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Efficient quantization for CPU-based diffusion models
Get PDFThe utilization of diffusion models to create visuals from textual descriptions has grown
in popularity. However, the significant requirement for computing power still poses a
significant obstacle and adds time to procedures. Diffusion models provide difficulties
when quantization, a method used to reduce deep learning models for increased
efficiency, is used. Comparing to other model types, these models are noticeably more
susceptible to quantization, which could lead to deterioration in image quality. In this
research, we present a unique method that uses distillation along with quantization
aware training to measure the diffusion models. Our findings demonstrate that
quantized models can provide inference efficiency on CPUs while retaining great image
quality. At https://github.com/intel/intel-extension-for-transformers, the source is
accessible to the general public
Determination of curcumin content, moisture and color of powdered turmeric obtained from turmeric accessions grown under coconut in low country intermediate zone in Sri Lanka
Get PDFTurmeric (Curcuma longa) is a prominent spice,
colorant, and preservative, belongs to the family
Zingiberaceae, widely cultivated in Asian
countries including India, China, and Sri Lanka.
Curcumin is the most imperative fraction of
turmeric, responsible for its biological activities.
Study the variation of curcumin content in
turmeric accessions grown in Sri Lanka is
important to produce more and more turmeric
with higher curcumin contents. This study was
mainly focused to determine the curcumin content
of different turmeric accessions collected from
different locations of Sri Lanka and cultivated
under coconut at the Intercropping and Betel
Research Station, Department of Export
Agriculture at Dampallassa, Narammala with
similar agronomic practices. Curcumin content
was evaluated dry weight basis using the
spectrophotometer. The results clearly revealed
that there were significant differences (p<0.05)
among turmeric accessions in curcumin contents.
Curcumin contents were ranged from
0.3458±0.037% to 4.9881±0.0141%. From the
results, it was evident that the curcumin content of
T12, T26, T3, T2, T8, and T5 complies with the
range identified in the Sri Lankan standard level
(3-6%). Further, turmeric powder found in world
market have marked the average curcumin
content from 2% to 6% by weight. Locally grown
accessions also resulted in between curcumin
contents and it proves that Sri Lankan turmeric is
suitable for exports. Moisture contents of all
turmeric accessions were in the agreement of
standards of Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI)
which is 12% in maximum. Moreover, cluster
analysis revealed that all accessions were
classified into three groups which will be
extremely useful to initiate breeding programs
யாழ்ப்பாண கல்விக்கோட்ட கட்டிளமைப் பருவ ஆண் மாணவர்களின் உடல் விம்பம் பற்றிய புலக்காட்சியும் சுயமதிப்பீடும் பற்றிய விமர்சன ஆய்வு
No full textகட்டிளமைப் பருவத்தினர் பல்வேறுபட்ட பிரச்சினைகளுக்கு
உள்ளாகின்ற தன்மை காணப்படுகின்றது. இங்கு குறிப்பாக பாடசாலை கட்டிளமைப்
பருவ ஆண் மாணவர்களின் உடல்விம்ப புலக்காட்சி என்பது அவர்களது
விருத்தியில் செல்வாக்கு செலுத்துகின்றது. அதனடிப்படையில் இவ் ஆய்வானது
யாழ்ப்பாணக் கல்விக்கோட்டத்தில் உள்ள பாடசாலைகளில் கல்வி கற்கின்ற 12 –
19 வயது வரையான ஆண் மாணவர்கள் 1157 மாதிரிகளாக எழுமாற்று
அடிப்படையில் தெரிவு செய்து அவர்களிடமிருந்து ஆண்களின் உடல் மனப்பாங்கு
அளவீடு (Male Body Attitudes Scale), றொஸென்பேர்க் சுயமதிப்பிட்டு பட்டியல் (Rosenberg Self – Esteem Inventory),
சுயமாகத் தயாரிக்கப்பட்ட வினாக்கொத்து
ஆகிய ஆய்வுக் கருவிகளைப் பயன்படுத்தி தரவுகளானது
பெற்றுக்கொள்ளப்பட்டுள்ளது. பெறப்பட்ட தரவுகள் அனைத்தும் (Microsoft Excel,
SPSS ஆகிய மென்பொருட்களின் உதவியுடன் பகுப்பாய்வு செய்யப்பட்டன.
அதனடிப்படையில் கட்டிளமைப்பருவ ஆண் மாணவர்களின் உடல் விம்ப
திருப்தியின்மையானது 84.7 (Mean) ஆகவும் கட்டிளமைப் பருவத்தினரின் உடல்
விம்ப திருப்தியின்மை நிலைக்கும் சுயமதிப்பீட்டிற்கும் இடையில் மிதமான
எதிர்க்கணிய தொடர்பும் காணப்படுவதோடு உடல்விம்ப திருப்தியின்மையில்
வயதுவேறுபாட்டின் செல்வாக்கு குறைவாகக் காணப்படுகிறது இவர்களில் 61
வீதமானோர் தமது உடல் அமைப்பை மெருகூட்டுவதில் ஆர்வம் கொண்டுள்ளனர்
15 வீதமானோர் ஏனையோரால் ஒரு தடவையேனும் உடல் உருவக்கேலிக்கு
உள்ளாகியுள்ளனர் எனவும் முடிவு பெறப்பட்டுள்ளது. இவ் ஆய்வானது
மாணவர்களின் சுயமதிப்பீட்டினை மேம்படுத்துவதற்கான சிபாரிசுகளையும்
முன்வைத்துள்ளது
A survey on the management practices and production performances of broiler chickens in Kurunegala district, Sri Lanka
Get PDFRemarkable improvements in broiler management
made its meat available at low cost. To what
extent management practices are adopted by local
farmers and their effects on broiler production
performance are not well documented in the Sri
Lankan context. Hence, the present study
investigated the effects of management factors on
broiler production. One hundred broiler farmers,
selected randomly from the areas in Kurunegala
district, filled the structured questionnaire with
face-to-face interviews. The data was analyzed
with Excel and SPSS. The results showed that 74%
of the farmers reared 1000 – 3000 birds, 88% of
them fed pre-starter feed to birds below 10 days
old, 94% fed starter feed from 10 – 20 days and
94% fed finisher to the birds above 20 days.
Further, 77% of the farmers did not change the
litter throughout the rearing cycle, 76% of them
provided vaccine to birds, 96% were able to
diagnose diseases, 96% used Baycox to treat
disease and 40% provided supplements to their
birds. 98% of the farmers sold live birds at 2kg
and above 2kg body weight at the maximum of 42
days. The linear regression analysis showed that
vaccination, experience of farmers, number of
birds, not changing the litter, amount of starter
feed, feeding days of pre-starter, feeding days of
finisher, disease diagnosis and supplement can
affect the body weight of the broiler and these
factors together explain 68.1% of the variation in
slaughter body weight. The study concludes that
the slaughter weight of broiler chickens are
affected by several rearing practices, thus, it is
suggested the farmers may focus on feeding,
vaccination, disease diagnosis, flock size,
supplementation and litter management to
increase the final slaughter weight of broiler
chickens and production performance
Skill gaps in innovation and technology readiness of software professionals
Get PDFPurpose: The major aim of the present study is to analyze the affective competencies of Software Professionals in the workplace and their relationship with innovation and technology readiness. From the facts obtained from the literature review, this article tries to create a logical relationship between the affective competencies and their respective impact on interpersonal relations dealing with emotional attributes like feelings, appreciation, motivations, values, and attitudes. Interpersonal skills are the subset of affective domain skills. Interpersonal skills are referred to as the social abilities individuals use to cooperate with others. These skills incorporate the capacity to convey, gather, and support associations with others in the workplace. In workplaces, it is required to communicate with a wide range of people, from customers to colleagues, further teams, and bosses. A good set of interpersonal skills in the workplace acts as a bridge between confusion and clarity. Workplace skills will be the aid to perform the day-to-day activities in the business. For example, workplace skills shall be a tool to overcome conflict between coworkers or be resilient while working on an activity with a rigid deadline. Thus, workplace skills can impact a workplace in multiple ways. The positive mindset of a worker will impress the employer and the team. Maintaining a rapport with the entire team is one of the most important attributes of a professional. A well-articulated and scientific method is required to correlate the affective competencies of Software professionals with their workplace performance in order to assess skill gaps in innovation and technology readiness of Software professionals. Therefore, this paper utilizes Bloom's Taxonomy to ascertain the affective competencies of Software professionals with the innovation and technology readiness of Software professionals.
Design/methodology/approach: This study is part of a survey on Skills Gap Analysis of Cognitive, Affective, and Psychomotor competencies of Software industry professionals in order to explore the skills gap in the competencies. This present study considers the impact of affective competencies. This article explores the survey of 457 employees which covers various IT / ITeS job roles such as Software Developer, Web Developer and other section IT / ITeS employees. The sample group of 457 sample respondents consists of 47 percent male members and 53 percent female members, 19 percent belong to the age group of 20-25 years, 31 percent 25-30 years, 36 percent 30-40 years and the rest 14 percent fall under the category of above 40 years. Among the respondents, 51 percent studied Science Degree courses while 49 percent studied Professional Degree courses at the undergraduate level, 14 percent studied Science Degree courses, 2 percent studied Professional Degree courses, 30 percent studied Master in Computer Applications (MCA) courses, 14 percent studied Master in Business Administration (MBA) course at the Post-Graduation level, while 41 percent have not attempted PG courses. Only 26 percent of the respondents are privileged to get educated in a Tier 1 city, 30 percent in Tier 2 city, 20 percent in Tier 3 city, and 24 percent had their graduation in a Rural area. Regarding the marital status of the sample respondents, 57 percent were married, 38 percent were unmarried and 5 percent were Married and Separated. Hence it is inferred that the sample group includes the majority of female members, well-educated at the UG level while 59 percent have attempted for PG courses and are married. The employment profile of the sample respondents consist of 37 percent Software Developers, 32 percent Web Developers and 31 percent working in other Sectors of IT/ITes, 40 percent working in Tier 1 cities, 33 percent in Tier 2 cities, 25 percent in Tier 2 cities and just 2 percent in foreign countries.
Findings: From the findings, it is inferred that the sample group consists of individuals with good employment, working in tier cities, and with a good number of work experience. The observation derived from the survey reveals that 53 percent of the life partners are working and 70 percent of the respondents spend leisure time with the family. From the survey, it is noted that 16 percent learn new concepts once in 3 months, 22 percent learn new concepts once in 6 months, 23 percent learn whenever new concepts are introduced and 40 percent learn whenever it was required for the project. Hence it is understood that 37 percent have the regular practice of learning new concepts. The factors like Acquiring the requirements of the project from the client, Facing the unrealistic task of the client, Accommodating the suggestions of the team members regarding the unsatisfied project design, Meeting the demands of the client for the project before the due date, Coping up with the teammates, Change the entire requirement after the completion of the project, Facing the client when not able to complete the project on the given time, Dealing with the Non-Cooperative Member, Behavior of Team Leader for the mistake in a presentation by a trainee, Frequent feeling of stress/lack of focus in work because of financial/personal problems, Expecting the appreciation from the boss and Working style/work-life is the source of personal life problems are also observed through this survey. The value of Cronbach's Alpha is more than 0.8 for all the 12 statements and the combined value of Cronbach's Alpha is 0.902 which proves the high reliability of conducting further analysis. The t value is high for the statement Facing the client when not able to complete the project on the given time (134.49) and dealing with the non-cooperative member (118) while it is low for the statement meeting the demands of the client for the project before the due date (41.44). The correlation is high for the statement coping up with the teammates (.818) and accommodating the suggestions of the team members regarding the unsatisfied project design (.817) while is low for the statement behavior of the Team Leader for the mistake in a presentation by a trainee (.276). the mean is more for the statements dealing with the non-cooperative member (3.80) and behavior of the Team Leader for the mistake in a presentation by a trainee (3.74) and is low for Facing the client when not able to complete the project on the given time (1.29). Hence it is understood that Affective Competency is reflected with Facing the client when not able to complete the project on the given time and dealing with the non-cooperative member. The model statistics provide the Chi-Square values as 68.225 for degrees of freedom 23 and which is statistically significant as the p-value is 0.000, this is less than the standard value of 0.05. The F ratio value is 2.966 which is within the control limit of less than 3, then the Comparative Fit Index (CFI) is 0.992 which attains the standard limit of greater than 0.90, GFI is 0.977 which attains the limit of greater than 0.90, AGFI is 0.921 which is greater than 0.90 and the value of Root Mean Square of Approximation (RMSEA) is 0.066 which is just reached the limit of less than 0.08. Hence this model is a fit well in the light of Affective Competency of the sample respondents. As per Standardized Regression Weights, it is noted that all the statements taken into consideration in the deciding of the Regression Equation for Affective Competency are statistically significant as the p values are less than 0.05 indicating the fitness of the proposed model.
Practical implications: This article explored the relationship between affective competencies and technology readiness of Software Professionals in workplace. From the survey results and statistical inferences, this article revealed that, affective competencies play a significant role in technology readiness, coping up with team and clients at workplace in the IT sector. This article also established a relationship between the affective competencies and their corresponding effect on interpersonal relations deal with the emotional attributes such as feelings, appreciations, motivations, values, and attitudes. Hence, the findings of the research study will be very helpful for the policy makers, academia, researchers, human resource professionals, and software professionals of IT industries to understand the significance of affective competencies to improve the productivity, innovation and technology readiness of Software professionals.
Research limitations: The qualitative data are based on a small sample of Software professionals of IT industry.
Originality value: The paper provides a new interpretation for the significant relationships between the affective competencies of Software professionals and their productivity, innovation and technology readiness. It also offers new insights into the topic area by emphasizing the need to enhance the affective competencies of Software professionals
Exploration of antibacterial properties in the combination of Artocarpus heterophyllus with a botanical source and a chemical source: a study on enhanced antimicrobial performances
Get PDFantibiotics, has led to an increasing demand for the exploration of novel antibacterial
compounds, particularly those sourced from botanical origins. This study aims to
explore the antibacterial potential of phytochemicals obtained from Artocarpus
heterophyllus and Mikania micrantha, two indigenous Sri Lankan botanical sources.
Synergistic and antagonistic effects were examined by combining A. heterophyllus with
a botanical source and a chemical source. This study was conducted to assess the
combined effects of these phytochemicals with sodium salt of metatitanic acid (MTA)
against certain bacterial strains. The sodium salt of metatitanic acid, a chemical that
possesses superior antibacterial properties in previous studies, was used as the chemical
source in this study. Additionally, M. micrantha, a plant commonly known as
‘wathupalu’ and utilized in traditional medicinal practices, was used as the botanical
source. The A. heterophyllus plant parts (leaves, seeds, stripes and peels) were cleaned,
dried and pulverised, and then the aqueous extract was obtained. Similarly, M.
micrantha leaves were cleaned, dried and crushed in order to obtain an aqueous extract.
The crude extracts were individually assessed for antibacterial activity against
Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853)
using antibiotic sensitivity test (ABST), by well diffusion method employed using
Muller-Hinton agar as the growth medium. The plates were incubated for 24 hours at
37°C. The positive control used was Gentamicin and the negative control used was
sterile water. The crude extract of A. heterophyllus was combined with M. micrantha
extract in 1:1 ratio and was tested against the same species for enhanced antibacterial
properties. Similarly, the crude extract of A. heterophyllus was mixed with the sodium
salt of MTA and ABST assay was conducted to analyze and compare the antibacterial
properties. ANOVA and Post hoc analysis performed using SPSS 27th version revealed
that MTA exhibits stronger antibacterial property (23.5±0.4 mm), while the
combination of MTA and A. heterophyllus also showed a synergistic effect (24±1.7
mm) against S. aureus. Moreover, the analysis against P. aeruginosa shows that M.
micrantha exhibits notable antibacterial properties against this species (27.4±3.6
mm). The statistical significance for all comparisons was established at the p<0.05
level. In conclusion, the sodium salt of MTA, M. micrantha, and their combination with
A. heterophyllus exhibit potential antibacterial properties
Green synthesized metal nanoparticles as an ecofriendly measure for plant growth stimulation and disease resistance
Get PDFNanotechnology, as an advanced technology plays a vital role in various aspects of plants. In recent past, nanoparticles synthesized via biological routes received attention than that of other means of synthesis due to their
cost effectiveness and ecofriendly nature. This review is aimed at providing a comprehensive compilation of
information on ecofriendly nature of green synthesized nanoparticles especially in plant disease resistance and
plant growth enhancement. According to the available literature, among the different biological sources used for
green synthesis of nanoparticles, plant based green synthesis has become more popular in recent years because of
their non-toxic nature, higher availability and accessibility. The effects of green synthesized nanoparticles are
primarily dose dependent and vary with the characteristics of nanoparticle and the plant. Furthermore, application of such nanoparticles at optimum concentration has notably inhibited the number of phytopathogens and
favoured the growth and yield attributes of crop plants. Using the green synthesized nanoparticle in combination
with other materials were found to have synergistic effects in disease resistance and causes growth enhancement
in crop plants. Even though, numerous inherent benefits are there in the green synthesized nanoparticles,
constraints such as toxicity at higher concentrations and unsafe disposal to the environment may limit the
continuous application and opens new avenues for future studie
Characterization of various biochar feed stocks enriched with liquid fertilizers
Get PDFBiochar is a porous black carbon material
produced through thermochemical reactions in lowoxygen conditions using agricultural and municipal
waste materials. Methods such as slow pyrolysis, fast
pyrolysis, and hydrothermal carbonization are used.
Biochar offers substantial soil benefits, improving its
physical, chemical, and biological characteristics.
When enriched with liquid fertilizers, biochar becomes
a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer solution. Hence the
present study was executed with the aims of
characterization of various biochar feedstocks
enriched with liquid fertilizer. This experiment was
conducted as a laboratory experiment at Fruit Crops
Research and Development Institute, Kananwila,
Horana, Sri Lanka to select the nutrient retention and
exchange capacity with different biochar feedstocks.
Rice husk, mushroom substrate, banana pseudo stem
and coconut shell were used to make the four types of
biochar. Ammonium Sulfate, monotassium phosphate,
Potassium Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Magnesium
Oxide and Zinc Sulfate Fertilizers were used to prepare
liquid fertilizer solutions. Initially, 4 types of raw
biochar were analyzed for their immediate, chemical,
and nutritional elements. Proximate analysis was done
as per ASTM D1762-84 method. Banana pseudo-stem
biochar showed the best chemical and nutritional
results. The nutrient absorbance capacity of each
biochar has increased with the concentration of the
liquid fertilizer. The nutrient absorbance results
obtained from banana pseudo-stem and coconut shell
biochar gave the best performances. Further, the study
recommended to investigate the nutrient-releasing
efficiency of these two biochar types before field
applications
தேயிலை பயிர்ச்செய்கையும் பெருந்தோட்ட தொழிலாளர்கள் எதிர்நோக்கும் வாழ்வாதார பிரச்சினைகள் : பதுளை மாவட்டத்தை மையப்படுத்திய ஆய்வு
No full textதேயிலை பயிர்ச் செய்கையானது சர்வதேச முக்கியத்துவம்
வாய்ந்த ஒரு வணிகப் பயிராகவும், குறிப்பாக இலங்கையின் மொத்த உள்நாட்டு
உற்பத்தியின் பிரதான மூலாதாரமுமாக காணப்படுகின்றது. மேலும் இலங்கையானது
தேயிலை பயிர்ச்செய்கை மூலமே ஆண்டு ஒன்றிற்கு 1.3 பில்லியன் டொலருக்கும்
அதிகமான வருமானத்தை பெற்றுக் கொள்கின்றது. இவ்வாறு பல வழிகளிலும்
இலங்கையின் பொருளாதாரத்திற்கு துணை புரிந்த தேயிலை உற்பத்தியின்
முதுகெலும்புகளான தேயிலைத் தோட்ட தொழிலாளர்கள் எதிர்நோக்கும் வாழ்வாதார
பிரச்சனைகளானது ஆரம்பகாலம் முதல் இன்றைய காலம் வரை மிகவும் மோசமான
நிலையிலேயே காணப்படுகின்றது. அந்த வகையில் பெருந்தோட்டங்களின்
அமைவிடங்களில் ஒன்றான பதுளை மாவட்டத்தின் தோட்டப்புறங்களில்
உழைப்பிற்கு ஏற்ற ஊதியம் இன்மை, சுகாதார இடர்கள், குறைந்த கல்வி வசதி,
காணி உரிமை இன்மை, லயன் குடியிருப்புகள் போன்ற பல சமூக பொருளாதார
பிரச்சினைகள் தோட்டத் தொழிலாளர்கள் மத்தியில் அடையாளம் காணப்பட்டுள்ளன.
அந்த வகையில் இவ்வாய்வின் பிரதான நோக்கமாக பதுளை மாவட்டத்திற்கு
உட்பட்ட தோட்டப்புறங்களில் வாழும் தோட்டத்தொழிலாளர்கள் எதிர்நோக்கும்
வாழ்வாதாரச் சவால்களை அடையாளங்காணலும் துணை நோக்கங்களாக
தோட்டத்தொழிலாளர்களுக்கு வாழ்வாதாரச் சவால்கள் ஏற்படுவதற்கான
காரணங்களை அடையாளம் காணல், தோட்டத்தொழிலாளர்கள் எதிர்நோக்கும்
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