an FDA-approved herbal formula, SR033 in combination with 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and paclitaxel (PTX). We report chemo-sensitization and chemo-synergy in HeLa and MCF-7 cell lines, immunomodulation of COX-2, PD-L1, VEGF and TGFβ and overall survival in-vitro and in-vivo via oral and topical delivery of SR033. In-vitro, SR033/5FU significantly reverses 5FU and PTX-resistance, lower COX-2, and PD-L1, resulting in TGFβ/ VEGF axis modulation. Furthermore, the study suggests that due to anti-oxidative potential of SR033, oral administration exerts chemo-preventive activity and restores cellular compartment in solid tumor and ascites-bearing mice models. Furthermore, the topical application, SR033L with low-dose 5FU increases survival rate, reduces tumor growth, and completely restores local and peripheral neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in solid tumor mice model. The study indicates that SR033 could be a strong candidate in combination with low-dose 5FU and PTX for a holistic approach to cancer management.

Cardiovascular disease is the first leading cause of death in the world. Patients with cardiovascular disease may experience various problems, including physiological and psychological problems. Apart from pharmacological therapy, complementary therapy is necessary as a support to conventional medicine. This review aims to describe complementary and alternative therapies for pain and anxiety in patients with cardiovascular disease. This review utilized data from ProQuest, ScienceDirect, and PubMed with search keywords of "Complementary" AND "Nursing" AND "Pain" AND "Anxiety" AND "Coronary artery disease". Ten articles that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed. The results show that nursing actions increasingly develop along with the patient needs. One form of holistic nursing action is complementary and alternative therapy (CAT) that consists of three categories: body-based methods, mind therapies, and sensory therapies. CAT has positive impacts on patients with heart disease. It can reduce anxiety and pain, lower blood pressure, and improve the quality of life. This review also shows that CAT has a positive impact on the recovery of patients with heart disease. Proper therapeutic management should be implemented to reduce the risks of physiological and psychological problems in patients.

GbtXyl43A, a β-xylosidase that is isolated from Geobacillus thermoleovorans IT-08 and grouped in GH43 family. The substitution of 121Asp residue with Asn in GbtXyl43A caused decrease the enzyme activity. The aim of this study, determine the kinetic characteristics of wild-type GbtXyl43A and D121N variant using Vmax, KM, kcat, and kcat/KM. These parameters indicated catalytic mechanism of GbtXyl43A and its derivative. All of them were produced in Escherichia coli BL21 star. The purification of wild-type GbtXyl43A using affinity chromatography, but D121N variant also required anion-exchange chromatography. The specific activity of wild-type GbtXyl43A and D121N variant were 0.471 U mg-1 in purity level 55,44 and 0.012 U mg-1 in purity level 2,407, respectively. Both enzymes had same molecular weight, ~58 kDa. The kinetic parameters of wild-type GbtXyl43A were KM: 2.845 mM, kcat: 0.033 s-1, Vmax: 0.0033 mM min-1and kcat/KM: 0.0115 s-1mM-1. Furthermore, the KM, kcat, Vmax, and kcat/KM values of D121N variant were 4.565 mM, 1.01 × 10-4 mM min-1, 0.140 × 10-4 s-1, and 0.0307 s-1mM-1, respectively. The KM value of the D121N variant was higher than its wild type and showed the affinity of D121N variant was lower than GbtXyl43A

In recent years, Global Navigation Satellite System reflectometry (GNSS-R) has been explored as a methodology for inland water body characterization. However, thorough characterization of the sensitivity and behavior of the GNSS-R signal to inland water bodies is still needed to progress this area of research. In this paper, we characterize the uncertainty associated with Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) measurements on the determination of river width. The characterization study uses simulated data from a forward model that accurately simulates CYGNSS observations of mixed water/land scenes. The accuracy of the forward model is demonstrated by comparisons to actual observations of known water body shapes made at particular measurement geometries. Simulated CYGNSS data is generated over a range of synthetic scenes modeling a straight river subreach, and the results are analyzed to determine a predictive relationship between the peak SNR measured over the river subreaches and the river widths. An uncertainty analysis conducted using the predictive relationship indicates that for simplistic river scenes, the SNR over the river is predictive of the river width to within +/-5m. The presence of clutter (surrounding water bodies) within ~500m of the river causes perturbations in the SNR measured over the river that can render the river width retrievals unreliable. The results of this study indicate that under idealized conditions, GNSS-R data is able to measure river widths as narrow as 160m with high accuracy.

Lack of reliable information on PTC industry in Sri Lanka is hampering the advancement of the technology. Hence, this study attempted to assess the current status of PTC industry in Sri Lanka in order to ascertain the type and the level of interventions needed to broaden the horizons of the industry. Data of last 05 years were collected through qualitative research methods including a questionnaire-based survey, personal interviews, etc. and personal interviews to identify product diversity, R&D, available facilities, production capacity, and markets. Information was analyzed qualitatively using descriptive statistical software to assess the current status, and identify gaps, challenges and opportunities. COVID pandemic and the economic crisis had a heavy toll on the PTC industry. Six major challenges experienced by business owners were identified as increasing capacity, opportunities to build market linkages, demand fluctuations, issues relating to awareness and insufficient support given by the government. Proper identification and screening of mother plants, determining the production capacities and marketing, knowledgeable and skilled human resources, were identified as important contributory factors for success. Development strategies identified mainly include instinctive decision making and government support. Embracing the significant trade achievements through resource reallocation, prioritization and improvisation processes at individual, family group, inter-organizational levels and across these levels need to be regulated through a responsible authority. These interpretations and recommendations of this research can be utilized both by the policy makers and public and private sector organizations for decision making purposes targeting commercial scale advancements.

The prevalence of internet gaming disorders (IGD) is considerably high among youth, especially with social isolation imposed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. IGD adversely affects mental health, quality of life, and academic performance. The Internet Gaming Disorder Scale (IGDS9-SF) is designed to detect IGD according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. However, inconsistent results are reported on its capacity to diagnose IGD evenly across different cultures. To ensure the suitability of the IGDS9-SF as a global measure of IGD, this study examined the psychometric properties of the IGDS9-SF in a sample of Sri Lankan university students (N = 322, mean age =17.2 ± 0.6, range = 16-18 years, 56.5% males) and evaluated its measurement invariance across samples from Sri Lanka, Turkey, Australia, and the USA. Among Sri Lankan students, a unidimensional structure expressed good fit, invariance across different groups (e.g., gender, ethnicity, and income), adequate criterion validity (strong correlation with motives of internet gaming, daily gaming duration, and sleep quality), and good reliability (alpha = 0.81). Males and online multiplayers expressed higher IGD levels, greater time spent gaming, and more endorsement of gaming motives (e.g., Social and Coping) than females and offline players. Across countries, the IGDS9-SF was invariant at the configural, metric, and scalar levels, albeit strict invariance was not maintained. The lowest and highest IGD levels were reported among Turkish and American respondents, respectively. In conclusion, the IGDS9-SF can be reliably used to measure IGD among Sri Lankan youth. Because the scale holds scalar invariance across countries, its scores can be used to compare IGD levels in the studied countries.

Nowadays, many Muslim-majority countries have implemented a dual banking system, namely the sharia and conventional systems. The development of Islamic banks is to fulfill the Muslims' need for the existence of halal transactions in financial institutions. However, in some countries, it turns out that conventional banks still dominate the country's economy. Because of that, it is necessary to see whether there are differences in financial risk and Earnings management between Islamic and conventional banks. The samples are conventional and Islamic banks in Southeast Asia, analyzed by the purposive sampling method from 2010-2019. The analytical tool used is the statistical difference test and economometrics analysis using generalized least square (GLS) regression with panel data (time series and cross-sectional data). These models are intended to forecasting the macroeconomics effects in applying dual banking system in one country or region. The results using non parametrics means difference test showed that the first hypothesis is accepted It means that Earnings management in conventional banks is greater than in Islamic banks. The Random Model Effect (REM) for second and third hypotheses testing on Conventional banks shows the Bankruptcy Risk and NPL do not affect the dependent variable Earnings Management (LLP). While fixed effect model testing on Islamic banks, the second and third hypothesis testing is rejected. Therefor Islamic Banks the value of Bankruptcy Risk (z-score) and the value of Non-Performing Loans (NPL) do not affect Earnings management. It also means that hypothesis 2 and 3 are rejected both in conventional as well as Islamic Banking. Sensitivity analysis for conventional as well as Islamic banking altogether using fixed effect model shows that the second and third hypotheses show that the independent variables (Bankruptcy Risk and NPL) do not affect the dependent variable Earnings Management (LLP). These results can be concluded that Islamic bank are enganged in less earnings management. Therefor in the the long run there are still more research that should conduct in comparing dual banking system in one region.

Security has become a critical issue in today’s highly distributed and networked systems. Network intrusion detection systems (NIDSs), especially signature-based NIDSs, are being widely deployed in a distributed network environment with the purpose of defending against a variety of network attacks. Most of the commercially available NIDSs are software based and rely on pattern matching to extract the threat from network traffic. The increase in network speed and traffic may make existing algorithms to become a performance bottleneck. Therefore it is very necessary to develop faster and more efficient pattern matching algorithm in order to overcome the troubles on performance of NIDSs. Therefore, we propose a multi fusion pattern matching algorithm for Network Intrusion Detection Systems. The results obtained in percentages from the proposed fusion algorithm given better values in terms processing time in milliseconds than the existing algorithms when data English text are applied to evaluate the fusion performances.

E-commerce recommendation systems usually deal with massive customer sequential databases, such as historical purchase or click stream sequences. Recommendation systems’ accuracy can be improved if complex sequential patterns of user purchase behavior are learned by integrating sequential patterns of customer clicks and/or purchases into the user-item rating matrix input of collaborative filtering. This reviews focuses on algorithmic techniques of existing E-commerce recommendation systems that are sequential pattern based such as ChoRec05, ChenRec09, HuangRec09, LiuRec09, ChoiRec12, Hybrid Model RecSys16, Product RecSys16, SainiRec17, HPCRec18 and HSPCRec19. It provides a comprehensive and comparative performance analysis of these systems, exposing their methodologies, achievements, limitations, and potentials for solving more important problems in this domain. The review showed that integrating sequential pattern mining of historical purchase and/or click sequences into user-item matrix for collaborative filtering (i) improved recommendation accuracy (ii) reduced user-item rating data sparsity (iii) increased novelty rate of recommendations and (iv) improved scalability of the recommendation system.

Background Pregnancy is a process of maturity for women that requires adaptation to the changes in their new roles. Adjustment to a new role is not easy, especially if the pregnancy is accompanied by risks, so it is necessary to get treatment to minimize complications. Dyad models that optimize husband or family support are very important to prevent the risk of complications and adapt mothers to their new roles. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the dyad model on high-risk pregnancies. The method used with a literature review is through the collection of articles from Scopus, ebsco, ProQuest and PubMed. The results obtained were articles from Scopus 9, Ebsco 107, PubMed 214 and ProQuest 85 which carried out identification, screening and eligibility for 25 articles. Overall results mention. Journals are categorized into 4 groups, Dyad Model and social support, high-risk pregnancy, maternal role and Self Efficacy. Conclusion, there is an effect of the dyad model on care for high-risk pregnancies.

Background: Indonesia is an archipelago with various cultured, will bee affects all aspects of people's lives, including beliefs related to health behavior and health care. One problem that needs serious attention is the elderly group because the elderly are a vulnerable group who have a high risk of experiencing health problems, such as anemia with hypertension, so they need good care management. The research objective was to determine self-management intervention for hypertensive elderly. Methods: This research is a literature review with five databases (Scopus, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Proquest), the study design used is an experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional, and review systematic, in March 2021. Guidelines for using JBI to measure quality and listing check out Prisma in this review guide. A feasibility study based on title, abstract, full text, and research methodology. The data analysis used narrative analysis based on the research findings. Results: Twelve articles met the predefined review inclusion criteria. The study found eight interventions for self-management in elderly hypertension, namely: 1) Knowledge of hypertension, 2) Regulation of physical activity, 3) Limitation of alcohol and cigarette consumption, 4) Sleep rest and stress management, 5) Diet and body weight management, 6) Blood pressure control, 7) Family and social support, 8) Adherence to therapy regimens. Conclusion: The conclusion of the study results obtained eight elderly self-management interventions, this done properly will affect compliance in optimizing the health of the elderly.

We use earthquake ground motion modelling via Ground Motion Prediction Equations (GMPEs) and numerical simulation of seismic waves to consider the effects of site amplification and basin resonance in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. While spectral accelerations at short periods are sensitive to near-surface conditions (i.e., Vs30), our results suggest that, for basins as deep as Jakarta’s, available GMPEs cannot be relied upon to accurately estimate the effect of basin depth on ground motions at long periods (>1 s). Amplitudes at such long periods are influenced by entrapment of seismic waves in the basin, resulting in longer duration of strong ground motion, and interference between incoming and reflected waves as well as focusing at basin edges may amplify seismic waves. In order to simulate such phenomena in detail, a basin model derived from a previous study is used as a computational domain for deterministic earthquake scenario modeling in a 2-dimensional cross-section. A M_w 9.0 megathrust, a M_w 6.5 crustal thrust and a M_w 7.0 instraslab earthquake are chosen as scenario events that pose credible threats to Jakarta, and the interactions with the basin of seismic waves generated by these events were simulated. The highest PGV amplifications are recorded at sites near the middle of the basin and near its southern edge, with maximum amplifications of PGV in the horizontal component of 200% for the crustal, 600% for the megathrust and 335% for the deep intraslab earthquake scenario, respectively. We find that the levels of ground motion response spectral acceleration fall below those of the 2012 Indonesian building Codes's design response spectrum for short periods (< 1 s), but closely approach or may even exceed these levels for longer periods.

Microplastic pollution is a serious global issue affecting freshwater systems, coastal regions, and oceans. These non-biodegradable materials have a detrimental impact on marine species and ecosystems, causing disruption to their feeding, breathing, and reproduction. In this study, 120 samples of two species of shrimp, P. monodon and P. indicus, from ten locations in the Negombo lagoon in Sri Lanka were analyzed. A total of 415 items were identified as microplastic with an average of 8.29 ± 4.63 items per gram in P. monodon and 5.52 ± 3.78 items per gram in P. indicus. The majority of microplastics identified were fibers (93%), and the remaining being fragments. Most of the microplastics were &gt;1000 μm, and the most prevalent color was blue (61%), followed by red (15%), black (9%), and others. These comprised of polystyrene, polyamide, polyester, polypropylene, and rayon, as identified by FTIR spectroscopy. This study highlights the prevalence of microplastics in shrimps harvested from the Negombo lagoon and the potential impact on marine life.

Holistic care in the nursing care consists of physical, psychological, socio-cultural, developmental and spiritual aspects. However, the spiritual has received less attention than the other four aspects. The aim of this study was to review paper related to spiritual care in nursing care practices. The method in this study is a review using the CINAHL database. CINAHL was used because the articles focus on nursing topics. The keywords used were "Spirituality" OR "Spiritual care" OR "Spiritual" AND "Nurse". The inclusion criteria for the article were English language and published from 2019-2021, for adult range between 18-44 years old. Exclusion criteria were article not in English language, not full paper article, not in Human and not psychometric study also master thesis. This study recorded 64 articles, screened according to the topic, then the final results recorded 19 articles. This article focuses on the use of spiritual care in patients, nurses and caregivers, as well as both of patients and caregivers. The results of the review showed that spiritual care was important for mental health, physical health, and well-being, quality of life, increasing expectations for patients, nurses or caregivers. The significance of the study was spiritual care should be addressed in nursing care practices and it must include in the nursing curriculum, because spiritual care has many benefits for patients and nurses.

Biochemical signaling is the key mechanism to coordinate a living organism in all aspects of its life. It is still enigmatic how exactly cells and organisms deal with environmental signals and irritations precisely because of the limited number of signaling proteins and a multitude of transitions inside and outside the cell. Many components of signaling pathways are functionally pleiotropic, which means they have several functions. A single stimulus often activates multiple effectors, a distinct effector can be activated by numerous stimuli and signals triggered by different stimuli are often transduced via shared network components. This very compact and concise review sheds light on the most important molecular mechanisms of cellular signaling in fungi.

Cassava Solid waste (Onggok) is a solid waste from the cassava-based tapioca industry, the starch content in Onggok is still 50-80 wt.% of residual starch, which can be used to produce maltodextrin for foods application. Furthermore, using cassava solid waste is beneficial in terms of the cost of raw materials. The starch content in cassava can be modified through enzymatic hydrolysis using α-amylase and β-amylase enzymes at 80oC and pH 5.5. Enzymatic hydrolysis was done using mixed enzymes that varied the concentration of α-amylase at 0,.1% and the β-amylase enzymes at 0.05, 0.1, and 0.5%. the concentration of cassava waste (Onggok) varied from 4%, 7%, 10%, and 13%. The optimum concentration of α-amylase and β-amylase enzymes are 0.1% and 0.1% respectively at time intervals of 1 minute resulting in a dextrose equivalent (DE) value 0f 5.7. The characteristics of maltodextrin were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to determine the morphology of the starch structure which had changed due to the enzyme hydrolysis. Simultaneous thermal analysis (STA) was studied to determine the Thermal stability of hydrolysis products. Maltodextrin produced from cassava waste (Onggok) has a DE value < 10, which has the potential to be used in the pharmaceutical industry

Considering the challenges of sustainable education in emergency remote teaching (ERT) during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, this study provides basic principles for future ERT implementation based on the experience of higher education in Indonesia. Seven local expert distance educators reviewed the ERT principles, participating in the early stages to check the relevance, content validity, and readability of the five principles proposed in the context of Indonesian education. After an extensive expert review, the ERT principles were evaluated using quantitative data through an online survey (82 students and 45 faculty members). In addition, open-ended questionnaire responses, experiences, and challenges encountered by 21 respondents (College Dean, Associate Dean of Academics, and faculty quality assurance of seven universities/colleges in three provinces in Indonesia) in ERT were used and analyzed. This study suggests that ERT should be designed based on the principles of simplicity, accessibility, affordability, flexibility, and empathy in all learning activities in unfavorable situations. This study complements previous work and can thus be used for generalized principles for teaching activities in similar emergencies, especially in developing countries.

General characteristics of K changes together with their fine structure associated with ground flashes in Sri Lanka in the tropics are presented. It is found that on average there are about 2 K changes associated with each return stroke. Analysis of the fine structure of the K changes shows that the K change is a chaotic pulse burst. Some of these chaotic pulse bursts start and the others end as a regular pulse bursts. Sometimes the chaotic part occurs in between two regular pulse bursts. This is in agreement with the recent published results that claim that chaotic pulse bursts are a random superposition of regular pulse bursts. The results show that the small step fields identified in the literature as K changes are the static fields associated with these pulse bursts.

High oxidative stress in cells due to inflammation process or excessive cell proliferation would produce oxidants or free radicals with biomarkers, one of which is malondialdehyde (MDA). Passion fruit seed’s contain high antioxidant and are expected to decrease the level of cholesterol and MDA. The objective is to identify the effect of passion fruit seed’s ethanol extract in Wistar rats that have been fed with atherogenic feed. The method was preclinical trial (post-test control group design) in rats, by administering passion fruit seed’s ethanol extract for 14 days. This study used 26 male rats aged two months, divided into 5 groups. The result showed significant difference in MDA level which was found in group that was given passion fruit seed extract 10mg/kg BW with positive control group that was given standard feed. Passion fruit seed’s extract showed significant difference in level of triglyceride, which was found in negative control group that was given atherogenic feed with group that was given passion fruit seed’s extract 5mg/kg BW (mean±standard deviation: 1.09±0.30 mg/dL vs 0.77±0.25mg/dL; p=0.048). This study showed that passion fruit seed’s ethanol extract had significant lowering effect in level of MDA, total cholesterol, and triglyceride for 14 days.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that often causes progressive complications in the elderly. Along with the decline in cognitive function in the elderly, it causes dependence on disciplined management of diabetes mellitus. This dependence causes a very important mentoring role to be given. The purpose of this study is to provide knowledge, attitudes, and family skills to care for the elderly with diabetes mellitus at home through the empowerment of elderly cadres in Lampung. This research method is a quasi-experimental research with a control group design with a total of 64 elderly respondents and 64 families selected by simple random sampling technique. The assessment used an instrument for assessing family abilities that the researcher developed included aspects of knowledge, attitudes, and skills. The results of the dependent t-test analysis showed a significant increase in the knowledge and skills variable in the intervention group (0.000) but decreased in the attitude variable with p 0.198. Meanwhile, the increase in value also occurred in the attitude and skill variables in the control group. So that the results of the independent t-test only showed a significant difference in the attitude score (0.000) with the highest score in the control group. So that there is no significant increase in the ability of the family after the implementation of elderly cadres empowerment.

Healthy eating behaviour of women is critical not only for their health but also for their children's health and well-being. The present study examined the dietary pattern, nutrition knowledge and attitudes of working women in Western Province, Sri Lanka. In addition, identify the factors associated with Dietary Diversity Score (DDS). A cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 working women, aged 20-60 years, in Western Province, Sri Lanka. The data on so-cio-demography, dietary patterns, and nutrition-related knowledge and attitudes were collected. Overall, 38% of the women were overweight and 13% were obese. The median frequency of intake of chicken, fish, eggs, milk and milk products, green leafy vegetables and fruits were 2, 5, 2, 9, 5 and 10 respectively, per week. A large majority of the women (70%) had tea/coffee with sugar and snacks (60%) at least four times a week. Only a third of the women met the minimum DDS, while more than half of the women had good nutrition-related knowledge and attitudes. Multiple regression analysis showed that age and household income were significantly independently related to DDS, while attitudes were negatively associated. While there was a trend, the association of nutrition-related knowledge with DDS was not statistically significant (p=0.057). The overall F ratio (8.46) was highly significant (p=0.000) and the adjusted R2 was 0.093. The results demonstrated that a significant proportion of working women have good basic nutrition-related knowledge and attitudes, while two-thirds of them do not meet the minimum DDS. Furthermore, age, family income and knowledge were positively associated with DDS, while attitudes were negatively associated. Before designing any intervention, further research is needed using a qualitative approach to understand how nutrition knowledge and eating behaviour are related in this population group.

In the current scenario, liver abnormalities are one of the most serious public health concerns. Cirrhosis of the liver is one of the foremost causes of demise from liver diseases. To accurately predict the status of liver cirrhosis, physicians frequently use automated computer-aided approaches. In this paper the clustering techniques like Fuzzy C Means (FCM), Possibilistic Fuzzy C Means (PFCM), Possibilistic C Means (PCM), Sample Entropy features are extracted from normal and cirrhotic liver ultrasonic Images. The extracted features are classified as normal and Cirrhosis one through Gaussian Mixture Model(GMM), Softmax Dis(SDC), Harmonic Search Algorithm (HSA), SVM(Linear), SVM(RBF), SVM(Polynomial), Artificial Algae Optimization (AAO) and hybrid classifier Artificial Algae Optimization (AAO) with Gaussian Mixture Mode (GMM). The classifiers performances are compared based on Accuracy, F1 Score, MCC, F Measure, Error rate and Jaccard metric (JM).The hybrid classifier AAO GMM with PFCM feature outperforms than other classifiers and attained an accuracy of 99.03 % with MCC of 0.90

Facing the tasks and challenges going forward, a pilot of the Indonesian Naval Aviation Center was required to be brave in taking risks, especially in carrying out its main tasks, so it was expected that a pilot of the Indonesian Naval Aviation Center had intelligence, especially in finding appropriate solutions and alternatives to address every task challenges dynamics in situations that often changed quickly. The purpose of this study was to identify the personal character and performance that should be owned by the pilot of the Indonesian Naval Aviation Center. This research used a qualitative approach with a contextual and constructional meta-analysis study method. The results of this meta-analysis study concluded that in line with the essence of personal character that is defined as the personal aspects of a work that allows workers to achieve superior performance. These personal aspects include nature, emotive-motives, value systems, attitudes, knowledge, and skills, where the personal character would produce an optimal performance on a pilot of the Indonesian Naval Aviation Center.

A progressive and chronic neurological condition called MSA (Multiple System Atrophy) is characterized clinically by varying degrees of dysautonomia, cerebellar ataxia, and parkinsonism. The concept of mitochondrial dysregulation in MSA is one perspective in handling this neurodegenerative disease. Damage to functional mitochondria is driven by the presence of ɑ-Synuclein-induced mitochondrial localization. The goal of MSA treatment up until now has been to reduce symptoms. One of the innovations in the treatment of MSA could be the novel idea based on mitochondrial reprogramming pathways. Mitochondrial reprogramming can be done in various ways in which the use of hydrogen, magnesium and low-dose hydrogen peroxide.

The number of people with neurodegenerative disease continues to increase every year. A new perspective is needed in overcoming this disease. In this review, researchers collected information about epigenetics and energy factors of neurodegenerative disease driven by mitochondria. Mitochondrial epigenetic dysregulation can cause damage to the neuron system. The increase in the amount and interaction of alpha-synuclein with SAMM50 in the mitochondria is one of the factors causing neurodegenerative disease. As an energy provider in the body, the existence of harmonization in the regulation of mitochondria specifically the mitochondrial outer membrane is important. Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) has neuroprotective abilities to overcome the impairment function of mitochondria in neurodegenerative patients. Based on the computational simulation of this case, it can be used as the basic concept for the development of the role of H₂O₂ in neurodegenerative disease.

The Ministry of Health evaluates hospital management in accordance with the standard of quality of service. The concept of Shariah hospitals offers management services that exceed the standard of quality of hospital care. The study aims to illustrate the concept of Shariah hospitals in Indonesia. We collect related literature from various media via online search with the keywords “Shariah hospitals,” “implementation of Shariah hospitals,” and “application of Shariah hospitals.” Main findings: The study finds that the Shariah hospitals built by the philosophy of Islam are willing to provide the best health-care services to patients. A code of conduct must be fulfilled by the hospital management in Shariah hospitals: (1) general liability, (2) obligations to society and the environment, (3) obligations to patients, (4) obligations to the leaders, staff, and employees, and (4) relationships with related institutions. The foremost challenges include the improvement of health personnel performance and the quality of services in addition to perceptions that are not inclusive of the system of Shariah hospitals. This implementation should run consistently and with the commitment of all parties. Such insight, in turn, can be counted as an input to an approach to health services, particularly in increasing the performance rates, such as hospital. This study is the first to provide new insight into discussion about shariah hospital by presenting its focuses on Islamic approaches in meeting the quality standards of health services in hospitals so as to obtain more value. However, exclusive principles—Islamization, heterogeneity, and the performance of health workers—challenge the implementation of this hospital system.

Conservation Agriculture (CA) and the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) are both agroecologically-oriented production systems that support more productive, sustainable, and resource-conserving farming, with synergies arising from their respective assemblages of reinforcing agronomic methods. Application of CA principles enhances the growth, yield, and performance of the crops grown under the cropping system as well as the health and resilience of the whole ecosystem. SRI practices create more favorable conditions for the development of crop plants below- and above-ground, conditions that can be enhanced by CA management. SRI practices such as reduced plant density m-2 can elicit better phenotypic expression of the genetic potentials of crops grown with CA.. For these two agronomic systems to converge at field level, some of their respective practices for plant, soil, water, and nutrient management need to be modified or aligned. One such adaptation is to practice SRI in CA systems on permanent, no-till, mulch covered raised beds, with rainfall or irrigation water in the furrows between the beds furnishing and controlling water; and providing weed suppression and improved nutrient recycling. SRI rice cropping can benefit from the CA practices of no-tillage, soil mulch cover, and diversified cropping, both in paddies and on raised beds. Several examples have shown that this convergence of cropping systems is feasible for smallholding farmers as well as for larger-scale producers, and also that SRI practices within a CA system are amenable to considerable mechanization. This review article examines the compatibility between CA and SRI, considering examples of their being utilized in complementary ways. Further research and experimentation are needed to identify and assess appropriate practices for capitalizing upon their synergies.

Stunting in children is a serious problem of nutritional disorders and is strictly monitored by the Indonesian government, it is not only cause physical but also cognitive abnormalities in the form of less intelligence in children so that when they grow up, their productivity will decrease. The incidence of stunting in 2018 in Indonesia was 30.8 %, while in West Java was 29.92%, still at a moderate to high level, consequently, prevention and early detection efforts need to be carried out by various parties, including health professionals and health cadres. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the association between the socio demographic characteristics factors as well as the knowledge and motivation of health cadres in the stunting prevention in West Java. A correlational study with a cross-sectional approach was employed with the samples of health cadres from 8 districts/cities in West Java Province: Karawang, Tasikmalaya, Garut, Bandung, Subang, Sukabumi, Cianjur, and West Bandung. A total of 363 health cadres participated and the sampling technique used is the stratified method. The data were collected using a questionnaire developed specifically for this study and were analyzed using a correlation with Chi-Square test and presented in the form of a frequency distribution. The study findings found that majority of the health cadres have good knowledge of 81.27%, which was significantly influenced by education level and marital status with p &lt;0.05. Meanwhile, approximately half of the respondents had moderate motivation with 47.66%, while one-third or 39.12% had high motivation. This motivation was significantly influenced by education level, marital status, and age with p &lt;0.05. It was concluded that health cadres need to further enhance the roles and functions in the prevention and early detection of stunting in West Java by providing continuous guidance, stunting training prevention and award presentations.

Cascading Tank Village Systems (CTVSs) of Sri Lanka historically provided a resilient community-based social-ecological water management system in the rural dryzone of Sri Lanka [1]. The CTVS has been described as the ‘lifeblood’ of communities in the rural dry zone [2] and as a globally important Agricultural Heritage System by the FAO [3]. After being abandoned for many centuries, their restoration is now being pursued by different national and international actors as a key to climate change mitigation and sustainable livelihoods for communities [4]. Rural livelihoods in the dry zone are at risk due to multiple factors, poor access and management of water, economic and health pressures, as well as resource limitations and degradation [5]. Despite recent efforts to restore CTVS systems, no social-ecological approach (SES) nor sustainable livelihoods framework (SLF) focused approach to ensuring resilient and sustainable livelihood outcomes has been taken [6]. As part of an on-going PhD project, this paper describes the background, current challenges and potential for an SES focused resilience thinking approach to CTVS combined with a focus on sustainable livelihoods for future sustainable livelihood opportunities and outcomes. The study finds current restoration efforts are at a crossroads between restoring the past (system adaptability) or transforming for the future. It introduces relevant SES and resilience thinking concepts and analyses the CTVS from this perspective. A particular contribution of this study is to point to the significant overlaps and complementarities in social-ecological (SES) resilience thinking and SLF approaches to analysis and proposals for resilient rural development. Employing resilience thinking principles it recommends strategies to create positive livelihood outcomes for communities and households. Keywords: cascading tank village system; sustainable livelihoods; resilience thinking; Sri Lanka; rural dry zone; community rural development

The current global financial sector is dedicated to providing customers with more advanced and strategic services. With channels like internet banking, mobile phone banking, and telephone banking, the industry delivers multi-channel banking services to satisfy its clients. The COVID-19 pandemic has directly impacted the global economy, as well as the financial sector, with the banking sector facing lockdown initiatives to curb the virus's spread. As a result, mobile payment methods have been favored by people over physical money for transactions. This study analyzes the factors that influenced mobile banking usage during the pandemic in Sri Lanka.. Convenience sampling was used, comprising of 200 online questionnaires conducted among customers in Sri Lanka. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and multiple linear regression through IBM SPSS 25. Research findings revealed that trust and risk were significant factors affecting mobile banking usage in Sri Lanka. Trust had a positive effect while Risk negatively effects to the mobile banking usage. Ease of use and Usefulness were irrelevant factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka.

Raw rubber production is the sole foundation for the rubber product industry, rendering raw rubber to manufacture essential commodities to mankind such as tires, condoms, surgical gloves, and so forth. Raw rubber production involves various stakeholders; however, literature focusing on the social impacts of raw rubber production and its supply chain has hereto been limited. Social life cycle assessment, a popular tool to assess the social impacts of a product or process and was deployed herein to assess the social profiles of three Sri Lankan raw rubber supply chains (crepe rubber, concentrated latex, and ribbed smoked sheets). The Social Hotspots Database v4 on Sima Pro v9.3 was used for the analysis. Results indicated that Governance and Labour rights & decent work had been affected in its supply chain of fertilizers due to Corruption and Freedom of association & collective bargaining issues, mainly in Belarus, and China. Proposed improvement options to address these touchpoints were found to be effective. For instance, if the importation of K-fertilizer shifted into low risk countries, overall social risks associated with Corruption and Freedom of association & collective bargaining in the supply chains could be reduced by ca. 36% and 25%, respectively. As a result, social risks in the aforesaid impact categories, i.e., Governance and Labor rights & decent work, were reduced by ca. 35-41% and ca. 17-20%, respectively. Such improvements may help positioning the Sri Lankan rubber industry in the sustainability-conscious-world rubber market. Further, the methodical hierarchy developed herein is suggested to adopt in any industry to measure social sustainability subjected to the relevant refinements to the supply chains.

Abstract: Hyperglycemia caused cardiac cell damage by increasing ROS production in diabetic complications. The current study will prove the antioxidant activity of Swietenia macrophylla (S. macrophylla) extract nanoparticles as a protector against Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced cardiac cell damage. In this research, high-energy ball milling is used to make S. macrophylla extract nanoparticle. Furthermore, characterize the size of S. macrophylla extract nanoparticles with Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). Forty male rats were divided randomly into five groups. Control group: rats received orally aqua dest; Diabetic group: rats were injected STZ intraperitoneally; S. macrophylla group: rats were injected STZ and given orally with S. macrophylla extract nanoparticles. The DLS showed that the S. macrophylla extract nanoparticles size was 91.50 ± 23.06 nm. Injected with STZ significantly increased cardiac tissue of MDA levels, serum of CK-MB and LDH levels. STZ also significantly reduced expression of Nrf2, level of SOD and GPx in cardiac tissue compared with control group (p<0.05). In contrast, administration of S. macrophylla extract nanoparticles can prevent STZ-induced cardiac cell damage by decreasing level of CK-MB and LDH in serum, and level of MDA in cardiac tissue. S. macrophylla extract nanoparticles also significantly increments Nrf2 expression, SOD and GPx levels in cardiac tissue. These effects are related to the prevention of cardiac histopathological alteration (degeneration and necrosis) in diabetic rats. These results suggest that S. macrophylla nanoparticles might be a potential cardioprotective agent against STZ-induced cardiac cell damage due to its antioxidant properties

Microplastic pollution (MP) in marine environments around the globe is severe and enough precautions have not been taken so far for its prevention. The focus of this study is to quantify MPs from beach sediment and seawater samples and to identify their distribution and types along the western coast of Sri Lanka from the Kelani River estuary to the Mahaoya estuary. Nine sites along this 42 km stretch were selected and random sampling was employed to collect a minimum of 8 sediment samples from each site between October and December 2021. Water samples were also collected, parallel to the sediments, from the ocean surface. FTIR analysis revealed that most of the MPs found were polyethylene(PE), polypropylene(PP), polystyrene(PS), polyethylene terephthalate(PET), and phenol formaldehyde resin. The mean abundance of MPs varied from 2.0 ± 0.6 items/L to 161.0 ± 15.7 items/L in water samples and, from 3.0 ± 0.3 items/m2 to 656.0 ± 34.5 items/m2 in sediment samples. The MPs found were identified in different shapes as fragments (80.2%), pellets (14.9%), fibers (2.7%) and foams (2.5%). Analysis revealed that the beach sediments were contaminated with PS, phenol formaldehyde resin, PET, PP and PE, while surface seawater is dominated by phenol formaldehyde resin, PS, PP and PE.

The scarcity of surface water resources in the dry season in the Kilinochchi district increases the demand for freshwater. Therefore, the existing groundwater resources should be managed to overcome the situation. Several authors worldwide have published studies on the delineation of potential groundwater zone. However, only a few studies addressed the delineation of potential groundwater zones in the Kilinochchi district. This study aims to delineate potential groundwater zones in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka using integrated Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems, and Analytic Hierarchy Process techniques. Groundwater potential zones are demarcated for the Kilinochchi district by overlaying thematic layers: geology, geomorphology, land use/land cover, soil types, drainage density, slope, lineament, and rainfall. Saaty's scale was applied to the assigned weights of the chosen thematic layers and their features. The thematic layers were integrated into a Geographic Information System, and a weighted overlay analysis is carried out to delineate groundwater zones. Thus the resultant map is categorized into five different potential zones: very low, low, moderate, high, and very high. It was found that the very high groundwater potential zone is mainly found in the north-eastern part of the study area covering 111.26 km2. The upper north-western, middle, and eastern parts of the study area fall within the high groundwater potential zone covering about 507.74 km2. The moderate groundwater potential zones (309.89 km2) mainly occurred in the western part, and the extreme west part of the study area falls under low (207.78 km2) and very low (59.12 km2) zones. The groundwater potential map was validated with the existing seventy-nine wells, which indicated a good prediction accuracy of 81.8%. This research will help policymakers better manage the Kilinochchi district's groundwater resources and gives scope for further research into groundwater exploration in the area.

Fostering innovation is considered one of the key policy priorities in most governments' agendas in developing countries, and foreign direct investment (FDI) is considered a principal resource for financing sustainable development, corresponding to 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs). This study analyzes the extent to which inward FDI affects innovation (proxied with patent applications) in Sri Lanka using secondary data from 1990 to 2019. We used the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) cointegration procedure to examine the long-run relationships between variables. As per the study results, the coefficient of inward FDI is a negative sign while the coefficients of per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and high technology exports (HEX) show positive signs 2.142 and 0.414, respectively, and statistically significant in the long run. It is demonstrated that per capita GDP and high technology exports are an important variable in explaining technological innovation, and inward FDI and education expenditure (EDU) did not contribute towards widening technological innovation in Sri Lanka. Shaping the future of FDI in Sri Lanka is essential to foster innovation capability.

Streets are primary elements through which the character of urban neighborhoods are experienced and expressed. The “sense of safety” in neighborhood streets is paramount to social and psychological wellbeing of its residents and visitors. The intention of this study was to explore environmental and social cues of a neighborhood, which evoke fear of crime, which will help designers to prevent the generation of such negative feelings and promote more safe and comfortable spaces in our cities. This study used interviews, group discussions and observations to identify fear-generating factors with a sample of participants in the multi ethnic neighborhood of Kotahena in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Field data was analyzed through visual documentation and photographic surveys. Moreover, group discussions, interviews and personal observations were used to synergize the study objectives. The findings inform that fear of crime on streets is influenced by both environmental and social cues to varying degrees. Feelings of fear were associated with gender, ethnicity and less familiarity with the place as participants were from an ethnic minority within the community. Literature has emphasized that fear of crime has a connection to actual crime locations. The research findings, however, indicate that fear of crime spots identified by the residents do not have a direct relationship to the actual crime locations.

Yogyakarta City is one of the big city which is located in Java Island, Indonesia. Yogyakarta City, including study area (Pleret Sub District), are very prone to earthquake hazards, because close to several active earthquake sources. For example, Sunda Megathrust which often generates a big earthquake which can affect the study area. The Sunda Megathrust extends from north to south and west to east along the Sumatra and Java Islands. Furthermore, an active normal fault called as Opak Fault pass through right in the middle of Study area and divides the study area into east and west zone. Recently, after the devastating earthquake in 2006, the population of the study area increases significantly. As a result, the housing demand is also increasing. However, due to the absence of earthquake building code in the study area, locals tend to build improper new houses. Furthermore, in some part of the mountainous area in the study area, there are some building found in unstable slopes area. Due to this condition, the multi-hazard and risk study needs to be done in Pleret. The increasing of population and improper houses in Pleret Sub-District can lead to amplify the impact. Thus, the main objective of this study is to assess the multi-hazards and risk of earthquake and other related secondary hazards such as ground amplification, liquefaction, and coseismic landslide. The method mainly utilised the geographic information system, remote sensing and was fit up by the outcrop study. The results show that the middle part of the study area has a complex geological structure. It was indicated by a lot of unchartered faults was found in the outcrops. Furthermore, the relatively prone areas to earthquake can be determined. In term of the coseismic landslide, the prone area to the coseismic landslide is located in the east part of the study area in the middle slope of Baturagung Escarpment. The highly potential area of liquefaction is dominated in the central part of the study area. In term of building collapsed probability, the result shows that the safest house based on statistical analysis is the residential house with the building attribute of wood structure, roof cast material, distance more than 15 km from the earthquake source, and located above the Nglanggran Formation. Finally, the multi-hazard and risk analysis show that the middle part of the study area is more vulnerable than the other part of Pleret Sub-District.

The research analysed the publications metric of literature regarding the impact of socially responsible investing (SRI) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) on portfolio and financial performance. The study aimed to determine the latest trends, key themes, authors, and influential journals. Data from the SCOPUS database was used in this study. A total of 1377 research articles from academic journals related to this topic and published from 2013 to 2022, they data was cleaned to remove duplicate, and documents that do not meet the criteria of this study. For this bibliometric analysis, a total of 260 articles were chosen in order to summarise the collective knowledge and emerging patterns in ESG, SRI, ethical, and impact investing, a bibliometric analysis was employed. The thematic map classified the ESG, SRI, and performance relationship themes into four categories of themes: niche themes, motor themes (corporate financial performance, corporate social performance, ESG, ESG factors, sustainability, performance, integrated reporting, gender diversity, and board size), emerging or declining themes (social responsibility, environmental performance, socially responsible investment, ethical investment, and SRI), and basic or transversal themes (financial performance, corporate social performance, ESG performance, environmental, social, and governance). Social responsible investing, engagement, and ESG, implies a position between niche themes and highly developed topic/emerging or decreasing theme, and covid, ROA, while, tobin’s Q, implies a position between highly developed topic/emerging or decreasing theme and basic theme. The findings contribute to the enhanced understanding of ESG, SRI, ethical, and impact investing, which are crucial for an efficient capital market in promoting sustainability and sustainable development. The study offers vital practical implications and future research directions.

Background Recently, a surge of COVID 19 was observed globally, regionally and nationally. With increasing numbers of cases, the frequency of long COVID is on the rise. Management and control of long COVID depend on changes in respect of human behaviors and requires an understanding of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding health threats. MethodsA descriptive cross sectional study using online survey to gather data on the socio-economic background, knowledge, attitudes and practices on long-term complications of COVID. Results: Out of 201 respondents, 89.2% participants have heard about long-term complications of COVID 19. Only 35.9% have demonstrated adequate knowledge in the questions relating to co-morbidities and risk factors of COVID-19. A total of 92.2% believe that they should adhere to preventive measures following vaccination. Less than 60 % were following the advice on avoiding unnecessary travel and crowded places. Further, less than 50% were following COVID preventive measures. ConclusionAlthough the majority of participants have heard about long-term complications and common symptoms, the knowledge regarding co-morbidities that can lead to severe disease and long COVID was not satisfactory. The attitudes of the participants indicated increasing concern about long COVID. Practices indicate lack of adherence to key measures such as avoiding crowded places. These findings highlight the need for further increasing of awareness.

Autism has been described as a gastrointestinal and neurological condition that is represented by impairments in language and social situations. Recently reported increases in the occurrence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have resulted in increased research into the environmental differences between areas with a high occurrence, as in the “Western” diet populations, and a more locally derived diet population, wherein the rate appears to be significantly less. Thirty autistic children (USA) ages 6 to 21, were sampled at three different intervals: prior to any intervention, post-xylitol intervention, and post-probiotic intervention. The sampling consisted of buccal swabs for MITOSWAB testing, and saliva for metatranscriptomics to determine the entire range of microorganisms and the metabolome. In addition, a “Blue Zone” subject component that included 30 Colombian children, ages 6-16, and who were healthy and within normal behavior standards, also had buccal swabbing and salivary sampling performed for comparison along with 30 healthy (no history medications, illnesses, or behavior issues) USA children matched for age and gender. Saliva samples were analyzed metatranscriptomically and artificial intelligence was utilized to discern important differences in the microbiome that included bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses, and microbial functions. Significant differences were noted, and seen in the temporal data, demonstrating shifts that may have been precipitated by the interventions, with both the probiotics and the polyols. Particular bacterial strains were significantly more prevalent in the autism subject group including a strain that reduces neurotransmitters by enzymatic degradation. This provided supporting evidence to the hypothesis that the occurrence of autism may also be influenced by low Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA) levels during development. Also, of interest was the un-expected finding that verbal skills dramatically increased in 6 of the 30 ASD subjects following xylitol supplementation.

Holothuria scabra Jaeger 1833, known as sandfish visually, Its visible external body has a soft, flexible texture. Sandfish is included in the Echinodermata phylum and Holothuroidea class, which has an important ecological and economic role. This research proposes to decide the suitability site in an intermediate culture model of sea ranching harvest type based on ecological, socio-cultural and Karimunjawa National Park zoning plan. Data collected has done in March 2020, November 2020 and August 2021. The data analysed on the environmental suitability level was based on several essential criteria matrices used by ArcGIS 10.8.2. They were four classes performed (high suitable, suitable that is enough, suitable with conditionals, and not suitable) based on each variable and matrix classification from main factor (6 variables), supporting factor (5 variables), dan another factors (1 variable). The highest score was 35, and the lowest was 23 during the class interval value. The analysis showed that the aquatic environment that was High Suitable (S1) for sandfish life was Gede Lagoon. It has been determined to be highly suitable for developing sandfish cultivation. Furthermore, the Sea Ranching Harvesting Type development would recommend being carried out in waters that do not have limiting factors.

The purpose of this study was to see how feeding cotton gin trash (CGT) as an alternative meal affected the growth performance, carcass features, and meat quality of Mecheri ram lambs. A growth performance trial was conducted with thirty-two weaned Mecheri ram lambs from four months to nine months (180 days) of marketing age and assigned into four groups (T1, T2, T3 and T4) of eight animals in each group. The lambs were fed with CGT at 0 (T1), 25 (T2), 50 (T3) and 75 (T4) per cent inclusion levels in the roughage portion at 60:40 roughage: concentrate ratio. All the group of animals were fed on dry matter requirement basis at four per cent of their body weight. The lambs fed with 75 (T4) and 50 (T3) per cent inclusion level of CGT showed signifi-cantly (P<0.01) higher total body weight gain (kg) than T1 (14.54) and T2 (15.05) groups. The av-erage daily gain (g) of lambs in T3 (99.24) and T4 (105.51) were significantly (P<0.01) higher than T1 (80.77) and T2 (83.61) groups. Over the course of the 180-day trial period, there was no statisti-cally significant difference in the average DMI (g) between the groups (P>0.05), however the lambs in T4 demonstrated higher feed efficiency (7.4) than the T1 (9.3) group. The slaughter studies revealed that the lambs in T4 followed by T3 group registered significantly (P<0.01) higher hot carcass weight, dressing percentage and Meat: Bone ratio than T2 and T1 group ani-mals. The weights of the liver, spleen, head, stomach, and intestines empty were considerably (P<0.05) larger in the T3 and T4 groups than in the other groups, although there was no signifi-cant (P>0.05) difference in the weights of edible and inedible offals. Meanwhile, there were no significant variations (P>0.05) in pH, water holding capacity, shear force value, sensory charac-teristics, or proximate composition of meat across treatment groups. In accordance to the find-ings, CGT can be added up to 75% of the roughage component in sheep feed as an effective un-conventional supplementation, as it improves body weight, feed efficiency, and carcass characteristics in Mecheri ram lambs.

Eggplant or brinjal is one of the most consumed and important nutrient-dense tropical solanaceous vegetable crops grown worldwide. Little leaf is a disease especially widespread in brinjal in India where it is associated with the presence of phytoplasmas. To clarify the epidemiology of this disease and verify its seed transmission potential, seedlings and their progeny derived from symptomatic mother plants field-collected in Dharwad district of Karnataka State, India, were sowed under insect proof conditions in greenhouse. The resulting first- and second-generation seedlings obtained were tested at different times after germination by DNA extraction and amplification of 16S rRNA gene of phytoplasmas. Tissues from field collected symptomatic brinjal plants were also tested following the same procedure. The amplicons obtained were subjected to restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis and sequencing for phytoplasma identification. The detected phytoplasmas belonged to 16SrI, 16SrII, 16SrIII, 16SrV, 16SrVI, and 16SrXII groups. Several fruits produced from the first-generation seedlings showed germination of the seeds inside the fruit and resulted to be phytoplasma positive. This demonstrates the seed transmission of phytoplasmas in eggplants for two subsequent generations. This finding highlights the risk of additional source of infection represented by asymptomatic and infected seedlings under field conditions and contribute to explain the epidemic spread of phytoplasmas in brinjal cultivations in India and in the other eggplant growing areas of the world.

ICT and digital technology adoption, sustainable development, community empowerment and local wisdom and destinations uniqueness are keywords that will be further explored in the de-velopment of tourism villages in Kenderan as the most importance of tourism destinations de-velopment from the village level. Therefor this research is aimed at developing suitable model for post smart or wise tourism village through proposing Culture and Tradition Festival and the application of a circular economy. Circular economy development in tourism villages focuses on the application of sustainable production principles in the tourism value chain, namely in creating tourism experiences together with tourists (co-creation of experience) and integrated in a tourism system that supports environmental sustainability. This research is applied research conducted with a sequential mixed method research by conducting qualitative research through expert judgment and quantitative research by circulating questionnaire to tourists visiting Kenderan village, while the collected data is analyzed by Structural Equation Modelling to see the rela-tionship between variables. The results of this research show that creative event as the locality aspects of tourist village, digital competence, and sustainability practice are the building blocks of post smart tourism village, while digital competence and sustainable practice have significant mediating effect of locality on post smart tourism village. To make tourism village possesses sustainable competitive advantages, the village must explore and promote its locality aspects to differentiate its tourist village by identifying the valuable, rare, inimitable and non-substitutable tourism resources. The implication of this research is that to develop smart tourism destination wiser and distinctive, tourist village should explore their local values and resources, embed them into its tourism basic components and core resources, and co create, distribute, deliver and promote it to global market through technology adoption and global sustainability value.

A novel method proposed in the production of Calophyllum inophyllum biodiesel has been investigated experimentally. In this study, we report the results of biodiesel processing with electromagnetic induction technology. The method used is to compare the results of Calophyllum inophyllum biodiesel processing between conventional, microwave and electromagnetic induction. The degumming, transesterification, and esterification process of the 3 methods are measured by stopwatch to obtain time comparison data. Characteristics of viscosity, density, and Fatty Acid Metil Ester (FAME) were obtained from testing of a Gas Chromatography-mass Spectrometry (GCMS) at the Polytechnic Chemistry Laboratory of the State of Malang. The results show that the biodiesel produced by this method satisfies the biodiesel standards and their characteristics are better than the biodiesel produced by conventional and microwave methods. The electromagnetic induction method also offers a fast and easy route to produce biodiesel with the advantage of increasing the reaction rate and improving the separation process compared to other methods. This advanced technology has the potential to significantly increase biodiesel production with considerable potential to reduce production time and costs.

The persistence of Salmonella and Campylobacter in chicken meat is a considerable public health risk and a future challenge. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Salmonella and Campyl-obacter in poultry processing lines where different chlorination techniques were used. The sam-ples were collected from four types of processing plants considering the chlorine concentration used in the chill tank, which ranged from 2 ppm to 50 ppm. Salmonella and Campylobacter were isolated from carcass washings, neck skin, and, caecal samples. Subsequently, an antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed for the isolates. The results revealed the overall prevalence of Salmonella and Campylobacter was 78.25%, and 64% respectively. Positive percentages of Salmonella and Campylobacter were high in carcasses compared to neck skin and caeca. Carcass Campylobacter counts at higher chlorine concentrations ranging from 20 – 50 ppm was significantly low (p

Adherence with multidrug therapy (MDT) is one of the keys to successful treatment of leprosy. In order to understand the treatment behavior, reasons for non-adherence, and efforts to improve medication adherence, it is necessary to use a valid and reliable instrument to measure adherence to MDT in multibacillary leprosy patients on regular basis. This study used a mixed method de-sign. The instrument development phase involved 10 experts using 4 rounds of Delphi method. Assessment items that are considered relevant are those that meet 4-5 Likert scale by a minimum of 75% of experts or meet assessment score >3.75. We did the pilot testing and the questionnaire was revised if invalid. After obtaining a valid and reliable instrument, it was tested to 100 sub-jects in 4 health centers. For internal validity test, 9 valid assessment items were obtained, with the correlation coefficient values of each item >0.3, and -Cronbach's reliability of 0.723. The instru-ment produced had sensitivity of 88.46% and specificity of 78.37%. From 100 subjects enrolled, 61% had good adherence and 39% had poor adherence based on questionnaire assessment. A valid and reliable questionnaire for evaluating adherence with MDT in Indonesian patients has been composed.

Different external stimuli are perceived by multiple sensor histidine kinases and transmitted by phosphorylation via the phosphotransfer protein Ypd1p in the multistep phosphorelay system of the high osmolarity glycerol signaling pathway of filamentous fungi. How the signal propagation takes place is still not known in detail, since multiple sensor histidine kinase genes in most filamentous fungi are coded in the genome, whereas only one gene for Ypd1 exists. That raises the hypothesis that various Ypd1 isoforms are produced from a single gene sequence, perhaps by alternative splicing, facilitating a higher variability in signal transduction. We found that the mRNA of MoYPD1 in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae is subjected to an increased structural variation and amplified putative isoforms on a cDNA level. We then generated mutant strains overexpressing these isoforms, purified the products and present here one previously unknown MoYpd1 isoform on a proteome level. Alternative splicing was found to be a valid molecular mechanism to increase the signal diversity in eukaryotic multistep phosphorelay systems.

Despite advances in algorithms and computational platforms, de-novo genome assembly remains a challenging process. Due to the constant innovation in sequencing technologies (Sanger, SOLiD, Illumina, 454, PacBio and Oxford Nanopore), genome assembly has evolved to respond to the changes in input data type. This paper includes a broad and comparative review of the most recent short-read, long-read and hybrid assembly techniques. In this review, we provide (1) an algorithmic description of the important processes in the workflow that introduces fundamental concepts and improvements; (2) a review of existing software that explains possible options for genome assembly; and (3) a comparison of the accuracy and the performance of existing methods executed on the same computer using the same processing capabilities and using the same set of real and synthetic datasets. Such evaluation allows a fair and precise comparison of accuracy in all aspects. As a result, this paper identifies both the strengths and weaknesses of each method. This comparative review is unique in providing a detailed comparison of a broad spectrum of cutting-edge algorithms and methods.

Wet coffee processing methods will produce wastewater containing organic matter. The high content of organic matter can be utilized as biogas through the anaerobic process. Anaerobic digesters construction can affect removal process of wastewater pollution and biogas quantity. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of digester construction between conventional digester, CSTR and UASB producing biogas from coffee wastewater. The conventional digester worked without temperature control system as control, a UASB digester, and CSTR digester worked with temperature control system. Biomass volume was about 5 L with 35 days incubation time. Temperature and pH for UASB and CSTR were set within the range 30 – 35^oC and pH 6.0 – 8.0. Based on the feeding variations, UASB has a stable performance with 83.57 ml/day of average biogas production. It has also highest remediation efficiency of COD, BOD and C/N with 85.00±0.34 %, 84.40%± 5.66 and 97.78± 0.57.

This paper will discuss the application of statistic modeling to interpret a health system crisis in Sri Lanka due to COVID- 19.A strong focus on the preventive approach and the contact tracing with the utilization of available resources in a rational manner describes Sri Lanka’s response towards COVID- 19 prevention and mitigation. The early contact tracing, preemptive quarantining, isolation, and treatment were implemented as a concerted effort. This approach, proven efficient during the early phase of the pandemic, was sustainable when there was a rapid increase in the COVID- 19 patients since July 2021, exceeding the health system capacity.The country’s COVID- 19 situation during the period from 01st of August 2021 to 31st of October 2021 was taken into consideration. Variables used for analysis were; total number of cases, recovered cases, comorbid and O₂ dependent patients, ICU patients, and deaths. The regression model was applied to analyze the data by using the EViews 12 (x64) software application.The correlation coefficients of all the independent variables under consideration implies that they have a strong positive relationship with the number of deaths occurred during the said period. According to the computed multiple linear regression model, the number of positive cases and O₂ dependents have a positive relationship with the dependent variable. Further, the Durbin- Watson stat value of the model and multicollinearity test reflect that it is free from serial correlation thereby the model is fit. From the perspective of epidemiological control, these findings highlight the importance of keeping the number of cases within the limits of health system capacity.

This Article demonstrates how an eigendecomposition problem is inputted into a quantum circuit, how gates are applied in the quantum circuit, and how the output measurements are the correct eigenvalues. This process is known as quantum phase estimation (QPE). A quantum harmonic oscillator example, a foundational quantum physical chemistry problem, is demonstrated within the context of QPE. A particle in a box example, another quantum physical chemistry problem, may be solved by QPE with a caveat. These examples are of the limiting cases of diagonal matrices. Future advances in taking matrix inverses for solving linear sets of equations or finding ground state energies in the Schrödinger equation will use the principles implemented in this Article.

Obesity has become a rising global health problem affecting adults’ quality of life. The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of obesity in Indonesian adults based on the cluster of islands. The study was also aimed to identify the risk factors of obesity in each island cluster. This study analysed secondary data of Indonesian Basic Health Research 2018. Our data for analysis comprised 688,638 adults (>=15 years) randomly selected using proportionate to population size throughout Indonesia. We included 20 variables for sociodemographic and obesity-related risk factors for analysis. Obese status was defined using Body Mass Index (BMI) >= 27.5 kg/m2. Our current study defined seven major islands cluster as the unit analysis consisting of 34 provinces in Indonesia. Descriptive analysis was conducted to determine the characteristics of the population and to calculate the prevalence of obesity within provinces in each of the island’s clusters. Multivariate logistic regression analyses to calculate odds ratios (ORs) was performed using R version 3.6.3. The study results showed that all island clusters had at least one province with an obesity prevalence of more than 20%. Six out of twenty variables, comprising four diet factors (consumption of sweet food, high-salt food, meat food, and carbonated drinks) and two other factors (mental health disorders and smoking behaviour), varied across the island clusters. In conclusion, there was a variation of obesity prevalence of the provinces within and between island clusters. Variation of risk factors raised in each cluster island suggested the government rethink and reframe the intervention to address obesity.

Advances in technology and information systems have had a major impact on people's lives and activities. Smartphone use plays an important role in many areas, including housing governance. One of the problems faced by housing administrators is administrative management, which is still manual. To overcome this, it is proposed to use a web-based application. A literature study was conducted to support the development of this application. Data collection through interviews and observations was carried out to obtain system requirements. The Agile Scrum method is used in making applications. These applications have non-functional requirements such as security, availability, performance, usability, and compatibility. Implementation using PHP and MySQL. Testing is done to ensure the application functions properly. This application allows administrators to manage citizen data, payment of contributions, billing, and print financial reports. Residents can upload proof of transfer and print proof of payment. It is hoped that this application will facilitate housing administration, improve the quality of life in the community, and create a better housing environment.

Degradation of environment quality is currently the prime cause of the recent occurrence of natural disasters; it also contributes in the increase of the area that is prone to natural disasters. This research is aimed to map the potential of areas around Pesanggrahan river in DKI Jakarta by segmenting the Digital Elevation Model derived from LIDAR data. The objective of this segmentation is to find the watershed lines of the DEM image. Data processing in this research is using LIDAR data which take the ground surface data, which is overlaid with Jakarta river map and subsequently, the data is then segmented the image. The expected result of the research is the flood potential area information, especially along the Pesanggrahan river in South Jakarta.

Vavuniya District is located in the lowland dry zone district of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, which is still unexplored with a natural forest cover of 1,238 km2. Literature relates to the avifaunal birds is still a gap in the Vavuniya, as there are already studies about the diversity of water avifaunal species. In addition to that, the habitat diversity within the study area was discussed using a prepared checklist and the community indices like the Shannon-Weiner index (H’), Simpson’s diversity index (D), Simpson’s evenness (E), and Species richness (R) across various habitat ecosystems: Woodland-Paddy land (H1); Woodland-Water catchment area (H2); Forest (H3); Grassland with inundated land ecosystem (H4); and Manage garden with Occasional trees (H5); of the Pampaimadu premise, University of Vavuniya. The study area is located 10 km from the center of Vavuniya along the A30 highway, with the dry-mixed evergreen forest as vegetation. The checklist resulted in the observation of 93 avifaunal species belonging to 47 families (including 9 endemics, and 5 nationally threatened species). Family Columbidae (Rock Pigeon: Columba livia (n=123)) is found (68%) to be observed with the highest frequency and evenly distributed across different habitats but the family Ardeidae is found extensively dominating in H5 (39%). H1 is with the highest H` (3.5) and D (0.96); while H3 has the highest R (2.52) and E (0.62). Many anthropogenic disturbances, such as habitat alterations, intentional wildfire, and road mortality are the key threats encountered by the avifaunal species in the study area.

This paper systematically identifies the constructs and indicators to measure Sri Lankan rice farmers’ Sustainable Agriculture potential (SAP) in the regions of Mahaweli Block H in Anuradhapura district, a dominant rice cultivation district in the country. Insights from Rural Livelihood Assessment Framework helped identify the primary constructs of SAP: The constructs of farmers’ SAP are derived as Human, Social, Financial, Physical, and Natural capitals. The principles of Sustainable Agriculture discussed in modern literature and the various research studies carried out in this domain are insightful to derive an exhaustive list of indicators that might adequately explain the constructs of SAP. The researcher adopted a quantitative descriptive approach, developed a comprehensive set of indicators (130), pre-tested them, and conducted a pilot survey with 64 samples. The measurement model analysis techniques in PLS-SEM helped shorten the Questionnaire with the most productive questions (87). This short-listed Questionnaire was again surveyed in a larger sample space, 386, to attest to their validity further. The study found five constructs and 87 productive questions that can explain farmers’ SAP, and the researcher believes that these compositions of SAP and the indicators will be helpful for future researchers.

Tropical island countries are often highly populated and deliver immense ecosystem service benefits. As human wellbeing depends on these ecosystems proper management is crucial in the resource-rich tropical lands where related research is less. Though the ecosystem service and biodiversity studies are a promising path to inform the ecosystem management for these mostly developing countries published evidence of using ecosystem service studies in decision-making is lacking. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of ecosystem services and related research in Sri Lanka examining trends and gaps and how these studies are conceptualized. Out of considered 139 peer-reviewed articles majority of articles 42.4% were terrestrial and forest related while coastal ecosystems were considered in 34.5% of studies. In most studies, the ecosystem service category was provisioning (33.8%) followed by regulatory service (30.9%). Studies investigating and quantifying ecosystem services, pressures on ecosystems, and their management were fewer compared to studies related to biodiversity or species introduction. Moreover, studies investigating the value of ecosystem services and biodiversity to the communities or involvement of stakeholders in the development of management actions regarding the ecosystem services were rare in Sri Lanka and intense focus of future studies in these aspects are timely and necessary.

The objective of the present study is to isolate phages targeting multidrug resistant (MDR), extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) positive clinical isolate of E. coli ( U1007), sequence and analyze the phage genome and use machine learning tools to predict host cell surface receptor and finally evaluate the efficiency of monophage and phage cocktail in vitro and in vivo in a zebrafish model. Phage specific for E. coli U1007 was isolated from Ganges River (designated as U1G), Cuoom River (designated as CR) and Hospital waste water (designated as M phage). The obtained phages were triple purified and enriched. U1G phages had a greater burst size of 124 PFU/cell and a latent time of 25 min.M phage had a burst size of 150 PFU/cell with a shortlatent time of 20min. Similarly CR phage has a short latent 20 min and a burst size of 115 PFU/cell. Based on capsid architecture, U1G phage resembles Podoviridae, CR phage is structurally similar to Myoviridae and M phage has morphology that resembles Siphoviridae. Genome sequencing and analysis revealed that the size of the U1G phage genome is 73275 bp Whereas that of CR phage and M phage are 45236 bp and 45294 bp, respectively. All three genomes were marked by the absence of genes encoding tRNA sequence, antibiotic resistant or virulent genes. A machine learning (ML) based multi-class classification model using algorithms such as Random Forest, Logistic Regression, and Decision Tree were employed to predict the host receptor targeted by all 3 phages and the best performing algorithm Random Forest predicted LPS O antigen , LamB or OmpC for U1G FhuA, OmpC for CR phage and FhuA, LamB, TonB or OmpF for the M phage as the host receptor targeted by the receptor binding protein (RBP) of the phages. In vitro time kill assay showed that treatment with monophages alone and along with colistin resulted in regrowth whereas phage combinations significantly reduced the regrowth and by 24h the phage cocktail along with colistin produced a significant 3 log declinein cell counts relative to the untreated control. In vivo intramuscular infection study in zebrafish showed that phages were non toxic and a cocktail of dual (U1G +M) phage along with colsitin resulted in a significant 3.5 log decline in cell counts whereas triple phage combination along with colistin resulted in 3 log decline in cell counts probably due to host receptor competition. Our study highlights the potential of phage cocktail therapy in mitigating MDR clinical isolate of E. coli in vitro and in vivo.

Desertification and dune progression over vegetation is quantified using remote sensing data, but vegetation, eventually temporarily, buried under sand blowout may escape such assessment, and to estimate the extent of buried vegetation, a GPR campaign was conducted over the coastal sand-dune of Tottori Prefecture (Japan) in combination with a high-resolution topographic UAV-based survey of the topography. The result shows that buried vegetation exists underneath sand-blowout, especially near the dune ridges, and that this vegetation can extend 20 – 30 m further than the estimation made from airborne remote sensing. Furthermore, the presence of palaeo-vegetation in palaeodune layers also provide information on the long-term evolution of sand dunes (with periods of stability vs rapid change), which can be used to reconstruct Quaternary coastal environments.

Debris-flows are recurrent events on mountain- and hill- slopes, and they have been the object of numerous field investigations and sampling, however most of this work reposes on imagery and outcrop analysis, in such a way that there are still only a handful of studies investigating the internal architecture of these events’ deposits. In the present contribution, we aims at underneath the internal structure of a portion of a debris-flow deposit that was accessible in the aftermath of the 2018 heavy-rainfall debris-flows in Hiroshima Japan. Using a Ramac Pro-Ex GPR with 500 MHz and 800 MHz antenna, a set of longitudinal and transversal transects was used to characterize the deposit. The results demonstrated that a set of subhorizontal layers have filled the valley, and interacting with local terrace edges, these layers have piled up and overcome the obstacle. Across the valleys, a set of trough suggest the presence of channels that were also filled during the event. Finally, in the channel post-event, a set of radargram “cross-bedded units” shows that the final deposition in the channel was of a more dilute flow, typical of a Newtonian flow. This set of units was not to be found at the surface of the post-event pseudo-surface, suggesting that the flow ended as a debris-flow on this surface, and that it is only when the flow dug the final channel that the nature of the flow returned from debris-flow to Newtonian flow.

The rural population in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka is largely affected by Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown etiology (CKDu). According to the multidisciplinary research carried out so far, quality of groundwater was considered one of the possible causative factors for CKDu. Therefore, the assessment of water quality variations and evolution mechanism of water quality parameters of drinking water sources is important for identifying any relationships between CKDu and the drinking water quality. The current study aimed to perform a detailed hydrogeochemical investigation using isotopic and chemical methods on selected groundwater sources in the CKDu-endemic, non-endemic and control areas. TDS, hardness, Mg2+, Na+ and F- are the main parameters that cause water quality deterioration but, their derived mechanism in these three regions are completely different. The excess concentrations of F- and Mg2+ in the CKDu endemic area, low F- and high Mg2+in the CKDu non-endemic sedimentary formation, and either combinations of low F- and low Mg2+, high F- and low Mg2+ or low F- with high Mg2+ in the control area are the distinct features. The primary processes that regulate the evolution of groundwater types in CKDu endemic and control area is the weathering of silicates. Similarly, in the CKDu endemic area, carbonate dissolution and reverse ion exchange are prominent. Cation exchange and evaporite dissolution are more pronounced in the control area. Shallow groundwaters are evapo-concentrated hence it further deteriorates quality when compared to the deep groundwater with non-mixed, non-evaporated, and higher elevation recharge effect (from 100 m altitude) in the CKDu endemic area. Dilution decreases the ion content in the CKDu endemic area while evaporite dissolution further increase it in the control area after the rainy season. Evaporation, and seawater mixing affected the quality of groundwater in the non-endemic sedimentary formation. A statistically significant difference of F- ionic ratio with Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+ in the endemic and control areas. Intense rock weathering combined with the desorption added excess F- to the groundwater in the CKDu endemic area while the cation exchange and fluorite dissolution is contributing factor in CKDu control area. All the groundwater samples analyzed have exceeded the moderate hardness threshold. However, prominent Mg hardness proportion together with excess F- in the CKDu endemic area may produce nephrotoxic MgF2 complexes that may trigger renal damage. In contrast, produced NaF complexes in the CKDu control area leads to reduction of F- toxicity in the human body. Therefore, increased levels of magnesium, fluoride and TDS in the shallow groundwater, along with geochemical, hydrogeological and climatic factors, may contribute to the CKDu in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka.

Callus induction of F. moluccana (sengon) was still an obstacle to indirect organogenesis regeneration. The purpose of the study was to determine the callus induction formation from root fragments of F. moluccana plantlets. Primary explants (fragments of roots) were cultivated on MS induction basal media and three concentration combination of PGRs (BAP and NAA): 0.5 ml/l BAP; 0,1 ml/l NAA (single PGR); and combination of 0.5 ml/l BAP + 0.1 ml/l NAA (double PGR). When roots were used as explants, high formation rates of callus (more than 70%) were obtained. Highest formation rates of callus were in NAA added at all clones (12 clones), then BAP added (7 clones) and BAP + NAA added (5 clones). The results indicated that BAP and NAA concentrations used in the media were influence the producing callus and affect the amount of callus produced from roots of sengon. The addition of NAA also gives higher callus proliferation results than the addition of BAP or the addition of a combination of the two hormones. The results indicated that BAP and NAA concentrations used in the media were influence the producing callus and affect the amount of callus produced from roots of sengon.

Sri Lanka's vulnerability to climate change-induced natural disasters, particularly floods, under-scores the urgent need for an integrated approach to disaster risk management (DRM) that ad-dresses the interconnected challenges within the water-food-land-energy nexus. The Deduru Oya basin, located in the north-western region, exemplifies this vulnerability, with its predominantly intermediate climatic zone susceptible to flooding. While the focus has traditionally been on flood risk reduction, it is imperative to recognize the broader implications of floods on water, food, land, and energy systems. This study aims to strengthen data acquisition and management efforts to better understand rainfall trends and their impact on the water-food-land-energy nexus in the Deduru Oya basin. By compiling 60 years of rainfall data and conducting time series analysis, we observed a decreasing trend in monthly rainfall, particularly during the South-West Monsoon, Second Inter Monsoon, and North-East Monsoon seasons. These findings have significant implica-tions for water availability, agricultural productivity, land use patterns, and energy generation in the basin. Moreover, the malfunction of stakeholders' responsibilities for local-level flood risk management exacerbates the challenges faced by communities living in flood-prone areas. By in-tegrating insights from this study into flood risk management strategies, stakeholders can develop holistic approaches that not only mitigate flood risk but also enhance resilience across the water-food-land-energy nexus. This interdisciplinary approach will inform policymakers, flood manag-ers, practitioners, and the community in formulating effective strategies to address the multifacet-ed challenges posed by floods in the Deduru Oya basin and beyond.

In this study, three paddy harvesting systems; manual harvesting of paddy (MHP), reaper harvesting of paddy (RHP), and combine harvesting of paddy (CHP) were evaluated considering field capacities, field efficiencies, time and fuel consumption, mechanization indices, greenhouse gas emissions, straw availability, and direct and indirect costs. Field experiments were conducted in North central province of Sri Lanka. The effective field capacity, field efficiency and fuel consumption of the combine harvester were 0.34 hah-1, 60.8%, and 34.1 Lha-1, respectively, and those of the paddy reaper were 0.185 hah-1, 58.2%, and 3.8 Lha-1, respectively. The total time consumed by MHP, RHP, and CHP were 76.05 hha-1, 39.76 hha-1, and 2.94 hha-1, respectively. The highest energy utilization was recorded by the CHP, at 1851.09 MJha-1, while MHP recorded the lowest at 643.20 MJha-1. The direct cost of the MHP was 1.50 and 1.52 times higher than those of the CHP and RHP, respectively. MHP recorded the lowest greenhouse gas emissions (32.94 kgCO2eqha-1), while CHP recorded the highest (176.29 kgCO2eqha-1). The RHP exhibited an intermediate level in all aspects. Although the CHP has higher field performance and direct costs, it brings higher GHG emissions and indirect costs. Therefore, an optimum level of mechanization should be introduced for the long-term sustainability of both the environment and farming.

The coastal dry zone areas of Sri Lanka mostly rely on ground water as the potable drinking water source because pipe born water is rarely provided. Most of the domestic units construct dug wells adjacent to houses where the ground water is exposed to fecal contamination due to pit – latrines. There available standards and commonly accepted factors regulating the construction of ground water extraction sources yet there is lack of evidence whether following them effectively prevent ground water fecal contamination. This research focus on applicability of commonly accepted factors on preventing the pit latrines correlated ground water contamination, taking twenty (20) sampling locations of Kalpitiya Peninsula of Sri Lanka as the case study area. The ground water was tested for Total coliform bacteria at 37 °C and E.Coil at 44 °C to identify the water quality level related to fecal contamination. The depth of water table, gap of infiltration layer, depth of latrine pit and distance between dug well and latrine pit were identified as the most commonly considered factors. Accordingly, case specific and area specific reasons apart from the ‘commonly accepted factors’ are highly influencing the pit latrines correlated ground water contamination in Kalpitiya Peninsula, Sri Lanka.

Background - Chronic kidney disease with unknown aetiology (CKDu) is a progressing disease which is affecting many Sri Lankans’ yearly, this disease is slow progressive, irreversible and asymptomatic disease. Patients suffering from CKDu over the past two decades have been evaluated using the estimated glomerular filtration rate (e-GFR). This is the standard test performed under WHO guidelines to investigate and grade the CKDu, and this creatinine clearance is measured in this in order to grade the patient. Backache has been a common symptom presented in most of the chronic kidney disease patients (CKD), patients with CKDu are liable to get backache due to the renal failure that takes place (Jayathilake et al., 2013; Redmon et al., 2016). Objective – To detect a correlation between serum creatinine values and level of backache presented in the patient. Method -Using an interview based questionnaire to assess patients’ body condition and the degree of backache is assessed, 59 patients were part of the study for a period of five months and had an average age of 60.3 years. The questionnaire answers are scaled into four main types of backache from the least to the most painful based on the pain scale adapted from Kapkia. Serum creatinine is measured using an automated analyzer which is measured using Jaffe’s reaction. Using Pearson R correlation, the relationship was determined between serum creatinine and backache (Kafkia et al., 2011). Results – The results were obtained for 58 patients (n=58), where the mean backache score was 2.30 and mean serum creatinine value 2.77. The Pearson R value obtained was 0.01 which is indicating almost no relationship between backache and serum creatinine. Patients with stage 3 kidney disease (n=14) had an average E-GFR of 38.0, stage 4 (n=38) with 22.3 and stage 5 (n=6) with 14.0. Conclusion – Backache can be used an indicator of CKDu since it is presented in most patients’ suffering from the disease but unable to be used to determine the stage of CKDu suffered by the patient due to the external causes that leads to backache. Several predisposing factors such as temperature, water source and agricultural activity can influence the backache.

Biological control provides a safer alternative to reduce the population of agricultural pest. Mirabilis jalapa is one of biopesticides containing chemical substances that have a feeding deterrent property against Spodoptera litura as folifagus insect pest. This study aimed to analyze the humoral and cellular immunes responses of S. litura after exposure to biopesticide extracted from M. jalapa. The measured indicator immune responses were activity of hemocyte, lectin, phenoloxidase (PO), and phagocytic activity. The results showed that the average total hemocyte was different significantly depending on the treatment. Exposure to 0.1% and 0.2% (w/v) of M. jalapa extract increased the total number of hemocytes as much as 38.08% and 64.15%, respectively. Lectin was quickly formed at 0.1% and 0.2% (w/v) concentrations. The amount of PO enzymes was significantly different at sublethal concentrations compared with control samples (P < 0.05). The highest increase in PO activity occurred at 2 h post-treatment and at M. jalapa extract concentrations of 0.2% (592.33 IU/mg) and 0.1% (521.33 IU/mg), whereas the highest concentration of the extract (0.8% w/v) caused a decrease in lectin and PO activities. In terms of phagocytic activity, the proportion of phagocytosis cells were 47.62% in control group, and decreased significanlty in both concentrations exposure.

Indian pangolins are insectivorous mammals with less-known ecology. Due to the lack of sufficient literature on their dietary ecology, captive raring of this species has become problematic. This article describes data on dietary composition and foraging habitats of the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) in a tropical lowland forest-associated landscape in Southwest Sri Lanka. Five different types of habitats were investigated in this study: Forest, rubber plantation, cinnamon cultivation, oil palm plantation, and tea-dominated home gardens. Foraging preference of the Indian pangolin for each habitat was assessed using signs of foraging activities. To further observe the foraging habitat utilization of pangolins, photographic evidences were collected using Infrared (IR) active camera traps located in all the studied habitats. Faecal samples collected from same habitats were further examined to identify the dietary composition of Indian Pangolins. As termites and ants are major prey organisms of Indian pangolins, the digestibility of different body parts –heads, mouthparts, abdomens, and legs of termites and ants was also scrutinized. The findings of the study with regard to dietary ecology will be important for both captive feed preparation and future conservation planning of the species

Although urbanization has contributed to improving living conditions, it has had negative impacts on the natural environment in the urbanized areas. Urbanization has changed the urban landscape and resulted in increasing land surface temperature (LST). Thus, studies related to LST in various urban environments have become a popular research topic. However, few LST studies focusing on the mountain landscapes (i.e. hill stations) have been carried out. The primary objective of this study is to investigate changes in the landscape and their impacts on LST intensity (LSTI) in the tropical mountain city of Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka. The study utilized annual median temperatures extracted from Landsat data collected from 1996 to 2017 based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) interface. The fractions of built-up (BL), forest (FL), and agricultural (AL) land were calculated using land use and cover maps based on the urban-rural zone (URZ) analysis. The urban-rural margin was demarcated based on the fraction of BL (<10%) and LSTI was measured using the mean LST difference in the urban-rural zone. In addition, the mixture of land use types was calculated using the AL/FL and BL/FL fraction ratios, and grid-based density analysis. The result shows that the BL in all URZ rapidly developed, while AL decreased during the period 1996 to 2017. There was minimal change in the forest area of the Nuwara Eliya owing to the government forest preservation policies. The fraction of the BL increased from 32.4% in 1996 to 58.7% in 2017 in the city center zone (URZ₁) resulting in increased mean LST by 4.7 °C. Furthermore, the increase of the BL/FL fraction ratio and the decrease of the AL/FL fraction ratio were positively correlated with the mean LST. Grid-based analysis showed an increasing positive relationship between mean LST and density of BL. This indicated that BL density has been a crucial element in increasing LST in the study area. The results of this study will be a useful indicator to introduce improved landscape and urban planning in the future to minimize the negative impact of LST on urban sustainability.

The era of globalization of the industrial revolution 4.0 was also marked by rapid economic, social, scientific, and technological developments. Currently, the company was demanded to maximize all its potential to compete with other companies. For this reason, it was hoped that companies could understand the importance of knowledge management-based intellectual capital through outreach, externalization, internalization, and combinations that had implications for improving employee performance and competency. This study was to identify and describe the enhancement of performance and competency-based on the optimization of the intellectual capital model in terms of critical thinking analysis. This study used a qualitative approach with critical thinking analysis through literature study methods. The findings results of this study were to improve performance and competency were the basic measurement models of intellectual capital, new intellectual capital measurement models in empirical studies, intellectual capital measurement models with bottlenecks, and environmental-based intellectual capital models. This study concluded that intellectual capital measurement should be determined as accumulation and interpretation in the proposed model for a company that was an applied subject with a qualitative intellectual capital index system, to provide a good tool for companies to managed intellectual capital.

The onset of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has challenged the worldwide healthcare sector, including dentistry. The highly infectious nature of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus and risk of transmission through aerosol generating procedures has profoundly impacted the delivery of dental care services globally for months causing prioritization of critical dental needs and suspension of routine dental procedures. As dental practices with strengthened infection control strategies and preventive measures are re-opening in the “new normal” period, it is the responsibility of healthcare professionals to constantly analyze new data and limit the spread of COVID-19 in dental care settings. With the new variants of SARS-CoV-2 rapidly emerging in different geographic locations, a definite need to comply more than ever with the rigorous public health measures to mitigate COVID -19 transmission exists. The aim of this article is to provide dental clinicians with essential information regarding both the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus and protective measures against COVID-19 transmission in dental facilities. By compiling guidance and standard protocols recommended by credible national and international organizations, this article serves as an aid to navigating through this unprecedented time with ease. Much to learn about COVID-19 exists and because of constant ongoing research, we are not aware of all of the newly found information. However, in this paper, we reviewed the available literature recommended for the best current practices that must be taken for a dental office to function safely and successfully.

Public health is an important aspect of community activities, making research on health necessary because it is a crucial field in maintaining and improving the quality of life in society as a whole. Research in public health allows for a deeper understanding of the health problems faced by a population, including disease prevalence, risk factors and other determinants of health. This work aims to explore the potential of hospital patient data analysis as a valuable tool for understanding community implications and deriving insights for effective community health interventions. The study recognises the significance of harnessing the vast amount of data generated within hospital settings to inform population-level health strategies. The methodology employed in this study involves the collection and analysis of deidentified patient data from a representative sample of a hospital in Indonesia. Various data analysis techniques, such as statistical modelling, data mining and machine learning algorithms, are utilised to identify patterns, trends and associations within the data. A program written in Python is used to analyse patient data in a hospital for five years from 2018 to 2022. These findings are then interpreted within the context of public health implications, considering factors such as disease prevalence, socioeconomic determinants and healthcare utilisation patterns. The results of the data analysis provide valuable insights into the public health implications of hospital patient data. The research also covers prediction for the patient data to the hospital based on disease, age and geographical residence. The research prediction shows that in 2023, the number of patients was not considerably affected, but in in March to April 2024, the number significantly increased to 10,000 patients. These recommendations encompass targeted prevention strategies, improved healthcare delivery models and community engagement initiatives. The research emphasises the importance of collaboration between healthcare providers, policymakers and community stakeholders in implementing and evaluating these interventions.

Pulmonary fibrosis causes scar tissue formation that disrupts the functioning of the lungs. Uncaria gambir (Hunter) Roxb (hereafter gambir)—a plant native to West Sumatra in Indonesia—contains flavonoid (+)-catechin and has strong antioxidant activity, and it can be used to combat pulmonary fibrosis. This random in vivo experimental study analyzed the antifibrotic effect of gambir on the lungs of rats with bleomycin-induced fibrosis. The subjects were 10 groups of 10-week-old male rats weighing around 200–250 g. All groups were terminated at the end of the seventh week or on day 50. The lungs were cleaned, and tissues were taken to analyze inflammatory cell counts and TGF-β1 levels using bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) with ELISA; type I collagen and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1) levels using immunohistochemistry (IHC); and activation of NF-κB using ELISA and Western blot assays. The most severe histopathological characteristic based on the modified Ashcroft score was in the bleomycin group (BG), whereas the mildest was in the 262 mg/kg of bodyweight antifibrotic gambir-dosed group (AF G262). The results showed a significant difference in the BAL inflammatory cell count (p = 0.017; p &lt; 0.05). AF G262 differed most from the other antifibrotic groups in terms of the number of inflammatory cells (0.63), TGF-β1 levels (3.80), and NF-κB levels (0.48), followed by the 131 mg/kg of bodyweight antifibrotic gambir-dosed group (AF G131), which also differed most from other antifibrotic groups in terms of NF-κB (0.48), TIMP-1 (11.74), and collagen I (14.50) levels. Western blot analysis showed that the fibropreventive and antifibrotic groups had a specific band size of p65, whereas no specific band binding existed in the control group. This study concluded that the administration of AF G262 could improve fibrosis by lysing the extracellular matrix (ECM) in rat lungs.

Leishmaniasis is one of the Neglected tropical diseases. Studies show that the poor knowledge about epidemiological aspects of Leishmaniasis within communities causes the collapse of existing disease control programs. Therefore, the present study focuses on a detailed survey of the existing awareness among the threatened population in the Medawachchiya PHI Area in the Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka aiming to assist the health staff to organize community-based vector control programs effectively in the future. Assessment of the awareness of the two hundred and seventy households (n=270) residents from ten GNDs was carried out by using a structured questionnaire. Among 143 females and 134 males, only 75.1% have knowledge about the disease. 5.8%(n=16) of the participants know only about the vector and 28.9% (n=80) know their control methods. The study shows a shortage of a considerable amount of awareness about the disease among the studied population The study found that age and education levels had significant impacts on knowledge, attitudes, and practices. However, factors like gender, marital status, occupation, income, and expenses did not show significant correlations. The present study suggests the huge scope for community-related vector control methods for greater achievements in vector control methods by implementing a continuous educational program.

The proportion of human cells to the microbial cell is 1:1. These procaryotes use efflux pumps and enzymes to prevent cellular intoxication of ions and compounds respectively. There is promising evidence on the role of the gut microbiome and its enzymes in metabolizing xenobiotics. The genetic potential of oral bacteria in drug and xenobiotic metabolism is yet to be unveiled. This study aimed to characterize the bacteriome associated with oral fibroepithelial polyps (FEP) and to predict the genetic potential. A representative sub-sample of 22 clinically diagnosed oral FEP (the control group) was selected from a main case-control study. Amplification of nucleotides of extracted DNA from frozen tissues was performed for the V1 to V3 region and sequencing of the amplicon with Illumina’s 2 X 300–bp chemistry. Classification of high-quality nonchimeric merged reads was done to the species level with a prioritized BLASTN-based algorithm. Downstream compositional analysis was performed with QIIME (Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology). Functional prediction of bacteriome was obtained by PICRUSt (Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States). Rothia mucilaginosa, Streptococcus mitis, Gamella haemolysans, Streptococcus sp. oral taxon 431, and Rothia dentocariosa accounted for the top five taxa among 810 bacterial species according to the percentage of average relative abundance. Rothia mucilaginosa was elevated statistically significantly (p< 0.05). The genetic potential of xenobiotics and drug metabolism catalyzed by the P450 enzymes was observed for the first time as an attribute of bacteriome associated with oral FEP tissues dominated by R. mucilaginosa. This finding needs further investigation.

Spodoptera frugiperda is an invasive pest that has spread in various parts of the world. These pests have the ability to spread and adapt highly to new habitats. Until now, it is not known with certainty the distribution of these invasive pests in Eastern Indonesia, especially Bali and Nusa Tenggara. This study aims to map the spatial distribution and genetic distribution of S. frugiperda which damages maize in the areas of Bali and Nusa Tenggara. This research was conducted using a survey method from May to September 2022 covering the islands of Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores, and Timor. The results showed that S. frugiperda had spread evenly in Bali and Nusa Tenggara. The results of PCR amplification in the COI gene from 9 sample isolates from all research locations showed the similarity of DNA bands leading to the Spodoptera frugiperda species with a banding pattern length of 683 – 697. These results indicated that the distribution of genetic variants of corn caterpillars in Bali, NTB, and NTT was confirmed as S. frugiperda species. However, the isolated gene S. frugiferda, which was shown by the alignment results of the sequences from Lombok, was confirmed as a different strain from strains from Bali, Sumba, Sumbawa, Flores, and Timor. This incident can be seen from the difference in the protein base composition of S. frugiperda from Bali, Sumba, Sumbawa, Timor, and Flores. The results of phylogenetic analysis in this study confirmed 3 clusters of the genetic closeness of S. frugiperda. Cluster-1 comes from the results of the search for specimens of JB FAW and KB FAW from Bali, SB FAW and SB FAW Sorghum from Sumba, SW FAW from Sumbawa, KP FAW from Timor, and FL FAW from Flores. Cluster-2 is an isolate outside of our species. Cluster-3 comes from the search for LT and LS FAW specimens from Lombok. The genetic distance between cluster-1 and cluster-3 is quite far, which is 0.20 mu.

CGT is composed of fiber residues, leaves, dust particles, soil and others derived during the ginning and yarn spinning process at processing industries,. In the cotton spinning industrial clusters, farmers are using CGT) as one of the alternative roughage feed for their sheep, mainly during forage shortages in the summer months. To have baseline information on farmers using gin and factors driving them to choose CGT as a roughage source, which need to be identified for future planning on the usage of CGT in sheep feeding. Considering the above facts, the present study was undertaken to assess socio-personal characteristics, managemental practices associated with farmers using cotton gin in the feeding of sheep and also identify the factors driving the choice of the CGT as the primary source of roughage in the cotton spinning industry cluster of Tamil Nadu. For this, a survey among 80 sheep farmers was carried out using a pre-tested in-terview schedule. The collected data was analysed using descriptive statistics and logit regres-sion. The results indicated that the majority of male, aged, and large-land farmers were involved in practicing CGT feeding during the summer and also indicated the non-availability of green fodder during the summer season. The coarse type of CGT preferred more than the fine type of CGT trash in that area due to quality perception and price. The replacement level of CGT as roughage ranged from 33 to 75% of the total roughage requirement per day. About 88 percent-age of farmers were highly satisfied with the results of using CGT and they also expressed that the presence of foreign particles and dust were the major problems with using CGT. The choice of CGT as primary roughage among sheep farmers was primarily influenced by selective farming contexts, namely landholding, access to labour, and feeding practices of other livestock with cotton gin. Further, research has to be focused on to improve the quality of CGT in the future, as it is being utilised largely by sheep farmers.

Sri Lanka is a top producer of premium quality concentrated latex (CL), which becomes a base material for dipped rubber products such as gloves and condoms. The processing of CL is resource-intensive, requiring significant amounts of energy, fuel, water, and chemicals. This process leads to various environmental issues such as wastewater pollution, malodor, and greenhouse gas emissions. Several environmental life cycle assessments (ELCA) have been conducted at international and local levels to address the aforesaid issues. However, ELCAs encapsulating different environmental impact areas on CL processing in Sri Lanka are absent. The study revealed that electricity usage was the main hotspot of the environmental burden, significantly impacting Abiotic depletion (fossil fuels), Global warming potential, Ozone layer depletion, Photochemical oxidation, and Acidification. Heavy reliance on coal in the Sri Lankan power grid was identified as the root of this trend. The study suggested two viable options to mitigate the environmental impact: installing inverters to centrifuge separators and solar systems in the factories. The second option was deemed more effective, reducing Acidification, Photochemical oxidation, and Global Warming Potential by approximately 37%, 36%, and 28%, respectively. Relevant officials may immediately consider these improvement options and collaborate to pave the way to a sustainable natural rubber industry.

Flood disasters have become an annual occurrence along the East Coast of North Sumatra (ECNS) and Medan City. Numerous studies have examined the causal factors flood disasters in this area, such as changes in land use, drainage issues, and population growth, but the intensity of flood disasters continues to rise. In this research, we focused on evaluating the unexplored factors of land subsidence and rising sea levels in this region. Our investigation uses multi-sensor satellite data and field surveys to conduct an assessment of the rate of land subsidence and sea level rise and assess their implications on flood disasters. This study highlights the potential of multi-sensor satellite data as a primary resource for assessing flood disasters in coastal areas and densely populated large cities. Furthermore, we propose a solution to reduce the negative impact of flood disasters by by engaging local communities and environmental enthusiasts in mangrove reforestation along the coastline.

Although renal denervation (RDN) protects against hypertension, hypertrophy, and heart failure (HF), it is not clear whether RDN preserves ejection fraction (EF) during heart failure (HFpEF). To test this hypothesis, we simulated chronic congestive cardiopulmonary heart failure (CHF) by creating aorta-vena cava fistula (AVF) in C57BL/6J wild type (WT) mice. There are four ways to create experimental CHF: (1) myocardial infarction (MI) which is basically ligating coronary by instrumenting and injuring the heart; (2) trans-aortic constriction (TAC), although it mimics systematic hypertension but TAC again constricts aorta on top of the heart and exposes the heart; (3) acquired CHF such as by dietary factors, diabetes/salt diets etc. but it is multifactorial, and finally (4) AVF, which is the only one wherein AVF is created ~1cm below the kidney where the aorta and vena cava share the common middle-wall. By creating fistula, the red blood enters vena cava without an injury to the heart. This model mimics CHF such as during aging where with age the preload keeps increasing than the aging heart can pump out due to the weakened cardiac myocytes. This also involves the right ventricle to lung to left ventricle flow, thus creating congestion. The heart in AVF goes to transition from preserved to reduced EF (i.e., HFpEF to HFrEF). In fact, there are more models of volume overload, such as the pacing-induced and mitral valve regurgitation but these are also injurious models. Our lab is one of the original labs in creating and studying the AVF phenotype. The RDN was created by treating the cleaned bilateral renal artery. After 6 weeks, blood, heart, and renal samples were analyzed for exosome, cardiac regeneration markers and renal cortex proteinases. Cardiac function was analyzed by echocardiogram (ECHO). Fibrosis was analyzed with trichrome staining. The results suggested that there was robust increase in exosomes’ level in AVF blood, suggesting compensatory systemic response during AVF-CHF. During AVF there was no change in cardiac eNOS, Wnt1 and β-catenin, however; during RDN there was robust increase in eNOS, Wnt1 and β-catenin compared to the sham group. As expected in HFpEF there was perivascular fibrosis, hypertrophy and pEF. Interestingly, increased levels of eNOS suggested that despite fibrosis, the NO generation was higher that most likely contributed to pEF during HF. The RDN intervention revealed an increase in renal cortical caspase 8 and a decrease in caspase 9. Since caspase 8 is protective and caspase 9 is apoptotic, we suggest that RDN protects against renal stresses, and apoptosis. Our findings also suggest that RDN is cardioprotective during HFpEF via the preservation of eNOS and accompanied endocardial-endothelial function.

Land Surface Temperature is a one of the key variable of Global climate changes and model which estimate radiating budget in heat balance as control of climate model. It is a major influenced factor by the ability of the surface emissivity. In this study, were used Landsat 8 satellite image that have Operational Land Imager and Thermal Infrared Sensor to calculate Land Surface Temperature through geospatial technology over Ampara district, Sri Lanka. The Land Surface Temperature was estimated with respect to Land Surface Emissivity and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index values determined from the Red and Near Infrared channels. Land Surface Emissivity was processed directly by the thermal Infrared bands. Pixels based calculation were used to effort at LANDSAT 8 images that thermal Band 10 various dates in this study. The results were achievable to compute Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Land Surface Emissivity, and Land Surface Temperature with applicable manner to compare with land use/ land cover data. It determines and predicts the changes of surface temperature to favorable to decision making process for the society. Study area faces seasonal drought in Sri Lanka, the prediction method that how land can be efficiently used with the present condition. Therefore, the Land Surface Temperature estimation can prove whether new irrigation systems for agricultural activities or can transformed source of energy into useful form that introducing solar hubs for energy production in future.

The Ijen volcano has Pleistocene age (294.00 ± 0.03 Ma), and this stratovolcano was very acidic crater water with a pH of 0-1. The acidic crater water seeps into the Banyupait river flow. Asembagus is a research area located on the northern slope of the Ijen volcano, and the Banyupait River drains this. The acidic river water flows from the Ijen Crater Lake, so the pH of the water river was very acidic. This study used several different analytic methodologies with some previous researchers, namely using the method of geological mapping, pH measurement, spectrophotometry, IRMS (Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer), and the technique of Induced Coupled Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Besides, the petrographic analysis is used to determine the composition of rock minerals due to rocks interacting with acidic water. Banyupait River water in the Asembagus area has a pH of river water around 3-7.3, SO4 (220-683 ppm), and the type of water is meteoric water. Also, concentrations of Ca, K, Mg in the west Banyupait river irrigation water flow showed higher levels when compared to the eastern Banyupait River water flow. Likewise, REE elements from the Asembagus region showed lower concentrations compared to Ijen Crater water. This change in the level of chemical elements is caused by the acidity of the Banyupait River being diluted or mixed with water from other water. However, the spring was not affected by acidic water. The process of acidic water interaction with rocks can also be observed from rocks traversed by the Banyupait River flow. Chalcedony and hematite replace the primary minerals of basaltic rocks. This research is expected to improve the quality of water needed by the Asembagus community so that people can live healthily.

The paper focuses on the application of a multilevel, integrative and territorial approach to the protection of cultural heritage through planning instruments in Serbia. It points out the problems of the sectoral approach and discusses international recommendations that can be integrated into the planning methodology. The case study is the area of Djerdap National Park, which has an already established international and national importance. The research suggests that the cultural heritage in the area, with the exception of the Roman limes, is still recognized at the level of individual localities. The study emphasizes the importance of aligning all levels of governance to safeguard the whole spatial entity rather than focusing solely on its particular areas. The interna-tional and national importance of the planning area contributes to the strengthening of awareness of heritage and its institutional protection. However, the vitality of the area, which is key to its sustainable development, comes from the local level. Planning documents contribute to the inte-gration of local values and local communities into development programs and projects.

Glycosidic linkage analysis was conducted on the unfractionated polysaccharides in the alcohol-insoluble residues (AIRs) prepared from six red seaweeds (Gracilariopsis sp., Prionitis sp., Mastocarpus papillatus, Callophyllis sp., Mazzaella splendens, and Palmaria palmata) using GC-MS/FID analysis of partially methylated alditol acetates (PMAAs). The cell walls of P. palmata primarily contained mixed-linkage xylans and small amounts of sulfated galactans and cellulose. In contrast, the unfractionated polysaccharides of the other five species were rich in galactans displaying diverse 3,6-anhydro-galactose and galactose linkages with varied sulfation patterns. Different levels of cellulose were also observed. This glycosidic linkage method offers advantages for cellulose analysis over traditional monosaccharide analysis that is known for underrepresenting glucose in crystalline cellulose. Relative linkage compositions calculated from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements showed that anhydro sugar linkages generated more response in the latter detection method. This improved linkage workflow presents a useful tool for studying polysaccharide structural variations across red seaweed species. Furthermore, for the first time, relative linkage compositions from GC-MS and GC-FID measurements, along with normalized FID and total ion current (TIC) chromatograms without peak assignments, were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) as a proof-of-concept demonstration of the technique's potential to differentiate various red seaweed species.

Background: Educating college students about the importance of good sleep habits could lead to the adoption of healthier sleep routines, including sufficient sleep duration and sleep quality. The current pre-post study examines the impact of completing a sleep education program called “Sleep 101” on (1) sleep hygiene practices, (2) sleep quality, and (3) weekday and weekend sleep behaviors among college students. “Sleep 101” is an interactive online course developed to educate college students about the importance of sleep by addressing basic sleep physiology, the impact of sleep on mood, academic and physical performance, the interactions between sleep and various substances, and common sleep disorders. Methods: 338 college students were recruited from a midsized public university in the US and invited to participate in “Sleep 101”, of which 25 participants completed the baseline and post-intervention questionnaire. The Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI) was utilized to evaluate sleep hygiene practices, while standard questions were employed to assess weekday and weekend sleep behaviors and overall sleep quality. Results: Those who completed the study demonstrated a significant increase in weekday sleep duration and were less likely to engage in negative prior bedtime activities. In addition, 40% of those who completed baseline and post-intervention assessments noticed improvements in their sleep quality. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a brief online program is beneficial in improving sleep behaviors among college and could be a scalable approach to addressing current sleep issues and preventing future sleep problems in college students.

The profile of secondary metabolites occurring in apple cuticular layer is not only characteristic for particular apple cultivar, but also dynamically reflects various external factors in growing environment. In this study, the possibility to authenticate apple samples based on analysis of their cuticular layer extracts was investigated. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS/MS) was employed for obtaining metabolomic fingerprints. In total, 274 authentic apple samples, four cultivars harvested within the seasons 2020 to 2022 in the Czech Republic and Poland were analysed. The generated complex data processed by univariate and multivariate statistical methods enabled to build classification models for discrimination of apple cultivars as well as their geographical origin. The models showed very good performance in differentiation of Czech and Polish samples for three of four cultivars: ‘Gala’, ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Idared’, moreover, the validity of the models was verified over harvest seasons. The diagnostic markers, besides metabolites of triterpene biosynthetic pathway, mainly represented wax esters. ‘Jonagold’, which is known to be susceptible to mutations, was the only cultivar for which the unambiguous classification of geographical origin was not possible.

Strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora is one of the main diseases of strawberry and significantly impacts the yield and quality of strawberry fruit. There are now no effective control techniques available except for fungicide sprays, which may directly impact consumers. Biological control is becoming an alternative method for the control of plant diseases to replace or decrease the application of traditional synthetic chemical fungicides. Trichoderma is widely used as a biological agent for controlling strawberry root rot. In order to provide resources for screening the highly effective biocontrol fungus for controlling strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora, the biocontrol mechanism,the control effects of Trichoderma asperellum CMT10 against strawberry root rot and growth-promoting effects on strawberry seedlings were investigated by plate culture, microscopy observation and root drenching methods.The results showed that CMT10 had obvious competitive, antibiotic and hyperparasitism effects on Neopestalotiopsis clavispora CMGF3. The CMT10 could quickly occupy nutritional space, and the inhibition rates of CMT10 against CMGF3 in confrontation culture on 7 d was 65.49%. The inhibition rates of volatile metabolite and fermentation metabolite produced by CMT10 against CMGF3 were 79.67% and 69.84%, respectively. The mycelium of strain CMT10 can act as hyperparasites by making contacting, winding and penetrating hyphae of CMGF3. Pot experiment showed that the biocontrol efficacy of CMT10 on strawberry root rot caused by Neopestalotiopsis clavispora was 63.00%. CMT10 had obvious promotion effect on strawberry growth, the plant height, root length, total fresh weight, root fresh weight, stem fresh weight and root dry weight, with the promotion rates were 20.09%, 22.39%, 87.11%, 101.58%, 79.82% and 72.33%, respectively. Overall, this study showed the ability of Trichoderma asperellum CMT10 to control strawberry root rot and their potential to develop as novel biocontrol agents to replace chemical fungicides for eco-friendly, sustainable agriculture.

The allocation for the use of Deconcentration Funds focuses on the seven priority health programs listed in the Regulation of the Minister of Health for the Republic of Indonesia. Therefore, this study aims to formulate a budget allocation for deconcentration funds in the health sector. Secondary data were analyzed using reports from the Ministry of Health for five years (2014-2018) on the Human Development Index (HDI), population, area, number of health workers, as well as amount and percentage for the realization of deconcentration funds. The results showed that the variables which had a significant effect were the number of districts/cities, the area, and HDI, while those without a significant effect were population, the number of health workers, and the percentage of budget realization. Political factors and regional commitment to implementing as well as using the budget were shown to also affect the deconcentration of funds both from the central and regional sources. Generally, deconcentration funds are used for non-physical tasks, including coordinating and synchronizing planning, facilitation, technical guidance, training, outreach, supervision, investigations and surveys, direction, and control. Based on the results, the budget allocation for deconcentration funds for health development needs to be calculated according to regional capacities by considering the number of districts/cities, land area, and the HDI.

Apis mellifera, especially weak ones, are highly vulnerable to Carpoglyphus lactis mites, which can rapidly infest and consume stored pollen, leading to weakened colonies and potentially colony collapse. This study aimed to ascertain and investigate the prevalence of this mite in honeybee colonies across 9 provinces in the Republic of Korea (ROK). A total of 615 honeybee colonies were collected, from 66 apiaries during the spring and 58 apiaries during the summer of 2023. A 1,242 bp segment of the the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction method. The detection levels of C. lactis in the honeybees were compared between winter and summer. Based on the COI sequence analysis, the nucleotide sequence similarity of C. lactis mites isolated in the ROK with those from China (NC048990.1) was found to be 99.5%, and with those from the United Kingdom (KY922482.1) was 99.3%. This study is the first report of C. lactis in Korean apiaries. The findings in this study demonstrate a significantly higher detection rate in winter, which is 4.1 times greater than that in summer (p &lt; 0.001). Furthermore, the results underscore the usefulness of molecular diagnostic techniques for detecting C. lactis mites.

COX II containing a dual core CuA active site is one of the three core subunits of mitochondrial Cco, which plays a significant role in the physiological process. In this report, the full-length cDNA of COXⅡ gene was cloned from Sitophilus zeamais, which had an ORF of 684 bp encoding 227 amino acids residues. The predicted COXⅡ protein had a molecular mass of 26.2 kDa with pI value of 6.37, and multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis indicated that Sitophilus zeamais COXⅡ had high sequence identity 78.51% with the COXⅡ of other insect species, especially similarity to sitophilus oryzae. This gene was subcloned into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-32a, and induced by IPTG in E.coli Transetta (DE3) expression system. Finally the COXⅡ with 6-His tag was purified using affinity chromatography with Ni²⁺-NTA agarose. WB showed the recombinant COXⅡ was about 44 kD, and the concentration of fusion protein was 50μg/mL. UV-spectrophotometer and infrared spectrometer analysis showed that recombinant COXⅡ could catalyze the oxidation of substrate Cytc, and influenced by AITC. It was found that AITC could form a hydrophobic region with COXⅡ protein via molecular docking, besides, a sulfur atom of AITC structure could form a length of 2.9 Å hydrogen bond with Leu-31. These results will provide valuable information for elucidating the role of COXⅡ in Sitophilus zeamais responses to AITC, meanwhile, it will helpful to carry out a point mutation in AITC binding sites for the future research.

The properties of the annual, semiannual and triennial oscillations (AO, SAO and TO) in the middle atmosphere have been investigated using the TIMED/SABER temperature data. The Lomb-Scargle and wavelet spectra were used to determine the dominant oscillations in the background temperature field. The AO is prominent at the mid-latitudes. The AO amplitudes present an asymmetry between the two Hemispheres, being larger in the mesosphere than in the stratosphere. The SAO dominates the tropical regions, with three amplitude maxima at altitudes of 45, 75, and 85 km. The SAOs in the upper mesosphere (75 km) are out of phase with those in the mesopause (85 km) in the tropical regions, which can generate an enhancement of 11 K at each equinox, contributing to the lower mesospheric inversion layer. The TO is significant in the tropical region, with amplitude being maximum at 35, 45 and 85 km. Result shows that there may be potential interaction by the TO with SAO at 85km at the equator. The relation between ENSO and TO has also been discussed. The ENSO signal may modulate the amplitude of the TO, mainly in the lower stratosphere. The real origin of the TO may lie in the wave-mean-flow interaction.

This paper is focused on typical rural settlements in the Stara Planina Mountain area in Serbia. They are distinguished by their authenticity, identity and character, and they have still not been destroyed by inappropriate development as is the case in some other mountain areas in Serbia, where the effects of urbanization, globalization and homogenization are obvious. Consequently, there is a need to prevent these effects in mountain areas where there is a threat of disbalance between development and the inherited natural and cultural values. The paper starts from several important concepts that relate contemporary approaches to cultural heritage preservation, place morphology and planning future development. The concept definitions from recent documents from related fields are used. These concepts are then applied to the area of Stara Planina Mountain and its rural settlements. The necessity for an integrative approach to planning this area with significant natural and anthropogenic potential is pointed out, including its integration into international programs of sustainable development.

The research reported on this paper was aimed at improving the overall efficiency of a PDO certified artisanal cheese production process. Being a PDO certified foodstuff by the EU, it is considered to have properties and qualities determined by the geographical environment in which is made, with its production taking place in a specific and determined geographical location, in this case the Serra da Estrela region. In that sense, the authors conducted a mapping according to a systemic perspective of the processes involved in the context of manufacturing and distribution of certified Serra da Estrela cheese. Numerous methods were used throughout the process, such as a systemic design analysis, and techniques derived from ethnographic methods, which led to the collection of data in the field and consequently provided the immersion of the researcher in genuine work situations. Critical points were identified and emphasized in the systemic map with the purpose of encouraging initiatives to address and overcome the gaps and inefficiencies detected. The systemic design analysis triggered the development of design work. Observations following an ethnographic approach identified ergonomic risks in cheese making during the process of cutting excess chips, fostering the emergence of musculoskeletal disorders at the wrist. A tool that fits best to the task at hand was developed. A prototype of the new tool enabled collecting feedback from use in the work context, in order to inform product development. The domains of agricultural production and microbiology, considering the specific microorganisms developed trough the ripening process of the cheese, turned out to be aspects of high importance for the issue under focus, contributing to a broader understanding of the ripening process and its risks, simultaneously improving the efficiency and success of cheese production. If it were not for the systemic analysis, which served as a link between the boundaries of distinct domains such as the risk of microorganism contamination, ergonomics, energy efficiency, legislation and regulation policies, transportation challenges and economic viability, approached throughout the research. Simultaneously creating bridges between them, the various problems might not have been detected in the first place, as they are usually addressed in specialized disciplines, predetermined by the restrictions of each specific area of knowledge. As a consequence of the development of this research, which was based on an analysis that sought to establish possible connections between various disciplines and tried to constantly maintain a holistic perspective, making new connections and observing the issues from a new angle, apart from the already established methodologies. All this allowed to lay out the seeds for the development of a plan to tackle the critical points identified by the systemic analysis reported in this paper.

Promoting green development has become an important way to optimize the ecological and economic structure and promote sustainable development. The Yangtze River Economic Belt is an important economic corridor in China, and it remains to be examined whether the implementation of environmental regulations has enhanced the green total factor productivity (GTFP) of cities. This paper calculates the green total factor productivity of 107 cities within the Yangtze River Economic Belt by using the super-efficient SBM model and the GML index with Chinese city panel data from 2007-2019 and measures the intensity of environmental regulations through textual analysis. The bidirectional fixed-effects model constructed in this paper suggests an inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and GTFP, which is confirmed by a series of robustness tests. Green technology innovation and advanced industrial structure play a mechanism role in this. In regions with lower levels of green technology and industrial structure, the inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental regulation and green total factor productivity is more significant. In addition, the phenomenon of GTFP rising and then falling because of environmental regulation is more obvious in cities in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River and outside the urban agglomerations. Therefore, when formulating environmental regulation policies, it is necessary to balance the relationship between economic development and environmental protection and harmonize the environment and economic development of the entire Yangtze River Basin.