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No full textAn in-depth understanding of the remediation of
polluted water via Ecological Floating Beds
(EFBs) is essential, as they are a popular
bioremediation technology. The present study
intends to identify the existing knowledge on the
application of EFBs for nutrient pollutants
removal and to provide insights to enhance the
efficiency of EFBs performance. By following
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review
and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, 55
articles were retained after an automatic, manual
screening and eligibility assessment. The selected
articles were subjected to descriptive analysis and
keyword co-occurrence analysis using Biblioshiny
R and VOSviewer software to identify knowledge
in terms of pollutant type, removal mechanism,
and
performance
enhancement
means.
Accordingly, the key knowledge identified is (1)
the main nutrient pollutants removed by EFBs are
nitrogen and phosphorous, (2) the promising
pathways of nutrient removal are microbial
degradation and plant uptake, (3) Proteobacteria
is the most abundant bacterial phyla that are
involved in nitrogen removal via denitrification
(4) the performance of EFBs can be enhanced with
the addition of various materials, whereas Zeolite
showed profound effects in nutrient removal. The
knowledge identified in this study would serve as
a source for scholars and many stakeholders who
are interested in implementing EFBs for pollution
remediation
Enhancing story writing skills in English Language among Second language learners through digital story telling platforms
Get PDFPurpose: The study's purpose is to evaluate the story-writing proficiency of Grade
Eight students in English and identify the challenges these students encounter while
learning and improving their storytelling skills.
Design/methodology/approach: The study analyzed Grade Eight students' story
writing skills by examining gender distribution, proficiency levels, writing habits, and
satisfaction. A pre-test established a baseline, followed by concept mapping-based
instruction. Post-test results showed significant improvement in storytelling skills,
with many students progressing from lower to higher scores. The study used SPSS
for both quantitative and qualitative analyses, addressing challenges through a
detailed methodology and sampling approach.
Findings: The research findings emphasized the effectiveness of digital storytelling
in improving language proficiency and encouraging creative expression among L2
learners.
Practical implications: The study recommended integrating digital storytelling
platforms into the Grade Eight English curriculum, contributing to a broader
understanding of innovative methods in language education.
Originality value: The findings recommended that educators use digital storytelling
platforms to boost language proficiency in L2 learners
issn
No full textCattle farming is a major economic sector in the
Ampara district of Sri Lanka, yet there is limited
information on lumpy skin disease (LSD) in the
region. This study addresses this gap by
investigating the prevalence, mortality rate,
distribution, and age-related factors of LSD, as
well as assessing the financial impacts of
outbreaks.
Data of LSD from nineteen
government veterinary offices were collected
through surveys and interviews. The data was
analysed using Microsoft Excel 2021 and Minitab
19. Findings indicate that LSD had spread to
nineteen out of twenty ranges in the Ampara
district. The highest prevalence was observed in
the Irakamam range (20.77%), while the lowest
was in the Alayadivembu range (3.81%), with an
overall prevalence of 8.59%. Nintavur and
Addalaichenai had significantly higher mortality
rates of 6.5% and 3.5%, respectively, compared
to other regions in the Ampara district, where the
mortality rate was much lower at 1.7%. Statistical
analysis revealed that the affected animals were
predominantly under one year of age. Financial
impact assessment showed that 78% of affected
farms experienced reduced growth rates in their
cattle, while 22% faced infertility issues. Major
risk factors for LSD spread included animal
transportation, communal grazing lands, and
presence of ticks. These findings provide valuable
insights into the epidemiology and economic
burden of LSD in Ampara, offering a basis for
developing targeted interventions to protect
livestock farmers' livelihoods and sustain the
local economy
Advanced IoT-based automated greenhouse monitoring system using Arduino and GSM modules for sustainable agricultural enhancement
Get PDFPurpose: The purpose of this study is to develop a cost-effective IoT-based
greenhouse monitoring system that automates the control of critical environmental
parameters such as temperature, humidity, soil pH, and electrical conductivity (EC).
The research aims to address inefficiencies in traditional manual methods and provide
a scalable solution that can be adapted for diverse agricultural applications.
Design/methodology/approach: A structured survey of 25 greenhouse farmers in the
Gampaha District of Sri Lanka identified key environmental challenges, including
temperature and humidity management and nutrient delivery. Based on these findings,
an IoT system using Arduino and GSM modules was designed and simulated using
Proteus software to evaluate its ability to maintain optimal conditions. Real-time data
is transmitted via GSM modules, allowing remote monitoring and control.
Findings: The system successfully regulated temperature, humidity, and pH levels,
providing consistent environmental conditions. The simulation results showed rapid
responsiveness and reliable data transmission, demonstrating the system's potential to
reduce manual intervention and optimize crop growth. Practical implications: The system offers a low-cost and adaptable solution for
small-scale farmers, enhancing crop productivity while minimizing labor costs. Its
flexible configuration enables application to different crop types, making it suitable
for varied greenhouse setups.
Originality/value: This research presents a unique, scalable IoT solution for small-
and medium-scale greenhouses, contributing to sustainable agricultural practices by
integrating real-time monitoring and automated environmental control
Performance of water cooling for radiation heat flux fuel storage tank
Get PDFFull-surface fire on fuel storage tank emits high radiation heat transfer. As a fire protection
strategy, the water curtain cooling system is activated to reduce the temperature on the
adjacent tank surface. Therefore, the present work predicts and analyses the radiation heat
flux and the maximum flame temperature of different types of fuels. Further, this analyses
the effect of fuel total mass on radiation heat flux and maximum flame temperature and
observes the effect of distance between two tanks on radiation heat flux distribution. The
relationship between water cooling flow rate and outlet water temperature that absorbed
radiation heat flux has been studied. The study has been conducted by using the
Consequence modeling software trial version. The modeling setup of the tank is 17 m in
height with 65 m inner diameter, and the meteorological data used are 5.4 m/s wind speed
with north wind direction at atmospheric pressure in order to imitate the worst-case fire
scenario. The results reveal that the gasoline fuel emitted the highest heat flux value of
11.03 kW/m2 and the raw gasoline sample emits the lowest heat flux value of 9.14 kW/m2.
Furthermore, the total mass of the fuel shows no effect on the maximum flame temperature
of 958.51°C. According to the findings, the critical tank distancing is 36 m and thus the
appropriate tank distancing of 40 m is highly recommended by the standard. The result
shows that the water cooling rate of 4.1 lpm/m2 is an excellent practice of water cooling to
cool down the temperature of the fuel tank which is exposed to radiation heat flux
Recognition of Sri Lankan traffic signs using machine learning techniques
Get PDFThe recognition of traffic signs is a crucial
component of driver assistance systems that have
been extensively researched worldwide. However,
it remains a challenging issue due to the
increasing number of vehicles, road signs, and the
lack of awareness among drivers and other road
users. A Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) system is
an advanced autonomous technology designed to
assist drivers by accurately identifying and
interpreting traffic signs. This system plays a
crucial role in enhancing driver awareness and
ensuring appropriate responses to various traffic
conditions. The precise recognition of traffic signs
is
essential for maintaining road safety and
improving the overall driving experience. This
study focuses on the recognition of Sri Lankan
traffic signs and examines the combination of
classifiers with a specific feature extractor. A
dataset of 300 images of road signs was utilized
for this study by capturing the images. The Scale
Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) was used as a
feature descriptor in this process. The classifiers
employed were Support Vector Machine (SVM)
and k-Nearest Neighbor (k-NN). Different
combinations of SVM and k-NN were applied to the
dataset, and the study achieved 100% accuracy
with various combinations of k-NN. The study
found that the combination of SIFT and SVM is the
most effective method for the proposed recognition
of traffic signs
Tectonic influence on the evolutionary dynamics of deep-water channel systems along the active accretionary prism margin in the Rakhine Basin, Myanmar: a high-resolution 3d seismic analysis
Get PDFThis study reveals the morphological transformations of a deep-water channel system within the
Rakhine Basin in the northeastern Bay of Bengal through a comprehensive analysis of high
resolution 3D seismic data integrated with drilling logs. Employing the “source-channel-sink”
paradigm, this investigation examined the impact of various factors, including tectonic
transformations, sediment influx, slope dynamics, climatic changes, and relative sea-level
fluctuations, on the evolutionary trajectory of these channel systems. Applying precise time
slicing techniques integrating root-mean-square amplitude attributes, coherent amplitude
attributes, and horizontal amplitudes on seismic profiles, this investigation recognized three
distinct stages in the evolution of channel-levee complexes (CLCs): the Middle Miocene erosional
deep-water channel-levee complex (CLC-1), the Pliocene erosional-depositional deep-water
channel-levee complex (CLC-2), and the Pleistocene depositional deep-water channel-levee
complex (CLC-3). Comparative analysis revealed that the CLC-3 exhibits unique characteristics, including shallower channel depth (D), wider channel width (WC), extensive U-shaped cross
sectional area (S), broader natural levee width (WL) and height (H), and the
highest tortuosity coefficient (LC/LS) when contrasted with the other two CLCs. Furthermore, this
study substantiated how tectonic processes, primarily the collision between the Indo-Eurasian
plates, resulting in the Himalayan and Indo-Burma Range orogenies, have shaped the region's
geological and climatic framework, thereby influencing monsoon circulation and precipitation
patterns, which in turn augmented detrital material influx into the basin. Moreover, this tectonic
collision has led to gradual changes in the slope gradient of the Rakhine Basin and its deep-water
areas, impacting internal flow velocities and channel curvature, thus governing deep-water
channel systems' development and spatial distribution. Also, episodic sea level fluctuations were
identified as significant contributors to sediment transport from shelves to deep-water regions
and sediment deposit reworking. Overall, this study underscores the role of tectonic changes after
the Eocene in driving the evolutionary dynamics of the deep-water channel system within the
Rakhine Basin, Myanmar
Factors influencing performance in academic teamwork of special reference to undergraduates of south eastern university of Sri Lanka
Get PDFPurpose: This research was conducted to identify the factors influencing performance
of undergraduates in academic teamwork of South Eastern University of Sri Lanka
(SEUSL).
Design/methodology/approach: A sample of 18 groups was drawn from final year
undergraduates from SEUSL. The research approach used was Inductivism and
qualitative in nature. Survey strategy used to conduct the research with the survey
instrument being focused group discussion and interviews. The data analyzed using
thematic analysis.
Findings: This research conducted to identify the factors influencing performance of
undergraduates in academic teamwork in SEUSL The factors, such as team cognition,
psychological safety, trust, reflexivity, effort, perceived leader integrity, implicit
coordination, team coaching and team creativity and positive note. We found that
team coaching is the factor that contributes most in the team performance.
Practical implications: This research shows that when undergraduates perform as a
teamwork that they should follow the coach and guidance of the relevant subject
lecturer. This finding useful for undergraduates themselves to enhance the team spirit
for their best academic performance and future researchers and academicians may
focus team work and its importance to enhance students. performance.
Originality value: This study reveals that team coaching is important to
undergraduates to perform as a teamwork efficiently and effectively within the
university which will be a model for academician, researchers, and undergraduates to
design team-based teaching and learning in their curriculum
Determination of physical and engineering properties of Ceylon nutmeg (myristica fragrance)
Get PDFThe physical and engineering properties of Nutmeg are important for
developing harvesting and different process equipment, for its mass handling
and storage. The study was undertaken to determine the physical and
engineering properties of Ceylon Nutmeg. Samples were collected from the
districts of Kegalle, Kandy, and Matale. Three locations from each district
were chosen based on high availability. Length, breadth, and thickness of the
Kernel were measured with Vernier caliper (Mitutoyo, Japan) and, size,
sphericity, unit volume, projected area, and surface area were calculated
using formulae. All the data was analyzed statistically. The highest average
values of length, breadth, and thickness were found in the Kandy district
(31.17±2.9mm, 24.51 ± 2.18mm, 22.70 ± 1.80mm) and the lowest values
were found in Kegalle(28.01±1.65mm,22.34±1.25mm,20.10±1.43mm)
(p<0.05). The diameter or equivalent size (25.86±2.03mm), sphericity
(0.83±0.04mm), unit volume (9246.64±2076.34cc), projected area
(529.64±80.48mm2
), and surface area (2116.82±321.67mm2
) found in
samples taken from the Kandy district and were reported to have the highest
value for engineering properties. Results indicate that there were significant
differences in these properties between different districts for engineering
properties. The technical data obtained in this study may be useful in the
design of machines for the handling and processing of nutmeg seeds
The impact of electronic human resource management (e-HRM) practices on organizational performance in the banking sector in Ampara district
Get PDFPurpose: The purpose of this research is to examine how organizational performance
in the banking industry of Ampara district is affected by Electronic Human Resource
Management (E-HRM) practices.
Design/methodology/approach: Data was collected through a structured
questionnaire from 200 employees working in banks in the Ampara district and
secondary sources, including journals, articles, and websites. The research utilized
stratified random sampling to gather data which was classified based on their
designations.
Findings: The results showed a strong positive correlation between variables and as
per the regression (80.1%) a significant impact of e-HRM practices on organizational
performance in the banking sector.
Practical implications: The research offer organizations clear guidelines for how eHRM practices (i.e. e-Recruitment, e-Basic organizational information management,
e-Salary management, e-Learning and training, e-Welfare, and e-Career development
systems) can be used to facilitate and improve organizational performance.
Originality/value: The research offer valuable insights for researchers,
policymakers, and management professionals seeking to integrate engagement into
e-HRM practices and policies to enhance organizational performance