As a tropical island, Sri Lanka’s rich vegetation growth is strongly influenced by climatic factors, teleconnection indices, and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD). The impact of climate drivers, temperature, precipitation, Niño1+2, Niño3, Niño3.4, Niño4, and IOD, on vegetation can be investigated with the help of the Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI). This study focuses on the variability of NDVI and the dependence of variability on climate drivers over a time period in Sri Lanka. The preliminary results on trend analysis of the NDVI dataset along with the meteorological data for the period 1984-2021, with respect to province-wise vegetation, showed; there is a downward trend in the average NDVI in the Eastern province, an insignificant long-term change in the North Central province, while the other provinces showed upward trends. The impact of climate drivers on vegetation difference, the LASSO regression model, and the Vector Error Correlation Model (VECM) were fitted, while Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models were fitted to investigate the behavior of average NDVI over time. Based on the Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), and Mean Absolute Percent Error (MAPE), model performance varied by region. LASSO regression provided the most accurate forecasts in the Eastern and North Central provinces, while VECM performed better in the Southern and Western provinces. Temperature was identified as the dominant climatic factor influencing NDVI across the entire country, whereas precipitation, Niño1+2, Niño3, and IOD affected NDVI only in specific regions. However, Niño3.4 and Niño4 showed significant impact on vegetation dynamics when forecasted using VECM. The findings of this study are important for policymaking, land-use planning in agriculture and construction, climatic factor analysis, ecological assessments, and conservation strategies.

Developing a dynamic, efficient, economical, and user-friendly electrode poses a significant challenge to electrochemists; as such, electrodes are vital for fabricating electrochemical devices, including supercapacitors and bio/chemical sensors. This research aimed to combine graphite, tin oxide, and MMT to fabricate an electrode (G-SnO₂-MMT-CE), obtaining a synergetic matrix where tin oxide acts as an electrochemically supportive mediator that performs better in electroanalytical and energy storage purposes. G-SnO₂-MMT-CE exhibits a high flexural strength, which is 1.63×106 Nm-2 and 4.4×10-3 Ω m resistivity. The ideal voltammogram shape and better sensitivities to analytes, exhibiting a similar sensitivity to both Fe2+/Fe3+ and [Fe(CN)6]4-/[Fe(CN)6]3- redox systems, which is ~1.0A m mol-1, reveal G-SnO₂-MMT-CE potential as a working electrode to analyte detection. Aniline electropolymerization on G-SnO₂-MMT-CE resulted in an interwoven polyaniline nanofiber network, which accounts for a low serial resistance (2.53 Ω) and charge transfer resistance (4.25 Ω). The Nyquist plot supported the PANI-G-SnO₂-MMT-CE pseudo-capacitive behavior, which is mainly from PANI microstructural heterogeneity. According to the CV method, a supercapacitor cell constructed by combining two identical PANI-G-SnO₂-MMT-CE electrodes exhibits a high specific capacitance of 881 F g⁻¹ at 5 mV s⁻¹, which is consistent with the capacitance obtained from the galvanostatic charge–discharge measurement (921 F g⁻¹). Even after 1000 cycles, the supercapacitor cell maintains a high columbic efficiency (>99%), which explains the low energy loss during the cycling process, resulting in great energy efficiency and cyclic stability.strategies.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a non-protein amino acid synthesized via the α-decarboxylation of L-glutamate. This study explored the production of GABA using Bacillus subtilis AQU isolated from Okpeye and its cytotoxicity effect. Prosopis africana seeds sourced from the Ogege market in Nsukka Local Government Area, Enugu State, Nigeria, were used to produce Okpeye. The fermentation process for Okpeye production was conducted under optimized conditions using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The isolated B. subtilis AQU were tested for probiotic properties, including low pH tolerance, bile salt tolerance, hydrophobicity, auto aggregation, antimicrobial activity, and cytotoxicity effects. The optimization of GABA production using Central Composite Design (CCD) in Minitab 21.0 software identified the optimal conditions for GABA synthesis: temperature at 40 °C, fermentation time of 177 hours, 5% MSG concentration, and 3% inoculum concentration. Under the optimized conditions, the GABA yield was experimentally validated at 310.03 mg/100 g dry Okpeye, closely matching the predicted value of 313.53 mg/100 g with 83% desirability. The probiotic potential of Bacillus subtilis AQU demonstrated strong tolerance to low pH and bile salts, moderate auto-aggregation capacity, and high cell surface hydrophobicity, collectively suggesting strong colonization potential in the gastrointestinal tract. Cytotoxicity assays performed on L-929 cells indicated that the optimized Okpeye contains B. subtilis AQU, is non-toxic, and maintains above 50% cell viability even at the highest tested concentrations. Findings of the study suggest the potential of utilizing B. subtilis AQU for efficient GABA production, enhancing the nutritional and functional properties of fermented Okpeye.

Fungal metabolites possess a broad range of functions, ranging from antibiotics to mycotoxins. These metabolites can be retained either in the cell, secreted into the surrounding environment, or exuded by guttation. This study screened metabolites produced by selected soil fungi isolated from grassland soils for potential industrial applications. Three different soil fungal strains were isolated: two Penicillium spp. (PEN1 and PEN2) and one Aspergillus sp. (ASP1). Of them, PEN2 and ASP1 isolates showed guttation. Chemical screening was carried out using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), selected qualitative chemical tests, and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Fungal extracts in ethyl acetate and fungal guttation droplets were tested for antibacterial (against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922), antifungal, and toxin production abilities with positive and negative controls. All fungal isolates showed different levels of metabolite production, with the highest being ASP1 and PEN2, which showed guttation as well. FT-IR spectral bands of ethyl acetate extracts of ASP1, PEN1, and PEN2 revealed the presence of C-H (alkyl), C-H (aldehyde), C≡N (nitrile), C-H (aromatic), C=O (aldehyde), N-H (amine), and C-N (amine) as functional groups in extracted compounds. The highest antibacterial effect against S. aureus was observed from broth extracts of PEN2 (with an inhibition zone diameter of 14.78±0.11 mm) and ASP1 against E. coli (17.67±0.18 mm). The highest antifungal activity against Cladosporium sp. was displayed by PEN2 (13.70±0.02 mm), with no effect by PEN1. The seed assay showed zero germination of seeds for ethyl acetate broth extracts of all three tested fungal strains, indicating a phytotoxic effect of their metabolites. The study concludes that fungi isolated from grassland soils have shown the ability to produce bioactive metabolites that can be used in various industrial applications, including pharmaceutical and agricultural.

In the recent past zinc oxide (ZnO) has gained a lot of attention as a piezoelectric material. Its low cost, relative abundance, and ease of processing have made it a promising candidate to be used in various applications. In addition to it’s functional properties, its chemical stability and biocompatibility make ZnO suitable to be used in different environments. The synthesis of nanowires, nanorods, and other nano-structured morphologies of ZnO is highly important for the development of piezoelectric devices and solar cells. There are numerous methods for ZnO nanorod synthesis. The present research focused on the investigation of simple and low-cost synthesis methods of ZnO nanorods, namely microwave irradiation and usage of capping agents. According to the literature, the device performance improves with decreasing widths and increasing aspect ratios of ZnO nanorods. ZnO nanorods with desired size were obtained by chemical precipitation, using the readily available chemicals, ZnSO4 and NaOH, as precursor solutions; separately following microwave irradiation and the using appropriate capping agents, to control the size of the nanorods. The dependence of the size of the nanorods on the microwave cycle time intervals (15 s, 30 s and 60 s) was investigated, and a relative decrease in the size of the ZnO rods with larger cycle time intervals was observed utilizing scanning microscopic images. A width of ~177 nm and aspect ratio of ~6.7 was observed for the rods microwaved in 60 s cycle time intervals. The effect of starch, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and polyethylene glycol (PEG) was investigated as capping agents. Starch and PVA showed axial capping, increasing the width and decreasing the aspect ratio. PEG showed lateral capping, decreasing the width and increasing the aspect ratio, giving a width of ~182 nm and an aspect ratio of ~ 6.5. The XRD analysis of ZnO confirmed that the synthesized particles were in a Wurtzite phase. Hence, ZnO nanorods with the required wurtzite crystalline structure were synthesized in this research.

Pigeons are an integral part of the urban ecosystems and play significant roles in many environmental and historical aspects. Their domestication and distribution ensure greater interaction with humans and livestock, consequently posing threats due to numerous parasitic infections they harbour. Given the potential health risks and their veterinary relevance, this study examined the prevalence and diversity of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites in feral and racing pigeons in Nawala, Sri Lanka, using a descriptive cross-sectional design. In the 60 faecal samples examined, 10 genera of GI parasites were identified, including protozoans, nematodes, a trematode, and a cestode. Eimeria, Heterophyes, Ascaridia, Capillaria and Heterakis were demonstrated in both feral and racing pigeons. Isospora, Choanotaenia, Acuaria, and Tetrameres were reported only from ferals, while Trichostrongylus was observed exclusively in racing pigeons. A total of 76.7% pigeons were infected with GI parasites. The overall parasite prevalence among ferals was 83.3%, compared to 70% in racing pigeons. Though parasite prevalence did not significantly differ between the two groups (p = 0.227), protozoan (OR = 15.17, p < 0.001), trematode (OR = 6.5, p = 0.04), and mixed (OR = 3.0, p = 0.04), infections were more likely among ferals. To our knowledge, this is the first report on pigeon GI parasites in Sri Lanka. The study demonstrates that both feral and racing pigeons harbour protozoan and helminth parasites, suggesting that they could be a potential source of infection for other closely associated avian and human hosts. The research also reveals that parasite prevalence and co-infection dynamics are affected by poor hygiene conditions in pigeon lofts.

Agricultural soils contain substantial amount of phosphorous (P) in complexed-forms that have gradually accumulated through repeated P-fertilization events. Reliance on chemical P-fertilizers in crop production can be reduced by mobilizing P from soil reserves. Biofertilizers containing phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) are considered an eco friendly approach to mobilize soil-P for plant uptake. Before their application in biofertilizer formulations, PSB should be investigated for their ability to solubilize different P-forms as well as for other associated plant growth-promoting benefits and potential risks. The study aimed to identify and characterize eleven isolates of PSB obtained from rice fields in Dry and Intermediate zones of Sri Lanka. The isolates were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Their ability to solubilize tri-calcium phosphate (Ca-P), aluminum phosphate (Al-P), and iron phosphate (Fe P), and to produce catalase, protease and Indole-3-Acetic Acid (IAA) were determined using culture-based bioassays. Bio priming effect of isolates was tested for six rice varieties. The isolates belonged to seven genera: Staphylococcus, Bacillus, Xanthomonas, Pseudomonas, Lysinibacillus, Acinetobacter, and Stenotrophomonas. Five isolates produced IAA, six showed catalase activity, and three exhibited extracellular protease production. Phosphate solubilizing index of the isolates ranged between 3.48±0.51 to 5.87±0.81, and all isolates demonstrated the ability to solubilize Ca-P, Fe-P and Al-P. The isolates were more effective in solubilizing Ca-P than the other two forms. Bio priming seeds with PSB significantly (p<0.05) promoted early development of rice seedlings and improved seedling vigour of all six varieties. The studied PSB isolates are promising candidates for biofertilizer development targeting rice farming in Sri Lanka.

Thalassemia is an inherited autosomal recessive disease that is characterized by the absence or reduced synthesis of globin chains of hemoglobin. Due to globalization, thalassemia has become a global public health concern. The main objective of this research is to develop a two-sex age-structured continuoustype population dynamics model that describes the genotype composition of the population resulting from the thalassemia trait. The existence and uniqueness of a continuous solution to the proposed model are established. To verify our model, we run a numerical simulation to predict the growth of the population structured by the thalassemia trait in Sri Lanka, over the decade from 2011 to 2021. According to the numerical results, the total thalassemia major female and male populations in 2021 are estimated to be 1,141 and 1,111, respectively. Compared to the reported values, the errors for these figures are 8.5% and 9.7%, respectively. Hence, the numerical results verify the overall validity of the proposed age-structured two-sex population model to describe the dynamics of thalassemia transmission in a population.

Climatic changes and human activities have brought global food security to an unbalanced stage where poor-income communities face challenges in fulfilling their dietary requirements and healthy well-being. Functional foods play a key role in these situations and their popularity increases among communities. Blue/purple colour fruits hold a unique position due to their phytochemical profile and few species are available in Sri Lanka though many are underutilized despite their both nutritional and functional benefits. Many of these fruits are rarely seen in the market and are limited to rural areas and/or forests. The review aims to summarize the available data related to bioactive compounds and functional properties of Dovyalis hebecarpa, Carissa Spinarum, Syzygium caryophyllatum L, Antidesma alexiteria, Polyalthia suberosa, and Ziziphus oenoplia, which are underutilized blue/purple fruits available in Sri Lankan soil. These fruits are evidenced to have many functional properties, which include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial, etc. As main bioactive compounds, Anthocyanin Phenolic compounds, Flavonoids, carotenoids and ascorbic acids are evidenced in majority of the fruits and many other important compounds are found through studies. The facts highlight these fruits can use to ensure certain nutritional requirements and well-being of the local communities while adding positive feedback to food sustainability. The studies related to many blue/purple colour fruits are highly limited and suggest further studies in the fields of nutritional composition, health benefits, and genetic traits.

This study explores the efficiency of fertilizer management strategies on the yield, nutrient uptake, and economic returns of cassava varieties (Lakan 1 and Golden Yellow) grown in two sites in Agusan del Sur, Philippines. The study employed a split-plot randomized complete block design to assess eleven fertilizer treatments, including site-specific nutrient management (SSNM), full (NPK) application, nutrient omission (N, P, and K omission), adjusted nutrient (N, P, and K adjusted), national fertilizer recommendation (NFR), and farmers’ fertilizer practice (FFP) conducted over 12 months. The results revealed that full NPK fertilization consistently produced the highest yields, with Lakan 1 and Golden Yellow reaching 47.61 t/ha and 47.89 t/ha, respectively. However, the SSNM treatment unexpectedly delivered the highest return on investment (ROI), with 128.61% for Lakan 1 and 126.75% for Golden Yellow, outperforming full NPK in economic efficiency. Despite differences in varietal growth characteristics, both varieties showed similar nutrient uptake patterns, indicating a uniform response to the nutrient management strategies applied. Additionally, NPK fertilization enhanced overall tuber yield; it also led to higher non-marketable yields compared to other treatments, particularly in nitrogen and potassium omission plots. SSNM was a cost-effective nutrient management approach, balancing productivity and economic returns and optimizing fertilizer strategies for cassava production, emphasizing the importance of tailored nutrient management for maximizing profitability.