Rajarata University of Sri Lanka (Sinhala: ශ්රී ලංකා රජරට විශ්වවිද්යාලය, Tamil: இலங்கை ரஜரட்ட பல்கலைக்கழகம், abbreviated RUSL) is a public university located in the historic city of Mihintale, near Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. The Rajarata University of Sri Lanka was established as the eleventh University in Sri Lanka and was opened on 31 January 1996 by President Chandrika Kumaratunga.Over the years, the University has developed to become a centre of excellence in higher education in the North Central Province as well as in Sri Lanka. The academic programs of the RUSL are offered by six faculties namely; Technology, Agriculture, Applied Sciences, Management Studies, Medicine and Allied Sciences and Social Sciences and Humanities. The main administrative complex, the Faculties of Applied Sciences, Technology, Management Studies and Social Sciences and Humanities are located at Mihintale while the Faculty of Agriculture and Faculty of Medicine Allied Sciences are located at Puliyankulama and Saliyapura, respectively.
Fusariosis is a life-threatening opportunistic fungal infection, especially among immunocompromised individuals, with high mortality rates due to diagnostic delays and antifungal resistance. Despite the increasing global burden, management guidelines for this fatal fungal infection are not much available. This review outlines clinical features, diagnostic approaches, and current treatment options to support effective identification and intervention. This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines to assess the clinical, microbiological, and antifungal characteristics of fusariosis using global literature. Electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched from December 2024 to May 2025 using the MeSH terms. Randomized control trials, cohort, case reports, and surveillance data reporting laboratory-confirmed fusarium infections were included. Two reviewers independently screened and extracted data using a standardized template covering demographics, clinical features, species identification, antifungal susceptibility, and treatment outcomes. Quality assessment was performed using adapted critical appraisal tools for observational studies and case reports. Among 139 articles, over 2015 to 2025, 84 (60.4
This study highlights the diversity and ecological importance of freshwater endophytic fungi in Ratnapura district, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. Freshwater plant samples were collected from Chandrika tank (Embilipitiya), a seasonal pond at Haughton Estate (Kalawana), and Thiniyamita stream (Wewelkandura). Six endophytic species were isolated associated with different freshwater plants. These endophytes comprised of four Colletotrichum species C. hydei sp. nov. (RUFCC24116) and C. chlorophyti (RUFCC24117) from Vallisneria americana; C. chlorophyti (RUFCC241117) and C. vittalense (RUFCC241112) from Nymphaea pubescens; C. truncatum (RUFCC241119) from Lagenandra ovata); Daldinia eschscholtzii (RUFCC24114) from Hydrilla verticillata; and Nigrospora lacticolonia (RUFCC24115) from Persicaria glabra. Multi-locus phylogenetic analyses were used for species delimitation, based on ITS, GAPDH, ACT, CHS-1, and tub2 gene regions for Colletotrichum species; ITS, LSU, and rpb2 for Daldinia eschscholtzii; and ITS and tef1-alpha for Nigrospora lacticolonia. These results provide important insights into fungal host range and biodiversity at the global level.
The semi-arid Jaffna Peninsula in northern Sri Lanka has often been considered unsuitable for prehistoric habitation due to its dry climate and scarce stone resources. New excavations at a shell midden (CB/Ex1) in Velanai Island challenge this view, revealing a Late Holocene coastal foraging community dated similar to 3460 cal BP that utilized coastal resources long before the agro-pastoral migrations from India around the fifth century BCE. This microlithic activity locus, including non-local quartz debitage, provides the earliest scientifically confirmed evidence of prehistoric occupation by island dwellers in northern Sri Lanka. The inhabitants strategically exploited intertidal reefs with Gafrarium pectinatum as a dietary staple, alongside marine and terrestrial fauna. Their technological toolkit combined locally available limestone, bone tools, and non-local raw materials from the mainland, underscoring deliberate raw material transport and mobility, as well as possibly short-distance seafaring. These findings transform current models of Sri Lankan prehistory by highlighting the adaptive strategies of coastal foragers in marginal environments and their early participation in regional mobility and exchange networks. This research highlights the significance of coastal archaeological sites in reconstructing long-term human-environment interactions and early maritime traditions in South Asia.
Identifying shell-bearing deposits in Late Quaternary coastal landscapes is challenging due to preservation biases and post-depositional alterations. In Sri Lanka, Late Quaternary shell deposits in the Iranamadu Formation are linked to past human-environment interactions; however, their origin, distribution, and taphonomic histories remain uncertain. This study analyzes shell-bearing deposits in the Mannar-Jaffna Seaboard to assess their formation and archaeological significance, highlighting stratigraphic and taphonomic uncertainties in the Late Quaternary coastal record. We observed chronological inconsistencies between AMS radiocarbon and U-Th dating results within the same shell-bearing contexts, with ages ranging from approximately 36,000 cal BP (AMS <<^>> 14C) to around 3600 cal BP (U-Th), suggesting species-specific diagenetic alteration. While shell middens are considered direct evidence of human activity, findings indicate that alterations to shell remains necessitate considering subtle indicators, such as shell casts. Middle Paleolithic and microlithic artifacts in basal gravels of the Iranamadu Formation, dated to the Late Quaternary, raise questions about their association with shell-bearing layers. These deposits reflect a stratigraphic palimpsest shaped by natural and cultural processes. Our findings highlight the complexities of studying open-air shell deposits, despite the availability of predictive models that can help locate these sites. The need for systematic Late Quaternary research in Sri Lanka is underscored, as it contributes to discussions on early coastal archaeology.
This study evaluated the inhibitory effects of different organic solvent fractions derived from the methanol extract of Costus speciosus Koen (Thebu) leaf on cancer cell growth using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and investigated the underlying mechanism of action. Among the extracts, the ethyl acetate fraction (T-EA) exhibited the most potent anti-proliferative activity against human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60), mouse melanoma (B16F10), and human lung carcinoma (A549) cells, with IC50 values of 26.06 +/- 0.56, 31.02 +/- 1.22, and 30.58 +/- 1.65 & micro;g mL-1, respectively. HL-60 cell proliferation was suppressed in a dose-dependent manner following 24 h treatment with the T-EA fraction, as measured by flow cytometry after annexin-V fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and propidium iodide (PI) staining. Pre-treatment with the caspase-3 inhibitor z-DEVD-fmk significantly reduced T-EA-induced cytotoxicity, and apoptotic body formation was observed. Western blot analysis revealed dose-dependent upregulation of Bax and downregulation of Bcl-xL through caspase-3 activation. GC-MS analysis identified hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester (59.53%) as the major constituent of the T-EA fraction. These findings suggest that phytochemicals present in the ethyl acetate fraction of C. speciosus leaf may serve as potential natural therapeutics for human leukemia.
