You need to prepare for the tricky moment when someone resigns from your team

It's important to maintain a good relationship with departing employees, argue Carol T. Kulik and Sanjeewa Perer

Investigation of enhancement of growth in Sorghum bicolor by inoculation with plant growth-promoting microbes

1 online resource (170 pages) : illustrations (chiefly colour)Includes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (pages 117-132).Hybrids of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench have potential as second-generation biofuel feedstock crops in Canada. This study's objective was to screen five plant growth-promoting microbial strains (Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus PAL5T, G. azotocaptans DS1, Azospirillum lipoferum N7, A. brasilences N8 and Penicillium bilaii) for growth-enhancing effects on four sorghum genotypes. Two greenhouse studies and one field study were conducted. Glocanoacetobacter diaztrophicus (PAL5T)-treated CSSH 45 cultivar showed a significant increase in shoot dry weight by 19%, in N content by 27% and in P content by 37% compared to uninoculated control plants in one of the greenhouse studies. None of the microbial inoculants significantly increased growth of the sorghum in the field, although Azospirillum brasilense (N8) treated genotypes consistently had the highest mean shoot dry weight. According to the overall results of the study, PAL5T and N8 may offer the greatest potential for use as growth-promoting bacteria in sorghum production

Optimal One Day International Cricket Team Selection by Genetic Algorithm

Cricket is one of the oldest and most popular games in the world. At present it is played professionally and none professionally around the world. Even though the origin of cricket is unknown, there are evidences that it has been played in 16th century. Since then, this remarkable game has developed massively and the first international test cricket match was played in 1877 between Australia and England. Generally there are three types of international cricket matches, which are Test match cricket, one day international cricket and 20-20 cricket. Since the popularity of cricket, it has an immense financial importance. Therefore, winning more matches consistently will generate more financial benefits for the country. Selecting the most suitable cricket team for the given scenario is very vital as far as winning matches are concerned. This system contains various individual characteristics such as players’ batting average, bowling average, Number of wickets and so on. This study describes how to select the optimal one day international squad of Sri Lanka, which consists of 15 players out of 30 players, for the world cup 2015 which is played in Australia. By using Genetic Algorithm method and MATLAB 7 software a system has been constructed to implement the results

A multi-criterion simulation model to determine dengue outbreaks

In this study, we develop a multi criteria model to identify dengue outbreak periods. To validate the model, we performed a simulation using dengue transmission-related data in Sri Lanka's Western Province. Our results indicated that the developed model can be used to predict a dengue outbreak situation in a given region up to one month in advance

How to ensure success in environmental, social, and governance efforts

Businesses want to address environmental, social, and governance (ESG) challenges but often fail. While organisations’ policies may be well-meaning, they often become decoupled from actual practices. Organisational efforts at change continue to focus on crafting “new and better” policies, but without commensurate attention to the rest of the organisational landscape, which includes internal and external stakeholders. Sukhbir Sandhu, Carol T Kulik, Sanjeewa S Perera, and Sarah A Jarvis developed a framework that works as a roadmap to ensure that ESG change efforts succeed

How to ensure success in environmental, social, and governance efforts

Businesses want to address environmental, social, and governance (ESG) challenges but often fail. While organisations’ policies may be well-meaning, they often become decoupled from actual practices. Organisational efforts at change continue to focus on crafting “new and better” policies, but without commensurate attention to the rest of the organisational landscape, which includes internal and external stakeholders. Sukhbir Sandhu, Carol T Kulik, Sanjeewa S Perera, and Sarah A Jarvis developed a framework that works as a roadmap to ensure that ESG change efforts succeed

Gas-phase Fragmentation of Deprotonated p-Hydroxyphenacyl Derivatives

Electrospray ionization of methanolic solutions of p-hydroxyphenacyl derivatives HO-C6H4-C(O)-CH2-X (X = leaving group) provides abundant signals for the deprotonated species which are assigned to the corresponding phenolate anions −O-C6H4-C(O)-CH2-X. Upon collisional activation in the gas phase, these anions inter alia undergo loss of a neutral “C8H6O2” species concomitant with formation of the corresponding anions X−. The energies required for the loss of neutral roughly correlate with the gas phase acidities of the conjugate acids (HX). Extensive theoretical studies performed for X = CF3COO in order to reveal the energetically most favorable pathway for the formation of neutral “C8H6O2” suggest three different routes of similar energy demands, involving a spirocyclopropanone, epoxide formation, and a diradical, respectively

Response and Survival Estimates of Patients With Plasma Cell Myeloma in a Resource-Constrained Setting Using Protocols From High-Income Countries:A Single-Center Experience From Sri Lanka

There is a significant disparity in global cancer care and outcome between countries. Progress in the treatment of symptomatic plasma cell myeloma (PCM) in high-income countries is not seen in low- and middle-income countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is was a retrospective cohort study of all patients diagnosed with PCM between May 1, 2013, and September 30, 2021, at the first hemato-oncology center in Sri Lanka. We aimed to provide data on clinicopathologic characteristics, response, and survival estimates. RESULTS: A total of 79 patients with PCM received first-line therapy during the study period. The median age was 64 years, and approximately one third (33%) of patients were older than 70 years. There were 42 (53%) males and 37 females. Hypercalcemia, renal impairment, anemia, and bone disease were detected in 36.7%, 38%, 72.1%, and 81%, respectively. Thirty-nine, 34, and six patients received a combination of cyclophosphamide, thalidomide, and dexamethasone; bortezomib, thalidomide, and dexamethasone; and other treatments, respectively. The overall response rate (≥ partial response) was approximately 97% for both cyclophosphamide, thalidomide, and dexamethasone and bortezomib, thalidomide, and dexamethasone. Twenty-three (29%) of these patients died during the study period, but only 14 (18%) died due to PCM or associated sepsis. After a median follow-up of 40.6 months (range, 35.2-59.07 months), the median overall survival was 84.2 months (95% CI, 60.87 to not available). The 5-year estimated overall survival was 65%. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the only well-characterized study on long-term survival of patients with PCM in Sri Lanka. We have shown that it is possible to successfully apply Western treatment and supportive care protocols to the local population. These published data will help to benchmark and improve the treatment and develop blood cancer care in the local setting

Electrolyte Interactions with Colloidal Gold Nanoparticles in Water

Electrolyte interactions with colloidal nanoparticles (NPs) in aqueous solutions have been implicated in a wide range of research and applications. Existing studies on electrolyte interactions with NPs are primarily based on the electrical double layer (EDL) theory. However, the EDL model provides very limited information on how electrolytes directly bind to NPs, electrolyte impact on charge distribution on NPs, and NP morphological modification upon electrolyte binding. Furthermore, the previous reports have mainly focused on either cations or anions binding onto NPs, while the potential cation and anion coadsorption onto NPs and NPacilitated cation-anion interactions remain largely uncharted. Filling these knowledge gaps are critical to enhance the fundamental understanding of interfacial interactions of electrolytes with NPs. Experimental characterization of cations and anions at the solid/liquid interface is a challenging analytical task. In the first study, we demonstrated the first direct experimental evidence of ion pairing on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in water by using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) in combination with electrolyte washing. Unlike ion pairing in aqueous solutions where the oppositely charged ions are either in direct contact or separated by a solvation shell, the ion pairing on AuNPs refers to cation and anion coadsorption onto the same NP surface regardless of separation distance. Ion pairing reduces the electrolyte threshold concentration in inducing AuNP aggregation and enhances the competitiveness of electrolyte over neutral molecules in binding to AuNPs. In the second study, we demonstrated that binding, structure, and properties of an ionic species on AuNPs are significantly dependent on the counterion adsorbed on AuNPs. These counterion effects include electrolyte-induced AuNP aggregation and fusion, quantitative cation and anion coadsorption on AuNPs, and SERS spectral distortion induced by the ionic species on AuNP surfaces. In the final study, we proposed that ion pairing as the main mechanism for reducing electrostatic repulsion among organothiolates self-assembled on AuNPs in water by using a series of experimental and computational studies. The work described in this dissertation provides a series of new insights into electrolyte interfacial interactions with AuNPs