Browsing by Author "Ranasinghe, S."
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Item Analysis of suitability of Information Technology governance model for Sri Lankan universities(University of Kelaniya, 2011) Lankasena, N.; Karunarathna, D.; Ranasinghe, S.This paper on “Information Technology Governance in Universities” is based on a literature review conducted to study and analyze the relevance and suitability of IT governance theories, concepts and frameworks in the context of Sri Lankan universities. IT is now widely used for various purposes in higher educational institutions, ranging from executive decision making systems to student information management. There has been a trend in the last few years to funnel more and more funds on ICT infrastructures. Funding for IT and its developments in both human resources and ICT infrastructure is hypothesized to create an environment for effective and efficient functioning of universities. However, there are no published results on investigations done to determine any correlation between such investments and its impact on performance improvement, especially in Sri Lankan University context. Good IT governance can make its greatest contribution to proper implementation of strategic planning in university education. Most of the IT governance frameworks have been developed for the private sector. There are various debates among researchers and practitioners and it is recognized that the frameworks developed for the private sector do not meet the requirements of universities. Sector differences of organizations (i.e. universities) have largely been ignored in the concepts and theories of IT governance. One of the main reasons why the IT governance systems are being implemented and maturing at a slower rate in universities may be the lack of own frameworks in the university environment. Researchers and practitioners have conducted various studies to define IT governance, measure performance of IT governance and its investments, derive mechanisms to implement IT governance and its alignment with organizational governance and strategies. This paper discusses specific factors identified as relevant to universities in the subject domain of IT governance. It also analyses previous studies on IT governance and its relevance to universities. Research gap relevant to universities and IT governance was identified and discussed with the aim of creating an effective Information Technology governance for universities.Item Association between road accidents and low-grade hepatic encephalopathy among Sri Lankan drivers with cirrhosis: a prospective case control study(Biomed Central, 2016) Subasinghe, S.K.C.E.; Nandimuni, Y.; Ranasinghe, S.; Niriella, M.A.; Miththinda, J.K.N.D.; Dassanayake, A.S.; de Silva, A.P.; de Silva, H.J.BACKGROUND: Low-grade hepatic encephalopathy (LGHE) comprises minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) and grade 1 hepatic encephalopathy. LGHE has no or minimal recognizable symptoms but has mild cognitive and psychomotor deficits. Studies in Western countries have demonstrated increased road accidents (RA) among patients with MHE. Our objective was to investigate the association between Sri Lankan LGHE phenotype and RA. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A prospective, case–control study was conducted in the University Medical Unit, North Colombo Teaching Hospital, Ragama Sri Lanka. Patients with cirrhosis of any aetiology, without OHE, who had been driving during previous 1 month were included. A similar number of age matched, healthy control drivers were also enrolled. Both groups were subjected to five pencil-paper based psychometric tests used to detect LGHE in cirrhotics. Self-reported RA during the previous 1 month were recorded: categorized as ‘major’ when resulted in hospitalization of the involved, ‘minor’ when there were injuries, but not serious enough for hospitalization of the involved and ‘other’ when limited to damages to vehicle or environment without injuries. RESULTS: Among 55 drivers with cirrhosis and LGHE [males, median age 53 years (range 30–60)], 7 (12.7 %) reported RA compared to 6 (10.9 %) among 55 controls [males; median age 51 years (range 30–60)]. There were no ‘major’ accidents in either group. 2/55 (3.6 %) cases and 2/55 (3.6 %) controls reported ‘minor’ accidents. CONCLUSION: There was no increased frequency of RA among Sri Lankan drivers with LGHE compared to healthy controls. This is with the limitation of the study based only on self reported RA.Item Association between road accidents and minimal hepatic encephalopathy in a cohort of Sri Lankan cirrhotic drivers(Wiley Blackwell Scientific Publications, 2014) Subasinghe, S.K.C.E.; Nandamuni, Y.; Ranasinghe, S.; Kodisinghe, K.; Niriella, M.A.; de Silva, A.P.; de Silva, H.J.OBJECTIVE: Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) has no recognizable clinical symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) but has mild cognitive and psychomotor deficits which can interfere with executive decision making and psychomotor speed. It affects driving ability and previous studies in Western countries have demonstrated an association between MHE and increased road accidents. Our objective was to investigate this association in a cohort of Sri Lankan cirrhotic drivers. METHODS: A prospective, case controlled study ongoing study has been conducted in the Gastroenterology Clinic, University Medical Unit, North Colombo Teaching Hospital, Ragama, from August 2013. Patients with cirrhosis of any aetiology, without overt HE, who had been driving any vehicle during the past one month were subjected to 5 standard pencil-paper based psychometric tests used to detect MHE. Road accidents were recorded for both cirrhotic drivers with MHE and controls. Accidents were categorized as major when they resulted in hospitalization of the involved person/s, and minor when there were no serious injuries. RESULTS: Among 55 cirrhotic drivers with MHE [males, median age 53 years (range 30-60)], 7 (12.7%) reported any type of accident compared to 6 (10.9%) among 55 controls [males; median age 51 years (range 30-60)]. 2/55 (3.6%) cases and 2/55 (3.6%) controls reported minor accidents. There were no major accidents in either group. CONCLUSION: Preliminary results of this ongoing study do not indicate an increased frequency of road accidents in a cohort of Sri Lankan cirrhotic drivers with MHEItem Building fast tracking stars: towards a HR strategy for value creation and business competitiveness(University of Kelaniya, 2006) Ranasinghe, S.Item Comparison of Words and Expressions used in a Victorian Novel and a Fantasy Novel(Department of English, Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Ranasinghe, S.Many words and expressions used either in Victorian novels or fantasy novels increase the vivacity of the story adding colour to the credibility of the plot. The use of such a variety of words and expressions such as the palpable softness in Victorian speech or the slight abruptness in contemporary speech and their uniqueness to each era were discussed. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J K Rowling were chosen for this study. The differences in the words and expressions used in Victorian and contemporary speech were discussed. The chosen research methods are textual and content analysis. Words and expressions felt to be unique to each era were collected as data and were analyzed as a comparison between Victorian novels and Fantasy novels. It was found that in the Victorian novels, there was mildness, propriety and respect in speech and was easy to understand. In contemporary fantasy novels there is rudeness, abruptness and uncontrolled anger. In conclusion, Victorian novels have been written with mildness and more self-control, while contemporary fantasy novels are rather rude, abrupt, clichéd and more colloquial. It is observed that the English language has evolved to a great extent in the space of two centuries.Item Cross-sectional study to assess risk factorsfor leishmaniasis in an endemic region in Sri Lanka(American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 2013) Ranasinghe, S.; Wickremasinghe, R*.; Munasinghe, A.; Hulangamuwa, S.; Sivanantharajah, S.; Seneviratne, K.; Bandara, S.; Athauda, I.; Navaratne, C.; Silva, O.; Wackwella, H.; Matlashewski, G.; Wickremasinghe, R.Sri Lanka reports significantly more cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) cases than visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cases, both of which are caused by Leishmania donovani MON-37. A cross-sectional study conducted in an area with a high prevalence of CL prevalent included 954 participants of an estimated population of 61,674 to estimate the number of CL cases, ascertain whether there is a pool of asymptomatic VL cases, and identify risk factors for transmission. A total of 31 cases of CL were identified, of whom 21 were previously diagnosed and 10 were new cases. Using rK39 rapid diagnostic test to detect antibodies against Leishmania spp., we found that only one person was seropositive but did not have clinical symptoms of CL or VL, which indicated low transmission of VL in this area. χ(2) test, independent sample t-test, and multivariate analysis of socio demographic and spatial distribution of environmental risk factors showed that living near paddy fields is associated with increased risk for transmission of CL (P ≤ 0.01).Item Diagnosing Cutaneous leishmaniasis using Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization: the Sri Lankan Perspective(Taylor & Francis, 2019) Kaluarachchi, T.D.J.; Weerasekera, M. M.; McBain, A. J.; Ranasinghe, S.; Wickremasinghe, R.; Yasawardene, S.; Jayanetti, N.; Wickremasinghe, R.Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania donovani MON-37 is becoming a major public health problem in Sri Lanka, with 100 new cases per month being reported in endemic regions. Diagnosis of CL is challenging for several reasons. Due to relative specificity and rapidity we propose Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization as a diagnostic tool for CL. The objective was to evaluate the potential of Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization as a diagnostic method for Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka. Literature on current laboratory tests used to diagnose Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka and globally was reviewed. Sri Lankan data were reviewed systematically following the PRISMA guidelines. A narrative of the results is presented. There is currently no gold standard diagnostic method for Cutaneous leishmaniasis. Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization has been previously applied to detect dermal pathologies including those involving infectious agents, and its use to detect the Leishmania parasite in human cutaneous lesions reported in small number of studies, generally with limited numbers of subjects. Advantages of FISH has been specificity, cost and ease-of-use compared to the alternatives. Based on the available literature and our current work, FISH has potential for diagnosing CL and should now be evaluated in larger cohorts in endemic regions. FISH for CL diagnosis could find application in countries such as Sri Lanka, where laboratory facilities may be limited in rural areas where the disease burden is highest.Item Diagnosing human cutaneous leishmaniasis using fluorescence in situ hybridization(Taylor & Francis Publishing, 2021) Kaluarachchi, T.J.; Wickremasinghe, R.; Weerasekera, M.; Yasawardene, S.; McBain, A.J.; Yapa, B.; de Silva, H.; Menike, C.; Jayathilake, S.; Munasinghe, A.; Wickremasinghe, R.; Ranasinghe, S.ABSTRACT: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is endemic in Sri Lanka. Giemsa-stained slit-skin-smears (SSS-Giemsa) and histology are routinely used in diagnosis with a sensitivity of 40-70%. PCR currently has limited accessibility. Therefore, we assessed the sensitivity and specificity of a previously described fluorescence in situ hybridization assay, on skin smears and biopsy samples to overcome the limitations encountered with routine diagnostic methods.Samples from a total of 123 suspected CL patients were collected and subjected to SSS-Giemsa, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on slit skin smears (SSS-FISH), formalin-fixed-paraffin-embedded-tissues stained with Hematoxylin & Eosin staining (FFPE-H&E) and FISH on formalin-fixed-paraffin-embedded-tissues (FFPE-FISH). Negative controls of 61 patient samples were collected from a CL non-endemic area and subjected to the same procedures. The gold standard PCR was used as a comparator. For FISH, two previously described cyanine 3 tagged Leihsmania genus-specific probes were used.Compared to PCR, SSS-Giemsa, SSS-FISH, FFPE-H&E, and FFPE-FISH had sensitivities of 76.5%, 79.1%, 50.4% and 80.9%, respectively. Routine diagnostic tests (SSS-Giemsa and FFPE-H&E) had a specificity of 100%. SSS-FISH and FFPE-FISH had specificities of 96.7% and 93.4%, respectively. FFPE-FISH had a statistically significant higher diagnostic performance than FFPE-H&E (p < 0.001). The relative performance of SSS-Giemsa, SSS-FISH and FFPE-FISH was similar (p > 0.05 for all comparisons).We conclude that FFPE-FISH is a more accurate diagnostic tool than FFPE-H&E. SSS-FISH did not have an additional advantage over SSS-Giemsa in diagnosis. However, SSS-FISH could be recommended as a minimally invasive method in studies assessing wound healing where immunological probes are used. KEYWORDS: Cutaneous leishmaniasis; Sri Lanka; fluorescence in situ hybridization.Item Distinct microbiome profiles and biofilms in Leishmania donovani-driven cutaneous leishmaniasis wounds(Nature Publishing Group, 2021) Kaluarachchi, T.D.J.; Campbell, P.M.; Wickremasinghe, R.; Ranasinghe, S.; Wickremasinghe, R.; Yasawardene, S.; de Silva, H.; Menike, C.; Jayarathne, M.C.K.; Jayathilake, S.; Dilhari, A.; McBain, A.J .; Weerasekera, M.M.The endemic strain of Leishmania donovani in Sri Lanka causes cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) rather than more common visceral form. We have visualized biofilms and profiled the microbiome of lesions and unaffected skin in thirty-nine CL patients. Twenty-four lesions (61.5%) were biofilm-positive according to fluorescence in situ hybridization. Biopsies of biofilm-positive lesions were dominated by Pseudomonas, class Bacilli and Enterobacteriaceae and distinguished by significantly lower community evenness. Higher relative abundance of a class Bacilli OTU was detected in wound swabs versus contralateral skin. Wound swabs and biopsies had significantly distinct microbiome profiles and lower diversity compared to unaffected skin. Greater abundances of potentially pathogenic organisms were observed in wet ulcers, lesions with high parasite loads and large wounds. In summary, more than half of L. donovani associated CL wounds harboured biofilms and the wounds exhibited a distinct, less diverse, microbiome than unaffected skin.Item Efficacy of a new rapid diagnostic test kit to diagnose Sri Lankan cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania donovani(Public Library of Science, 2017) de Silva, G.; Somaratne, V.; Senaratne, S.; Vipuladasa, M.; Wickremasinghe, R.; Wickremasinghe, R.; Ranasinghe, S.BACKGROUND: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Sri Lanka is caused by Leishmania donovani. This study assessed the diagnostic value of a new rapid diagnostic immunochromatographic strip (CL-Detect™ IC-RDT), that captures the peroxidoxin antigen of Leishmania amastigotes. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We sampled 74 clinically suspected CL lesions, of which 59 (79.7%) were positive by PCR, 43 (58.1%) by Giemsa stained slit skin smear (SSS) and 21 (28.4%) by the new IC-RDT. All samples which were positive either by SSS or IC-RDT or both were positive by PCR. The sensitivities of the IC-RDT and SSS compared to PCR were 36% and 73%, respectively. Fifteen patients from this endemic region were negative by all three tests. Twenty two clinically non-CL skin lesions from a CL non-endemic region were also negative by all three methods. Specificity and PPV of both IC-RDT and SSS compared to PCR were 100%; the NPVs of IC-RDT and SSS were 37% and 58%, respectively. The median parasite grading of the 59 PCR positive samples was 2+ (1-10 parasites/100 HPFs) and IC-RDT positive lesions was 3+ (1-10 parasites /10HPFs). The duration of the lesion was not associated with IC-RDT positivity. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The median parasite grade of Sri Lankan CL lesions is low. The low sensitivities of SSS and CL Detect™ IC-RDT may be due to low parasite counts or low expression of peroxidoxin antigen in amastigotes of the Sri Lankan L. donovani strain. Our results indicate that negative SSS has to be combined with PCR for confirmation of CL in Sri Lanka. The current commercially available IC-RDT is not suitable to diagnose CL in Sri Lanka; an IC-RDT with improved sensitivity to detect L. donovani would be a valuable addition in the diagnostic tool kit for Sri Lanka.Item Evaluation of rapid extraction and isothermal amplification techniques for the detection of Leishmania donovani DNA from skin lesions of suspected cases at the point of need in Sri Lanka(BioMed Central, 2018) Gunaratna, G.; Manamperi, A.; Bohiken-Fascher, S.; Wickremasinghe, R.; Gunawardena, K.; Yapa, B.; Pathiana, N.; Pathirana, H.; de Silva, N.; Sooriyaarachchi, M.; Deerasinghe, T.; Mondal, D.; Ranasinghe, S.; Abd EI Wahed, A.BACKGROUND: Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by vector-borne protozoans. In Sri Lanka, the cutaneous form of the disease is predominant, which is usually diagnosed using Giemsa-stained slit skin smear examination and by histology. However, the sensitivity of slit skin smears and histology are reportedly low. Moreover, facilities for the highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are available only in a few highly-equipped parasitology laboratories. Therefore, there is a need for low cost, sensitive and specific screening tests for diagnosis of leishmaniasis at the point of need. RESULTS: In this study, a mobile suitcase laboratory applying novel extraction (SpeedXtract) and isothermal amplification and detection (recombinase polymerase amplification assay, RPA) methods were evaluated for the diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka. First, the developed assay was applied to three different sample types (punch biopsy, slit skin smears and fine needle aspirates) at a local hospital. The results showed that the 2 mm punch biopsy sample produced the best exponential amplification curve and early fluorescence signal in the RPA assay. Secondly, punch biopsies were collected from 150 suspected cutaneous leishmaniasis cases and screened with SpeedXtract/RPA, RNAlater/PCR and ATL buffer/PCR, in addition to Giemsa-stained slit skin smears. Fifty-seven samples were negative in all detection methods. In total 93 samples were positive with assay sensitivities of 65.5% (SpeedXtract/RPA), 63.4% (RNAlater/PCR) and 92.4% (ATL buffer/PCR). The Giemsa-stained slit skin smear delivered the worst clinical sensitivity (32.2%). CONCLUSIONS: The SpeedXtract/RPA method under field conditions took 35 min, while almost 8 h were needed to finalize the extraction and detection by PCR in the laboratory. The SpeedXtract/RPA method produced similar sensitivity to samples preserved in RNAlater and subjected to PCR amplification, but both were less sensitive than ATL-preserved samples subjected to PCR amplification. There is a need for a standardization of sample collection and nucleic acid extraction methods.Item Female Leadership as Revealed by Historical Sources (Content Analysis from Historical and Archaeological Perspectives)(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Ranasinghe, S.For sake of safety, stability and integrity of the prevalent administration machinery the peace, their sacrificial commitment and the mediation of the Women factor played a very vital role. The stability and strength the power of intervention and commitment of the community of Women was a deciding factor for the safety and smooth running of the public administration machinery of ancient Sri Lanka. The Women and the ruler were not only the idealist forerunners in the dynamics of the field of politics of the social fabric of Sri Lanka, but also they were the carrier elements of the human culture. The women leadership which has not come up for an open serious discussion in the historical society has topped up to be an open topic of discussion. Intervention of the Women in the fields of politics does not come within the purview of the attitudes of the Women. The Women community established soon after the arrival of Arahath Mahinda Thero in Sri Lanka which spread all over Sri Lanka. Furthermore, the manner in which relationship were built between the Women and the ruler, the impact the Women made on the polity, the service ruler, rendered for the ruler, and what were the kind of benefits the ruler yielded from that support, the intervention the Women made on the ancient days polity, their role and the response that society offered towards that intervention of the Women all these are expected be studied critically in this paper. In the way so as to how the various and multiple recorded media very regarding the integration of the material and spiritual concepts, in the same way their historical roots also are found deposited in multiple fields. In the same way, this research is recorded as a comparative study of archaeological facts and pre-colonial system of records, all integrated and merged. Intervening of the Women into the political field became a powerful backing for the authority and power of the ruler going up immensely. It has tended to act directly and indirectly as well, both to freeze the pattern of the rule to a routine and tradition. In the same way, it was an effective force in feeding the rulers with a code of ethics and one that opened the ways and means of avoiding attacks and challenges to them shooting up from the open society. The cooperation extended by the rulers for the good of the Women community to the political institution and political leadership become a powerful force in shaping the leadership and the institution. But it also turned out to be a violent and sentimental force that disturbed the ancient political institution. Thus, the Women become the dynamic symbol of the force of the state balancing its historical political route. Also it has shown that those are dynamics and changing elements and also gifted them to the modern political fabric.Item A historical overview on flora with reference to the Mahāvamsa(University of Kelaniya, 2013) Ranasinghe, S.The intention of this paper is to identify and categorize the utilization, endemism and distribution of flora mentioned in the Mahāvamsa. The paper is based on the first part of the Mahāvamsa which represents the history of the Anuradhapura kingdom of Sri Lanka, till the end of King Mahāsēna‟s reign. When categorizing the flora in the Mahāvamsa as utilization, physical features and territory, there are nine major sectors to consider; grain, palm, flowers, bushes, creepers, herbals, aquatic, and sacred. Flora mentioned in the leading chapters in Mahāvamsa have an Indian origin. A vast number of edible plants and palms were also emphasized in Mahāvamsa. And also it is clearly mentioned in Mahāvamsa, in comparison to the other regions, the Malwathu Oya region had a lush cover of flora than others due to its fertility. Most of the flora mentioned in the Mahāvamsa were connected to Buddhism in many different ways. Some gardens consisting of a good amount of flora was also mentioned in Mahāvamsa. As part one of the Mahāvamsa is mostly based on the Anuradhapura period, it was difficult to formulate an idea about flora in other regions of Sri Lanka. However, there were more than 54 types of flora including non-endemic types of flora in the Mahāvamsa.Item Migrating of Library Automation from Alice for Windows to KOHA: Experiences from the Library of University of Sri Jayewardenepura.(Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Konpola, K.W.A.M.; Angammana, A.M.S.; Hettiarachchi, N.; Wijayasundara, N.D.; Ranasinghe, S.Library ofUniversity of Sri Jayewardenepura used the “Alice for Windows”, a commercial library management software to automate its library resource collections and management activities of the library. During nearly ten year time it was able to process 90% of the library materials. However it was very difficult to fully implement the process due to issues like (1) lack of web interface, (2) inability to work in local languages like Sinhala, (3) high cost of as annual maintenance fee and (4) non availability of local maintenance team. In this circumstance, the library decided to shift to Open Source software named as KOHA. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the challenging experiences obtained from migrating from Alice for Windows to KOHA- an Integrated Library Management System mostly used in the library automation activities. The great challenge in the process was the exporting of bibliographic records from Alice to KOHA because there was no compatibility between the two. The migration process involved three steps and used the tools such as MARC editor, MARC21 Format and language converter tool and it was able to convert all the data within two month time without any losses of data. With some training and follow up workshops for the staff and familiarizing sessions for users, it was able to successfully implement the Circulation module, Serial module, Online Public Access catalogue and report module in September 2014. Users are able to search the OPAC using Sinhala keywords, can renew their borrowing period, and make reservations from anywhere using the Internet.Item Reading Habits of Medical Undergraduates in an Academic Library(Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya,Sri Lanka., 2017) Angammana, A.M.S.; Ranasinghe, S.University libraries as academic libraries play a major role in creating academic excellence as well as producing all round personalities. Though university libraries pay special attention in providing subject textbooks to its users, the collection should consists of other categories of resources too. In order to fulfill the needs of the users, librarians need to identify the users reading patterns and behavior. The present study aimed at investigating the use of library books by medical undergraduates. As specific objectives it was intended to find out whether medical students read extra books and whether pattern of reading differ according to study year. Methodology involved is a case study. The population was all undergraduates enrolled in the faculty of medical sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura from freshmen to final inthe year 2016. Total population was 1201 and total population was considered as the sample. Quantitative data was collected using the book loan statistics of circulation module of Library management system “KOHA” during the year 2016. Daily statistics of books checked out during January 2016 to December 2016 were analyzed. Subjects were coded using Dewey Decimal classification system.According to demographic data, sample consisted of 21% of males and 79% of females. Number of students who have borrowed books during the year were 610, that is 51% of the sample. Among them 12% were first years while 20%, 26%, 21%, 21% were second, third, fourth and final years respectively. 98% of the first year students have borrowed only textbooks. But this amount has decreased to 76% among final years. Percentages of textbooks borrowed by second, third and fourth years were 92%, 80%, 86% respectively. When considering other categories 17% of final years have borrowed fictions (English, Sinhala and translations) while only 1% of first years have borrowed fictions. This number varied through the study year as 7%, 18%, 10% in second, third and fourth years respectively. Findings revealed that majority of medical students read only textbooks and usage varies among the year of study. The lowest usage was observed from first year students, while third year students had the highest usage. Again in final year there is a decrease in usage. They tend to read other categories of books from third year onwards and most famous category was fictions. Also they have borrowed IT related and General knowledge books.Since this study shows a medium usage of library books, measures should be taken to increase the utilization of books especially by first years and final years. Also authorities should pay attention in fulfilling extra reading needs of medical undergraduates when developing the collection in order to assure effective library usage.Item Ruwanweli Mahaseya: The Greatest Representation of King Elara, King Duttagamini’s War(Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Ranasinghe, S.Ruwanwelimahaseya is known as the best creation in the history of Sri Lankan pagoda construction. This, which is venerated with a lot of piety, was also called Swarnamali Mahachethiya, Hemamali, Swarnamali, Ruwanmali, Rathnamali, Rathnawaluka, Suwannamali, Hemawaluka, Rathanawaluka and Rathanamali. This pagoda, unlike the first biggest pagoda Thuparama, Mirisawetiya, Abayagiriya, and Jethawanaramaya, was not reconstructed. It is 120 cubits in height. This pagoda which contains Lord Buddha's paribogika (relics of objects used by Buddha), uddesika (remembrance relics), and sharirika (body relics), is venerated by Buddhists with a lot of respect. When reviewing the discourses related to Ruwanweliseya, we can see how it deals with diverse religious and cultural aspects. This pagoda which was constructed in the 2nd century, silently exhibits the skills and spirituality of the ancient Sri Lankan craftsmen. The main intention of this research is to analyze the nature of this great king's social service as depicted by this pagoda. Also the researcher attempts to analyze if this is a mere artistic creation or an epitome of the ancient artists' spirituality. The scholars attempt to emphasize that the respect people have towards the incomparable emperor Duttagamini is one reason why this pagoda is outstanding among the others. One who looks at this creation from a perspective based on power and authority may consider this as an outcome of a mere political and religious mission. Scholars reveal various interpretations about the construction of Ruwanweliseya. However, they have not taken the time, space, and structure of the pagoda into consideration. The information gathered by the field researchers who conducted research about Rywanweliseya will be analyzed in the study. Also literary and archeological sources would be comparatively analyzed. Thus, the main target is to conduct a historical and archeological study on the impact of this pagoda on people's spiritual and moral reformation. The information gathered by the field researchers who conducted research about Rywanweliseya will be analyzed in the study. Also literary and archeological sources would be comparatively analyzed. Thus, the main target is to conduct a historical and archeological study on the impact of this pagoda on people's spiritual and moral reformation.Item Use of University Library Web as a Marketing Tool in Sri Lanka(Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Ranasinghe, S.; Konpola, K.W.A.M.Marketing is not a new concept for libraries. The concept of marketing has been transferred from business world to service or to non for profit organizations since 1970s. Presently almost all libraries apply the concept of marketing for number of reasons. Common strategies in practice are advertising through various media and public relations. With the development and adoption of technologies, most libraries all over the world are exploiting the web as a tool for marketing. The study aimed at finding out whether the university libraries in Sri Lanka embraced with ICT in implementing marketing strategies through internet/web and present state of use of web sites as a marketing tool. Present study involved a survey based on evaluation of web sites of university libraries in Sri Lanka. Web sites of Universities under University Grants Commission were the population (15) and the whole population was selected as the sample. The researchers used four major criteria with sub categories adopted from Kaur, Kiran in 2009. University home pages and library home pages were assessed. Each and every website was evaluated for visibility, Networking, information and consultations and comments. Only a half (53%) of the universitylibrary web sites possess the direct links to university home page. 47% are hidden and are under Academic or some other heading and have to use several steps to reach the web page. 53% of library web sites have provided links to other external networks such as to universities, Library associations. Almost all the libraries have provided information regarding their collection, services and facilities. In all the library web sites e mail of the library and staff were indicated but only 40% have gone beyond that service such as “Ask – A service” or message service. It seems that marketing process is not carried out through the web in an effective manner though there are some adoptions and initiatives to use the websites as a tool for marketing. It was strongly felt that library professionals in Sri Lanka should pay more attention to market their libraries through web. They should reap maximum benefit from the ICT and, marketing concepts should be warmly accepted and introduced by the librarians.Item කැලණිය විශ්වවිද්යාලයේ සීමාවාසික පුහුණු වැඩසටහන් වල ඵලදායීතාව(Department of Economics, University of Kelaniya, 2015) Dissanayake, M.A.; de Silva, K.; Ranasinghe, S.; Rathnathilake, R.M.M.B.