Parents' Imprisonment and its Effects on their Children

This research concerns parents’ long-term imprisonment and its effect on their children. As per the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka, suspects are supposed to have committed an offense. In that sense, they are accepted as innocent people until proven guilty. Thus, the main purpose of this investigation is to identify the situations regarding the children of suspects who are being imprisoned for a long time in Sri Lankan prisons and forward suggestions for minimizing the effects upon them. The research question of the study is, what are the problems faced by the suspects’ children during the imprisonment of their parents? Using the Quota sampling method, 178 residents of Welikada Prison who were imprisoned for more than one year were selected from the Colombo District as the sample. Fifty-four (imprisonment) prison inmates’ families of 30 male detainees and 24 female detainees were selected for this study. Mix data analysis including qualitative and quantitative has been used for the data analysis. The research indicates that the detainees’ children are faced with several issues such as a lack of educational needs, and absence of safety, and further they undergo various mental disorders during the entire period. As suggestions, external factors can be encouraged at the institutional level to maintain a strong relationship between the suspect and their family members, especially with the children. Strengthening communication between them would ensure a good relationship. Also, the government authorities should implement special aid programs for such families to cater to their financial, educational, and social needs and provide vocational training for their children. DOI: http://doi.org/10.31357/fhss/vjhss.v08i01.0

The Role of Mediation Board in Solving Minor Disputes

This study explored the role of the Mediation Board as a mediator in resolving minor disputes. According to the Ministry of Justice, many Mediation Board activities have been performed in the past few years in Sri Lanka. Even though there are several mediation boards in the country, most Sri Lankans are still waiting in the judiciary process to get immediate solutions to their issues. Thus, the study addressed the main research questions: What are the processes employed by the mediation board to solve disputes? What kind of improvement should be suggested for an effective mediation process? The general objective is to identify the role and process of the mediation board, identify the problems faced by the mediation board, and make suggestions to improve the mediation board(s) for a better mediation process. The research was based on the Colombo district: The Purposive Sampling Method was utilized to select the research areas from urban, suburban, and rural. The data were obtained from interviews and observations as primary sources and journal articles and related books as secondary sources. Data analysis was carried out using MS Excel for quantitative data and manual data entry for qualitative data. According to the findings, it was revealed that the contribution of the Mediation Board in the rural category was higher than in the suburban and urban areas. It can be concluded that more than 50% of the disputes presented to the Mediation Board (Hanwella, Kaduwela, and Maharagama) are resolved efficiently in a very short period of time. The same procedure has been practiced by all three mediation boards. There are several shortages of both human and physical resources. Appointing experienced young and responsible middle-aged personnel for the mediation boards will help to enhance the efficiency of the service. Furthermore, it is also crucial to provide knowledge concerning the process of mediation and Mediation Boards at the community level and school level. DOI: http://doi.org/10.31357/fhss/vjhss.v07i02.1

A Study on the Impact of Legal Literacy on Crime Control and Prevention (With Special Reference to Selected Communities in Rathnapura Police Division in Sri Lanka)

Self-empowerment and establishing a law-abiding through legal literacy have become a prominent need today. The present study investigates the impact of community awareness on crimes and the feasibility of utilizing it successfully to control and prevent crimes. The research question was Does the level of legal awareness affect the rise of crimes? and Dose the level of legal awareness contributes to Crime control and prevention? The study sample included 82 families out of 1643 families in the Grama Niladhari Divisions in and in the vicinity of the Rathnapura City area. The sample was selected using the Stratified Sampling method and Judgmental Sampling method, and questionnaires were used to collect data, which were analyzed through IBM SPSS 22 version software. The research revealed that the participants are ignorant regarding individual rights and security, crimes and legal nature of crime, and punishments, which made 65% become victims of crimes, and 90% be involved in criminal activities due to inadequate legal literacy. Unawareness of the criminal justice system and its procedure has made 85% of the participants undergo various difficulties. Therefore, the level of legal awareness does affect the control and prevention of crimes significantly. Hence, it is concluded that legal awareness empowers society, and its contribution to personality development lays the foundation for an intelligent community. Therefore, every person must be provided with equal opportunity to improve legal awareness, including law as a school subject and promoting legal awareness as a national policy among the public, victims, social groups, public servants and law-makers contribute to a legally literate society. DOI: http://doi.org/10.31357/fhss/vjhss.v07i02.0

The Problems Faced by Family Members of Remand Prisoners

The existing legal system prohibits the arbitrary arrest and detention ofindividuals but at times, police defy these provisions. Depending on the significance ofthe role played by the arrested individual, his/her dependents have to adjust their livesafter such an incarceration.This research was conducted to examine the emotional, psychological,developmental, familial and financial consequences of remand incarceration on thefamilies of inmates. Finally, the study looked into how society reacted towards thesefamilies.The sample consisted of 150 remand prisoners awaiting trial for a long period inWalikanda and New Magazine prisons Sri Lanka. Another sample of 50 families wasselected randomly from the prisoners in Colombo District who have been detained incustody for more than one year.The data for the research was gathered using a structured questionnaire andinterviews. Both remand prisoners and their family members were interviewed.Results of the study show that when the remanded prisoner is the breadwinner ofthe family, rest of the family is subjected to adverse financial difficulties. When fatherof the family is imprisoned, mother and children of the family are often subjected to themiseries of hunger.The incarceration of a parent, in most cases, results in severe disruptions inchildren‟s education unless someone else -may be a relative- provides a helping hand.It was revealed that if the families of detainees lived in a community with socio statureequal to that of theirs, the negative social impact will be lesser than if they lived in acommunity with a social stature superior to that of theirs.The study concluded that incarceration of a family member has a negativebearing on the family but the level of impact differs from one case to another dependingon the nature of contribution detainee used to make to the family.Key words: Imprisonment, Remand, Family problem

Determinants of Perinatal Outcomes in Dialyzed and Transplanted Women in Australia.

Introduction: Drivers of adverse perinatal outcomes in pregnancies of women receiving chronic kidney replacement therapy (KRT) remain poorly understood. Methods: Births ≥ 20 weeks of gestation in Australian women receiving KRT were analyzed for perinatal outcomes stratified by maternal KRT exposure (dialysis or transplant, analyzed separately), by linking the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA) and perinatal data sets (1991-2013). Results: Of 2,948,084 babies (1,628,181 mothers), 248 were born to mothers receiving KRT (transplant, n = 211; dialysis, n = 37), with live birth rates ≥ 94%. The perinatal death rate was 162, 62, and 9 per 1000 births in the dialysis, transplant, and non-KRT cohorts, respectively. Babies exposed to KRT had increased odds of prematurity, small-for-gestational age (SGA), poor birth condition, resuscitation, intensive care admission, and longer hospitalization, with the dialysis cohort having worse outcomes. Preterm babies of dialyzed and transplanted mothers (compared with preterm babies with no KRT exposure) experienced 1.6- to 2.7-fold higher odds for all adverse outcomes, except birthweight 10-fold higher odds of preterm birth and low birthweight and 1.8- to 4.6-fold increased odds of other adverse outcomes. In transplanted women, mediation analysis revealed that pregnancy-induced hypertension contributed only a modest proportional effect (2.5%-11.2%) on adverse outcomes. Conclusion: Maternal dialysis and transplantation conferred excess perinatal morbidity, particularly for preterm babies, and even in women with good preconception allograft function. Pregnancy-induced hypertension is not the predominant determinant of perinatal morbidity. Preconception counseling of women with kidney disease should encompass discussion of perinatal complications

Methods development for Analysis of Partially Deglycosylated Proteins and Application to an HIV Envelope Protein Vaccine Candidate

The work presented herein describes the first comprehensive analysis of a partially deglycosylated HIV vaccine candidate envelope protein (Env). The Env, JRFL gp140 ΔCF, with 27 potential glycosylation sites, was partially deglycosylated with PNGase F as part of a strategy to generate a more immunogenic HIV vaccine, and the resulting protein’s glycosylation was characterized in a unique workflow using two different glycosidases, Endo H and Endo F3. This unique analysis protocol provided for coverage on 26 of the 27 glycosylation sites, and the data showed that the biochemical treatment with PNGase F resulted in a highly heterogeneous glycoprotein product that had been partially deglycosylated at most of the glycosylation sites. The protocols described in this work could be useful for characterizing the glycosylation site occupancy of other native or biochemically deglycosylated proteins

Modulation of Rab7a-mediated growth factor receptor trafficking inhibits islet beta cell apoptosis and autophagy under conditions of metabolic stress

Regenerative medicine approaches to enhancing beta cell growth and survival represent potential treatments for diabetes. It is known that growth factors such as insulin, IGF-1 and HGF support beta cell growth and survival, but in people with type 2 diabetes the destructive effects of metabolic stress predominate and beta cell death or dysfunction occurs. In this study we explore the novel hypothesis that regulation of growth factor receptor trafficking can be used to promote islet beta cell survival. Growth factor signalling is dependent on the presence of cell surface receptors. Endosomal trafficking and subsequent recycling or degradation of these receptors is controlled by the Rab GTPase family of proteins. We show that Rab7a siRNA inhibition enhances IGF-1 and HGF signalling in beta cells and increases expression of the growth factor receptors IGF-1R and c-Met. Furthermore, Rab7a inhibition promotes beta cell growth and islet survival, and protects against activation of apoptosis and autophagy pathways under conditions of metabolic stress. This study therefore demonstrates that Rab7a-mediated trafficking of growth factor receptors controls beta cell survival. Pharmaceutical Rab7a inhibition may provide a means to promote beta cell survival in the context of metabolic stress and prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes

Characterization of Glycosylation Profiles of HIV-1 Transmitted/Founder Envelopes by Mass Spectrometry

This is the published version, also available here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JVI.05053-11.The analysis of HIV-1 envelope carbohydrates is critical to understanding their roles in HIV-1 transmission as well as in binding of envelope to HIV-1 antibodies. However, direct analysis of protein glycosylation by glycopeptide-based mass mapping approaches involves structural simplification of proteins with the use of a protease followed by an isolation and/or enrichment step before mass analysis. The successful completion of glycosylation analysis is still a major analytical challenge due to the complexity of samples, wide dynamic range of glycopeptide concentrations, and glycosylation heterogeneity. Here, we use a novel experimental workflow that includes an up-front complete or partial enzymatic deglycosylation step before trypsin digestion to characterize the glycosylation patterns and maximize the glycosylation coverage of two recombinant HIV-1 transmitted/founder envelope oligomers derived from clade B and C viruses isolated from acute infection and expressed in 293T cells. Our results show that both transmitted/founder Envs had similar degrees of glycosylation site occupancy as well as similar glycan profiles. Compared to 293T-derived recombinant Envs from viruses isolated from chronic HIV-1, transmitted/founder Envs displayed marked differences in their glycosylation site occupancies and in their amounts of complex glycans. Our analysis reveals that the glycosylation patterns of transmitted/founder Envs from two different clades (B and C) are more similar to each other than they are to the glycosylation patterns of chronic HIV-1 Envs derived from their own clades