Crop diversification strategies for minor irrigation schemes: Proceedings of the workshop organized by the Irrigation Research Management Unit, Irrigation Department and the Sri Lanka National Program, International Irrigation Management Institute, held at the Irrigation Department, Colombo, Sri Lanka on 20 February 1996

Irrigation programs / Irrigation management / Small scale systems / Crops / Diversification / Rice / Cropping systems / Constraints / Social aspects / Economic aspects / Field crops / Crop production / Labor / Farmers' attitudes / Water management / Groundwater / Sri Lanka

Estimating the Biomass and Carbon Stocks in Dominant Tree Species in Wet Zone Homegardens of Sri Lanka

Homegardens in Sri Lanka are a dynamic food production system and continues to be a major land use practice in the island evolving from one generation to another. Generally maintained as a family property, homegardens account for around 13% of the total land use in the country. Homegardens in general offer several ecosystem services including climate regulation, enhance biodiversity, as well as improve land productivity and increase crop diversity. Due to its rich tree diversity and density, smallholder homegardens in Sri Lanka can be considered as a system capable of contributing to the storage of atmospheric carbon at a significant level. The aim of the present study was to estimate the mean carbon stock of each dominant tree species in the homegardens of low, mid and up country wet zone. The specific districts selected for the study were Kalutara, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya representing low, mid and up country wet zone. Three homegardens were selected from each district based on their visually observed diversity. These homegardens ranged from 0.5 acres to 3.0 acres and the entire homegarden was taken for assessment. The diameter at breast height (dbh) and Total height (up to the tip of the crown) were taken in all the trees and using Importance Value Index (IVI) equation; Important Value Index (IVI)=Relative Density+Relative Basal Area+Relative frequency the dominant trees in the homegarden which contribute significantly to the carbon stock were identified. The results indicated that the dominant trees in the low country wet zone were Cocos nucifera, Hevea brasiliensis, Mangifera indica, Swietenia macrophylla, Dillenia retusa, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Alstonia macrophylla, Areca catechu. The dominant tree species in the mid country wet zone homegardens were C. nucifera, A. heterophyllus, M. indica, S. macrophylla, Syzigium aromaticum, Durio zibethinus. The dominant tree species in the up country wet zone homegardens were A. macrophylla, A. heterophyllus, C. nucifera, M. indica, S. macrophylla, S. aromaticam. The aboveground biomass of each tree was estimated using an allometric equation which incorporated the wood density, dbh and tree height, where the wood density of each species was taken from literature. As the study did not use destructive sampling, the root shoot ratio was taken as 6:1. Finally the total biomass (sum of both the aboveground and below ground biomass) and the total carbon stock was calculated for each tree using the equation; WC=W*0.5 where, WC is the amount of carbon produced and W is the amount of total biomass produced.Keywords: Homegarden, Biomass, Carbon stock, Wet zone. Climate regulatio

Learning clinical reasoning skills during the transition from a medical graduate to a junior doctor

INTRODUCTION: The literature confirms the challenges of learning clinical reasoning experienced by junior doctors during their transition into the workplace. This study was conducted to explore junior doctors experiences of clinical reasoning development and recognise the necessary adjustments required to improve the development of clinical reasoning skills.METHODS: A hermeneutic phenomenological study was conducted using multiple methods of data collection, including semi-structured and narrative interviews (n=18) and post-consultation discussions (n=48). All interviews and post-consultation discussions were analysed to generate themes and identify patterns and associations to explain the dataset.RESULTS: During the transition, junior doctors’ approach to clinical reasoning changed from a ‘disease-oriented’ to a ‘practice- oriented’ approach, giving rise to the ‘Practice-oriented clinical skills development framework’ helpful in developing clinical reasoning skills. The freedom to reason within a supportive work environment, the trainees’ emotional commitment to patient care, and their early integration into the healthcare team were identified as particularly supportive. The service-oriented nature of the internship, the interrupted supervisory relationships, and early exposure to acute care settings posed challenges for learning clinical reasoning. These findings highlighted the clinical teachers' role, possible teaching strategies, and the specific changes required at the system level to develop clinical reasoning skills among junior doctors.CONCLUSION: The ‘Practice-oriented clinical skills development framework’ is a valuable reference point for clinical teachers to facilitate the development of clinical reasoning skills among junior doctors. In addition, this research has provided insights into the responsibilities of clinical teachers, teaching strategies, and the system-related changes that may be necessary to facilitate this process

Learning clinical reasoning skills during the transition from a medical graduate to a junior doctor

INTRODUCTION: The literature confirms the challenges of learning clinical reasoning experienced by junior doctors during their transition into the workplace. This study was conducted to explore junior doctors experiences of clinical reasoning development and recognise the necessary adjustments required to improve the development of clinical reasoning skills.METHODS: A hermeneutic phenomenological study was conducted using multiple methods of data collection, including semi-structured and narrative interviews (n=18) and post-consultation discussions (n=48). All interviews and post-consultation discussions were analysed to generate themes and identify patterns and associations to explain the dataset.RESULTS: During the transition, junior doctors’ approach to clinical reasoning changed from a ‘disease-oriented’ to a ‘practice- oriented’ approach, giving rise to the ‘Practice-oriented clinical skills development framework’ helpful in developing clinical reasoning skills. The freedom to reason within a supportive work environment, the trainees’ emotional commitment to patient care, and their early integration into the healthcare team were identified as particularly supportive. The service-oriented nature of the internship, the interrupted supervisory relationships, and early exposure to acute care settings posed challenges for learning clinical reasoning. These findings highlighted the clinical teachers' role, possible teaching strategies, and the specific changes required at the system level to develop clinical reasoning skills among junior doctors.CONCLUSION: The ‘Practice-oriented clinical skills development framework’ is a valuable reference point for clinical teachers to facilitate the development of clinical reasoning skills among junior doctors. In addition, this research has provided insights into the responsibilities of clinical teachers, teaching strategies, and the system-related changes that may be necessary to facilitate this process

Seeing Beyond: Real-time Ultrasound Image Integration in Augmented Reality Based Telementoring

Ultrasound imaging, when aptly integrated with augmented reality based medical telementoring, may be beneficial as an assistive tool in a range of trauma procedures including removal of foreign objects from blast injuries and central or peripheral venous access. Expected benefits include reduced procedure completion time, higher efficiency, and higher incision accuracy. This paper describes the implementation strategy selected for the integration of real time ultrasound imaging in the trainee view of a telementoring system. The proposed strategy augments the view of the trainee surgeon by displaying the ultrasound image directly below and parallel to the ultrasound transducer. The developed system features a fiducial marker based tracking approach employing a triplanar geometric fixture. An experiment was designed to demonstrate the system function and validate its performance

Generation and characterization of bioactive peptides from flaxseed ( Linum usitatissimum L.) proteins

The potential of flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) protein to release bioactive peptides upon enzymatic hydrolysis was evaluated. Flaxseed protein released angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory (ACEI) peptides during in vitro simulated gastrointestinal (GI) digestion in a static (no removal of digested products) and a dynamic model (removal o

A cross-cultural comparison of student learning patterns in higher education

Marambe, K. N., Vermunt, J. D., & Boshuizen, H. P. A. (2012). A cross-cultural comparison of student learning patterns in higher education. Higher Education, 64(3), 299-316. doi:10.1007/s10734-011-9494-zThe aim of this study was to compare student learning patterns in higher education across different cultures. A meta-analysis was performed on three large-scale studies that had used the same research instrument: the Inventory of learning Styles (ILS). The studies were conducted in the two Asian countries Sri Lanka and Indonesia and the European country The Netherlands. Students reported use of learning strategies, metacognitive strategies, conceptions of learning and learning orientations were compared in two ways: by analyses of variance of students' mean scale scores on ILS scales, as well as by comparing the factor structures of the ILS-scales between the three studies. Results showed most differences in student learning patterns between Asian and European students. However, many differences were identified between students from the two Asian countries as well. The Asian learner turned out to be a myth. Moreover, Sri Lankan students made the least use of memorising strategies of all groups. That Asian learners would have a propensity for rote learning turned out to be a myth as well. Some patterns of learning turned out to be universal and occurred in all groups, other patterns were found only among the Asian or the European students. The findings are discussed in terms of learning environment and culture as explanatory factors. Practical implications for student mobility in an international context are derived

Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation in a Hill Farming System of the Himalayan Region: Climatic Trends, Farmers’ Perceptions and Practices

Farming communities in the hills and mountains of the Himalayan region are some of the most vulnerable to the changing climate, owing to their specific biophysical and socioeconomic conditions. Understanding the observed parameters of the changing climate and the farmers’ perceptions of it, together with their coping approaches, is an important asset to making farming communities resilient. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the observed change in climatic variables; understand farmers’ perceptions of the changing climate; and document their adaptation approaches in farming systems in the mid-hills of the central Himalayas. Data on the observed change in climatic variables were obtained from the nearby meteorological stations and gridded regional products, and farmers’ perceptions and their adaptation practices were collected from household surveys and from the interviews of key informants. The analysis of temperature data revealed that there has been a clear warming trend. Winter temperatures are increasing faster than summer and annual temperatures, indicating a narrowing temperature range. Results on precipitation did not show a clear trend but exhibited large inter-annual variability. The standardized precipitation index (SPI) showed an increased frequency of droughts in recent years. Farmers’ perceptions of the changing climate are coherent with the observed changes in climatic parameters. These changes may have a substantial impact on agriculture and the livelihood of the people in the study area. The farmers are adapting to climate change by altering their farming systems and practices. Location-specific adaptation approaches used by farmers are valuable assets for community resilience

Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation in a Hill Farming System of the Himalayan Region: Climatic Trends, Farmers’ Perceptions and Practices

Farming communities in the hills and mountains of the Himalayan region are some of the most vulnerable to the changing climate, owing to their specific biophysical and socioeconomic conditions. Understanding the observed parameters of the changing climate and the farmers’ perceptions of it, together with their coping approaches, is an important asset to making farming communities resilient. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the observed change in climatic variables; understand farmers’ perceptions of the changing climate; and document their adaptation approaches in farming systems in the mid-hills of the central Himalayas. Data on the observed change in climatic variables were obtained from the nearby meteorological stations and gridded regional products, and farmers’ perceptions and their adaptation practices were collected from household surveys and from the interviews of key informants. The analysis of temperature data revealed that there has been a clear warming trend. Winter temperatures are increasing faster than summer and annual temperatures, indicating a narrowing temperature range. Results on precipitation did not show a clear trend but exhibited large inter-annual variability. The standardized precipitation index (SPI) showed an increased frequency of droughts in recent years. Farmers’ perceptions of the changing climate are coherent with the observed changes in climatic parameters. These changes may have a substantial impact on agriculture and the livelihood of the people in the study area. The farmers are adapting to climate change by altering their farming systems and practices. Location-specific adaptation approaches used by farmers are valuable assets for community resilience