Abstract

Wild berry varieties are widely distributed in Canada and mainly used by the indigenous population as food. Gooseberries and blackcurrant are the two tart berries with strong taste that are used to make preserves such as jams, jellies, and wine. Phenolic compounds and fatty acids are the predominant bioactive metabolites present in these berries. Recently, researchers are more interested in exploring the fruits such as berries for functional properties that benefit human health. Although wild berries are known for their health benefits, research evidence related to profiling of bioactive molecules in these wild berries such as Canadian gooseberry and blackcurrant is limited. In this study we assessed and compared the bioactive phenolic and fatty acid composition in these two berries using liquid and gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The cyanidine glucoside, which is a polyphenolic anthocyanin present in blackcurrant is significantly higher (832 µg/g Dry wt.) compared to that in Canadian gooseberry (150 µg/g Dry wt.). Linolenic acid (20.3 %) and linoleic acid (18.2 %) were the most abundant fatty acids in blackcurrant while linoleic acid (15.0 %) and palmitic acid (11.2 %) were abundant in gooseberry. Other fatty acids such as oleic acid, linoleic, and alpha linolenic acid, which are important in cardiovascular health, were present in both blackcurrant and gooseberry.

Keywords: Berries, Bioactive, Blackcurrant, Functional foods, Gooseberry. gourd

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Abstract

Many applications involve looking at and comparing trends in data. We will discuss some statistics that could be used to assess the similarity or dissimilarity between pairs of cumulative trends. These statistics can then be used to study sets of trends – for example, to cluster them or to compare them across different groups We will describe one possible approach and illustrate its use in a case study, in which we studied the trend over time of COVID-19 in New Jersey (NJ) in the USA. It was found that areas close to New York City had significantly different (more rapidly increasing) cumulative trends compared to areas further from New York City during the early days of the pandemic, but this difference dissipated as the pandemic progressed and spread within New Jersey itself. Overall, the method performed well and detected insightful differences. Various socio-economic factors could have influenced the spread of COVID-19 within NJ. It was also found that socio-economic factors which could have influenced the spread of COVID-19 within NJ are population, distance to NYC, and percent of low-income households. The dynamic nature of these relationships also needs to be studied, perhaps using extensions of the methodology discussed here.

Keywords: Covid-19, Hotelling’s test, Manhattan distance, Multidimensional scaling.

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Abstract

Physical inactivity is a leading risk factor for global mortality with flexibility being the key factor for determining an individual’s health status. This study explored the impact of physical activity on the flexibility of lumbar spine and lower extremities in undergraduates. It further explored the association between the flexibility of lumbar spine and lower limbs in individuals who shared the same amount of physical activity. The sample of 70 undergraduates was chosen from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka using stratified random sampling method. 35 students from each gender were divided into three categories (low, moderate, and high) based on their physical activity level evaluated using International Physical Activity Questionnaire-short form (IPAQ-SF). Modified Schober test was used to measure the flexibility of lumbar spine while Sit-and-Reach and Groin Flexibility tests were used to measure the flexibility of lower limbs. The results showed a weak significant correlation between physical activity and flexibility of lower limbs (r=0.236, p=0.048), but no significant correlation between physical activity and flexibility of lumbar spine (r=-0.179, p=0.701). It explored a moderate positive significant correlation between the flexibility of lumbar spine and lower limbs (r= 0.536, p=0.008) in subjects who were low in physical activity but not in subjects who were moderately and highly physically active. Furthermore, the study indicated the males to be more flexible in both lumbar spine (22.3) and lower limbs (7.7) compared to the corresponding values of females (21.4 and 6.7) respectively. Therefore, it is important to take measures to alleviate the physical inactivity in young adults with low physical activity to improve the general status of health by preventing the influence of flexibility of one region on another.

Keywords: Body flexibility, General physical activity, Lower limbs, Upper limbs, Young adults.

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Abstract

Inappropriate self-medication usage has become a significant public health problem in all countries. This study is aimed to determine the perceived self-medication practices (SMP), associated factors and awareness on contraindications related to self-medication among undergraduates in a non-state university using a random sample of 138 undergraduates of the Faculty of Humanities and Sciences (FOHS) of Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT). The required data were acquired from a structured questionnaire consists of 31 questions in four parts. It was found that only 87% of the respondents had practiced self-medication in the past three months. Covid-19 restrictions (48.4%) and believing consultation for mild illnesses is unnecessary (44.0%) were the major reasons for SMP. The gender, age category, residing province, living with whom, study year, nationality, and household monthly income are not significantly associated with status of SMP, but the presence of chronic illnesses was significantly associated. The percentage of having SMP for those having chronic illness (87.9%) is significantly higher (p<0.05) than that for no chronic illness (78.5%). There was a significant association between the type of medicine use for SM and the levels of SM (high vs low). Also, the attitudes towards the statement “SM is effective similarly, to medicines prescribed by a doctor” is significantly associated (p=0.07) with the levels of SMP. Headache (80.7%) and common cold (43.0%) were the major health conditions for SMP, while painkillers (83.2%) and vitamins and minerals (47.8%) were the most used types of medicines. Conducting educational programs in pharmaceutical aspects is recommended to improve healthy medicinal compliance among the undergraduate population in Sri Lanka.

Keywords: Non-state university, Self-Medication practices, Self-Medication prevalence, Undergraduates of Sri Lanka.

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Abstract

Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) is considered an occupational hazard in the 21st century resulting from the high utilization of computers, laptops, and mobile phones in the workplace. The current study aimed at determining the prevalence of computer vision syndrome and its associated factors among the academic staff of Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), Malabe campus amidst the COVID-19 pandemic using a sample of 145 academics based on stratified random sampling procedure. Required data were collected through a structured questionnaire. The participants of the study comprised 50.3% of females and 49.7% of males. About 45% were 20-30 years irrespective of gender. Dryness in the eyes (52.4%), itching (54.5%), eye pain (65.5%), and headache (76.6%) were the most common symptoms reported by the staff members, while colored halos around objects and double vision were experienced by around 20%. Most of the academics (42.1%) work 6-8 hours in front of the digital screen. Taking breaks in-between the working time (73.8%), adjusting the screen (62.1%), and adjusting the chair and posture (60.0%) were the most common methods used by the participants to minimize CVS. The rate of prevalence of CVS among the academic staff of SLIIT is 42.8%. This figure is lower than the corresponding figure reported in other countries. However, no significant association was found between the prevalence of CVS and gender, type of faculty, type of devices used, duration spent, preferred time to utilize the device, awareness of CVS, and actions to minimize CVS, but a strong significant association (p< 0.01) was found between the prevalence of CVS and age of the academic staff members. The rate of prevalence of CVS among academics aged over 60 years is 87.5%. Thus, a regular ocular screening program is recommended to reduce the prevalence of CVS among the academic staff of SLIIT starting from higher age groups.

Keywords: Academic staff, Computer vision syndrome, Covid-19, Dryness in the eyes.

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Abstract

An increase in single-parent households is noticeable in modern society and the academic performance of the senior school students living in single-parent households is affected negatively at large. Therefore, this study aims to discover the issues and challenges that single-parented students face in their academic performance at the senior secondary level. This study involved a hundred senior secondary students (Grades 10 & 11) from single-parent households, fifty of their parents, and fifty class teachers from the Moratuwa Educational Division. The sampling method was stratified random sampling and the strata are three school types. Primary data was acquired through three structured questionnaires and the secondary data was collected through test scores and school-based assessments. Only descriptive statistics were used to derive the inferences. The analysis found that the students from single-parent households experience low parental involvement in their academic activities for many reasons, confirming that 24% of single parents rarely attended parent-teacher meetings, and 38% never attended. The three main causes are stressful responsibilities (92%), lack of finance (88%) and no external help at home (82%). About 70% of students have expressed their dislikein attending school as well as engaging in academic work. Furthermore, 88% of the students have claimed that they have lost confidence in their single parents as well as their class teachers. 76% and 68% of grades ten and eleven students have obtained the class positions between (31-50) while only 4% and 2% of grade ten and eleven respectively have acquired the class positions between (1-10). It was revealed that psychological, social and economic aspects contribute to the achievement levels of the students. This study recommends that ground-level stakeholders in school management pay more attention to and help single parents and their children cope with their situations and enhance their academic performance.

Keywords: Academic, Challenges, Performance, Senior Secondary, Single-Parent, Students.

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Abstract

When examining the English Language Teaching (ELT) materials available in Sri Lanka, it could be said that most of them are alien and takes center-stage. As a result, in the process of language acquisition, students’ own experience, contexts and lifestyles are devalued through under emphasis and trivialization; hence the sense of linguistic and cultural insecurity that the average student faces when confronted with English being reinforced. This study looks at the issues and challenges faced by teachers and learners when it comes to the use of Sri Lankan English in the local classroom context. This study employs the qualitative data analysis method and a textual analysis of the Grade 11 English textbook of both old and new syllabi is done to examine the core language issues found in teaching material in a classroom context where English is taught/ learnt as a second language. The objective of this study is to examine the appropriateness or mismatch of the teaching materials to the classroom context. According to the findings, the materials that are discussed in this study consist of several components outside the range of experience and comprehension of the second language learners. These textbooks are not culturally appropriate, as they impose the culture of the western/inner circle countries in which they reflect the colonial views and attitudes. Hence, the study proposes that the English textbook designed for the Ordinary Level students should be designed in a way that would facilitate their second language learning process, and it looks at the extent to which that objective/ requirement is fulfilled through the selected textbooks.

Keywords: Appropriateness of ELT materials, Challenges of English lesson, Grade 11 English textbook, Textual analysis.

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Abstract

Globally, gender non-conforming (GNC) behaviors are identified as one of the earliest precursors of non-heterosexual identity. The role of reactions by key persons such as parents, teachers and peers to such behaviors may be important for sexual identity development. In Sri Lanka, there are currently no scholarly data on lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adults’ recollections of their early experiences, particularly those involving how others reacted to their early GNC and gender atypical behaviors. By collecting narratives, this exploratory research paper addresses this gap by examining how 26 LGB adults recalled the manner in which their parents, teachers, and peers responded to their gender-atypical and gender non-conforming behaviors during childhood and adolescence. A participant-focused thematic analysis highlighted the following themes in participants’ recollections: permissiveness of adults towards childhood gender non-conformity for both boys and girls; a shift in adults’ attitudes during adolescence to be more regulatory; and differences between male and female participants in their recollections of peers’ reactions to their GNC behaviors by their peers. These findings suggest the nuances of recollections about growing up as GNC children and adolescents, and the impact these experiences had on later acceptance of a non-heterosexual identity. Future research could begin by observing actual gender nonconformity and gender atypical behaviors in children and adolescence.

Keywords: Adult, Bisexual, Childhood gender non-conforming behaviors, Gay, Lesbian.

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Abstract

The use of English for communicative purposes among Sri Lankan state university students has been a topic of concern for many decades as they are typically noted as being either reticent or ambivalent in using the target language (TL) for oral communication irrespective of their proficiency in the TL or the fact that they are enrolled in English Medium Degree Programmes (EMDPs). This paper therefore offers a sociological response to the issue through an exploration of the notion of ‘capital’ yielded by English. Required information was obtained from a larger narrative case study conducted with five firstyear undergraduates studying for two profession-oriented EMDPs offered by one academic department in a state university in Sri Lanka. Portraying the positioning of English in the context under study, this paper depicts how English use is discouraged by the hegemonic sociocultural environment in the context whereby opportunities for the respondents to use English that would ultimately enable them yield ‘capital’ are constrained. This ‘problem’ of ‘capital’ associated with English in the context under study has direct impacts on the learners’ investment in using the TL. The study confirms that ‘capital’ has direct implications to investment in using English within the social realities of the respondents in the university context and recommends institutional-level support to foster a supportive academic environment that creates legitimate opportunities for the learners to yield ‘capital’ in using English.

Keywords: Ambivalence, Capital, English language use, Reticence, Sri Lankan state university undergraduates.

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Abstract

The impact of environmental and human factors has significant importance on the Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) in Sri Lanka. Past studies have shown that neither the expansion of roads horizontally or vertically nor the reduction in the vehicle density is a solution to reduce RTAs. Therefore, this study is to determine the significant human factors associated with RTAs in Sri Lanka using data on RTAs during 2005 – 2019 obtained from the Department of Police, Sri Lanka, and suggest some solutions to reduce RTAs. The six reasons for major RTAs are overtaking, diversion, speed driving, alcohol consumption of driver, negligence of pedestrians, and mechanical fault of vehicles. About 85% of major RTAs were due to overtaking (32%), diversion (27%), and speed driving (25%). The percentage of RTAs under each of these variables is significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of RTAs when the drivers have alcohol more than the minimum level (9%). The Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Conformity factor analysis (CFA) confirmed that reasons for RTAs can be classified into two latent factors, namely, ‘lack of attention of the drivers’ and ‘negligence of the drivers. The two factors are invariant on the type of extraction method as well the type of orthogonal rotation. The fitted binary logistic model revealed that the significant variables on RTAs are negligence of the road conditions by the drivers, lack of attention of the driver, age of driver less than 18 years, and status of alcohol by the drivers. The odds of fatal accidents happening when the driver has a valid driving license are 4.3 times higher than that of a driver without a valid license. The inferences derived from this study can be easily used by Department of Police in Sri Lanka to reduce the RTAs in Sri Lanka. Drivers should be motivated to become welldisciplined drivers. The fines for the who do not adhere road rules need to be increased.

Keywords: Human factors, Road traffic accidents, Unintentional injuries.

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