Novel analytical techniques for improved decision making Implications for consumers and institutions

Information availability plays a key role in determining the choices of consumers, firms and governments.However, externalities associated with most commodities represent information failure leading toincorrect decisions. The emerging scientific advances nevertheless have produced several new analyticaltechniques that could guide towards better decisions. The objective of the paper is to review theexisting Iiterature on such analytical techniques and assess the appl icabi lity of such tools within the SriLankan context.Literature in environmental management and economics related disciplines revealed that availabilityof techniques such as Life cycle assessment (LCA) and food mile analysis for consumer productswhile institution or firm level decision making could be guided by tools such as management costaccounting and sustainable chain managementLCA has often been used in evaluating environmental performances of different food production andfood packaging options, waste management and transport options. The information of such analyseshas been made available through product standards such as ISO 14040. Food mile is an indicator oftransport costs offood items which could provide important guidelines for transport policy, internationaltrade and product related environmental information for consumeThe review elaborates on range of examples of application of such techniques over a wide range ofconsumer goods and services, institutions. The review reveals that although there seem to be sufficientanalytical techniques available worldwide, the applicability of such tools within Sri Lanka has beenvery sparse. LCA studies are only limited to two products and the ISO standards have not beenattempted yet. The study also highlights the need to improve the relevant data bases which wouldenable the rapid application of these tools and guide the decision maker towards sustainable directions.

ESTIMATION OF LOCAL RECREATIONAL VALUE OF HAKGALA BOTANIC GARDEN

The Botanical garden at Hakgala is one of the oldest ex-situ conservation areas in SriLanka. It is a unique environmental asset, nationally as well as globally, due to itsconservation, recreation, historical, cultural, educational and other values.A study was carried out in the Hakgala botanic garden to estimate its local recreationalvalue. The economic approach used to estimate the recreational value was the travel costmethod. The travel cost approach is a way to value unpriced goods. The surroundingareas were divided into concentric zones of increasing distance, which representedincreasing levels of travel cost. A survey of users was conducted at the Hakgala garden todetermine zone of origin, visitation rates, travel costs, and various socio economiccharacteristics. The data generated were used to regress visitation rates, the total travelcost and urban population fraction of each zone. With respect to multiple trips, the costcomponent was differentiated based on distances to particular destinations traveled.Demand curve based on visitation rates, was constructed using these data to estimate theconsumer surplus, or benefits, from the site.Estimated minimum total cost experienced by the visitors at the current entrance fee (Rs.20.00) was Rs.6,943,520. When this amount is subtracted from the total consumersurplus (total welfare) of Rs.228,493,714 the estimated consumer surplus is Rs.221,550,194. This figure can be used to demonstrate the contribution of a botanicalgarden to the economy and to attract more funds to develop infrastructural facilitiesinside the garden from the government allocations.

Validation of serum cytokines as potential biomarkers in acute dengue infection

Objectives: Serum IL-10, Macrophage inhibitory factor (MIF) and interferons have been found to be associated with fatal dengue. We set out to investigate the possibility of using these cytokine as biomarkers to predict severe dengue. Methods: Serum IL-10 levels were determined by quantitative ELISA in 215 adult patients with confirmed acute dengue infection (ADI). Serum IFNα and IFNγ levels were done in 79 patients. Serial recording of clinical features and laboratory investigations were done to determine clinical disease severity. Results: 33 (17.46%) patients were classified as severe dengue (SD). Serum IL-10 levels were significantly higher (p=0.0034) in patients with SD (median= 121.9, range= 24.98 to 3271 pg/ml) when compared to those with non SD (median= 78.28, range= 7.18 to 1343 pg/ml). In the 29 patients with paired serum samples, serum IL-10 levels rose in all 6 patients with SD whereas in 20/23 patients with non SD, serum IL-10 levels fell in the critical phase.  Although serum MIF values were higher in patients with SD (mean 70774, SD± 59874 pg/ml) when compared to those with non SD (mean 45362, SD± 26891 pg/ml), this was not statistically significant. The IFNγ levels were significantly higher (p=0.038) in patients with shock (median= 77.55, range= 18.21 to 468.4 pg/ml) when compared to those who did not develop shock (median= 35.25, range= 4.050 to 733.1 pg/ml). Conclusion: Serum IL-10 levels appear to be associated with SD. It would be crucial to investigate the possible role of this cytokine in the pathogenesis of SD

Counseling Update: A Flexible Monitoring Method for the Client and Practitioner

Recent years have seen a number of articles questioning both the utility and practicality of single-case designs. The authors propose a flexible monitoring method for practice evaluation. The proposed method is presented as a dynamic model, one that utilizes the existing evaluative procedures of the practitioner. This flexible method is proposed within the general outlines of developmental research. It is proposed as a method designed to lead practitioners toward an empirical model of practice. Some case examples are provided to substantiate the utility and value of the model.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68429/2/10.1177_104973159300300203.pd

Investigation of trace metals in air particulate matter collected from Colombo

The suspended particulate matter (SPM) in air is a complex multi-phase mixture of all airborne chemicals.Among the airborne inorganic chemicals, compounds associated with heavy metals have subjected tonumerous chemical investigations due their known health effects. Uniqueness of the heavy metalshas attributed its use in identifying or tracing the pollutant sources through source apportionmentstudies and in understanding the distribution of pollutants through computer modeling.In general, airborne metals exist in trace quantities. The suspended particulate matter may contain themetallic species as fine particles or they may have adsorbed onto other particulate matter originatedfrom natural or human activities. Agglomerated heavier particle settles due to gravitation and pose alesser risk to human health. Finer particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 urn (PM2) arebelieved to posses the biggest health threat through respirationCentral Environmental Authority (CEA) has been involved in air quality monitoring at the ColomboFort Railway Station. Using their high volume air sampler, particles having aerodynamic diameter lessthan I0 ~L1n(PM 10) were collected onto glass fiber filters daily during the period of November 2003 toNovember 2005 November. They were gravimetrically analyzed by CEA. This study was focused tofurther investigate randomly selected filters (two filters per month) to differentiate the levels of selectedmetals during the period. The filters were acid digested to recover the airborne metallic species.Levels of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) were analyzed byusing atom ic absorption spectrophotometer at the Department of Chemistry, University of ColomboThe average concentrations found during the study were Cu = 0.29 ± 0.25 ng/rri', N i = 0.21 ± 0.1 0 ng/m', Pb = 0.59 ± 0.48 ng/rn", Cd = 0.03 ± 0.03 ng/rn ', Mn = 0.43 ± 0.22 ng/rn '. During the study periodPb levels were found to be the highest and Cd levels were found to be the lowest. The maximumairborne levels were 1.24 ng/rn ' for ClI in April 2005,0.56 ng/rn ' for Ni in January 2005,2.37 ng/m 'for Pb in February 2004, 0.09 ng/m ' for Cd in February 2004 and 0.78 ng/rn ' for Ni in May 2005.On average the minimum airborne levels were found in the period of May to August. This is attributedto the settling of particles with rainfall as well as the wind patterns which drifts the pollutants awayfrom the sampler during the season. From November to Apri I all the five metals have showed relati velyhigher concentrations compared to any other months in each year. This may be due to poor dispersionpatterns in the Colombo air which results in stagnating pollutants. In general, wind speed is relativelyhigher for the period of May to August compared to the period of November to AprilThe most prevailing metal in the Colombo air is Pb while the least prevailing metal is Cd. The levelsofPb have demonstrated a pronounced decline in concentration starting from April 2005 whrch coincideswith the introductiorr of un-leaded petrol to Sri Lankan market in January 2004.

A pair of temperate sub-Neptunes transiting the star EPIC 212737443

We report the validation of a new planetary system around the K3 star EPIC 212737443 using a combination of K2 photometry, follow-up high resolution imaging and spectroscopy. The system consists of two sub-Neptune sized transiting planets with radii of 2.6R⊕, and 2.7R⊕, with orbital periods of 13.6 days and 65.5 days, equilibrium temperatures of 536 K and 316 K respectively. In the context of validated K2 systems, the outer planet has the longest precisely measured orbital period, as well as the lowest equilibrium temperature for a planet orbiting a star of spectral type earlier than M. The two planets in this system have a mutual Hill radius of ΔRH = 36, larger than most other known transiting multi-planet systems, suggesting the existence of another (possibly non-transiting) planet, or that the system is not maximally packed

The effects of violence and aggression from parents on child protection workers' personal, family and professional lives

Creative Commons CC-BY: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).This article presents findings from a survey of the experiences of child protection workers in England when working with parents who exhibit aggression and violence. This work explores the effects on workers in their professional lives, and on themselves and their families in their private lives. The article examines workers’ thoughts and experiences about the effects of parental hostility on workers’ ability to protect children. The article also details workers’ experiences of the nature and effectiveness of training and support in this area. These findings are then examined in the light of the results of an analysis of the literature, including the findings from serious case review (SCR) reports in England (official inquiries into the causes of child deaths where the children are known to social and health services). The majority of the 590 respondents in the survey were social workers (n = 402; 68%), reflecting the fact that case management of child protection cases in the United Kingdom is the responsibility of social workers working in statutory agencies. This article addresses, from a consideration of the secondary analysis and the original research findings from the survey, how individual workers, managers, and agencies can best understand and then respond effectively to aggressive parental behaviors.Peer reviewe

Failure Mechanisms and Local Scour at Coastal Structures induced by Tsunamis

On March 11 2011, an exceptionally large tsunami event was triggered by a massive earthquake offshore, the northeast coast of Japan, which affected coastal infrastructure such as seawalls, coastal dikes and breakwaters in the Tohoku region. Such infrastructure was built to protect against the Level 1 tsunamis that previously hit the region, but not for events as significant as the 2011 Tohoku tsunami, which was categorized as a Level 2 tsunami [Shibayama et al. 2013]. The failure mechanisms of concrete-armoured dikes, breakwaters and seawalls due to Level 2 tsunamis are still not fully understood by researchers and engineers. This paper investigates the failure modes and mechanisms of damaged coastal structures in Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures, following the authors' post-disaster field surveys carried out between 2011 and 2013. Six significant failure mechanisms were identified for the coastal dikes and seawalls affected by this tsunami: 1) Leeward toe scour failure, 2) Crown armour failure, 3) Leeward slope armour failure, 4) Seaward toe and armour failure, 5) Overturning failure, and 6) Parapet wall failure, in which leeward toe scour being recognized as the major failure mechanism in most surveyed locations. The authors also propose a simple practical mathematical model for predicting the scour depth at the leeward toe of the coastal dikes, by considering the effects of the tsunami hydrodynamics, the soil properties and the type of structure. The key advantage of this model is that it depends entirely on quantities that are measurable in the field. Furthermore this model was further refined by conducting a series of hydraulic model experiments aimed to understand the governing factors of the leeward toe scour failure. Finally, based on the results obtained, key recommendations are given for the design of resilient coastal defence structures that can survive a level 2 tsunami event

HLA Class I and Class II Associations in Dengue Viral Infections in a Sri Lankan Population

BACKGROUND: HLA class I and class II alleles have been shown to be associated with the development of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF)/dengue shock syndrome (DSS) in different populations. However, the majority of studies have been based on limited numbers of patients. In this study we aimed to investigate the HLA-class I and class II alleles that are positively and negatively associated with the development of DSS in a cohort of patients with DHF and also the alleles associated with development of DHF during primary dengue infections in a Sri Lankan population. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The allele frequencies of HLA class I and class II alleles were compared in 110 patients with DHF and 119 individuals from the population who had never reported a symptomatic dengue infection at the time of recruitment. We found that HLA-A*31 (corrected P = 0.01) and DRB1*08 (corrected P = 0.009) were associated with susceptibility to DSS when infected with the dengue virus, during secondary dengue infection. The frequency of DRB1*08 allele was 28.7 times higher than in the normal population in patients with DSS. HLA-A*31 allele was increased 16.6 fold in DHF who developed shock when compared to those who did not develop shock. A*24 (corrected P = 0.03) and DRB1*12 (corrected P = 0.041) were strongly associated with the development of DHF during primary dengue infection. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These data suggest that certain HLA alleles confer susceptibility/protection to severe dengue infections. As T cell epitope recognition depend on the HLA type of an individual, it would be now important to investigate how epitope specific T cells associate with primary and secondary dengue infections and in severe dengue infections