ARS - 2014

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/172

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 93

Identification of a �Written Social Register� in the English language usage in Jaffna: a descriptive analysis
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) K Sivaji
This paper seeks to identify the distinctive features which characterize divergences in the written English language usage in Jaffna and makes this language a register. A ?register� , according to Hudson(1998) refers to a variety of language according to its use. Every language accommodates such difference as a scale or continuum of different linguistic levels or styles which are termed as registers. The documentation of these varying features in different discourse communities gains significance in the second language research context of Sri Lanka. In this study the data were collected from the written social invitations, local media and the creative writing of the members of this discourse community after 2009 and analyzed qualitatively to list out the features that portray this written English Language as a register. Thus this study concludes with the listing of morphological features such as transliterations of cultural items such as aum, sivamayam,muhoortham and selvi , metaphorical expressions such as glowing Kungumam, Thaali knot, flower knot, safe as under God Murugan�s feet and sevvaai thosham and features which are ungrammatical according to standard norms such as ?both parties invitation� and finally possessive pronouns which disagree with the subjects and use of prepositions.
Handling issues with unknown words in POS Tagging
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) Jayaweera, A.J.P.M.P.; Dias, N.G.J.
Appearance of unknown words is one of the frequently occurring problems facing in part of speech tagging process, i.e., the words that appear in sentences, but are not contained within the lexicon. New words are continually coined to the language, and people will often use words that a parsing system may not expect. This problem get worse when NLP systems are used for more and more on-line computer applications. Acronyms and proper names are created very often and new nouns and verbs are adding to the language in a surprising rate. So it is impossible to train the tagger for every possible word in the language. So unknown words are non-negligible in part of speech tagging and such unknown words should be handled by further processing with exceptional mechanism, since the statistical information or rules for those words are unknown. Therefore, in order to build a complete tagger, tagger must be incurred with some knowledge of suggesting the tag for an unknown word.
Electrochemical deposition and characterization of CdTe thin films
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) Kumarasinghe, K.D.M.S.P.K.; Chinthana, H.R.D.; de Silva, D.S.M.; Pathiratne, K.A.S.
The semiconductor cadmium telluride (CdTe) has been widely used in applications of photovoltaics, sensors and detectors because of its direct band gap with high atomic number and electron density. With its narrow and direct band gap, stability with high absorption coefficient and other optoelectronic properties, it is the most ideal material for photovoltaic structures. A solar cell made of polycrystalline CdTe thin film is one of the most promising low cost materials for photovoltaic applications. CdTe was grown using different techniques such as physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, close space sublimation, liquid phase deposition and electrodeposition. Electrodeposition has demonstrated numerous advantages due to its simplicity, low cost and scalable manufacturing techniques. CdTe films have been electrodeposited on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates which have sheet resistance less than 20 ?/sq. A conventional three electrode cell was used for the deposition where a high purity graphite rod and saturated calomel electrode (SCE) were presented as the counter electrode and as the reference electrode respectively. Prior to the deposition of semiconductor layers FTO glass substrates were cleaned by a sequence of steps which included wiping out with detergent, ultrasonic washing in detergent solvents and then with deionised water followed by degreasing using acetone, methanol and isopropyl alcohol. CdTe thin films have been prepared by potentiostatic electrodeposition from acidic solution containing CdSO4, CdCl2 and TeO2. The deposition mechanism was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The thickness of the film can be controlled by the charge passed during the deposition, and it is possible to obtain p-type and n-type materials by changing the deposition potential. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell measurements were carried out in order to determine the electric conductivity type of electrodeposited layers.The PEC values were determined for both as deposited and heat treated materials.The electrodeposited thin films were characterized and investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The CdTe thin films were found to posses a bandgap of (1.44�0.02) eV, which is in a good accordance with those reported in the literature.
Contribution of dharmashala (preaching hall) towards the development of listening tradition in Sri Lanka
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) Herath, D.M.S.K.
The present study is an attempt to assess the contribution of the religious institute Dharmashala, also known as bana manduwa in the development of listening tradition in Sri Lanka. It is common knowledge that though out the world before the invention of writing system and the resulting written tradition there had been the oral and listening tradition. The main instrument in the human communication is the language. Language, the fore runner of the writing, was an oral system of the transmission of human knowledge. Oral system of communication or oral system of knowledge transmission is inevitably linked to the listening or listening tradition. Even after the spread of writing tradition the listening tradition did not fade away. Instead, it became stronger pattern of communication. This can specially be seen in oriental countries. Folk tales of different kinds stand for this argument. Since the importance of listening tradition people in different cultures invented different instruments in order to sustain it. It is hypothesized here that the Buddhist religious/ social institute Dharmashala has been one of the main instruments in Sri Lanka in the development of listening tradition in the country. Studies on the transmission of knowledge is one of the key research areas in the field of library and information science.
Colloquial Sinhala language as a mixed discourse variety; a study on the syntactic and semantic impact of English language on present day colloquial Sinhala language
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) KGS Gamage; SARRP Dissanayake
This study focuses on the mixing context involving in two languages, Sinhala and English. The mixing context between these two languages in Sri Lanka has brought about considerable changes in present day colloquial Sinhala language, which has resulted in creating a mixed discourse variety.
Ornament of substantiation (arth?ntara-ny?sa) in oriental poetry:
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) Aruna, K.G.
The major purpose of this paper is to figure out the specialty and subtle nuance of arth?ntrarany?sa among the other ornaments of sense; artha-alankaras (henceforth OS). In order to clarify that, substantial proofs will be adduced from apt source materials. As the oriental poetry specifically indicates, two factors contribute to reinforce the aesthetic significance of the structure of a stanza. One of them connects with the phonetic aspect while the other one deals with the semantic facet of the stanza. A considerable amount of OSs can be seen in Sanskrit poetical literature. However, as a consequence of the subtle resemblance of many of these OSs, they are fairy hard to differentiate from each other. Among these Oss, the 'ornament of substantiation' holds a significant place and, it has been illustrated with diverse examples in many oriental poetical works.
Electrochemical deposition of CdS thin films using ammonium thiocynate as the sulfur source
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) Ariyasingha, N.M.; de Silva, D.S.M.; Pathiratne, K.A.S.
Use of a complexing agent containing sulfur atoms which can form a charge complex with Cd2+ ions could provide a condition necessary to bring atoms or ions of both the elements Cd and S together in the form of a charge complex to the electrode surface thereby facilitating the formation of CdS on the electrode surface over other materials. In the present study, electrochemical conditions necessary to electrodeposits thin films of CdS using ammonium thiocynate as the complexing agent was studied.
A new bioactive curvularin macrolide from an endolichenic fungus, Curvularia trifolii, isolated from Usnea sp., in Sri Lanka
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) Samanthi, K.A.U.; Wickramaarachchi, S.; Wijeratne, E.M.; Paranagama, P.A.
The search for new bioactive natural products is still the main way of discovering new drug leads. Although fungi are well-known producers of secondary metabolites with new structurally diverse bioactive compounds, isolation of bioactive compounds from endolichenic fungi still remain underexplored as potential source of natural products. Endolichenic fungi are microorganisms living in the thalli of lichens that are analogous to the plant endophytic fungi inhabiting the intercellular spaces of the host. Curvularia trifolii was isolated from the lichen, Usnea sp., available in Hakgala botanical garden, Sri Lanka. Identification of the fungus was confirmed using morphological characters followed by the molecular identification (DNA sequencing). Invitro large scale cultures of C.trifolii were prepared in 60 large Petri dishes containing potato dextrose agar medium and after 10 days secondary metabolites were extracted into ethyl acetate. The crude extract was tested using two types of bio assays, for the investigation of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Antioxidant activity of the crude ethyl acetate extract was explored by carrying out DPPH free radical scavenging assay and Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using Human Red Blood Cell Membrane Stability (HRBC) assay. Since the crude extract showed high activity in both the assays, it was partitioned into hexane, chloroform (CHCl3) and 60% aq.MeOH and identified the bioactive fractions. The activity of CHCl3 fraction was confirmed and it was further fractionated using bioassay guided column chromatography (silica, sephadex) and preparative TLC to isolate pure compounds. One florescent active pure bioactive compound (C23H30O6) was isolated from the CHCl3 fraction and identified as using 1D, 2D NMR, MS, IR and UV spectral data. The structure of new compound was thus established as 5-methoxy-4,8,15-trimethyl-3,7-dioxo-1,3,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,15?-dodecahydrocyclododeca[de]isochromene-15-carboxylic acid and the bioassay results revealed that it is a new curvularin macrolide with IC50 values, 68.6�4.3 ?g/mL and 310�48.2 ?g/mL for DPPH antioxidant assay and anti-inflammatory assay respectively. Hence it is revealed that derivative isolated from C. trifolii can be developed as an important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory drug.
Eletrodeposition of CdS thin films using different sulfur sources for CdS/CdTe solar cells
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) Kumarasinghe, K.D.M.S.P.K.; Chinthana, H.R.D.; de Silva, D.S.M.; Pathiratne, K.A.S.
Cadmium Sulphide (CdS) and Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) are two promising photovoltaic materials for thin film solar cells. CdS is a wide band gap n-type semiconductor, which can act as a window layer. The function of CdS is to allow energetic shorter wavelength photons to pass for the incidence at the hetero-interface with minimum absorption loss. The high optical band gap of CdS (~2.42 eV) assists this function. Among the different techniques, electrodeposition is one of the most suitable low cost methods, because the material can be deposited on the desired area of the substrate thus providing a film of reproducible quality. CdS films were prepared by electrodeposition technique from CdCl2 as cadmium precursor and Na2S2O3 or (NH4)2S2O3 as sulfur precursor in aqueous medium. For the electrodeposition of CdS three electrode system was employed using glass/FTO as the working electrode (cathode), saturated calomel electrode as a reference electrode and high purity graphite rod as a counter electrode (anode). Electrochemical deposition method through the influence of the concentration of precursor species, deposition potential, deposition temperature and pH offers excellent control over the properties of thin CdS layers using a potentiostatic approach. The changes in the morphology and properties of the films prepared from different sulfur sources were studied. The CdS layers grown using Na2S2O3 as sulfur precursor show thickness below 100 nm. Voc and Jsc obtained for initial solar cells with CdS films grown using Na2S2O3 as sulfur precursor had higher values compared to that of CdS semiconductor layers grown using (NH4)2S2O3. The photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell measurements were used to identify the electrical conductivity type of the layers and it was found that as grown and heat treated material layers were of n-type for both CdS layers which were grown using different sulfur sources. Upon heat treatment, the material layers show enhanced PEC signal indicating improved optical properties. The optical absorption measurements were carried out in order to evaluate the band gap of the resulting materials. All samples exhibit a band gap value of 2.42 0.08 eV without any noticeable differences as expected. Electrodeposited CdS films were characterized by XRD for determination of bulk structure and SEM for surface analysis.
The role of the Sri-Lankan Christian churches in post-war reconciliation and peace building
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) PW Rohan Fernando
Christianity in Sri-Lanka was firmly established with the invasion of three imperial powers; the Portuguese (1505), the Dutch (1638) and the British (1815) who introduced Catholicism, Calvinism and Anglicanism respectively. The majority of Sinhala Buddhists still feel the impact of nearly five hundred years of Western mercantile imperial colonization promoted with the patronage of Christian missionaries. The scholarly opinion that the Sri-Lankan ethnic conflict is rooted in Western colonization also draws the suspicion among the Sinhala Buddhists towards Christianity. Also the fact that both the Sinhalese and the Tamils belong to Christian churches has become a double edged sword in post war reconciliation and peace building.
Ensuring gender equality: eliminating sexual harassment at work place
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) Damayanthi, H.N.
The status of women both in their matrimonial homes as well as their working places is circumscribed by the lack of sexual autonomy. Gender-based violence is a form of discrimination that seriously inhibits women's ability to enjoy rights and freedoms on a basis of equality with men. The United Nations encourages its member states to take the necessary measures without reservation to International Conventions concerning women.
Tamil diasporic perceptions of post-war reconciliation in Sri Lanka: with special reference to diasporic portrayals recorded in social media.
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) Kowsalya Duraisamy; Rizmina Rilwan
After the end of the civil war in 2009, Sri Lanka has arrived at an important historical phase with highly felt need for efforts in peace-building. Among such efforts, involving the Tamil diaspora in post-war reconciliation is often identified as a significant aspect (Potters, 2010). In addition, research has shown that Tamil diaspora play an important role in shaping the discourses on post-war Sri Lanka (Asia Report N� 186, 2010).
Problems faced in translating technical manuals/user guides from English to Sinhalese
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) Kaumadee Bamunusinghe; Sepali Bamunusinghe
Translation is divided into main categories such as technical translation, science translation, literary translation, legal translation, interpretation and etc. Though there are different kinds of translation types, technical translation is of great importance since it deals with all the technical documents such as advertisements, obituaries, marriage proposals, bids, procurement notices, user guides/technical manuals, specification sheets, scientific papers, engineering plans, IT documents and etc. Technical manuals or user guides can be considered as a technical document which assists people in using electronic goods, equipment, computer hardware and software and other related machinery. Moreover, it is commonly written by a technical writer who is considered as an expert of that particular field and production. Generally most user guides comprise of both a written guide and associated images. Translating technical manuals is generally considered to be an act which is far more different from translating other types of technical documents. Translating manuals requires a specific skill and most importantly the subject matter expertise. The process of writing a manual is always guided by a proficient of that field and when it comes to translation the guidance and knowledge of the related field is quite vital. In the process of translating a manual, a translator might face numerous difficulties and when paying attention to Sinhalese, the most popular among them is the inability to find equivalent technical terminology. On the other hand translating the safety words, identifying the target audience, usage of language, style of language can also be problematic. This research paper intends to answer the above mentioned problematic areas with examples. Though it is believed that finding 100% equivalent terms from one language to another is impossible, the responsibility of the translator will be to use language in a way that the consumer can grab the same message which was in the source manual.
A framework for measuring readiness of e-assessment for sliate
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) MVM Jayathilake; PHAB Shantha
Assessment is the central to education practice. It is essential to develop systems for assessment which reflect the core educational goals, and which reward students for developing skills and attributes which will be of long-term benefit to them and to society.
Web Content Bookmarking Tool with Automatically Generated Titles
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) Kumarika, B.M.T.; Dias, N.G.J.
With the development of technology, it has become essential to use the World Wide Web (WWW) for many day to day life activities. Whenever we navigate in the web, we are used to bookmark the most important and useful web pages so that those pages can be accessed later easily. But it is commonly noted that depending on the interests and relevant subject fields of a particular web user, the most useful focus can be on a specific part of a web page rather than the whole page. Therefore, the intention of this research is to introduce an efficient and novel method to bookmark all the specific contents or small part of text in each web page stored in one location corresponding to the interests of every individual web user. The most outstanding feature is that each bookmarked content will be well organized by the system suggested meaningful titles. To accomplish this task, key phrase extraction method which incorporates computational intelligence and web technologies is employed.
Causal relationship between construction activities & gdp growth in
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) Ruchika Athukorala; TMJA Cooray
The construction industry plays a vital role in the socio economic development and national fiscals in any country. Usually it provides a considerable share towards the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Gross National Product (GNP) of the economy. Further it helps to bring lot of development goals for any country such as providing infrastructure, technology, machinery, engineering services and employment opportunities.
The role of the monks in monetary transactions in ancient Sri Lanka from 3rd B.C.E to 5th C.E
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) VDNS Gunawardhana
By evaluating the inscriptions, chronicles and the records kept by the foreigners as well as the Vinaya commentaries it is possible to understand the role played by the monks in the monetary transaction in the ancient Sri Lanka.
Triphone Clustering for High Accuracy Acoustic Modeling in Continuous Speech Recognition in Sinhala
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) WGDM Samankula; NGJ Dias
Word-internal context-dependent phoneme models, such as triphones, are used to create Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) for speech recognition. The large number of triphones results the excessive number of model parameters to be trained the HMMs. In order to reduce the number of model parameters, created triphones can be tied together to enhance the quality and robustness of HMMs. Data driven clustering or decision tree state clustering can be used to tie triphones to share the same set of parameters.
Plasmid mediated Chromium resistance of bacteria
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) Abewickrama, J.H.G.; Jayarathne, D.L.; Rathnayake, I.V.N.; Gunawardane, M.M.
Plasmid-mediated Cr(VI) resistant bacteria are naturally found in environments contaminated with chromium releasing industrial effluents. These envirnments may contain microorganisms those have genetically regulated mechanisms to overcome elevated Cr(VI) levels. Such mechanisms could be regulated by genes found either in chromosomal DNA or plasmid DNA. In order to understand the exact mechanism and for the possible use of such mechanisms in monitoring and control of heavy metal pollution, it is important to determine whether the resistance is plasmid borne or controlled by chromosomal DNA. There are certain plasmids which contain genes to resist highly toxic hexavalent chromium (chromates and dichromates). Resistance to chromate is determined by decreased chromate transport by the resistant cells. The genes for a hydrophobic polypeptide, ChrA, have been identified in Cr(VI) resistance plasmids of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Alcaligenes eutrophus.
Impaired gastric emptying and high pain intensity causing low quality of life (QOL) in children with abdominal pain predominant functional gastrointestinal disorders (AP-FGDs)
(Book of Abstracts, Annual Research Symposium 2014, 2014) Karunanayake, A.; Devanarayana, N.M.; Rajindrajith, S.
Several studies have shown that chronic or recurrent abdominal pain is common among Sri Lankan school aged children (1�3). QOL is an important measurement of impact of a given disease to an individual. Impaired gastric motility has been demonstrated in children with AP-FGDs (4). The objective of this study was to assess the impact of abdominal pain intensity and gastric emptying on QOL of children with AP-FGDs.