DRC 2024
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/29875
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Item MITIGATING ELEPHANT MORTALITY FROM TRAIN COLLISIONS IN SRI LANKA: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS AND STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS(The Library, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2024) Abeysinghe, S. B.; Ranaweera, R. A. A. S.Elephant motility due to train collisions is a major conservation issue in Sri Lanka, threatening the survival of the Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) and disrupt the equilibrium of the ecosystem. The purpose of this lines. Some of the main causes are high train speed, the division of habitat, the absence of efficient underpass and overpass for train and wildlife respectively. Temporal analysis shows more collisions during the night and early morning when elephants are active by moving around. These collisions also have severe consequences on elephants; they alter their social relations and reduce their ability to reproduce, which is detrimental to the species’ survival in the long run. The measures suggested to prevent elephant-train collision are as follows: Speed limits in affected areas, construction of safe crossing points, increased awareness and involvement of the local communities. Also, future research in the behavioral and spatial dynamics of elephants is essential for enhancing the efficacy of the measures being proposed. It is important to conserve the Asian elephant to maintain rich ecosystems in Sri Lanka. The findings of this study should be used to support the conservation of wildlife and their habitats while also facilitating the needs of the people.Item A STUDY OF DR. K.D.G. WIMALARATNE’S ROLE IN DOCUMENTATION MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION(The Library, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2024) Sajeewani, H. W. K.; Wimalasiri, B. G. S. P.We are currently in an era where information is central to nearly all aspects of life. Effective management and archiving of documents play a crucial role in preserving this information, which is vital for safeguarding knowledge. Knowledge preservation has benefited significantly from advances in records management and conservation. This study aims to explore the academic contributions of Dr. K. D. G. Wimalaratne, a distinguished historian, expert in records management and preservation, visiting lecturer, and former Director of the National Archives. The research was conducted through a literature review based on secondary sources. The findings reveal that Dr. Wimalaratne has authored 26 books and pamphlets on various subjects, along with 20 research papers. Notably, the Lake House Library maintains a special section named after him, which contains 117 newspaper articles, of which 93 were penned by Dr. Wimalaratne. His work also had a lasting impact on education, as he was instrumental in incorporating "History" into the school curriculum. As a scholar, teacher, researcher, writer, and professional in the fields of document archiving, records management, and conservation, Dr. Wimalaratne's legacy is profound. His contributions are particularly significant in an era where these fields should garner more attention from contemporary researchers.Item POLICY IMPLEMENTATION ON REBUILDING SRI LANKAN TOURISM INDUSTRY DURING POST COVID-19 PANDEMIC PERIOD FROM 2019 TO 2023(The Library, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2024) Gnanathilaka, L. P. S. D.Tourism industry acts as an engine of growth in Sri Lanka which links so many other sectors in the economy. With the unprecedented crisis of COVID-19, tourism and its networked sectors were severely affected. Many researchers have studied the impact of the pandemic on different sectors including the tourism industry. Despite having all those, it was identified that there is a little amount of researches have been done on the strategies and governmental policies which have been implemented by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), Sri Lanka Tourist Development Authority (SLTDA) and the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka (BOI) to rebuild the Sri Lankan tourism industry. Hence, this study aims to study the policy implementation in Sri Lanka towards the tourism industry during the post-pandemic period using the secondary data from the sources of SLTDA, BOI and so on. Mainly, mixed research method was used into this study where quantitative data analyzed the performance of tourism industry through descriptive analysis and qualitative data analyzed the policies that were implemented during post-pandemic period. Findings of the study reveals that the tourist arrivals, tourist receipts, food and accommodation and both direct and indirect employment opportunities of tourism industry was severely hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic with rigorous decline of their performance until 2021. In 2022, they achieved rapid increase implementing policies such as granting debt moratorium, providing Saubagya COVID-19 Renaissance Facility and Jaya Isura loan scheme to provide working capital for enterprises in tourism industry, granting visa-free entry for visitors from seven countries, developing domestic tourism in parallel to the promotion of international tourism and so on. Yet, Sri Lankan tourism industry is needed to adapt advanced technology and effective marketing strategies in order to solve the issues that faced during the pandemic period.Item GUEST AWARENESS ON SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES IN ECO-FRIENDLY ACCOMMODATIONS IN SRI LANKA: AN ANALYSIS OF BOOKING.COM REVIEWS(The Library, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2024) Weerasinghe, I.Sustainable initiatives by eco-friendly hotels ensure the destinations’ environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability. The user-generated content (UGC) in online platforms interferes with electronic word of mouth and affects the intention of potential travellers to visit. Booking.com is one of the leading online booking platforms utilized by travellers for efficient reservations in travel and hospitality services. Despite the sustainability efforts practised by eco-friendly hotels, guests’ awareness and perspectives regarding such practices have not been considerably studied. The purpose of this study is to explore the guests’ realization of the sustainable approaches practised by eco-friendly hotels based on their online reviews on the Booking.com platform. The study was constructed as a qualitative research, where secondary data were gathered from reviews of Booking.com. The study is based on 3 ‘sustainability certified’ eco-friendly hotels which indicated the highest number of reviews on Booking.com. A total of 2468 online reviews were available for the selected 3 hotels, while 217 detailed reviews, published from January to July 2024, were considered in data analysis. Following the thematic analysis method, the data were analyzed employing the inductive thematic analysis technique, utilizing the ‘Taguette’ software tool. The study identified 07 themes based on the guests’ insights, including hospitality service and facilities, location and surroundings, negative experience, architectural design, nature-friendly activities, guests’ recommendations, and sustainable practices. The study further emphasizes that the guests’ realization and reflection on the sustainable approaches through online platforms are considerably at an extremely low level compared to their intention to share their lodging experience based on the hospitality service, available facilities and location. The study provides implications for hoteliers in the eco-friendly accommodation sector to be more attentive to improving guests’ realization of sustainable approaches and encouraging them to disseminate authentic experiences through online reviews.Item COMBINED LETTERS USING IN THE EARLY BRAHMI INSCRIPTIONS(The Library, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2024) Bandara, N.The history of adaptation to script use in Sri Lanka dates back to the fifth century BC. The Sri Lankans often used the stone as a medium for writing. Most of those inscriptions are written in Brahmi and developed scripts of the Brahmi alphabet. It took a period of 10th centuries for the transformation of Brahmi letters into Sinhala letters. During this period there are also inscriptions in various languages like Sinhala, Tamil, Chinese, Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit, and Pali. The earliest script recorded in the Sri Lankan inscriptions has been identified as the Early-Brahmi script. It was written in the period from the third Century BC to the middle of the first Century BC. Most of these can be seen within the cave drip ledges (Kataraya). These caves were created for monks to live in due to the religious revival that occurred with the arrival of Arahant Mahinda Thero. By carefully studying these inscriptions, it is possible to identify the different styles adopted in the writing. This research was conducted with the primary objective of uncovering information about the various scripts used in the writing of pre-Brahmi inscriptions. The research aims to uncover information about combined letters, or letters written as if one letter is superimposed on another, which has not been previously studied in depth by scholars. Secondary sources were utilized to collect data for this study. The inscriptions in Sri Lanka date from the third century BC to the fifteenth century AD. These inscriptions are dispersed throughout Sri Lanka. The majority of them are written in pre-Brahmi script. Special attention is given to each Brahmi script. Consequently, scholarly research has identified interlaced Brahmi scripts that have not been previously highlighted. This research paper will discuss these findings in detail.Item PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION IN SRI LANKA: A PERFECT WAY TO BLURRY FREE EDUCATION?(The Library, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2024) Galahitiyawa, H. N. K.The educational sector of Sri Lanka has always been centered around the idea of free education provided by the state. Consequently, there is good literacy, and more of the population has opportunities to study. Nevertheless, recently, this positive trend has been reversed. It should be mentioned that private higher educational institutions in Sri Lanka have come into being as the demand for a high level of education is rapidly growing, given increased enrollment rates, changes in demographics, and progressive career aspirations. The present public university system faces hurdles in adjusting to the increasing student population while ensuring the quality of education. This problem has allowed the growth of private universities in Sri Lanka. This transition from public education to private universities raises questions about whether Sri Lankans will have access to free education in the future. Although public education has been a mainstay of Sri Lanka’s education system, the rise of private colleges heralds both challenges and opportunities. This paper provides policy recommendations for a sustainable education model in the light of private higher education in Sri Lanka by carefully analyzing the historical evolution, the debate over private higher education in Sri Lanka, and the lessons learned from the global experiences using the most efficient secondary data collection method known as “keyword search” methodology using online articles. A well-balanced strategy that strengthens public universities while also regulating and supporting private institutions, clear regulations, and accreditation processes are also essential for private and higher education providers. In addition, quality assurance mechanisms will guarantee high-caliber education for students, whether they attend public or private institutions. This balanced approach ensures a sustainable and equitable education model for Sri Lanka.Item THE SUBSCRIPTION LIBRARY SYSTEM IN THE BRITISH PERIOD OF SRI LANKA: SPECIAL REFERENCE TO D. S. SENANAYAKA MEMORIAL LIBRARY, COLOMBO PUBLIC LIBRARY AND JAFFNA PUBLIC LIBRARY(The Library, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2024) Manatunga, M.In Sri Lanka a methodical library system was established during the British period. British government established libraries to meet the reading requirements of army officers and civil servants. We can refer to these libraries as subscription libraries. To access these libraries they had to pay a small amount as a subscription fee. Colombo public library, Jaffna public library and D. S. Senanayaka memorial library are significant libraries which were built in the British colonial period. In the first half century of the British period there were three main libraries in Colombo, named as Colombo library (1812), Ceylon United Service library (1813) and Colombo Pettah library (1829). By merging these libraries Colombo public library was established in 1925. In 1841 Kandy Central Town Library was formed. In 1884 this library was managed by Kandy Municipal and named it as Kandy Municipal free library. At present this library is named as D. S. Senanayaka memorial library. Jaffna public library was formed in 1934 by a social worker named as K. M. Chellappah. Qualitative research approach was applied to study this research. Since this research is a historical study historical primary sources like Ferguson’s Directory, Ceylon Blue book, Ceylon Calendar, 20th century Impression of Sri Lanka, Area Handbook of Ceylon were used to collect data. The study revealed that at first libraries were limited to Colombo. With the improvement of planting sector subscription libraries were distributed around the country. These subscription libraries can be considered as the foundation of present public library system. D. S. Senanayaka Memorial Library, Colombo Public Library, Jaffna Public Library are significant libraries which was established in the British Period.Item OVERVIEW OF THE TECHNICAL TERMS IN THE INDUSTRY OF PALM-LEAF MANUSCRIPTS: SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SRI LANKA(The Library, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2024) Alahakoon, C. N. K.The writing on palm-leaves in Sri Lanka began in the 1st century BC. Nevertheless, these materials couldn’t be used in their ordinary form without having processing of the leaves. According to the historical evidences, the production of palm-leaf is a massive process which the ancient society involved for this special task. In fact, there are special customs engross from the begging of the cutting of Tala tree to the final process of preparation of written palm-leaf manuscript. However, there is a dearth of writing documentation and discussion regarding the various terminology used for the palm-leaf manuscript creation process. The objective of the study involved into explores and clarify the technical terms related to palm-leave preparation in Sri Lanka. The methodology adheres for this research is the desk research method which tempts to use the existing documents related to the subject, previous research carried out over a particular topic, and the document distributed at the workshops in practical aspect also extensively used to identify the glossary of the technical terms used in the industry. According to the published literature, and documents, it was apparent that the very specific and special terms are being used in the process of palm-leaves. Further to that, the terminologies have some relationship with the Buddhism as these are highly used by the priest in the temples and monasteries for their education and dissemination of knowledge in the ancient society. More specifically, the research provides clear explanations of these terms, offering readers a better understanding of their meanings of the manuscript production process. Additionally, it highlights the grey areas that lacked sufficient in the so far discussions. On the whole, the study contributes to the comprehensive understanding of the rich technical vocabulary associated with palm-leaf manuscript production in Sri Lanka.Item IMPROVING CARDIOVASCULAR RISK PREDICTION OF SRI LANKANS USING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE(The Library, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2024) Mettananda, C.; Solangaarachchige, M. B.; Haddela, P. S.; Dassanayake, A. S.; Kasturiratne, A.; Wickramasinghe, A. R.; Kato, N.; De Silva, H. J.There are no CV risk prediction models derived from Sri Lankan cohorts. Therefore, the World Health Organization(WHO) risk charts developed for the Southeast Asia Region are being used to risk stratify Sri Lankans. However, Sri Lankans are quite different to some Southeast Asian countries and may not agree with Sri Lankans. Therefore, we aimed to develop a CV risk prediction model specific to a cohort of Sri Lankans. Using supervised machine learning of 10-year follow-up data of a randomly selected, population-based cohort of Sri Lankans, we developed a model to predict the 10-year risk of developing a cardiovascular event. We compared predictions of the new model at baseline in 2007 with the observed events in 2017 following a 10-year follow-up using receiver operating characteristic curves(ROC) to find the predictive performance. We compared the predictions of the new model and the currently used WHO risk charts. We selected 2596 Sri Lankans between 40 and 65 years old with no history of previous CV diseases (CVD) at recruitment and who had completed 10-year follow-ups. There were 179 hard CVDs recorded over the ten years. CVD included all cardiovascular deaths confirmed or presumed cases as mentioned in death certificates, non-fatal strokes, and physician-diagnosed non-fatal acute coronary syndromes, including elective percutaneous coronary interventions and coronary artery bypass grafts done on patients with symptomatic unstable angina. Any cardiac presentation except those mentioned here was excluded. Of 179 events, the ML-based model predicted 124; only 33 were predicted by the new model, while only 33 were predicted by 2019 WHO risk charts. The new ML-based model had 0.93 accuracy with an AUC-ROC of 0.74 ± 0.06. Machine learning of individual data of a Sri Lankan cohort improved CV risk prediction of Sri Lankans than using risk charts developed for an epidemiological region using a modelling approach.