19 research outputs found
A Survey of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Identification Using Psychophysiological Data
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurological disorders among children, that affects different areas in the brain that allows executing certain functionalities. This may lead to a variety of impairments such as difficulties in paying attention or focusing, controlling impulsive behaviours and overreacting. The continuous symptoms may have a severe impact in the long-term. This paper explores the ADHD identification studies using eye movement data and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). This study discusses different machine learning techniques, existing models and analyses the existing literature. We have identified the current challenges and possible future directions to provide computational support for early identification of ADHD patients that enable early treatments
Sustainable development through proper land utilization Case study Ratnapura, Sri Lanka
Since the land is a scarce resource, the utilization of land effectively would be directly affected to thesustainable development of any country. A proper system ofland uti Iization is very essential especiallyfor a country like Sri Lanka which is very small in size and the majority of the people are dependingon the land related activities such as farming, grazing etc. as their major source of income. Unfortunately,land is in the state of under utilization in Sri Lanka. This paper attempts to study the importance of theeffective land utilization using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for the sustainable development.The study was mainly based on the data gathered from Ratnapura Divisional Secretary area, Thearea is consisting with natural vegetations such as forests, shrubs. and man -rnade cultivation such astea, rubber, paddy. Also the area has a high economic value and it is well known for natural disasterssuch as floods and earth slips. Primary data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires,interviewing people and relevant officers and field surveying using hand held Global Positioning System(GPS). The study supplemented with secondary data such as remote sensing satellite images, existingmaps. GIS technique was used for the data analyses.The study identified 4 major issues in the specified areaI. 20 % of the total area is under utilization2. 25 % of the total area is misused3. 05 % of the total area is over utilized4. Continuous loss of land due to the natural disastersAccording to the results, the land has not used effectively in the area. 45% of the area is not usedeffectively. Since the country is very small, proper land utilization is very important. The study suggestthat an immediate action should be taken to overcome the matter. And also it is very important to getthe active participation of the general public to stop the loss ofland due to natural disasters and forfuture decision making.Â
Reasons for the deviation in the Final Pre-Production Completion in Apparel Industry: Case Study
Sri Lanka’s apparel and textile manufacturing industry is the most significant and dynamic contributor to the economy. A key success factor of the industry is the high level of quality in the final production which delivers to the customer. This depends on many internal procedures within the organization. The final pre-production (PP) is one of those significant stages in the internal manufacturing process, which impacts the quality and completion time of the bulk production. Repetitive delays in the final pre-production (PP) completions which holds the entire bulk production was observed as an empirical problem in one of a leading apparel manufacturing company in Sri Lanka. Hence the primary objective of the study is to investigate reasons for the delays in final PP completion. Research methodology follows an interpretivism philosophy with an inductive approach. The strategies of data collection were based on a case study method which includes deep observations of 240 hours on the production floor and interviews as primary data collection sources and historical data of the organization as the secondary data. Study used Plan-Do- Check-Act (PDCA) cycle with an eight-step problem solving method to analyze the data. Findings of the study are; delays in pre-production sample approval, issues with material quality assurance, materials and trimming sources, development center, factory authorized auditor, machines unavailability. This study contributes to the existing literature and apparel sector by providing fine-grained recommendations to the field such as enhancing the collaborations on cross functional team tasks, sharing responsibilities of the feedback mechanisms in the production process and to increase the plant technical team involvement on each stage of the process.
Keywords: Pre-Production (PP), Bulk production, Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA
Atypical Presentation of Myocardial Ischaemia as Referred Pain to Jaw in a Young Adult-A Case Report
Ischaemic Heart Disease (IHD) accounts for the highest mortality rate among the non-communicable diseases across the globe. In the developed countries the incidence of IHD has shown a slow decline over the past two decades. It is traditionally considered as a disease of the elderly though clinicians and pathologists experience more and more younger individuals getting affected by the condition since last few decades due to a variety of reasons. IHD has a variety of presentations some of which could lead to diagnostic difficulties unless due caution is exercised. Isolated referred pain to teeth, jaw or craniofacial region is one such rare presentation for which many theories have been put forward to explain the mechanism though none is conclusive. When a patient complains of an unusual pain in the craniofacial region or the jaw, the remote possibility of its cardiac origin should always be born in mind. Otherwise it could not only lead to unnecessary dental interventions but also it could unduly delay the diagnosis and treatment of a more serious health condition sometimes leading to severe morbidity or even death. This case illustrates a situation where a young male suffering from intermittent tooth pain/jaw pain for over a period of three months, seeking dental treatment including extractions and restorations from a qualified dental surgeon, suddenly collapsed and died at workplace after complaining of excruciating tooth-pain. The cause of death was established after meticulous post mortem examination as IHD due to coronary thrombosis
Reinforcement of natural rubber latex film using silica filler modified with a commercially available co-polymer solution
Reinforcement of natural rubber (NR) latex films is one of the most difficult tasks in latex industry. Among the others, the best reinforcing filler is silica that steers for improvement of mechanical properties such as tear and tensile strengths of rubber matrix. However, surface of the silica particle is surrounded by hydrophilic silanol groups which are less compatible with natural rubber molecules. Hence, silica is not easy to be used as reinforcing filler for NR latex films without any surface modification. A study of modification of silica surface was successfully done by using an acrylic polymer synthesized in the laboratory. However, synthesis of polymers in this regard is not economically sound for latex industry. Therefore, a commercially available sodium salt of acrylic co-polymer solution is consumed for the modification of surface of silica particles. Modification is accomplished by the establishment of hydrogen bonds between silanol groups of silica and hydrophilic groups of co-polymer and that is confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy. Stability of modified filler dispersion is optimum at neutral pH and particle size reduction of modified filler particles is compatible with the size of rubber particles. The improved physical properties of modified filler added NR latex films are confirmed by testing tear strength, tensile strength and elongation at break. The preferred level of flexibility through interactions formed between modified filler and rubber matrix is shown by reduced glass transition temperature of modified filler added NR films that tested using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC)
Diversity and distribution of tick species (Acari: Ixodidae) associated with human otoacariasis and socio-ecological risk factors of tick infestations in Sri Lanka
Tick infestation in humans is a major public health concern. The diversity and distribution of tick species associated with human otoacariasis was studied in five districts: Anuradhapura, Kandy, Kurunegala, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura in the main agro-climatic zones of Sri Lanka. Ticks from patients attending the ear, nose and throat clinics of the General Hospitals were collected during a 3 year period. In total 426 ticks were collected. Most human otoacariasis cases were reported from Kandy (33.8 %) and the fewest from Nuwara Eliya (8.2 %). Of the five tick species identified, nymphs of Dermacentor auratus constituted 90.6 % of the collection. Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Hyalomma isaaci, Haemaphysalis bispinosa and Otobius megnini were found rarely infesting humans possibly as an accidental host; H. bispinosa and O. megnini in the human ear canal were first time records in Sri Lanka. Females and children under 10 years were identified as risk groups of human otoacariasis. Subsequently, a field study was carried out to determine socio-ecological risk factors of human tick infestations in the five districts. Based on hospital data, eight villages with high prevalence of otoacariasis were selected from each district. A total 40 villages were visited and 1674 household members were interviewed. Involvement in outdoor activities, presence of wild animals around the house, location of the house in close proximity to a forest and occupation were identified as major risk factors
A Rule-based system for adhd identification using eye movement data
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD) is one of the common psychiatric disorder in childhood,
which can continue to adulthood. The ADHD diagnosed
population has been increasing, causing a negative impact on
their families and society. This paper addresses the effective
identification of ADHD in early stages. We have used a rulebased
approach to analyse the accuracies of decision tree
classifiers in identifying ADHD subjects. The dataset consists of
eye movements and eye positions of different gaze event types.
The feature extraction process considers fixations, saccades,
gaze positions, and pupil diameters. The decision tree-based
algorithms have shown a maximum accuracy of 84% and
classification rule algorithms have shown an accuracy of 82%
using eye movement measurements. Thus, both algorithms have
shown high accuracy with the rule-based component