SLIIT International Conference on Advancements in Sciences and Humanities [SICASH] 2024
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Publication Open Access From Classrooms to Conversati ons: Examining the Gap in English Language Speaking Skills among Sri Lankan English as a Second Language (ESL) Learners(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Rathnayaka, R.M.J.U.; Fernando, M.A.N.N.; George, L.V.; Dissanayake, D.M.M.S.The persistent struggle of Sri Lankan learners relati ng to spoken English profi ciency despite extensive formal instructi on conti nues to be a dominant issue in English language teaching and learning in the local context. Thus, with the objecti ve of fi nding out the underlying factors that contribute to the low competency in English language speaking skills of secondary level learners, this study was conducted based on the research questi on ‘what are the reasons that hinder the improvement in English language speaking of Sri Lankan ESL learners?’. Data collecti on included a mixed-method approach: a detailed questi onnaire was distributed, and interviews were conducted either face-to-face or online (via Zoom) with six educators and twenty-four students across the Western and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. The parti cipants included eighteen Sinhala and twelve Tamil speakers. The questi onnaires were subjected to quanti tati ve analysis using cross-tabulati on and descripti ve stati sti cs. Additi onally, for the interviews conducted, content analysis was employed. Furthermore, the Cross-Validati on approach was used to support the fi ndings. The analyses reveal several criti cal barriers to improving spoken profi ciency: inadequate educati onal resources, anti quated pedagogical practi ces, limited immersion in the language, and challenges with pronunciati on leading to an inhibiti on towards speaking English. Teachers mainly highlighted a predominance of conventi onal, grammar-centric teaching methods and the reluctance to uti lize available technological tools due to concerns about misuse and damage. The student parti cipants reported that their reluctance to practi ce speaking is due to fear of making errors and being negati vely judged, compounded by an excessive focus on examinati on success. Both teachers and students were of the view that examinati on papers prioriti se recepti ve skills over producti ve ones, thereby reinforcing a cycle of rote learning and exam-oriented instructi on. This study advocates for a reformati on in nati onal examinati ons to include assessments of producti ve skills, speaking and listening, to bett er refl ect comprehensive language competence. Additi onally, it is suggested that culti vati ng a genuine passion for English within students, despite existi ng constraints, could signifi cantly enhance their language acquisiti on and learning. Educators are encouraged to adopt more innovati ve and supporti ve teaching strategies that emphasize practi cal language use and student engagement.Publication Open Access Awareness, Atti tudes, and Behavior toward Breast Cancer Screening Measures Among Female Teachers(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Athukorala, A.D.M; Wijesinghe, W.A.S.M; Hatanarachchi, H.A.W.S; Wickramasinghe, P.C; De Silva, D.K.M; Sriyani, K.ABreast cancer (BC), the most common cancer in women globally, signifi cantly impacts on health. Early detecti on through breast self-examinati on (BSE), clinical breast examinati on (CBE), and mammography is crucial for reducing mortality. This study examines awareness, atti tudes, and behavior toward BC screening among female schoolteachers in Giriulla Educati onal Zone, Sri Lanka. A descripti ve cross-secti onal study was conducted with 240 female teachers, aged 22-55, using convenience sampling. Data were collected through a self-administered questi onnaire and analyzed descripti vely. With a response rate of 93.7% (225 teachers), most parti cipants were aged 41-50 (38.2%), and 81.3% were married. About 45% held bachelor’s degrees. Awareness was notable: 53.1% knew about CBE, and 23.8% knew about mammography, but 65.5% were unaware of recommended examinati on start ages. Although 97.3% recognized the importance of screening, 68% hesitated toward BSE. Behavioral engagement varied, with 53.8% practi cing BSE monthly, but CBE and mammography were underuti lized (78.2% and 98.2%, respecti vely). The study highlights the need for enhanced awareness and educati on initi ati ves among female schoolteachers to address knowledge gaps and promote practi cal engagement in screening measures, crucial for early detecti on and reducing BC mortality rates.Publication Open Access Exploration of Gender Identity as Experienced by the Transgender Community of Sri Lanka(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Edirisooriya, C; De Silva, R; De Silva, RaneeshaAmidst the socioeconomic advancements, the transgender community continues to endure marginalization, stigma, and discrimination. This persistent social reality underscores the urgent need to delve into the coping strategies employed by transgenders in navigating identity-related challenges and to assess the available psychosocial support systems. This study investigates perceptions of gender identity within the community and broader society, and the lived experiences of transgender individuals and their coping mechanisms. Employing a qualitative methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten transgender individuals, analyzing the data through thematic analysis. The data was obtained from a larger study that explored the Post-COVID Minority Distress and Resilience in Sri Lanka’s LGBTQIA+ Community. Findings illuminate the challenges faced, ranging from familial rejection to societal discrimination, including encounters with legal authorities. The perception of gender identity among transgender individuals is influenced by factors, including individual personality traits, available support networks, cultural context, awareness levels, and interactions within the community. While there has been a positive shift in societal attitudes in recent years, significant barriers persist, hindering full acceptance and integration of transgender identities. Despite the lack of formalized psychosocial support mechanisms, transgender individuals employ diverse coping strategies, including engagement with music, relaxation techniques, following religious practices, and withdrawing from social interactions to manage distress. In conclusion, while the existing community organizations offer vital support, the study findings underscore the need for comprehensive interventions spanning individual-level psychological support and systemic changes at the policy and legal levels. By addressing these multifaceted challenges and bolstering support structures, a more inclusive society can be fostered that affirms and supports the diverse identities within the transgender community.Publication Open Access Development of Time Series Model to Predict Daily Gold Price(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Gayashan, W. A. K.; Dayarathna, A. K. G.; Rajakaruna, R. W. M. A. P.; Perera, T. J. N.; Peiris, T. S. G.Gold is ancient and one of the most precious and popular commoditi es in the world. Gold price forecasti ng is criti cal in fi nancial decision-making, providing valuable informati on for investors in the gold market, sellers of gold items and stakeholders. Not much studies have been carried out in to forecast daily gold prices of Sri Lanka. The aim of this paper is to forecast the daily gold price rate (Rupees/troy ounce) using data from 2nd January 2018 to 14th June 2024 published by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The best fi tt ed model was identi fi ed as ARIMA (1,1,1) + ARCH (2). The model was trained using data from 2nd January 2018 to 31st May 2024 and validated using data from the 3rd of June 2024 to 14th of June 2024. The model was stati sti cally tested using standard stati sti cal procedure and errors were found as white noise. The Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) for the training data set and validati on data set were 0.748% and 1.002% respecti vely. The validati on confi rmed that the ARIMA (1,1,1) + ARCH (2) model eff ecti vely captures the dynamics of gold price movements, off ering robust predicti ve power. These results indicate that the model is highly accurate and reliable for forecasti ng, making it a valuable tool for fi nancial insti tuti ons and investors aiming to predict market trends and make informed investment decisions.Publication Open Access Analysis of Functi onal Properti es of Jackfruit Seed Flour and Formulati on of a Jackfruit Seed Flour-Based Snack(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Gunarathna, R. W. M. M.; Samarakoon, E. R. J.; Janith, R.M.L.Most deep-fried snacks, which are currently in high demand, contain high calories and fat. Contrarily, Jackfruit seeds are rich in carbohydrates, and proteins but low in fat. Therefore, it is observed that jackfruit seed fl our can be used as an alternati ve ingredient to make deep-fried snacks. This study explored the functi onal properti es of jackfruit seed fl our and its potenti al in snack producti on. The fl our was prepared by roasti ng, oven drying, and boiling. Boiled jackfruit seed fl our exhibited the highest moisture content (7.04%), water-holding capacity (2.08 g/g), bulk density (0.81 g/cm³), oil-holding capacity (2.04 cm³/g), swelling power (6.91%), and the lowest solubility (7.69%). Accordingly, the lowest oil-holding capacity (1.84 cm3/g) was found in roasted jackfruit seed fl our. Snacks were prepared using the extrusion technique with a composite fl our mixture of 4:1:1 (jackfruit seed fl our: rice fl our: wheat fl our). The frying ti mes for snacks made with roasted, boiled, and oven-dried fl ours were 15, 17, and 10 sec, respecti vely. A proximate analysis showed that the boiled jackfruit seed fl our-based snack contained, 83.61% carbohydrate, 4.74% moisture, 6.46% fat, 2.90% ash, 1.70% fi bre, and 0.59% protein. It was found that snacks made from boiled jackfruit seed fl our received the highest consumer acceptance. This study demonstrated that jackfruit seed fl our is a promising ingredient for creati ng nutriti ous and lowfat snacks.Publication Open Access The Use of Substi tute ‘One’ in the Two Selected Sri Lankan English Novels; The Jam Fruit Tree and Theravada Man(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Subhasingha, S. A. K. M.This study aims to identi fy the use of substi tute ‘one’ in two selected Sri Lankan English novels: The Jam Fruit Tree and Theravada Man. The primary objecti ves of the study are to examine the types of ‘one’ used in the two selected Sri Lankan English novels and discover the most used type of ‘one’. Essenti ally, two Sri Lankan novels that incorporate Sri Lankan English vocabulary were chosen as the samples for the study. The data collecti on involved reading the selected two novels, documenti ng signifi cant use of the substi tute ‘one’, and analysing the types of ‘one’. A qualitati ve analysis method was employed to identi fy the substi tute ‘one’ within the selected Sri Lankan English novels. A quanti tati ve data analysis approach was implemented to identi fy the most used type of ‘one’ within the selected Sri Lankan English novels. The theoreti cal framework of Halliday and Hasan (1976) was used as a guiding model for the study to analyse the collected data. The analysis of the obtained results revealed that there are two types of substi tutes ‘one’ within the two selected Sri Lankan English novels, and those are the modifi ed ‘one’ and the unmodifi ed ‘one’. Ulti mately, unmodifi ed ‘one’ emerged as the most used type of substi tute ‘one’. In conclusion, this study highlights the signifi cant presence of two main types of substi tutes ‘one’ within the context of Sri Lankan English novels.Publication Open Access Exploring the Effectiveness of Sri Lanka’s Language Proficiency Support for Bilingual Education Teachers(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Pakeerathy, S.This research investigates the effectiveness of Language Proficiency Support Systems (LPSS) in Bilingual Education (BE) in Sri Lanka. The Bilingual Education Program, initiated in 2001, aims to improve teachers’ cognitive skills and academic language proficiency in English. However, BE faces challenges due to varying levels of language proficiency among teachers. The study aims to identify linguistic challenges for teachers, explore existing support mechanisms, and propose strategies to enhance language proficiency and pedagogical skills. The research targets teachers of BE and teacher educators, with a sample size of thirty across the country. The research design is survey- based, and the instruments are questionnaires and interviews. The study reveals gaps in current LPSS and suggests the need for targeted interventions to improve bilingual education and teacher training. Effective bilingual teachers require fluency in their first language (L1) and English (L2), with robust pedagogical skills to navigate bilingual classrooms effectively. The proposed plan includes revising teacher education curricula, providing specialized language proficiency training, organizing workshops on bilingual pedagogy, and integrating technology into teaching practices. Enhanced community engagement and professional development opportunities are crucial for continuous improvement. The proposed interventions aim to foster improved student outcomes and contribute to the broader discourse on bilingual education.Publication Open Access Enhancing Analyti c Writi ng Skills in the Context of English Literature through Guided Writi ng Strategies: Addressing Challenges Faced by HNDE Students in Craft ing Literature Responses(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Sivasankar, S; Pathmaperuma, P.A.S.G.The purpose of this study was to investi gate the impact of Guided Writi ng Techniques (GWT) on enhancing Analyti cal Writi ng Skills (AWS) among Higher Nati onal Diploma English students, focusing on their ability to respond eff ecti vely to English literature questi ons. From a populati on of 50 fi rstyear students, 25 parti cipants were selected through purposive sampling. This study employed a mixedmethods approach, combining quanti tati ve pretests and post-tests with qualitati ve structured interviews to gain insights into students’ challenges and progress in Analyti cal writi ng. The study commenced with pretests, which, along with structured interviews, highlighted specifi c diffi culti es students faced in craft ing responses to English literature questi ons and in AWS within this context. The interventi on acti viti es guided parti cipants through three stages, each designed to build essenti al skills for producing eff ecti ve literary responses: Literary Analysis Skill (LAS), Higher-Order Thinking Skill (HOT skill), and AWS, structured around GWT. Short stories, a form within the prose genre, were exclusively selected as the primary material for these acti viti es. Following each stage of the interventi on, individual post-tests were conducted to assess the development of core competencies. The fi ndings revealed a signifi cant improvement in students’ AWS, evidenced by a correlati on coeffi cient of 0.8914, underscoring the eff ecti veness of GWT. These techniques, mediated by LAS and HOT Skills, enabled students to craft focused, well-structured responses that thoroughly engage with literature questi ons. The study concludes that GWT, when integrated with LAS and HOT skills, is highly eff ecti ve in enhancing AWS in English literature, highlighti ng their potenti al as a valuable instructi onal approach in similar educati onal contexts.Publication Open Access Women’s Resistance to Subjecti fi cati on in The Guide by Narayan (1958) and “Sunset Coast” by Sakkarawarthi (2022)(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Marasinghe, M. M. S. N.; Ehelapitiya, E. H. D. S. B.The bind between women and the nati on they belong to has historically revealed a dynamic and contenti ous nexus. Bound within a dialecti cal relati onship, women are deemed the nati on embodied and subjected to its att endant suff erings, whilst simultaneously being burdened with the task of reproducing the nati onalist rhetoric that they themselves have no hand in penning. In such a context, this study undertakes a discussion on the confi gurati on of female subjecti vity through The Guide by R.K. Narayan and “Sunset Coast ‘’ by Sakkarawarthi, situated in postcolonial India and Tamil separati st war era Sri Lanka, respecti vely. Moreover, it examines and evinces the diff ering ways in which women overtly and covertly assert agency within the circumscripti ve bounds of patriarchal nati onalism. In elucidati ng the narrati ves of women striving for autonomy, this essay contends that these two texts functi on as discourses of resistance to androcentric nati onalism.Publication Open Access A Hybrid Parti cle Swarm Opti mizati on – Travelling Salesman Problem for Effi cient Multi Depot Vehicle Routi ng(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Senevirathne, S.S.M.A.C.; Samarasinghe, C. JThe Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry faces increasing demand to opti mize distributi on networks to reduce costs. The company seeks to establish a proper redistributi on route network, opti mize truck allocati on, and minimize warehouse operati ons, administrati on, and transportati on costs while adhering to capacity and volume constraints. To achieve this, the study formulates the problem as a Multi -Depot Vehicle Routi ng Problem (MDVRP) with 3 depots. The proposed model with the additi on of a parti cle swarm algorithm yields a substanti al cost reducti on of 21.41% compared to the existi ng system, demonstrati ng the potenti al of hybrid metaheuristi c algorithms for addressing complex logisti cs challenges in the FMCG industry.Publication Open Access Adherence to the World Health Organizati on’s Pati ent Care Indicators in Outpati ent Department Dispensing at a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Cross-Secti onal Observati onal Study(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Sanjithakrishna, S.; Liyanaarachchie, L.C.P.T.; Krishnananthalingam, D; Bagyawantha, N.M.Y.K.The World Health Organizati on (WHO) has developed good dispensing practi ces (GDPs) to standardize the performance of pharmacists. Hence, they can be used as indicators to assess the quality of dispensing services. Evaluati ng the quality of dispensing is pivotal in improving dispensing practi ces in a healthcare insti tute. The objecti ve of this study was to assess the adherence of outpati ent department (OPD) pharmacists to WHO’s pati ent care indicators. This was a cross-secti onal, observati onal study conducted at the OPD pharmacy of the Teaching Hospital, Jaff na. Ethical approval was obtained from the ethics review committ ee, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya. Eight pharmacists named A to G in the OPD were evaluated using a checklist by a single observer for about 10 dispensing cycles assessing average dispensing ti me, percentage of pati ents’ knowledge of correct dosage, percentage of drugs adequately labelled, and percentage of drugs dispensed resulti ng in the observati on of 78 dispensing cycles. Pati ent knowledge was assessed using a structured questi onnaire administered postdispensati on. These assessments were carried out in the real dispensing environment at the OPD, and the results were infl uenced by multi ple factors in the dispensing environment. The average dispensing ti me was 41.8 sec. Pharmacist A showed the highest dispensing ti me (55.7 sec) and pharmacist E showed the lowest dispensing ti me (31.0 sec). The percentage of drug knowledge among the pati ents varied between 50.0% to 65.0%. All the pharmacists adequately labelled the drugs during the dispensati on except pharmacist A (68.9%). Pharmacists B and C dispensed 100.0% of prescribed drugs. While adherence to certain WHO pati ent care indicators such as drug labelling and dispensing percentages were sati sfactory, the average dispensing ti me and pati ent knowledge were below WHO recommended standards.Publication Open Access An Analysis of Creati vity, Criti cal Thinking, Communicati on, and Collaborati on Skills in the G.C.E. (Advanced Level) General English Textbook in Sri Lanka(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Lawrence, D; Wijesekera, H.DThe Advanced Level General English (GE) Course in Sri Lanka aims to prepare students for success in higher educati on, work, and social life. To achieve this objecti ve, it is necessary to equip students with “21st century skills” in additi on to language skills. A crucial factor that determines the success of the programme is the teaching material. The Advanced Level GE textbook is the primary teaching material for the GE course in schools nati onwide. This study explored the representati on of 21st century skills in this textbook by employing Qualitati ve Content Analysis (QCA) to systemati cally categorize and evaluate instances of 21st century-related acti viti es and discussions within the textbook. Although the study investi gated twelve 21st century skills, in this paper, we focus on the 4Cs (Creati vity, Criti cal Thinking, Communicati on, Collaborati on). The results indicate that although the 4Cs were the most visible skills and consti tuted the majority of occurrences (85.27%), some important aspects or subskills were not adequately represented. In additi on to other outcomes, the presentati on will mainly contribute to English Language teaching material development and evaluati on at both policy and implementati on levels.Publication Open Access Forecasting Global Annual Average CO2 Concentrations(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Rasanjali, R.P.B; Tharupathi, M.D.G; Dharmarathne, S.R.J.M; Weerakoon, M.M; Peris, T.S.GThis study aims to enhance the accuracy of CO₂ level forecasts, compare the effi cacy of diff erent predicti ve models, and provide insights for policy development. Employing ti me series and regression analysis techniques, the study uses historical data from global monitoring stati ons (1979- 2022) to model the annual mean concentrati on of atmospheric CO2 The results reveal that the ARIMA (1,1,1) model outperforms the simple linear regression model in predicti ve accuracy. Nevertheless, the regression model came across a technical problem as residuals are signifi cantly autocorrelated. The Augmented Dickey-Fuller test was applied to ensure stati onarity of the fi rst diff erence of the original series. The model was trained using data from 1979 to 2022 and validated for 2023. The errors of the ARIMA(1,1,1) was found to be white noise. The ARIMA model projected CO₂ concentrati ons of 419.5, 421.8 and 424.2 for the years 2023, 2024, and 2025 respecti vely, with a percentage error of just 0.048% for the 2023. In contrast, the corresponding percentage of error for the simple linear regression model was -1.236%. These fi ndings underscore the ARIMA model’s superior performance in forecasti ng future CO₂ levels and its suitability for environmental monitoring and climate change miti gati on strategies. This research provides a valuable methodological framework for future atmospheric science studies and informs policy decisions aimed at addressing rising CO₂ concentrations.Publication Open Access Effectiveness of Spaced Repetition Techniques for Vocabulary Acquisition for English Language Learners in Maritime Industry(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Jayawardena, H. M. C. P.This study investigates the effectiveness of spaced repetition (SR) techniques for vocabulary acquisition and retention in adult English as a Second language (ESL) learners within the maritime industry. Twenty students conveniently sampled from a maritime English course participated. The research employed a mixed method approach with pre-test, posttest, and delayed post-test designs to assess vocabulary knowledge in both an Anki spaced repetition group and a rote memorization group. The classroom environment was observed to be friendly, supportive, and facilitated learning in the students’ first language. This likely contributed to a positive learning experience for both groups. Pre-test results confirmed the students in both groups were beginners (A1 level) in maritime English. Post-test results revealed that the rote memorization group achieved high scores in recalling exact definitions, demonstrating effectiveness for immediate recall. However, the Anki group displayed a deeper understanding of vocabulary concepts beyond simply memorizing definitions. A one-month delayed posttest highlighted the significant advantage of SR for long-term retention. The Anki group performed exceptionally well, while the rote memorization group struggled with vocabulary activities. This suggests that spaced practice facilitated the transition of learned vocabulary from short-term to longterm memory. These findings support the potential benefits of SR (Anki1) for fostering deeper vocabulary 1 Anki is a free and open-source flashcard program. It understanding and long-term retention compared to rote memorization techniques in adult ELLs learning maritime English. While the small sample size and convenient sampling method limit generalizability, this research provides valuable insights for future studies exploring SR effectiveness across various learning contexts and proficiency levels in the maritime industry.Publication Open Access Professional Identi ti es of English as a Second Language (ESL) Teachers in State and Non-State Higher Educati on Insti tutes: A Comparati ve Analysis(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Ekanayake, E.M.P.E.; Dissanayake, D.M.M.S.S ince teacher professional identi ty off ers valuable insights into teaching as it is practi ced in actual classroom contexts, research on this topic has been gathering more and more att enti on over the years. However, despite its signifi cance, there have been very few studies on teacher professional identi ti es of ESL teachers from state and non-state higher educati on insti tutes. Thus, this study aims to identi fy identi ti es that consti tute the professional identi ty of ESL teachers and to compare the similariti es and diff erences of the professional identi ty of ESL teachers in the Sri Lankan higher educati on sector. In terms of the research design, the study adopted a qualitati ve approach. As such, data was collected through semi-structured interviews with six ESL teachers from state and non-state universiti es, and the data was then analyzed using the method of themati c analysis. According to data, the study found three identi ti es that are common to both state and non-state university teachers: the moti vator, the friendly teacher, and the advocate of communicati ve language teaching. Moreover, the study also found teacher identi ti es that are unique to state and nonstate university ESL teachers. The identi ti es that are unique to state university teachers are promotor of value-based pedagogy, advocate of criti cal pedagogy, and ESL teacher at a state university. The facilitator, knowledge seeker, and conti nuous learner were found to be unique identi ti es of non-state university teachers. While providing insight into ESL teacher identi ty formati on and its contributory factors in the higher educati on landscape, this study recommends further research to validate and expand upon these fi ndings across diff erent contexts and larger parti cipant groups.Publication Open Access The Use of Plant Tissue Culture Techniques for Producing Virus Free Manihot esculenta Var. MU51 Plants(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Madushani, W.G.I; Jayasinghe, K.G.J.U.; Aluthgamage, H.N.; Fonseka, D.L.C.K.Even though Manihot esculenta (Cassava) has been identi fi ed worldwide as a key starchy crop, it contains a rich number of phytochemicals that can be used for various purposes. However, conventi onal propagati on methods have led to an increase in viral diseases, creati ng a problemati c conditi on when using this species for the pharmaceuti cal industry. There is a lack of reliable protocols for the micropropagati on of cassava (Var. MU51) for mass producti on in industrial use. Therefore, this work aimed to develop a reliable method for the mass producti on of healthy, virus-free Manihot esculenta (Var. MU51) for industrial applicati ons. The focus was on creati ng a micropropagati on protocol for the variety MU51, involving opti mal surface sterilizati on and eff ecti ve hormonal combinati on for shoot proliferati on and ideal media for meristem culture. According to the study, a 10% Clorox soluti on, coupled with an exposure durati on of 15 minutes, manifested the most noteworthy success rate (78 %) in preventi ng contaminati on (P < 0.05). In the context of the proliferati on of shoots from M. esculenta nodes, the applicati on of 0.5 mg/l BAP + 0.1 mg/l NAA as well as 1mg/l BAP + 0.1mg/l NAA following 5 weeks, the nodal segments that underwent shoot proliferati on exhibited comparable growth in both treatments without signifi cant diff erence (P > 0.05). The initi ati on of meristem growth was carried out uti lizing a solid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium forti fi ed with a blend of 0.1 mg/l BAP, 0.25 mg/l GA3, and 0.2 mg/l NAA, in additi on to a standard MS medium. The hormonal MS medium demonstrated a signifi cantly superior survival rate (87%) (P < 0.05). The current investi gati on underscores the opti mal conditi ons for miti gati ng contaminati on risks and promoti ng desirable outcomes in M. esculenta shoot proliferati on and meristem growth, thereby contributi ng valuable insights to the fi eld.Publication Open Access The Case for Therapeutic Justice by Integrating the Practice of Private Mediation in Sri Lanka Throughout the Life Cycle of a Case(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Gamage, TThe concept of Therapeutic Justice focuses on the law’s impact on the emotional and psychological well-being of the people, thus calls for therapeutic methods of resolving disputes against the negative effects of an adversarial setting. Eleven (11) cases litigated in Sri Lanka during the years 2021 to 2023 form the basis of an interpretive case research in a naturalistic setting that captures the complex emotional and psycho-social impact of the adversarial methods of dispute resolution on the disputants. Despite most such cases having achieved a so-called ‘out of court settlement’ through the collaboration of lawyers, the interactions between the disputants during the post litigation phase reveal persistent lack of confidence and distrust between the disputants as well as lack of therapeutic impact of ‘out of court settlements. Contextualised data was collected through observations and interviews of the participants in the court and from interactions with the lawyers. Using a thematic analysis, patterns emerged from the qualitative date directed towards the negligible therapeutic impact of ‘out of court settlements’ on the disputants and the potential use of private mediation as a therapeutic method of resolving disputes. The findings assume that Therapeutic Justice and mediation closely share attributes such as not only resolving underlying issues in a less-adversarial set-up but more importantly managing emotions, empowering’ litigants to actively participate in rehabilitating relationships, to achieve outcomes that benefit all parties through mediation. The findings highlight the need to adopt and experiment private mediation in Sri Lanka through court referrals throughout the life cycle of a case and of the corresponding need to set up a vibrant mediation culture.Publication Open Access Isolati on of Cd Removal Bacteria from Beira Lake, Colombo, Sri Lanka and Evaluati on of their Capacity in Cadmium Removal(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Thilakarathne, T; Lankika, S.P. C.; Mirihana, S.Cadmium (Cd), a heavy metal, is reported to be exceeding its consumable levels in the environment due to several anthropogenic acti viti es. Cd contaminati on thus challenges the ecosystems and human health due to its persistence and toxicity. It is confi rmed that bioaccumulati on of Cd leads to cancers and osteoporosis. Hence, concerning their eco-friendliness and cost-eff ecti veness, urgent remediati on methods are needed for clearing the issue of Cd-contaminated water and soil. The present study deals with three Cd-resistant bacterial strains isolated from Beira Lake, Sri Lanka; and named as TTCB, TTGB, and TTPB. The isolated strains are found to have performed remarkably eff ecti vely with the Cd removal effi ciencies of 97.4%, 97.5%, and 97.5%, respecti vely, as determined by an atomic absorpti on spectrophotometric assay. Their highest eff ecti veness was found at temperatures ranging from 30°C to 40°C and in a pH range of 6 to 7. Moreover, the isolated strains indicated higher Minimal Inhibitory Concentrati ons (1200 – 2000 ppm), confi rming a strong tolerance to Cd. It is highlighted that the MIC levels of the isolated strains are remarkable in comparison with the model organisms as Bacillus cereus ATCC 10876 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC (300 – 700 ppm). The resulti ng potenti ality of the isolated strains has suggested a promising bioremediati on applicati on for Cd- contaminated environments, off ering a valuable soluti on to address this pressing environmental issue.Publication Open Access In silico Toxicity Analysis of Potenti al Wound Healing Drug Candidates to Assess Drug Suitability(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Piyaratne, A; Bandaranayake, UDrug development typically takes several years, but in-silico techniques, computati onal biology and chemical soluti ons can expedite toxicity analysis and other secti ons of the drug development process. Therefore, screening of potenti al drug candidates has become effi cient. These techniques provide results quickly, cost-eff ecti vely, and without harming animals or humans. This research leverages bioinformati cs to analyse the toxicity of chemical compounds in a potenti al wound-healing drug, specifi cally Bilirubin, Pinocembrin, and Resveratrol. Soft ware such as Discovery Studios, Chem3D Pro, OpenBabel, Osiris Explorer, and EpiWeb 4.1 were used for visualizati on, energy minimizati on, SMILES string generati on, and toxicity analysis. A one-way ANOVA test was performed on drug scores obtained from Osiris Explorer using PRISM version 10.2.1. The stati sti cal analysis of these scores facilitated alternati ve hypothesis selecti on of validati ng drug suitability using in-silico toxicity studies. Despite challenges, this research provides valuable insights into performing toxicity analysis on ligands.Publication Open Access The Impact of Bitt ern and Gliricidia on the Growth of Chili Plants in Sri Lanka(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Senavirathne, H.M.R.Y.; Gunasekara, N; Priyadarshani, S.V.G.N.; Gammanpila, H.W.Due to its unique spiciness, Capsicum annuum, Chili is an economically valuable crop in high demand in global and local markets. It belongs to the Solanaceae family. This study investi gated the eff ect of Bitt ern and Gliricidia sepium, Gliricidia plant leaf extract pulp as a complete organic multi -nutrient low-cost ferti lizer. Vermi wash and Albert’s Soluti on were used as inorganic and organic treatments to analyze the eff ect on Chili plant growth and development. This experiment observed suitable ferti lizer treatment for the bitt ern soluti on to complete nitrogen defi ciency and generate complete organic ferti lizer. This study employed a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 13 Treatment groups and 1 controlled group. Treatments were carried out for 10 weeks. Chili plant growth was analyzed using data for vegetati ve growth parameters, height, stem width, leaf count, and leaf area. Bitt ern 25% complex with Gliricidia sepium leaf extract pulp treated plants were the fi rst initi ati ng branching, second tallest plants (25.5 cm) with secondary branching was observed. Bitt ern 25%, Gliricidia sepium leaf extract pulp with Albert’s soluti on also signifi cantly showed the highest results on growth, tallest plants (28.5cm), the highest number of leaves, Branching & secondary branching. Analyzing results identi fi ed suitable bitt ern concentrati on with organic complex for opti mal plant growth. Pot plant treatments should increase with growth stages to prevent nutrient defi ciencies and opti mize growth and development. Stati sti cal analysis used One-way ANOVA and Microsoft Excel.