Study of Information Seeking Pattern of School Teachers in Sri Lanka with respect to Curriculum Planning

The study was conducted to examine information seeking pattern of school teachers in Sri Lanka. The survey method was adapted for this study and a self-administered questionnaire was used as main data collection tool. The school teachers who enrolled to follow postgraduate courses in the Department of Education, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka were selected as the study population and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS (21.0). The study found that most of the respondents used face to face discussions and mass media as communication channels and most of the respondents study curriculum, teachers’ guides and students’ text books before preparing the lesson plans. Most of the teachers seek information with a perceived idea in mind. The teachers consider whether the contents of the documents address the topics on the syllabi adequately when evaluating information sources. This study also identified several problems that encounter by the teachers when seeking information for Curriculum planning

Quantum Magnetic Properties in Perovskite with Anderson Localized Artificial Spin-1/2

Quantum magnetic properties in a geometrically frustrated lattice of spin-1/2 magnet, such as quantum spin liquid or solid and the associated spin fractionalization, are considered key in developing a new phase of matter. The feasibility of observing the quantum magnetic properties, usually found in geometrically frustrated lattice of spin-1/2 magnet, in a perovskite material with controlled disorder is demonstrated. It is found that the controlled chemical disorder, due to the chemical substitution of Ru ions by Co-ions, in a simple perovskite CaRuO3 creates a random prototype configuration of artificial spin-1/2 that forms dimer pairs between the nearest and further away ions. The localization of the Co impurity in the Ru matrix is analyzed using the Anderson localization formulation. The dimers of artificial spin-1/2, due to the localization of Co impurities, exhibit singlet-to-triplet excitation at low temperature without any ordered spin correlation. The localized gapped excitation evolves into a gapless quasi-continuum as dimer pairs break and create freely fluctuating fractionalized spins at high temperature. Together, these properties hint at a new quantum magnetic state with strong resemblance to the resonance valence bond system.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Microbiological analysis of skin and soft tissue infections in cancer patients at Apeksha Hospital, Sri Lanka

Background: Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) in patients with malignancies are common and frequently have serious consequences. These infections are caused by a wide range of microorganisms with variable anti-microbial susceptibilities.Objectives: To analyse skin and soft tissue infections in cancer patients at Apeksha Hospital with regard to causative agents, antibiotic susceptibility and associated factors.Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was carried out for 18-month period. Specimens from adult cancer patients admitted to Apeksha Hospital, Maharagama with SSTIs were analysed. Aerobic and anaerobic bacterial culture, fungal culture, species identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing were performed. Clinical data were obtained from patient records.Results: A total of 85 patients were included with a male: female ratio of 1:1.1.Majority (75%) were >50 years old. Out of the 80 aerobic bacterial isolates most (69%) were Gram negatives, majority being Enterobateriaceae (42/80) followed by Pseudomonas (11/80). Escherichia coli was the commonest bacterial species. Staphylococcus aureus was the commonestGram positive organism (22/80). No strict anaerobic bacteria were yielded however, 3 fungi (two Candida albicans, one Fusarium species) were isolated. Enterobacteria showed lowest resistance to amikacin (7%) and meropenem (10%). Pseudomonas species had highest resistance to ticarcillin-clavulanate (64%). Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) rate was 61%. None had resistance to anti-MRSA agents. Gram-negative bacteria caused 74% of wound infections while 54% of the abscesses were caused by Gram positives. Gram negatives were prevalent (73%) in patients with solid organ cancers and Gram positives in haematological malignancies (83%). Gram-negative infections (69%) predominate in patients on radiotherapy while chemoptherapy had similar rates of infections by the two types of organisms.Conclusion: SSTIs in the cancer patients at Apeksha Hospital, Maharagama are mainly caused by Gram negative bacteria however, Gram positives predominate in haematological malignancies. Multi-drug resistance is prevalent in all commonly isolated pathogens.Acknowledgements: University of Sri Jayewardenepura research grant ASP/01/R/MED/2016/61 (Centre for Cancer Research

Metal Content of Metallo-β-lactamase L1 Is Determined by the Bioavailability of Metal Ions

In an effort to probe whether the metal content of metallo-β-lactamase L1 is affected by metal ion bioavailability, L1 was overexpressed as mature protein (M-L1) and full-length (FL-L1) analogues, and the analogues were characterized with metal analyses, kinetics, and EPR spectroscopy. FL-L1, containing the putative leader sequence, was localized in the periplasm of Escherichia coli and shown to bind Zn(II) preferentially. The metal content of FL-L1 could be altered if the enzyme was overexpressed in minimal medium containing Fe and Mn, and surprisingly, an Fe-binding analogue was obtained. On the other hand, M-L1, lacking the putative leader sequence, was localized in the cytoplasm of E. coli and shown to bind various amounts of Fe and Zn(II), and like FL-L1, the metal content of the resulting enzyme could be affected by the amount of metal ions in the growth medium. L1 was refolded in the presence of Fe, and a dinuclear Fe-containing analogue of L1 was obtained, although this analogue is catalytically inactive. EPR spectra demonstrate the presence of an antiferromagnetically coupled Fe(III)Fe(II) center in Fe-containing L1 and suggest the presence of a Fe(III)Zn(II) center in M-L1. Metal analyses on the cytoplasmic and periplasmic fractions of E. coli showed that the concentration of metal ions in the periplasm is not tightly controlled and increases as the concentration of metal ions in the growth medium increases. In contrast, the concentration of Zn(II) in the cytoplasm is tightly controlled while that of Fe is less so

Spectroscopic observations of novae V1065 CEN and V1280 SCO using 45 cm cassegrain telescope at Arthur C Clarke Institute

The spectroscopic observations of two novae namely V1065 CEN and V1280 SCO were made by 45 cm Cassegrain telescope in high resolution ($\lambda/\delta\lambda$=22000) at H$\alpha$ (6563 \r{A}) region. V1065 CEN is He/N-type spectra which characterize a broad (Gaussian FWHM 49 \r{A}), saddle shaped and asymmetric H$\alpha$ emission line without prominent P-Cyg absorption component. Completely different H$\alpha$ profile of V1280 SCO shows prominent P-Cyg absorption and narrow emission line (Gaussian FWHM 26 \r{A}) which can be classified as Fe II type nova. The expansion velocities of these two systems measured from the minima of the P-Cyg profiles are close to 2300 km/s for V1065 CEN, and 716 km/s for V1280 SCO. Based on the photometric analysis, the Nova V1065 CEN can be classified as fast (11$<$t${_2}$$<$25) nova. The derived absolute magnitudes at maximum for nova V1065 CEN to be M$_{o,V}$ = -7.58$\pm$0.18 and M$_{o,B}$= -7.75$\pm$0.25 correspond to a distance 8.51$\pm$0.33 kpc. The parameters t$_{2V}$=12 days and t$_{3V}$=14 days of nova V1280 SCO determine that the nova is in between very fast and fast nova. The mean absolute magnitude at maximum is calculated to be M$_{o,V}$=-8.7$\pm$0.1 and the estimated distance to the nova V1280 SCO is 3.2$\pm$0.2 kpc

The 23.01 release of Cloudy

We announce the C23.01 update of Cloudy. This corrects a simple coding error, present since $\sim$ 1990, in one routine that required a conversion from the line-center to the mean normalization of the Ly$\alpha$ optical depth. This affects the destruction of H I Ly$\alpha$ by background opacities. Its largest effect is upon the Ly$\alpha$ intensity in high-ionization dusty clouds, where the predicted intensity is now up to three times stronger. Other properties that depend on Ly$\alpha$ destruction, such as grain infrared emission, change in response.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

SOME THOUGHTS ON FUTURE OF OTHER STATE FORESTS IN SRI LANKA

The agricultural frontier in the country has been expanding in recent years, primarilythrough the alienation and leasing out of large extents of forested state land to landlesspersons and also through encroachments. The remaining unutilized state lands also carryforests, and the demand for agricultural land in the future will have to be met by selectingfrom these areas, lands that are best suited for agricultural development.State land available for agriculture and other development purposes are currentlydesignated as Other State Forests (OSF). A part of the OSF is under the jurisdiction of theConservator of Forests and a part under the Divisional Secretaries. Much of this land inthe Wet Zone has either been distributed or encroached upon and hence the bulk of theOSF is to be found in the Dry and Intermediate Zones. The forest cover on these landshave been denuded because of widespread chena cultivation and therefore what remainstoday is sparse forest.As population increases, the demand for land from various users will increase and thisdemand will have to be met by the OSF. It is therefore very essential that all of the OSF inthe country are evaluated and divided into different land use categories. Initially, landssuitable for forestry should be separated and devoted exclusively to forestry development.The balance area will represent the lands available for other uses.The paper is in two parts. Part I will examine the need for catergorising OSF. Part II willpresents a methodology for categorising these lands based on 2 case studies undertaken inthe Anuradhapura and Ratnapura districts.