IMMUNOPROTECTIVE MECHANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH IN OVO DELIVERY OF OLIGODEOXYNUCLEOTIDES CONTAINING CpG MOTIFS (CpG-ODN) AND FORMULATION OF CpG WITH NANOPARTICLES TO ENHANCE ITS EFFICACY IN NEONATAL BROILER CHICKENS

Oligodeoxynucleotides containing CpG motifs (CpG-ODNs) are known for their ability to stimulate vertebral immune system and provide protection against pathogens. Although CpG-ODN provides protection against bacterial infections in chickens mechanisms of immunoprotection remains elusive. The objective of this study was to identify mechanisms of immunoprotection of CpG-ODN following in ovo delivery in chickens . In the second chapter, we provide the mechanistic insights into CpG-ODN induced protection against Escherichia coli (E. coli). Multiplex cytokine gene analysis using QuantiGene Plex 2.0® technique revealed that CpG-ODN upregulates both Th1 and Th2 cytokines, as well as pro-inflammatory cytokines in both spleen and lung. In our study, Lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF factor-alpha factor (Litaf) stands out in the cytokine profiles of spleen and lungs, underscoring its role in CpG-ODN induced protection mechanisms. Flow cytometry analysis showed a marked increase of T lymphocyte and antigen presenting cells (APC) as well as enhanced expression of CD40 by APCs in spleen and lung after CpG-ODN treatment. This study demonstrated for the first time that CpG-ODN provides protection in neonatal chicks against E. coli infections by eliciting cytokine responses and enriching the immunological niches in spleen and lungs. In the third chapter, we show that CpG-ODN induces a dose-dependent influx of macrophages, CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subsets in spleen and lungs of chicks that correlates with the immunoprotection against E. coli. We observed a dose-dependent enrichment of the immunological niches, wherein 25 µg and 50 µg of CpG-ODN induced significant changes in the immune profile of both spleen and lungs that correlated with their ability to resist E. coli infection. In the fourth chapter, we report that in ovo delivery of CpG-ODN formulated with CNT or lipid-surfactant potentiate the protective effect against E. coli infection. In conclusion, this study provides a greater understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms for CpG-ODN induced antimicrobial immunity. And this significant advancement in the mechanistic insight will help in utilizing the full therapeutic potential of CpG-ODNs. Our work on CpG-ODN dose-dependent changes and enhanced protection against E. coli infection by nanoparticle formulations demonstrate the possible utilitization of CpG-ODN in the poultry industry as an alternative to antibiotics to prevent bacterial infections of neonatal chickens

An integrated 3D approach for effective mine risk education in post war-zone areas

International Mine Action Standards define Mine Risk Education (MRE) as activities that seek to reduce the risk of death and injury from mines and explosive remnants of war, by raising awareness and promoting safe behaviour. MRE systems and practices in post clearance areas in conflict affected regions worldwide promote two main types of activities, identification of explosive remnants of war and making the correct response ensuring individual safety as well as the safety of the community. This can be viewed as a two dimensional approach spanned by Identification and Response dimensions. This paper based on the findings from a recent empirical study conducted specifically in the northern Sri Lanka introducing Reconciliation as a third dimension to further improve the present two dimensional approach of mine risk education. The authors acknowledge that MRE has had a positive impact on war affected communities in global context. However, it needs considerable integration of a learning module which should reflect the different causes of life catastrophe risks are similar to mine risks in extreme scenarios- they constitute non-diversifiable risks, so that MRE helps maintain a significant effect and long- lasting impact on attitudes towards landmines and other explosive remnants of war at the community level.Les normes internationales d'action contre les mines définissent l'éducation au risque des mines (MRE) comme une activité visant à réduire les risques de mort et de blessures dues aux mines et aux restes explosifs de guerre, en sensibilisant l'opinion publique et en encourageant les comportements sans danger. Les systèmes et les pratiques d’EDM dans les zones de dépollution dans les régions touchées par les conflits dans le monde encouragent deux types d’activités: l’identification des restes explosifs de guerre et la réaction appropriée assurant la sécurité individuelle ainsi que la sécurité de la communauté. Cela peut être considéré comme une approche bidimensionnelle englobée par les dimensions Identification et Réponse. Ce document s'appuie sur les conclusions d'une étude empirique récente menée spécifiquement dans le nord de Sri Lanka, introduisant la réconciliation en tant que troisième dimension pour améliorer encore l'approche en deux dimensions actuelle de l'éducation au risque des mines. Les auteurs reconnaissent que l'ERM a eu un impact positif sur les communautés touchées par la guerre dans le contexte mondial. Cependant, il faut intégrer un module d’apprentissage qui devrait refléter les différentes causes des risques de catastrophe dans la vie. Ces derniers sont similaires aux risques des mines dans les scénarios extrêmes. Ils constituent des risques non diversifiables, de sorte que les MRE aident à maintenir un effet significatif et durable sur les projets

A Comprehensive Bioinformatics Analysis of the Nudix Superfamily in Arabidopsis thaliana

Nudix enzymes are a superfamily with a conserved common reaction mechanism that provides the capacity for the hydrolysis of a broad spectrum of metabolites. We used hidden Markov models based on Nudix sequences from the PFAM and PROSITE databases to identify Nudix hydrolases encoded by the Arabidopsis genome. 25 Nudix hydrolases were identified and classified into 11 individual families by pairwise sequence alignments. Intron phases were strikingly conserved in each family. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all multimember families formed monophyletic clusters. Conserved familial sequence motifs were identified with the MEME motif analysis algorithm. One motif (motif 4) was found in three diverse families. All proteins containing motif 4 demonstrated a degree of preference for substrates containing an ADP moiety. We conclude that HMM model-based genome scanning and MEME motif analysis, respectively, can significantly improve the identification and assignment of function of new members of this mechanistically-diverse protein superfamily

Local Popularity and Time in top-N Recommendation

Items popularity is a strong signal in recommendation algorithms. It strongly affects collaborative filtering approaches and it has been proven to be a very good baseline in terms of results accuracy. Even though we miss an actual personalization, global popularity can be effectively used to recommend items to users. In this paper we introduce the idea of a time-aware personalized popularity in recommender systems by considering both items popularity among neighbors and how it changes over time. An experimental evaluation shows a highly competitive behavior of the proposed approach, compared to state of the art model-based collaborative approaches, in terms of results accuracy.Comment: ECIR short paper, 7 page

Gender Inequality in Digital Transformation: Evidence from Business Process Management Industry in Sri Lanka

This research examines whether gender inequality exists in Leadership Style, Organizational Culture, and Digital Competence of digital transformation of the Business Process Management (BPM) industry. Data were collected from 507 employees of 40 Sri Lankan BPM companies through a web-based survey. Mann-Whitney U test with descriptive statistics provided evidence to strengthen the findings. The findings confirmed that gender inequality exists in Leadership Style, Organizational Culture, and Digital Competence of digital transformation in the BPM industry in Sri Lanka. This research contributes to "Acker's Theory of Gendered Organizations" by identifying areas that reproduce gender inequality in the new digital economy workplace. This study recommends controlling if not eradicating the gender inequality through proper Human Resource (HR) policies and procedures since it may hinder organizational performance. Digital workplace will improve employee retention, satisfaction, and productivity. Keywords: Business Process Management, Gender Inequality, Leadership Style, Organizational Culture, Digital Competenc

Prevalence of Occupational Stress among Secondary School Teachers in Public Schools in the District of Colombo, Sri Lanka

Teacher occupational stress is increasing globally. We aimed to determine the prevalence of occupational stress among secondary teachers, to advocate policies for prevention of occupational stress among teachers in Sri Lanka. A cross-sectional study included 1426 secondary teachers, selected using multistage cluster sampling from public schools of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Validated Teacher Stress Inventory-Sinhala (TSI-Sinhala) assessed occupational stress. Prevalence of high [15.9% (95% CI: 14.0%-17.8%)] and moderate [67.5% (95% CI: 65.1%-69.9%)] occupational stress among secondary teachers, resulted an overall high prevalence of 83.4% (95%CI: 81.4%-85.3%). Moderate occupational stress among female teachers (68.6%, 95% CI: 65.7-71.5%) was significantly higher than males (61.9%. 95% CI: 58.9-64.9%). Urgent attention to preventative interventions for occupational stress among teachers in Sri Lanka is recommended

Impact of ICT-Usage on SMEs’ Innovations in Western Province of Sri Lanka

Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) are major sources of employment and value creation, as it plays a key role in Sri Lankan livelihood. It is evident that the SME sector in Sri Lanka does not provide the expected results and this sector lacks innovation. Thus, it is important to identify opportunities to improve the SME’s innovative capacity and business performance. This study was designed to investigate the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on innovations of SMEs in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, and to identify the existing level of ICT usage among the SMEs in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. This study used a quantitative research method. The population of the study was SMEs with less than 500 employees in the Western Province. The sample frame was derived from the two main listings of organizations: the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Industries and Industrial Development Board. Accordingly, 350 respondents were selected by using the simple random sampling method. Data were analyzed using the SPSS statistical tool with descriptive and inferential statistics. This study identified four main types of innovations namely: product, process, market, and organizational, and found that there is a significant effect of ICT usage on SMEs innovations. Future research could be undertaken to examine the mediating effect of ICT-based innovations and ICT usage on business performance. Keywords: Entrepreneur, Innovation, Small and Medium size Enterprises, Information and Communication Technolog

Exploring the interplay between Buddhism and career development : a study of highly skilled women workers in Sri Lanka

This article adopts a socio cultural lens to examine the role of Buddhism in highly skilled women workers’ careers in Sri Lanka. While Buddhism enabled women’s career development by giving them strength to cope with difficult situations in work, it also seemed to restrict their agency and constrain their career advancement. Based on our findings, we argue that being perceived as a good Buddhist woman worked as a powerful form of career capital for the respondents in our sample, who used their faith to combat gender disadvantage in their work settings

Critical analysis of lecturer’s perception on integrating concepts of sustainability in university curricular

Purpose of the study: The growing emphasis on incorporating sustainability concepts in tertiary education has lead higher education institutions in developing countries to infuse sustainability content into their curricula.  The wider purpose of this study is to promote the integration of sustainability concepts within Sri Lankan Universities. The study uncovers and presents the perception of university academics on integrating sustainability in higher education. Methodology: An online-survey was carried out in the month of January, 2019 at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka across four faculties; engineering, architecture, information and technology and business. A descriptive analysis was employed to present the perceptions of the respondents according to different faculties. The obtained data were analyzed using Microsoft excel.  Main Findings: Results revealed, 46.93% have already integrated sustainability concepts while 59.18% are willing to integrate in the near future. 80% have perceived that university curriculum should improve, according to the country’s need while providing particular trainings. 60% felt that knowledge and skills in ICT should be developed and adequate human resources should be deployed prior to incorporate sustainability concepts. Applications of this study: This study is aimed to identify models for mainstreaming sustainability concepts across the tertiary education in Sri Lanka. Novelty/Originality of this study: analyzing the perception of university lecturers on incorporating sustainability concepts across the university curricular, has never conducted in a Sri Lankan university. This is manily conducted to identify the gaps pertaining on intergrating sustainability concepts across university curricular and to identify the barriers exciting for education for sustainable development in Sri Lankan context.