SLIIT International Conference on Advancements in Sciences and Humanities [SICASH] 2024

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Open Access
Knowledge and Its Associated Factors Related Venti lator Associated Pneumonia Among Intensive Care Nurses: Cross-secti onal Study in Southern Province of Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Gunasekara, P.A.D. K; Gunawardhana, K.G.I.S; Akalanki, K.G.I; De Silva, P.H.R.V.I.S; Sriyani, K.A
This study aimed to assess knowledge and its associated factors on venti lator-associated pneumonia (VAP) among intensive care nurses. This descripti ve cross-secti onal study included 164 nurses who worked in intensive care units. Data were collected through a content-validated, pretested selfadministered questi onnaire. It included parti cipants’ socio-demographic informati on and knowledgeassessing questi ons. Descripti ve stati sti cs, the Mann–Whitney U-test, and the Kruskal–Wallis test were performed. Signifi cance was accepted at alpha < 0.05. The sample was female predominant and included more undergraduate and graduate nurses than diploma nurses. The overall knowledge of VAP among nurses ranged from 82.92 to 14.86, with 75% of them achieving a score above 80%. Nurses’ knowledge of VAP was associated with their age, professional qualifi cati ons, and experiences in nursing service and intensive care units (p < 0.05). Nurses had sati sfactory knowledge of VAP. However, gaps exist. Nurses’ knowledge is associated with their on-the-job training and professional qualifi cati ons.
Open Access
Queer Identi ti es in The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Karunati laka (2022) and The Song of Achilles by Miller (2011): A Comparati ve Analysis from a South Asian Perspecti ve
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Rodrigo, D; Jayamanna, T
This research study att empts to present a comparati ve analysis of the queer identi ti es portrayed in The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunati laka (2022) and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (2011) from a South Asian perspecti ve to examine how cultural, historical, and socio-politi cal aspects of their geographical setti ngs infl uence such identi ti es in both novels and to identi fy the narrati ve techniques and characterizati ons used in them to portray their queer relati onships. Moreover, the central questi ons that guide this study are: 1) how queer do the identi ti es depicted through their main characters appear to be; and 2) and what similariti es and diff erences emerge in the portrayal of their queer relati onships. In order to achieve these objecti ves a qualitati ve research approach is adopted where the data is collected by subjecti ng the respecti ve novels to a thorough criti cal reading and extracti ng the relevant evidence from their narrati ve using criti cal discourse analysis. The data is analyzed using techniques developed from queer theory, semioti cs, and criti cal discourse analysis. Finally, this research att empts to reveal from a South Asian perspecti ve the author’s expectati on for the queer identi ti es portrayed in the two relevant while illuminati ng on the fact they appeal for inclusive society.
Open Access
A Study on the Diversity of Pharmacogenomic Variants Aff ecti ng Dapsone Hypersensiti vity: A Comparati ve Study Based on South Asian and Other World Populati ons
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Weerasinghe, M; Perera, N; Kasthuriarachchi, J; Ranasinghe, P
Recent data from Sri Lanka indicates an increase in leprosy cases, emphasizing the necessity of dapsone as a drug vital for managing it. Ironically, dapsone eff ecti veness is accompanied by dapsone hypersensiti vity syndrome (DHS) which varies among populati ons. We postulate that this is due to signifi cant diff erences between SNP frequencies in HLA-B*13:01, CYP2C9*3, rs701829, rs17211071, and rs201929247. As per our reading, no comparati ve study has been done so far on DHS and related genes between South Asian (SAS) and other world populati ons. Therefore, this study compares the allele frequencies of SNPs from PharmGKB and dbSNP of world populati ons against SAS using chisquare (χ²) tests. For HLA-B*13:01; it is reported that Europeans, Africans, African others, and African Americans have demonstrated signifi cant diff erences, and Asians, EAS, Other Asians, and Lati n Americans have shown no signifi cant diff erences. For CYP2C9*3 and rs701829; Americans, Africans, Amish, Ashkenazi Jews, East Asians (EAS), Finns, and Non-Finnish Europeans (NFE) all have demonstrated a signifi cant diff erence from SAS. For rs17211071, Africans, Amish, Americans, East Asians, Finns, and NFE demonstrated no signifi cant diff erence, and ASJ showed a signifi cant diff erence. For rs201929247, Africans and Finns had no signifi cant diff erences, whereas Americans, Amish, ASJ, EAS, and NFE had. Hence, compared with other populati ons, allele frequencies of some studied SNPs were signifi cantly diff erent in SAS, and these may likely account for the variability of DHS occurrence among these populati ons. Signifi cant allele frequency diff erences between SAS and the rest of the world populati ons’ impact personalized medicine in leprosy treatment. Clinical research needs to determine the opti mal dapsone dose alterati ons, considering environmental and other factors behind DHS.
Open Access
Optimization of In-vitro Callus Inducti on and Cell Suspension Cultures of Gyrinops walla for Commercialization
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Benaragama, R; Balasooriya, J; Yapa, C; Nonis, S; Athukorala, D; Kasturiarachchi, J
Gyrinops walla (G.walla), oft en referred to as ‘Walla Patt a’ in Sinhala, is an indigenous, economically important plant renowned for its producti on of agarwood, which is a highly valuable resin having high economical, religious and traditi onal values. G. walla trees take 5-7 years on average to grow naturally before being inoculated to produce resin. In-vitro callus culture approach will shorten the agarwood resin producti on process signifi cantly and be important for the industry. However, ti ssue culture methods are challenging due to explant contaminati on and low rate of callus producti on. Therefore, this study aims to opti mize the conditi ons for surface sterilizati on and enhance in-vitro callus inducti on from leaf explants, with the objecti ve of advancing the development of cell suspension cultures for commercializati on. The experiment for surface sterilizati on and callus inducti on was conducted using leaf explants obtained from two G.walla mother plants, a home garden plant and a wild plant. The results suggested that 100 mg/L silver nitrate (AgNO3) and Dett ol provide a bett er surface sterilizati on for callus producti on, especially in explants from a home garden mother plant exhibiti ng a low contaminati on rate (31%) compared to explants from wild plants (80%). Also, explants from home garden mother plant possessed bett er callus inducti on (65%) compared to explants from wild mother plants (13%). Furthermore, this study suggests that AgNO3 can be used as an alternati ve for hazardous chemicals such as mercuric chloride (HgCl2), which is commonly applied in surface sterilizati on and, introducing ground callus to suspension cultures will yield an improved callus proliferati on in suspension cultures.
Open Access
Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Individuals
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Jayatilake, P; Caldera, A
Sexual minoriti es are a group seldom studied in Sri Lanka though they undergo discriminati on and sti gma which may lead to an increase in mental health issues. In order to further understand this, the present study aimed to explore prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, and stress among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals in Sri Lanka. To meet the objecti ves of the study, data was gathered from 162 LGBT individuals in Sri Lanka who were 18 years and older using snowball sampling method. The original and translated and validated Sinhala versions of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS 21) were used to gather data along with a demographic questi onnaire. Questi onnaires were distributed through online methods. It was found that 70.4% of parti cipants indicated presence of depression with 34.6% indicati ng extremely severe levels of depression, while 29.6% indicated no presence of depression. Furthermore, 66.7% of parti cipants indicated presence of anxiety with 34% indicati ng extremely severe levels of anxiety, while 33.3% parti cipants indicated no presence of anxiety. Lastly, 66.7% of parti cipants indicated presence of stress with 25.9% indicati ng extremely severe levels of stress, while 33.3% of parti cipants indicated no presence of stress. These fi ndings highlight signifi cant mental health challenges faced by LGBT individuals in Sri Lanka, indicati ng the need for targeted mental health interventi ons.
Open Access
A Study on the Eff ect of Bitt ern Treatments with Organic Ferti lizers on the Growth of Tomato
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) De Alwis, N.S; Priyadarshani, S. V. G. N.; Gammanpila, H.W.
Bitt ern, a byproduct of the solar salt producti on process has been studied for its potenti al to become a cost-eff ecti ve ferti lizer due to its high ion concentrati on. However, high salt toxicity and low levels of phosphorus and nitrogen have aff ected its ability to supply the plant’s nutriti onal requirements on its own fully. Here we observe its success as a ferti lizer when paired with known organic, nutriti onal sources such as Gliricidia sepium and Vermi-wash in the growth of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) a crop of high commercial value and nutriti on, that is culti vated in Sri Lanka during both agricultural seasons. These two components when added to diluted Bitt ern were able to provide nutrients that Bitt ern did not contain. Certain combinati ons of rati os of the three components were revealed to be more successful than others with the combinati on of Bitt ern 25%, Gliricidia leaf pulp, and Vermi-wash 25% leading to a 63% overall increase in growth parameters, surpassing the increment of its respecti ve control group. This indicated that Bitt ern could be uti lized to develop a substi tute for expensive inorganic ferti lizers by pairing it with other low-cost, organic nutriti onal sources such as Gliricidia sepium and Vermi-wash. This may also be a more environmentally friendly substi tute for syntheti c ferti lizers.
Open Access
Google Trends Analysis of Online Interest in English Language Learning in Sri Lanka (2011-2024)
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Rodrigo, W. A. I.
Online search trends for English language learning may reveal evolving preferences and demands for language acquisiti on in the modern day. This study explored the online interest in English language learning among internet users in Sri Lanka from 2011 to 2024, uti lizing Google Trends data to analyze search behaviors. Temporal and geographical variati ons in relati ve search volumes for selected search terms related to English language learning were examined. According to search trends, public interest in courses, classes, diplomas, and degrees in English has gradually increased over ti me, then dropped temporarily in the initi al phase of the pandemic, only to rise again to a plateau between 2022 and 2024. Regional analysis highlighted dispariti es in interest levels across diff erent provinces; interest in the term ‘learn English’ was most prominent in the Western Province; interest in English courses and diplomas was highest in Sabaragamuwa Province. In terms of seasonal variati ons, peak search volumes for most terms before the pandemic were in September and January, whereas aft er the pandemic, peak interest occurred in February and September. Concerning subject areas, a shift in interest towards English literature compared to English as a Second Language and Linguisti cs was seen. With regard to the English language profi ciency tests, a clear drop in interest for IELTS occurred during the pandemic, but with the economic recession and the migrati on of professionals that followed, interest in the IELTS spiked in 2022 and 2023, only to decline again aft erwards. This research contributes to the understanding of how online resources and global events infl uence language learning trends, off ering valuable insights for policymakers and educators.
Open Access
Environmental Literacy of Junior Secondary Students in Sri Lanka
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Vinoharan, A; Vinoharan, V
Human development without considering the impact on the environment has created numerous global issues, prompti ng policymakers to prioriti ze environmental protecti on. As environmental issues became pressing concerns, the importance of environmental literacy among citi zens has gained recogniti on. Environmental literacy embodies a multi faceted understanding, awareness, and acti ve engagement of addressing environmental challenges, encompassing knowledge, skills, atti tudes, moti vati on, and responsibility towards fostering ecological balance, sustainable development, social justi ce, and nurturing environmentally conscious citi zens and communiti es. A study was conducted to identi fy the environmental literacy skills of junior secondary students in Sri Lanka. A pragmati c, deducti ve, quanti tati ve survey design was followed, and a sample of 816 students was selected using the strati fi ed random sampling method. The Middle School Environmental Literacy Survey (MSELS) instrument was adopted for data collecti on. The study revealed that junior secondary students exhibit a low level of environmental literacy at 39.7%, with medium scores observed for ecological knowledge (61.5%) and issue identi fi cati on (59.8%), and notably lower scores for other skills such as acti on planning (38%), verbal and actual commitment (37.6%), environmental sensiti vity and feeling (25.2%), and problem-solving and predicti on (15.3%). These fi ndings highlight the imperati ve for Sri Lankan junior secondary curricula to prioriti ze environmental literacy skills and adopt a more practi cal approach to teaching and learning. Modifi cati ons to pedagogical strategies are essenti al to enhance profi ciency across all the areas of environmental literacy.
Open Access
The Ethical Consequences of Artificial Intelligence in Countering Cyber Speech: Combining Effectiveness with Maintaining Human Rights
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Godigamuwa, A.H
Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers tremendous potential and difficult moral dilemmas in the fight against cyber speech, including hate speech, disinformation, and cyberbullying. This study looks at the two requirements that must be met to protect civil rights and successfully combat harmful online speech. By showcasing developments in deep learning algorithms, natural language processing, and automated moderation tools, it explores the potential of AI systems to identify, regulate, and lessen harmful online behavior. The ethical implications of AI in moderating online debate are rigorously examined in this paper, with particular attention paid to issues with biases, privacy, and freedom of speech. AI creates concerns about data exploitation and spying. It may also over-censor or misinterpret context, which puts permissible expression at risk of being unfairly suppressed. Additionally, AI systems have the power to amplify and perpetuate preconceptions, resulting in biased judgments that affect marginalized communities. Through an analysis of case studies and statutes, the study seeks to strike a balance between the need to preserve fundamental rights and AI’s ability to make online places safer. It promotes a plan that upholds justice and human dignity by fusing technical advancements with strict moral standards and open governance.
Open Access
Recollecti ng Adolescent Experiences of Individuals Having a Sibling with Down’s Syndrome: A Qualitati ve Study
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Ranwala, W; Fernando, T
Adolescence is a crucial life stage marked by an individual’s transiti on into adulthood. Contrary to those with typically developing siblings, individuals who have a sibling with Down Syndrome (DS) follow a unique trajectory of life experiences associated with their sibling’s conditi on. Yet, this is an area unexplored in Sri Lankan scholarly research. The present study att empts to address this research gap by exploring adolescent experiences of having a sibling with DS; as recalled by adults. The study was conducted qualitati vely, uti lising semi-structured interviews. Data collected was analysed using themati c analysis. The sample consisted of six parti cipants who were adults, had a sibling with Down Syndrome, and were fl uent in English and/or Sinhala. Three main themes emerged addressing adolescent experiences att ributed to the DS sibling, in terms of; the nature of the sibling relati onship, family dynamics, challenges and coping with social support. Respecti ve subthemes highlight several details. Parents and siblings gradually adapted to the individual with DS, resulti ng in close familial relati onships. Parti cipants also illustrated how the sibling relati onship shaped them as individuals. Parental diff erenti al treatment and future caregiving responsibiliti es were expressed as challenging, along with societal discriminati on and sti gmati zati on. However, social support through extended family and peers helped cope with such challenges. Conclusively, adolescent experiences of having a sibling with DS consti tute both favourable and challenging aspects, infl uenced by many individual-specifi c and environmental elements.
Open Access
Leonard Woolf’s novel The Village in the Jungle from a Feminist Perspective
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Jayasinghe, M.K
L eonard Woolf’s The Village in the Jungle, published in 1913, provides a vivid and criti cal depicti on of life in colonial Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). While the novel primarily focuses on the harsh realiti es of the rural community under the colonial rule, it also off ers signifi cant insights into the gender dynamics of the ti me. Further, it is largely considered as a work illustrati ng the severity of colonizati on, the suff ering of the villagers who had to face up to it, their fi nal decimati on, and the closing up of the jungle on the village. Delving deeper into the novel, one observes the aspect of gender undercurrents through the behaviour of the villagers, both male and female. Applying Simone de Beauvoir’s feminist theory, in an analysis of the conduct of the villagers concerned, emerge the underlying themes of patriarchal oppression, resistance, and the struggle put up by women to gain autonomy. Thereby, the prominent themes of the novel such as the infl uence of colonialism in the behaviour of society and a unique form of feminism that emerges to counteract it can be refl ected on through the applicati on of de Beauvoir’s feminist theory to the novel.
Open Access
Assessment of Judgmental Validity of the Sinhala Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) Scale
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Selvaratnam, N.D; Selvaratnam, N.C
Sri Lanka lacks a suitable psychometric tool to assess water insecurity eff ecti vely. To address this issue, in the present study, the Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) scale was translated into Sinhala language and tested for its face and content validity. Using established guidelines, fi rst, face validity was evaluated with the parti cipati on of two subject matt er experts (SMEs). Then, Cohen’s Kappa stati sti c (CKS) was calculated to obtain the interrater reliability to establish face validity. Second, the Delphi process was conducted with fi ve SMEs to assess the content validity of the Sinhala HWISE scale. Subsequently, the Content Validity Index (CVI) for individual items (I-CVI), the overall scale (S-CVI), and S-CVI/UA (Universal Agreement) were uti lized to quanti fy the output of the Delphi process. The results indicated that the HWISE scale was content valid based on the results of Delphi and S-CVI, while the I-CVI and S-CVI/UA indicated some departure from the expected thresholds. Fleiss Kappa Stati sti c (FKS) revealed minor inconsistencies in the quanti fi ed opinions of the SMEs in the Delphi process, which indirectly impacted I-CVI and S-CVI/UA. Overall, the HWISE scale has met sati sfactory face and content validity.
Open Access
A Multi -Objecti ve Opti mizati on Model to Support Freshly Cut Vegetable Processing Decisions
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Wijesuriya, T. B; Dharmapriya, S; Kulathunga, A. K; Premarathne, P; Daundasekara, S.S
This study presents a multi -objecti ve opti mizati on approach for decision making in fresh-cut vegetable processing, opti mizing processing ti mes and costs through the selecti on of alternati ve processes at various stages of the producti on. Despite the limited att enti on given to the fresh-cut vegetable industry, parti cularly in applying multi -objecti ve opti mizati on methods to support processing decisions, this study addresses the research need. The stages of freshcut vegetable processing, including peeling, cutti ng, washing, and packing, off er multi ple alternati ve methods with varying costs and processing ti mes. The problem is formulated as an integer bi-objecti ve combinatorial opti mizati on model aimed at opti mizing total processing ti me and cost. Two algorithms, the discrete non-dominati ng sorti ng geneti c algorithm- II (NSGA II) and the discrete non- dominated sorti ng parti cle swarm algorithm (NPSO), were applied to explore their complementary algorithmic performance. The local search behaviour of NSGAII was enhanced through several innovati ve local search operators including crossover, and mutati on operators, while various positi on and velocity update operators were used in NPSO. Both primary and secondary data were uti lised in esti mati ng the process parameters of each alternati ve processing methods. The results showed that NPSO exhibited more robust convergence, while NSGA-II produced a greater number of soluti ons in the Pareto front.
Open Access
A Computati onally Effi cient Bad Posture Detecti on Method to Alert Computer Users in Real Time
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Sewwandi, M. G. L.; Bandara, M.R.H.E.; Wicramasinghe, I. P. M.
These days lot of people spend long hours at a computer, so they face lot of health issues because of wrong sitti ng postures. Good posture is crucial for human well-being. A vision-based system is proposed to minimize the poor ergonomic practi ces among computer users. It can be installed in the corresponding user computer, and it runs with low computati on burden. The proposed system is based on image comparison with a reference image. The reference image is an image, that the user uti lizing their webcam or computer camera to capture themselves in the correct seated posture. Initi ally it has been a converted into grayscale and applied a Gaussian fi lter before store in the memory. Aft er making the reference image, the proposed system is stared to capture user’s image at a free defi ned frequency. The captured user’s image is fi ltered and converted to a binary image using a predefi ned threshold. Aft er that, two parallel processes are applied to same resultant image to identi fy the moment of left and right side and bending of forward and backward. The decision of both processes has been esti mated by comparing the calculated blackto- white pixel rati o with a predefi ned threshold. The noti fi cati on has been generated via a pop-up message on corresponding computer screen. To test the eff ecti veness, the proposed system has been implemented on a laptop computer in a Python environment with the support of OpenCV library. The test has been conducted of four diff erent bad postures such as over leaning to the right angle, left angle, forward and backward postures with 150 att empts. The test results shows that it has high potenti al to identi fy the bad postures of computer uses.
Open Access
The Relati onship between Home-Based Mindfulness Meditati on and Quality of Life among Adults in the Colombo District, Sri Lanka: A Cross-Secti onal Survey
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Perera, K.A. H. N.; Gooneti lleke, W. A. R. N. M. T.
Mindfulness meditati on is increasingly recognized in contemporary psychology as a therapeuti c technique to promote opti mal living and it is defi ned as paying purposeful, non-judgmental att enti on to the present moment, which enhances the quality of life (QOL). In Sri Lanka, people primarily engage in home-based meditati on for spiritual wellbeing, but there is limited research on its broader eff ects. This study aims to examine the relati onship between home-based mindfulness meditati on (MM) practi ces and QOL, and to explore the durati on of MM practi ces and mindfulness att enti on awareness among practi ti oners. A quanti tati ve cross-secti onal correlati onal study was conducted using purposive and snowball sampling methods, collecti ng data from 104 daily home-based meditators in Colombo, Sri Lanka, including 57 females and 47 males. Two selfadministered questi onnaires were uti lized including the World Health Organizati on Quality of Life- BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) scale, and the Mindfulness Att enti on Awareness Scale (MAAS) to measure QOL and mindfulness practi ces. Stati sti cal analysis using Stati sti cal Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 25 revealed a signifi cantly moderate positi ve correlati on between the frequency of mindfulness meditati on and the physical, psychological, social relati onships, and environmental domains of QOL. Additi onally, individuals who practi ced mindfulness more frequently exhibited higher levels of att enti on awareness. Additi onally, it was found that females were more likely than males to engage in homebased mindfulness practi ces frequently or with greater intensity.
Open Access
Unveiling the Gaps: A Content Analysis of Gender Roles, Language, and Cultural Norms in Sri Lankan Sexuality Education
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Perera, P. Y. O.; Dilhani, E. D. C.; Rajapaksha, R. W. M.S. P. K.
Comprehensive Sexuality Educati on (CSE) is crucial for addressing sexuality and reproducti ve issues, enhancing sexual health outcomes, and promoti ng gender equality. This study examines Sri Lankan sexuality educati on curricula to identi fy gaps in addressing key components of CSE: representati on of gender and relati onships, language and tone, and cultural sensiti vity. Content analysis was conducted to assess Sri Lankan sexuality educati on components for Grades 1 to 11, focusing on government-approved textbooks. Data analysis involves a coding scheme based on the framework, with two independent reviewers coding to ensure reliability and validity through Cohen’s Kappa. Results showed a substanti al agreement for gender and relati onships (Kappa = 0.623), a moderate agreement for language and tone (Kappa = 0.543), and a complete agreement for cultural sensiti vity. The content analysis reveals signifi cant gaps in Sri Lankan sexuality educati on curricula, including insuffi cient coverage of gender equality, diverse sexual orientati ons, and positi ve relati onship dynamics. The language used oft en reinforces traditi onal values and sti gmati zes certain behaviors, while the tone is frequently alarmist and driven by fear. Additi onally, the curricula lack cultural sensiti vity, failing to address respect for cultural diversity or inclusive representati on. Results demonstrate signifi cant gaps and inconsistencies with global CSE standards. Addressing these gaps is crucial for aligning Sri Lankan sexuality educati on with internati onal best practi ces and improving educati onal outcomes for all students.
Open Access
Infl uence of Mimosa pigra-Based Bio Ferti lizer on the Sensory Properti es of MI-2 Chili Peppers (Capsicum annum)
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Bandara, T.M.M.P.S.; Madhushani, K.G.S.
This study investi gates the impact of Mimosa pigrabased bio ferti lizers on the sensory properti es of MI-2 chili pods (Capsicum annum). Uti lizing Mimosa pigra-based bio ferti lizers, this research examines how organic farming practi ces infl uence the sensory quality of MI-2 chili pods. The organic ferti lizer was formulated by cutti ng Mimosa pigra into small pieces prior to its fl owering stage and allowing them to decompose fully in a pit over a period of six months. The experiment was conducted using a randomized but complete block design, comprising four disti nct treatments and nine replicates each. The fi rst treatment consisted of a ferti lizer mixture incorporati ng Mimosa pigra (MP). The second treatment combined Mimosa pigra with calcium carbonate (MP+C). The third treatment included a combinati on of Mimosa pigra and inorganic ferti lizer (MP+IF). Additi onally, a negati ve control (NC) treatment was included for comparati ve purposes. Each pot mixture was prepared using a combinati on of garden soil, goat manure, and sand at a 2:2:1 rati o. Aft er comparing sensory rati ngs across the treatments using ANOVA, post-hoc tests were performed with signifi cance defi ned at p < 0.05. The mean scores with 95% confi dence intervals were used to present the results. A group of fi ft y parti cipants joined in a sensory evaluati on that evaluated the taste, color, texture, odor, and overall acceptability of the mixture using a 5-point hedonic scale. When compared to other treatments, chili pods treated with MP bioferti lizer were rated as having the best overall acceptance (p = 0.02) and taste (p = 0.03). Pods from the MP+C, MP+IF and NC ferti lizers are among the most preferred in term of colour and texture. More importantly, the overall acceptability of the chili pods grown with the MP ferti lizer was found to be the most preferred by the study parti cipants. Also, thefi ndings aim to enhance our understanding of the role of sustainable agricultural practi ces in shaping food quality and maintaining the cultural relevance of chili peppers in culinary traditi ons.
Open Access
Combatting Non-Consensual Pornography: A Comparative Study
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Jayamaha, S; Harasgama, K; Mahingoda, C
consensual pornography, colloquially known as “revenge porn,” has witnessed a troubling proliferation across various jurisdictions, carrying profound and often devastating repercussions for its victims. This paper conducts an in-depth review of the revenge porn laws with reference to identified key elements in such laws, namely, actus reus and the mens rea of the offence, rules relating to platform liability, victim protection and available remedies and penalties. As such the study is conducted in respect of laws in the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, India, Australia and Sri Lanka and finds that there is commonness as well as some diversity in the approaches. While the actus reus element underlying these legal frameworks exhibits some degree of uniformity, significant disparities emerge with regard to the mens rea requirement. Notably, jurisdictions such as the UK and US exhibit more limited scopes, a limitation compounded in the US by the provision of special immunities to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and website/platform hosts. The paper also highlights the importance of adopting a comprehensive two-pronged strategy, encompassing both civil reliefs and penal laws to effectively fight NCP. As such, the paper attempts to provide an overall account of what would be the most effective legal approach in relation to the key components identified therein in the background of some common challenges posed by the inherent nature of NCP in this digital age.
Open Access
Development of an ARIMA Model to Predict the Monthly Price of Bitcoin in USD
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Kapukotuwa, R.W.M.C.L.B.; Muthuranwela, M.M.P.L.; Samarakoon, H.G.I.L.; Dilshan, P.G.S.; Sajeewani, A.K.R.K.; Peiris, T. S. G.
This study examines the bitcoin price in USD in the world by developing a suitable ti me series model to identi fy its future trends. This data set consists of monthly bitcoin prices from August 2010 to July 2024. It was found that the original series is not stati onary and not seasonality. The stati onary was achieved by the fi rst diff erence. Of the parsimonious models identi fi ed based on the Parti al Autocorrelati on Functi on (PACF) and Autocorrelati on Functi on (ACF) of the stati onary series, an auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) (2,1,2) model was identi fi ed as the best-fi tt ed model. The signifi cance of the model and its parameters and informati on criteria such as the Akaike Informati on Criterion (AIC), Schwarz Criterion, and log-likelihood was used to identi fy the best-fi tt ed model. The model was trained using data from August 2010 to March 2024. The residuals of the model were found to be white noise. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) for validati on data is 7.09%. The percentage errors for the validati ng set are all positi ve and varied from 3.5% to 12.9%. The predicted Bitcoin price (USD) from August to October 2024 are $59947.88, $60308.7, and $60669.53. Bitcoin price can be uti lized by market demand and supply, regulatory environment, and technology development.
Open Access
Token Economies and Behavioural Change: An Evaluati on of Their Eff ecti veness on Male Children in Sri Lankan Child Development Centers
(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Ponnamperuma, L; Godamunne, P; Hegoda Arachchi, R
Children residing in Sri Lankan Child Development Centers oft en confront a multi tude of emoti onal and behavioural challenges, due to traumati c experiences such as abuse, neglect, and loss and the socioeconomic problems such as poverty. These diffi culti es are exacerbated by the insti tuti onalized environment, leading to heightened vulnerability and an increased risk of developing long-term mental health issues. This study investi gated the impact of a token economy interventi on (star-chart) on conduct problems, emoti onal diffi culti es, and prosocial behaviours among male children residing in two Sri Lankan Child Development Centers. Employing a repeated measures design, 27 children aged 6-14 years were assessed using the Sinhala version of the Strengths and Diffi culti es Questi onnaire (SDQ) before and aft er one-month token economy implementati on. Results demonstrated the effi cacy of the token economy system in reducing behavioural issues and fostering prosocial behaviours. The fi ndings underscore the potenti al of this interventi on within childcare setti ngs and advocate for longitudinal research to evaluate long-term eff ects.