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Sovereign bond yield connected among major economies during global crises: evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia Ukraine war
Get PDFPurpose: This research evaluates sovereign bond yield connectedness dynamics
among G7 nations and major economies such as China, Russia, and India,
encompassing the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war periods.
Design/methodology/approach: The study analyzed daily sovereign bond yield data
from January 2011 to November 2023, divided into three subsamples: pre-COVID,
COVID-19, and Russia-Ukraine war periods. The Diebold and Yilmaz connectedness
approach with a Time-Varying Parameter Vector Autoregression (TVP-VAR) model
was applied to investigate yield interconnectedness.
Findings: Germany, the US, Canada, and the UK emerged as significant yield
transmitters spillovers, with Germany and the US as prime net transmitters. Japan,
India, and Italy were net receivers. Japan consistently received spillovers from
Canada, Germany, and the USA while transmitting to the UK. Italy mainly received
from Germany and France, while China transmitted to the UK, France, Germany, and
the USA. The UK shifted from a net transmitter to a receiver during crisis periods.
Practical implications: The study highlights the need for coordinated policy
responses and robust risk management strategies in light of the dynamic nature of
sovereign bond market linkages during turbulent periods. It emphasizes the
importance of monitoring major economies' roles in global financial
interconnectedness.
Originality value: This research comprehensively analyses sovereign bond yield
connectedness during recent global crises, offering insights into the changing
dynamics of financial market interdependencies. It proposes a regulatory framework
to manage interconnectedness and enhance financial stability in the face of evolving
yield relationships
Evaluation of phenotype characteristics and ethylene content of selected rice varieties under two ecological zones in Sri Lanka
Get PDFRice, an important staple crop in Asia, exhibits a significant relationship
between phenotypic traits and yield performance depending on ecological
zones and submergence conditions. In Rathnapura, IR19A8790 stands out in
the number of plant rows, while IR19A7712 lags behind in the same feature.
In contrast, in Horana, IR19A7668 outperforms the number of plant rows,
while IR19A9132 does not do as well. Rathnapura has a spectrum of varieties,
with IR19A8982 and 30 others showing superior performance at 50%
flowering, reflecting Horana's varieties including IR19A7798, IR19A7885,
IR19A8596, IR19A8762, IR19A8982, IR19A8989, IR19A9000,
IR19A9140, IR19A9153, IR19A7679, IR19A7963, IR19A8597,
IR19A8784, IR19A8975 and IR19A8997. Rathnapura's IR19A7798 and
IR19A9003 are distinguished by plant height, IR19A8994 by panicle
number, IR19A9132 by panicle weight, IR19A8992 by 100-seed weight, and
IR19A8574 by panicle seed number. Horana's IR19A8791 is characterized
by plant height, IR19A7710 by the number of panicles, IR19A7972 by the
weight of panicles, IR19A7972 by the weight of 100 seeds and IR19A7983
by the number of panicle seeds. The best performing varieties are
IR19A8589, IR19A9150, IR19A7868, IR19A9128, IR19A7990 in
Rathnapura and IR19A8592, IR19A8582, IR19A8589, IR19A8584,
IR19A8588 in Horana. This research investigates ethylene dynamics in plant
responses under stress conditions using live plant samples and a headspace
extraction method. Despite careful execution, challenges were encountered
in detecting ethylene content using GCMS analysis due to factors such as
sample exposure time, GCMS instrument sensitivity, and solvent selection
and need re-evaluation for conclusion
Comparison of growth and yield traits of six selected rice varieties in shade net-house conditions
Get PDFTropical rice varieties require high light intensities to achieve their potential
grain yield. However, in the Sri Lankan context, there is a limited amount of
research focusing on the effects of light on commercial rice varieties. The
main objectives of the experiment were to investigate the effect of varieties
on the growth and yield attributes of six rice varieties under 50% shaded
conditions. A pot experiment was conducted in a plant shade (50%) house to
evaluate the growth and yield performance of elite rice cultivars, namely,
Bg360, Bg310, Bg403, Bg379/2, Bw367. According to the results, the
maximum plant height was observed in Bw367 at the 13th week after
planting (77.5cm), surpassing AT362 (70.4cm), while Bg360 recorded the
lowest (58.3cm). The flowering days were substantially delayed in the
control variety AT362 (83 days) and further delayed in Bg379/2 (109.7 days).
The highest number of tillers were produced in Bg360 (8.6/plant) compared
to AT362 (7.5/plant), while Bw367 recorded the lowest number of tillers
(6.3). Furthermore, the highest number of panicles per plant was produced in
Bg379/2 (4.4) compared to AT362 (3.9), with Bg310 having the lowest mean
value (3.2). Bw367 recorded the highest grains per panicle (192.8), while
AT362 recorded (107.2), and Bg360 recorded the lowest (83.0) respectively.
The highest panicle fresh and dry weight was recorded in Bw367 (3.66g,
1.28g respectively) compared to AT362 (2.54g, 0.67g respectively), while
the lowest was in Bg360 (2.12g, 0.54g respectively). Therefore, the results
indicate that commercial rice varieties grown under shade conditions
perform sub-optimally, and farmers need to consider the light requirements
of plants before selecting varietie
Fish Waste: Understanding the pollution potential and sustainable mitigation strategies
No full textFish production expansion around the world has increased waste output, which has become a stressor to the environment, despite meeting the expanding protein need and can be considered as the other side of a coin. Similar to other waste, fish waste has the potential to cause environmental pollution if not properly disposed of. This chapter provides baseline information in this regard, and the main inferences are as follows: (1) Fish waste, both solid and liquid, has the potential to cause all types of pollution, with water pollution receiving the most attention because fish waste and effluent from fish processing industries are commonly discarded into water systems (2) Fish waste pollution has drastic effects starts with water quality alteration and ends with jeopardizing biodiversity (3) Cleaner production, valorizing fish waste, raising awareness, and implementing rules and regulations are a few ways to reduce fish waste pollution, with the transformation of fish waste into marketable products being particularly attractive from an environmental and economic standpoint. Finally, while fish waste is a cause of pollution in the ecosystem, it may be reduced with the proper procedures
Determinants of customer satisfaction in Banking sector: evidence from People’s Bank, Kurunegala District
Get PDFPurpose: Customers have become the lifeblood of any organization. Customers are
the source of banks’ profitability. By satisfying the customer, the bank is able to retain
the customer and reap maximum benefits from the relationship which ultimately leads
to higher profitability. The objective of this study is to determine the factors that
affect customer satisfaction in banking sector of Sri Lanka
Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected using structured questionnaires
from 333 randomly selected samples of customers who deal with Peoples bank
Kurunegala District. The data were analyzed using Descriptive statistics, Pearson
correlation analysis, and Regression with the support of SPSS version 26.0. The
normality test, ANOVA analysis, and factor analysis were carried out.
Findings: This study used, four independent variables (branch appearance, branch
staff, internet and mobile banking and service factors) and dependent variable was
customer satisfaction. The study establishes branch staff, internet and mobile
banking, and service factors significantly affect customer satisfaction. But branch
appearance does not have a significant impact on customer satisfaction.
Practical implications: Training programs for employees should be given top
priority by managers in order to improve communication and customer service
abilities. And additionally, enhancing the user experience and security of internet and
mobile banking is essential. Allocating funds more wisely could improve the quality
of services.
Originality value: This research provides customer satisfaction within the context of
People’s bank in the Kurunegala district, offering localized data. This highlights the
importance of digital banking in rural regions. This study addresses the operational
challenges and customer expectations. The research findings can be used to improve
the customer satisfaction in the banks
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No full textIn Sri Lanka, the coconut industry, which is a
major contributor to the national economy, is
under severe threat from the recently introduced
pest, the coconut whitefly (Aleurodicus cocois).
This pest’s resistance to conventional pesticides
combined with the height of coconut trees has
highlighted the need for sustainable management
alternatives. The aim of this study is to develop
and evaluate a plant semiochemical-based
strategy for coconut whitefly control, using stem
injection as a systemic alternative to chemical
pesticides. The approach offers a sustainable
solution by reducing pest populations without
negatively impacting the ecosystem. Plant
extracts of seeds and leaves of Strychnos nux
vomica (Goda kaduru), neem, mint and clove oil
were formulated and tested. Four successful
formulations were identified and initially tested by
direct spraying. Building on these results, the
formulations were combined with systemic
recipients such as urea, NaCl, KCl and citric acid
and evaluated by strain injection methods. Field
trials showed significantly higher mortality rates
(68%, 95.85%, 93.27% and 94.66%) for
formulations 1 to 4 compared to the untreated
control (p < 0.005). Stem-injected palms showed
a
gradual decline in whitefly populations,
although adverse weather conditions prevented
continuous monitoring. These findings suggest
that repeated applications are necessary for long
term success
DNA profiling of selected inbred maize germplasms using SSR markers related to canopy architecture and photosynthetic traits
Get PDFInbred maize (Zea maize L.) lines play a crucial role in the production of
novel hybrid maize varieties. However, the dispersion of alleles related
canopy architecture and photosynthetic traits due to the inbred depression
process is poorly understood. This research aims to examine the genetic
diversity of four maize inbred accessions: SEU2-S1, SEU2-S2, SEU10-S3,
SEU16-S3, and compare them with the elite cultivar, cv. Bhadra. Standard
protocols were employed to extract genomic DNA from immature maize
seedling leaves. PCR was then performed using the following SSR markers:
phi065, phi116, umc1066, umc1222, umc1231, umc1545, and bnlg155. The
data were analyzed using GenAlex and DARwin software. Based on the
results obtained, 35 alleles were amplified, with the highest observed (6.0)
and effective (5.556) alleles found in the phi116 marker. This marker also
showed the highest gene diversity and PIC values (0.820 and 0.794,
respectively), while the lowest values were recorded in umc1545 (0.640 and
0.563, respectively). Among all the SSR primers used, phi065, umc1231,
umc1066, and bnlg155 resulted in expected heterozygosity values of 0.8,
0.78, 0.8, and 0.76, respectively. Accordingly, the most genetic diversity
parameters were found to be linked with the leaf area index and cob traits,
while chlorophyll content and quantum yield efficiency were moderately
diverse among maize accessions. Moreover, the cluster analysis identified
two major genetic groups with a mean similarity of 0.764. These results
elucidate the importance of genetic diversity when working with inbred lines
in maize
Development of a novel anther culture protocol and comparison of four commercial potato cultivars under in vitro conditions
Get PDFHaploid cell cultures play a crucial role in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.).
However, in Sri Lanka, no protocol has been developed for obtaining
potatoes through haploid anther cultures. Therefore, the objectives of this
study were to establish a protocol for another culture that facilitates callus
development and to identify the most responsive potato cultivar. Four potato
varieties (Factor 1) were used: Granola (V1), SBM (V2), SGM (V3), and
SEM (V4), with different stages of flower buds (Factor 2): Premature (S1),
Mature (S2), and post-mature (S3). They were arranged as a two-factor
factorial using a completely randomized design with thirty-six replicates.
Surface sterilization of explants was performed following standard
procedures. The culture media were prepared (I.0L) with MS nutrients,
including 0.2mg/l of 2-4D and 0.5mg/l BA as supplements. The explants (5
anthers/petri dish) were introduced and incubated at 24±2 °C, 75% humidity
for three weeks. Uncontaminated Petri dishes were placed at 25±2 °C, 75%
RH, and 16h/8h photoperiod with 3000 lux of light for three weeks. Data
were then recorded. The results indicated that Variety 2 (SBM) consistently
exhibited lower callus percentage, fewer calluses, lower contamination, and
higher non-responsiveness and browning compared to the other varieties. In
contrast, Variety 3 (SGM) demonstrated the highest callus percentage,
suggesting potential characteristics for mitigating tissue browning. Overall,
the study emphasizes the importance of optimizing culture conditions to
enhance the success and reliability of another culture experiments in
potatoes. Further investigations and refinement of the culture protocols may
lead to improved outcomes and contribute to the development of enhanced
potato cultivars
Statements on open science for sustainable development goals
Get PDFThis article attempts to practicalise Open Science (OS) to promote ideas and enhance
efforts for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It delineates General Statements
(n = 20) as guiding beacons and the Specific Statements (n = 70) that act as precision
tools in OS orientated policymaking, research, innovations, and public engagement,
and access to scientific knowledge. The authors hope to draw kindled and educated
attention to OS besides underscoring the need for unbiased, inclusive, and diligent
execution of the SDGs. By adopting these Statements accordingly and in appropriate
stages within national strategies and ensuring transparent reporting of the progress,
the authors envision a transformed world by 2030. With this appeal, scientific
endeavours could be more effectively directed and optimised with OS, significantly
advancing progress toward the SDGs
Exploring workplace dynamics: the impact of organizational factors on teachers’ job satisfaction in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Get PDFThe objective of this study is to assess the job satisfaction
of teachers from Colombo, Sri Lanka. Purposive random
sampling techniques was used to collect data from 225
teachers, in 20 provincial government administered schools.
The structured questionnaire consisted in 30 questions, being
prepared andanalyzed using theSPSS program. The questions
were categorized into job satisfaction on nature of work,
working conditions, payment, training and development, selfesteem, job autonomy, promotion, interpersonal relations
and educational policy, administration and leadership. The
results revealed that overall job satisfaction was reported by
more than 60% of the respondents. The mean values revealed
by the factors according to ranks referred to the following
variables: interpersonal relation, job autonomy, self-esteem,
nature of work, working conditions, promotion, training
and development, educational policy, administration and
leadership, and, finally, payment. Interestingly, the result
clearly shows that payment is the least contributing factor to
the job satisfaction