Symposia & Conferences
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Item 2-Tuple Fuzzy Linguistic Model to Evaluate the Risk of Invasive Plant Species(Department of Statistics & Computer Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Peiris, H.O.W.; Perera, S.S.N.; Chakraverty, S.; Ranwala, S.M.W.Management of invasive species can appear to be a complicated and unending task. In order to manage the spread, these species need to be undergone any risk assessment during their introduction. The aim of this study is to evaluate the aggregate risk of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) using invasive attributes. We use the 2-tuple fuzzy linguistic representation to develop the model without loss of information in which occur in ordinary linguistic operators. These risk values are compared with the National Risk assessment scores which are in the form of Linguistic labels. The proposed model is validated using few known noninvasive species in Sri Lanka. The model gives significant predictions and it is found to be a better tracking system for identifying potential invaders than the conventional risk assessment methods.Item The 3D atomic scale and electronic structure characterization of novel fcc ruthenium nanoparticles using synchrotron light source(Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Kumara, L.S.R.; Sakata, O.; Kohara, S.; Song, C.; Yang, A.; Kusada, K.; Kobayashi, H.; Kitagawa, H.Ruthenium (Ru) is a 4d transition metal that in the bulk adopts hexagonal closepacked (hcp) structure at all temperature ranges, and novel face-centered cubic (fcc) Ru nanoparticles (NPs) have been observed to be more efficient than conventional hcp Ru NPs larger than 3 nm. It has recently attracted much attention as a potential application in removal of car exhausts due to high catalytic activity for CO oxidation and preventing CO poisoning in fuel-cell system. We here report the 3-dimentational atomic-scale structures of fcc and hcp Ru NPs using high-energy X-ray diffraction (HEXRD), Rietveld analysis, pair distribution function (PDF), and reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) modelling. Hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) can provide important information on the influence of NP size on electronic properties. The HEXRD and HAXPES of Ru NPs were performed at BL04B2 and BL15XU at SPring-8, the world largest third-generation (8 GeV) synchrotron radiation facility located in Hyōgo prefecture, Japan. We observed higher stability of the lattice distortion of fcc Ru NPs with increasing particle size. The PDF analysis results show that the structural disordered Ru NPs at short- to intermediate-range atomic distances. The order parameter for fcc Ru NPs decreased with increasing particle size due to the loosely packing atomic arrangement and may explain an origin of higher catalytic activity of fcc Ru NPs. In this study, the observed trend of increasing catalytic activity of fcc Ru NPs was also discussed using their core-levels and valence band electronic structures. This work was partly supported by ACCEL, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) and also partly supported by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (OS: 15K04616).Item Abhiram, G. and Munasinghe, R. C. (2018). Development of new master batch mixing cycle for a track producing extrusion compound with lower rejection rate(Research Symposium on Pure and Applied Sciences, 2018 Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Thennakoon, T. M. A. D. L.; Withanage, N. S.As rubber shows inherent viscous and elastic properties, mixing of compounding ingredients is the first and most important step in rubber manufacturing. If mixing does not properly happen, many problems will be appeared in the end product leading to higher rejection. Currently, Rubber compounding industry produces track producing extrusion compounds to make continuous band of tread for military, agricultural and construction vehicles around 98% rejection, due to viscosity. Therefore, the focus of this research was to develop a new master batch mixing cycle by modifying the present conditions maintained during mastication phase, carbon black incorporation phase and dispersion phase to reduce the rejection level of track producing extrusion compound. Hence, the mastication phase rotor speed (30 rpm, 40 rpm, 50 rpm), mastication phase masticate time (60s, 80s, 100s), carbon black incorporation phase rotor speed (30 rpm, 40 rpm, 50 rpm) and dispersion phase rotor speed (30 rpm, 40 rpm, 50 rpm) were changed separately to obtain the optimum conditions for each phase giving better viscosity properties of the compound. The results revealed that, the best batches could be obtained under 50 rpm rotor speed and 80s masticate time in mastication phase; 50 rpm rotor speed in carbon black incorporation phase and 40 rpm rotor speed in dispersion phase. Therefore, the new master batch mixing cycle could be considered as 50 rpm rotor speed and 80s masticate time in mastication phase; 50 rpm rotor speed in carbon black incorporation phase and 40 rpm rotor speed in dispersion phase to reduce the present rejection rate of track producing extrusion compound TR-5237.Item Abundance and distribution of microplastics in Muthurajawela wildlife sanctuary and Pamunugama beach, Sri Lanka(Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2024) Sandaruwan, U. A. C.; Vithana, P. V. A. S.; Sithumini, W. E. B. K.; Samaraweera, B. G. K. N. D. B.; Tharani, T.; Gallage, C.V.; Subasinghe, K.; Vidanage., S. P.Microplastics (MPs), defined as plastic particles less than 5 mm, are increasingly recognized as a global environmental threat impacting marine and terrestrial ecosystems. This study investigates the prevalence, distribution and characteristics of MPs in the lagoon and coastal sediments of Muthurajawela Wildlife Sanctuary and Pamunugama Beach in Sri Lanka, areas interconnected through the Negombo Lagoon. Sediment samples were collected from 14 locations (06 from the Muthurajawela lagoon and 08 from the Pamunugama beach) distributed in both in low-tide line and mid-tide line identified through systematic sampling method. From each location, three replicate samples were collected to form a composite sediment sample and 20g of oven-dried sediment was used for analysis of MPs after performing a density separation on the sieved sample. The abundance, size, and shapes of MPs were examined using a stereomicroscope using “Optica TCB5.0” software. Observed MPs were divided into two size ranges: 5 mm – 1.1 mm and 1 mm – 0.5 mm and defined as “large MPs” and “small MPs” respectively. MPs were divided into five categories of shapes: fragments, filaments, films, foams and pellets. Findings indicated a higher abundance of MPs in Pamunugama Beach sediments (79.3 ± 10.3 MPs/Kg) compared to Muthurajawela lagoon (58.0 ± 10.8 MPs/Kg). In Muthurajawela, smaller MPs were more prevalent (79.87%) than larger MPs (20.12%), with a statistically significant difference (p<0.05; Two-sample T test) while Pamunugama Beach showed no significant difference in the abundance of large and small MPs. The abundance of total MPs was not significantly different between low and mid-tide lines at both study sites suggesting a low spatial variability in abundance (p>0.05; Two-sample T test). The most common MP shape in Muthurajawela was filaments (78.8%), while fragments (61.53%) dominated Pamunugama Beach. The study also underscores the impact of the MV X-Press Pearl ship disaster on Pamunugama Beach, contributing to the higher MP levels observed. MPs in Muthurajawela were primarily filament-shaped, likely sourced from urban wastewater and industrial activities, whereas Pamunugama Beach exhibited more fragment-shaped MPs due to recreational activities and natural fragmentation processes driven by coastal dynamics. These findings provide critical baseline data for long-term monitoring and highlight the need for targeted mitigation strategies. Future research should focus on the ecological impacts of MP pollution, particularly on wetland birds and other wildlife in these regions. Comprehensive studies examining the sources, pathways, and ecological consequences of MPs will further inform conservation efforts and policy decisions, ultimately contributing to the protection of Sri Lanka's unique coastal and wetland ecosystems.Item Abundance and distribution pattern of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in selected urban, sub-urban and rural areas of Gampaha District, Sri Lanka(Research Symposium on Pure and Applied Sciences, 2018 Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Dalpadado, C. P. R. D.; Amarasinghe, L. D.The abundance and distribution of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, vectors of dengue fever, were determined at six localities in Gampaha District, which is the district with the occurrence of second highest number of dengue cases during last five years. Negombo and Wattala areas were selected to represent urbanized communities, Gampaha and Attanagalla to represent sub-urban communities and Dompe and Divulapitiya were selected for the rural communities based on population density. Percentage of premises infected with Aedes larvae (Premise Index) and the number of positive containers for 100 premises inspected (Breteau Index) were used as a proxy to determine the abundance of vectors. Larval collections were done monthly during April 2016 to June 2018 using random sampling technique for minimum 100 houses within a radius of 300 m. Potential breeding places in each site were identified and categorized accordingly. Out of 7916 premises examined, 1011 (12.8%) premises were found to be positive for Aedes mosquitoes. Among them 10.1% and 89.9% were found to be positive for Ae . aegypti and Ae . albopictus, respectively . Ae . aegypti was mostly prevalent in highly urbanized MOH areas (73%) while it showed low abundance in sub urban (21%) and rural (6%) areas. On contrary, abundance of Ae . albopictus was highest in sub-urban areas (47%) and lowest in urban areas (18%). Premise index (PI) for Ae . aegypti in urbanized areas were significantly higher than that of sub-urban (F=9.13, p<0.05) and rural areas (F=15.49, p<0.05) in Gampaha District and there was no significant difference (F=4.04, p>0.05) between PI of Ae . aegypti in sub urban and rural areas. The PI of Ae . albopictus in sub-urban areas was significantly higher than that of urban areas (F=15.43, p<0.05). There was no significant difference (F=1.44, p>0.05) between PI of Ae . albopictus in sub-urban and rural areas. Similarly, there was no significant difference between mix indices for Ae . aegypti and Ae . albopictus in Gampaha district (p>0.05). There was a strong correlation between the Breteau Index and the number of dengue patients reported in urbanized areas (r<0.5). Higher correlation was recorded with Ae . aegypti than Ae . albopictus. Therefore, occurrence of dengue epidemics are strongly correlated with Ae .aegypti indices in city areas of Gampaha District and present study suggests that Stegomyia indices can be used as a proxy to determine dengue transmission risk.Item Abundance and microplastic characterization found in the mud crab Scylla serrata inhabiting Negombo Lagoon, Sri Lanka(Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2023) Dias, B. C. G.; Amarathunga, A. A. D.; De Silva, D. S. M.; Sivyer, D. B.; Maddumage, M. D. S. R.Microplastics (MPs) are tiny plastic particles less than 5 mm in size. The danger imposed by MPs continues to rise in the world due to an increase in anthropological pollutants in the environment. The tremendous socioeconomic value and biodiversity of the lagoon have been threatened by a significant accumulation of plastics, particularly MPs. MPs have many negative impacts on the fauna. Herein, the high adsorption capability of MPs increases the toxicity of contaminants as well as oxidative stress that may lead to damaging cell membranes of fauna. Here, we report the investigation on the abundance of MPs in the digestive tract and gills of the mud crab species Scylla serrata, which is a prominent edible food source of humans. We collected fifty two (N = 52) individuals of mud crabs from three crab trapping sites in the Negombo Lagoon, Sri Lanka during November 2022 to March 2023. The gills and digestive tract of the crabs were extracted and digested in KOH, and subsequently the putative MPs were separated and imaged using a stereomicroscope (VWR VisiScope 360) for characterization. In the analysis, a total of 455 MP particles were detected in the crabs, out of which, 187 (41.10%) were in the gills and 268 (58.90%) were in the digestive tracts. The average MP abundance in the gills was 0.70 ± 0.52 items per gram, while that in the digestive tracts was 0.71 ± 0.52 items per gram. The most abundant shapes of MP particles were fibers in the gills (54.01%) and in the digestive tracts (85.07%) followed by fragments and films. Further, the prevailing colours of the MPs were blue, transparent, red, black, and purple. Herein, the digestive tract had the highest concentration of MPs in blue (47.38%), whereas the majority of the MPs found in the gills were transparent (51.8%). The range of MP sizes in the crabs was also determined. The most frequent size range in the gills and digestive tracts were 0.002-0.25 mm (39.5%), and 1.0-5.0 mm (48.8%) respectively. Despite the fact that the current study offered details on the presence of MPs in the gills and digestive tract of the mud crab species Scylla serrata inhabits in the Negombo Lagoon, it also serves as a benchmark for the quick detection of MPs in mud crabs in the lagoons of Sri Lanka.Item Accelerate business growth by synergizing emotional intelligence(Research Symposium on Pure and Applied Sciences, 2018 Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Subashini, K. K. P.“Emotions drive people, people drive performance”. Emotional Intelligence is a critical success factor for the sustainable business growth on which professionals need to concentrate. Emotional intelligence is an invisible skill, which can be developed through learning, training and practicing. To be a part of successful, satisfied, high customer delight team, it is important to have positive, effective interpersonal skills as well as high emotional intelligence empowerment. Research has shown that every emotion has a function. Experts opine that “People buy relationships, not products”. To accelerate business growth, professionals need to pay attention of the emotions of the clients. The objective of this paper is to identify the factors that affect the business growth. We used random sampling techniques to collect data. Then we analyzed the data by using statistical tools. We first setup a forum for software professionals to discuss the challenges, limitations and success factors. We then conducted an online survey based on the findings from forum and literature review. Through this, we identified more than 30 challenges and several best practices. We further conducted a set of face-to-face interviews with the subject matter expertise like customer relation managers and sales teams to identify a suitable set of solutions, and finally developed a framework. According to the result shown in the survey, clients are willing to have emotional bond with the development team. Further, 80% of the professionals agreed that emotional connection is one of the main factor for the project success. It has also shown that 70% of the people state that emotional intelligence is a skill, which needs to be trained by the expert for better work environment. 75% of the experts state that emotional intelligence is needed for good personal relationship. 60% of the professionals agreed that empathy is the major factor, which help to have a good work environment. It also found that technical team has to understand the power of emotional intelligence to have good business growth in the organization.Item Accelerating the rate of convergence of some efficient schemes for two-stage Gauss method(Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Chamaleen, D.B.D.; Vigneswaran, R.The non-linear equations obtaining from the implicit s – stage Runge-Kutta methods have been solved by various iteration schemes. A scheme has been developed, which is computationally more efficient and avoids expensive vector transformations. The rate of convergence of this scheme is examined when it is applied to the scalar test differential equation = and the convergence rate depends on the spectral radius [()] of the iteration matrix (), where = ℎ and ℎ is the step-size. In this scheme, supremum of a lower bound for [()] is minimized over the left half - plane with the constraints requiring super-linear convergence at = 0 and → ∞ .Two new schemes with parameters are obtained for the two-stage Gauss-method. Numerical experiments are carried out in order to evaluate and compare the efficiency of the new schemes and the original scheme. Consider an initial value problem for stiff system of ordinary differential equations = (), () = , : ℝ → ℝ. An s-stage implicit Runge-Kutta method computes an approximation to the solution x () at discrete point = + ℎ by = + ℎ Σ ( ), where , ,…,, satisfy sn equations + ℎ , ), = 1,2, . . . , . = is the real coefficient matrix and = [ , ,…,] is the column vector of the Runge-Kutta method. Let = ⊕ ⊕ … ⊕ ∈ ℝand () = () ⊕ () ⊕ … ⊕ () ∈ ℝ. Then the above equation in , ,…, may be written by = ⊗ + ℎ( ⊗ )(), where = (1,1, … ,1) and ( ⊗ ) is the tensor product of the matrix with × identity matrix . The efficient scheme, which has been already proposed, is given by [ ⊗ ( − ℎ)] = ( ⊗ )( ⊗ – ) + ( ⊗ )( ⊗ – ) + ℎ( ⊗ )() + ℎ( ⊗ )(), = 1,2, …, In this scheme, supremum of a lower bound for [()] is minimized over ℂ, where ℂ = { ∈ / () ≤ 0 } with the constraints [()] = 0 at = 0 and [()] = 0 at → ∞. The parameters for the two-stage Gauss method are obtained and Numerical experiments are carried out.Item Acceptance of ICT-Enabled Services Among Bangladeshi Farmers(Department of Zoology, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2014) Quarmal, S.B.This paper is aimed at presenting a proposed work that focuses on the decision-making process regarding the acceptance of ICT-enabled services among Bangladeshi farmers. For this purpose, an Artificial Society Model (ASM hereafter), introduced by the authors, is being used. This psychology-oriented ASM of decision-making deals with knowledge-based decision-making process. It consists of a set of agents that represents groups of people who respond similarly to certain problem. The agents are characterized by the extent of knowledge that they have on the problem. The knowledge of an agent is expressed by a mathematical function. Thinking process of the agent is simulated by using a linkage model of cognitive psychology. A message is formed by the agent, based on the knowledge function and the conclusion (decision) of the agent on the given problem, which is also expressed mathematically, and is transferred to another agent and modifies the knowledge function of the agent that receives the message. As a result, the model enables to simulate dynamics of decision making processes in society. Such modeling helps us to understand various natural and social phenomena such as the issue discussed in this article, i.e. decision-making process regarding the acceptance of ICT-enabled services among Bangladeshi farmers.Item Activation of wood biochar and red brick using natural coconut vinegar(Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2020) Malka, U.K.M.; De Silva, R.C.L.; De Silva, D.S.M.; Chandrajith, R.Number of studies have been carried out to determine the efficiency of strong oxidizers in activating natural raw materials used in low cost water purification processes. However, rural communities find it difficult to acquire most of such chemicals. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine the ability of natural coconut vinegar, which is a common domestic acidic solution, in activating abundantly available potential water purifying materials to reduce calcium (Ca2+) ions from water, further reducing the water hardness. In this study mature barks of Glyricidia (Glyricidia sepium), Gadumba (Trema orientalis) and Ipil Ipil (Leucaena leucocephala) were collected and air dried. These were carbonized (400-450 °C) in a closed vessel (2 hours) to produce biochar. Both biochar and brick particles in the range of 2.0-5.6 mm were selected for the analysis. For the activation these samples were soaked in natural coconut vinegar (biochar/brick: vinegar, 1:2 V/V) for 24 hours and completely dried in an oven (120 °C) for 3 hours. Laboratory scale glass columns (2 cm in diameter) were used to calculate Ca2+ adsorption and retaining capacities. Filtrates were analyzed for Ca2+ using flame photometer. Ca2+ adsorption and retaining capacities of each material were calculated per unit bulk volume of the material. Each test was duplicated, and the average was recorded. Untreated red brick and biochar of Glyricidia, Gadumba, Ipil Ipil showed Ca2+ adsorption capacities of 0.44, 0.30, 0.31, 0.27 mg cm3 and retaining capacities of 0.19, 0.01, 0.02, 0.02 mg cm-3 respectively. Activated red brick and biochar of Glyricidia, Gadumba and Ipil Ipil showed Ca2+ adsorption capacities of 0.76, 0.58, 0.68 and 0.63 mg cm-3 and retaining capacities of 0.25, 0.20, 0.23 and 0.15 mg cm-3 respectively. Increase in Ca2+ adsorption and retaining capacities were observed in all the materials tested after activation with vinegar. Further studies are continued to use the vinegar activated natural materials in a low-cost domestic drinking water purification process.Item Acute toxicity of formaldehyde on the ornamental fish, Cyprinus carpio (koi carp) fingerlings(Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2024) Rathnayaka, E. M. S. P.; Epa, U. P. K.The ornamental fish trade is a multibillion-dollar sector that involves more than 125 countries, including Sri Lanka. Formalin, 37% formaldehyde, is widely used in the ornamental fish industry as a prophylactic measure or therapeutic purposes. It is usually used to treat ectoparasites that reside on the body surface or gills of fish, and it is also used as a fungicide for fish eggs. Chemotherapeutic agent usage has been criticized because the indiscriminate usage of chemicals like formalin may cause severe risks to both fish and human health and the environment. The toxicity of chemicals to fish must be decided prior to using any chemical to fish as a therapeutic agent for their diseases. A 96 h acute toxicity test was conducted to determine the median lethal concentration (LC50) of formalin on Cyprinus carpio (Cyprinidae) fingerlings. Experimental fish were exposed to a static bath in 4 L glass aquaria with formalin concentrations of 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 mg L-1. Seven fingerlings were added to each tank for the acute toxicity test, and glass aquaria were continuously aerated during the test. The control experiment was conducted using de-chlorinated tap water. All five treatments and the control experiment were triplicated. During formalin exposure, fish behavior was observed. The Number of fish deaths was recorded in each concentration separately and probit analysis was conducted to determine the 96-h LC50 value of formalin. Fish behavior changes were investigated during the acute toxicity test. Fish were aggregated near the aeration, erratic swimming with fast movement, fast opercula beating, and fast opening and closing of the mouth, excess mucus production, opercula beating frequency reduction, slow swimming and jumping-like behavior were observed until the beginning of the first death. Mucus accumulation on the body surfaces and gill filament was recorded on dead fish. The gills of the dead fish were damaged and toxicity symptoms were observed. The 70 mg L-1 concentration was the lethal concentration for C. carpio fingerlings in less than 24 h. The LC50 value of formalin on C. carpio fingerlings at 95% confidence level was 55 mg L-1 for 96 h. It was concluded that acute exposure to formaldehyde causes lethal toxic effects on C. carpio fingerlings. Formalin must be used with due care and management in aquaculture practices.Item Adaptive green time allocation method for traffic congestion based on cell transmission model and genetic algorithm(Research Symposium on Pure and Applied Sciences, 2018 Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2018) Priyasad, H. A. D.; Kulatunga, D. D. S.Traffic congestion is defined as a physical phenomenon relating to the manner in which vehicles impede each other’s progression as demand for limited road space approaches full capacity. This makes trip time longer and increasing queuing. Also it causes serious problems for the day to day lives of people, massive financial and man-hour loss, environment pollution, some diseases etc. In Sri Lanka, traffic congestion in a given area occurs for many reasons. The main reason is that the demand of road does not match to road capacity. In Sri Lanka, although an increase of 10% per year road demand is expected, it can increase road capacity by around 2% to 3% per year. Other important reasons are the existing traffic control system and traffic intersections. Traffic control systems play a central role of traffic management in Sri Lankan cities. Existing traffic light system mainly controls the traffic light change in constant cycle time. But road conditions in a given area vary day by day. If the traffic control system does not deal with these variations, then traffic control system will create bottlenecks and delays. Therefore, the control of traffic requires adequate adjustments to these variations. This research focused on studying and applying cell transmission model to dynamic traffic signal controlling procedure. Basic cell transmission model is used to model the dynamic changes of vehicular traffic flow and to estimate the total delay of vehicles in a given region within a given time interval under different green time allocations. To find an optimal signal timing plan, the Genetic Algorithm is used. The proposed model is applied with certain assumptions to find an optimal time plan to a signalized intersection in main Kandy - Colombo road which has heavy traffic congestion in the morning hours in weekdays. A section of this region is selected to minimize the total delay and to find an optimal dynamic time plan for the signal lights analyzing the actual data collected in this region using four video cameras. The results are compared with the existing pre-timed signal time plan and the corresponding total delay. It is observed that the proposed dynamic signal timing plan will reduce average delay by 6.2675% and it can be proposed as an alternative for the existing system.Item An Adaptive Histogram Equalization Algorithm for Enhance Mammograms(Department of Zoology, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2014-06) Amarasinghe, A.S.; Abeysooriya, D.P.Breast cancer is one of the leading cancers in the female population and most of them are lethal; to save lives breast cancer should be identified in its early stage. In Sri Lanka 25% of the detected cancers are recognized as breast cancers in each successive year between 2000 to 2005. Mammography is the most successful method to diagnose breast cancers. Mostly mammograms are poor quality images, and doesn‘t provide any hard evidence to diagnose cancers although it has the accuracy of 80% - 90%. And this is where the mammogram enhancement is essentially needed. Among various image enhancement techniques, histogram equalization is the most convenient method to enhance images. But unfortunately many prevailing histogram equalization techniques are not suitable for mammogram enhancement, because they can‘t accurately separate noise from the image. Detecting cancers in a Mammogram is rather delicate process which needs fairly controlled image enhancement with noise reduction. The proposed histogram equalization technique can control the amount of enhancement and it intelligently separates the noise from the interested regions and enhances the suspicious areas. Many histogram equalization methods are available to enhance images. But the common problem with all these algorithms is they did not concern about the actual intensities of the pixels at all. In fact, this leads the whole image enhancement into failures by over enhancing the images. However, lack of controllability is the major obstacle to use histogram equalization in mammogram enhancement. Actual intensities of the pixels must be contributed to the process of enhancement to control the amount of enhancement and prevent destroying the valuable information. The proposed algorithm uses a set of candidate intensities to pick the most appropriate intensity for the enhancement just like a genetic algorithm. Newly taken mammograms were used to experiment the power of enhancement of the algorithm. The image samples were taken from the Karapitiya hospital, Galle, Sri Lanka, with the authorization from the Director there. The major concerns were how well the algorithm can reduce the noise and highlight the cancerous areas of the images. Obviously this enhancement must assist the observers to find hard evidence to detect cancers. Following shows a mammogram image before and after the enhancement.Identifying a breast cancer is a tough job and it needs years of practice and some sophisticated technology. But still 10% of breast cancers are missed by radiologists. This happens mainly due to noise of the images and complex overlying and underlying structures in the cancer images. Almost every Mammogram is a poor quality image which doesn‘t provide enough hard evidence to pursue and diagnose cancers. This research led to produce an image enhancing algorithm which can be used to enhance mammograms to detect early stage breast cancers to support and assist in medical treatments.Item Adding Commonsense to Robotic Application Using Ontology-Based Model Retraining(Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2022) Pradeepani, M. K. T.; Jayawardena, C.; Rajapaksha, U. U. S.In terms of the level of technological capability in the world today, the use of automated robotics is common in various fields. There are large projects going on in many industries that collaborate between robots and other robots, as well as humans and robots. In hospital environments, care for people with medical needs and their needs and used to make appropriate suggestions to their problems. Robots can also be found in certain areas that can respond quickly as an emergency rescue agent. Furthermore, robots, which can be seen in the hotel industry as waiters and as farm assistants in agriculture, have a great tendency to be used as multi-tasking agents in many fields. In each of these areas, robots must co-operate with humans. In that situation, the importance of the exchange of mutual knowledge between robots-robots and between humans-robots comes into the picture. What matters here is not only the quantitative vastness of knowledge but also the ability to understand each other in the same medium. Although the common sense that people need in their day-to-day work is completely obvious to humans, the commonsense knowledge domain needs to be implanted in robots. Whatever concept is defined for adding commonsense to robotics, it should be a consistent concept that can be logically constructed so that it can be understood by a machine. As will be discussed later in the paper, different methods have been used in various related works to add a different kind of domain knowledge to robotics. The objective of this paper is to provide an improved retrained model for robotics in order to give them the ability to act more human-like when performing tasks. By using the proposed model robots are able to answer the incomplete command or inquiries related to a given context. One of the objectives of this work is to use the ontology-based, commonsense-support existing knowledge base as a mechanism to retrain and build a new model.Item Addressing climate change in Sri Lanka in light of the Human Rights Law: legal analysis(Department of Zoology and Environmental Management, University of Kelaniya, 2015) Fernando, N.; Bogahawatte, I.Item Adoptability of Chaos Engineering with DevOps to Stimulate the Software Delivery Performance(Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2023) Arsecularatne, Merishani; Wickramarachchi, RuwanThe efficiency of the business processes has a major impact on improving the productivity of organisations. Many organisations use IT-related tools, primarily software, to enhance the efficiency of their business processes. Therefore, timely and reliable delivery of software products has become a top priority. As a result, advancing the concept of “Agility”, organisations implement DevOps practices. However, maintaining the quality of the software delivery service has become an issue due to several challenges related to the implementation of DevOps. Hence, this study was conducted with the aim of understanding the DevOps-related challenges and how “chaos engineering” can be applied along with DevOps to address those challenges. The practice of "chaos engineering" contributes to the reduction of chaos. A systematic literature review was conducted to investigate the concept of “chaos engineering” and the challenges that DevOps-implemented organisations face. Later, a qualitative study was conducted to see how chaos engineering practices can be used to address the identified DevOps challenges. Based on the thoughts and views of the industry experts who participated in this study, it was revealed that implementing chaos engineering with DevOps helps organisations address most of the DevOps challenges both directly and indirectly. Also, the study suggests a methodology to implement chaos engineering with DevOps within organisations to successfully overcome DevOps-related challenges.Item Adoption for ICT and E-Commerce Services in Hospitality Industry - Challenges and Opportunities(Department of Zoology, University of Kelaniya, Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2014-06) Damunupola, D.A.K.A.Over the last six decades, tourism has experienced continued expansion and diversification with the rapid growth of technological advancements. Effective and high-speed Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure and software applications are crucial for the development of hospitality industry as it offers great opportunity to increase customer value, enhance customer satisfaction and achieve business excellence and high profits. The Central Reservations Systems (CRS), Front-office information systems, booking information systems, hotel management information systems, Global Distribution Systems (GDS), property management systems and Destination Integrated Computerized Information Reservation Management Systems (DICIRMS) are some of the main information technologies that serve hospitality industry today. However, the development of ICT has also led to changes in demand and supply of the industry while offering personalized hospitality experiences for holiday makers. e – word of mouth publicity, online travel review sites and the social networking sites encourage travellers to share information and research on their dreamed travel destination. As a result, today tourists have become more demanding for ‗value for money and time‘ services. E-commerce has recorded a significant growth as a convenient way of buying and selling goods and services over the internet. Hospitality industry is one of those which is fully benefited from the e- commerce services. Hospitality industry ‗Information Technology Investments‘ are often made to improve performance. This study aims to examine the e-commerce usage and the implementation of ICT for hospitality industry. The findings of the research include number of factors which can be identified behind the immense growth of the ICT and e-commerce services usage. Further those would be beneficial for the hospitality industry policy makers and the stakeholders to design innovative, attractive tourist products to increase the guest satisfaction. The development of ICT and e-commerce offers competitive advantages such as, improved employee productivity and enhanced revenue generation, and also contributes to low labor-costs, cheap raw materials, improve the country‘s infrastructure, communication channels, legislation and so on. The revolution of ICT and e-commerce brought some challenges which influence at both microeconomic and macroeconomic environment levels. These include, lack of trust on online services, insecurity of personal information, lack of infrastructure and poor knowledge of its operation. The expansion of e-commerce services and demand will significantly change the labor market. Further high implementation cost, labor intensive certification process, lack of awareness, limited infrastructure facilities are some of the key barriers that delay adopting ICT and e-commerce services. ‗Broadband promoting Initiative‘, affordable prices, convenience, wide availability, instant connectivity and lifestyle etc also motivate people for online transactions. Hence it is essential to have legal policy where government and regulatory bodies are collaborating on a wider platform to ensure ecommerce law to protect the consumer. More over, awareness and training is needed for ICT at various levels of hospitality enterprises. Government policies and regulations, size of the establishment, financial capacity etc. are equally important factors affecting e -commerce adoption in hospitality industry.The Internet and the e –commerce has dramatically changed the entire hospitality industry while playing a vital role in promoting, integrating and building brand loyalty in tourism.Item Adsorption of Methylene blue on leaves of Guinea Grass (Panicum maximum)(Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, 2024) Weerathunga, M. A. O. Y.; Dinusha, M. D. N.; Karunathilaka, R. M. M. K.; Priyantha, N.Massive amounts of industrial pollutants released to the environment because of industrial expansion, which is needed to fulfil the demands of the ever-increasing population, have become a global threat. Consequently, the use of effective treatment methodologies is a necessity, and such methodologies should not only be economical, but also be environmentally friendly. In this respect, biosorption has become a sound alternative for removing toxic industrial dyes. Although many biosorbents have been researched, attempts on their practicability have not been much attended to. This study focuses on the use of Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) leaves, a biosorbent that has not been extensively investigated, for the removal of methylene blue (MB), a common dye used in textiles and other industries. The fibrous nature of this biosorbent would make it suitable for surface modification as needed. Biosorbent for this investigation was prepared by mature leaves of guinea grass, collected randomly from Kandy district, cut into 1.0 – 2.0 cm lengths followed by thorough washing with tap water and deionised water, and then crushing followed by thorough washing again with deionised water until the supernatant became colourless. Samples were then dried at 120 °C for 2.0 h. Parameter optimisation was conducted using 50.0 mL of 10 ppm MB solutions, with one parameter varied at a time while keeping the others unchanged. This process led to optimal values of 0.25 g of adsorbent dosage, 20 minutes of shaking time, 20 minutes of settling time, and a pH of 5.66, based on absorption measurements recorded at 664 nm, achieving an excellent removal rate of 97.5% is obtained. Moreover, this biosorption system reaches equilibrium in a very short time owing to the fibrous nature which is advantageous for extension of bench work toward large-scale removal of MB from contaminated industrial effluents. It is further determined that the transfer of MB from solution to the biosorbent surface follows the pseudo secondorder kinetics model with a high correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.9889.Item Adulteration detection of Cinnamomum verum with BarHRM technology(Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2020) Peiris, M.A.L.M.; Silva, F.H.C.; Wijesinghe, W.R.P.Sri Lanka is the premier exporter of the true cinnamon (C. verum) in the global market. However, Sri Lankan true cinnamon faces a major threat due to severe competition and adulteration from its substitute cassia (e.g. C. aromaticum). It costs one-third of the price of C. verum but it contains coumarin which is a hepatotoxin at substantial amounts (up to 5%) whereas true cinnamon has only trace amounts (about 0.004%). Therefore, it is paramount to detect adulteration of C. verum from its substitute to protect the reputation of true cinnamon. Chemical and morphological methods can detect the adulteration of C. verum but when it comes to admixtures and value-added products, morphological and chemical methods are not accurate. Hence, the objective of the research was to develop a molecular assay to detect adulteration in commercially available cinnamon products. In this study, DNA sequences of C. verum and C. aromaticum were extracted from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) using the keyword “Cinnamomum” and selected barcode region “rbcL”. Gene-specific novel markers were manually designed targeting the identified diagnostic SNP sites. Primer properties were analyzed using NetPrimer software and primers with the best qualities were selected. DNA extraction of cinnamon was done using CTAB method with slight modifications. Real-time PCR and melting curve analysis at 65 ⁰C to 95 ⁰C with a ramping rate of 0.05 ⁰C (Qiagen, Germany) was performed. The melting curve analysis and principal component analysis of the data demonstrated a clear distinction between the two species and results confirm that rbcL gene-specific primers can be used to distinguish C. verum from C. aromaticum. Further, this assay has a great potential to quantify adulterants in commercially available cinnamon samples and extremely valuable for an accurate and rapid adulteration detection of cinnamon value-added products in the global and local market.Item Affective gaming in real-time emotion detection and music emotion recognition: Implementation approach with electroencephalogram(Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2020) Kalansooriya, Pradeep; Ganepola, G.A.D. ,; Thalagala, T.S.Affective Gaming can be considered as the concept of detecting the real-time emotional state of a player during various stages in gameplay and then enhancing the user interactivity accordingly to the emotional state. Based on this conception, this paper presents the research phase of the development of an Affective Car Racing computer game. The designs were created based on the theory of “Affective Loop” in games. Affective Loop consists of Emotion Elicitation, Emotion Detection/Modelling and finally Emotion Expression by Game Engine. This paper considers the second and third subphases of this loop. Designs are done for these two phases based on technologies that are still not been utilized by many game developers when designing a game. Emotion Detection/Modelling phase is introduced with a technique of capturing Electroencephalography (EEG) signals for predicting the real-time emotion of the player while interacting with the game engine. Emotion Expression phase considers the concept of Music Emotion Recognition (MER), which is a novel concept for the Gaming Industry. The authors had trained SVM models for emotion modeling via EEG Signals that will be captured by the Emotiv Epoc 14 channel device. The authors had classified the Rock and Electronic genre of music via Multi-Label RAKEL classification (Precision score of 75%) to play music excerpts based on the effect of the gamer during gameplay.