Factors influencing Solar Energy Technology adoption by Households in Western Province Sri Lanka

The acceptance and slow growth of solar energy is a major barrier for the Sri Lanka’s expansion of Solar. The aim of this study is to identify the factors that important when adopting to solar energy technology. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Diffusion of Innovation (DOI), Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Transaction Cost Economics theory (TCE) are the theories that used to develop the research foundation. A self-administrated questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 384 household respondents. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesis. The result of the study indicates that perceived ease of use has the most significant impact on adopting to solar energy technology. Awareness of the technology and relative advantage become second and third influential factors of adoption. Perceived behavioral control also has a positive impact on adoption to solar energy technology while cost shows a negative impact. From a managerial viewpoint these findings can be used for implementing the solar energy technology as a household renewable energy source for upcoming future energy crisis. Though geographical unfairness act as the main limitation, since the high density of population, income level and urbanization of observed area, the result can be generalized to the urbanized households.KeywordsAdoption; Relative advantage; Perceived behavioral control; Perceived ease of use, Awareness; Cost; Solar energ

Innovative strategic planning for a sustainable green university: University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka

University of Ruhuna (UOR) consists of ten faculties thatspread over 366 acres in six different locations in the Southern Province ofSri Lanka. Economically viable and mutually benefited public-privatepartnerships, which ensure the common direction for the different goalsof stakeholders, are the principles of strategic green planning of theUniversity. This paper presents two key sustainable initiatives of UOR. Theproposed strategic landscaping project has been focused to utilize theopen space which accounts for 60-70% of the total land area. The totalopen space will be divided into manageable zones based on geographicalcharacteristics. Private sponsorships will be sought to cover the initialcapital and maintenance cost, allowing sponsors to do selectedpromotional activities within their zones. The second project is theestablishment of a sustainable, modern agribusiness venture. Thirty acresof land will be rented out for a private company and the company has toshare the profit with the University. University will provide consultationand technical support to the project. Cultivation of Cinnamon, Pepper andother unique spicy crops, production of organic fertilizer and bio char,protected agriculture project, Cinnamon oil extraction plant and solarpower project are the key components of this initiativeKeyword: Green university, Public-private partnerships, Strategic planning,Sustainabl

Chronic conditions and oral health

Jane Harford and Dr Najith Amarasen

OAS: An Advanced Undergraduate Office Automated System for Automate Bank Work Routing

Office automation systems (OAS) have steadily gained popularity as a result of the information technology industry's fast expansion. The promise of office automation, which is meant to increase productivity in the office setting, has caused organizations in both the public and commercial sectors to grow concerned. This issue becomes quite important due to the rising costs of new and enhanced office automation technologies. As a result, industries like banks have improved their front-end client operations using digital solutions. However, a large number of bank processors still depend on personnel and paper. This level of human processing is expensive, sluggish, and may provide results that are highly inconsistent, have significant mistake rates, and pose security risks. Through this research work, our aim is to consider existing significant opportunities in backoffice automation level increase and develop a pilot OAS to work smart with a higher level of efficiency in the office environment. The proposed solution is enriched with image processing methods to authenticate employees to ensure the security of the banking environment by enabling access control and providing a well-accurate employee attendance handling system through web and mobile app facilities which are enabled by GPS and API call technologies. To maintain on-time accurate customer support service, our study has proposed a smart customer handling facility with the help of an AI chatbot and some IoT device material

The impact of work autonomy on job satisfaction of academic staff: an empirical examination of government universities in Sri Lanka

This study intends to examine whether work autonomy impacts academic staff members’ job satisfaction of state universities in Sri Lanka. As the research approach, a quantitative approach was employed. In collecting data, a structured questionnaire was used to collect responses from fifteen government universities in Sri Lanka. The multi-stage stratified random sampling method was applied to select a representative sample; and 423 usable questionnaires deemed appropriate for analysis were selected. The validity and reliability tests indicated that the measurement scales met the acceptable standards. The t-test and One-way ANOVA results indicated that depending on the selected demographic factors, current working status, gender, age, and highest level of education the perception on work autonomy of the academic staff members in state universities in Sri Lanka differs. Nevertheless, it was found that marital status and number of children had no impact on the perception of work autonomy. In terms of the regression analysis conducted, it was found out that the work autonomy was a highly significant factor affecting the academic staff members’ overall job satisfaction of state universities in Sri Lanka. This finding is expected to have significant policy implications

The dental health of Australia's children by remoteness: Child Dental Health Survey Australia 2009

This publication describes the state of dental health of Australian children examined by school dental service staff in 2009 and provides insights into the dental health of rural children. The findings are drawn from the Child Dental Health Survey 2009, in which the data of 87,269 children aged 5–14 from most states and territories, except New South Wales and Victoria, were collected and analysed. Any comparisons with previous years or international statistics should be made with caution due to missing data from New South Wales and Victoria.Diep Ha, Najith Amarasena, Leonard Crocomb

Hepatotoxicity associated with sulfasalazine in inflammatory arthritis: A case series from a local surveillance of serious adverse events

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Spontaneous reporting systems for adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are handicapped by under-reporting and limited detail on individual cases. We report an investigation from a local surveillance for serious adverse drug reactions associated with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs that was triggered by the occurrence of liver failure in two of our patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Serious ADR reports have been solicited from local clinicians by regular postcards over the past seven years. Patients', who had hepatotoxicity on sulfasalazine and met a definition of a serious ADR, were identified. Two clinicians reviewed structured case reports and assessed causality by consensus and by using a causality assessment instrument. The likely frequency of hepatotoxicity with sulfasalazine was estimated by making a series of conservative assumptions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Ten cases were identified: eight occurred during surveillance. Eight patients were hospitalised, two in hepatic failure – one died after a liver transplant. All but one event occurred within 6 weeks of treatment. Seven patients had a skin rash, three eosinophilia and one interstitial nephritis. Five patients were of Black British of African or Caribbean descent. Liver enzymes showed a hepatocellular pattern in four cases and a mixed pattern in six. Drug-related hepatotoxicity was judged probable or highly probable in 8 patients. The likely frequency of serious hepatotoxicity with sulfasalazine was estimated at 0.4% of treated patients.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Serious hepatotoxicity associated with sulfasalazine appears to be under-appreciated and intensive monitoring and vigilance in the first 6 weeks of treatment is especially important.</p

Oral Health of Australian Adults: Distribution and Time Trends of Dental Caries, Periodontal Disease and Tooth Loss

Published: 2 November 2021This study was conducted to describe the distribution and trends in dental caries, periodontal disease and tooth loss in Australian adults based on the findings of the National Study of Adult Oral Health 2017–18. A cross-sectional study of a random sample of Australians aged 15+ years was carried out, employing a three-stage stratified probability sampling design. Data were collected via online survey/telephone interviews using a questionnaire to elicit self-reported information about oral health and related characteristics. Participants were then invited to have an oral examination, conducted by calibrated dental practitioners following a standardised protocol in public dental clinics. A total of 15,731 Australians aged 15+ years were interviewed, of which 5022 dentate participants were orally examined. Results showed that nearly one third of Australian adults had at least one tooth surface with untreated dental caries and, on average, 29.7 decayed, missing or filled tooth surfaces per person. Almost 29% of adults presented with gingivitis while the overall prevalence of periodontitis was 30.1%. Overall, 4% of adults were edentulous while, on average, 4.4 teeth were lost due to pathology. Poorer oral health was evident in Australians from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, indicating socioeconomic inequalities in oral health. Time trends revealed that dental caries experience and tooth retention of Australian adults has improved over 30 years, while periodontal health has deteriorated between 2004–06 and 2017–18. These findings can be used to assist policy makers in planning and implementing future oral healthcare programs.Najith Amarasena, Sergio Chrisopoulos, Lisa M. Jamieson and Liana Luzz

Clinically Positive Axillary Lymphadenopathy May Lead to False Diagnosis of Overstaged Breast Cancer in Patients with Sjögren's Syndrome: A Case Report

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease that chronic inflammation and lymph node proliferation. Patients with SS carry a greater risk of developing lymphoproliferative malignancy. In addition to other organ cancers, breast cancer may also occur in these patients. Considering these, breast cancer in patients with SS can be misdiagnosed as being in an advanced stage particularly in the presence of axillary lymphadenopathy. Here, we report a rare case of a 45-year-old woman with SS who presented with a breast mass. Radiology showed a 4 cm solid lesion and conglomerates of axillary lymphadonepathy. A breast biopsy revealed ductal carcinoma in situ. A modified radical mastectomy was performed; however, no axillary metastases were detected. Clinicians should remain vigilant to the possibility that a false clinical impression of axillary metastasis may occur in such patients with breast cancer. Therefore, axillary node status should be verified first