Comparison of Faunal Wealth of a Selected Oil Palm Plantation and a Rubber Plantation in the Wet Zone of Sri Lanka

A rapid increase in oil palm plantations has been evident in the low country wet zone of Sri Lanka as it is an economically profitable crop. Nevertheless, oil palm receives an immense resistance by the public claiming diminution of the water table and biodiversity wealth. Rubber plantations, which are often replaced by oil palm are claimed to be more environmentally friendly than oil palm plantations. The current study was designed to reveal the faunal wealth of selected oil palm plantations (OPP) and rubber plantations (RP) with reference to microclimatic conditions. It was hypothesized that there is no difference in faunal wealth of OPP and RP as measured by species richness, abundance and diversity indices. Three OPP and two RP in Agalawatta (N 6o 32' 50" E 80o 14' 01"-N 6o 32' 50" E 80o13' 55") were selected for the study. Species richness and abundance of selected faunal groups were determined with reference to environmental factors (ambient temperature, relative humidity, soil moisture, litter depth, light intensity and canopy cover) from March to September 2018. Species richness and abundance of invertebrates (butterflies and dragonflies) and vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals) were studied using line transects, circular plot counts, visual encounter survey technique, quadrate cleaning technique, live trapping and hair tube sampling. Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index (H) was determined for different faunal groups inhabiting OPP and RP. Soil moisture content in OPP was significantly higher than that of RP (t-test p<0.05) while litter depth was significantly higher in RP (p<0.05). Ambient temperature, relative humidity, light intensity and canopy cover did not differ significantly between the two plantations. Species richness of fauna of OPP and RP were 54 (Endemic 16) and 30 (Endemic 5) respectively. Vertebrate diversity did not differ significantly between OPP (H=2.68) and RP (H=2.53), however, invertebrate diversity of OPP (H=2.26) was significantly higher than that of RP (H=0.95) (t-test p<0.05). Diversity of birds and reptiles were higher in RP than OPP while diversity of amphibians and small mammals were higher in OPP. Rare point endemic bush frog Polypedates ranwellai was found in oil palm plantations, which is considered as a range extension. This preliminary study revealed that overall faunal wealth of oil palm plantations is slightly higher than that of rubber plantations and this could be attributed to the availability of microhabitats.Keywords: Oil palm cultivations, Biological diversity, Microclimatic parameters, Herpetofaun

Household water security through stored rainwater and consumer acceptability: a case study of the Anuradhapura District

Rainwater harvesting has increased in popularity in Sri Lanka over the past two decades due to the number of water supply projects funded by the government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The stored rainwater can provide accessible, reliable, timely and adequate supplies of water to households but there are uncertainties as to safety, in terms of water quality, and consumer acceptability. A study was, therefore, conducted in the Anuradhapura District, in the dry zone, to assess consumer acceptability of stored rainwater for household purposes and to conduct rainwater quality tests in a laboratory. The majority of households in Anuradhapura meet their drinking water requirements from protected wells (59.6 %). Prior to the project, people greatly preferred open wells as a source of domestic water, followed by tubewells, because they believed that water in open wells is of good quality and drinkable. However, stored rainwater has become the priority source now, especially through roof rainwater harvesting (RRWH), which is used during the dry periods. The study revealed that more than 85 % of households use stored rainwater for drinking although some have concerns over the quality and only drink it after boiling. The easy accessibility of water and the assurance by the project team that it is of good quality are the main reasons that people are willing to drink it. The acceptability of stored rainwater for consumption was very high in water-scarce areas and with the increasing distance to the nearest and alternative sources of good-quality water. Of those who felt that they had adequate water, 84 % of the sample households found it adequate in the wet season but only 21 % in the dry season. Water quality analysis revealed that the chemical and physical quality of stored rainwater is within the acceptable range with respect to Sri Lankan Standards, SLS: 614, for potable water quality (SLIS 1983). Other domestic water sources exceeded standards for electrical conductivity, total alkalinity, hardness, ammonium nitrogen, fluorides and total iron. However, stored rainwater was of lower biological quality than other domestic water sources.Length: pp.87-97Domestic waterWater securityWater harvestingWater qualityRural areasCase studies

Dietary Composition and Foraging Habitat Selection of the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) in a Tropical Lowland Forest-Associated Landscape in Southwest, of Sri Lanka

Indian pangolins (Manis crassicaudata) is a nocturnal elusive mammal species with a wide distribution in the South Asian region. The species has become threatened all over its range countries due to hunting, poaching, trafficking and habitat destruction. Many of the captive breeding and rescue attempts has been unsuccessful due to the lack of scientific knowledge on the dietary ecology of the species. Hence, this study investigated the dietary spectrumand foraging habitat selection of the Indian pangolin in a tropical lowland forest-associated landscapes of Southwest Sri Lanka. We studied fived different types of foraging habitats of Indian pangolin i.e. forested habitat, rubber plantations, cinnamon cultivations, oil palm plantations, and tea-dominated home gardens.The foraging intensity were assessed using the signs of foraging activities ad faecal samples of pangolins gathered in five 10×10 m plots along ten transect in each habitat. Faecal samples were further subjected to microscopic analysis in the laboratory. Study results identified forested habitats as the most preferred foraging grounds of Indian pangolins followed by the rubber plantations, cinnamon, oil palm and tea dominated home gardens. The termites from the termitariaon ground and the termite infested logs are identified as most frequently foraged food item in the studied habitats. Laboratory analysis of faecal matter further revealed that the undigested matter (by weight) predominantly constituted of grit (53.3%), animal matter (37%) and plant matter (9.7%). The digestibility of termites appears to be high compared to ants and other insects. Higher abundance of the heads, mouthparts, abdomens, and legs of ants compared to those appendages of termites in the analysed faecal samples suggest a higher digestibility of above mentioned body parts of termites than the ants. The wings of the termites also found in greater abundance in the analysed faecal samples. Termites belong to the genus Odontotermes and the ant species belong to the genera Oecophylla, Anoplolepis, Camponotus and Monomorium were identified as the main prey species of the Indian pangolin in the studied habitats. The findings of the study also suggest that human modified agricultural lands adjoining forest are important as feeding grounds of Indian pangolins, and worth considering in long-term conservation planning of the species. Keywords: Indian pangolin, Dietary spectrum, Foraging habitat, Faecal analysi

The impact of inappropriate soil management on river water quality: a case study in the Kurundu Oya Sub-catchment of the Upper Mahaweli Catchment, Sri Lanka

The results of many studies have revealed that intensive farming on steep slopes, coupled with over application of fertilizers and accumulation of nutrients in downstream water bodies due to soil erosion, have contributed to environmental hazards in the Upper Mahaweli Catchment Area (UMCA) of Sri Lanka. The encroachment of riparian zones for exotic vegetable cultivation has aggravated this situation. In view of this, a study was conducted in the Kurundu Oya catchment, a micro-catchment of the UMCA, to investigate the soil management practices within the farming systems and their impacts on river water quality. Three villages were selected along the Kurundu Oya: Mahakudugala, Kumbalgamuwa and Batagolla. The study consisted of a survey of 150 households in 2007 and 2008, to gather information on the characteristics of householders and on soil management practices. A soil survey was carried out to analyze the soil fertility of farmlands. Water quality parameters were measured periodically in different sections of a selected stream. The results revealed that nearly 50 % of the riparian zones in the upper catchment of the Kurundu Oya stream are encroached to cultivate potato and other exotic vegetables. In addition, it was observed that over application of fertilizers on the vegetable plots was causing nutrient accumulation and the plots also recorded high levels of phosphorous (P) (above 75 ppm). Results of the water quality analysis showed that nitrate and available P levels were within the standard limits, but nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) levels were close to the upper level of the standard limit. Therefore, in order to minimize water pollution, it is strongly recommended that fertilizer application is based on soil tests. In addition, encroachment of sensitive lands has to be addressed. Priority should be given to strengthening institutional capacity in order to facilitate the implementation of existing environmental legislation.Length: pp.49-60Soil managementSoil degradationCatchment areasErosionSedimentationWater pollutionFertilizer applicationNitrogenVegetable growing

Response of tropical birds to habitat modifications in fragmented forest patches: A case from a tropical lowland rainforest in south-west Sri Lanka

Disturbed forest fragments comprise a substantial proportion of tropical landscapes, and these habitats along with associated ecotones have become important to tropical biodiversity conservation in human-modified landscapes. This study evaluated how tropical avifaunal communities respond to moderate habitat disturbances, such as shifting cultivation, selective logging and restoration from exotic plant species, in the Yagirala Forest Reserve, a fragmented tropical lowland rainforest in south-west Sri Lanka. Thirty circular plots with a 25-m fixed-radius, located to cover four prominent habitat types (secondary forest, Pinus-dominated forest, abandoned paddy lands and home gardens), were studied from March to December 2014. The results suggest that despite being fragmented and disturbed by human actions, the Yagirala Forest Reserve and associated ecotone collectively provide an important refuge for avifauna in the landscape context. The forest-home garden interface supported the highest avifaunal diversity. Edge habitats represented by home gardens and abandoned paddy lands generally supported greater bird richness. However, less disturbed secondary forest and Pinus-dominated forest were be more important for endemic and forest-specialist birds. Our results further highlight the potential value of wooded forest-home garden interfaces and forest stands restored with exotic pines in supporting native forest bird assemblages, especially in fragmented and isolated forest patches

The Hybrid Motor Prototype: Design Details and Demonstration Results

A novel hybrid rotary motor incorporating piezoelectric and magnetostrictive actuators has been designed and demonstrated. The novelty of this motor was the creation of an electrical resonant circuit, whereby reactive power requirement on the power source is reduced. It was envisioned that the motor would be suitable for low output speed, high torque applications because of its design. This report presents the constructional details of this motor and the results of the demonstration

Assessment of pulse rate variability by the method of pulse frequency demodulation

BACKGROUND: Due to its easy applicability, pulse wave has been proposed as a surrogate of electrocardiogram (ECG) for the analysis of heart rate variability (HRV). However, its smoother waveform precludes accurate measurement of pulse-to-pulse interval by fiducial-point algorithms. Here we report a pulse frequency demodulation (PFDM) technique as a method for extracting instantaneous pulse rate function directly from pulse wave signal and its usefulness for assessing pulse rate variability (PRV). METHODS: Simulated pulse wave signals with known pulse interval functions and actual pulse wave signals obtained from 30 subjects with a trans-dermal pulse wave device were analyzed by PFDM. The results were compared with heart rate and HRV assessed from simultaneously recorded ECG. RESULTS: Analysis of simulated data revealed that the PFDM faithfully demodulates source interval function with preserving the frequency characteristics of the function, even when the intervals fluctuate rapidly over a wide range and when the signals include fluctuations in pulse height and baseline. Analysis of actual data revealed that individual means of low and high frequency components of PRV showed good agreement with those of HRV (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.997 and 0.981, respectively). CONCLUSION: The PFDM of pulse wave signal provides a reliable assessment of PRV. Given the popularity of pulse wave equipments, PFDM may open new ways to the studies of long-term assessment of cardiovascular variability and dynamics

Allotransplanted Neurons Used to Repair Peripheral Nerve Injury Do Not Elicit Overt Immunogenicity

A major problem hindering the development of autograft alternatives for repairing peripheral nerve injuries is immunogenicity. We have previously shown successful regeneration in transected rat sciatic nerves using conduits filled with allogeneic dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells without any immunosuppression. In this study, we re-examined the immunogenicity of our DRG neuron implanted conduits as a potential strategy to overcome transplant rejection. A biodegradable NeuraGen® tube was infused with pure DRG neurons or Schwann cells cultured from a rat strain differing from the host rats and used to repair 8 mm gaps in the sciatic nerve. We observed enhanced regeneration with allogeneic cells compared to empty conduits 16 weeks post-surgery, but morphological analyses suggest recovery comparable to the healthy nerves was not achieved. The degree of regeneration was indistinguishable between DRG and Schwann cell allografts although immunogenicity assessments revealed substantially increased presence of Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) in Schwann cell allografts compared to the DRG allografts by two weeks post-surgery. Macrophage infiltration of the regenerated nerve graft in the DRG group 16 weeks post-surgery was below the level of the empty conduit (0.56 fold change from NG; p<0.05) while the Schwann cell group revealed significantly higher counts (1.29 fold change from NG; p<0.001). Major histocompatibility complex I (MHC I) molecules were present in significantly increased levels in the DRG and Schwann cell allograft groups compared to the hollow NG conduit and the Sham healthy nerve. Our results confirmed previous studies that have reported Schwann cells as being immunogenic, likely due to MHC I expression. Nerve gap injuries are difficult to repair; our data suggest that DRG neurons are superior medium to implant inside conduit tubes due to reduced immunogenicity and represent a potential treatment strategy that could be preferable to the current gold standard of autologous nerve transplant

Review on computational methods for Lyapunov functions

Lyapunov functions are an essential tool in the stability analysis of dynamical systems, both in theory and applications. They provide sufficient conditions for the stability of equilibria or more general invariant sets, as well as for their basin of attraction. The necessity, i.e. the existence of Lyapunov functions, has been studied in converse theorems, however, they do not provide a general method to compute them. Because of their importance in stability analysis, numerous computational construction methods have been developed within the Engineering, Informatics, and Mathematics community. They cover different types of systems such as ordinary differential equations, switched systems, non-smooth systems, discrete-time systems etc., and employ di_erent methods such as series expansion, linear programming, linear matrix inequalities, collocation methods, algebraic methods, set-theoretic methods, and many others. This review brings these different methods together. First, the different types of systems, where Lyapunov functions are used, are briefly discussed. In the main part, the computational methods are presented, ordered by the type of method used to construct a Lyapunov function

From basic mechanisms to clinical applications in heart protection, new players in cardiovascular diseases and cardiac theranostics: meeting report from the third international symposium on "New frontiers in cardiovascular research"

In this meeting report, particularly addressing the topic of protection of the cardiovascular system from ischemia/reperfusion injury, highlights are presented that relate to conditioning strategies of the heart with respect to molecular mechanisms and outcome in patients' cohorts, the influence of co-morbidities and medications, as well as the contribution of innate immune reactions in cardioprotection. Moreover, developmental or systems biology approaches bear great potential in systematically uncovering unexpected components involved in ischemia-reperfusion injury or heart regeneration. Based on the characterization of particular platelet integrins, mitochondrial redox-linked proteins, or lipid-diol compounds in cardiovascular diseases, their targeting by newly developed theranostics and technologies opens new avenues for diagnosis and therapy of myocardial infarction to improve the patients' outcome