K. C. Ellawala, Y. Wasala, T. Wijesiri, A. de Silva, R. K. L. Zoysa, I. Wijesiri
Water use behaviors, awareness on the water conservation and purification process have an influence on the water consumption of people. Hence, this study assimilates measured water consumption and the data collected in a questionnaire survey to understand the relationship between self-reported water use behaviors and measured water consumption. The study was conducted in four coastal cities in southern Sri Lanka and about 70% of households had alternative water resources. First, self-reported water use behaviors were used to cluster the sample into two clusters. Households reported with highly positive water use behaviors (HPB) were consuming less water than those who with moderately positive water use behaviors (MPB). Positive water use behaviors of HPB group seems to be supported with their higher awareness on the need for water conservation and water treatment process and associated costs. Therefore, this study suggests that increasing awareness on the need of water conservation, underuse of water, water efficient appliances and increasing the awareness on the water treatment and distribution process and cost will help in shifting consumers towards positive water use behaviors.
{"title":"Interrelations among self-reported water use behavior, awareness, and metered water consumption in domestic use in Southern Sri Lanka","authors":"K. C. Ellawala, Y. Wasala, T. Wijesiri, A. de Silva, R. K. L. Zoysa, I. Wijesiri","doi":"10.4038/jur.v7i2.7948","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/jur.v7i2.7948","url":null,"abstract":"Water use behaviors, awareness on the water conservation and purification process have an influence on the water consumption of people. Hence, this study assimilates measured water consumption and the data collected in a questionnaire survey to understand the relationship between self-reported water use behaviors and measured water consumption. The study was conducted in four coastal cities in southern Sri Lanka and about 70% of households had alternative water resources. First, self-reported water use behaviors were used to cluster the sample into two clusters. Households reported with highly positive water use behaviors (HPB) were consuming less water than those who with moderately positive water use behaviors (MPB). Positive water use behaviors of HPB group seems to be supported with their higher awareness on the need for water conservation and water treatment process and associated costs. Therefore, this study suggests that increasing awareness on the need of water conservation, underuse of water, water efficient appliances and increasing the awareness on the water treatment and distribution process and cost will help in shifting consumers towards positive water use behaviors.","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130325001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sri Lankan state universities are under the pressure of internationalization and achieving ‘world-class’ status. Attitudinal change among academics is imperative to transform state universities into ‘world-class' status. There is a concern about the need for a paradigm shift of the state university academics to achieve international standards of ‘world-class’ universities. As such, this editorial note mainly focuses on providing a conceptual insight into the 'readiness for change' among state university academics, and on signifying a scale of measurement to facilitate the examination of how state university academics accept the transformations in progress to achieve ‘world-class' university status. The suggested measurement scale consists of four dimensions, namely, ‘appropriateness, administration support, change efficacy, and personal benefits, to examine the readiness for change among academics. Though readiness for change among the academics is not essentially sufficient to meet the internationalization and the achievement of the ‘world-class’ status of Sri Lankan state universities, a data driven longitudinal assessment will help higher education decision makers to take effective initiatives to transform Sri Lankan state universities into world-class status.
{"title":"Measuring the Readiness for Change among Academics: The Case of Transforming Sri Lankan State Universities into ‘World-class’ Status","authors":"Samantha Kumara","doi":"10.4038/jur.v7i1.7929","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/jur.v7i1.7929","url":null,"abstract":"Sri Lankan state universities are under the pressure of internationalization and achieving ‘world-class’ status. Attitudinal change among academics is imperative to transform state universities into ‘world-class' status. There is a concern about the need for a paradigm shift of the state university academics to achieve international standards of ‘world-class’ universities. As such, this editorial note mainly focuses on providing a conceptual insight into the 'readiness for change' among state university academics, and on signifying a scale of measurement to facilitate the examination of how state university academics accept the transformations in progress to achieve ‘world-class' university status. The suggested measurement scale consists of four dimensions, namely, ‘appropriateness, administration support, change efficacy, and personal benefits, to examine the readiness for change among academics. Though readiness for change among the academics is not essentially sufficient to meet the internationalization and the achievement of the ‘world-class’ status of Sri Lankan state universities, a data driven longitudinal assessment will help higher education decision makers to take effective initiatives to transform Sri Lankan state universities into world-class status.","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129678473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A 15 week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of three commercial feeds; Prima diet, Galaxy diet and Prawn diet on the growth performance and reproductive performance of Guppy, Poecilia reticulata. Triplicate groups of guppy juveniles (mean initial weight of 0.07 + 0.03g) were stocked in 9 indoor glass aquaria (30 x 22 x 8.5cm), at a density of 20 fish tank-1 at a sex ratio of 1:1. Fish were fed ad-libitum 5 times daily using respective diet and growth performance (Total length, weight, %SGR, FCR) and reproductive performance (Gonadosomatic index (GSI), Time taken for first spawning, total number of larvae, and spawning interval) were evaluated. Feed consumption (10.80-12.58 % Bwt/day) was not differed among treatments. The highest growth performance of fish in terms of final mean body weight (0.83+ 0.46g), total length (4.63 + 0.41cm), and specific growth rate (SGR 2.34 + 0.03)) was observed in the fish fed Prawn diet compared to fish fed on other two feeds. Total body weight and GSI were found to be significantly higher in females compared to males in all treatments. Fish fed on Prawn diet recorded the significantly highest mean number of larvae per tank (33.67 + 7.51). However, total length of larvae showed no significant difference among three treatments. In the present study significant highest growth and reproductive performance (in terms of number of larvae tank-1) of guppy was observed in fish fed on Prawn diet. Therefore, for guppy broodstock rearing in indoor aquaria Prawn diet could be recommended as the best feed out of three commercial diets tested herein.
通过15周的饲养试验，研究了3种商品饲料的效果;初级饲料、银河饲料和对虾饲料对孔雀鱼生长性能和繁殖性能的影响。在9个室内玻璃水族箱(30 x 22 x 8.5cm)中，以20个鱼缸-1的密度，按1:1的性别比例放养3组孔雀鱼幼鱼(平均初始体重0.07 + 0.03g)。分别饲喂5次，评价生长性能(全长、体重、%SGR、FCR)和生殖性能(促性腺指数(GSI)、首次产卵时间、幼虫总数和产卵间隔)。饲粮消耗(10.80 ~ 12.58%体重/天)各组间无显著差异。在最终平均体重(0.83+ 0.46g)、总长度(4.63 + 0.41cm)和特定生长率(SGR 2.34 + 0.03)方面，饲喂对虾饲料的鱼的生长性能最高。在所有治疗中，女性的总体重和GSI明显高于男性。以对虾饲料为饵料的鱼平均每箱幼虫数最高(33.67 + 7.51)。3种处理间幼虫总长度无显著差异。在本研究中，以对虾为饲料的孔雀鱼的生长和繁殖性能(以幼虫数量计)最高。因此，在室内水族养殖孔雀鱼时，对虾饲粮可作为本试验3种商业饲粮中的最佳饲料。
{"title":"Effect of different commercial feeds on growth and reproductive performance of Guppy, Poecilia reticulata Peters","authors":"P.H.S. Kumaratunga, K. Radampola","doi":"10.4038/jur.v7i1.7930","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/jur.v7i1.7930","url":null,"abstract":"A 15 week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of three commercial feeds; Prima diet, Galaxy diet and Prawn diet on the growth performance and reproductive performance of Guppy, Poecilia reticulata. Triplicate groups of guppy juveniles (mean initial weight of 0.07 + 0.03g) were stocked in 9 indoor glass aquaria (30 x 22 x 8.5cm), at a density of 20 fish tank-1 at a sex ratio of 1:1. Fish were fed ad-libitum 5 times daily using respective diet and growth performance (Total length, weight, %SGR, FCR) and reproductive performance (Gonadosomatic index (GSI), Time taken for first spawning, total number of larvae, and spawning interval) were evaluated. Feed consumption (10.80-12.58 % Bwt/day) was not differed among treatments. The highest growth performance of fish in terms of final mean body weight (0.83+ 0.46g), total length (4.63 + 0.41cm), and specific growth rate (SGR 2.34 + 0.03)) was observed in the fish fed Prawn diet compared to fish fed on other two feeds. Total body weight and GSI were found to be significantly higher in females compared to males in all treatments. Fish fed on Prawn diet recorded the significantly highest mean number of larvae per tank (33.67 + 7.51). However, total length of larvae showed no significant difference among three treatments. In the present study significant highest growth and reproductive performance (in terms of number of larvae tank-1) of guppy was observed in fish fed on Prawn diet. Therefore, for guppy broodstock rearing in indoor aquaria Prawn diet could be recommended as the best feed out of three commercial diets tested herein.","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":"21 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134261461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Apocynaceae Juss. (The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, 2016) commonly called as the dogbane family, comprises 357 genera and about 5100 species (Nazar et al., 2013) of flowering plants including herbaceous or shrubby climbers (Wong et al., 2013; Chan et al., 2016: Lu et al., 2014). The Calotropis (Wara, hela-wara in Sinhala and errukalai, manakkovi, mannakovi, urkkovi in Tamil) which is a small genus belongs to this family consisting of two species, Calotropis gigantea (L.) R. Br. and C. procera (Aiton) Dryand. Calotropis is a succulent and xerophytic shrub or small laticiferous tree up to 2.5 m, commonly known as “milkweed” or “Crown flower” (Kumar et al., 2011; Hindi, 2013; Wong et al., 2013; Muriira et al., 2015; Moustafa and Sarah, 2017). The stem usually simple and branched at the base, woody covered with a corky bark, leaves simple, opposite, sub-sessile, white and purplecolored flowers and not scented (Sharma, 2011; Joseph et al., 2013). Inflorescence is a dense, multiflowered, umbellate cyme, highly cross-pollinated through insects such as monarch butterflies, simple, follicle fruit (Endress et al., 2007; Joseph et al., 2013). Following figure shows the purple and white colored flowers and follicle fruit of Calotropis found in Sri Lanka. Calotropis species are most diverse in tropical and subtropical parts of Asia and South East Asia (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Burma, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand) and extend into temperate areas (Nasser et al., 2012; Nazar et al., 2013). Calotropis is a versatile tree used for different purposes. The importance of Calotropis can be explained: (a) uses of the plant in traditional medicine (b) research performed on the isolation of compounds and their scientific value (c) commercial values of the plant. (a) Uses of the plant in traditional medicine
夹竹桃科汁液。(The被子植物系统发育组，2016)通常被称为狗草科，包括357属约5100种开花植物(Nazar et al.， 2013)，包括草本或灌木攀缘植物(Wong et al.， 2013;Chan et al.， 2016; Lu et al.， 2014)。Calotropis(僧伽罗语的Wara, hela-wara和泰米尔语的errukalai, manakkovi, mannakovi, urkkovi)是由两个物种组成的这个科的一个小属。r . Br。C. procera (Aiton) Dryand。Calotropis是一种高2.5米的多肉旱生灌木或小乳汁乔木，俗称“乳草”或“冠花”(Kumar et al.， 2011;北印度语,2013;Wong et al.， 2013;Muriira et al.， 2015;Moustafa and Sarah, 2017)。茎通常单根，基部分枝，木质被软木树皮覆盖，叶单根，对生，近无柄，花白色和紫色，无香味(Sharma, 2011;Joseph et al.， 2013)。花序密集，多花，伞形聚伞花序，高度异花授粉通过昆虫，如帝王蝶，简单，卵泡果(Endress et al.， 2007;Joseph et al.， 2013)。下图显示了在斯里兰卡发现的Calotropis的紫色和白色的花朵和卵泡果实。栉水母种类在亚洲和东南亚的热带和亚热带地区(孟加拉国、柬埔寨、缅甸、中国、印度、印度尼西亚、马来西亚、巴基斯坦、菲律宾、斯里兰卡和泰国)最为多样化，并扩展到温带地区(Nasser et al.， 2012;Nazar et al.， 2013)。牛角石是一种用途广泛的树木。角鹿角的重要性可以解释为:(a)该植物在传统医学中的用途(b)对化合物的分离及其科学价值进行的研究(c)该植物的商业价值。(a)该植物在传统医学中的用途
{"title":"Review article on Calotropis (Wara): Is it a miracle shrub or just a plant?","authors":"P. D. Abeysinghe","doi":"10.4038/JUR.V6I2.7904","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/JUR.V6I2.7904","url":null,"abstract":"Apocynaceae Juss. (The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, 2016) commonly called as the dogbane family, comprises 357 genera and about 5100 species (Nazar et al., 2013) of flowering plants including herbaceous or shrubby climbers (Wong et al., 2013; Chan et al., 2016: Lu et al., 2014). The Calotropis (Wara, hela-wara in Sinhala and errukalai, manakkovi, mannakovi, urkkovi in Tamil) which is a small genus belongs to this family consisting of two species, Calotropis gigantea (L.) R. Br. and C. procera (Aiton) Dryand. Calotropis is a succulent and xerophytic shrub or small laticiferous tree up to 2.5 m, commonly known as “milkweed” or “Crown flower” (Kumar et al., 2011; Hindi, 2013; Wong et al., 2013; Muriira et al., 2015; Moustafa and Sarah, 2017). The stem usually simple and branched at the base, woody covered with a corky bark, leaves simple, opposite, sub-sessile, white and purplecolored flowers and not scented (Sharma, 2011; Joseph et al., 2013). Inflorescence is a dense, multiflowered, umbellate cyme, highly cross-pollinated through insects such as monarch butterflies, simple, follicle fruit (Endress et al., 2007; Joseph et al., 2013). Following figure shows the purple and white colored flowers and follicle fruit of Calotropis found in Sri Lanka. Calotropis species are most diverse in tropical and subtropical parts of Asia and South East Asia (Bangladesh, Cambodia, Burma, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand) and extend into temperate areas (Nasser et al., 2012; Nazar et al., 2013). Calotropis is a versatile tree used for different purposes. The importance of Calotropis can be explained: (a) uses of the plant in traditional medicine (b) research performed on the isolation of compounds and their scientific value (c) commercial values of the plant. (a) Uses of the plant in traditional medicine","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":"151 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129142800","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. R. P. Kurukulasooriya, L. G. Tillekeratne, W. Wijayaratne, C. Bodinayake, A. D. Silva, B. Nicholson, Truls Østbye, C. Woods, A. Nagahawatte
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causes a substantial burden of community-acquired and nosocomial infection. Prior colonization with MRSA is a recognized risk factor for MRSA infection. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of and risk factors for MRSA colonization at admission to surgical, medical and orthopaedic wards of Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, Sri Lanka. From September 2016 to March 2017, consecutive patients admitted to orthopaedic wards and every fifth patient admitted to medical and general surgical wards were enrolled. A nasal swab was collected from the anterior nares within 24 hours of admission and tested using standard microbiologic procedures. Clinical and demographic data were collected. A total of 502 patients were enrolled, including 152 medical, 201 general surgical, and 149 orthopaedic patients. The median age was 45 years (range 3- 85 years) and 58% of patients were male. At admission, 31 (6.2%) were colonized with MRSA. Colonization prevalence was higher in orthopaedic (18, 12.1%) compared to medical (6, 4.0%) and general surgical (7, 3.5%) patients, p=0.002. Patients colonized with MRSA on admission were more likely to be children <18 years (29% vs 8.7%, p=0.0003) and male (80.6% vs 56.5%, p=0.008). Hospitalization, history of surgery, antibiotic intake, and healthcare-related employment within the previous six months were not associated with MRSA colonization on admission. Use of public swimming pools, history of incarceration, and use of illicit drugs were significantly associated with MRSA colonization. MRSA colonization was highest among orthopaedic patients. Improved infection control efforts and targeted decolonization may help decrease MRSA colonization.
耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌(MRSA)引起社区获得性和医院感染的沉重负担。先前的MRSA定植是MRSA感染的公认危险因素。该研究旨在评估斯里兰卡卡拉皮提亚教学医院外科、内科和骨科病房住院时MRSA定植的患病率和危险因素。2016年9月至2017年3月，连续入组骨科病房患者，每5名入组内科和普外科病房患者中有1名入组。入院后24小时内从前鼻孔收集鼻拭子，并使用标准微生物学程序进行检测。收集临床和人口统计数据。共纳入502例患者，其中内科患者152例，普外科患者201例，骨科患者149例。中位年龄为45岁(范围3- 85岁)，58%的患者为男性。入院时，31例(6.2%)被MRSA定植。骨科(18.12.1%)患者的菌落感染率高于内科(6.4.0%)和普外科(7.3.5%)患者，p=0.002。入院时感染MRSA的患者更多是18岁以下的儿童(29% vs 8.7%， p=0.0003)和男性(80.6% vs 56.5%， p=0.008)。入院时的住院、手术史、抗生素摄入和医疗保健相关工作与MRSA定植无关。使用公共游泳池、监禁史和使用非法药物与MRSA定植显著相关。MRSA定植在骨科患者中最高。改善感染控制的努力和有针对性的去殖民化可能有助于减少MRSA定植。
{"title":"Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: prevalence of and risk factors associated with colonization of patients on admission to the Teaching hospital, Karapitiya","authors":"M. R. P. Kurukulasooriya, L. G. Tillekeratne, W. Wijayaratne, C. Bodinayake, A. D. Silva, B. Nicholson, Truls Østbye, C. Woods, A. Nagahawatte","doi":"10.4038/JUR.V6I2.7878","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/JUR.V6I2.7878","url":null,"abstract":"Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causes a substantial burden of community-acquired and nosocomial infection. Prior colonization with MRSA is a recognized risk factor for MRSA infection. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of and risk factors for MRSA colonization at admission to surgical, medical and orthopaedic wards of Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, Sri Lanka. From September 2016 to March 2017, consecutive patients admitted to orthopaedic wards and every fifth patient admitted to medical and general surgical wards were enrolled. A nasal swab was collected from the anterior nares within 24 hours of admission and tested using standard microbiologic procedures. Clinical and demographic data were collected. A total of 502 patients were enrolled, including 152 medical, 201 general surgical, and 149 orthopaedic patients. The median age was 45 years (range 3- 85 years) and 58% of patients were male. At admission, 31 (6.2%) were colonized with MRSA. Colonization prevalence was higher in orthopaedic (18, 12.1%) compared to medical (6, 4.0%) and general surgical (7, 3.5%) patients, p=0.002. Patients colonized with MRSA on admission were more likely to be children <18 years (29% vs 8.7%, p=0.0003) and male (80.6% vs 56.5%, p=0.008). Hospitalization, history of surgery, antibiotic intake, and healthcare-related employment within the previous six months were not associated with MRSA colonization on admission. Use of public swimming pools, history of incarceration, and use of illicit drugs were significantly associated with MRSA colonization. MRSA colonization was highest among orthopaedic patients. Improved infection control efforts and targeted decolonization may help decrease MRSA colonization.","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":"59 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133515475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Precise taxonomic identification is the preliminary requirement in a study of an organ- ism/specimen. Correct identification however gives only the identity of the specimen. The value of the correctly identified specimen as a study material becomes low when the habitat/location of its collection is unknown. Knowing the exact place of collection, enables to gather information on the distribution of the organism, possible environmental conditions that the organisms encounter and to describe the variations found in morphological and genetic features of the organism. Present study therefore, aimed on to develop a statistical rule to predict place of collection (river which is unknown) of a given Puntius dorsalis (a freshwater fish species) specimen using its morphometric characters. Fifty-two individuals were collected from four major rivers (Mahaweli, Kelani, Kalu, Nil- wala) in Sri Lanka and 23 morphometric characters were measured from each specimen. Those individuals were categorized into 4 groups according to the river from which they were collected. Measured morphometric characters were used as independent variables of the model to predict unknown group membership (river) of a given Puntius dorsalis specimen. In the case of re-substitution, 82.7% of the Puntius dorsalis specimens were successfully classified or predicted with respect to the place of collection (river) using their posterior probabilities. The process had a hit ratio of 69.2% when generalized, as a valid tool to classify fresh Puntius dorsalis specimen of unknown group membership. It was also discovered that linear classification function could be used to predict unknown place of collection of a fish. The paper concludes with some suggestions to move into nonparametric approach like Classification and Regression Trees (CART) and Neural Networks.
{"title":"Use of morphometric characters of a fish species to predict its location; a statistical approach","authors":"A. W. L. P. Thilan, M. D. De Silva, L. Jayasekara","doi":"10.4038/JUR.V6I2.7906","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/JUR.V6I2.7906","url":null,"abstract":"Precise taxonomic identification is the preliminary requirement in a study of an organ- ism/specimen. Correct identification however gives only the identity of the specimen. The value of the correctly identified specimen as a study material becomes low when the habitat/location of its collection is unknown. Knowing the exact place of collection, enables to gather information on the distribution of the organism, possible environmental conditions that the organisms encounter and to describe the variations found in morphological and genetic features of the organism. Present study therefore, aimed on to develop a statistical rule to predict place of collection (river which is unknown) of a given Puntius dorsalis (a freshwater fish species) specimen using its morphometric characters. Fifty-two individuals were collected from four major rivers (Mahaweli, Kelani, Kalu, Nil- wala) in Sri Lanka and 23 morphometric characters were measured from each specimen. Those individuals were categorized into 4 groups according to the river from which they were collected. Measured morphometric characters were used as independent variables of the model to predict unknown group membership (river) of a given Puntius dorsalis specimen. In the case of re-substitution, 82.7% of the Puntius dorsalis specimens were successfully classified or predicted with respect to the place of collection (river) using their posterior probabilities. The process had a hit ratio of 69.2% when generalized, as a valid tool to classify fresh Puntius dorsalis specimen of unknown group membership. It was also discovered that linear classification function could be used to predict unknown place of collection of a fish. The paper concludes with some suggestions to move into nonparametric approach like Classification and Regression Trees (CART) and Neural Networks.","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":"58 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124210665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
T. Garuba, B. Olayinka, K. Abdulkareem, M. Bello, A. Hamid, F. Olaleye
Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is an important tree which produce edible fruits. Different varieties of mango are available and well-studied. However, little attention has been shown to popular Ogbomoso variety especially for its endophytes and chemical profile. This work aimed at identifying endophytic fungi and carrying out proximate analysis as well as phytochemical analysis of the fruit. Potato Dextrose Agar was used as a medium for the isolation of fungi from the homogenized pulp. Proximate analysis was carried out using standard method of Association of Analytical Chemistry (AOAC). Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was done to determine characteristic peaks and functional groups of compounds using Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS5 with iD1 transmission. Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to study the chemical profile of the sample. Aspergillus niger. A. flavus and Rhizopus stolonifer were the identified endophytes. Moisture and lipid were observed to be highest (76.87%) and lowest (0.38%) respectively in the sample. The amount of carbohydrate was 18.93%. The FTIR result revealed the presence of NH2, OH, CH2, C=O (carboxylic) and N-H 1o and 2o amine as important functional groups. A total of 23 compounds were found in the methanolic extract of the sample where Imidazolidin-2-one (18.43%) was the principal compound. N, N-dibenzylhydroxylamine (15.36%), Methyl hexadecanoate (7.33%), Hexadecamethylcyclooctasiloxane (4.51%) were also present in considerable quantities. It is confirmed that the homogenized pulp of Ogbomoso variety of mango fruit is rich in phytochemicals that are useful especially in pharmaceutical industries.
{"title":"A Study on Endophytic Fungi, Proximate and Chemical Compositions of a Local Variety of Mango Fruit (Mangifera indica L.)","authors":"T. Garuba, B. Olayinka, K. Abdulkareem, M. Bello, A. Hamid, F. Olaleye","doi":"10.4038/JUR.V6I2.7905","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/JUR.V6I2.7905","url":null,"abstract":"Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is an important tree which produce edible fruits. Different varieties of mango are available and well-studied. However, little attention has been shown to popular Ogbomoso variety especially for its endophytes and chemical profile. This work aimed at identifying endophytic fungi and carrying out proximate analysis as well as phytochemical analysis of the fruit. Potato Dextrose Agar was used as a medium for the isolation of fungi from the homogenized pulp. Proximate analysis was carried out using standard method of Association of Analytical Chemistry (AOAC). Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was done to determine characteristic peaks and functional groups of compounds using Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS5 with iD1 transmission. Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to study the chemical profile of the sample. Aspergillus niger. A. flavus and Rhizopus stolonifer were the identified endophytes. Moisture and lipid were observed to be highest (76.87%) and lowest (0.38%) respectively in the sample. The amount of carbohydrate was 18.93%. The FTIR result revealed the presence of NH2, OH, CH2, C=O (carboxylic) and N-H 1o and 2o amine as important functional groups. A total of 23 compounds were found in the methanolic extract of the sample where Imidazolidin-2-one (18.43%) was the principal compound. N, N-dibenzylhydroxylamine (15.36%), Methyl hexadecanoate (7.33%), Hexadecamethylcyclooctasiloxane (4.51%) were also present in considerable quantities. It is confirmed that the homogenized pulp of Ogbomoso variety of mango fruit is rich in phytochemicals that are useful especially in pharmaceutical industries.","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":"34 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124321794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. C. Jayamanne, G. Thushari, N. Liyanage, I. Abeyrathne
Fish egg is considered as one of the by-products with low demand at present, therefore adding value is important to increase the demand of fish roe in the fishery sector in Sri Lanka. Mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala) which is a commercially important freshwater fish species in inland fishery sector was selected as the resource fish species for the present study. Key objective of the current study was to identify the most suitable methodology for production of simulated caviar using Mrigal roe. Mrigal fish egg samples were subjected to dry-salting technique. Three ratios of salt: fish eggs were used as 0.05:1 (S1), 0.25:1(S2) and 0.45:1(S3) to determine the best ratio. Proximate composition evaluation, sensory assessment, microbiological tests and pH analysis were carried out to identify the most suitable roe processing method. Protein level of S1 and Lipid content of S3 sample were significantly different from other two samples (p<0.05). Highest protein percentage was reported from caviar produced by the S2 treatment (6.58 %), although maximum crude lipid level was recorded from the product of the S1 treatment (11.30 %). Moreover, moisture contents of three samples were statistically different when compared with each other. pH values of three products changed significantly within the period of 28 days of storage time (p<0.05). After evaluation of four sensory parameters (Overall consumer preference, Mouth feel, Odor, and Salty taste) highest consumer acceptance was received for the outcome of the S2 treatment. Finally, as the caviar produced by theS2 treatment preserves the highest protein value in the final product, moderate salt requirement and the best sensory qualities, it could be considered 0.25g of salt: 1g of fish eggs is the most appropriate treatment to process simulated caviar by Mirigal fish roe, among all three treatments.
{"title":"Study on caviar substitute production using readily available freshwater fish species: Cirrhinus mrigala (Hamilton, 1822)","authors":"S. C. Jayamanne, G. Thushari, N. Liyanage, I. Abeyrathne","doi":"10.4038/JUR.V6I1.7894","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/JUR.V6I1.7894","url":null,"abstract":"Fish egg is considered as one of the by-products with low demand at present, therefore adding value is important to increase the demand of fish roe in the fishery sector in Sri Lanka. Mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala) which is a commercially important freshwater fish species in inland fishery sector was selected as the resource fish species for the present study. Key objective of the current study was to identify the most suitable methodology for production of simulated caviar using Mrigal roe. Mrigal fish egg samples were subjected to dry-salting technique. Three ratios of salt: fish eggs were used as 0.05:1 (S1), 0.25:1(S2) and 0.45:1(S3) to determine the best ratio. Proximate composition evaluation, sensory assessment, microbiological tests and pH analysis were carried out to identify the most suitable roe processing method. Protein level of S1 and Lipid content of S3 sample were significantly different from other two samples (p<0.05). Highest protein percentage was reported from caviar produced by the S2 treatment (6.58 %), although maximum crude lipid level was recorded from the product of the S1 treatment (11.30 %). Moreover, moisture contents of three samples were statistically different when compared with each other. pH values of three products changed significantly within the period of 28 days of storage time (p<0.05). After evaluation of four sensory parameters (Overall consumer preference, Mouth feel, Odor, and Salty taste) highest consumer acceptance was received for the outcome of the S2 treatment. Finally, as the caviar produced by theS2 treatment preserves the highest protein value in the final product, moderate salt requirement and the best sensory qualities, it could be considered 0.25g of salt: 1g of fish eggs is the most appropriate treatment to process simulated caviar by Mirigal fish roe, among all three treatments.","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123334796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
W. A. A. S. Chandrathilaka, H. Asanthi, T. G. Dayananda, R. Gunasekera
Influence of stream characteristics on diversity and distribution of benthic algae were studied at Gongawwa Ela during the period of September to November in 2016. Four sampling sites were selected and the distance between two sampling sites was 1.5km. Substrate types were categorized by sieve analysis and grain size distribution curves. Principle Component Analysis (PCA) was performed to identify the most important stream characteristics that could potentially influence on the growth of benthic algae. Physicochemical characteristics of water (nitrate, Total Dissolved Solids, temperature, pH, and Dissolved Oxygen) and substrates (pH, phosphate and nitrate) showed significant temporal variations. Conductivity and water velocity levels of the substrate varied significantly among the sampling sites. Species richness of benthic algae (29 genera) showed significantly negative correlations with the level of phosphate content (R2=-0.9592, P<0.05) and pH levels (R2=-0.999, P<0.05) of the substrate. Well graded substrate was observed only at the most downstream site (site 3) while other sites showed poorly graded substratum consisting over 90% of sand. The most abundant algal division was Bacillariophyta and the abundance of Flagilaria sp., Pinnularia sp., Stigeoclonium sp., and Pediastrum sp. showed significant temporal variation. Pinnularia sp., Synedra sp., Anabaena sp. and Navicula sp. were possible indicators of the upstream characteristics. Meanwhile, Cosmarium sp., Pinnularia sp., Surirella sp., Tabellaria sp., Synedra sp., Closterium sp. and Navicula sp. were possible indicators of the downstream characteristics. The PCA showed that the most important stream characteristics were DO, conductivity, Total Suspended Solids, water pH, nitrate in water and water discharge, while conductivity, nitrate, phosphate, % organic matter, pH, and % canopy cover were the types of substrate characteristics.
{"title":"Influence of Stream Characteristics on Diversity and Distribution of Benthic Algae in Gongawwa Ela in Kottawa Rain forest, Galle, Sri Lanka","authors":"W. A. A. S. Chandrathilaka, H. Asanthi, T. G. Dayananda, R. Gunasekera","doi":"10.4038/JUR.V6I1.7893","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/JUR.V6I1.7893","url":null,"abstract":"Influence of stream characteristics on diversity and distribution of benthic algae were studied at Gongawwa Ela during the period of September to November in 2016. Four sampling sites were selected and the distance between two sampling sites was 1.5km. Substrate types were categorized by sieve analysis and grain size distribution curves. Principle Component Analysis (PCA) was performed to identify the most important stream characteristics that could potentially influence on the growth of benthic algae. Physicochemical characteristics of water (nitrate, Total Dissolved Solids, temperature, pH, and Dissolved Oxygen) and substrates (pH, phosphate and nitrate) showed significant temporal variations. Conductivity and water velocity levels of the substrate varied significantly among the sampling sites. Species richness of benthic algae (29 genera) showed significantly negative correlations with the level of phosphate content (R2=-0.9592, P<0.05) and pH levels (R2=-0.999, P<0.05) of the substrate. Well graded substrate was observed only at the most downstream site (site 3) while other sites showed poorly graded substratum consisting over 90% of sand. The most abundant algal division was Bacillariophyta and the abundance of Flagilaria sp., Pinnularia sp., Stigeoclonium sp., and Pediastrum sp. showed significant temporal variation. Pinnularia sp., Synedra sp., Anabaena sp. and Navicula sp. were possible indicators of the upstream characteristics. Meanwhile, Cosmarium sp., Pinnularia sp., Surirella sp., Tabellaria sp., Synedra sp., Closterium sp. and Navicula sp. were possible indicators of the downstream characteristics. The PCA showed that the most important stream characteristics were DO, conductivity, Total Suspended Solids, water pH, nitrate in water and water discharge, while conductivity, nitrate, phosphate, % organic matter, pH, and % canopy cover were the types of substrate characteristics.","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":"17 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122270370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Illegal gold mining and land degradation can affect food production negatively. This study examines the impacts of illegal/surface gold mining and land degradation on food security in Yauri, Kebbi State, Nigeria. Data for this study were collected from both primary and secondary sources. A total of 250 copies of questionnaire were administered to the respondents in the study area using systematic random sampling technique. Descriptive statistics such as simple percentages, graph and frequency among others were used to analyze the data. Result revealed that majority of the respondents (97.1%) and (98.4%) used farmland as their mining site and excavated soil and tailings were dumped on the farmland respectively. The result further showed that more than 96% of the respondents abandoned farming activities for illegal gold mining. This finding indicates loss of farm labour which may result to food insecurity in the study area. The study calls for constitutional provision that will empower states to control and extract whatever minerals deposited within their domain for the overall economic benefit of the citizenry.
{"title":"Illegal gold mining, land degradation and food security in nigeria: a case of yauri, kebbi state, Nigeria","authors":"P. Godwin, P. Z. Umaru","doi":"10.4038/jur.v6i1.7867","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/jur.v6i1.7867","url":null,"abstract":"Illegal gold mining and land degradation can affect food production negatively. This study examines the impacts of illegal/surface gold mining and land degradation on food security in Yauri, Kebbi State, Nigeria. Data for this study were collected from both primary and secondary sources. A total of 250 copies of questionnaire were administered to the respondents in the study area using systematic random sampling technique. Descriptive statistics such as simple percentages, graph and frequency among others were used to analyze the data. Result revealed that majority of the respondents (97.1%) and (98.4%) used farmland as their mining site and excavated soil and tailings were dumped on the farmland respectively. The result further showed that more than 96% of the respondents abandoned farming activities for illegal gold mining. This finding indicates loss of farm labour which may result to food insecurity in the study area. The study calls for constitutional provision that will empower states to control and extract whatever minerals deposited within their domain for the overall economic benefit of the citizenry.","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":"89 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124579645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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