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.

Phosphate mineral fertilizers, trace metals and human health

Abstract: Fertilizers, indispensable as they may seem, are nevertheless materials that also clearly cause serious environmental contamination notably in the agricultural soils. The dire necessity for increased food production has been more marked than ever before. Mineral fertilizers, which are indeed an important nutrient source used for enhanced food production, have unfortunately now become a 'necessary evil'. Excessive and continuous use of nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers for decades have converted the agricultural soils into virtual chemical time bombs. Phosphate rocks by their very geological and mineralogical nature contain a host of environmentally hazardous chemical elements such as Cd, Pb, Hg, U Cr and As among others. The superphosphates are particularly abundant in these hazardous elements and they contaminate the agricultural soils through the use of fertilizer. The leachability and dispersion of some of these toxic elements are most pronounced in some types of soils such as andisols. After the discovery of the dreaded disease ' Itai-Itai ' cadmium has been listed as one of the most potentially dangerous elements found in phosphate fertilizers. Uranium, apart from its radiotoxicity, is chemotoxic and on account of these two properties, it is considered as a disease causing element. The geochemical pathways lead these toxic elements into food crops, soil, water, air and ultimately the human body tissues via the food chain. Several diseases are known to be caused by the excessive presence of the toxic elements and among them gastrointestinal, pulmonary and kidney ailments are most noteworthy.

863 genomes reveal the origin and domestication of chicken

Abstract: Despite the substantial role that chickens have played in human societies across the world, both the geographic and temporal origins of their domestication remain controversial To address this issue, we analyzed 863 genomes from a worldwide sampling of chickens and representatives of all four species of wild jungle fowl and each of the five subspecies of red jungle fowl (RJF) Our study suggests that domestic chickens were initially derived from the RJF subspecies Gallus gallus spadiceus whose present-day distribution is predominantly in southwestern China, northern Thailand and Myanmar Following their domestication, chickens were translocated across Southeast and South Asia where they interbred locally with both RJF subspecies and other jungle fowl species In addition, our results show that the White Leghorn chicken breed possesses a mosaic of divergent ancestries inherited from other subspecies of RJF Despite the strong episodic gene flow from geographically divergent lineages of jungle fowls, our analyses show that domestic chickens undergo genetic adaptations that underlie their unique behavioral, morphological and reproductive traits Our study provides novel insights into the evolutionary history of domestic chickens and a valuable resource to facilitate ongoing genetic and functional investigations of the world’s most numerous domestic animal

A cross-cultural comparison of student learning patterns in higher education

Abstract: The aim of this study was to compare student learning patterns in higher education across different cultures. A meta-analysis was performed on three large-scale studies that had used the same research instrument: the Inventory of learning Styles (ILS). The studies were conducted in the two Asian countries Sri Lanka and Indonesia and the European country The Netherlands. Students reported use of learning strategies, metacognitive strategies, conceptions of learning and learning orientations were compared in two ways: by analyses of variance of students’ mean scale scores on ILS scales, as well as by comparing the factor structures of the ILS-scales between the three studies. Results showed most differences in student learning patterns between Asian and European students. However, many differences were identified between students from the two Asian countries as well. The Asian learner turned out to be a myth. Moreover, Sri Lankan students made the least use of memorising strategies of all groups. That Asian learners would have a propensity for rote learning turned out to be a myth as well. Some patterns of learning turned out to be universal and occurred in all groups, other patterns were found only among the Asian or the European students. The findings are discussed in terms of learning environment and culture as explanatory factors. Practical implications for student mobility in an international context are derived.

The potential of neglected and underutilized species for improving diets and nutrition

Abstract: Nutrient-rich neglected and underutilized plant species could help transform food systems, provided science and policy are better connected, and greater coordination exists among the diverse stakeholders working with these species. Why have our food systems come to rely on such a narrow range of plant species of limited nutritional value? Today three staple crops (rice, maize and wheat) account for more than 50% of calories consumed while we continue to disregard the huge diversity of nutrient-rich plant species utilized by humanity throughout our history. The reasons for this situation are complex and challenging. Creative approaches are required to ensure greater integration of these plant species in agriculture and food systems, and ultimately greater food diversity on our plates and in our diets. This paper presents an overview of the nutritional value of select neglected and underutilized species (NUS) before describing in detail the work undertaken in four mega-diverse countries—Brazil, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Turkey—to increase the knowledge, appreciation, awareness and utilization of this nutrient-rich biodiversity encompassing both orphan crops and wild edible plant species. The paper highlights the novel and ingenious approaches these countries have used to prioritize a rich diversity of NUS for healthier diets and improved nutrition, and how this knowledge has been used to mainstream these plant species into production and consumption systems, including linking NUS to school meals and public food procurement, dietary guidelines and sustainable gastronomy. The paper concludes with some perspectives on the way forward for NUS and the community working on them (including researchers, universities and government agencies, national ministries, municipalities, producers, and civil society) in meeting the challenges of malnutrition and environmental sustainability in the 2030 sustainable development context.