Life History of Paracoccus marginatus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) on Four Host Plant Species Under Laboratory Conditions

Life history of the mealybug, Paracoccus marginatus Williams and Granara de Willink, on three ornamental plants [Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L., Acalypha wilkesiana (Muell.-Arg.), and Plumeria rubra L.] and one weed species (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) was studied under laboratory conditions. Mealybugs were able to develop, survive, and reproduce on all four hosts; however, there were differences in the life history parameters. Adult females that developed on acalypha and parthenium emerged ≈1 d earlier than those that developed on hibiscus and plumeria. Adult males had a longer developmental time on plumeria than on the other hosts. Survival of first- and second-instar nymphs and cumulative adult survival were lowest on plumeria. Longevity was not affected by hosts for males and females and averaged 2.3 ± 0.1 and 21.2 ± 0.1 d, respectively. On plumeria, 58.9 ± 1.7% of the adults were females, which was a higher female percentage than on the other hosts. No egg production occurred in virgin females. Prereproductive and reproductive periods of the females were not affected by hosts and averaged 6.3 ± 0.1 and 11.2 ± 0.1 d, respectively. Mean fecundity of 186.3 ± 1.8 eggs on plumeria was lower than on the other three plant species. Life history parameters of P. marginatus on hibiscus, acalypha, plumeria, and parthenium show its ability to develop, survive, and reproduce on a wide variety of plant species

Enhancing Employability of Management Graduates of State Universities in Sri Lanka: An Examination of Job Market Requirements

Higher education helps in enhancing the human resources required for development. Universities and higher education institutes play a vital role in disseminating and creating knowledge through teaching and research, contributing to the development of any country. The quality and relevance of the output (graduates) of higher education institutes need to be enhanced to increase graduates’ employability. Graduate unemployment has become a significant problem in Sri Lanka. If graduates are unemployed, this will directly and negatively influence economic development. The main objectives of this study are to identify job market requirements of the industry and factors affecting the success of the graduates’ interviews. This study used qualitative research methods as a mono method.  Data were collected using advertisements from two selected leading English and Sinhala weekend newspapers published from October 2019 to January 2020, and in-depth interviews were conducted with selected Human Resource managers. Newspaper analysis and job market requirement analysis were done using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Five core skills were identified as the job market requirements, namely, problem-solving skills, communication skills, numeracy skills, computer skills, and interpersonal skills. Leadership qualities, communication and presentation ability, teamwork, interpersonal relations, practical knowledge, positive attitudes, hardworking characteristics, well-preparedness at the interview, and a clear understanding of the graduate's career path mainly affect the graduate interview's success. The study proposes policy measures to improve the employability of management graduates of state universities in Sri Lanka.  Keywords: Employability, Management Graduates, State Universities, job market requirements, Sri Lank

Species Composition and Visiting Frequencies of Flower Visitors of Chromolaena odorata

Plant-animal interaction has been a major theme in ecology as it has helped ecologists to rule out different patterns they observed in the surrounding environments. Chromolaena odorata is another plant species that is studied extensively as it has become a major troublesome weed in many parts of the tropics. But, handful of studies are available on pollination of this invasive plant species in dry forests and its function as a pollinator sink in these environments. The current study was carried out in a dry zone secondary forest patch in North-Central Sri Lanka to assess the diversity, abundance, and pollination strength of flower visitors associated with the C. odorata. The results suggest that the diversity of Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera is higher than the other insect orders that visited C. odorata, but all species exerted equal pollination strength on the plant. The attraction of large numbers of insects is concluded to as one of the factors that contribute to the reproductive success of C. odorata in dry zone forests

Diversity, distribution pattern and traditional knowledge of sacred plants in Kanawar Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS), Himachal Pradesh, Northwestern Himalaya

Himachal Pradesh, the mountainous part of Indian Himalayan Region, also referred as Dev Bhoomi, is famous for its religious culture and traditions. People from the state are highly religious and believe that the plants which are sacred to the Gods and Goddess also have vast medicinal potential. Hence, the present study has been carried out to investigate diversity, distribution pattern and traditional knowledge of sacred plants by the native communities of Kanawar Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS), Himachal Pradesh. The study revealed that 33 species (trees 06; shrubs 16; herbs 11) belonging to 29 genera and 22 families were being used in numerous religious ceremonies and also as folk medicine by indigenous people of the KWLS. Of the total, 20 species were native and 01 was endemic to the Himalayan region. It was found that leaves of 17 species, flowers of 11 species and whole plant of 8 species were used, extensive use of which may lead to decrease in their population to a great extent. Therefore, there is an utmost need to develop a proper management plan and appropriate strategy for the conservation and sustainable utilization of such sacred plants, so that their population could be maintained for posterity

Study on Involvement in Aesthetic Activities and Academic Performance of Undergraduates The Case of the Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce of University of Sri Jayewardenepura in Sri Lanka

Enhancing knowledge seems to be a partial objective in any education process inthe contemporary society. The ultimate goal of the education should be the creation of agood citizen. It is widely believed perception that the involvement in aesthetic activitiesin the learning process helps to enhance various talents of students and nurture positiveattitudes. Several researches confirmed that there is a positive relationship betweeninvolving in Aesthetic activities and academic performance of students in educationalinstitutions.This study examines the relationship between involvement in Aestheticactivities and academic performance of the undergraduates of the Faculty ofManagement Studies and Commerce of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura in SriLanka. The study was done through a self-administrated structured questionnaire of asample of 200 undergraduates (around 5% of the total population) for the year 2010.Thesample consists of first, second, third and fourth year undergraduates, representing bothstudents who engaged in aesthetic activities and who did not.Correlation analysis wasdone to examine the relationship between academic performance and the involvementof Aesthetic activities of the undergraduates of the Faculty. It was found that there is aninsignificant weak positive relationship between the involvement in aesthetic activitiesand the accumulated Grade Point Average of the undergraduates. To identify reasonsfor this phenomenon, ten in-depth interviews were undertaken with students who havehigher academic performance at the end semester examinations conducted by theFaculty. The qualitative analysis revealed several interrelated factors in this regard.Some major reasons are; heavy work load of the students (five subjects with manyassignments within a very limited time period per semester), students‟ involvement inprofessional examinations and training programs (due to the competition of the job market), the involvement in any job due to their financial difficulties, a strongdetermination to obtain a (first) class etc. Due to these reasons, many undergraduates ofthe Faculty have given their least priority to aesthetic activities during their educationalprocess.This situation leads to produce graduates with lack of essential qualities such ascreativity and sensitivity which violate the ultimate goal of education- that is “creatinggood citizens”. Finally, policy measures are suggested to overcome this situation.Keywords: Aesthetic Activities, Academic performance, Management, Undergraduate

Speaking out about gender imbalance in invited speakers improves diversity.

Omissions of qualified women scientists from major meeting programs continue to occur despite a surge in articles indicating persistent gender-discriminatory practices in hiring and promotion, and calls for gender balance in conference organizing committees

The Molecular Origin and Taxonomy of Mucinous Ovarian Carcinoma

Mucinous ovarian carcinoma (MOC) is a unique subtype of ovarian cancer with an uncertain etiology, including whether it genuinely arises at the ovary or is metastatic disease from other organs. In addition, the molecular drivers of invasive progression, high-grade and metastatic disease are poorly defined. We perform genetic analysis of MOC across all histological grades, including benign and borderline mucinous ovarian tumors, and compare these to tumors from other potential extra-ovarian sites of origin. Here we show that MOC is distinct from tumors from other sites and supports a progressive model of evolution from borderline precursors to high-grade invasive MOC. Key drivers of progression identified are TP53 mutation and copy number aberrations, including a notable amplicon on 9p13. High copy number aberration burden is associated with worse prognosis in MOC. Our data conclusively demonstrate that MOC arise from benign and borderline precursors at the ovary and are not extra-ovarian metastases