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Item The Nexus of farmers’ Sustainable agriculture potential and readiness for more organic use in rice farming: Insights from resilience theory(2023) Ariyarathna, S. M. W. P. K; Nanayakkara, K. G. M.; Thushara, S. C.Sustainable Agriculture (SA) and the readiness of farmers to implement SA practices are broader discussions in global forums today. However, to date, there has been relatively little focus on holistically developed frameworks to assess farmers’ SA potential or their linkage to farmers’ readiness for SA practices such as adopting more organics in farming, particularly in Sri Lanka. To address this gap, we developed a conceptual model to determine farmers’ resilience in implementing more organic use in farming. The model developed was a philosophical combination of ecosystem resilience theory, the rural livelihood assessment framework, and the dimensions of personal readiness to commit to or experience an action. We derived composite indicators to explain the variances of these constructs through a detailed literature review, followed by pretesting indicators. Data were collected from 386 participants using a structured questionnaire consisting of 119 items. Partial least squares structural equation modelling techniques were used to analyze the variables and path coefficients of the model. Farmers’ sustainable agricultural potential (SAP) was found to be moderately strong in this rice cultivation region. This potential positively influences their readiness for adapting more organics in farming. Some farmers perceived government support as effective. However, this support has not yet been transformed into organic adaptation. Natural capital was identified as the most influential factor in organic farming. Farmers’ education, gender, the extent of sowing, farming methods, and agro-input type were moderating factors between SAP and their readiness for organic matter. Farmers did not deny organic adaptation and understood the need to reduce the use of chemicals.Item An empirical study on the close-range post-ricochet orientation of AK bullets (7.62 mm × 39 mm)(Science & Justice, 2022) Nishshanka, B.; Shepherd, C.; Koene, L.; Punyasena, M.Most of the injuries and deaths from ricocheting bullets in shooting incidents are usually reported due to misaimed shots that had ricocheted close to the victims. Although the destabilisation of ricocheted bullets during their ricochet flights is a generally known phenomenon, no significant quantitative-based scientific studies have attempted to understand bullets’ post-ricochet orientations at close distances. This empirical study explores close-range post-ricochet orientations of AK bullets (7.62 mm × 39 mm) on a range of domestic surface types typically encountered during bullet ricochet incidents. This study has revealed that ricocheting AK bullets off of various wood types and tile samples produce side-on impacts into closely located targets following a rightwards yaw action. It has also been shown that AK bullets ricocheting off concrete and cement samples at 5-degree incident angles produced nose-forward impacts on paper witness screens, similar to an orthogonal impact of a direct-fired shot. The findings present important new information on the post-ricochet yawing behaviour of AK bullets, which has the potential to aid future shooting reconstructions in which victims are hit by closely ricocheted bullets.Item AK bullet (7,62 × 39 mm) ricochet off flat, wooden targets; A forensic- based study(2021) Nishshanka, B.; Shepherd, C.The ricochet behaviour of AK bullets (7,62 × 39 mm), one of the prominently reported bullet type in recent shooting incidents worldwide, has been examined on a range of different wooden surfaces in this study. The critical angles of AK bullets for teak, Jack wood, mahogany and pine were reported with close values ranging from 9.9 to 13.3- degrees, suggestive of being a valuable reference that can be used during AK bullet ri cochet-related shooting investigations with similar conditions. The study also highlighted a significant phenomenon against the existing understanding on the wood hardness and the critical angles of bullets. The widths of the AK bullet wipe marks generated on the wood surfaces were highly consistent, regardless of impact angle, allowing an effective approximation of bullet caliber. Bullet tunnelling effect were also observed with pinewood samples in this study. The study also further highlights the great variability of bullet ricochet phenomena and the challenging nature of using the theoretical and experimental results relates to wood ricochet studies for shooting reconstructions.