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Development of a soya-based instant soup mix using locally available raw materials
Full text linkInstant foods are top-rated in the modern food market due to the busy
lifestyles, industrialization and population increase. The study was carried
with a view to develop a soy-based instant soup mixture using a combination
of soya fine grits, pumpkin powder, and cornstarch. Soya fine grits are a
significant by-product of soy nugget processing, and it contains protein,
carbohydrate, dietary fiber, total sugar, and total fat (43.3, 38, 15.6, 3.3, and
0.2%, respectively). During this study, both proximate analysis (moisture,
ash, and crude fiber) and sensory qualities (taste, aroma, texture, color, and
overall acceptability) of the prepared instant soup powder were analyzed.
And also, shelf life, water activity, pH value, and the moisture content of the
developed soup mixture were analyzed for the 45-days storage period. The
sample, which contained fine soya grits (19.56%), pumpkin powder
(26.10%), cornstarch (32.60%), spices (black pepper, garlic powder, onion
powder, sugar, maltodextrin, salt, yeast extract), dried carrots (3.03%), and
leeks (3.03%) was selected as the most preferred instant dried soup powder
by the sensory evaluation. According to the proximate analysis, there were
6.42% moisture, 10.56% ash, and 4.003% crude fiber, while its water
absorption index was 8.598 g/g, and pH value was 6.76, at 4.25-minute
cooking time. Results revealed that soup powder's moisture content
increased to 6.89%, pH decreased to 6.57, and water activity increased to
0.598 levels during the 45-day storage period
Suitability of utilizing of used rice bran oil to produce hard soap and liquid soap
Full text linkWaste cooking oil is utilized for re-cooking to enhance commercial
efficiency, but its nutritional value has decreased and can cause severe health
problems. The cis forms of fatty acids contained in rice bran oil are converted
into harmful transform after exposure to high temperatures repeatedly. This
study was designed to prepare hard and liquid soap using varying
percentages of used rice bran oil, coconut oil, castor oil, NaOH, glycerin,
sodium silicate, calcium carbonate, EDTA, SLES, dyes, and fragrance. In the
prepared hard soap were found to be the values ranges of TFM of 25.10 to
69.56%, total alkaline content of 2.69 to 1.85%, pH of 11.45 to 8.901,
moisture content of 8.901 to 14.863%, and foamability of 7.50 to 17.5cm.
The formula containing used rice bran oil at 38.8%, Coconut oil at 14.82%,
and Castor oil at 6.50% presented the best results in hard soap. The prepared
liquid soap resulted the values ranges of TFM of 36.03 to 67.99%, Total
alkaline content of 1.33 to 2.18%, pH of 12.57 to 9.25, and foamability of
13.0 to 18.33 cm. The best formula was obtained from liquid soap treatment
containing used rice bran oil of 50.00%, Coconut oil of 11.50%, and castor
oil of 5.00%. The tested results showed that the hard soap can be categorized
into Type 01 soap according to the SLS standards. It can be concluded that
the used rice bran oil can be used as an alternative raw material for soap
manufacturing
Impact of transformational leadership style on SMEs’ performance in Kandy District
Full text linkPurpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how transformational leadership
style influences the performance of SMEs in Kandy district.
Design/methodology/approach: The study was based on a quantitative approach.
Data were collected from 200 registered SMEs in Kandy district. The data analysis
was done using the SPSS 26 version to examine the relationship between research
variables.
Findings: The findings showed that the transformational leadership style has a
moderate positive relationship with SMEs performance.
Practical implications: Through comprehensive data analysis, the study endeavors
to provide empirical evidence supporting the positive correlation between
transformational leadership style and SME performance, offering valuable insights
for business leaders and policymakers seeking to foster a culture of innovation and
growth within the SME sector.
Research limitations: The study's geographical scope was limited to the Kandy
district, which may not fully represent the diversity of SMEs across the entire Sri
Lankan landscape. The sample size represents only a fraction of the total SMEs in
Kandy district. Qualitative data, such as in-depth interviews or open-ended survey
questions, could have provided richer insights into the topic.
Originality Value: Finding of this study provides empirical evidence to support
existing leadership theories and enhances scholarly discourse on leadership
effectiveness within SMEs and informs future research endeavors aimed at
optimizing leadership practices to drive organizational success in diverse business
environments
Undergraduates’ awareness of Waqf (endowment): an empirical analysis based on state universities in Sri Lanka
Full text linkThe study aims to assess awareness of Islamic waqf among undergraduates pursuing primary degrees in Sri Lanka’s state universities. The study adopted a descriptive approach, focusing on quantitative data analysis. The data were collected through questionnaire distribution among 300 participants from randomly selected state universities, which received 270 (90% response rate) usable questionnaires. The data analysis was conducted using SPSS software (Version 26), which used descriptive and inferential statistics. The results were organised into tables and graphs to help provide a better understanding. The findings reveal that although undergraduates acquire a superficial understanding of the concept of Islamic Waqf, they lack awareness regarding its procedures, conditions, purposes, appointment of trustees (Mutawalli), significant relation between waqf charitable enforcement and sustainable development in the economy, and the issue of waqf to non-Muslims. This knowledge gap can be attributed to inadequate knowledge provided by governmental and voluntary organisations for individuals to participate in and support the Islamic Waqf Institutions, which is essential for actively understanding the procedures and conditions. By educating individuals about Waqf procedures and conditions, individuals can obtain knowledge and contribute to ensuring that the resources are utilised effectively for sustainable economic growth. Implementing the Waqf Charitable endowment in areas such as Education Waqf, Medical Waqf, and Provident Fund Waqf will remain challenging without addressing this issue. Hence, policymakers and relevant authorities should prioritise improving awareness and understanding of Islamic waqf between the literary community and the public
Evaluation of different edible coatings for their efficacy and reducing chilling injury in mangoes
Full text linkThe evaluation of different edible coatings for mitigating chilling injury in
mangoes represents a crucial step in addressing postharvest losses and
ensuring the prolonged quality of this tropical fruit. This research involves
determining the effectiveness of edible coatings against chilling injury in
mangoes. For each coating material, dedicated coating solutions were
prepared with the desired concentration. The coated mangoes were stored at
a chilling temperature for a month and quality was determined once a week
during the storage. The quality parameters and physiological changes were
meticulously recorded for each coating type. Furthermore, microbial stability
and sensory attributes were evaluated and data were analysed and compared
with the control treatment at the 0.05 level. The coating rate of mangoes were
lower than that of controlled mangoes. In this research, the chilling injury
rate was found to be lower in coating mangoes than in controlled mangoes
and coating mangoes were found to have longer storage than controlled
mangoes
Characterization of oils and defatted residues of terminalia catappa L. seed kernels of two varieties
Full text linkThe seed kernel of Terminalia catappa Linn (T. catappa) is an underutilized plant food with promising potential. This study investigated the physicochemical properties, fatty acid composition, thermal behavior, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectral characteristics of oils extracted from kernels of yellow and purple cultivars of T. catappa and proximate compositions of their defatted residues. The oils extracted through a cold press micro-expeller, differed in color, with yellow oil being lighter than purple oil. Both cultivars demonstrated high iodine values and lower saponification values. Thermal profiles displayed major exothermic and endothermic peaks associated with the crystallization and melting of triacylglycerols (TAGs). Both oils were rich in unsaturated fatty acids (USFAs), particularly oleic and linoleic acids, with palmitic acid being the predominant saturated fatty acid (SFA). FTIR spectra indicated the presence of functional groups such as methyl, methylene and esters representing the complex composition of the oils. Proximate composition analysis revealed that whole kernels were high in fat, while defatted residues were richer in protein and minerals. These findings suggest that T. catappa kernels from both cultivars were good sources of plant oils with potential for high-fat products, and defatted residues could be used in protein-rich supplements, offering diverse industrial applications
COVID pandemic in Jaffna metropolitan area and its repercussions in the agricultural economy during 2022-2023 – a perspective study
Full text linkThe worldwide COVID pandemic of 2020 has made considerable damages to the
Economy of Sri Lanka. This study focuses on the gravity of the health effects and the
consequent impacts on the agricultural activities and connected income patterns of the
workforce in the agricultural sector of the Jaffna Metropolitan area during the post
COVID scenario. The period and population covered in this perspective study is from
2020 to 2022 and the people living in the two DS divisions named Jaffna and Nallur
contained in the Jaffna Municipal Council area and its suburbs named Nallur, Ariyalai,
Thirunelvely and Kokkuvil. The investigation for this study was performed during
March and April of 2023. Secondary data relevant to the population profile and COVID
19-affected sub-population of the study area were retrieved from the records of General
and Health Administrative sources. Primary data on the changing nature of the
agricultural activities and connected changing patterns of income were collected from
the sub-sample of COVID-affected sub-population using a purposive systematic
sampling technique. The primary and secondary data collected were subjected to
analysis in this study for obtaining the results. The contingency tables constructed from
the data were subjected to simple percentage analysis and the extracted relationships
were confirmed using Chi-square statistical tests. This study has shown that the
incidence of COVID pandemic in Jaffna Metropolitan area was 4.53, which was
comparatively higher than 3.33 that of Jaffna District and Sri Lankan national rate 3.03.
Investigations on various types of changed agricultural activities on the workers in 2023
have shown that the work capability in agricultural sector has been severely deteriorated
in the sense that about 35 percent of the workforce has given-up such agricultural
activities. The income patterns were also severely affected, in the sense that 45 to 50
percent of them have commenced receiving lesser income compared to pre-COVID
scenario. However, the vegetable and fruit sellers, small and medium businessmen, have
maintained or increased their income. Hence, we conclude that the effects of COVID
pandemic among the agriculture workforce in Jaffna City were severe than that of the
district and national scenario
Emerging financial technology (FINTECH) in the banking industry: threats and opportunities
No full textThe way financial services are accessed and provided has been completely transformed by financial
technology, or FinTech, which has become a disruptive force in the financial industry. Financial technology, or
FinTech, has become incredibly popular in recent years. The term "financial technology" (FinTech) refers to a
broad category of financial services that use rapid advancements in technology. These services include
clearing, settlement, and payments, followed by credit, deposit, and capital-raising services. The purpose of
this study is to create a thorough understanding of the opportunities and threats associated with financial
technology, or FinTech, for the banking industry. The researcher identifies the opportunities and threats
related to financial technology in the banking industry by analyzing the existing literature, empirical data,
and theoretical concepts of national and international researchers that represent different approaches to
financial technology. Financial technology presents several advantages for the banking industry, chief among
them being lower costs and more comfortable service delivery when compared to traditional methods. Among
the benefits of financial technology are its increased accessibility and increased competitiveness. Financial
losses and a reduction in public confidence in the financial system pose the biggest risks to financial
: technology. Because of service consumers' low level of financial literacy, which causes them to undervalue
risks and make poor financial decisions, it was found that these challenges had emerged. This study focused on
financial technology (FinTech) in the banking industry to provide a conceptual identification of FinTech and
its positive and negative effects on the industry. For this, published articles examined the development of
financial technology
issn
No full textPurpose: The paper seeks to discuss smart technologies that are being applied in the
tourism industry, focusing more on Tourism 4.0. To be specific, it discusses potential
issues that may be identified with regard to benefits, challenges, and future
implications from such technological advancement to serve tourists better, make the
industry efficient, and create a sustainable practice of tourism.
Methodology: An extensive literature review was carried out in order to understand
the adoption of Tourism 4.0, smart technologies, and their various applications in the
tourism industry. Papers from peer-reviewed journals from Scopus database were
consulted with the purpose of identifying the main trends, challenges, and best
practices.
Results: The integration of smart technologies like artificial intelligence, the Internet
of Things, virtual and augmented reality, big data analytics, and blockchain has a very
great potential that will alter the face of tourism. It is bound to enhance the experience
of tourists, make the processes in the industry more efficient, and engender the
principles of sustainable tourism. However, several problems relating to data privacy
and security, a digital divide, and infrastructure constraints have to be overcome.
Implications: The findings of this study have an important contribution for tourism
businesses, policymakers, and technology providers in that smart technologies
embraced by the tourism industry can make the environment competitive, sustainable,
and customer-orientated.
The theoretical contribution: This present study is that it gives a wide overview of
the adoption of smart technologies in the tourism industry. It underlines the possible
benefits and challenges of the technologies at hand and gives important insight into
future research and industrial practices.
Originality: The originality of the current study comes from an attempt to discuss
how different smart technologies will be integrated in the framework of Tourism 4.0,
depicting holistically the future perspective of the tourism industry
Job design techniques and employee performance: an investigation on the management service employees of the divisional secretariat in Ampara district, Sri Lanka
Full text linkPurpose: This research aimed to explore the relationship between job design
techniques and employee performance among management service officers working
in divisional secretariats in the Ampara district of Sri Lanka.
Design/methodology/approach: A sample of 217 was drawn from twenty Divisional
secretariats in Ampara District. This study used the survey method. A standardized
job design questionnaire (Munyiri, 2018) and a self-administered questionnaire was
distributed among the respondents to collect the data using a random sampling
method. The data that was gathered was presented in graphs and tables to explain the
pattern of responses. Popular statistical SPSS version 26 package was used to analyze
the data. Results obtained from descriptive, correlations and regression analyses were
used for interpretations.
Findings: This study has shown that job rotation, job enlargement, job enrichment,
and job simplification have an impact on employee performance. The results showed
that there is a strong positive correlation (r= 0.803), (r= 0.809), (r= 0.854) between
job rotation, job enrichment, and job simplification with employee performance
respectively. Also, the results showed that there is a negative correlation (r= -0.499),
between job enlargement and employees’ performance.
Practical implications: This research has shown that the management service
officers who work in the divisional secretariats in Ampara District are aware that their
job design and job design techniques impact their performance. This finding will be
useful for employees in choosing the most appropriate job design techniques to
increase the level of employee performance.
Originality value: This study reveals that job design techniques are important to the
management service officers to increase performance which increases the efficient
service for the public sector