Browsing by Author "Fernando, C."

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The dialog and harmony in the context of religious plurality in Sri Lanka
(University of Kelaniya, 2009) Fernando, C.
Histopathological spectrum in acute and chronic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka
(Sri lanka Medical Association, 2015) Manamperi, N.H.; Fernando, C.; Pathirana, K.P.N.; Karunaweera, N.D.; Abeyewickreme, W.; de Silva, M.V.C.
INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Histological spectrum in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is wide and varied. The objective of this study is to describe the histological spectrum of acute and chronic CL. METHOD: Skin biopsies of 35 patients with smear positive for Leishmania amastigotes were processed routinely for histopathology, examined at a conference microscope and classified into 4 groups using modified Ridley criteria for Leishmaniasis as: I- parasitized macrophages with variable lymphocytes and plasma ceils; 1! - parasitized macrophages with lymphocytes, plasma cells and ill formed histiocytic granulomata; 111 - a mixture of macrophages (with or without parasites), lymphocytes, plasma cells and epithelioid granulomata; IV - epithelioid granulomatous response with a few lymphocytes and plasma cells but no amastigotes. Lesions were categorized as acute (< 6 months) or chronic (> 6 months). RESULTS: Study group composed of all males with a mean age of 32.6 years (range 22 - 47) and lesion duration of 5.6 months (range 1-24). Twenty nine (82.9%) were also positive by histopathology. Twenty two (62.9%) were acute and 13 (37.1%) chronic. Group I, II, Ml and IV patterns were seen in 14 (40%), 12 (34.3%), 5 (14.3%) and 4 (11.4%) respectively and 9 (40.9%), 9 (40.9%), 2 (9.1%) and 2 (9.1%) of acute lesions and 5 (38.5%), 3 (23.1%), 3 (23.1%) and 2 (15.4%) of chronic lesions respectively. CONCLUSION: Histology of CL shows marked inflammatory cell infiltrate with or without granuloma formation. Majority of patients presenting with either acute or chronic CL belong to histological groups I or II.
Histopathological spectrum in acute and chronic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka
(Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists, 2015) Manamperi, N.H.; de Silva, M.V.C.; Fernando, C.; Pathirana, K.P.N.; Abeyewickreme, W.; Karunaweera, N.D.
OBJECTIVES: To describe the histological spectrum of acute and chronic cutaneous leishmaniasis. METHOD: Patients from Sri Lanka army were recruited by active and passive case detection methods and punch biopsies were obtained. Skin biopsies of 35 patients with smear positive for Leishmania amastigotes were processed routinely for histopathology, examined at a conference microscope and classified into 4 groups using modified Ridley criteria for Leishmaniasis as: I - parasitized macrophages with variable lymphocytes and plasma cells; II - parasitized macrophages with lymphocytes, plasma cells and ill formed histiocytic granulomata; III -a mixture of macrophages (with or without parasites), lymphocytes, plasma cells and epithelioid granulomata; IV - epithelioid granulomatous response with a few lymphocytes and plasma cells but no amasigotes. Lesions were categorized as acute (<6 months) or chronic (> 6 months). RESULTS: Study group composed of males with a mean age of 32.6 years (range 22-47) and lesion duration of 5.6 months (range 1-24). Twenty nine (82.9%) were also positive by histopathology. Twenty two (62.9%) were acute and 13 (37.1%) chronic. Group I, II, III and IV patterns were seen in 14 (40%), 12 (34.3%), 5 (14.3%) and 4 (11.4%) respectively and 9 (40.9%), 9 (40.9%), 2 (9.1%) and 2 (9.1 %) of acute lesions and 5 (38.5%), 3 (23.1 %), 3 (23.1 %) and 2 (15.4%) of chronic lesions respectively. CONCLUSION: Histology of cutaneous leishmaniasis shows marked inflammatory cell infiltrate with or without granuloma formation. Majority of patients presenting with either acute or chronic cutaneous leishmaniasis belong to histological groups I or II. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Financial assistance from the University Grants Commission, Sri Lanka (UGC/VC/DRIC/PG/2013/KLN/ 03) and University of Kelaniya (RP/03/04/06/01/2014) are acknowledged. An abstract based on similar work was presented at the 128"1 Anniversary International Medical Congress of the Sri Lanka Medical Association, 5th to 8th July 2015.
Knowledge and lifestyle adaptations to COVID-19 among tea plantation owners in Balangoda, Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Dharmalingam, L.; Chandrasekera, C.; Pramodya, S.; Gamage, P.; Fernando, C.; Prathapan, S.
Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic is the current global health crisis with a socioeconomic impact around the world. Tea plantation owners need adequate knowledge of COVID-19 to prevent its spread in tea estates and sustain their economy during the pandemic. Objectives: The objective was to describe the knowledge and lifestyle adaptations to COVID-19 among tea plantation owners in Balangoda, Sri Lanka Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study, was conducted among 85 tea plantation owners of a Tea Estate Development Society in Sri Lanka. Simple random sampling technique was used. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire comprising of participant’s sociodemographic data, effect of COVID-19 on estate economy (during March to August 2020 compared to 2019), knowledge, lifestyle adaptations to COVID-19 and chronic diseases among the participants. Data was analysed using SPSS software. The significance level was set at 5%. Results: Most of the participants had poor knowledge and lifestyle adaptations to COVID- 19 (50.6%). No significant association was found between knowledge of CO VID-19 and sociodemographic data such as age (p=0.579), gender (p=0.263), education level (p=0.941) and monthly income (p=0.082). Majority (56.0%) had a positive effect on estate economy during March to August 2020 compared to 2019. No significant association was found between poor knowledge of COVID-19 and poor effect on estate economy due to COV ID- 19 (p= 0.365). Statistical significance was observed between the presence of diabetes and poor knowledge of COVID-19 (p=0.049). Conclusions: Majority of the tea plantation owners lack adequate knowledge and lifestyle adaptations to COVID-19. Thus, it is essential to improve the knowledge among them.
Project Orange Elephant: Promoting Sustainable Land use Practices to Alleviate Rural Poverty and Mitigate Human Elephant Conflicts
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Corea, R.; Fernando, C.; Weerasinghe, C.; Amarajeewa, A.
Human-elephant conflicts (HEC) is one of the biggest environmental issues in Sri Lanka. HEC causes extensive crop and property damages and deaths of elephants and people. From 2004 – 2014: 2,105 elephants and 691 people were killed due to HEC. Elephants are killed whenever they interfere with agriculture. The damages by elephants to crops are estimated to be ~US$10 million per annum. Due to ineffective landscape-level planning and land uses HEC continues to increase. HEC is almost entirely central to crop raiding. There are very few efforts to resolve the negative interaction of agriculture and elephants. To a certain extent the solutions to mitigate HEC have to be based on agriculture. The Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society (SLWCS) has for over 18 years been developing solutions to mitigate HEC through its internationally acclaimed Saving Elephants by Helping People (SEHP) program. The Project Orange Elephant (POE) was initiated in 2006. The aims of POE are to resolve HEC through sustainable land use practices that contribute to elephant conservation and poverty alleviation. Through field research and conducting feeding trials using captive elephants several crops were identified that could be compatible with elephants. For POE a variety of orange (Citrus sinensis) known as Bibile Sweet was found suitable to cultivate as a commercial crop and act as an elephant deterrent. POE is successful at building tolerance and getting farmer’s support for conservation of elephants. Other expected outcomes and benefits are:  Secure alternative incomes for farmers  Increased earnings and benefits from environmentally sustainable farming practices  Decrease dependency from mono-cultivations.  Tolerance for elephants  Educate farmers to adapt sustainable alternative livelihoods and land use practices The challenge is finding funds. Most funding organizations do not consider agriculture-based measures as scientific solutions to mitigate HEC though ironically, agriculture contributes tremendously to the decline of elephants and their habitats.
The Relevance of Kabir's Revealing Poetry of the Caste System to Modern Indian Society
(The SASA 10th Anniversary Conference 2016, Organized by South Asian Studies Association, TERI University New Delhi, 2016) Fernando, C.; Senevirathna, L.
Kabirclas. the greatest poet in theNirgunaBhakthi, of the rnedieval eraof Hind Literature showed strong protest against division of social strata based on the caste svstem in the Indian society.'l-he people belongirrg to lorv cast had been deprived of human rights and entirely depend on prcstigious social clan" Kabirdas criticizes disparities of the Indian society where orivileged social class errtertains social prestige despite alI human beings have been created by the same root of blood.The stLrdl'u,as primarily concerned with the analysis of the relevance of Kabir's poetry revealing caste sl,stent to present Indian society. A number of related classical Indian texts, magazines and other literar'), r-naterials were reviewed for critical analysis of his poems. The major findings slrgsest the significant contributory role of Kabir in revolutionizing the modern Indian thoLrght. The stLrclv also reveals the relevance of Kabir's sociologicaI ideologies, humanism and literary devices to contemporary Indian society.On the rvhole. it can be concluded that l(abir's sociological beliefs and philosophical thoughts have had drastic in"rpact on shaping modern Indiarr value systern towards a harmonies society free of caste discrimination.