International Research Conference of UWU-2019

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Abundance and Diversity of Ichthyoplankton in the West Coast of Sri Lanka, from Kelani River Estuary to Maha Oya Estuary
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Silva, A.P.R.; Rathnasuriya, M.I.G.; Guruge, K.P.G.K.P.; Jayasinghe, R.P.P.K.
Fundamental understanding of fish resources has become an urgent need in Sri Lanka for the sustainable management of fish stocks. As studies on ichthyoplankton (fish eggs and larvae) in Sri Lankan coastal waters are scarce, a preliminary study was carried out with the aim to find the abundance, distribution and composition of ichthyoplankton in the west coast. Samples were collected in five stations bordering Kelani river estuary, Negombo lagoon and Maha Oya estuary in the west coast where human interactions are relatively high. Horizontal surface sample and a vertical sample were collected from each station using Working Party 2 (WP2) plankton net (180 µm mesh size) for three months in 2018: March, September and October representing 1st inter-monsoon, Southwest monsoon and 2nd inter-monsoon respectively. Fish eggs and larvae were separated from plankton and identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level under the stereo microscope using the standard keys. A total of 4095 fish eggs and 465 fish larvae belonging to 23 families were collected from the study area. An average abundance of 8772 eggs and 996 larvae per 1000 m3 were recorded. Most abundant taxonomic level in each month were, Family Siganidae in March, Family Blennidae in September and Order Clupeiformes in October. The highest abundance of fish eggs was found in Station 3 (22158 per 1000 m3 in vertical sample and 13934 per 1000 m3 in horizontal surface sample) and larvae was found in Station 4 (1196 per 1000 m3 in vertical sample and 2537 per 1000 m3 in horizontal surface sample) which is located adjacent to Maha Oya estuary, showing estuaries’ ecological services as nursery grounds for early stages of fish. This study infers that there is a high pelagic and demersal fish diversity and abundance in the west coast of Sri Lanka. Since this is a preliminary study, comprehensive studies on the spatial and temporal variation of abundance and diversity of ichthyoplankton in Sri Lankan waters are recommended.
Accumulation of Proline in Plants of Mangrove and Maritime Ecosystems in Southern Wet Zone of Sri Lanka
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Jayathilake, W.W.N.T.; Nallaperuma, N.A.W.R.; Yapa, P.N.
Mangroves and maritime plants are the only halophytes living at the influence of land and sea, and occupy tropical and subtropical coastline. Mangrove and maritime communities are recognized as part of the marine ecosystem and are highly productive ecosystems. Saline habitats represent a physiological challenge for plants because of the highly negative water potential of the soil water, making water acquisition difficult. Osmotically active solutes such as mannitol, proline, glycinebetaine and triterpenoids are necessary to reduce water potential in cell cytoplasm. The present study was done with the objective of estimating the accumulation of proline in leaves of mangroves, mangrove associates and maritime plants in Southern wet zone of Sri Lanka. Proline concentrations in leaves of 12 mangroves, 5 mangrove associates and 15 maritime plants were measured by following the standard procedures with using UV/VIS spectrophotometer at 520 nm wave length. Further, proline concentrations were estimated in maritime plants of varying distances from the sea after plants were selected along the line transects of 200 m from the sea coast. Proline was accumulated in all tested mangrove, mangrove associates and maritime plant leaves with the varying concentrations. Among them significantly higher proline levels are found in the leaves of maritime plants Terminalia catappa, Flemingia strobilifera, Scaevola taccada, mangroves such as Nypa fruticans, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza and mangrove associate Anona glabra. Further, according to Pearson correlation analysis, there was no correlation observed on average proline concentration of maritime plants leaves and changing distances of 200 m from the sea coast (p= 0.477). An increment of proline accumulation was evident in majority of plant species of mangroves, mangrove associates and maritime vegetation in Southern wet zone of Sri Lanka under salt stress.
An Accurate Indoor Navigation Method Using Radio Signals and Machine Learning Techniques
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Nimaladasa, M.B.C.K.; Herath, H.H.S.B.; Koshila, P.K.; Wimaladharma, S.C.T.I.
Navigation is the process of identifying positions of the passengers and then display feasible paths to guide them to their destinations. Global Positioning System (GPS) is suitable for outdoor navigation. Due to the lack of GPS signal reception inside buildings, new technologies should be emerged for navigating inside the buildings and covered areas. The main objective of this study is to propose an accurate and reliable schema to navigate passengers inside unfamiliar indoor environments along the shortest path to their destinations. The proposed navigation process consists of tracking the passenger, identifying shortest path and continuously guide passengers to their destinations on the fly. Triangulation technique is employed on Wi-Fi signals coming from at least three WiFi routers to identify the position of the passenger. Wi-Fi routers are recognized using their MAC addresses and then triangulation algorithm is applied. Proximity algorithm is used together with triangulation algorithm to increase accuracy. The map of the indoor area is scaled via x and y axes and positions are identified as coordinates of it. The path to the destination is animated through these coordinates. Shortest path between current and destination location is calculated using Dijkstra’s algorithm. Prototypical development is achieved by proofing the concept for feasibility of the proposed indoor navigation architecture. It can be concluded that, a significant accuracy can be achieved by using Wi-Fi technology, triangulation algorithm, proximity algorithm and Dijkstra’s algorithm. Further improvements on accuracy of proposed indoor navigation architecture can be achieved by incorporating Radio Frequency Identification or Bluetooth beacons technologies together with Wi-Fi technology.
Adoption of Eco-Friendly Technologies in Paddy Farming in Sri Lanka as an Alternative to Chemical Fertilizer: Exploring the Farmer Perceptions
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Lakmali, C.D.A.; De Silva, L.H.N.; Mudalige, U.K.J.; Dharmakeerthi, R.S.; Dandeniya, W.S.; Balasooriya, W.K.
There is a greater interest among scientists to develop Eco-Friendly Technologies (EFTs) for paddy farming, from one hand, to reduce chemical fertilizer usage, and to safeguard food supply and ecosystem health, on the other. This paper explores the attitudes and perceptions of farmers that trigger them to use certain EFTs produced such as (‘slow release fertilizer’, ‘organic carbon’, and ‘microbes’) produced through a multi-phased project funded by National Research Council of Sri Lanka. These EFTs were incorporated into the root ball of the rice plant at the nursery stage and then healthy seedlings were planted in the field by using the ‘Parachute Technique’ method (i.e. alternative technology to other modes of seed establishment including ‘broadcasting’ and ‘transplanting’). Farmers from Anuradhapura and Kurunegala districts (n=80) were selected to collect data in terms of farmer attitudes and perceptions linked with six key criteria related to these EFTs including: (1) ‘Regulation’; (2) ‘Cost’; (3) ‘Environment’; (4) ‘Performance’; (5) ‘Services’, and (6) ‘Acceptance’. The possible effects of each criterion were written in the form of attitudinal statements and supported by a 10-point likert-scale. The scores provided by farmers on each statement were subjected to the tests on Scale Reliability and Unidimensionality and then used to derive Aggregate Mean Scores. Results suggested that, ‘Parachute Technique’ was better than broadcasting with respect to Regulation (1.44), Environment (-2.49) and Performance (-1.57). The farmer perception on parachute technique was ‘poor’ only for Service (0.19) when compared to transplanting. The outcome of the analysis highlights the importance of generating private and market-based incentives for farmers as potential end-users to encourage adoption of EFTs in paddy cultivation. Further, availability of related services and facilitative institutional framework will have a direct impact on the adoption of such EFTs.
Adoption of IT Practices with Suppliers and its Impact on Operational Performance: E-Business Perspective (With Special Reference to Travel Agencies in Colombo District)
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Fernando, W.A.C.; Fasana, S.F.; Nawarathne, A.M.D.B.
Across the industries, firms have adopted e-business initiatives to better manage their internal business processes as well as their interfaces with the environment. Development of the technology changed the travel and tourism industry and tourists are moving towards online methods. This creates a competitive environment to the traditional travel agencies. It is important for travel agencies to maintaining a better relationship with suppliers to deliver a quality service to the customers. Hence, the main purpose of this study is to examine and test a moderating effect of supplier relationship quality which integrates the Information Technology (IT) with suppliers (i.e. e-procurement and e-communication) and operational performance in the SME travel agency. Primary data was collected from a sample of 72 SME travel agencies in Colombo district registered under Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and random sampling method was adopted. Descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis techniques were used to analyze data and Adrew Hayes Process Macro was utilized to identify the moderation role of selected variables. Research finding indicated that e-procurement and e-communication have a positive relationship with operational performance. Eprocurement significantly and positively influences on operational performance while there is no significant effect found between e-communication and operational performance. Furthermore, supplier relationship quality moderates the effect with the eprocurement and operational performance of SME travel agencies. Results suggested that, even IT adoption of SME travel agencies are in a considerable level, furthermore traditional travel agencies should develop their IT practices with the suppliers and strengthen the relationship quality with suppliers to survive in the travel and tourism industry.
Allelopathic Effect of Weeds Extracts on Growth and Yield of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicam L.)
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Ranaweera, R.A.T.L.; Kaliyadasa, P.E.; Ranawana, S.R.W.M.C.J.K.
The weeds are used as mulch, green manure and in compost production that could favourably or adversely affect on crops due to presence of allelochemicals. Such chemicals can be present in any part of the plant and release to microenvironment by leaching, root exudation, residue decomposition and other processes. This study was undertaken to evaluate the allelopathic effect of four common weed species available in agricultural lands on growth and yield of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicam L. var. Padma) under plant house conditions. The dried vegetative parts of Kura thampala (Amaranthus viridis), Bubovitiya (Clidemia hirta), Panithora (Cassia occidentalis) and Hulanthala (Ageratum conysoides) were used to extract aqueous solutions at different concentrations i.e. 4%, 8%, and 12%. Aqueous solutions were applied two weeks after transplanting and continued at one-day intervals until harvesting. Three replicates were used for each treatment in Complete Randomized Design with a control (water applied). Vegetative and reproductive characteristics of tomato such as plant height, No of leaves, No of branches, stem girth, total chlorophyll content, No of flowers, No of fruits, and fruit weight were recorded. Total polyphenol content of weed species and variation of soil pH and EC were analyzed in monthly intervals. The application of 4% of Hulanthala was shown the positive performances in vegetative growth, while 12% of Panithora reported the lowest values for both vegetative and reproductive growth of tomato compared to other treatments (p<0.05). Further, the highest total polyphenol content was in Bubovitiya and highest fruit weight was reported in the plants treated with 4% Bubovitiya compared to other weed species (p<0.05) with the highest brix value. It can be concluded that the weeds such as Hulanthala and Bubovitiya could be used in preparation of compost or in other organic applications at lower concentrations to obtain better growth and yield performances of tomato.
Analysing the Purpose of Using Social Networking Sites by the Post Grauduate Students and Research Scholars of Alagappa University: A Case Study
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Lavanya, A.; Murugan, M.; Nanthakumar, M.
The purpose of the study is to assess the usage level of Social Networking Sites (SNS) by the postgraduate students and research scholars of Alagappa University, Karaikudi. It highlights the user attitude and approaches towards social networking sites of Karaikudi. A questionnaire was distributed among the users to collect desired data. It adopts the methods of questionnaire and convenience random sampling for collecting data from the research scholars and students. Out of 100 forms distributed, the researcher received 84 properly filled questionnaires and used for the data analysis. 17.86% of the respondents belong to the social network sites hours a week; 27.38% of the respondents belong to the purpose of using social network sites; 26.19% of the respondents feelings experience happy excites; 36.90% of the respondents belong to the using Library; 27.38% of the respondents belong to the frequency Mozilla; 21.43% of the respondents using belong to the facebook. In this study, 50% respondents belong to using the e-resource daily; a majority of the 46.43 % respondents belong to the category of Semi Urban, 29.76 % of the respondents belong to the category of Urban, and 23.81% of the respondents belong to the category of Rural and 61.90% respondents belong to the category of Unmarried, 38.10% of the respondents belong to the category of Married.
Analysis of a Brick Made by Polythene and Silica Using Finite Element Analysis
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Kavishani, H.K.D.; Ekanayake, R.M.T.C.B.
Polythene waste is an eyesore prevailing in today’s society which leads to the contamination of environment and air when discarding or burning. A method of obtaining high strength bricks by aggregating polyethylene (PE) with sand (silica) at various percentages can be introduced as a method of effective utilization of waste polythene. In this research Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is used in order to analyse the brick according to its complex material structure. Finite element method is a numerical computerized technique used for predicting the reactions of objects to real-world forces, vibration, heat, fluid flow, and other physical effects. FEA reduces number of physical prototypes and experiments and optimize components in design phase in order to develop better products efficiently and effectively. Time, money and effort for wrong experimental methods can be saved by using FEA. In this research Femap software is used for the overall analysis. Composite formed by polythene and silica is mapped in the software platform. Number of models were analysed by changing the applied temperature level and force level. Post processing data of the analysis were used in order to determine the optimum result. According to the analysis results a temperature between 1200C to 1800C should be supplied to the brick while it is compressed by 20N to 60N force.
Analysis of Chemical Properties and α-Amylase Inhibition of Selected Medicinal Plants for the Development of Herbal Tea
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Usna, J.F.; Alakolanga, A.G.A.W.
Herbal medicines are widely used around the world because of their safety, health benefits and very less or no side effects. Further, it’s known that, herbs have high content of bioactive compounds which are produced in plants through secondary metabolism. From the ancient time, the natural remedies in Siddha medicine are used to cure the non-contagious diseases such as cancer, diabetes, asthma etc. However, young generation is reluctant towards herbal remedies as there are not much scientific evidences to prove their benefits. The present study attempted to identify the chemical properties and α-amylase inhibition of selected herbs namely Solanum trilobatum, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Cardiospermum halicacabum, Acalypha indica and Plectranthus amboinicus and intents to develop herbal tea. Selected herbs were dried in an oven for 12 hours at 50℃ and infusions were prepared by boiling 1-5 g of dried sample in 100 ml of distilled water. Infusions were tested for their antioxidant properties using DPPH (1, 1-diphenyl-2picrylhydrazyl) Radical Scavenging Assay and α- amylase enzyme inhibition using di nitro salicylic acid method and finally IC50 value was also determined. The highest level of antioxidant properties has been observed in Cardiospermum halicacabum (7.7 mg mL1) while it’s also having maximum α-amylase inhibition activity (45.5 mg mL-1). Hence, sensory evaluation was done to select the best sample for consumption and it was subjected to the chemical analysis. The phytochemical analysis confirmed that all these leaf infusions contain in between the range of Anthocyanin (0.13-8.31 mg L-1), Polyphenol (115.23-236.64 mg L-1), free sugar (24.67-236.64 mg L-1). Accordingly, there is a potential to develop the herbal tea by using these five herbs.
An Analysis of Foreign Passenger Satisfaction on the Service Quality at Bandaranaike International Airport
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Heiyanthuduwa, H.D.N.J.; Damunupola, A.K.A.; Kumara, P.H.T.
This study aims to investigate foreign passenger satisfaction on the service quality at Bandaranaike international airport. BIA is the major international airport in Sri Lanka. Passenger satisfaction arises when a company can provide benefits that exceed passenger’s expectation. Sleeping airport website has ranked BIA as 10th worst airport in Asia. BIA was ranked 25th out of 37 Asian airport surveyed. A study done by Air Transport Research Society on productivity has identified BIA as a low efficient airport in the Asian region. The sample size is 200 foreign passengers among 1.5million annual population. Convenience sampling is selected as sampling technique and selfadministered questionnaires are used to collect data. Correlation analysis is used to identify the existing level of the service quality and the passenger satisfaction at BIA. In order to identify the impact of the service quality on the passenger satisfaction at BIA, researcher utilized simple linear regression analysis and used multiple linear regression analysis to identify the service quality determinants mostly influence for passenger satisfaction. Hypothesis developments are accepted and show the significant positive relationship between independent and dependent variables. The demographic profile of foreign passengers expose strong facts of Sri Lankan tourism industry and its potential to growth by identifying the prospectus target market. When consider existing situation of foreign passenger satisfaction at BIA, foreign passengers are almost agree with the passenger satisfaction. Tangibility, responsiveness, assurance and empathy have good impact to airport service satisfaction. According to the findings of the study, passenger satisfaction should improve through physical facilities and reliability of service providers.
Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Rice Cultivated in Anuradhapura District Using Multi-Residue QuEChERS Method with LC-MS/MS Detection
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Jayasekara, G.H.S.D.; Liyanaarachchi, G.V.V.; Mubarak, M.N.A.; Edirisinghe, E.M.R.K.B.
Rice is the staple food of Sri Lanka and where different types of pesticides are used for paddy cultivation. Presence of agrochemical residues in human body has been identified as one of the major reasons for the chronic kidney disease with unknown aetiology (CKDu) identifying Anuradhapura as a district with a high level of risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of pesticide residues available in rice in Anuradhapura district. Total of 60 rice samples were analyzed for 29 pesticide residues. The extraction and clean-up were performed using a validated modified QuEChERS method with liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) detection. Twelve samples showed contamination with Pretilachlor exceeding the default European Union (EU) maximum residue levels (MRL) with significant contamination (p = 0.005) were observed in Mihinthale. Among the 29 pesticide residues studied, BPMC was the mostly detected pesticide residue which was in the range of 0.003-0.01 mg kg-1. Further, significant contamination of Chlorpyrifos (p = 0.003), which was a banned pesticide, was detected in Ipalogama, and Diazinon (p = 0.001) was detected in Thalawa. However, the average residual levels were below the national and the Codex MRL's. Contamination from Carbosulfan exceeding the EU MRL levels were seen in two samples while Tebuconazole was the sole fungicide detected out of the 60 samples investigated however with values less than the MRL’s. The highest number of contaminated samples was detected in the Nuwaragam Palatha East and Nochchiyagama while the least contamination from pesticide residues was observed in Galenbidunuwewa, Kahatagasdegiliya and Horowpothana. As a whole, 43% of the total samples either exceeded or equaled the EU MRL’s for rice. Hence, the findings highlight the immediate requirement of a regular monitoring system for pesticide residues in rice and a strong national policy on safer use of pesticides in paddy cultivation in Sri Lanka.
Analysis of Present Status and Production Forecasting of Potato Farming in Sri Lanka
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Weerasinghe, L.R.; Niranjan, F.; Wijetunga, C. S.; Maduwanthi, B.C.H.
Potato is one of the most important cash crops in the upcountry Sri Lanka where majority of farmers depend on it as their main livelihood. Despite its importance to the economy, Sri Lanka mainly depends on the importation of potato from low cost producing countries which is a huge burden to the government. Under this background, this study aims to analyze the present scenario of the potato industry in Sri Lanka with a view to forecast the potato production of future. The Box Jekins Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) time series model has been employed for forecasting the potato production and production data obtained from Department of Census and Statistics for the period of 1997-2017 were used. The descriptive analysis shows that self-sufficiency ratio in potato has not improved over the past few decades and there is a 5.28% import dependency. Moreover, potato importation bill has increased over the years from 1.30 billion LKR in 1997 to 5.44 billion LKR in 2017. In the meantime, 6.78% increase in cost of production over the last two decades has been resulted in farmers reluctant to continue potato farming as their livelihood. Among the inputs, seed cost contributed to the highest share of the total cost of production. In spite of that profitability of the potato farming has been increased by 7.81% (Department of Agriculture) over the years. The study also revealed that the best models are ARIMA (0, 0, 1) and ARIMA (2, 0, 0) for future forecasting. Therefore, this forecast would be useful for the policy makers to foresee the future requirement and the government to take measures to enhance the production capacity to cut the burden on country’s food import bill.
An Analysis of the Push and Pull Motives for Choosing Sri Lanka as the Wedding Tourism Destination: With Special Reference to Southern Province
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Nawarathna, A.M.D.B.; Idroos, A.A.
Events are becoming established as an integral and major part of tourism development and marketing strategies. Event tourism could be used to describe this phenomenon and this could be defined as the systematic development, planning, marketing and holding of events as tourist attractions. Wedding tourism has increased popularity over the past decade and is recognized as a significant market segment with a possibility of enhancing effectiveness of the industry by amalgamating two segments as one destination. Tourism motivations are important factors in understanding tourist behaviour in relation to selecting the destinations’ choice, especially for the wedding market. This is already existing niche market which has not been yet capitalized and can be developed as a diversified tourism product and the effects of seasonality can be minimized. Hence, the purpose of the study was to determine the various travel motivations of wedding tourists to Sri Lanka. The primary data collected by the author from 200 foreign tourists applying convenience sampling technique in Southern province. Quantitative data analytical method was employed in analysing the data using Descriptive statistics. The findings reflect that wedding tourists are primarily attracted by the destinations’ attributes such as the famous “sun, sea and sand” which forms part of the characteristics of small tropical islands, followed by other pull attributes. Further, push factors like destination marketing and promotion encouraged tourists to celebrate their wedding function and honeymoon in Sri Lanka. Increasing marketing efforts can prove to be a powerful mechanism in order to encourage the wedding tourism. Moreover, destination managers should better understand the travel motivations of tourists before developing and marketing product and services.
Analysis of Tourism Destination Competitiveness in Nuwara Eliya Region (Supplier’s Perspective)
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Karunarathna, H.D.C.M.; Herath, H.M.W.M.; Damunupola, A.K.A.
Destination is places where tourism has developed extemporary or has been actively encouraged. A competitive advantage can be achieved if the universal appeal of the destination is valuable to that of optional destination to potential visitors. Destination to become competitive they must strategically promote specific features distinguishing them from similar destinations or establish competitive advantages. According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) statistical report 2016, the tourist occupancy rate in high country has been gradually increased. Further Nuwara Eliya and Rathnapura are major tourism destination in high country. Therefore this study selected Nuwara Eliya as a tourism destination. This study mainly focuses on to identify the existing destination attractive determinants, relationship between destination attractive determinants & destination competitiveness and also most significant destination attractive determinant on overall destination competitiveness in Nuwara Eliya region, The study uses model to investigate the destination competitiveness, addressing the following destination attractive determinants : inherited resources, created resources, supporting factors, destination management, and situational conditions. This study is useful to tourism stakeholders and it serve as a guide for other destinations seeking to understand their competitiveness. Research is mostly based on Primary data and researcher used convenience sampling method used to collect data from the 50 tourism industry stakeholders who are in the Nuwara Eliya region. Data were analysed by using SPSS. The results revealed that destination management and situational condition are existing destination attractive determinants , There is a positive relationship between destination attractive determinants and destination competitiveness and also created resources are the most significant destination attractive determinate out of the five determinants.
An Analytical Study: Resources Development of University Libraries in Tamilnadu
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Jayanthi, P.; Johnson, Y.; Reddy, K.V.G.; Shashikala, H.M.
Library collections are consider in terms of books and serials, which include a range of resources that are both subscribed, purchased, donated and open resources such as manuscripts, archives, photographs, sound recordings, video recordings, microforms and meta documents and so on. Collection not only means a particular collection of different kind of objects but also mixture of text, image, sound animation and artifacts. Resources in simple terms denote as the planned purchase of materials in different formats to meet the curricular and research needs. Collection development is a process which merges potential and occasional user needs and knowledge resources both in conventional and electronic resources requirements. Collection University system entirely differs from other types of libraries. As it has multidimensional nature with the right balancing of focused procurement procedure by meeting all genuine resources needs of potential attitudes as even as the library users across the region. The research aimed at identifying and assessing the process and practices of collection development and present status of library collection, the prevailing library facilities and the resources towards collection management among the University libraries in the State of Tamilnadu. The research design is descriptive and the method is a normative survey, which used questionnaire as data collection tool. The data made descriptive and scientific analysis using chi-square, one way ANOVA, Percentage and so on. The study observe significant gap between the resource development of e-resources and print resources among the surveyed libraries. Almost all the surveyed libraries are procuring different formats of information resources. The study is concluded that the surveyed libraries are using library networks and consortia for resource sharing and access. University libraries and working library professionals, though they are comfort with conventional resources building and collection management methods, training on modern, sophisticated and world class protocols need to be provided to enhance collection management and preservation.
Analyzing the Promotion of Local Healthy Fast Food through Hela Bojun Project
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Senarathna, M.K.; Mahindarathne, M.G.P.P.; Amarakoon, A.M.C.; Dharmasena, A.W.T.
The fast food industry in Sri Lanka has been expanding rapidly since it is convenient for busy life style and reduces the effort of preparing meals. Although fast food is very popular among community, people are aware of adverse impacts of fast food consumption such as overweight, obesity and non-communicable diseases. Having understood the changing lives styles, eating trends and associated problems the Department of Agriculture launched the “Hela Bojun” project. The main purpose of the Hela Bojun project is to promote local healthy fast food with a high nutritional values. In this context, this research was designed to examine the factors that affect on the consumption of local healthy fast foods through Hela Bojun outlets. The specific objective of the research was to study how value negotiation of product and overall satisfaction relate to the marketing mix elements influence customers to select Hela Bojun outlets. To accomplish the objectives, a semi-structured questionnaire was prepared and direct interviews were conducted with 150 customers who visited five selected Hela Bojun outlets. For data analysis, Chi-square test of independence was applied. The results revealed that occupation, supervision of the Department of Agriculture, peer influence and purchasing local healthy fast food for special occasions were significantly associated with frequency of visiting Hela Bojun fast food outlets. Furthermore, the multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the age, number of family members, distance to Hela Bojun outlet and value negotiation have a significant relationship with the frequency of visiting Hela Bojun fast food outlets. Moreover, it was revealed that the value negotiation influences significantly and positively on the selection decision of Hela Bojun outlets.
Antibacterial Activity of Silver Deposited Vein Graphite Against Waterborne Pathogenic Escherichia coli Synthesized by Chemical Reduction Method
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Kumari, T.D.D.; Swarnamali, V.M.R.; Amaraweera, T.H.N.G.; Premathilake, M.M.S.N.; Wijayasinghe, H.W.M.A.C.; Balasooriya, N.W.B.
Graphite is one of the common materials using for the fabrication of composite materials. Graphite oxide, graphene oxide and many other materials are used as effective antibacterial substances, but most of them are expensive and need highly toxic chemicals for the synthesis. Nowadays, silver is considered as a most effective antibacterial material. Therefore, this study was focused on synthesizing cost effective less hazardous antibacterial material using silver and graphite. Graphite sample was purified by acid leaching, followed by modifying the surface with Conc. HNO3. The silver graphite composite material was synthesized using AgNO3 as precursor and tri-sodium citrate as reducing agent. X-ray diffractometry and Scanning electron microscopy investigations of the synthesized silver graphite composite revealed that the pure crystalline nano silver particles were deposited on the graphite surface. Antibacterial efficacy of the synthesized material was investigated using waterborne pathogenic Escherichia coli. The antibacterial test was carried out against E. coli using prepared composite samples according to the shake flask test. A commercial antibiotic (Ofloxin-200 mg) was used as the positive control. The samples were drawn at times 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5 and 6 hours by counting the number of surviving bacterial colonies on Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) Agar, using plate count method according to standard procedures. After 24 hours, the results showed that surviving bacterial colonies contained in counted petri plates of all the synthesized composites with different Ag: Graphite ratios were reduced, with the time in an efficiency of over 98%. Therefore, this study suggests that Ag-vein graphite composite synthesized via chemical reduction method can be effectively used as an antibacterial agent against E. coli.
Antimicrobial Effect of Immunoglobulin Y (IgY) Extracted from Village Chicken Eggs and Farm Chicken Eggs Against Salmonella
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Madushika, D.K.L.; Kurukulasuriya, M.S.; Abeyrathne, E.D.N.S.; Silva, G.L.L.P.
Chicken Immunoglobulin Y (IgY) found in egg yolk acts as the main innate immune response against the systemic infections in early stages of chick life. Colibacillosis and salmonellosis are important bacterial diseases which can lead to early chick death. However, the survival rate of indigenous day-old chicks against such diseases is believed to be higher compared to the farm day-old chicks which may have contributed from the IgY activity present in egg yolk. The current study was focused to compare the IgY content in village and farm chicken eggs and to compare the antimicrobial effects of IgY found in both egg types against Salmonella. Six village and six farm laying hens were identified for the egg collection. Gallus Immunotech Chicken IgY Egg Press Purification Kit was used to extract the IgY. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and 10% SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis under reducing and non-reducing conditions were used to confirm the extracted IgY. Extracted protein concentration (mg mL¯1) of samples was measured using nanodrop spectroscopy. The Mann-Whitey test was used to compare the yield analysis (mg). Antimicrobial susceptibility of extracted IgY was determined against Salmonella sp. isolated from dead day-old chicks. Inhibition reactions of IgY was measured using agar well diffusion assay by turbidity of broth adjusted to the 0.5 McFarland standard. Extracted protein concentration was (7.35±0.92) and (7.12±0.93) in village and farm samples, respectively. Although there was no significant difference, village chicken eggs showed higher IgY yield (132.47±22.31) compared to farm chicken eggs (115.01±17.40). There was no significant different in inhibition zones (mm) of IgY extracted from village (12.1±2.3) and farm (11.3±1.9) chicken eggs. In conclusion, IgY extracted from both village and farm chicken eggs had a similar antimicrobial effect against Salmonella. However, increasing the sample size can improve the accuracy of this preliminary study.
Application of Bioremediation for Treating Dye Containing Wastewater
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019-02) Ranasingha, D.N.L; Manike, A.M.W
Synthetic dyes are extensively used in textile processing industries. About 20% of dye stuff which is used in these textile industries end up as wastewaters during dyeing and subsequent washing steps of textiles. Although there are established methods for treating said wastewaters such as chemical oxidation, ozone oxidation, activated carbon adsorption, those are not cost effective and sustainable. Use of Bioremediation by propagating the microorganisms in wastewaters is new trend for treatment of dye containing wastewaters. The objective of this research was to investigate the treatability of dye wastewater containing mixture of dyes: Telonrhodamine, Renozol yellow, Renozol navy, Novalaron blue and Methylene blue by using microbes in yoghurt, Cow dung and hospital wastewater. By applying said microbes in to dye wastewater samples with equal concentrations prepared as above mentioned, the variation of COD value, color of dye mixture and pH value were measured during 10 days. UV spectrophotometer (0-1500 mg L-1) was used for measurement of color and COD. According to the tested results a reduction of COD and the color was observed after 10 days by 57.6%, 21.6% and 34.6% and by 78.6%, 52.9% and 63.5% in wastewaters contain microbes in yogurt, Cow dung and hospital wastewater respectively. The pH value didn’t show any significant variation. Accordingly, to have efficient treatment of dye wastewater the microbes in yogurt was selected for further studies of treatment process optimization. Bacteria were grown with the use of 5mg of yoghurt and 50 ml of pure water in conical flask. Treatment was done at four different temperatures: 30°C, 35°C, 40°C and 45°C in an incubator at 100 rpm as per literature. The observed reduction of COD content and the color of dye containing wastewater after 10 days at four different temperatures 30°C, 35°C, 40°C and 45°C were 63.9%, 70.9%, 72.9% and 54.9% and 82.4%, 85.1%, 86.5% and 74.6% respectively. Therefore, it could be decided that the reduction of COD and color will increased when increasing the temperature of wastewater. The optimum temperature was 40°C. But in application if it is not possible to increase temperature at treatment facility, even reduction efficiency of said water qualities at room temperature (30°C) is favorable value to use.
Application of Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Concrete Admixtures as a Futuristic Construction Material: A Review
(Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka, 2019) Chiranjaya, Y.A.S.U.
Carbon Nanotubes (CNT) are one of the futuristic materials which was discovered by Iijima. Graphene sheets are rolled in a shape of continuous cylinders to develop CNT structure. It is classified according to the structure as single-walled and multi-walled CNT. Concrete is an admixture of cement, water, air and solid aggregates. In constructions, steel rods are used to reinforce the concrete composite since Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) concrete has relatively weak tensile strength. This is a comprehensive review of previous researches which carried out in respective field. The major objective of utilizing CNT as a substitute for steel is to increase mechanical and other related properties of the concrete. The methodologies of all selected studies were included dispersion of a powder which consists of CNT by physical and chemical procedure and mixed it with the concrete admixture according to predetermined ratios. Literature suggest that cement, water and air ratios could occupy 25% to 40% of the mixture while sand and gravel consist the rest of 75% to 60% by weight. In laboratory scale, composite was cured under given temperatures and controlled moisture conditions. Since concrete takes 28 days to gain long term strength, tests were carried out after 4 weeks. Standard tests for mechanical strength, thermal resistance, chloride penetration resistance and water absorption were carried out. When CNT concrete composites were compared with the OPC concrete composites, the compressive strength, flexure and tensile strengths of the CNT concrete composites were observed to be increased up to 25%. Fire resistivity also shows an increment when compared with the references. Adding more CNT enhances the mechanical properties of concrete composites. Since using CNT for construction purposes are in preliminary stages, further researches should be done to find better dispersion techniques and material modifications.

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