Research Symposium-2011

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Tourists’ Satisfaction and Intention to Revisit: Study with special reference to Southern province of Sri Lanka
(Uva Wellassa University of Srilanka, 2011) Kanishka, H.L.G.; Ranasinghe, J.P.R.C.
Tourism is one of the booming sectors in the consideration of destination loyalty and it is one of the world's largest service industries (Hui et al., 2007). Tourist perceptions about a holiday destination can help to determine the destination's success or failure (Kozak and Rimmington, 2000) since loyal customers can produce more sales revenue and minimize marketing costs (Gitelson and Crompton, 1984; Kozak, 2001). This research mainly focuses on foreign tourists, since they are the major income generators in tourism industry. Besides, though there was a significant decrease during the first half of 2009 in the tourism industry, it has shown a remarkable growth of 21.5% after the war situation in Sri Lanka during the second half of the same year. In this context, the current study investigated the relationship between tourists' satisfaction and revisit intention to a destination. Moreover, the key objectives of this study were to identify the relationship between tourists' satisfaction and intention to revisit, to identify the relationship between tourists' satisfaction and recommend destination, to recognize the most effective factors that affect tourists' satisfaction in Southern province and to recognize the limitations for tourists' overall satisfaction.
Development of a Fruit Nectar from Ambarella (Spondias dulcis): A Value Added Product from an Underutilized Fruit Crop in Sri Lanka
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2011) Ranathunga, G.M.S.K; Henagamage, A.P; Kalubowila, K.S.R; Hapuarachchi, H.A.C.S
Note: See the PDF Version The underutilized fruit crops are the plant species that are traditionally used for their food, fiber, fodder, oil or medicinal properties. Wide range of underutilized fruit species are grown in tropical and subtropical regions and some of them are utilized for food purposes; as fresh fru its, curries, salads and as homely prepared processed foods (Pushpakumara et u/., 2000). Ambarella (Spoiidiasdiilcis) i z one of the underutilized and seasonal fruit crops in Sri Lanka. Ambarella is widely utilized as a curry and chutney in Sri Lanka, however, the majority of the fruit production is wasted without utilizing during the seasonal periods. Nectar is a popular and widely consuming beverage manufactured basically from fruits worldwide. These fruits contain a number of natural materials that contribute to the overall flavor and consistency of the nectar including water, sugars, organic acids, and flavor compounds that are important to our diet. Besides water and sugar, it is an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium and folic acid, which are recommended for women who are pregnant or may become pregnant (Ouuasena e/ at., 2003). Therefore, manufacturing of fruit nectar front Ambarella as a ready to serve value added product to the Sri Lankan food and beverage industry will be a good solution for the enormous wastage of local Ambarella fruits.
Effect of Different Pasteurization Temperature – Time Combinations on Shelf Life of Raw Cream in Relation to its Microbiological, Chemical and Physical properties
(Uva Wellassa University of Srilanka, 2011) Gunawardana, C.N.P.; Mudannayake, D.C.; Perera, M.N.P.
Note: See the PDF Version Cream is a vital ingredient in manufacturing of many dairy products. Cream is a good substrate for microbial growth due to its high nutritional value. Generally, in dairy processing factories separated cream is held on a period of time prior to incorporation in to the dairy products. The spoilage of cream from separation till the production of dairy products has been a critical problem to producers. The treatments which are given and the conditions under which cream is held will have a direct effect on its keeping quality. Shelf life of raw cream currently produced as an ingredient for curd production at Fonterra Brands Lanka (Pvt) Ltd is estimated to be approximately four days at 4 °C. Therefore a method that could be used to extend the keeping quality of raw cream beyond four days would be a helpful and economical to the industry. Pasteurization of raw cream after separation can be done to improve the keeping quality. As there are no regulations governing heat treatment of cream in Sri Lanka, the time/temperature combinations used vary widely in practice. This investigation was undertaken to determine the effective pasteurization temperature/time combinations to improve the keeping quality of cream.
Influence of Vermicompost Technology on Solubility of Eppawala Rock Phosphate
(Uva Wellassa University of Srilanka, 2011) Rathnayake, R.M.N.; Gunathilaka, R.P.D.; Senarathne, S.H.S.
Note: See the PDF Version This study was conducted to determine the influence of vermicompost technology on solubility of ERP. Earthworms play a major role in vermicomposting. The most common type of earthworms used for vermicomposting is brandling worms (Eisenia foetida). Food is ingested through the mouth into a stomach (crop), which retains food and has the ability to expand. From there, food goes into the gizzard where sand and muscular contractions churn the food and increase the surface area. From there, food enters the intestine which has the ability to absorb food, then food exits through the anus. This final product consists of low power organic acids, like Malate, Oxalate, Citrate, etc. This low power organic acid is helps to increase the solubility of ERP. ERP is currently mined for use as a fertilizer for perennial crops such as tea, rubber and coconut. This is gives considerable value to the country because Phosphate deposits are non-renewable and dwindling resources in the world like fossil fuel. Also this is very economically important natural resource in Sri Lanka. Current production is 25 000 metric tonnes per year while reserves are 40 million metric tonnes. This saves nearly Rs 20 billion annually spent for importing fertilizer. This is important for providing the Phosphorus (P) fertilizer requirement, because P plays an important role in many physiological and bio chemical functions that are important to plants and animals. Major problem can be seen in ERP is the less solubility. The core bodies at Eppawala contain 42% P2O5 and citric acid solubility of different components varies from 4 to 6%. The parent rocks are mainly made up of calcite, dolomite and apatite, with lesser amounts of ilmenite, magnetite, pyrite, forsterite, phlogopite, enstatite, magnesite, diopside, tremolite and spine!. The Eppawala rocks are characterized by low silica (0.41%), high phosphorous (10.58%) and high strontium content (Gunawardena, 2003). Therefore in this study, an experiment was made to increase the availability of P by using vermicomposting.
Car Park Navigation and Management System: A Software Solution
(Uva Wellassa University of Srilanka, 2011) Dilangi, W.G.C.; Ekanayake, R.M.T.C.B.
The Car Park Management and Navigation System is a system designed to reduce the number of problems associated with parking cars. Aims of this project are to create a systematic method of parking cars, to reduce congestion in parking lots and to prevent the occurrence of indiscriminate parking. Parking in the urban areas has become increasingly part and parcel of successful business; more and more shoppers get attracted to organized shopping complexes where ample, secure and effectively managed parking is provided. This project has focused on developing software that will effectively manage the parking facilities and manage parking in order to optimize the use of limited parking spaces and increase customer satisfaction. To achieve this objective, a qualitative and quantitative research design was used whereby survey used as the research instruments in data collection
Impact of Dividend Policy on Share Prices of Listed Companies in Sri Lanka: Evidance from Bank Finance and Insurance Sector in Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE)
(Uva Wellassa University of Srilanka, 2011) Wimalaratna, W.K.P.S.; Gunaratne, Y.M.C.
Note: See the PDF Version Share market is a vital part in any economy as it helps investors to sell their securities in a secondary market at an efficient price. Further, it helps favorably to the initial public offering since most of the people invest in shares with the intention of selling those at a higher price in the future. Stock market gives a great opportunity to investors to buy and sell their shares at a satisfactory price in a well-functioning secondary market. Recently, there is a significant development in Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE). At present, 241 companies have been listed in CSE representing 20 business sectors. Investor seeks to earn the maximum return from their investment. As far as the return of the share market is concerned, total expected return includes two components namely, capital gains and dividends. Shareholders make investment in equity capital with the expectation of earning dividends or capital gains. Thus, shareholders can increase their wealth either from dividends or capital gains. Once the company earns a profit, Board of directors need to decide to retain the profit within the company or to pay it out as dividends to the owners of the company. Dividend policy determines the amount of earnings to be distributed to shareholders and the amount to be retained or reinvest in the firm. The objective of a dividend policy should be to maximize shareholder's wealth. Retained earnings are used to contribute investment opportunities which lead to increase the growth rate of the firm in the long run and the shareholders can obtain benefits of the retain earning in the long run. How much is needed to pay as a dividend is always a controversial topic for the business. Therefore management has to carefully design the dividend policy of the company in order to satisfy all the shareholders while achieving the company's objectivities satisfactorily. Company's profit after tax can either be divided among shareholders as dividend or can retain in the company or combination of these two. However, this may determine after comparing the costs of paying dividends with the cost of retain earnings. None of the companies has an obligation to declare dividends on common stock. However, director board can decide whether to pay or not dividend in the year. By maintaining a proper dividend policy a company can build a good image among the investors. Many theoretical models describe the factors that managers should consider when making dividend policy decisions. Miller and Modigliani (1961) states that in a given perfect capital market, the dividend decision does not affect firm's value and is, therefore, irrelevant. They offered many theories about how dividends affect value of a share and how managers should design their dividend policy. Stock Prices are changing according to the behavior of various factors. Some information regarding the stock prices such as earning per share, net assets per share highly affected the changes of stock prices because they reflect the strength of the company. Basically, investors consider companies' profitability, liquidity, leverage, asset utilization and future strategies when making the investment decisions. Accordingly, earning per share and net assets per share are the major information to the investors in their investment decision making. Thus, the second objective is how do earning per share and net assets per share impact on the market prices and how important those factors in investment decisions.
Modification of Natural Rubber using Grafting Technique
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2011) Chinthika, Y.K.D.D.; Liyanage, R.N.; Chandralal, H.N.K.K.
Note: See the PDF Version With growing demands for new products and technologies there has been continued interest in the field of modification of rubber. A considerable amount of published information is available on the modification of synthetic and Natural Rubber (NR). Further, with increase in price of products based on petroleum, some of the synthetic rubbers which were commercially available subsequently replaced by modified natural rubbers. Carboxylated synthetic rubbers mainly Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) and Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR) exist in the market. Main advantage of introducing extra carboxylic link on the synthetic rubber could be explained in terms of mechanical and physical properties of the final product. The aim of this project was to introduce such a system (extra carbonyl group) to natural rubber, which is not available at present. The properties of natural rubber have been modified by several methods. These include, either change the chemical nature of the rubber molecule or alter its structure. A useful method of modification involves the grafting of monomers on to natural rubber backbone. This study is based on the graft copolymerization of Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) and acrylic acid on to NR by emulsion polymerization using Tertiary Butyl Hydroperoxide(TBHP)/ Tetra ethylene Pentamine (TEP) and Potassium persulfate/ Sodium thiosulfate initiator systems, respectively. Introduction of COOH groups using monomers on to the main back bone of the polymers would create new sites for cross links to be formed by metal oxides (ZnO, MgO etc.) or any other chemicals present in the formulation. Those new cross links formed in the system would enhance mechanical properties of the final product compared to C-S-C cross links formed by conventional sulphur vulcanization.
Personality Traits and Conflict Handling Styles: Exploring Relationships with Special Reference to Tea Plantation Sector in Nuwaraeliya District
(Uva Wellassa University of Srilanka, 2011) Lakmali, K.N.U.; Weerakoon, W.M.P.G.C.
Note: See the PDF Version Conflict is a perceived incompatibility of interests, which is often caused by a misalignment of goals, motivations or actions between two or more parties who are interdependent, that can be real or only perceived to exits (Kenneth, 1992). The early approach to conflict assumed that all conflict was bad. Conflict was viewed negatively, and it was used synonymously with terms such as violence, destruction, and irrationality to reinforce its negative connotation. However, in accordance with the modern approach, conflict is viewed as potentially useful to energize a company. Due to the effects of the globalization and speedy transformation of the society, the potential for conflict in daily interaction is increasing. Conflict handling styles are typically seen as responses to particular conflict situations. Opposite to the "conflict avoidance" perspective of traditionalists, the "con Flict management" perspective of modern approach recognizes that while conflict does have associated costs, it can also bring great benefits to the organizations. The success of the management depends heavily on an ability to handle conflict effectively (Antonioni, 1990). In accordance with Henry Mintzberg (1975), every manager must spend a good part of his time responding to high-pressure disturbances with the managerial role of disturbance handler. As mentioned by Friedman (2000) the way an individual think or believe about someone or something (perception) is based on his/ her personality. According to All port (1943), personality is the dynamid organization within the individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his unique adjustments to the environment and understanding the personality can help managers predict how a person might act in a particular situation. This attests that there must be a relationship between personality traits and conflict handling styles. As Explained in the past research findings it was clear that, there are contradictory ideas in relation to the relationship between personality traits and conflict handling styles and this matter has poorly been researched in the Sri Lankan context. Conflict can be manifested in a variety of ways. Some signs are outwardly visible, others are more repressed. Strikes are considered as one of the indicators of conflict. In accordance with the classification of strikes by the Labour department of Sri Lanka, the "Tea plantation" sector accounts for the highest strike rate, as a single sector. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between personality traits and conflict handling styles with special reference to Tea Plantation sector in Sri Lanka.
Effect of Different Concentration of Liquid Nutrient Solution on Potato Tuber Initiation of Two Varieties (Granola And Golden Star) under Hydroponic System
(Uva Wellassa University of Srilanka, 2011) Mohammed Haaris, N.M.; Nugaliyadde, M.M.; Ranawana, S.R.W.M.C.J.K.
The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) belongs to Solanaceae family. Potato is grown mainly in the up country wet zone of Sri Lanka. Non availability of good quality disease free seeds of desirable varieties at the correct time for planting is considered as the main constraint for increasing the productivity of potatoes in Sri Lanka (Nugaliyadde et al., 2005). The total seed potato requirement in the country is around 19,000 tons per year (anonymous, 2011). At present, very high demand for locally produced high quality seed is created. Technologies, such as aeroponics and hydroponics are developed to produce high quantities of pre-basic seeds tubers locally within a short period (Mazeen et al, 2008). The Agricultural research station, Sita-Eliya was successfully producing minitubers of the variety Granola in hydroponics system. It was producing approximately 80-150 minitubers per plant in short period of time, under hydroponics system. However, a longer period is needed for seeds production of Golden Star than Granola, under hydroponics system because of the longer tuber initiation period which is nearly two months, longer stolon length (> 3 feet) and longer root system. Therefore, tuber initiation period, plant growth, stolon length and root length should be reduced to increase the seed production in a short period of time. Therefore, before releasing a variety it should be capable of supplying a large numbers of seed potatoes according to the requirement. Thus, there was a requirement for producing minitubers from Golden Star variety in a short period of time. This study aims to evaluate different liquid nutrient levels in order to control plant growth and time taken for tuber initiation under hydroponics system.
Production of Tuna Fish Oil by Utilizing Tuna (Thunnus Albacares) Processing by - Products
(Uva Wellassa University of Srilanka, 2011) Kumara, M.S.S.; Rajapakshe, G.; Jayamanne, S.C.
Note: See the PDF Version Sri Lanka is surrounded by a coastline of approximately 1700 Km, and belongs to an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 517,000 Sq Km. About 50,000 people in the country are directly involved in the fishery industry. The total marine fish production in 2010 was recorded about 332,260 Metric tons (Mt), while Tuna contributed 88903 Mt to the total (Fisheries year Book, 2010). From the total yield about one-third of the catch of fish is not used for direct human consumption but for the production of fishery by products (Balios, 2003). Every year thousands of tons of fish by-products of high nutrient content are discarded by fish processing plants through the world although they can be utilized for other purposes. Crude tuna oil is produced from tuna waste by steam followed by purification, wet rendering, alkali digestion, acid silage Soxhlet like methods (Bimbo, 1990).Tuna fish oil has been considered as an available source of long chain polyunsaturated Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosa Hexaenoic Acid (DHA). Tuna oil differs from other fish oils in the ratio of the C20:5 n-3 (EPA) to the C22:6 n-3 (DHA) fatty acids. It means that the ratio of EPA: DHA in tuna oil around 1:4 is similar to that of human breast mil . This study attempted to find out the feasibility of producing Tuna fish oil using fish waste.
Use of Personality for Managing Conflicts to Increase the Productivity in Sri Lankan food Processing Sector
(Uva Wellassa University of Srilanka, 2011) Patalee, M.A.B.; Athauda, A.M.T.P.
Note: See the PDF Version Organizational conflict is considered as legitimate, inevitable, and even a positive indicator of effective organization management (Rahim, 2002). Organizational conflict occurs when members engage in activities that are incompatible with those of colleagues within their network, members of other collectives, or unaffiliated individuals who utilize the services or products of the organization (Roloff, 1987). Conflict management is the practice of identifying and handling conflict in a sensible, fair and efficient manner (Ma, 2003). It is now recognized that conflict within certain limits is essential to productivity. Conflict management involves designing effective macro-level strategies to minimize the dysfunction of conflict and enhancing the constructive functions of conflict in order to enhance learning and effectiveness in an organization (Rahim, 2002). The most accepted model for conflict management has been designed by Thomas in 1976 (Ma, 2003). He identifies five different conflict handling styles based on two dimensions. They are Assertiveness and Cooperativeness (Figure 1). High Accommodating Collaborating Cooperativeness Compromising (Concern for others) oi(ling Competing Low Low High Assertiveness (Concern for self) Figurel: two dimensional models of Conflict Handling Styles Conflict styles refer to specific behavioral patterns that one prefers to employ when addressing conflict situations (Ma, 2003). Early studies supported a relationship between personality dimensions and the five styles of handling interpersonal conflict, while others have reported weak relationships between personality and styles of conflict handling (Ma and Kao, 2008). When considered the Sri Lankan food processing sector, it can be categorized into a large number of sub sectors including fresh fruit and vegetables, poultry/meat, processed meat and fish, dairy products, biscuit and confectionary, bakery and flour Based products, non-alcoholic beverages, and coconut products etc. Total contribution of the sector to GDP is 8.4billion (Anon, 2010). There are approximately 100,000people are employed in agro-industrial and food processing industries (Sellahewa, 2009) and it is accounted 24.2% of the total workforce offering immense employment opportunities emphasizes the importance of food processing sector to the economy of the country. However, the presence of conflicts result in high labour turnover, job dissatisfaction and declined productivity in the food processing sector as in any other sector. According to the statistics of department of labour, fifteen strikes were recorded including food processing sector in 2010 (Anon, 2010).The objective of this study was to find out how the productivity of food processing sector can be increased by revealing the relationship between personality and individuals, preferred conflict managing styles.
Germination and Water Requirement for cooking of Dehulled Rice at Different Degree of Polishing
(Uva Wellassa University of Srilanka, 2011) Pothmitiyage, D.H.K.; Abeysiriwardhana, S.; Alwis, L.M.H.R.
Note: See the PDF Version Rice (Oryza saliva L.) is a cereal and it is the staple food of the most parts of the world including the South and the South East Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the West Indies. Rice cultivation occupies 34 percent of the total arable lands in Sri Lanka and is cultivated as a wetland crop in all the districts. At present, Sri Lanka is exporting rice with high grain quality to several countries like United States of America, Canada, Germany and Australia. Retaining seed viability of red rice even after milling is a problem faced in rice exportation as most foreign countries consider red rice as a weed. In addition, varying water requirement for cooking rice at different degrees of polishing is another problem. Determination of the influence of de-hulling and degree of polishing on germination of rice grains, determination of the water requirement for cooking of rice at different degrees of polishing, influence of degree of polishing on cooking time and volume expansion of cooked rice were the objectives of this research.
Economic Impact of Green Initiatives Implemented in Tea Estates in Sri Lanka – A Study Based on Renewable Energy Utilization & Organic Cultivation Practices
(Uva Wellassa University of Srilanka, 2011) De Silva, R.G.P.; Dharmadasa, R.A.P.I.S.; Vithanage, S.S.
Note: See the PDF Version With the beginning of 21' century, the concept of "Green Economy" has floated-out in to main stream of policy discourse of almost all the governments in world (UNEP, 2011). Similarly by introducing Haritha Lanka Programme (HLP), Sri Lankan government has also taken the initiative to the process of greening the Sri Lankan economy. As far as tea cultivation has concerned as a key sector in Sri Lankan economy, several green initiatives (GI) have been taken through HLP to green the Sri Lankan tea industry, namely promotion off- grid renewable energy utilization in the manufacturing process through carbon offset projects, promotion of organic tea cultivation, introduction of ozone friendly pure Ceylon tea certification system and introduction of national green reporting system. Meanwhile renewable energy utilization in the manufacturing process and organic tea cultivation practices can be identified as more extensively diffused GIs in Sri Lankan tea industry, since other two initiatives have just introduced in middly of this year (2011). Infact positive environmental impact of these initiatives were proven, but still no significant study was carried out to find the economic impact after implemented situations. Therefore, this study was carried out to find out the economic impact of two major extensively diffused GIs, namely renewable energy utilization (GIL) and organic tea cultivation practices (GI2) in estate category of Sri Lankan tea industry.
Antimicrobial Activity of Plumbago Rosea Root Extract against Human Pathogens
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2011) Mihirani, M.A.A.M.; Henagamage, A.P.; Karunathilake, A.A.K.; Madhusinghe, M.M.G.
Note: See the PDF Version Plumbago prosea, also known as Plumbago indica is an ornamental garden plant. Root of this plant wild acrid, vesicant, a iterative, digestive, stimulate abortifacient and oral contraceptive ve properties is used in Ayurvedic medicine (Okeyo, 2006). According to the previous studies root of P.rosea contains plumbagin or 5-hydroxy-2- methyl- 1,4- napthoquinone (Mallavadhani 2002). Plumbago is present in all the varieties of genus plumbago to a maximum of about 0. 9 I %. Pliiml›ago zeylanicas, another species belong to genus plumbago has been reported for its antimicrobial properties. (Dhale, 2011). The emergence of antibiotic resistant strains of human pathogens and side effects of currently available drugs are becoming a serious problem , for witch alternative therapies are urgently required. Infections caused by staphylococcus aureus especially due to methicillin -resistant S.aureus (M RSA) in immune compromised patients is continue to be a serious problem in worldwide. Staphylococcus aureus is a cause for community- acqu ired urinary tract infections in young women. Opportunistic pathogens which as Pscu‹loiiioiias act uginos which causes range of human infection and the Escherichia coil are also, being reported for the antibiotic resistance. Drug resistant strains of CanJi‹la albicans, which causes cand id iasis is also a problems with global concern,
Establishment of Community Based Fish Factory Through Green Supply Chain Management Approaches
(Uva Wellassa University of Srilanka, 2011) Wijenayake, A.D.; Gamage, Deepa; Jayamanne, S.C.
Note: See the PDF Version Post-harvest loss is one of the main problems in Sri Lankan fish industry. According to Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources there is a 30% of post-harvest loss in Sri Lankan marine fish industry. This may be due to lack of facilities and lack of knowledge of the fishermen. Under the greening concept the main idea is to increase the resource utilization by maximizing the output and reduce the environment impact. Therefore, by applying the greening concept the post-harvest losses can be reduced and the environment effect could be minimized and maximum gain could be obtained from the existing resources. Establishment of a community based fish processing factory through green supply chain management approaches is tested here as an option to minimize the post-harvest losses in Sri Lankan fish industry.
Investigating Variation of Microbial Biomass in Plantation Forests with Age
(Uva Wellassa University of Srilanka, 2011) Premetilake, M.M.S.N.; Rathnayake, R.R.; Kulasooriya, S.A.; Perera, G.A.D.
Note: See the PDF Version Soil organic carbon is the basis of sustainable agriculture and is important for chemical, physical and biological fertility. Consequently, carbon soil fertility could be improved more via sequestering. The role of microorganisms is important for carbon sequestration in soil compared to other factors. Thus, by increasing the activity of microorganisms we can increase carbon sequestration and soil fertility. Plantation forests were originally established in Sri Lanka to provide industrial timber and fuel wood. There are also other uses such as wind protection, bee keeping and oil extraction and moreover they provide invaluable ecosystem services. At present, sites available for reforestation in Sri Lanka are generally poor in nutrients and fertilizer application is required for better growth of seedlings. A novel approach of research at the IFS is the application of beneficial microbial consortia as biofilm biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture (Seneviratne et al., 2011). These are low cost and are eco-friendly. The shifts in composition and function of the microbial community in response to different stages of forest regeneration play an important role in determining rates of C changes (loss or gain) in the soil (Plante at al., 2005). Hence the long term goal of this study is to produce biofilm bio fertilizer for forest plantations to improve their yields. This would be more beneficial, less expensive and have no detrimental effects to the ecosystems. The biofilm bio fertilizer will be prepared using the microorganisms that have the capability of sequestering more carbon than the others. In this process, identification of the microorganisms and the factors affecting them is a crucial component. There are no studies conducted on this regard in Sri Lankan plantation forests yet. In the current study we investigated how the microbial biomass carbon (MBC) varies in Eucalyptus grandis forests in Sri Lanka with their age. Improved Carbon sequestration in forests would deliver better yields and would assist in minimizing climate change and support in obtaining foreign currency via carbon trading.
Developing Literacy in Undergraduates of Level One English Proficiency- Application of ‘Reading to Learn’ Methodology
(Uva Wellassa University of Srilanka, 2011) Hussain, Z.D.
Note: See the PDF Version The problem of this research concerns a set of students, existent at any Sri Lankan university at any given point in time. They are the students of very weak English proficiency, or of Level I proficiency, according to the English leveling system followed by the universities. This research makes this particular group its focus in view of future English Medium Instruction (EMI) developments that may arise in the Sri Lankan university system. The problem of this study is the underdeveloped English literacy (reading and writing) evident in Level 1 students. The term 'English Literacy' here refers to the ability to read and write in the English Language. When a student opts for English Medium education that undergraduate will be required to complete a considerable amount of reading and writing tasks in order to achieve academic success. Thus the aim of this study is to examine one methodology to address the above mentioned problem with the objective of helping level 1 students develop reading- writing skills in English for academic success. It is common knowledge that university education requires a high degree of reading and writing. As Chen and Donin (1997) pointed out 'Reading constitutes a major part of schooling, especially at the university level. ' and they add that 'By reading the texts, students are expected to either develop or to review concepts on their own.' The development of concepts and the reviewing to a considerable extent is presented through the written work of the students. In his description on the standard of literacy in higher education Rose says a student at this level should be able to 'read complex academic texts with a high level of understanding' and 'use academic conventions and objective academic language to demonstrate their mastery of a topic or inform and influence their reader.' Thus if students are unable to meet the reading and writing demands of higher education, they will be at a clear disadvantage in meeting the demands of English medium tertiary education. In fact the primary goal of the methodology which this research followed is 'to provide access to tertiary study...' (Rose et al., 2003). The past research that is the Systematic Functional Linguistics based 'Reading to Learn' methodology, on which this study is modeled was implemented mostly with students having a literacy disadvantage which hindered their being successful in their respective educational programs. All these studies claim to have successfully achieved or considerably neared their goals of enabling such students to read and write texts which would have been considered impossible tasks from the stand point of the students' level of language proficiency. The English literacy disadvantage in the Sri Lankan undergraduates who belong to the lowest rung in English proficiency and the encouraging results produced by the past studies on the implementation of the 'Reading to Learn' methodology based on Systematic Functional Linguistics (SFL) to develop English literacy in its subjects prompted me to research on the effects of this methodology on the students studying in my level 1 English language class in the University of Colombo.
Effects of Supplementation of Nitrogen through Urea Molasses Multinutrient Block (UMMB) on the Performance of dairy Cows Fed with Good Quality Forage Based Diets While Using Rice Straw as Night Feeding
(Uva Wellassa University of Srilanka, 2011) Jayawickrama, D.R.; Mudannayake, D.C.; Jayasena, D.K.D.D.; Weerasinghe, W.M.P.B.
Note: See the PDF Version In Sri Lanka, the dairy industry is not well developed but has huge potential for the development. Among the constraints faced by the dairy industry, poor nutrition status of the animals has been identified as a major obstacle for the development of dairy industry in Sri Lanka. In general, animals are fed with poor quality roughages and concentrate feeding is very limiting thus, animal's genetic potential for the milk production has not been 'achieved in many cases. Poor quality roughages contain very little energy and protein, which is responsible for the lower production. Several methods have been reported in Sri Lanka to improve the nutritive value of low quality roughages. Among those, UMMB feeding is one of the easier methods. Hard solid blocks of UMMB provide readily available sources of energy and protein in the form of molasses and urea together with fiber and minerals (Saddul and Boodoo, 2001). Urea-molasses mineral block (UMMB) licks can improve the utilization of low, quality roughages by satisfying the requirement of the rumen microorganisms, creating a better environment for the fermentation of fibrous material and increasing production of microbial protein and volatile fatty acids (Wongnen, 2007). Urea, after hydrolyzing into ammonia in the rumen, provides a nitrogen source for the rumen microflora for their microbial protein synthesis. Molasses is a source of readily fermentable energy (Wongnen, 2007), which assists the growth of rumen microorganisms. It has been shown that animal performance has improved tremendously after the introduction of UMMB under field conditions (Kunju, 1986). This improvement was attributed to "supplementary" and "catalytic" effects of UMMB, as UMMB promotes an optimal ammonia level for efficient microbial activity in the rumen (Kunju, 1986). Several researchers have previously reported on the use of UMMB licks for supplementing the crop residue-based diet of large and small ruminants (Leng, 1983; Sansoucy, 1995) but very few studies have been conducted on the use of UMMB with good quality forage-based diets. Results of one such study by Weerasinghe et al. (2010) to evaluate the effects of supplementation of nitrogen through UMMB on the performance of dairy cows fed with good quality forage based diets, highlighted that UMMB supplementation significantly increased milk yield and yields of milk fat, protein, and SNF and UMMB supplemented animals had a significantly higher body weight than those fed with control diets; it suggests that the improvement of production and performance could be due to improved digestibility of the basal diet. However, no information available on the use of straw as night feeding to replace the amount of grass supplied in the day time. Thus, the objective of this study was to 137 Proceedings of lite Research Symposium of Uva Wellassa University, December 15-16, 2011 Evaluate the effects of supplementation of UMMB to dairy cows fed with good quality forage based diets while supplying rice straw as night feeding.
Impact of Working Capital Management on Profitability: An Assessment
(Uva Wellassa University of Srilanka, 2011) Herath, M.S.; Kulathunga, K.M.M.C.B.
Note: See the PDF Version Working capital management (WCM) means planning and controlling current assets and current liabilities to eliminate the risk of inability to meet short term obligation on one hand and avoid excessive investment in current assets on the other hand (Eljelly, 2004).Working capital management is an important part of financial management decisions of the firms. This study contributes to the literature by examining the impact of Working Capital Management on the profitability. The study also sheds light on the relationship of working capital components with profitability. The research carried out by mil consulting on the Challenges of Sri Lankan Corporate Finance reveals that 68% of the respondents had reported that they have been impacted by longer cash generation cycles. It means that there is an unnecessary tie up of capital in working capital. Most firms have invested large amount of cash in working capital and a considerable amount of short term payables have used as a source of finance (Deloof 2003). Moreover, according to the rel/cfo Asia survey (2006) which was carried out to evaluate the Asian working capital improvements based on over 725 Asian companies, the Asian companies have unnecessarily tied up in working capital. Many research articles have found that, the managers spend a considerable time on day-today working capital decisions since current assets are short-lived investments and hence, continuously convert into other asset types (Rao, 1989). Therefore, it is important to assess whether the time spend on managing working capital is effective or not. Thus, the primary objective of this study was to identify the relationship between working capital management and profitability. The secondary objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different components of working capital management on profitability.
Study of Impact of Compensation towards the Work Attitudes and Employee Turnover in Apparel Industry with Special Reference to Kalutara District
(Uva Wellassa University of Srilanka, 2011) Rasangee, P.P.; Gunaratne, Y.M.C.
"Human resource management is responsible for how people are treated in organizations. It is responsible for bringing people into the organization, helping them perform their work, compensating them for their labors, and solving problems that arise" (Cherrington, 1995). There are seven management functions of a human resources department that have to be specifically addressed and they are staffing, performance appraisals, compensation and benefits, training and development, employee and labor relations, safety and health, and human resource research. Compensation means the combination of all cash incentives and the fringe benefit mix that an employee receives from a company and that constitutes an individual total compensation (Lawler, 1981). Apparel industry has emerged as one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the world. Hence, employers highly concern about the satisfaction of the employees. However, there can be seen an employee turnover in the apparel industry. The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of compensation planning on the work attitudes and employee turnover.

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