BackgroundThe nutritional status of school-aged children impacts their health, cognition, and subsequently their educational achievement. The school is an opportune setting to provide health and nu...

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/156482651003100303

The Nutritional Status of School-Aged Children: Why Should We Care?

The outcome of data analysis depends on the quality and completeness of data. This paper considers various techniques for filling in missing precipitation data. To assess suitability of the different methods for filling in missing data, monthly precipitation data collected at six different stations was considered. The complete sets (with no missing values) are used to predict monthly precipitation. The arithmetic averaging method, the multiple linear regression method, and the non-linear iterative partial least squares algorithm perform best. The multiple regression method provided a successful estimation of the missing precipitation data, which is supported by the results published in the literature. The multiple imputation method produced the most accurate results for precipitation data from five dependent stations. The decision-tree algorithm is explicit, and therefore it is used when insights into the decision making are needed. Comprehensive error analysis is presented.

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Assessment of different methods for estimation of missing data in precipitation studies

The lunar cycle: a cue for amphibian reproductive phenology?

Watershed prioritization is one of the most important processes in natural resource management system especially in areas of sustainable watershed development and planning. Morphometric characteristics are the viable entity to understand the hydrological behavior of the subwatershed. For prioritization of subwatershed, morphometric analysis was utilized by using the linear, areal, and relief aspects of the drainage basin. In this context, remote sensing and GIS has been proved to be an efficient tool to identify the morphological features. The Survey of India (SOI) topographical maps, satellite data IRS-LISS III, and Cartosat DEM data were utilized to understand the drainage pattern and also for prioritization of subwatershed areas. The prioritization of subwatershed has been attempted using novel and quantitative approaches based on compound parameter ranking for soil erosion. Lower compound factors were chosen as the most feasible for soil erosion. Based on the observation, eight subwatersheds with a higher degree of the slope were severely prone to soil erosion and remaining 21 subwatersheds occur in low-lying areas that can be developed as sustainable watersheds. The identified subwatershed requires immediate soil remediation and water conservation measures for efficient watershed planning and management. The proposed study might be helpful for resource planners, government agencies, private sectors, and other stake holders to take up soil conservation measures and fixation of water-harvesting structures for better decision making.

Prioritization of subwatersheds based on quantitative morphometric analysis in lower Bhavani basin, Tamil Nadu, India using DEM and GIS techniques

The neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are the most common infections of the world's poorest people living in Africa, Asia, and the Americas [1]. Occurring predominantly among people who live on less than US$2 per day or below the World Bank poverty figure of US$1.25 per day, the NTDs represent a group of chronic parasitic and related bacterial and viral infections that actually promote poverty because of their impact on child development, pregnancy outcome, and worker productivity [2]. The NTDs differ significantly in their prevalence and disease burden according to their geographic and regional presence. Such features for the NTDs in sub-Saharan Africa [3], China and East Asia [4], and the Americas [5]–[7], respectively, were reviewed previously. Here, we summarize current knowledge on the prevalence, distribution, and disease burden of the NTDs in India and South Asia, focusing on aspects particular to the region. The review of the literature was conducted using the online database PubMed from 2003 to 2010 with the Medical Subject Headings, the specific diseases listed in the World Health Organization's (WHO) first report on NTDs [8], and the geographic regions and countries of South Asia. Reference lists of identified articles and reviews were also hand searched as were WHO databases (http://www.who.int/), including the WHO's Weekly Epidemiological Record. Recently, a comprehensive review on the continuing challenge of infectious diseases in India was published [9]. However, this review focuses exclusively on NTDs, many of which, especially the helminthiases, were not emphasized previously [9].

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The neglected tropical diseases of India and South Asia: review of their prevalence, distribution, and control or elimination.

Precipitation or rainfall (in tropics) is an important climatic parameter and the studies on rainfall are commonly hampered due to lack of continuous data. To fill the gaps (missing observations) in data, several interpolation techniques are currently used. However, the lack of knowledge on the suitability of these methods for Sri Lanka is a practical problem. In view of this problem, this study is aimed at comparing a few selected methods used for the estimation of missing rainfall data with a new method introduced by the authors to determine their suitability in Sri Lankan context. The methods studied were Arithmetic Mean (Local Mean) method, Normal Ratio method and Inverse Distance method. The new method introduced by the authors is named as Aerial Precipitation Ratio method. In this approach, rain gauging stations where complete monthly rainfall data sets are available were selected in such a way that the selected stations represent each of the seven major Agro-ecological zones of Sri Lanka. This selection procedure of stations makes it possible to generalize the results to the entire country. The period of data ranged from 15 years in the case of mid country intermediate zone to 28 years Up country intermediate zone and Mid country wet zone. Subsequently, monthly rainfall data of each station were estimated using the data of surrounding stations based on the above selected methods so that actual data and the estimated data can be compared. Each estimated series was compared with the actual data series using different statistical comparison techniques. These comparisons include Descriptive Statistics of Error, Root Mean Square Error, Mean Absolute Percentage of Error and Correlation Coefficient. Results of the study show that the Inverse Distance method is the most suitable method for all three Low-country zones (wet, intermediate, and dry). However, for Mid-country and Upcountry Intermediate zones, Normal Ratio method is the most suitable method. Further, Arithmetic Mean method is more appropriate for Upcountry Wet zone while Aerial Precipitation Ratio method is more suitable for Mid-country Wet zone.

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A comparison of methods used in estimating missing rainfall data

Basin morphometry is a means of mathematically quantifying different aspects of a drainage basin. In the present study, morphometric analysis of the Gal Oya river basin was done to elucidate information on the morphometry of the Gal Oya river basin and to assess its hydrological characteristics and flood potentials based on the morphological characteristics. The study was carried out using spatial data obtained from Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The morphometric parameters considered for the analysis include the linear, areal and relief aspects of the basin. Morphometric analysis of the river network and the basin revealed that the Gal Oya basin has 6th order river network (as per the Strahler’s classification) with a dendritic drainage pattern and moderate drainage texture. The obtained values of bifurcation ratio, drainage density, circularity ratio, elongation ratio, form factor, stream frequency and drainage intensity indicate that the basin produces a flatter peak of direct runoff for a longer duration and such flood flows emerging from elongated basins are easier to manage than those from circular basins. Tropical Agricultural Research Vol. 26 (1): 175– 188 (2014)

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Morphometric analysis of the Gal Oya river basin using spatial data derived from GIS

Objective To assess health status of 9-10-year old school children in Sri Lanka. Design A cross-sectional, descriptive study. Schools were selected to obtain a sample representative at national and provincial levels and 20 children were randomly selected from Grade 5 classes in each school. Measurements Children were examined for Bitot's spots and goitre. Height, weight, and visual acuity were measured according to standard procedures. Haemoglobin level was measured using finger-prick blood and a HemoCue® meter. Geohelminth infections were quantified by faecal examination using the modified Kato-Katz technique. Height for age Z-scores (HAZ) and body mass index (BMI) were calculated as indicators of nutritional status. Results Two thousand five hundred and twenty eight children (1351 boys) from 144 schools (140 state schools and four private schools) were examined. Nationally, 15.5% of children were stunted (HAZ lower than - 2.0 SD); 52.6% were thin (BMI 85th centile); 12.1% were anaemic; 0.3% had Bitot's spots; 3% had a visible or palpable goitre; 4.6% were shortsighted; and 6.9% had one or more soil-transmitted nematode infection. Among children on whom anthropometry, haemoglobin and faecal examinations were all done, 64.6% (1332/2063) were thin, stunted, anaemic or infected with worms. A much higher proportion of children in the Northern and Eastern provinces had health problems when compared to the other provinces. Conclusions The majority of older primary schoolchildren in Sri Lanka are undernourished. Anaemia, vitamin A deficiency, iodine deficiency and soil-transmitted nematode infections affect a much smaller proportion of them. Key words: Anaemia, goitre, malnutrition, soil-transmitted nematode infection, vision DOI: 10.4038/cmj.v50i2.1567 Ceylon Medical Journal Vol.50(2) 2005 pp46-50

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Health status of primary schoolchildren in Sri Lanka

http://archive.cmb.ac.lk:8080/research/bitstream/70130/5265/1/41.pdf

Molecular and Scanning Electron Microscopic Proof of Phytoplasma Associated With Areca Palm Yellow Leaf Disease in Sri Lanka

Soil erosion is one of the major factors that contributes to land degradation in the up and mid country of Sri Lanka. It is important to assess the rate of soil erosion under different environmental and socio-economic contexts to identify and apply suitable management interventions. A number of parametric models have been developed to predict soil erosion at drainage basins. Yet Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) is the most widely used empirical equation for estimating annual soil loss from small agricultural lands. This study was carried out with the objective of developing a land degradation assessment model using a geospatial approach. The study area was Kandaketiya DS division in Badulla district. USLE together with some socio - economic factors were used to develop the model for predicting land degradation. Slope length (L) and slope gradient (S) factors were derived from Digital Elevation Model. Rainfall erosivity (R) factor was determined using a correlation developed for Sri Lanka in a past research. Soil erodibility (K) factor was derived from the soil map. Crop management (C) factor and Erosion control practices (P) factor related to land cover derived from remotely sensed data taken from the literature. Annual soil erosion was computed using the above factors. The computed soil erosion map was coupled with the socioeconomic factors on population density, agricultural land to man ratio, land to man ratio and number of Samurdhi beneficiaries to assess the land degradation severity. The results showed that marginal tea lands are the highest contributor to soil loss in the study area. According to the study, soil erosion and population density contributed more to the land degradation. A strong negative relationship was found between land degradation and land to man ratio. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/tar.v21i4.3312 TAR 2010; 21(3): 361-367

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R. P. De Silva

Papers

A comparison of methods used in estimating missing rainfall data

Morphometric analysis of the Gal Oya river basin using spatial data derived from GIS

Health status of primary schoolchildren in Sri Lanka

Molecular and Scanning Electron Microscopic Proof of Phytoplasma Associated With Areca Palm Yellow Leaf Disease in Sri Lanka

GIS Based Analysis of Biophysical and Socio - Economic Factors for Land Degradation in Kandaketiya DS Division