Institution
University of Peradeniya
Education•Kandy, Sri Lanka•
About: University of Peradeniya is a education organization based out in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 5970 authors who have published 7388 publications receiving 197002 citations.
Topics: Population, Poison control, Electrolyte, Adsorption, Agriculture
Papers published on a yearly basis
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TL;DR: In this paper, a policy framework for adaptation of Sri Lankan agriculture to climate change based on the following components is discussed: (a) Quantification and forecasting of climate change; (b) Assessment of impacts and vulnerability; (c) Identification and formulation of responses to adapt; (d) Creating and strengthening the institutional framework and infrastructure to implement and monitor adaptation measures.
Abstract: Agriculture is one of the key sectors of the Sri Lankan economy, which contributes a significant percentage to its gross domestic product (GDP) and provides direct or indirect employment to a sizeable proportion of its population. Climate change involves long-term slow changes in climate, short-term year-to-year climatic variability and unpredictable extreme climatic events. Agriculture, especially crop production, is highly dependent on the prevailing weather conditions and therefore is highly sensitive to climate change, both short-term and long-term. Almost all General Circulation Models predict that the processes of climate change such as increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and global warming will continue well into the 21st century even if the mitigation measures to minimize the causes of climate change exert maximum effect. Therefore, it is imperative that a well-co-ordinated and sustained effort is set in motion to increase the capacity of Sri Lankan agriculture to adapt to short and long-term climate change. Adaptation involves measures to minimize the impacts of climate change. At present, implementation of climate change adaptation measures in Sri Lanka is piecemeal and lacks co-ordination and direction. Hence, a clear policy framework identifying the measures to be pursued and the roles of different stakeholders is needed for allocating and channelling the necessary financial and human resources for successful adaptation to climate change. A clear and comprehensive policy framework also becomes the basis for development of an effective road map and an action plan to achieve successful adaptation. This paper discusses a policy framework for adaptation of Sri Lankan agriculture to climate change based on the following components: (a) Quantification and forecasting of climate change; (b) Assessment of impacts and vulnerability to climate change; (c) Identification and formulation of responses to adapt to climate change; (d) Creating and strengthening the institutional framework and infrastructure to implement and monitor adaptation measures to climate change. Major advances in scientific research on components a, b and c, both locally and internationally, are briefly discussed and key policy measures to facilitate and accelerate their progress along with the relevant stakeholders are identified. Importance of allocating adequate resources to promote research on all aspects of climate change and their impacts by developing infrastructure, a critical mass of experts and an institutional framework to effectively link all stakeholders to channel the formulated adaptation measures to the farming communities at the grass-root level are emphasized. Keywords: Adaptation, climate change impacts, policy, rice, tea, vulnerability J.Natn.Sci.Foundation Sri Lanka 2010 38 (2):79-89 Doi: Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */
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10.4038/jnsfsr.v38i2.2032
36 citations
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TL;DR: The toxins of scorpions and spiders commonly interfere with voltage-gated ion channels, and some have proved to be valuable pharmaceutical agents, while some others are widely exploited to study neuromuscular physiology and pathology.
Abstract: Neurologic dysfunction due to natural neurotoxins is an important, but neglected, public health hazard in many parts of the world, particularly in the tropics. These toxins are produced by or found among a variety of live forms that include venomous snakes, arthropods such as scorpions, spiders, centipedes, stinging insects (Hymenoptera), ticks, certain poisonous fish, shellfish, crabs, cone shells, skin secretions of dart-poison frogs, and bacterial poisons such as botulinum toxin. These toxins commonly act on neuromuscular transmission at the neuromuscular junction where acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter, but in certain situations the toxins interfere with neurotransmitters such as GABA, noradrenaline, adrenaline, dopamine, and γ-aminobutyrate. Of the toxins, α-toxins and κ-toxins (e.g., Chinese krait, Bungarus multicinctus) act on the postsynaptic membrane, blocking the receptors, whilst β-toxin (e.g., common krait, B. caeruleus) acts on the presynaptic membrane, causing impairment of acetylcholine release. Conversely, dendrotoxins of the African mamba enhance acetylcholine release. The toxins of scorpions and spiders commonly interfere with voltage-gated ion channels. Clinically, the cardinal manifestation is muscle paralysis. In severe cases respiratory paralysis could be fatal. Effective antivenoms are the mainstay of treatment of envenoming, but their lack of availability is the major concern in the regions of the globe where they are desperately needed. Interestingly, some toxins have proved to be valuable pharmaceutical agents, while some others are widely exploited to study neuromuscular physiology and pathology.
36 citations
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TL;DR: Some of identified regions under selection with hapFLK analyses contained genes such as TLR3, SOCS2, EOMES, and NFAT5 whose biological functions could provide insights in understanding adaptation mechanisms in response to arid and tropical environments.
Abstract: Extreme environmental conditions are a major challenge in livestock production. Changes in climate, particularly those that contribute to weather extremes like drought or excessive humidity, may result in reduced performance and reproduction and could compromise the animal's immune function. Animal survival within extreme environmental conditions could be in response to natural selection and to artificial selection for production traits that over time together may leave selection signatures in the genome. The aim of this study was to identify selection signatures that may be involved in the adaptation of indigenous chickens from two different climatic regions (Sri Lanka = Tropical; Egypt = Arid) and in non-indigenous chickens that derived from human migration events to the generally tropical State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. To do so, analyses were conducted using fixation index (Fst) and hapFLK analyses. Chickens from Brazil (n = 156), Sri Lanka (n = 92), and Egypt (n = 96) were genotyped using the Affymetrix Axiom®600k Chicken Genotyping Array. Pairwise Fst analyses among countries did not detect major regions of divergence between chickens from Sri Lanka and Brazil, with ecotypes/breeds from Brazil appearing to be genetically related to Asian-Indian (Sri Lanka) ecotypes. However, several differences were detected in comparisons of Egyptian with either Sri Lankan or Brazilian populations, and common regions of difference on chromosomes 2, 3 and 8 were detected. The hapFLK analyses for the three separate countries suggested unique regions that are potentially under selection on chromosome 1 for all three countries, on chromosome 4 for Sri Lankan, and on chromosomes 3, 5, and 11 for the Egyptian populations. Some of identified regions under selection with hapFLK analyses contained genes such as TLR3, SOCS2, EOMES, and NFAT5 whose biological functions could provide insights in understanding adaptation mechanisms in response to arid and tropical environments.
36 citations
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TL;DR: A series of popliteal artery injury early identification of limbs at risk, early four compartment fasciotomy, temporary intra-luminal shunting, definitive repair of concomitant venous injuries and aggressive treatment of haemodynamic instability were shown to be beneficial in achieving reasonable outcome in an austere environment with limited recourses.
Abstract: Background and aims Traumatic injury to the popliteal vascular zone remains a challenging problem on the modern battlefield and is frequently associated with more complications than other vascular injuries. Limb salvage and morbidity (graft infection, thrombosis and delayed haemorrhage) were studied. Materials and methods All popliteal vascular injuries over an 8 month period admitted to the Military Base Hospital were analyzed. Local limb evaluation included confirmation of the presence of ischaemia, extent of soft tissue damage, muscle viability after calf fasciotomy, and neurological injury. Ischaemic time was recorded from the time of injury to definitive revascularization. If there was a prior attempt at reconstruction, the amputation was considered delayed. Results For a series of 44 patients with popliteal vascular injury average time to presentation was 390 min, 46% were completely ischaemic. Of those 39 (89%) had popliteal artery injuries. There were 24 (62%) complete popliteal artery transections and associated venous (69%) and osseous (46%) injuries. The preferred technique of repair was inter-position venous graft (IPVG) (54%). Eleven immediate amputations were performed (28%). There were 13 wound infections (33%), 5 early graft thromboses (5 of 21 IPVG, 238%), 2 anastomotic disruptions (2 of 21 IPVG, 9%), which resulted in 4 delayed amputations. Mortality was 5% (2 patients). Conclusions In this case series of popliteal artery injury early identification of limbs at risk, early four compartment fasciotomy, temporary intra-luminal shunting, definitive repair of concomitant venous injuries and aggressive treatment of haemodynamic instability were shown to be beneficial in achieving reasonable outcome in an austere environment with limited recourses.
36 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, the preparation and characterization of conducting polyaniline-montmorillonite (PANI-MMT) nanocomposites by the polymerization of anilinium ions within the interlayer space of MMT particles is described.
Abstract: This paper describes the preparation and characterization of conducting polyaniline-montmorillonite (PANI-MMT) nanocomposites by the polymerization of anilinium ions within the interlayer space of MMT particles. A procedure for the successive introduction of PANI chains within the interlayer galleries of MMT is developed. The d-spacing, measured after heat treatment at various temperatures serves as a measure of the amount of polymer inserted in the clay intergalleries. The FTIR spectroscopy reveals the presence of host-guest interactions of a hydrogen-bonded nature. The DC conductivities were found to increase with the amount of PANI intercalated. Anilinium ions supported on kaolinite tended to dislodge from the surface upon repeated washings, as shown by the absence of polymer formation on such samples upon treatment with the oxidant. In MMT, however, polymerization is observed even with exhaustively washed samples, thus confirming that the successive polymerization processes occur within the interlayer...
36 citations
Authors
Showing all 5992 results
Name | H-index | Papers | Citations |
---|---|---|---|
David Gunnell | 114 | 688 | 79867 |
Michael S. Roberts | 82 | 740 | 27754 |
Richard F. Gillum | 77 | 217 | 84184 |
Lakshman P. Samaranayake | 75 | 586 | 19972 |
Adrian C. Newton | 74 | 453 | 21814 |
Nick Jenkins | 71 | 325 | 22477 |
Michael Eddleston | 63 | 310 | 16762 |
Velmurugu Ravindran | 63 | 280 | 14057 |
Samath D Dharmaratne | 62 | 151 | 103916 |
Nicholas A. Buckley | 62 | 419 | 14283 |
Saman Warnakulasuriya | 60 | 282 | 15766 |
Keith W. Hipel | 58 | 543 | 14045 |
Geoffrey K. Isbister | 57 | 468 | 12690 |
Fiona J Charlson | 53 | 91 | 80274 |
Abbas Shafiee | 51 | 418 | 8679 |