Institutional Repository

U n i v e r s i t y of P e r a d e n i y a

The Institutional Repository of the University of Peradeniya is the University's digital gateway to scholarly knowledge and research excellence. Established as the next phase of the Digital Library initiative launched by the University Library in 2011, it preserves, showcases, and provides open access to the intellectual output of the University community.

Through a rich collection of research articles, conference proceedings, theses, dissertations, and other scholarly works, the repository enhances the visibility, accessibility, and long-term preservation of knowledge, extending the global reach and impact of the University of Peradeniya’s academic and research contributions.

Photo by @ITD,Main Library

Communities in DSpace

Select a community to browse its collections.

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5

Recent Submissions

Impact of factors affecting on success of small and meduim scale business
(University of Peradeniya, 2019) Dissanayake, D.
Small and medium business organizations consider as the heart of country that directly contributed to the economic development. According to the study of Zelealem (2004) human resources development, organizational development, managerial background, managerial leadership and competitive strategy affect the performance of SMEs. The study of Kinyua (2014) mentioned that “The roles of finance, management skills, macro-environment factors and infrastructure have been viewed as a critical element for the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises”. As a developing country Small and medium business organizations are backbones in Sri Lanka. In this context it is necessary to identify the value of Small and medium business organizations functioning in Sri Lankan context. Also it is necessary to identify the impact of factors affecting on success of small and medium scale businesses in Sri Lankan context.
Debt financing and profitability of listed companies in the Colombo stock exchange of Sri Lanka
(University of Peradeniya, 2019) S. Kasthury; V. A. Subramaniam; S. Anandasayanan
The capital structure decision plays a significant role in firm’s profitability and it is crucial for any organization. Capital structure is the composition of capital that an organization uses for financing its overall operations and growth. It is the combination of debt and equity capital that the firm uses for investing and operating activities. A business can seek for different level of mixtures of equity and debt or other financial facilities with equity having the emphasis on maximizing the firm’s value. Also, it affects the liquidity and profitability of a firm. Therefore, it is important to take a proper care and attention in determining the capital structure of a firm. An optimal capital structure is usually defined as one that will minimize firm’s cost of capital, while maximizing the firm value. Many studies have been undertaken on the capital structure since Modigliani and Millers (1958) landmarked. Among them, the effect of capital structure on firm’s profitability has received a considerable attention in the finance literature. According to Modigliani and Millers’ (1958) irrelevance theory, in a perfect capital market, the capital structure is unrelated to the firm’s market value, which will be settled by the composition of its assets. Also they found that the firm’s value depends on its operating profitability rather than its capital structure under perfect capital market assumptions.
Current status of quality assurance in relation to ionizing radiation in diagnostic imaging Departments in Sri Lankan hospitals
(University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2021-11-11) Rajamuni, R.D.C.I.; Weerakoon, B.S.
Ionizing radiation is used to diagnose diseases in modern medicine. Improper handling of ionizing radiation may contribute to a large amount of unnecessary radiation doses to patients and staff. Quality assurance in radiography helps to provide a successful service with proper radiation protection and good image quality. Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Regulatory Council is the main professional body responsible for quality assurance in radiography. Radiographers are responsible for performing needed quality assurance procedures according to the recommendations. This study aims to assess the level of knowledge and current state of quality assurance within selected radiology departments. A qualitative study was done with a distribution of a questionnaire among the participants. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and sample t-test. Twenty-five radiographers from three government hospitals participated in the study. Both demographic data and knowledge on quality assurance were assessed. The overall knowledge on quality assurance activities was insufficient (p> 0.05). The mean score of correct answers was 5.06 out of 11 questions. There was no correlation between quality assurance knowledge and work experience (p>0.05). Participants did not obtain a proper training on quality assurance. The study identified a lack of quality assurance programs within the selected hospitals. Although the atomic Energy Regulatory Council has established quality assurance programs, manuals and exposure charts are not used in diagnostic imaging departments. The absence of quality assurance activities and functional supervisory structures for diagnostic imaging services in Sri Lanka could have adverse effects on quality service delivery. This survey should be done island-wide to determine the urgent need for robust actions to implement realistic quality assurance programs in diagnostic radiology.
Effects of Mimosa pudica on glycation induced protein cross-linking and cell viability
(University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2021-11-11) Jayasinghe, J.A.V.R.; Karunarathilake, K.J.K.; Rajapakse, R.P.V.J.; Perera, H.K.I.
Protein glycation is closely associated with hyperglycaemia and is a primary cause for many of the chronic diabetic complications. Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) produced as a result of glycation, cause cross-linking in long-lived proteins such as collagen. Objectives of this study were to evaluate heat stability and effects of methanol extracts of Mimosa pudica whole plant (MP) on glycation-induced protein cross-linking and on viability of normal cells. Lysozyme was incubated with 500 mM fructose in the presence of heated or non-heated extracts (12.5 to 100 μg/mL) for 3 weeks at 37oC. Aminoguanidine was used as the positive control. Reaction mixture without extracts was used as the negative control. Aliquots collected at 7 and 21 days of incubation were assessed for the extent of protein cross-linking using sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Cytotoxic effects of extracts (12.5 to 500 μg/mL) were assessed on L929 mouse fibroblasts using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5- diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. A dose-dependent inhibition was observed by the appearance of high molecular protein bands when tested at day 7 and 21 with MP. Almost complete inhibition of high molecular band formation was revealed with 50 μg/mL at 7 days and with 100 μg/mL at 21 days. Experiment was performed at a stronger glycating environment than what is expected in uncontrolled diabetes (500 mM fructose instead of ∼10 mM glucose). Extent of the high molecular weight products formed in the presence of both heated and non-heated extracts were similar, demonstrating the heat stability of constituents. This is important as decoctions are often prepared with medicinal plants in traditional remedies. Cytotoxic effects were not detected up to 62.5 μg/mL. In conclusion, MP showed a dose-dependent inhibition on glycation-induced protein cross-linking under strong glycating conditions. Inhibitory effects were heat stable. Cell viability was not affected at lower concentrations of MP.
Is aqueous bark extract of Cinnamomum zeylanicum effective in alleviating doxorubicin-induced inflammation and apoptosis in myocardial tissues?
(University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 2021-11-11) Sandamali, J.A.N.; Hewawasam, R.P.; Jayatilaka, K.A.P.W.; Mudduwa, L.K.B.
Although doxorubicin is a highly effective anti-cancer drug, its‘ chemotherapeutic efficacy is precluded by oxidative-stress, inflammation and intrinsic apoptotic pathways induced by doxorubicin. It is widely reported that medicinal plants with high antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic activities have significant effects on the myocardial tissues to protect against damage. Therefore, objective of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of Cinnamomum zeylanicum aqueous bark extract to alleviate doxorubicin induced cardiac damage in Wistar rats. Treatment groups of rats used in the study were as follows. Group 1: control; group 2: plant extract control (2.0 g/kg lyophilized plant extract, 14 days); group 3: Doxorubicin control (received dH2O 14 days, doxorubicin (18 mg/kg) on 11ᵗʰ day); group 4 was administered with lyophilized plant extract (2.0 g/kg) 14 days, doxorubicin (18 mg/kg) on 11ᵗʰ day; group 5: positive control (dH2O 14 days, dexrazoxane (180 mg/kg) 0.5 h before doxorubicin (18 mg/kg). All animals were sacrificed on day 15, serum myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity was measured and inflammatory (TNF-α) and apoptotic markers [caspase-3, Bcl2 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay] were analyzed in myocardial tissues using an immunohistochemical staining and area of expression was quantified. Results indicated that MPO activity (285.32±1.64) and expression of TNF-α are significantly higher (p<0.001) in doxorubicin control compared to the normal control. Pre-treatment with plant extract showed a significant reduction (p<0.001) of above inflammatory markers compared to the doxorubicin control group. Expression of caspase-3 and TUNEL positive nuclei were significantly increased (p<0.05) while Bcl-2 expression was weaker in doxorubicin control. Pre-treatment with aqueous bark extract has the potential to significantly reduce caspase-3 activity and TUNEL positive nuclei while Bcl-2 expression is significantly increased (p<0.05). Therefore, Cinnamomum zeylanicum aqueous bark extract has the potential to alleviate doxorubicin induced inflammation and apoptosis in Wistar rats.