Ousl Journal最新文献_第9页

An Empirical Study on Human Leptospirosis Cases in the Western Province of Sri Lanka 斯里兰卡西部省人类钩端螺旋体病病例的实证研究

Ousl Journal Pub Date : 2017-07-31 DOI: 10.4038/OUSLJ.V12I1.7354

S. R. Gnanapragasam

{"title":"An Empirical Study on Human Leptospirosis Cases in the Western Province of Sri Lanka","authors":"S. R. Gnanapragasam","doi":"10.4038/OUSLJ.V12I1.7354","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/OUSLJ.V12I1.7354","url":null,"abstract":"Leptospirosis is a zoonotic infectious disease in the world. It is growing as a major public health threat in Sri Lanka. The records in Sri Lanka show that, over 4000 cases were reported in the year 2016 in which nearly one fourth of total cases was reported only from the Western province. The objective of this study is to model leptospirosis cases in Western province of Sri Lanka using time series analysis. Since the purpose of forecasting is to plan the future activities, this study will support in term of planning the programmes of control for future. Appropriate tests were employed for the preliminary analysis to study the behavior of provinces-wise and district-wise distribution of leptospirosis cases in Sri Lanka. Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) models were developed using standard techniques. Diagnostic tests for tentatively fitted models were checked. In addition, for the purpose of selecting the best model, usual selection criteria were used. Finally, mean absolute percentage error was used to measure the accuracy of forecasting. The results show that, Western province (28.41%) is the mostly affected part of the island by human leptospirosis. Moreover, Gampaha (10.78%), Kalutara (9.59%) and Colombo (8.04%) districts in Western province are ranked among the first 5 districts of Sri Lanka based on average number of recorded cases. The accuracy of the fitted SARIMA(1, 0, 0)(0, 1, 1)12 model is over 85%. Therefore, it can be used to forecast future leptospirosis cases in the Western province. Based on the fitted model, the expected number of new cases in the Western province for the year 2017 is estimated to be 1168.","PeriodicalId":105560,"journal":{"name":"Ousl Journal","volume":"5 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133313020","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 3

Sexism in ESL textbooks in Sri Lanka: A case study of the G.C.E. O/L textbooks 斯里兰卡ESL教材中的性别歧视:以普通中等教育考试教材为例

Ousl Journal Pub Date : 2017-07-31 DOI: 10.4038/OUSLJ.V12I1.7373

L. Wijetunga

{"title":"Sexism in ESL textbooks in Sri Lanka: A case study of the G.C.E. O/L textbooks","authors":"L. Wijetunga","doi":"10.4038/OUSLJ.V12I1.7373","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/OUSLJ.V12I1.7373","url":null,"abstract":"As per the Sapir-Whorf theory, languages determine thought. Thus, whatever the atmosphere created by a language, be it first or second, determines the outlook of the learner towards the society. Textbooks are a key factor in exposing learners to a new language, especially in Sri Lanka, where the majority of the lesson time in English is allocated for studying the textbook. It then becomes imperative that the textbooks be analysed for their use of language as textbooks are often the only mode through which learners get to view the world associated with the English language. Textbooks prescribed by the Ministry of Education for grades 9, 10 and 11 were therefore analysed using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The purpose was to determine whether the textbooks were partial to one gender or sex and if so, understand in what way it was biased. It was identified that there are clear demarcations of sexism in the texts analysed, with the males being given a dominating, powerful and central role while females were relegated to a secondary supportive role. It was also identified that representation of female role models was inadequate and severely out of date. The findings have considerable implications in that the female students studying these texts would not only be unable to relate to the content, leading to poorer performance in studies but also in that the females would be embedded with the incorrect notion that the role of a woman is secondary. This trend could have a grave impact in terms of creating the next generation of Sri Lanka as the exposure provided to the learners does not expose them to a more gender-sensitive society.","PeriodicalId":105560,"journal":{"name":"Ousl Journal","volume":"66 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126691413","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

ICT and OER-Integrated Teaching and Learning: Supporting Social Change among Teachers in a Post-War Northern Sri Lanka ICT和oer一体化教学:支持战后斯里兰卡北部教师的社会变革

Ousl Journal Pub Date : 2017-07-31 DOI: 10.4038/OUSLJ.V12I1.7355

S. Kugamoorthy, M. Rajini

引用次数: 2

Exploring the Personal Philosophies of Volunteerism among Professors at a Malaysian Research University 探索马来西亚一所研究型大学教授的个人志愿服务哲学

Ousl Journal Pub Date : 2017-07-31 DOI: 10.4038/OUSLJ.V12I1.7351

Samuel Olutokunbo Adekalu, S. Krauss, S. Turiman, I. A. Ismail

{"title":"Exploring the Personal Philosophies of Volunteerism among Professors at a Malaysian Research University","authors":"Samuel Olutokunbo Adekalu, S. Krauss, S. Turiman, I. A. Ismail","doi":"10.4038/OUSLJ.V12I1.7351","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/OUSLJ.V12I1.7351","url":null,"abstract":"Many argue that the changing nature of research universities globally is making the academic profession demanding. Academics are expected to do more, produce more, and ‘justify their existence’ at their respective universities often in the form of outcomes-based performance measures that are historically foreign to the academic profession. At the same time, they may have to engage in volunteerism outside the academy. Despite much existing research on volunteerism within the context of higher education, a few studies have been conducted on volunteerism among senior academics in non-Western countries, in an attempt to understand how academics balance these pluralistic roles and responsibilities, and the personal philosophy behind their ongoing engagement in volunteerism. To address this gap, this study explored the personal volunteerism philosophies of university professors from a leading research university in Malaysia. Using a purposeful sampling approach, the authors conducted in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews with seven professors from different academic departments who have regular engagement in volunteering activities beyond their internal academic obligations. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. From the analysis, three factors were found to contribute to the formulation of the personal philosophies about volunteerism. These were: (a) individual orientation and exposure; (b) religious beliefs; and (c) work related identities. Volunteerism was found to foster recognition for academics in their related field of expertise. The study concludes with suggestions for enhancing the volunteerism experiences of academics and implications for future research.","PeriodicalId":105560,"journal":{"name":"Ousl Journal","volume":"23 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124487528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 4

A Study on PGDE Student-Teacher Efficacy Beliefs in the Sri Lankan Context 斯里兰卡情境下高中学生-教师效能感信念的研究

Ousl Journal Pub Date : 2017-07-31 DOI: 10.4038/OUSLJ.V12I1.7360

F. M. Nawastheen, W. Wanasinghe, P. Senaviratne

{"title":"A Study on PGDE Student-Teacher Efficacy Beliefs in the Sri Lankan Context","authors":"F. M. Nawastheen, W. Wanasinghe, P. Senaviratne","doi":"10.4038/OUSLJ.V12I1.7360","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/OUSLJ.V12I1.7360","url":null,"abstract":"The main purpose of this study was to determine the self-efficacy beliefs of the student-teachers in the context of Sri Lanka. The respondents consisted of 471 student-teachers from seven study centres of Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) Programme of the Open University of Sri Lanka. The study employed an adapted questionnaire based on the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale. Findings from the analysis showed that the self-efficacy of student-teachers in student engagement (M=7.07, SD=.94), instructional strategies (M=7.4, SD=.91) and classroom management (M=7.2, SD=1.0) remained high. Outcomes from the t-test did not indicate significant differences between the male (M=7.03, SD=.930; M=7.3, SD=.836; M=7.17, SD=1.03) and female (M=7.09, SD=.953; M=7.46, SD=.945; M=7.2, SD=.996) PGDE student teachers in terms of student engagement, instructional strategies and classroom management. Findings from the one-way ANOVA showed a significant difference in student engagement based on the experience of teachers (F=3.4; df=3.471; p=.018). No significant differences among other groups based on the medium of instruction and qualifications of the student-teachers were found. Approximately 78% of the student-teachers stated that they developed the knowledge and skills related to self-efficacy from the various subjects of the PGDE programme. The study suggests several strategies which need to be incorporated in the PGDE programme to enhance the self-efficacy of student-teachers in their teaching–learning process.","PeriodicalId":105560,"journal":{"name":"Ousl Journal","volume":"12 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115007960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 3

Life with Lost Voice: An Exploration of the Experiences of Patients with Total Laryngectomy 失声的生活:全喉切除术患者经验的探讨

Ousl Journal Pub Date : 2016-12-29 DOI: 10.4038/OUSLJ.V11I0.7344

S. Rathnayaka, W. K. N. Sajeewani, H. A. S. Piyawardhana, N. Nissanka, B. S. S. Silva

{"title":"Life with Lost Voice: An Exploration of the Experiences of Patients with Total Laryngectomy","authors":"S. Rathnayaka, W. K. N. Sajeewani, H. A. S. Piyawardhana, N. Nissanka, B. S. S. Silva","doi":"10.4038/OUSLJ.V11I0.7344","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/OUSLJ.V11I0.7344","url":null,"abstract":"Voice plays one of the most crucial roles in human communication. As total laryngectomy is the surgical removal of larynx and surrounding structures it causes to lose the voice. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of patients with Laryngectomy among the members of Laryngectomies’ Association of National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL). Purposefully selected 15 patients with laryngectomy were recruited using purposive sampling method for this qualitative phenomenological study. Data was collected during a one month period by using semi structured interviews. Data was analyzed by the thematic analysis method. The study findings revealed that the patients with laryngectomy faced major changes in their lifestyle due to altered airway such as loss of voice, body image concerns, and challenges with eating and communicating. The findings further provided evidences related to the support of the family, friends and health care professionals which was critical for successful transition during the stressful adjusting period. Therefore, exploring experiences of patients with laryngectomy will help to provide better care for them and lead to enhance their quality of life.","PeriodicalId":105560,"journal":{"name":"Ousl Journal","volume":"53 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128038957","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 1

Two-Dimensional Free Space Mesh Generation for Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Simulation using Finite Difference Method 基于有限差分法的云地闪电模拟二维自由空间网格生成

Ousl Journal Pub Date : 2016-12-29 DOI: 10.4038/OUSLJ.V11I0.7340

N. Kajaluxshy, S. Thirukumaran

{"title":"Two-Dimensional Free Space Mesh Generation for Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Simulation using Finite Difference Method","authors":"N. Kajaluxshy, S. Thirukumaran","doi":"10.4038/OUSLJ.V11I0.7340","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/OUSLJ.V11I0.7340","url":null,"abstract":"The natural lightning environment is a consequence of the interaction of the lightning flash with the aircraft’s body. The aircraft can, therefore, be a part of the natural lightning discharge process. Hence, the aircraft becomes exposed by direct effects to the aircraft’s body and induced electromagnetic fields to the avionics held within the aircraft due to high power and short time transient. In order to study the expected electric currents and voltages produced over the surface of the aircraft, good knowledge of the waveforms, rates of rise of currents and the voltages produced by direct lightning strikes are required. The flash of the Cloud-to-Ground lightning is represented as a wave equation which carries the parameters of current and potential of the flash. The objective is to identify the potential flow and electric field distribution along the aircraft conductor represented in the finite difference mesh under the thundercloud of 50MV in 1000m height from the ground. A two-dimensional mesh is generated in free-space using finite difference method for the simulation and the lightning wave is presumed to be traversed in free-space where no gravitational and electromagnetic fields exist and all the boundary conditions are applied. The simulation results are comparatively significant and very useful for studying lightning impact on the aerial vehicles struck by the cloud-to-ground lightning.","PeriodicalId":105560,"journal":{"name":"Ousl Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133415046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Effect of Simulated Temperature and Water Stress on Growth, Physiological and Yield Parameters of Tomato [ Lycopersicon esculentum var: Thilina, ] Grown with Mulch 模拟温度和水分胁迫对覆盖番茄生长、生理和产量参数的影响

Ousl Journal Pub Date : 2016-12-29 DOI: 10.4038/OUSLJ.V11I0.7342

P.T.N. Dishani, C. Silva

{"title":"Effect of Simulated Temperature and Water Stress on Growth, Physiological and Yield Parameters of Tomato [ Lycopersicon esculentum var: Thilina, ] Grown with Mulch","authors":"P.T.N. Dishani, C. Silva","doi":"10.4038/OUSLJ.V11I0.7342","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/OUSLJ.V11I0.7342","url":null,"abstract":"Understanding the effect of temperature stress on growth and yield of crops, and also identifying suitable management options to sustain the productivity under different changes in the natural environment are of timely importance. The main aim of this research is to compare the growth, yield and quality parameters of Tomato (solanum lycopersicum) variety Thilina grown with mulch when subjected to temperature and water stress if there is global warming. The plants were grown in pots under temperature-controlled poly tunnels. Main plot included two different irrigation applications (no water stress by irrigation to field capacity moisture level and, water stress by irrigating only up to the 50% of the available water capacity). Coir dust and saw dust were used as mulch and sub plots contained 3 different temperature regimes (34°C maximum temperature poly tunnel/32°C maximum temperature polytunnel/Open space-ambient temperature). The treatments were set up in a completely randomized design with 3 replicates. To make sure of the temperature replication, the trials were repeated 3 times. According to the results, there is significant effect of mulch on growth parameters of Tomato plants exposed to water and temperature stresses. Individual water stress showed a highly significant effect on growth, and yield parameters of Tomato. High yield reduction was shown in the high temperature (34°C) and water stressed plants. Mulching of saw dust and coir dust improved the yield even at 34°C temperature treatment. Therefore, Tomato variety Thilina would not be a successful crop in open field condition due to temperature and water stress if there is global warming, but mulching will help to improve the situation.","PeriodicalId":105560,"journal":{"name":"Ousl Journal","volume":"12 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123718381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 3

Educational Environment for Undergraduate Medicine and Nursing Programme at Eastern University, Sri Lanka; Students’ Perceptions 斯里兰卡东部大学本科医学和护理课程的教育环境学生的看法

Ousl Journal Pub Date : 2016-12-29 DOI: 10.4038/OUSLJ.V11I0.7341

P. Youhasan, T. Sathaananthan

{"title":"Educational Environment for Undergraduate Medicine and Nursing Programme at Eastern University, Sri Lanka; Students’ Perceptions","authors":"P. Youhasan, T. Sathaananthan","doi":"10.4038/OUSLJ.V11I0.7341","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/OUSLJ.V11I0.7341","url":null,"abstract":"Educational environment directly influences the learning process and allows the students to pay more attention on learning. This study was aimed to assess the students' perceptions on the educational environment at Faculty of Health-Care Sciences, Eastern University, Sri Lanka (FHCS, EUSL). This survey was performed on academic year 2014/2015 with the use of Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire. 156 (114 Medical & 42 Nursing) students participated. The scores of perception statements were converted into continuous variables and summarized as means. T-test was used to compare students’ perception between programme of study. The results revealed that as per the DREEM analysis, the learning was perceived more positive (27/48), the teaching was moving in the right direction (24/44) and the academic self-perceptions was felt more on the positive side (19/32). However, there were many issues in atmosphere (24/48) and the social self-perception was also not too bad (16/28). The overall DREEM mean score was 111 out of 200, which indicates that there was a more positive educational environment than negative in FHCS, EUSL. Furthermore, students identified problems with regard to the supportive system when they got stressed and relax learning atmosphere during lecture & tutorial. Hence, the faculty needs to identify strategies to improve weaker areas which were identified in the study. Subsequent studies should be conducted in future to assess the results of the corrective strategies and further exploration.","PeriodicalId":105560,"journal":{"name":"Ousl Journal","volume":"125 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131662297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 6

Role of Silicon on Enhancing Disease Resistance in Tropical Fruits and Vegetables: A Review 硅在增强热带水果和蔬菜抗病性中的作用

Ousl Journal Pub Date : 2016-12-29 DOI: 10.4038/OUSLJ.V11I0.7347

Darshani Weerahewa, K. Somapala

{"title":"Role of Silicon on Enhancing Disease Resistance in Tropical Fruits and Vegetables: A Review","authors":"Darshani Weerahewa, K. Somapala","doi":"10.4038/OUSLJ.V11I0.7347","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/OUSLJ.V11I0.7347","url":null,"abstract":"Silicon (Si) has proven to enhance disease resistance in a wide range of tropical fruits and vegetables. It has been used in controlling various diseases: mildews, rots, moulds, wilt, blight, anthracnose and leaf spots. However, the highest number of records was available on reducing diseases of powdery mildews on fruits and vegetables belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae. Silicon-mediated defense responses in plant pathosystems are mainly attributed to the physical resistance, which involves reduced penetrability and/or increased hardness and abrasiveness of plant tissues because of silica deposition. The main mechanism is the chemical resistance, which involves chemical defenses to pathogen attack through the enhanced production of defensive enzymes and the production of antifungal compounds such as phenolic metabolism products, phytoalexins and pathogenesis related proteins. Silicon has been applied as soluble silicates to the substrate or to soilless media at pre-harvest level on reducing disease susceptibility. Post-harvest dips of fresh produce in silicate solutions and use of Si combined with a biocontrol agent are other aspects of silicon application in controlling diseases in fruits and vegetables.","PeriodicalId":105560,"journal":{"name":"Ousl Journal","volume":"53 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124776398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 7