A survey of glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase deficiency in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon).

A high frequency of the G6PD deficient gene was detected in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The frequency in the ancient villages is much higher than that of the recently colonised areas. The Sinhalese and Ceylon Moors have a significantly higher frequency as opposed to the Ceylon Tamils. The distribution appears to be related to a history of exposure to malarial endemicity.     

Genetic relationships between Indians and their neighboring populations

Using gene frequency data for 18 protein and blood group loci, we studied the genetic relationships of four Indian subcontinent populations (peoples from Punjab, Gujarati, Andhra Pradesh, and Bangladesh) with their neighboring populations (Iranians, Afghans, Sinhalese in Sri Lanka, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Malays, Bataks in northern Sumatra, and Chinese). The results obtained indicate that the four Indian subcontinent populations and the Sinhalese are genetically closer to Iranians and Afghans (Caucasoid) than to the other neighboring Mongoloid populations. Genetic distance analysis shows a clear-cut dichotomy between the Caucasoid and Mongoloid populations.     

Masking Terror: How Women Contain Violence in Southern Sri Lanka; Scarred Minds: The Psychological Impact of War on Sri Lankan Tamils; The Ocean of Stories: Children's Imagination, Creativity, and Reconciliation in Eastern Sri Lanka

Masking Terror: How Women Contain Violence in Southern Sri Lanka. Alex Argenti-Pillen. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2003. xv. 235 pp.
Scarred Minds: The Psychological Impact of War on Sri Lankan Tamils. Daya Somasunderam New Delhi: Sage, 1998. 353 pp.
The Ocean of Stories: Children's Imagination, Creativity, and Reconciliation in Eastern Sri Lanka. Patricia Lawrence. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Centre for Ethnic Studies, 2003.94 pp.     

Validation of a Sinhalese translation of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 for use with older adults

Objective : To test the psychometric properties of a Sinhalese translation of the OHIP‐14 scale for use among older adults in Sri Lanka. Design : A cross‐sectional survey. The English version of the OHIP‐14 was translated in to Sinhalese, pre‐tested and subsequently administered to the subjects by a trained interviewer. Setting : Moratuwa — a densely populated urban area in the Western province of Sri Lanka. Subjects: 585 individuals aged 60 years and above. Main outcome measures : Reliability of the translated scale was assessed in terms of internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was evaluated by examining the associations between perceived oral health status, perceived need for dental care and the OHIP scores. Results : Cronbach's alpha of the translated scale was 0.93. Corrected item‐total correlation coefficients ranged from 0.53–0.80. The highly significant associations between perceived oral health status, perceived need for dental care and the OHIP scores support the construct validity of the translated scale. Conclusion : The Sinhalese translation of the OHIP‐14 is a valid and reliable instrument to measure oral health related quality of life in older adults of Sri Lanka.     

Genetic variants in the cytochrome P450 2D6 gene in the Sri Lankan population

INTRODUCTION:

Cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) enzymes are involved in the metabolism of a large number of commonly prescribed drugs such as antidepressants and cardiovascular drugs. The CYP2D6 *3, *4 and *14 variants associated with the loss of enzyme function; CYP2D6 *10 and *17 variants with reduced enzyme function; and CYP2D6 *2 variant with no effect on enzyme function. Establishing the frequency of these variant alleles in Sri Lankan population would be useful for optimizing pharmacotherapy with CYP2D6-substrate drugs.

OBJECTIVE:

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of CYP2D6 *2, *3, *4, *10, *14 and *17 variants in the main ethnic groups in the Sri Lankan population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A total of 90 deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) samples (30 each from Sinhalese, Tamils and Moors) were selected from a DNA resource at the Human Genetic Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo. This collection had been made for population genetic studies from a random population based volunteers. Genotyping was performed using published polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism methods.

RESULTS:

The prevalence of the CYP2D6 variants in Sinhalese, Sri Lankan Tamils and Moors respectively were CYP2D6 *2: 37%, 41.6% and 37.9%; CYP2D6 *3: 60.3%, 45% and 30%; CYP2D6 *4: 21.6%, 6.6% and 8.3%; CYP2D6 *10: 40%, 35% and 44%. CYP2D6 *14 and *17 variants were not identified.

CONCLUSION:

CYP2D6*3, *4 and *10 variants, which are associated with reduced or loss of CYP2D6 enzyme function were found in our population in significant frequencies. CYP2D6*4, which is reported to be a Caucasian variant was also found in all three ethnic groups.     

Antenatal Depression in Anuradhapura,Sri Lanka and the Factor Structure of the Sinhalese Version of Edinburgh Post Partum Depression Scale among Pregnant Women

Background

Mental health problems among women of reproductive age group contribute to 7% of Global Burden of Diseases of women of all ages. Purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and correlates of antenatal depression among pregnant women in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, and to explore the factor structure of EPDS.

Methods

Pregnant women with gestational age of 24–36 weeks and residing in Anuradhapura district, Sri Lanka were recruited to the study using a two stage cluster sampling procedure. Sinhalese version of Edinburgh Post Partum Depression Scale (EPDS) and an interviewer administered questionnaire was use to collect data. A cut off value of 9 was used for the Sinhalese version of EPDS.

Results

A total of 376 pregnant women were studied. Median EPDS score among pregnant women was 5 (IQR 2–8). Prevalence of antenatal depression in this study sample was 16.2% (n = 61). Thought of self harming (item number 10) was reported by 26 pregnant women (6.9%). None of the socio-demographic factors were associated with depression in this study sample. Having heart burn was significantly associated with depressive symptoms (p = 0.041). Sri Lankan version of EPDS showed a two factor solution. Anxiety was not emerged as a separate factor in this analysis.

Conclusions

Prevalence of antenatal depression in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka was relatively low. Anxiety was not emerged as a separate factor in the Sinhalese version of the EPDS.     

Memories of ethnic violence in Sri Lanka among immigrant Tamils in the UK

This article contributes to recent studies on the relationship between ethnicity and memory in the formation of transnational communities. The focus of the article is migrant Tamils' memories of violence in Sri Lanka in 1958, in the aftermath of an act declaring Sinhala to be the sole language of administration in the country. The ways in which past violence is remembered by this overlooked older generation helps in understanding the particular impetus of the contemporary Tamil diaspora, which continues to play a key role in shaping the image of Sri Lanka abroad. Research on the formation of the diaspora must therefore be situated within a more concrete history of relations between Sinhalese and Tamils in post-independence Sri Lanka.     

Assessment of genetic diversity in Calamus thwaitesii BECC. (Arecaceae) using RAPD markers

Calamus thwaitesii Becc. is a potentially useful rattan found in the Western Ghats of India and Sri Lanka. The wild stock of this rattan species is greatly diminished due to overexploitation for the furniture industry and increasingly rare. Genetic diversity was estimated in 80 samples representing eight populations from the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. RAPDs generated a total of 120 markers with 10 decamer primers, of which 85% were found to be polymorphic. The percentage of polymorphic loci varied from 40.00 to 60.83 and genetic distance between populations ranged from 0.0332 to 0.2777. Among the analysed populations, Goa was found to be genetically superior followed by Achenkovil, Sinharaja and Talakkaveri. Majority of the genetic diversity was distributed within populations (70.79%) and only (29.21%) among populations. Genetic relationships estimated by the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averaging (UPGMA) cluster analysis and principal co-ordinate analysis failed to separate Indian and Sri Lankan populations geographically into two distinct groups.     

Molecular diversity and genetic relationships among Sri Lankan pomegranate Punica granatum landraces assessed with inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) regions

Pomegranate Punica granatum was first introduced to Sri Lanka, possibly through ancient trade routes, thousands of years ago. However, there is no information about the diversity of the pomegranate germplasm in the country, which is important both for breeding new varieties and for conservation efforts. We used inter‐simple sequence repeat (ISSR) regions to investigate the genetic diversity and population structure of pomegranate on the island of Sri Lanka. Hundred and twenty accessions representing seven populations from all pomegranate growing regions of the country were analyzed using 20 ISSR primers. A total of 107 loci were amplified with an average polymorphism information content of 0.3. While the average inter‐population genetic distance was 0.141, it was 0.149 between populations, indicating moderate genetic diversity both within and among populations. Analysis of molecular variance and Nei's genetic diversity revealed higher genetic variation within populations than among populations, and low genetic differentiation (G_ST) in pair‐wise comparison of populations also suggested limited population differentiation. A considerable level of among‐population gene flow (Nm) was indicated, irrespective of geographical structure and distances. The results of cluster analysis was also in agreement with above analysis and suggest human mediated gene flow and migration patterns. Cluster analysis revealed two main population clusters with several sub‐clusters. While these clusters did not show any correlation with geography, all red peeled accessions clustered into a small sub‐cluster. The results indicate that analysis of ISSR variability is sufficiently informative and powerful to assess the genetic diversity of P. granatum landraces in Sri Lanka.     

Geographic origin and taxonomic status of the invasive Privet, Ligustrum robustum (Oleaceae), in the Mascarene Islands, determined by chloroplast DNA and RAPDs

Information concerning the area of origin, genetic diversity and possible acquisition of germplasm through hybridisation is fundamental to understanding the evolution, ecology and possible control measures for an introduced invasive plant species. Among the most damaging of alien plants that are invading and degrading native vegetation in the Mascarene Islands of the Indian Ocean is the Tree Privet, Ligustrum robustum. Exact information about the geographic source of introduced material of this species is lacking, in part because Ligustrum is a taxonomically difficult genus. Native material of L. robustum ssp. walkeri from Sri Lanka, L. robustum ssp. robustum from northeastern India, and the closely related L. perrottetii from southern India was compared with introduced material from La Réunion and Mauritius using chloroplast DNA RFLP markers and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPDs). Sri Lankan and introduced material was monomorphic for the same cpDNA haplotype that was absent from south and northeast Indian Ligustrum. Sri Lankan and introduced material was also clearly distinguished from Indian Ligustrum by RAPDs. It was concluded that material introduced and established in the Mascarene Islands is derived from the Sri Lankan subspecies L. robustum ssp. walkeri. No geographic structuring of genetic variation within Sri Lanka was detected for this taxon, so the location(s) within Sri Lanka from which introduced material is derived could not be pinpointed. RAPDs indicate that L. robustum ssp. walkeri in Sri Lanka is more similar to south Indian L. perrottetii than to northeast Indian L. robustum ssp. robustum. Moreover, RAPDs showed that introduced material in La Réunion has undergone little or no loss of genetic diversity since introduction. However, there was no evidence that it is introgressed with germplasm from two other alien Ligustrum species present on La Réunion.     

Alleles at plasma alpha-amylase locus(Amy-1) of the house musk shrew(Suncus murinus): frequency distribution and new variants in laboratory lines and local Asian populations

Among nine laboratory shrew lines originating from the Japanese islands (Nag, Tok, TKU, Ize, Tr and OKI lines), West Java (Bog), Bangladesh (BAN) and Sri Lanka (SRI), Nag, Tr and Bog were fixed with Amy-1b and SRI with Amy-1a. The remaining lines were still highly polymorphic with the two alleles. A new electrophoretic band C was found in the BAN line and concluded to be expressed by a codominant allele, Amy-1c, which was carried by a single heterozygous female from among eleven wild shrews of the original breeding stock. In most local populations of the Asian shrews surveyed, Amy-1b was more common than Amy-1a. The Sri Lanka population was clearly distinguishable from the others, being nearly fixed with Amy-1a. The C band was found in eleven (one homozygous) of 86 wild shrews caught in Bangladesh. Of a total of 234 wild shrews collected from four Japanese and two Indonesian islands, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, only two showed different AMY-bands from AMY-A, -B and -C, and such bands were not found in the laboratory-bred shrews examined.     

Phylogenetic relationships and molecular evolution in uropeltid snakes (Serpentes: Uropeltidae): allozymes and albumin immunology

Multilocus electrophoretic methods and microcomplement fixation comparisons of serum albumin are used to assess phylogenetic relationships among species of uropeltid snakes, to infer aspects of their population biology and biogeography, and to evaluate their relationships to other primitive snakes (Henophidia). There is very good agreement between phylogenetic inferences derived from the electrophoretic data and those derived from the albumin immunological data. Protein variation detected by electrophoresis is relatively high among 17 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) examined. The mean number of alleles per locus (5.1 across all OTUs), levels of polymorphism (25% of loci), and heterozygosity (4–6%), are typical of, or greater than, values reported for other snakes. Species of uropeltids are genetically highly differentiated, as measured by genetic distances (lowest interspecific Nei's unbiased genetic distances, 0.22-0.27 among several Sri Lankan species; 2.3 between Teretrurus of India and other uropeltines). The phylogenetic tree most consistent with both the immunological and electrophoretic data shows uropeltines from Sri Lanka to be monophyletic, but the Indian species are paraphyletic with respect to those from Sri Lanka. Rhinophis travancoricus of India is inferred to be the sister taxon to the Sri Lankan radiation. As the genera are presently understood, neither Rhinophis nor Uropeltis appears to be monophyletic. A biogeographic scenario derived from the phylogenetic hypothesis suggests an early diversification of uropeltids in India, followed by a single invasion into the lowlands of Sri Lanka. Subsequent evolution on Sri Lanka resulted in occupation of montane biotopes. Cylindrophis is the sister group to uropeltines and is considered a member of the Uropeltidae. The immunological data indicate no phylogenetic association between uropeltids and other ‘anilioid’ taxa, specifically Anilius, Loxocemus or Xenopeltis, although we cannot rule out a very remote relationship. We specifically reject the hypothesis that uropeltines and scolecophidians form a clade relative to henophidians. High levels of genetic variation and a trend toward negative F_IS values for polymorphic loci in three populations suggest generally large effective population sizes and outbreeding in these species. The niche-width variation hypothesis for allozyme loci is not supported by the uropeltid data. In comparison to other vertebrates, the relationship between Nei's genetic distance and albumin immunological distance in uropeltids suggests either conservative albumin evolution or strong differentiation at electrophoretic loci.     

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in a rural,physically active,low income population in Sri Lanka

Background

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is recognized as a metabolic disorder largely seen in urbanized populations. The purpose of this study was to assess prevalence and risk factors for NAFLD in a rural, physically active, economically deprived population in Sri Lanka.

Methods

By visiting individual households in the community, 35-64 year old adults resident in two selected estates in the Nuwara Eliya District of Sri Lanka, were invited to participate in the study. Blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were made on all participants. Blood samples were obtained for the assay of fasting glucose, serum lipids, serum insulin and alanine aminotransferase. NAFLD was diagnosed on established ultrasound criteria for fatty liver in the absence of hepatitis B and C markers and high alcohol consumption.

Results

Of those invited, 403 (65%) participated in the study. Almost all participants were either Indian or Sri Lankan Tamils and 53% were females. Prevalence of NAFLD was 18% in this population. Twice as many males were diagnosed as having NAFLD compared to females. Male sex, high BMI, high waist circumference, high diastolic blood pressure and high plasma glucose levels were significant predictors of NAFLD.

Conclusion

Nearly one in five people in this predominantly Indian Tamil, rural, physically active, economically deprived population had NAFLD. The condition was associated with constituent features of the metabolic syndrome. These results support studies reporting ethnic variations in disease susceptibility and suggest that genetic factors may also play a role in determining disease risk.

     

Very low genetic variability in the Indian queenless ant Diacamma indicum

Abstract We developed microsatellite markers and combined them with mitochondrial markers to analyse the population genetic structure of the queenless ant Diacamma indicum. This species, lacking winged queens, is likely to have a restricted female dispersal but exhibits various life history traits suggesting higher dispersal abilities than the other Diacamma species. Only 4 of 11 microsatellites were polymorphic and only 1 had more than 4 alleles over 166 individuals originating from 7 populations from the south of India. Only one mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotype was detected throughout India (including one population in the north) and Sri Lanka. Such a level of polymorphism is particularly low compared with other Diacamma species having much smaller ranges in the south of India. A strong genetic differentiation was observed between populations separated by more than a few kilometres. We also analysed the genetic differentiation between the Indian populations and two populations from the Japanese island of Okinawa, which are morphologically similar and might belong to the same species. The genetic differentiation was high for both markers, suggesting an absence of ongoing gene flow between these populations.     

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite markers in the newly discovered invasive fruit fly pest in Africa, Bactrocera invadens (Diptera: Tephritidae)

We describe the isolation and characterization of 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci from the recently discovered fruit fly pest, Bactrocera invadens. The polymorphism of these loci was tested in individual flies from two natural populations (Sri Lanka and Democratic Republic of Congo). Allele number per locus ranged from three to 15 and eight loci displayed a polymorphic information content greater than 0.5. These microsatellite loci provide useful markers for studies of population dynamics and invasion history of this pest species.     

Sexual dimorphism in digital dermatoglyphic traits among Sinhalese people in Sri Lanka

Background

The purpose of this study was to evaluate gender-wise diversity of digital dermatoglyphic traits in a sample of Sinhalese people in Sri Lanka.

Findings

Four thousand and thirty-four digital prints of 434 Sinhalese individuals (217 males and 217 females) were examined for their digital dermatoglyphic pattern distribution. The mean age for the entire group was 23.66 years (standard deviation = 4.93 years). The loop pattern is observed more frequently (n = 2,592, 59.72%) compared to whorl (n = 1,542, 35.53%) and arch (n = 206, 4.75%) in the Sinhalese population. Females (n = 1,274, 58.71%) have a more ulnar loop pattern than males (n = 1,231, 56.73%). The plain whorl pattern is observed more frequently in males (n = 560, 25.81%) compared to females (n = 514, 23.69%).The double loop pattern is observed more frequently on the right and left thumb (digit 1) of both males and females. Pattern intensity index, Dankmeijer index and Furuhata index are higher in males.

Conclusions

Ulnar loop is the most frequently occurring digital dermatoglyphic pattern among the Sinhalese. All pattern indices are higher in males. To some extent, dermatoglyphic patterns of Sinhalese are similar to North Indians and other Caucasoid populations. Further studies with larger sample sizes are recommended to confirm our findings.     

Relationships of desire for no more children and socioeconomic and demographic factors in Sri Lankan women.

Data from the 1982 Sri Lanka Contraceptive Prevalence Survey are used to identify women who wish to stop childbearing; they differ in socioeconomic status from their counterparts who want more children. Educated women are more likely to be motivated to cease childbearing than non-educated women; Christian or Sinhalese/Buddhist women are more willing to stop childbearing than Moor/Muslim or Tamil/Hindu women. The relationships between sex composition of existing children and women's fertility desires indicate that although moderate son preference exists it does not affect their contraceptive behaviour. Among those who want no more children, 15% are at risk of unwanted pregnancy because they do not practise contraception. Again better education and being Christian or Sinhalese/Buddhist reduced the risk of unwanted pregnancy. Women whose husbands disapproved of contraception had over four times higher risk of unwanted pregnancy than women whose husbands approved.     

Genetic variation in Sri Lankan leopards

Electrophoretic variation of 50 gene-enzyme systems was typed in a population of 33 captive leopards (Panthera pardus) from the island of Sri Lanka. The captive leopard population was composed of several lineages: (1) wild-caught leopards of the island subspecies (P. p. kotiya), (2) captive-born animals of the same subspecies, (3) a melanistic lineage whose founders were obtained from Malaysia (P. p. delacouri), and (4) leopards of known mixed lineage and unknown status. Two loci, APRT and PGD, were polymorphic in all samples, whereas 48 loci were invariant. Percent polymorphism (P) and percent average heterozygosity (H) were calculated as 4% and 1.4%, respectively, for the wild-caught leopards; 4% and 1.2% for the captive-born kotiya leopards; and 4% and 2.0% for the melanistic lineage. The overall results revealed a detectable decrease in genetic variability compared with a previous study of captive leopards from mainland origins. The mainland leopards had three additional polymorphic loci, ADA, ESI, and HBB. Reexamination of the TF locus using a revised protocol resolved a new allele in the sample of mainland leopards but not in the Sri Lankan sample. With this new polymorphism, recalculated P and H values for the mainland sample are 10% and 3.1%, respectively. No significant differences in polymorphic loci were observed between the leopard subspecies examined.     

Diaspora identification and long-distance nationalism among Tamil migrants of diverse state origins in the UK

Accounts of Tamil long-distance nationalism have focused on Sri Lankan Tamil migrants. But the UK is also home to Tamils of non-Sri Lankan state origins. While these migrants may be nominally incorporated into a ‘Tamil diaspora’, they are seldom present in scholarly accounts. Framed by Werbner's (2002) conception of diasporas as ‘aesthetic’ and ‘moral’ communities, this article explores whether engagement with a Tamil diaspora and long-distance nationalism is expressed by Tamil migrants of diverse state origins. While migrants identify with an aesthetic community, ‘membership’ of the moral community is contested between those who hold direct experience of suffering as central to belonging, and those who imagine the boundaries of belonging more fluidly – based upon primordial understandings of essential ethnicity and a narrative of Tamil ‘victimhood’ that incorporates experiences of being Tamil in Sri Lanka, India and in other sites, despite obvious differences in these experiences.