The Effectiveness of CFRP- and Auxetic Fabric-Strengthened Brick Masonry under Axial Compression: A Numerical Investigation.

Bonded brickwork used for loadbearing walls is widely found in heritage structures worldwide. The evaluation of bonded masonry structures and their strengthening strategies against dynamic actions require appropriate understanding under cyclic loading. Subsequently, a simplified 3D microscale numerical model is developed in this paper to analyse bonded brickwork under cyclic compression.

The functioning of different beetle (Coleoptera) sampling methods across altitudinal gradients in Peninsular Malaysia.

Biodiversity research relies largely on knowledge about species responses to environmental gradients, assessed using some commonly applied sampling method. However, the consistency of detected responses using different sampling methods, and thus the generality of findings, has seldom been assessed in tropical ecosystems. Hence, we studied the response consistency and indicator functioning of beetle assemblages in altitudinal gradients from two mountains in Malaysia, using Malaise, light, and pitfall traps.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS-SR) Tamil Version.

Background: Despite being the third most prevalent psychiatric disorder, social anxiety disorder remains under-diagnosed due to multiple reasons. Although many screening instruments are available in the English language, to date no instrument has been translated into Tamil.

Objective: To translate and validate the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS-SR) into Tamil among a group of Sri Lankan university students whose mother tongue is Tamil.

Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern by identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the spike protein by a multiplex real-time PCR.

Background: Although active surveillance SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) is required for proper outbreak control measures, many lower income countries find it challenging to detect VOCs by carrying genomic sequencing alone, due to limited resources.

Methods: VOCs can also be identified by the unique mutations in the spike protein by real-time PCR that detect these single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We used a multiplex, real-time PCR assay for detection of these SNPs for identification of the prevalence of different SARS-CoV-2 VOCs in 16/26 districts in Sri Lanka.

DNAzymes, Novel Therapeutic Agents in Cancer Therapy: A Review of Concepts to Applications.

The past few decades have witnessed a rapid evolution in cancer drug research which is aimed at developing active biological interventions to regulate cancer-specific molecular targets. Nucleic acid-based therapeutics, including ribozymes, antisense oligonucleotides, small interference RNA (siRNA), aptamer, and DNAzymes, have emerged as promising candidates regulating cancer-specific genes at either the transcriptional or posttranscriptional level. Gene-specific catalytic DNA molecules, or DNAzymes, have shown promise as a therapeutic intervention against cancer in various and models, expediting towards clinical applications.

Ethnobotanical and Biochemical Study of Royle Collected from Different Areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Royle has a long history of medicinal uses to treat different diseases. It naturally grows on the mountains of Indian subcontinent. Its ethnobotanical and biochemical study from the state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) was not previously explored.

A rare case of and complicated with pneumocephalus, psoas abscess and sepsis.

Sinusitis is a common ailment a clinician comes across in their day-to-day practice. Simple as it may sound, it may become a very debilitating condition depending on the comorbidities of the patient and the organism involved. and are less common organisms to affect the sinuses, but they are more common in immunocompromised patients such as patients with uncontrolled diabetes.

An improved method for efficient recovery of high quality DNA from date palm ( L; ).

Date palm ( L; ) is one of a few fruit trees that can remarkably grow in dessert agroecosystems that are characterized by extreme temperature fluctuations. Due to increasing demands for dates in the global market and commercial cultivation in many countries, the tree is currently under extensive research in many countries, particularly to improve the germplasm using different molecular tools. Most molecular techniques largely depend on good quality DNA in significant quantities, which are highly compromised by the presence of various contaminants in DNA.

Isolated Lupus-Associated Protein-Losing Enteropathy in a Resource-Limited Centre.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a relatively common autoimmune disease with recently reported cases of lupus-associated protein-losing enteropathy (LUPLE) as an unusual manifestation. It is a well-recognized clinical entity predominantly affecting middle-aged Asian females. LUPLE is diagnosed by exclusion of possible causes for hypoalbuminemia in a patient with positive anti-nuclear antibody (ANA).

Rationally designed DNA therapeutics can modulate human TH expression by controlling specific GQ formation in its promoter.

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the catecholamine (CA) biosynthesis pathway, making TH a molecular target for controlling CA production, specifically dopamine. Dysregulation of dopamine is correlated with neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), among others. Previously, we showed that a 49-nucleotide guanine (G)-rich sequence within the human TH promoter adopts two different sets of G-quadruplex (GQ) structures (5'GQ and 3'GQ), where the 5'GQ uses G-stretches I, II, IV, and VI in TH49, which enhances TH transcription, while the 3'GQ utilizes G-stretches II, IV, VI, and VII, which represses transcription.

How mountains and elevations shape the spatial distribution of beetles in Peninsular Malaysia.

This study was conducted to assess the spatial distribution of beetles in mountain ecosystems and their elevational diversity. Malaise, pitfall and light traps were used to collect beetles from nine different mountains in Malaysia from September 2014 to September 2016, where from Gunung Angsi, Gunung Belumut, Gunung Basor and Gunung Tebu samples were collected at 500 m and 1000 m (above sea level) elevations, while beetles were sampled at 500 m, 1000 m and 1500 masl from Gunung Benom, Gunung Inas, Cameron Highland, Gunung Besar Hantu and Gunung Basor. In this study, 9628 beetles belonging to 879 different species were collected with highest representation from family Staphylinidae and Carabidae.

Exome sequencing detected an extremely rare case of foetal onset familial haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis type 5 presenting with hydrops foetalis.

Background: Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL) is a genetically heterogeneous autosomal recessive hyper-inflammatory syndrome which needs early accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment to prevent complications and early mortality. Recently, it was reported that mutations in STXBP2 gene are linked to FHL type 5 (FHL-5).

Case Presentation: We report a Sri Lankan neonate who presented with low Apgar scores at birth, abdominal distension, and hepatosplenomegaly, followed by lethargy, poor sucking and rapid decompensation with wide spread activation of inflammation within 48 h of birth.

Exploring the molecular subclasses and stage-specific genes of oral cancer: A bioinformatics analysis.

The rate of people getting affected by Oral cancer in Sri Lanka is growing rapidly since the root cause of such cancer, betel quid chewing is tightly coupled with the tradition of the country. The five-year survival rate of the disease is also pretty low as it is typically detected at advanced stages. This urges a comprehensive study on the marker genes of oral cancer for the successful therapeutic revisions that would potentially identify cancer in its early stages.

Impacts of streamflow alteration on benthic macroinvertebrates by mini-hydro diversion in Sri Lanka.

Our study focused on quantifying the alterations of streamflow at a weir site due to the construction of a mini-hydropower plant in the Gurugoda Oya (Sri Lanka), and evaluating the spatial responses of benthic macroinvertebrates to altered flow regime. The HEC-HMS 3.5 model was applied to the Gurugoda Oya sub-catchment to generate streamflows for the time period 1991-2013.

Experimental and Analytical Study of Masonry Subjected to Uniaxial Cyclic Compression.

Structural evaluation of masonry against dynamic seismic actions invariably requires appropriate cyclic compression constitutive models. However, not many research studies have been dedicated to date to investigate the cyclic compression behaviour of masonry. Therefore, series of experimental investigation followed by analytical model verification were employed in this research to better understand the cyclic compression characteristics of masonry.

Performance characteristics of recycled concrete aggregate as an unbound pavement material.

Use of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) as a pavement material is one of the most sustainable engineering applications for the pavement industry. Investigation on the performance characteristics of RCA, such as elastic and plastic deformations of RCA is therefore, needed to assess RCA's application as an unbound pavement material. In this study, repeated load tri-axial (RLT) tests were conducted to investigate the response of RCA to elastic and plastic deformations under dynamic loads.

Allelopathic activity of some Sri Lankan seaweed extracts and the isolation of a new brominated nonaromatic isolaurene type sesquiterpene from red alga harvey.

This study investigated the allelopathic activity of sixteen seaweed extracts using lettuce seed germination bioassay. The results of the preliminary investigation suggested that the methanol extracts of seven seaweeds demonstrated significant properties inhibitory to seed germination. In addition, chemical investigation of an active extract of the alleopathic Harvey led to the isolation of four known compounds as well as a new brominated nonaromatic isolaurene type sesquiterpene.

Klebsiella pneumoniae Multiple Liver Abscesses and Bacteremia in a Transfusion-dependent β Thalassemia Major Patient.

β thalassemia major is a common hemoglobinopathy in Sri Lanka. Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) is a Gram-negative capsulated organism responsible for various nosocomial and community-acquired infections. Transfusion-dependent splenectomized thalassemia patients are at risk of infections.

Municipal solid waste-derived biochar for the removal of benzene from landfill leachate.

The potential of biochar, produced from fibrous organic fractions of municipal solid waste (MSW), for remediation of benzene, one of the frequently found toxic volatile organic compounds in landfill leachate, was investigated in this study based on various environmental conditions such as varying pH, benzene concentration, temperature and time. At the same time, landfill leachate quality parameters were assessed at two different dump sites in Sri Lanka: Gohagoda and Kurunegala. MSW biochar (MSW-BC) was produced by slow temperature pyrolysis at 450 °C, and the physiochemical characteristics of the MSW-BC were characterized.

Comparative Analysis of Lipid Content and Fatty Acid Composition of Commercially Important Fish and Shellfish from Sri Lanka and Japan.

Sri Lanka is surrounded by the Indian Ocean, allowing plenty of fishes to be caught. Moreover, these fishes represent one of the undocumented fish resources in the world and their detailed lipid profiles have not been previously examined. In this study, the lipid content and fatty acid composition of 50 commercially important fishes from the Indian Ocean (Sri Lanka) and the Pacific Ocean (Japan) were compared.

Neuronal control of localized inflammation through expressed nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: a study carried out in mice.

Introduction: Although the local inflammatory reactions are known to be regulated through cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathways, the exact subtypes of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors involved in neuroimmune modulation are not well identified.

Objectives: Immunohistochemical localisation of a1 subunit of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (a1nAChR) in sites of localised inflammation induced by injecting turpentine to the hind limbs of Balb/C mice.

Methods: Localised inflammation and subsequent development of sterile abscesses was induced by injecting sterile turpentine subcutaneously into thighs of Balb/C mice.

Adsorption and mobility of metals in build-up on road surfaces.

The study investigated the adsorption and bioavailability characteristics of traffic generated metals common to urban land uses, in road deposited solids particles. To validate the outcomes derived from the analysis of field samples, adsorption and desorption experiments were undertaken. The analysis of field samples revealed that metals are selectively adsorbed to different charge sites on solids.

Fluorescence quenching and bonding properties of some hydroxamic acid derivatives by iron(III) and manganese(II).

Spectrophotometric investigations of highly fluorescent metal chelating molecules are of relevance due to their potential application in novel, selective fluorescence-based sensors. Benzene and naphthalene chromophores are highly fluorescent while hydroxamic acids are widely used as ligands for complexation of transition metals. In order to develop fluorescence probes, several phenyl derivatives of N-phenylbenzohydroxamic acid and an aminodihydroxamic acid linked with a naphthalene chromophore were synthesized and their selective ionophoric properties towards iron(III) and manganese(II) ions were investigated using fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy.