Browsing by Author "Wickramasinghe, A."

Now showing 1 - 13 of 13

Adverse events following COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1nCoV-19) vaccination among health care workers in Sri Lanka; a multi-centre cross sectional survey
(Sri Lanka College of Internal Medicine, 2022) Manilgama, S.R.; Hettiarachchi, N.M.; Jayasinghe, I.K.; de Silva, S.T.; Jayalath, T.; Wanigaratne, T.; Bandusiri, R.P.; Suganthan, N.; Sudarshan, P.; Pathirage, M.; Rajaratnam, N.; Senaratne, G.; Rajapaksha, V.; Wickramasinghe, A.; Ranaweera, S.P.A.L.; Thilakarathna, H.M.A.; Kulaweera, M.T.D.
Introduction: A community vaccination programme is the best approach to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Post-vaccine surveillance is important to identify adverse events (AE) following COVID-19 vaccination in the population. Methods: A multicentre cross-sectional survey was conducted in six provinces to estimate the prevalence of AE following the first dose of COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1nCoV-19) among all categories of health care workers (HCWs). A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather demographic data and AE. Results: Of 5140 participants 67.8% were females. The mean (SD) age was 40.69 (±9.85) years. At least one comorbidity was reported in 15.4%. At least one AE was reported in 86.6% and 49.3% had local AE. Fever (67.2%), headaches (57.3%), body aches (54.4%), chills (51.2%), fatigue (37.5%) and arthralgia (36%) were the most reported systemic AE. The majority of AE lasted less than 24 hours. Pain and redness at the site were the most reported local AE. Mean duration of onset of fever and pain at injection site from the time of the vaccination was 6.65 and 9.67 hours respectively. When participants were divided into two groups by mean age (≤40 and >40 years) and parameters were compared, most systemic (fever, nausea, fatigue, itching) and all local AE were significantly more prevalent in the ≤40 age group. Two percent had reactions within the first 20 minutes. Anaphylaxis developed in 12 participants. Past history of anaphylaxis, drug or food allergy were reported in 0.6%, 2.8% and 6.7% respectively. However, previous history of allergy was not significantly related to immediate reactions or anaphylaxis following vaccination. Despite having minor AE, 71.1% attended routine work while 0.2% required hospitalisation. Conclusions: While 86.6% reported minor AE, only a few serious AE were reported. Overall, the first dose of the vaccine was well-tolerated by HCWs.
Adverse events following first dose of ChAdOxI nCoV-19 (Covishield) among health care workers in Sri Lanka
(Sri Lanka College of Internal Medicine, 2021) Manilgama, S.R.; Hettiarachchi, N.M.; Jayasinghe, I.K.; de Silva, S.; Jayalath, T.; Wanigaratne, T.; Bandusiri, R.P.; Suganthan, N.; Sudarshan, P.; Pathirage, M.; Rajaratnam, N.; Senaratne, G.; Rajapaksha, V.; Wickramasinghe, A.; Kulaweera, M.T.D.
Introduction: A community vaccination programme is crucial to combat COVID-19 pandemic. An independent post-vaccine surveillance is important to identify adverse events following immunization (AEFI) in the population. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of AEFI after covishield vaccination among all categories of health care workers (HCWs) after the first dose. Methods: A multicentred cross-sectional survey was conducted in six provinces. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather demographic data and AEFI. Results: Of 5140, 67.8% were females. The mean (SD) age was 40.69 (±10.07) years. At least one comorbidity was reported in 15.4%, At least one AEFI was reported in 86.6% and 49.3% had local AEFI. Bodyaches(54.4%), headaches (57.3%), fever (58.4%), chills(51.2%)( fatigue(37.5%) and arthralgia (36%) were the most reported systemic AEFI. Majority lasted <24 hours. Pain and redness at the site were the most reported local AEFI. Mean duration of onset of fever and site of pain was 6.65 and 9.67 hours respectively. The population was divided into two groups according to the mean age; <40 and >40 years and, study parameters were compared. Most of the systemic (fever, nausea, fatigue, itching) and all local AEFI were significantly higher among the <40-year-old group. Reactions occurred within first 20 minutes in 2%. Anaphylaxes developed in 12 patients. History of an叩hylaxis, drug, or food allergies were reported in 0.6%, 2.8%, 6.7% respectively, they didn't show significant relation to current vaccine induced allergies or anaphylaxis. Despite having minor AEFI, 71.1% attended routine work while 0.2% were hospitalised and treated.
An analysis of ancient Sri Lankan female clothing details depicted from selected sculptures from the Anuradhapura period to the end of the 19th century
(University of Kelaniya, 2013) Wickramasinghe, A.
Perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychiatric training among final-year medical undergraduates in Sri Lanka: an online survey of students from eight universities
(American Psychiatric Press, 2022) Baminiwatta, A.; Dayabandara, M.; de Silva, J.; Gadambanathan, T.; Ginige, P.; Premarathne, I.; Rajapaksha, H.; Wickramasinghe, A.; Sivayokan, S.; Wijesinghe, C.
Objective: This study aimed to assess the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on undergraduate psychiatry training in Sri Lanka and to explore several potentially associated factors. Methods: An online survey was distributed among students from eight medical schools who recently faced their final exam. Their perceptions on the impact of the pandemic on the psychiatry training and exam performance were rated on a 10-point scale. Resilience was assessed using a two-item scale. Results: A total of 644 students responded (69.5% female, mean age=27.5 years). Among them, 164 (25.5%) reported being quarantined; 25 (4%) reported becoming infected with COVID-19; and 170 (28.6%) reported ward closure for over a week during the clerkship. Greater impact was reported for patient availability (mean=7.08), mental status assessments (mean=6.3), developing rapport (mean=6.2), and diagnostic skills (mean=5.9), whereas the impact on peer-learning (mean=5.5) and self-study (mean=3.6) was relatively lower. Impact on clinical components of the final exam (mean=6) was rated higher than on theory components (mean=4.5). The majority (70.3%) reported that COVID-19-related stress affected their exam preparations. Higher resilience predicted lower perceived impact on all aspects of training/exam performance. Female gender and ward closure predicted greater impact on diagnostic skills, overall training, and clinical exam performance, whereas being quarantined predicted greater impact on peer-learning and self-study. Conclusion: The pandemic has significantly affected the undergraduate psychiatry training in Sri Lanka, particularly its clinical components. Increasing clinical exposure to patients, managing students' stress, and building their resilience should be key concerns for medical educators during the pandemic.
Prevalence of covishield COVID-19 vaccine (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) adverse effects among health care workers in Sri Lanka
(Elsevier, 2022) Manilgama, S.R.; Hettiarachchi, N.M.; Jayasinghe, K.I.; de Silva, S.; Wanigaratne, T.; Jayalath, T.; Bandusiri, R.P.; Suganthan, N.; Sudarshan, P.; Pathirage, M.; Rajaratnam, N.; Senaratne, G.; Rajapaksha, V.; Wickramasinghe, A.; Kulaweera, M.T.D.
PURPOSEA Community vaccination programme is the best approach to combat COVID-19 pandemic. The first priority was given to the health care workers (HCWs) with the introduction of Indian Covishield (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) vaccine to Sri Lanka since February 2021. An independent post-vaccine surveillance is important to identify the occurrence of adverse effects(A/E) in the population. METHODS & MATERIALSA multicentered cross-sectional survey was conducted in four provinces of Sri Lanka to estimate the prevalence of A/E after covishield vaccination A/E among HCWs after the first dose. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather demographic data and A/E. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS Of 4834 participants, 3500(72.4%) were females. The median age was 42.23(SD±9.64) years. Only 0.8%(n=31) persons has had Covid infection in the past. 2.2% were breastfeeding mothers and 0.2% were pregnant ladies.87.4% of persons had at least one A/E and 53.1% had local A/E. Body aches(68.2%), headaches(63.8%), fever(58%), chills 51.4%), fatigue(41.2%), arthralgia(38.1%) and rigors (32%) were the most commonly reported systemic A/E. Most of the systemic A/E were more prevalent among the ≤42-year-old group, and females. Their duration was mainly 24 hours. Mean duration of onset of fever is 9.76 hours. Pain and redness at the site were the most commonly reported local A/E. All of the local A/E were more prevalent among the ≤42-year-old group and females. Mean duration of pain at the site is 4.47 hours. 1.7%(n=61) had reactions within first 20 minutes. 0.08%(n=4) developed anaphylaxis, 0.8%(n=31) had urticaria. 15.4% had at least one comorbidities but there were no significant association between having a comorbidity and developing systemic or local. 1.3% had history of drug or food allergies, they did not show significant relation to current vaccine induced allergies or anaphylaxis. 69.2% attended the routine work despite having minor A/E. 0.13%(n=7) were hospitalised and treated. 22.4% were stayed at home and rested for 24-48 hours due to A/E. CONCLUSION Eventhough more than 60% reported minor A/E, there were only a few serious A/E. A/E were more prevalent in younger age and females. Overall, the first dose of the Covishield vaccine was well-tolerated by HCWs.
Psychological wellbeing and mental health amongst medical undergraduates: A descriptive study assessing more than 1,000 medical students in Sri Lanka
(London Avenue Publishing Co, 2022) Dahanayake, D.; Rajapakse, H.; Wickramasinghe, A.; Chandradasa, M.; Rohanachandra, Y.; Perera, S.; Nillo, A.M.; Molodynski, A.
BACKGROUND: Studies from around the world have shown higher rates of anxiety, depression, alcohol and other drug use, and burnout in medical students. AIMS: The aim of this study was to identify the socio-demographic factors and severity of difficulties Sri Lankan medical students face regarding psychological wellbeing and burnout. METHOD: This one-off survey used a cross-sectional design, assessing substance use, psychological wellbeing, and burnout using the CAGE, GHQ-12, and OLBI. The survey was open to all medical students in six universities in Sri Lanka. Chi-square analysis was used to assess the statistical significance related to categorical dependent variables and one-way ANOVA for continuous dependent variables. RESULTS: A higher prevalence of diagnosed mental health conditions was found following admission to the medical course in comparison prior to admission. Sixty-two percent of students had a score of more than 2 on the GHQ-12 indicating caseness. The OLBI identified exhaustion in 79% of students. The CAGE questionnaire was positive in 4.8% of students. CONCLUSIONS: Only a small proportion of students are recognizing their mental health difficulties and seeking help. Further understanding is required as to why this is, as well as re-evaluation of the demands of the curriculum. Effective ways of regularly identifying and providing practical and evidence-based support for mental health problems in medical and other undergraduates need to be identified and introduced. KEYWORDS: Sri Lanka; Wellbeing; burnout; medical students.
Puppet Theatre and Japanese Bunraku
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2010) Wickramasinghe, A.
Synthesis of C-11 and C-12 oxidized derivatives of3β-[(α-Larabinopyranosyl)oxy]olean-12-en-28-oic acid and evaluation of their cytotoxic activity in human non-small cell lung cancer (NCI-H292) cells using Sulforhodamine B assay
(Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2020) Jayasundara, J.M.J.; Wickramasinghe, A.; Karunaratne, D.N.; Wickramaratne, N.S.; Samarakoon, S.R.; Jayasinghe, S.
The most common cancer, lung cancer is the foremost reason for cancer deaths in both males and females throughout the world. The two major categories of lung cancer which propagate differently are Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and Small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Among those NSCLCs are the most prevalent lung cancers, contributing 80% of all lung cancers. Natural products represent the bedrock of drug discovery, providing novel scaffold structures that serve as a starting point for developing novel therapeutic agents. A number of new drugs with improved therapeutic potential have been obtained from natural sources, by functional group modifications or by the synthesis of new compounds, following lead natural compounds as models. The recurrence of cancer due to the drug resistance and undesirable side effects which have limited the use of anticancer drugs, have increased the demand for novel alternative therapeutics with enhanced pharmacological activity and fewer side effects. Hence, the synthesis of natural product derived compound libraries in the discovery of novel drugs is still a key aspect of cancer therapy. 3β-[(α-L-arabinopyranosyl)oxy]olean-12-en-28-oic acid (APOA) is a triterpenoid saponin with the oleanolic acid aglycone linked to arabinopyranose sugar moiety and can be easily isolated from endemic plant extracts of genus Schumacheria. This compound exerts potent cytotoxic and apoptotic potential in human NSCLC cells (NCI-H292) with an IC50 value of 5.977 μgmL-1 while exhibiting a comparable toxicity value (IC50 = 5.702 μgmL-1 ) against normal lung (MRC-5) cells. The objective of this study was to synthesize oxidized structural analogues at C-11 and C-12 positions of the APOA and to evaluate their cytotoxic effect. Sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay is used to evaluate in-vitro cytotoxic efficacy of the synthesized analogues on NCI-H292 cells and MRC-5 cells. The methylene group at the C-11 and methine group at C-12 of the ethyl ester of acetylated APOA (Ee-Ac-APOA) was oxidized to afford respective ketones and followed by deacetylation of the afforded analogues resulted in the oxidized analogues with free sugar hydroxyls (Ee-APOA). Chemical structures of the synthesized analogues were confirmed with spectroscopic data and comparative cytotoxic effects of the synthesized analogues were assessed using SRB assay against APOA. GraphPad Prism 7.00 software was used for statistical analysis and the results indicated that the oxidized analogues of Ee-APOA exhibit higher cytotoxicity against NCI-H292 cells than the oxidized derivatives of Ee-Ac-APOA while exhibiting comparable toxicity values against normal lung (MRC-5) cells. However, the α, β-unsaturated derivative of Ee-Ac-APOA exhibited potent cytotoxic activity against NCI-H292 cells while being less toxic to normal MRC-5 cells compared to the parental saponin indicating better activity. These empirical data suggest that the oxidized compounds at C-11 and C-12 of APOA could be a lead to develop promising new anticancer agents.
Which is more Feminine - the ‘Sari’ or the ‘Evening Dress’?
(University of Kelaniya, 2012) Wickramasinghe, A.
Clothing has become a symbolic code to recognize humans as particular kinds of individuals. In all societies the body is ‘dressed’, and everywhere dress and adornment play symbolic, communicative and aesthetic roles. Tension regarding the dress and female body oscillates between modern feminism and cultural allegiances. The women, dress and feminism always change according to the lifestyle and attitudes in contemporary world. In the western world over the years the evening dress has become an iconic piece of clothing. Non-western dress, in global culture is progressively more appropriated by western fashion. The ‘sari’ is sensual and flattering female attire in South Asia and now travels the globe as ‘fashion’. The paper mainly discusses ‘Evening Dress’ and the ‘Sari’, sexual factors in ‘Sari’ and ‘Dress’, 21st century women and the ‘Sari’ and generational changes through feminism. The aim of the paper is to identify the most feminine attire for women between the ‘Sari’ and the ‘Evening Dress’. Data has been analyzed quantitatively using participants’ preference as ‘wearer’ and ‘qualitatively’ using participants’ feedback as viewer. The survey was completed by using 100 ‘MA Fashion Design and Technology’ students at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts, London. After the intervention it was found that 32% percent agreed that the sari is more feminine, another 33% agreed evening dress is more feminine than the ‘sari’ and the rest, 35% agreed with both. So the survey suggested that feelings about wearing a dress depend on the wearer’s sense of the dress and the viewer’s points of view of the wearer. The study shows that, the positive or negative feeling of wearing a dress, depends on the wearer’s sense of the dress and her awareness of its effect on others.
ජපන් කෙටිකතාවේ සංස්කෘතික මුහුණුවර
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2008) Wickramasinghe, A.
පොළොන්නරු යුගයේ ශිව ශාන්තිවර මූර්ති
(University of Kelaniya, 2006) Wickramasinghe, A.
පොළොන්නරු සාහිත්‍යය සහ සමකාලීන දෘශ්‍ය කලා
(Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2010) Wickramasinghe, A.
පොළොන්නරුවේ ගෘහ අලංකරණ අතර හමුවන වාමන රූප
(S. Godage and Brothers (Pvt) Ltd, 675, P. de S. Kularatne Mw., Colombo 10, Sri Lanka, 2014) Wickramasinghe, A.