Journal of the University of Ruhuna最新文献

{"title":"Ideology in Critical Discourse Study: A Review of Literature","authors":"Yang Yang","doi":"10.4038/jur.v11i2.8012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/jur.v11i2.8012","url":null,"abstract":"Ideology is one of the most crucial concepts in Critical Discourse Study (CDS). This article systematically reviews relevant literature to the definition of ideology, research models of ideology, and language-based ideology studies from the perspective of CDS. It also provides implications for further research in this field, with the aim of promoting the development of CDS as well as ideology study. It can be found that in the field of CDS, ideology has the characteristics of universality and neutrality. It does not have derogatory meanings or specificity, but rather a characteristic that any language user inevitably carries in language use. At present, there are mainly five models for ideological analysis from the perspective of CDS, namely Fairclough’s Three-Dimension Framework, Wodak’s Discourse-Historical Approach, van Dijk’s Socio-cognitive Model, Chilton’s Cognitive Critical Analysis Model and Thompson’s Methodological Framework of Depth Hermeneutics. Ideology is often subtly hidden in discourse in specific language forms, requiring readers to consciously decode them, and the decoding process can also be seen as the process of ideological reproduction. Lexical and syntactic choices, transitivity, and modality in language use can be effectively used for ideological analysis. All in all, ideology is a very important research topic in critical discourse study, and future studies can adopt interdisciplinary research methods to further improve its theoretical and applied studies.","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":"3 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138944211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unravelling the Threads of Customer Loyalty: Motives Shaping Supermarket Patronage in Sri Lanka","authors":"A. C. Karunaratna","doi":"10.4038/jur.v11i2.8020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/jur.v11i2.8020","url":null,"abstract":"Over the past couple of decades, profound changes in the business context in Sri Lanka, including the presence of global brands, emergence of new retail business formats, dominance of the service sector, application of direct marketing, industry convergence, and deregulation, have significantly shaped customer behavior. Accordingly, the supermarket concept has sparked renewed interest among shoppers in the contemporary retailing context in Sri Lanka. This note mainly focuses on comprehending the behaviour of supermarket shoppers and evaluating the motives behind their level of loyalty in the context of supermarket patronage in Sri Lanka. Recent study findings reveal that three major factors, namely ‘product motive’, ‘services motive’ and ‘location motive’ have significantly contributed to enhancing supermarket patronage in the context of grocery shopping in Sri Lanka.","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":"70 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138945539","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of Cobalt-60 Gamma Irradiation on Growth, Development, and Morphology of Acalypha hispida (Cat’s Tail Plant)","authors":"L. Rifnas, N. Vidanapathirana, T. D. Silva, N. Dahanayake, S. Subasinghe, S. Weerasinghe, W. G. C. Madushani, S. Nelka","doi":"10.4038/jur.v11i2.8011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/jur.v11i2.8011","url":null,"abstract":"Gamma irradiation-induced mutagenesis has been utilized to improve many genotypes of crop species. Mutation induction has been identified as a significant method for the production of genetic variation in flowering plants. Hence, a series of experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design at the University of Colombo Institute for Agro-technology and Rural Sciences, Hambantota, Sri Lanka, to evaluate the influence of gamma rays on the mutagenicity of Acalypha hispida. The rooted cuttings were subjected to various dosages of Cobalt-60 gamma irradiation, including 0, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 Gy. Based on the findings, a second experiment was carried out in which the plants were exposed to 0, 45, 50, 55, 60, and 65 Gy gamma irradiation dosages. Treated plants were maintained inside a shade net house (30% shade) and morphological changes in plants, survival %, plant height, number of leaves, inflorescence length, and mutation % were recorded. Plants that showed improved characters were multiplied and observed the character expression in the second generation. Further, attempts were made to combine the improved characters into a single plant. There were significant differences in plant height and number of leaves but not in survival % and inflorescence length in experiment one. Further, a significant difference was observed in measured variables survival %, plant height, number of leaves, and inflorescence length in experiment two. A gradual reduction was observed in survival percentage, plant height and inflorescence length with the increase in gamma irradiation dose. Treated plants showed narrowed and malformed leaves but those were not persisted and discontinued. But, irradiated plants produced colour changed (pink and white), partial and no blooming inflorescences which was persisted in the second generation too. Hence, it could be stated that treating the A. hispida plants with gamma radiation has the potential to create mutation in plants.","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":"58 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139164330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Forecasting COVID-19 Daily Infected Cases in Sri Lanka by Holt-Winters Exponential Smoothing Method","authors":"S. S. Wickramasinghe, K. Konarasinghe","doi":"10.4038/jur.v11i2.7996","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/jur.v11i2.7996","url":null,"abstract":"The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread from China since December 2019 and spread worldwide including Sri Lanka. The aim of this study was to forecast the daily infected cases of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka which in turn help administrators for effective management of the pandemic. The method used in this study was Holt-Winters three parameter with additive or multiplicative models. The daily infected cases in Sri Lanka during the period of 22nd January 2020 to 22nd December 2021 were obtained from the publicly available databases of Epidemiology Unit of Sri Lanka and World Health Organization. The pattern recognition of the daily infected cases was examined by time series plot and Auto Correlation Function (ACF). The model validation was performed by the Anderson Darling test which confirmed the normality of residuals (p > 0.05) and ACF that confirmed the independence of residuals of the model. The forecasting ability of the model was assessed by the three measurements of errors; Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD) and Mean Square Error (MSE). Holt-Winters additive and multiplicative model with α (level) 0.61, β (trend) 0.4 and γ (seasonal) 0.3 at a length of repeating behaviour of 3 days, had the least relative and absolute measurement of errors during the model fitting and verification. İn the multiplicative model, MAPE, MAD and MSE were 0.2847, 0.0187 and 0.0005 respectively. Similarly in the additive model, corresponding values of MAPE, MAD and MSE were 0.0207, 0.0187 and 0.0005. The fits and the forecast of these models followed a similar pattern of the actual daily infected cases concluding that the Holt-Winters model can be used to forecast the COVID-19 outbreak in Sri Lanka.","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":"11 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138944454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Local Insights into Rural Tourism: A Study of Heeloya in the Knuckles Mountain Range","authors":"D. M. C. Dassanayake","doi":"10.4038/jur.v11i2.8016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/jur.v11i2.8016","url":null,"abstract":"With its natural attractiveness and cultural prosperity, the Knuckles Mountain Range presents an exclusive opportunity for rural tourism, which Heeloya, a village nestled within this biodiverse area, has begun to embrace. This article investigates the local community's perceptions and attitudes towards tourism, examining the meaning of tourism in their traditional lifestyle, economy, and environment. Employing a mixed-methodological approach, the study integrates qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys analyzed through qualitative descriptive analysis and descriptive statistics. The qualitative descriptive analysis enabled the emergence of concepts underlying rural tourism. These concepts were further validated with selected quotations. A concept map created using Leximancer further substantiated these underlying conceptions and clarified the interconnectedness between the concepts. The findings suggest that the community is thoughtfully optimistic about the potential of rural tourism, encouraging a participatory approach to tourism development and engagement to ensure that it remains in congruence with Heeloya’s cultural essence and the grand Knuckles Mountain Range. This research contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable rural tourism, providing valuable insights for policymakers, stakeholders, and communities considering tourism as a pathway for rural development.","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":"4 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138944579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of Rhizobial Inoculation in Comparison to Urea Fertilizer Application of Vegetable Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L)","authors":"Anuruddi Higk, Ekanayake Emhgs, Kumara Rkgk, SA Kulasooriya, Fonseka Dlck, H.I.G.K Anuruddi","doi":"10.4038/jur.v11i1.7987","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/jur.v11i1.7987","url":null,"abstract":"A field trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of Rhizobium inoculation in comparison to nitrogen fertilizer (NF) application on vegetable bean in the Ankumbura area, Kandy district during the Maha 2018/19 season. Six treatments were employed comprising four NF levels (55, 110, 165, and 220 kg urea/ha), rhizobium inoculation without NF, and control with neither NF nor inoculant. The treatments were set out in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Four NF levels were 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of the recommended level for vegetable bean by the Department of Agriculture (DOA). All the treatments received potassium and phosphorous according to DOA recommendations. Pod yield/m2, growth parameters, several nodule parameters, and weed biomasses were recorded. Total yield (t/ha) was calculated based on the pod harvest. A yield versus fertilizer response curve was developed using calculated yield data. The highest total yield (3.03t/ha) with the application of 220kg/ha of urea was not significantly different from the yield produced under inoculation without NF (2.93 t/ha). This implies that inoculation facilitates a possible replacement of NF. Number of root nodules (30) and number of leaves (36) were significantly higher with inoculation. Higher levels; of 75% and 100% of recommended NF reduced nodule dry weight. Pod length, diameter, and dry weight with 100% and 75% NF levels were not significantly different (p<0.05) from those with inoculation. The highest pod N-yield (0.0586 g) and shoot N-yield (0.253 g) were recorded with inoculation and 220kg/ha urea application respectively. Weed biomass was significantly reduced (70%) with inoculation compared to the highest NF treatment. The results indicate a potential avenue to decrease the need for chemical nitrogen fertilizer and use inoculation to manage weed growth in vegetable beans in the Ankumbura area.","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":" 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138618764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Challenges Ahead in Groundwater of Sri Lanka","authors":"H. B. Asanthi","doi":"10.4038/jur.v11i1.8017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/jur.v11i1.8017","url":null,"abstract":"Groundwater has been a safe water storage in Sri Lanka throughout history and the unique characteristics of different aquifers impact variation of the water quality. However, due to population growth, unplanned urbanization, intensive agriculture, improper waste management, etc., the groundwater quality is considered unsafe. Therefore, it is important to refer to the available data related to the groundwater quality of Sri Lanka. Saltwater intrusion is a considerable factor in shallow karstic aquifers and as a result, relatively higher electrical conductivity, water hardness, total alkalinity, and higher anions concentrations (chloride, sulfate) were observed in the Jaffna area. The dry zone including Padaviya and Hambanthota shows relatively higher water hardness and fluoride in groundwater. Nitrate concentration is also a considerable factor, especially in the Jaffna and Padaviya areas may be due to intensive agriculture. Identification of groundwater recharge zones, recharge estimates, continuous monitoring of groundwater quality, vulnerability mapping of aquifers, and proper planning of urbanization have been identified as challenges ahead in groundwater of Sri Lanka and it is essential to include those items in the National Water Policy in Sri Lanka.","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":" 46","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138613415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Roosting Behavior of Waterbirds at Ruhuna University Premises in Sri Lanka","authors":"W.P.S.N. Wijeweera, G.H.V.S. De Silva, O. C. Edirisinghe, N.J.De.S, Amarasinghe","doi":"10.4038/jur.v11i1.7985","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/jur.v11i1.7985","url":null,"abstract":"Communal roosting is a habit of many waterbirds. Although it is a common behavioural pattern, only a few documentary records are available in Sri Lanka. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the roosting behaviour of waterbirds at Ruhuna University Premises, Sri Lanka. The study was conducted from November 2020 to February 2021 covering 20 field visits. During field visits, the abundance of waterbirds, their arrival time, intra-species, and inter-species interactions were observed. The responses of roosting waterbirds to human disturbances and occasional visitors to roosting sites were also recorded. The waterbirds roosted on a single Sonneratia caseolaris tree, located at the waterbody closer to the bank. Eleven species of waterbirds were identified, and the Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis) were prominent (93%). The diversity and species abundance gradually increased during the study period. The highest species richness (11) and diversity (H- 0.8832) were recorded in February. The roosting behavior of birds has been altered by human disturbances. The waterbirds co-existed on the roosting site with inter- and intra-species associations while maintaining hierarchical levels (different height levels of the tree). Sixteen species of occasional visitors were recorded, and they left the site with the arrival of regular waterbirds.","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":"122 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138608131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adequacy of Regulatory Framework to Minimize Disputes in Construction Projects","authors":"S. N. Malkanthi, A. G. M. Buraitha","doi":"10.4038/jur.v11i1.8000","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/jur.v11i1.8000","url":null,"abstract":"The construction industry is a competitive, complicated environment where people with various skills, perspectives, and levels of knowledge. Conflicts are unavoidable in this complicated setting due to differences in perspectives among project participants. Conflicts quickly develop into disagreements if they are not handled properly. The end goals of every construction project are to reduce cost, improve quality, and complete the job on schedule. One of the biggest things that prevents the construction project from being successfully finished is disputes. Construction conflicts have become significantly more common and complex in recent years. Consequently, it's critical to understand what leads to disagreements. However, in the event of a dispute, Dispute Resolution Methods are implemented to resolve differences and prevent the breach of relationship and communication between the parties to achieve the construction project in the desired time, budget, and quality. The purpose of this study was to identify and evaluate the main factors that contribute to building disputes. Through a comprehensive literature review, 39 root causes of construction disputes were identified under seven categories namely client-related, contractor-related, design-related, contract-related, human behavior-related, project-related, and external factors. The responses gathered from construction industry specialists in Sri Lanka via a questionnaire survey were used to determine the significance of those indicated factors by converting them to the Relative Importance Index(RII). Results showed that the project-related category is the most significant category that causes disputes in construction projects. Additionally, correlation analysis shows that there is a strong relationship among the dispute-causing categories. Also, the respondents are familiar with “arbitration” as the dispute resolution method and they are satisfied with the “conditions of contract” as a Regulatory framework for dispute resolution. The findings support the notion that construction disputes are a source of concern for every project and that the best way to address this issue is to prevent and cautiously manage them to ensure the smooth operation of the construction process.","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":" 27","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138614142","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"“Killing a Demon”: The Use of Cultural Symbols in Therapeutic Work with Children- A Case Report","authors":"H. M. C. D. K. Peeligama, U. Attygalle","doi":"10.4038/jur.v10i1.7990","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4038/jur.v10i1.7990","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":158329,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the University of Ruhuna","volume":"19 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114738719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}