Revival and Re-evaluation of Some Traditional Methods of Conservation of Palm Leaf Manuscripts in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a land of a rich heritage. From very ancient times this island and herneighboring countries are rich in resources of manuscripts. Compared to other countriesof the world Sri Lanka is one of the richest countries in terms of palm-leaf manuscripts.The palm-leaf manuscripts are the written records of man which served as the path ofintellectual ideas reflecting the wisdom and knowledge of the ancestors of the medievalperiod. Therefore ancient rare palm-leaf manuscripts are a precious treasure for anycountry which possesses the literary evidence of the society to trace the cultural legacyof that particular nation.Care of these manuscripts was a major concern in the past and efforts were madeto protect them from the different agents of deterioration. There are many biologicalagents which deteriorate these organic materials. This may have happened due to thelack of proper maintenance, unsuitable storage techniques and unsatisfactoryenvironmental conditions. Today many synthetic chemicals and pesticidesmanufactured are used for the preservation of this cultural property in Sri Lanka. Mostof the modern materials and readymade materials used to counter deterioration arerelatively toxic and harmful too. It is therefore important to find out the traditionalmaterials and methods which are in use and to conserve them for the sake of thesetreasures of knowledge.This study will make an investigative approach into the traditional Sri Lankanmanuscript conservation techniques practiced in Sri Lanka and their applicability in thepresent day. Therefore the following stages of the palm-leaf manuscripts were discussedin detail with the traditional conservation techniques used for seasoning the leaves,preparation for writing, writing on leaves, oiling methods, storage and housekeepingmethods of palm-leaves and insect control methods. Some of the aforesaid informationmay enable us to unravel some of the secrets of preservative methods and techniquesused in the past time which are cheaper and convenient.This study will make an investigative approach into the traditional Sri Lankanmanuscript conservation techniques practiced in Sri Lanka and their applicability in thepresent day. A literary survey will also be applied to identify the traditional methods inthe conservation of palm-leaves.Therefore, by a reviewing of these traditional treatments of existing palm-leafmanuscripts and the materials used for conservation and protection may help in the fieldof conservation to improve the longevity and endurance of the cultural heritage in thecountry. According to the budgetary conditions of the repositories, the identifiedtraditional materials and methods can be applied to preserve the palm leaves.Key words: Preservation, Conservation, Palm leaf, Traditional method, Sri Lank

Outcomes of stroke patients undergoing thrombolysis in Sri Lanka; an observational prospective study from a low-middle income country

Background: Stroke related deaths are relatively higher in low- and middle-income countries where only a fraction of eligible patients undergo thrombolysis. There is also limited evidence on post-thrombolysis outcomes of patients from Asian countries in these income bands. Methods: This is a single center prospective observational study of a patient cohort with acute ischaemic stroke, undergoing thrombolysis with alteplase (low and standard dose), over a 24-month period in 2019/2020. Modified Rankin scale (mRS) for dependency at 3 months (primary outcome), duration of hospital stay, incidence of symptomatic intracranial haemorrhages and all-cause mortality at 3 months (secondary outcomes) were recorded. Demographic, clinical and treatment related factors associated with these outcomes were explored. Results: Eighty-nine patients (males – 61, 69%, mean age: 60 years ±12.18) were recruited. Time from symptom onset to reperfusion was 174 min ± 56.50. Fifty-one patients were independent according to mRS, 11 (12.4%) patients died, and 11 (12.5%) developed symptomatic intracranial haemorrhages by 3 months. Functional independence at 3 months was independently associated with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) on admission (p < 0.05). Thrombolysis with low dose alteplase did not lead to better or worse outcomes compared to standard dose. Conclusions: On admission NIHSS is predictive of functional independence at 3 months post-thrombolysis. Low dose alteplase may be as efficacious as standard dose alteplase with associated cost savings, but this needs to be confirmed by a prospective clinical trial for the Sri Lankan population

Perceptions of Australians with diabetes-related foot disease on requirements for effective secondary prevention

Introduction Secondary prevention is essential in reducing recurrence of diabetes-related foot disease (DFD) but is frequently poorly implemented in clinical practice. Objective To explore the perceptions of people with diabetes-related foot disease (DFD) on their self-perceived knowledge in managing DFD, facilitators and barriers influencing their DFD care, and ideas and preferences for a secondary prevention program. Design Sixteen people with a history of DFD from Queensland and Victoria, Australia, underwent semi-structured interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded over telephone and transcribed and analysed following a thematic framework. Participants were asked about their experiences and perceptions relating to DFD and factors influencing the care they receive for DFD relevant to the development of a secondary prevention program for DFD. Findings and discussion Participants had high self-perceived knowledge in managing DFD, especially in implementing healthy lifestyle changes and conducting daily foot checks and foot care, though most received support from family members acting as carers. However, issues with access and adherence to offloading footwear, and a lack of clear education received on footwear and other aspects of DFD care were perceived as major barriers. Improved patient education, provided in a consistent manner by proactive clinicians was perceived as an essential part of secondary prevention. Telehealth was perceived positively through facilitating faster care and considered a good adjunct to standard care. Health and technological literacy were considered potentially major barriers to the effectiveness of remote care. Conclusion People with DFD require improved access to offloading footwear and education about secondary prevention, which could be provided by telehealth with adequate support

Influences of frictional processes at the wheel-rail interface on the generation of heat flow in the rail

Alahakoon, S ORCiD: 0000-0002-5802-7869; Cole, CR ORCiD: 0000-0001-8840-7136; Spiryagin, M ORCiD: 0000-0003-1197-898XHeavy haul operating conditions in Australia are some of the most severe in the world, resulting in large contact stresses and eventual failure of the rail. A common flaw type with limited research focus are rail foot flaws. Given the physical obstruction for any contact method detection of these flaws, a non-contact method is required. Infrared thermography for this purpose has been proposed as a research topic. This paper explores rail surface temperature and presents details of field trials undertaken for development of a rail heat transfer model and a thermography based detection technique. © 2018 TU Delft

The influence of vehicle system dynamics on rail foot heat transfer

Alahakoon, S ORCiD: 0000-0002-5802-7869; Cole, CR ORCiD: 0000-0001-8840-7136; Spiryagin, M ORCiD: 0000-0003-1197-898XAs rail operators look for efficiency improvement, a new trend towards integration of detection technologies on revenue raising rolling stock has emerged, the objective being that a saving can be made by eliminating specialised rolling stock and reducing network scheduling. An area currently attracting research attention in the Australian heavy haul segment is the detection of rail foot flaws from moving vehicles through the use of Infrared Thermography. This paper presents a modelling and simulation methodology for full train simulation using a co-simulation approach for calculating heat transfer in the rail under a number of different vehicle system dynamics cases. The excitation source for the heat transfer focuses only on wheel/rail contact mechanics. The paper will explore the problem from a Modulated Thermography perspective that uses periodic heating and observation of the heating process for flaw detection

Thermography methods and modelling approaches for rail foot flaw detection

Rail foot flaws have the potential to cause broken rails which can lead to catastrophic derailments. This is not only an extremely costly issue for a rail operator in terms of damage to rolling stock, but has significant flow-on effects for network down-time and a safe working environment. In Australia, heavy haul operators run up to 42.5t axle loads with trains in excess of 200 wagons and these long trains produce very large cyclic rail stresses. The early detection of foot flaws before any rail breaks occur is of high importance to their safe and cost effective operation. This paper will present a brief review into the current methods for rail flaw detection with an emphasis on thermography, discussing apparent strengths and weaknesses. Thermography is a common Non Destructive Testing method used for the detection of temperature differentials on the surface of a structure that may be indicative of a flaw. Approaches for modelling of the wheel/rail interface for calculation of the rail stresses and determination of expected infrared radiation will be presented, along with an investigation into potential sensors that may be useful for a field device suitable for Australian heavy haul railway operating conditions

Rail flaw detection technologies for safer, reliable transportation: A review

Alahakoon, S ORCiD: 0000-0002-5802-7869; Cole, CR ORCiD: 0000-0001-8840-7136; Spiryagin, M ORCiD: 0000-0003-1197-898XThis paper delivers an in-depth review of the state-of-the-art technologies relevant to rail flaw detection giving emphasis to their use in detection of rail flaw defects at practical inspection vehicle speeds. The review not only looks at the research being carried out but also investigates the commercial products available for rail flaw detection. It continues further to identify the methods suitable to be adopted in a moving vehicle rail flaw detection system. Even though rail flaw detection has been a well-researched area for decades, an in-depth review summarizing all available technologies together with an assessment of their capabilities has not been published in the recent past according to the knowledge of the authors. As such, it is believed that this review paper will be a good source of information for future researchers in this area. Copyright © 2018 by ASME.Associated Grant:Australasian Centre for Rail Innovation (ACRI

Data fusion strategies for rail flaw detection with increased reliability

There is an ever increasing demand for higher tonnages to be transported in heavy haul trains. Early detection of rail flaws ensures transportation safety and averts unplanned downtime. Several conventional non-destructive techniques have been proposed for rail flaw detection including eddy current, infrared, vibration and laser induced ultrasonic guided wave based detection techniques. The relatively complex cross-section of a rail together with the presence of supporting sleepers and rail fastening clips also adds complexity of a different dimension to the flaw detection problem. Various flaw detection methods show differences in reliability over the cross section as well as along the longitudinal direction of the rail. This paper focuses on a survey of detection methods that can be combined together to achieve flaw detection with increased reliability. The paper also surveys the data fusion strategies that can be incorporated along with those chosen detection methods in order to obtain a complete highly reliable flaw detection strategy. The outcome of this work provides a comprehensive investigation of the potential for a high speed rail flaw detection methodology that combines more than one flaw detection method for the purpose of increasing the detection reliability

Challenges and solutions for integrating simulation into a transportation device

Alahakoon, S ORCiD: 0000-0002-5802-7869; Cole, CR ORCiD: 0000-0001-8840-7136; Naweed, A ORCiD: 0000-0002-5534-4295; Spiryagin, M ORCiD: 0000-0003-1197-898XThe transportation area has seen an influx of condition monitoring devices in the last 5 years. A condition monitoring device typically has one or more sensors that it uses to measure the state of a component, analyse the measurement and provide a notification if the measurement is outside its normal operating tolerance. However, what happens if the component can’t be readily measured directly, like rolling contact, or when the device is operating in extreme environmental conditions? It can’t just be ignored. This is where simulation has a significant role to play. This paper explores the challenges in integrating a multi-body simulator into an on-board field device installed on a self-powered railway passenger vehicle. The device uses local sensors such as GPS to provide input to a simulator that calculates wheel-rail contact and L/V ratio. The L/V ratio is used as a derailment risk indictor in the rail sector. Wheel-rail contact is a good example of an area that can’t be directly measured, especially in the context of a tractive vehicle. The paper will also describe the use of simulation to verify and validate the device before installation in the field. The study findings show that, while on the cutting edge of available industrial computer technology, it is possible to integrate a multi-body simulator into a device suitable for installation in a powered vehicle. From the test perspective, it was found that simulation is useful as a tool for enabling realistic hardware integration testing before a device is installed into the field