Modified Giemsa Stain: A solution to improve the quality of hypercellular bone marrow smears.

Introduction: Morphology is still the cornerstone of the diagnosis of haematological malignancies where the quality of staining plays a major role. The hypercellularity of a smear interferes with the quality of staining. We compared a newly modified giemsa stain (MGS) as a routine method for staining hypercellular bone marrow smears over the conventional Leishman method and the May Grunwald Giemsa method (MGG) in a completely randomized block study.

LcaR: a regulatory switch from Pseudomonas aeruginosa for bioengineering alkane degrading bacteria.

Application of genetically engineered bacterial strains for biodegradation of hydrocarbons is a sustainable solution for treating pollutants as well as in industrial applications. However, the process of bioengineering should be carefully carried out to optimize the output. Investigation of regulatory genes for bioengineering is essential for developing synthetic circuits for effective biocatalysts.

Gender-based violence: Experiences from two tertiary care settings in Sri Lanka.

This study aimed to obtain an overview of survivors of gender-based violence GBV who seek care, different types and consequences of (GBV), their modes of referral, factors associated with GBV, characteristics of the perpetrators, health-seeking behavior of the care-seekers and the service provided by GBV Care Centers in two tertiary care settings A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2017 to December 2019 at two GBV care centers in a Women's Hospital and a General Hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Sociodemographic details of care-seekers, referral methods, types of violence experienced and their consequences, factors associated with GBV, characteristics of the perpetrator, health seeking behavior of those seeking care, and the services provided, were obtained from the hospital records.  Records from all care seekers (n=495 women, no men) were obtained, and 488 were suitable for analysis.

Practices related to sharps disposal among diabetic patients in Sri Lanka.

Background: Patients with diabetes on insulin therapy use sharps (e.g., needles) on a regular basis and a considerable proportion of them, within their home environments.

Ward-based clinical pharmacists and hospital readmission: a non-randomized controlled trial in Sri Lanka.

Objective: To assess if a ward-based clinical pharmacy service resolving drug-related problems improved medication appropriateness at discharge and prevented drug-related hospital readmissions.

Method: Between March and September 2013, we recruited patients with noncommunicable diseases in a Sri Lankan tertiary-care hospital, for a non-randomized controlled clinical trial. The intervention group received usual care and clinical pharmacy service.

Sensitization to bovine serum albumin as a possible cause of allergic reactions to vaccines.

Background: Immediate type hypersensitivity to vaccines containing bovine/porcine excipients, such as the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is probably due to sensitization to bovine/porcine gelatin. Most patients with such reactions in Sri Lanka have cow's milk (CM) or beef allergy.

Objectives: We investigated whether those who had beef and CM allergy had a higher incidence of hypersensitivity reactions to vaccines and the possible trigger of such reactions.

Review of household solid waste charges for developing countries--A focus on quantity-based charge methods.

Solid waste management has become a major issue in almost all municipalities especially in developing countries across the world. As more waste needs to be collected and disposed of in urban areas, the increased cost cannot be covered by the available funds in developing countries. Managing the Household Solid Waste (HSW) sector is very important as it is the main contributor of the waste that needs to be collected in residential areas.

Food dependant exercise induced anaphylaxis a retrospective study from 2 allergy clinics in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The aetiology of anaphylaxis ranges from food, insect venom, drugs and various chemicals. Some individuals do not develop anaphylaxis with the offending agent unless ingestion is related temporally to physical exertion, namely food dependent exercise induced anaphylaxis (FDEIA). The foods implicated are wheat, soya, peanut, milk and sea food.

Clinical presentation and risk factors of inflammatory bowel disease in Sri Lanka.

Background And Aims: There have been very few studies on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Sri Lanka. This study was undertaken to determine the clinical presentation and whether a western style diet or infection with geo-helminths were associated with the condition.

Methods: Three questionnaires were given to the patients: one relating to diet, one relating to clinical presentation and one relating to quality of life.

Colonization by Helicobacter pylori of leprosy patients in Spain: immunomodulation to low molecular weight antigens of H. pylori.

We studied the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori in patients with leprosy and the effects of co-infection on the immune response to Helicobacter antigens in the polar groups of leprosy (lepromatous and tuberculoid). We showed that there is no difference in the prevalence of H. pylori in patients with leprosy as compared to a non-leprosy population.

A study of the incidence of apoptosis in the human placental cells in the last weeks of pregnancy.

A prospective study to determine whether there is a progressive increase in the number of apoptotic cells in the trophoblasts in the placentae of the final few weeks (39 - 41 weeks) of human uncomplicated pregnancy was carried out at a teaching hospital in Sri Lanka between July 1999 and July 2001. Thirty placentae were collected at delivery following uncomplicated singleton pregnancies. The gestation of 15 were from 37 and 1 day to 39 weeks (Group 1) and the other 15 were from 39 and 1 day to 41 weeks (Group 2).