Systematic review and meta-analysis of the pelvic organ prolapse and vaginal prolapse among the global population.

Background: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) occurs when one or more pelvic organs (uterus, bowel, bladder or top of the vagina) descend from their normal position and bulge into the vagina. Symptoms include pelvic discomfort, fullness, and changes in bladder or bowel function. Treatment ranges from conservative approaches to surgery, depending on symptom severity.

Burden of caregivers of older people in Sri Lanka: an overlooked concern in the health care system.

Background: Caring for older people has become a significant public health concern in Sri Lanka due to the growing aging population. This has placed a heavy burden on family caregivers, particularly those caring for older individuals with multiple chronic conditions. Recognizing this challenge, the present study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Sinhala version of the 10-item short form of the Burden Scale for Family Caregivers (BSFC-s) and assess caregiver burden and associated factors among caregivers of older people aged over 65 years with multimorbidity.

Analyzing the impact of socioeconomic indicators on gender inequality in Sri Lanka: A machine learning-based approach.

This study conducts a comprehensive analysis of gender inequality in Sri Lanka, focusing on the relationship between key socioeconomic factors and the Gender Inequality Index (GII) from 1990 to 2022. By applying machine learning techniques, including Decision Trees and Ensemble methods, the study investigates the influence of economic indicators such as GDP per capita, government expenditure, government revenue, and unemployment rates on gender disparities. The analysis reveals that higher GDP and government revenues are associated with reduced gender inequality, while greater unemployment rates exacerbate disparities.

Performance of machine learning models to forecast PM10 levels.

Machine learning techniques have garnered considerable attention in modern technologies due to their promising outcomes across various domains. This paper presents the comprehensive methodology of an optimized and efficient forecasting approach for Particulate Matter 10, specifically tailored to predefined locations. The execution of a comparative analysis involving eight models enables the identification of the most suitable model that aligns with the primary research objective.

Rising trends of diabetes in South Asia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: South Asians are known for their increased predisposition for type 2 diabetes (T2D). We describe the most recent prevalence and trends of diabetes, prediabetes, and undiagnosed diabetes in South Asia based on surveys conducted from 2000 to 2024.

Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases for population-based studies describing diabetes/prediabetes prevalence.

Undetected falls among older adults attending medical clinics in four tertiary care centres in Sri Lanka; the need of a comprehensive geriatric assessment.

Objective: Falls take a high priority among the prevalent medical conditions in old age. Despite this, a history of falls or the risk of future falls is not routinely assessed or properly managed in medical clinics in Sri Lanka. This study was done to evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with falls and recurrent falls among older adults attending medical clinics in four selected tertiary care centres in the country.

Understanding the interplay of GDP, renewable, and non-renewable energy on carbon emissions: Global wavelet coherence and Granger causality analysis.

This study examines the causality of Per Capita Gross Domestic Production (PGDP), Renewable Energy Consumption (REC), and Non-Renewable Energy Consumption (NREC) on Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at the global level utilising data gathered from 1995 to 2020 across various countries categorised based on income levels as High, Low, Upper Middle and Lower Middle and analysed through wavelet coherence. The findings reveal both bidirectional and unidirectional causality between the variables which have evolved. Globally, a bi-directional relationship is observed with a positive correlation between PGDP and NREC and in contrast, a negative correlation with REC.

aMMP-8 POCT vs. Other Potential Biomarkers in Chair-Side Diagnostics and Treatment Monitoring of Severe Periodontitis.

This study aimed to compare several potential mouthrinse biomarkers for periodontitis including active matrix-metalloproteinase-8 (aMMP-8), total MMP-8, and other inflammatory biomarkers in diagnosing and monitoring the effects of nonsurgical periodontal therapy. Thirteen patients with stage III/IV periodontitis were recruited, along with thirteen periodontally and systemically healthy controls. These 13 patients were representative of the number of outpatients visiting any dentist in a single day.

Justifying the prediction of major soil nutrients levels (N, P, and K) in cabbage cultivation.

In a recent paper by Sajindra et al. [1], the soil nutrient levels, specifically nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, in organic cabbage cultivation were predicted using a deep learning model. This model was designed with a total of four hidden layers, excluding the input and output layers, with each hidden layer meticulously crafted to contain ten nodes.

Impact of economic indicators on rice production: A machine learning approach in Sri Lanka.

Rice is a crucial crop in Sri Lanka, influencing both its agricultural and economic landscapes. This study delves into the complex interplay between economic indicators and rice production, aiming to uncover correlations and build prediction models using machine learning techniques. The dataset, spanning from 1960 to 2020, includes key economic variables such as GDP, inflation rate, manufacturing output, population, population growth rate, imports, arable land area, military expenditure, and rice production.

Artificial intelligence to predict soil temperatures by development of novel model.

Soil temperatures at both surface and various depths are important in changing environments to understand the biological, chemical, and physical properties of soil. This is essential in reaching food sustainability. However, most of the developing regions across the globe face difficulty in establishing solid data measurements and records due to poor instrumentation and many other unavoidable reasons such as natural disasters like droughts, floods, and cyclones.

Katz index of activities of daily living in assessing functional status of older people: Reliability and validity of Sinhala version.

Purpose: This study evaluated the reliability and validity of the Sinhala version of Katz index of activities of daily living (ADL) in assessing the functional status of older people aged >65 years.

Materials And Methods: The Katz index was translated to Sinhala, cross-culturally adapted and administered in two stages. In stage 01, 200 patients aged ≥65 years, selected randomly from out-patient medical clinics, were asked to fill the Sinhala version of Katz index along with the Sinhala version of the 10-item Barthel index (BI).

Towards a greener future: examining carbon emission dynamics in Asia amid gross domestic product, energy consumption, and trade openness.

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of gross domestic product, energy consumption, and trade openness on carbon emission in Asia. Among the 48 countries in Asia, 42 were included in the analysis, spanning a period of 20 years. Given that Asia is the predominant contributor, accounting for 53% of global emissions as of 2019, a comprehensive examination at both continental and individual country levels becomes imperative.

Associations between body composition and cardiovascular disease risk in pre- and postmenopausal women.

Background: Menopause transition is a critical phase of women's life since body composition and cardiovascular risk factors begin to change during this period. This study investigated the associations between body composition and cardiovascular disease risk (CVDR) in pre (PrMW) and postmenopausal women (PMW).

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study involving 184 PrMW and 166 PMW, selected randomly from Bope-Poddala area in Galle, Sri Lanka was carried out.

Effect of E-learning on Management Undergraduates' Academic Success during COVID-19: A Study at Non-state Universities in Sri Lanka.

Education also becomes one of the basic needs of all human being in the today's world. Due to the rapid advancement of the information and communication technology during the past years emphasize the necessity of using e-learning in the education sector. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, all the countries developed and developing had to quickly move from conventional learning methods to e-learning.

Sustainability practices and organizational performance during the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis: A case of apparel and textile industry in Sri Lanka.

The apparel and textile industry is the backbone of the Sri Lankan economy, contributing significantly to the country's gross domestic product (GDP). The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which also triggered the ongoing economic crisis in Sri Lanka, has a profound effect on the organizational performance of apparel sector firms in Sri Lanka. In this context, the study examines the impact of multi-dimensional corporate sustainability practices on organizational performance in the said sector.

How successful the online assessment techniques in distance learning have been, in contributing to academic achievements of management undergraduates?

Unlabelled: The implementation of online teaching and assessments was prompted by the current COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, all universities had to adopt the distance-learning method as the only choice to continue education delivery. This study's main objective is to understand the effectiveness of assessment techniques followed through distance learning in Sri Lankan management undergraduates during COVID-19.

Psychological disturbances encountered by the healthcare professionals, military professionals and general public in Sri Lanka during COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a serious global health concern, posing a greater risk of psychological vulnerabilities for frontline healthcare workers (HCWs), military professionals and the general public around the globe. These psychological issues appear to be long lasting and heighten the risk of mental health disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to identify psychological problems encountered by HCWs, military professionals, and the general public in Sri Lanka during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Water level prediction using soft computing techniques: A case study in the Malwathu Oya, Sri Lanka.

Hydrologic models to simulate river flows are computationally costly. In addition to the precipitation and other meteorological time series, catchment characteristics, including soil data, land use, land cover, and roughness, are essential in most hydrologic models. The unavailability of these data series challenged the accuracy of simulations.

Sensitivity Analysis of Parameters Affecting Wetland Water Levels: A Study of Flood Detention Basin, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Wetlands play a vital role in ecosystems. They help in flood accumulation, water purification, groundwater recharge, shoreline stabilization, provision of habitats for flora and fauna, and facilitation of recreation activities. Although wetlands are hot spots of biodiversity, they are one of the most endangered ecosystems on the Earth.

Age Classification of Rice Seeds in Japan Using Gradient-Boosting and ANFIS Algorithms.

The rapidly changing climate affects an extensive spectrum of human-centered environments. The food industry is one of the affected industries due to rapid climate change. Rice is a staple food and an important cultural key point for Japanese people.

Production of H and CNM from biogas decomposition using biosolids-derived biochar and the application of the CNM-coated biochar for PFAS adsorption.

Anaerobic digestion is a popular unit operation in wastewater treatment to degrade organic contaminants, thereby generating biogas (methane-rich gas stream). Catalytic decomposition of the biogas could be a promising upcycling approach to produce renewable hydrogen and sequester carbon in the form of carbon nanomaterials (CNMs). Biosolids are solid waste generated during the wastewater treatment process, which can be valorised to biochar via pyrolysis.

Towards work-life balance or away? The impact of work from home factors on work-life balance among software engineers during Covid-19 pandemic.

The paradigm shifts of conventional office spaces for virtual workspaces which practiced Work from Home (WFH) due to Covid-19, created a serious change in the lifestyles of employees, due to the overlap of 'work' and 'life' domains in one's life. Since software engineers have a possibility of permanently adapting into WFH, the objective of this study is to unveil factors which would have a significant impact on the work-life balance of software engineers in Sri Lanka, while WFH. Only a very limited researches have shed light on this context, thereby this study would contribute to fill the empirical gap.