University of Peradeniya

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.

Duration of exclusive breastfeeding; validity of retrospective assessment at nine months of age

Abstract: Background: In cross sectional, case control and retrospective cohort studies, duration of Exclusive Breastfeeding (EBF) usually depends on maternal recall. Retrospective data are often subjected to recall bias and could lead to a potential for exposure misclassification. The purpose of the present paper is to assess the validity of maternal recall of EBF duration during infancy, after cessation of EBF and to evaluate the two methods to collect retrospective data on EBF. Methods: A cohort study was carried out in Naula Medical Officer of Health (MOH) area. Study cohort included all infants born during the months of February to April 2008 and currently residing in Naula MOH area. Baseline data collection was carried out using the pregnancy record, the child health development record and by using an interviewer administered structured questionnaire. Data extraction from the pregnancy record and the child health development record were carried out by public health midwives. The interviewer administered structured questionnaire was administered by the MOH during the follow-up visits. Duration of EBF was assessed in three ways; based on prospective data since birth: Retrospective data based on an event calendar: and the Mother reported EBF duration. Results: A total of 114 mother-infant pairs were recruited and followed up. Proportion of infants receiving EBF up to the completion of the sixth month by the three methods were; data since birth (actual EBF rate) - 23.9%; mother reported data - 77.7% and event calendar method - 41.3%. Median duration of EBF reported in the three methods was 5, 6, and 5 respectively. A statistically significant difference was observed in these differences from Kaplan-Meire Survival analysis (Log rank test - Chi square-63.4, p < 0.001). Validity of retrospective methods was analysed using data since birth as the gold standard. Sensitivity of both methods to detect exclusively breastfed babies were 100.0%. Specificity of mother recall data was 26.2% (95%CI-17.9, 36.8%) compared to 75.0% (95% CI64.5, 83.2%) in the event calendar method. Conclusions: Retrospective evaluation methods systematically overestimate the duration of EBF. Maternal recall data provide highly unspecific data whereas use of an event calendar provided more valid data. Reporting of data accrual methods in breastfeeding studies will allow the readers to interpret findings accurately and the use of event calendars rather than direct questioning as a valid method of determining EBF is recommended.

Survey on the management of dengue infection in Sri Lanka: opinions of physicians and pediatricians.

Abstract: The management of dengue infection is variable and clinicians often adopt their own methods based on clinical experience Hence, there is a lack of uniformity in the practice and management of dengue fever (DF) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) in Sri Lanka The objectives were to describe the opinions of clinicians regarding certain management issues of, and their clinical experiences in DF/DHF A self-administered questionnaire survey of 50 consultant physicians and pediatricians that were currently practicing in Government Hospitals was conducted Their cumulative experience was based on managing approximately 15,119 patients for a period of three years in 15 districts of the island The WHO guidelines were used by only 16(45%) physicians and 6(40%) pediatricians in the management of DF/DHF Most of the clinicians did not agree on the value of steroids and antibiotics However, the majority was in favor of platelet and plasma transfusions, although most had no fixed policy on fluid management In the experience, clinicians observed the recurrence of dengue, post-viral fatigue syndrome, and many other complications A conclusion was made that a national policy and guidelines should be created to suit the local context, based on the evidence and experiences of clinicians managing dengue infection

An experimental test of the scaling prediction for the spatial distribution of water during the drying of colloidal films

Abstract: A Peclet number, Pe, for the drying of colloidal films can be used as a predictor of the uniformity of water concentration in the direction normal to the film. Uniform drying is predicted to occur when Pe < 1, whereas with $\textit{Pe}>1$ , a layer of packed particles is expected to develop above a more dilute layer. Routh and Zimmerman have more recently proposed that the particle concentration gradient between the packed and dilute layers, $d \phi _{p} / d \textit{z} $ , will scale as $\textit{Pe}^{1/2}$ . Here, this scaling relation is tested experimentally with magnetic resonance profiling data obtained from waterborne colloidal films dried under conditions to yield a range of Pe. It is found that $d\phi_{p}/d\textit{z}$ increases with Pe but scales as $\textit{Pe}^{0.8}$ . This disagreement with the prediction can be attributed to an underestimate of Pe when there are greater non-uniformities of drying, because of an unquantified slowing down of the evaporation rate.