A case of Menke’s kinky hair disease

(Key words: Menke’s disease, kinky hair disease) Menke’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative condition associated with the presence of abnormal characteristic hair; the hair is depigmented, kinky and friable 1. Microscopic examination of the hair reveals several abnormalities such as depigmentation, fractures of the shaft (trichorrhexis nodosa) and twisting (pili torti). Feeding difficulties contribute to poor weight gain and severe mental retardation and optic atrophy are constant features of the disease. Low serum copper and caeruloplasmin levels have been documented consistently in this rare condition which is inherited in a sex-linked recessive manner. Case Report A ten month old boy from Matara presented wit

Trend and variability of rainfall in two river basins in Sri Lanka: an analysis of meteorological data and farmers’ perceptions

Selected rainfall characteristics derived by analyzing observed rainfall data in two Sri Lankan river basins (Malwathu Oya and Kalu Ganga) were compared with the perceptions of farmers. The rainfall characteristics used for this analysis are trends, onset and cessation dates, length of the growing period, number of rainy days, and length of the dry spell. Farmers’ perceptions of changes in those characteristics were collected through household surveys. The majority of farmers in both river basins failed to recognize the long-term upward trend in annual rainfall. They also failed to describe the adaptation measures they were currently practising

Modification of Thermal Conductivity of Cotton Fabric Using Graphene

This paper investigates the possibility to use Graphene coated fabric for thermal conductive purposes. Existing methods of thermal conductivity improvement of textiles require extrusion facilities and the end products are heavy due to insertion of metal wires. By using Graphene Oxide application, these disadvantages can be eliminated. Graphene Oxide was applied onto the fabric using a simple dip and dry method and an exhaustion dyeing method. Then the coated fabric was allowed to react with an aqueous solution of reducing agents. The test results showed that the most suitable method to obtain a significant improvement in thermal conductivity of textiles is to follow an exhaustion dyeing method with reducing agents. The reduction process should be maintained at 700C for 30min duration with the addition of Sodium Hydrosulphide. Exhaust dyed fabric which was treated with reducing agents showed an improvement of 55% in thermal conductivity compared to the uncoated fabric, which is a significant improvement in the thermal conductivity of textiles. In addition to the thermal conductivity values, few related textile properties were tested to evaluate the effect of the Graphene coating on the fabric characteristics.IEEE IEEE Sri Lanka Section Robotics and Automation Section Chapter, IEEE Sri Lanka Sectio

Generation of strongly regular graphs from quaternary complex Hadamard matrices

A strongly regular graph with parameters (v, k, μ, λ) is a regular graph G with v vertices and k degree in which every two adjacent vertices have λ common neighbors and every two non-adjacent vertices have μ common neighbors. In this paper, we propose an algorithm which can be used to construct strongly regular graphs using quaternary complex Hadamard matrices. The order of the strongly regular graph generated by a quaternary complex Hadamard matrix of order n is 2n. The proposed algorithm has been illustrated by generating a strongly regular graph of order 4 using quaternary complex Hadamard matrix of order 2. Further, higher order strongly regular graphs were tested using Java program. This algorithm could be used to construct strongly regular graphs of order 22n; n∈Z^+

Functional gastrointestinal diseases and psychological maladjustment, personality traits and quality of life

Abstract Background Chronic abdominal pain is a common worldwide problem and known to be associated with psychological problems. This study evaluated the association between abdominal pain-predominant functional gastrointestinal disorders (AP-FGIDs), psychological maladjustment and personality traits in adolescents. Methods Adolescents aged 13–18 years were recruited from 5 randomly selected schools in Ampara district of Sri Lanka. AP-FGIDs were diagnosed using Rome III criteria. Translated and validated Rome III questionnaire (Child report form), personality questionnaire (PAQ) and PedsQL (Pediatric Quality of Life) inventory were used in data collection. Written consent was obtained from a parent and assent was obtained from every child recruited. The questionnaire was distributed in an examination setting to ensure confidentiality and privacy. Research assistants were present during data collection to assist on any necessary clarifications. Results A total of 1697 subjects were recruited [males 779 (45.9%), mean age 15.1 years, SD 1.6 years]. AP-FGIDs were present in 202 (11.9%). Those with AP-FGIDs had significantly higher mean scores for all personality traits (hostility and aggression, negative self-esteem, emotional unresponsiveness, emotional instability and negative world view), except dependency. Affected children had lower scores for all 4 domains of HRQoL (physical, emotional, social and school functioning), compared to controls (p < 0.05). When the cut off value for Sri Lankan children (89) was used, 66.3% with AP-FGIDs and 48.2% controls had PAQ scores within that of psychological maladjustment (p < 0.001). When the international normative value of 105 was used, these percentages were 27.2% and 14.2% respectively (p < 0.0001). The scores obtained for PAQ negatively correlated with scores obtained for HRQoL (r = − 0.52, p < 0.0001). One hundred and seventeen adolescents with AP-FGIDs (57.9%) had sought healthcare for their symptoms. Healthcare consulters had higher PAQ and lower HRQoL scores (p < 0.05). Conclusions Adolescents with AP-FGIDs have more psychological maladjustment and abnormal personality traits than healthy controls. Affected adolescents with higher psychological maladjustments have lower HRQoL. Greater psychological maladjustment and lower HRQoL are associated with healthcare seeking behaviour in adolescents with AP-FGIDs

Sleep quality during hospitalization in critically ill cancer patients in Sri Lanka.

INTRODUCTION: : Sleep is vital for physical, psychological, emotional, and cognitive well-being. Cancer becomes life-threatening once it affects major organs and their ability to function. Sleep disturbance is one of the most common complaints in patients with cancer which interferes with the symptom burden, coping ability, and treatment effectiveness. Current study aimed to assess sleep quality and its associated factors among critically ill cancer patients who were admitted to the Apeksha Hospital, Sri Lanka. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 patients with cancer, who were admitted to Apeksha Hospital. Pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Sleep quality was classified as good (Global PSQI score ≤5) and poor (Global PSQI score >5). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and associations between categorical variables were assessed by performing a Chi-square test. IBM SPSS Version 26 was used as the analytical tool. RESULTS: Of 384 patients with cancer, 58.9% (n=226) were females. Most of the patients (78.4%, n=301) were adults (25-64 years), and 63.0% (n=242) were married. Breast cancers (20.1%), blood cancers (19.3%), and ovarian cancers [13.8%) were the most common cancers reported by the study participants. The mean Global PSQI score was 10.27±3.48 (range 3-20) and 95.3% of the participants were categorized as having poor sleep quality. Age (p=0.002), income (p=0.050), engaging in leisure time activities (p=0.036), social media use (p=0.022), and fatigue (p=0.012), and level of pain (p<0.001) were significantly associated with the sleep quality of patients with cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Poor sleep quality is highly prevalent among patients with cancer and evidence-based interventions should be implemented to improve sleep quality