Opportunities and issues in empowering differently-abled people into productivity: a study based on Ampara district, Sri Lanka

Disability is a normal phenomenon in the sense that it exists in all societies, affecting predictable and identifiable proportions of each population. Disability activities are economic activities, which generate economic output and income just like other economic activities. Nevertheless, expenditures on disability are typically viewed as constituting an economic burden. This likely stems from the fact that most expenditures on disability have traditionally come either from government budgets, making them burdensome to taxpayers, or charitable remittances, making them charity, which necessarily implies a burden. Integrating disabled people into the labor force in a productive manner is a challenging but important step. Empowerment is all about giving official authority to an individual to do something and/or promoting the self-actualization or influence of someone by making someone stronger and more confident. Development oriented disability empowerment policies, programs and strategies are those that seek to reduce the economic costs of disability by increasing the functionality of people with disabilities and reducing the barriers that impede their access to social and economic opportunities. This research has attempted to study the available opportunities to empower disables and to identify the issues which are significant threat to empowering disables which in turn increase the cost of families with disabled persons and government expenditure to protect these disabled persons

Hubungan Tingkat Pendidikan Dengan Kesiapsiagaan Masyarakat Dalam Menghadapi Bencana Gempabumi Di Desa Puluhan Kecamatan Trucuk Kabupaten Klaten Jawa Tengah

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui tingakt kesiapsiagaan masyarakat dalam menghadapi bencana gempa bumi di Desa Puluhan Kecamatan Trucuk Kabupaten Klaten. Metode penelitian mengunakan populasi sasaran, masyarakat desa Puluhan. Teknik pengambilan data pada penelitian ini adalah angket, wawancara, dokumentasi. Metode analisis data pada penelitian ini menggunakan teknik kuantitatif deskriptif yang melibatkan perhitungan atau angka. Hasil penelitian kesiapsiagaan masyarakat Desa Puluhan Kecamatan Trucuk Kabupaten Klaten dalam menghadapi bencana gempa bumi dapat diuraikan berdasar pad : 1 Dusun Karangkulon dengan mendapat nilai 73%. Jadi tingkat kesiapsiagaan masyarakat Dusun Karangkulon Desa Puluhan Kecamatan Trucuk Kabupaten Klaten termasuk siap. 2 Dusun Babat dengan mendapat nilai 70,5%. Berdasarkan indeks kesiapsiagaan bencana gempa bumi termasuk dalam kategori siap. 3 Dusun Karangturi dengan mendapat nilai 69%. Berdasarkan indeks kesiapsiagaan bencana gempa bumi termasuk dalam kategori siap. Hasil penelitian kesiapsiagaan masyarakat menghadapi bencana gempa bumi berdasarkan tingkat pendidikan : berdasar tingkat pendidikan SD termasuk dalam kategori hamper siap dengan memperoleh nilai sebesar 55. Tingkat pendidikan SMP termasuk dalam ketegori siap dengan perolehan nilai sebesar 70,78. Tingkat pendidikan SMA termasuk dalam kategori siap dengan perolehan nilai sebesar 7,55. Dan tingkat pendidikan Perguruan tinggi (PT) termasuk dalam kategori siap dengan perolehan nilai sebesar 7,9

The case of Islamic Bank in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is one of the few non-Islamic countries to have legislated for Islamic banking. Islamic banking and finance is a emerging industry in sri lanka where there is a fully fledge islamic bank and other conventional banks operating islamic windows providing services to wide range of customers. This study is designed to examine the effects of the following factors: attitude; social influence; religious obligation; and pricing of Islamic financing, on the intention to use Islamic financing. Data were collected through questionnaire and used SPSS 16.0 to analyze the data using regression analysis. The study found two determinants to be significant in influencing the intention to use Islamic financing, namely, consumer attitude and religious obligation. Social influence and pricing of Islamic financing were found to be insignificant

Impact of atmospheric design on consumer purchasing behavior at self- serving convenience store

The main aim of this study was to investigate the impact of atmospheric design on consumer purchasing behavior at self-serving convenience stores in Ampara District, Sri Lanka. Today, retail industry became highly competitive with the increasing number of convenience and other types of retail stores in the area. Hence, the retailers need to be more customer focused and have to differentiate from their competitors by making their atmospheric design more attractive to consumers and to encourage them to spend more time, money, purchase more merchandises and to stimulate their repeat purchase intention. A survey research was employed to collect primary information from 292 customers from convenience stores in Ampara District. Atmospheric design factors such as, product assortment, crowd density, and store floor space were used to identify the impact of atmospheric design on consumer purchasing behavior. Convenience sampling was employed for data collection using a questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. SPSS 20.0 was used to analyze the data. Product assortment, crowd density and store floor space have significant impact on consumer purchasing behavior at self-serving convenience stores in Ampara District

Biology of the penaeid shrimp populations exploited by Estuarine Set Bagnet

Results of analysis of part of the data collected during October, 1989 to December, 1990 are given on the biology and catch assessment studies on the Estuarine Set Bagnet (ESBN) from six sampling stations covering the entire coast line of Bangladesh. Length frequency analysis of seven most commonly occurring penaeid shrimp species have been done with complete ELEFAN software package. The result of exploitation patterns indicate that all penaeids except P. stylifera are being over exploited on their way back to the Sea from the nursery ground. This appeared to be the instances of serious growth over fishing. These species are exploited at a size much lower than the length at first maturity, which strongly suggests a complete withdrawal of the bagnet fishery from the coast of Bangladesh

Effect of salinity on food consumption and growth of juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromi niloticus L.)

The effect of salinity (0, lO and 20%o, water temperature 28 ± l oC) on food consumption and growth of juvenile Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus L. (9.94 ± 0.15 g) were investigated by feeding group of 20 fish at 2% body weight day. Individual food consumption was measured using X-radiography. There were no significant differences in growth or white muscle protein concentrations among groups. During feed deprivation, weight loss was similar for fish held at O%o and 10 %o salinity, but after 7 days over 50% of the fish maintained at 20%o salinity developed lesions covering 5-25% of the body. No significant relationships were observed between individual specific growth rates and food consumption rates within the groups. The fish in all salinity groups showed a negative correlation between specific growth rate and food conversion ratio. The coefficient of variation for wet weight specific food consumption and the mean share of meal for each fish were used as a measure of social hierarchy strength. A negative correlation was observed between coefficient of variation in food consumption and mean share of meal. The social hierarchy structure was similar in all salinities; 25% of the fish were dominant (18.29% above an equal share of meal) and 30% were subordinate (16.19% below an equal share of meal) and the remainder 45% fish fed theoretical share of meal (MSM, 5.26%)

Effects of socking [sic] density on ammonia excretion and the growth of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.)

The effects of stocking density (10, 15, 50 & 75 fish in 65L tank) and ammonia excretion on the growth of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (12.19 ± 1.21 g) were investigated. Increasing stocking density of Nile tilapia from 15 fish/tank (2.81 g fish/L) to 75 fish/tank (14.07 g fish/L) resulted in associated increase in ammonia level (1.48 ± 0.87 mg/L to 26.44 ± 11.4 mg/L) and significantly lower growth rates. Significantly better feed conversion ratios were found for fish reared at lower (15 fish/tank) stocking densities compared to higher (75 fish/tank) stocking densities. Individual growth rates were significantly better for fish reared at a lower stocking density 15 fish/tank compared to higher stocking density 75 fish/tank and size variation (coefficient of variation in weight) were positively correlated with stocking density. Although water exchange did not have a significant effect on the growth of Nile tilapia for fish stocked at 10 fish/tank (1.88 g fish/L) and 50 fish/tank (9.38 g fish/L), however, the fish in the higher stocking density (9.38 g fish/L) groups and without water exchange, significantly changed the coloration of their bodies (silver to black) which may be due to the lower oxygen levels combined with higher ammonia levels. Ammonia level increased with increasing stocking density and without water exchange. In this study, it may be suggested that when fish reared at higher stocking densities then water exchange must be taken in to consideration so as to help avoid environmental and physiological stress to the fish

Modelling of extended de-weight fuzzy control for an upper-limb exoskeleton

Performing heavy physical tasks, overhead work and long working hours are some examples of activities that can lead to musculoskeletal problems in humans. To overcome this issue, automated robots such as the upper-limb exoskeleton is used to assist humans while performing tasks. However, several concerns in developing the exoskeleton have been raised such as the control strategies used. In this study, a control strategy known as the extended de-weight fuzz was proposed to ensure that the exoskeleton could be maneuvered to the desired position with the least number of errors and minimum torque requirement. The extended de-weight fuzzy is a combination of the fuzzy-based PD and fuzzy-based de-weight controller systems. The extended de-weight fuzzy was then compared with the fuzzy-based PD and PID controllers, and the performances of these controllers were compared in terms of their deviations and required torques to perform tasks. The findings show that the proposed control strategy performs better than the fuzzy-based PD and PID controller systems

Impact of Bashundhara Baridhara Housing Project on the status, abundance and species diversity of fish in Bashundhara Housing lake in Dhaka, Bangladesh

A study on the status of fisheries and environmental impact assessment (EIA) was conducted on Bashundhara Baridhara Housing Project (BBHP), Dhaka, Bangladesh for prediction and measure the effects of housing project related development activities that have already been implemented and planned for future implementation. The project is still under development phase and so far allotted 10,000 plots of different sizes. The study shows that the original water bodies and natural fish production there from have greatly declined due to earth filling carried out for development of land for the housing. The physico-chemical parameters of the existing water body within the project area were found to be suitable for fish farming in the estate. A number of economically important fish species are found available in the existing lake. However, the natural fisheries resources of the existing lake is under great stress due to the changes made in the ecosystem, siltation, construction of building and dumping of house building and household waste materials. This has caused some important fish species of the lake to become critically endangered and vulnerable which have been documented in this paper. Appropriate regulatory and mitigating measures with respect to water management, disposal of construction garbage and other biomedical toxic substances far away from the water bodies are required to be taken to keep the water safe and suitable for fish production as well as for multipurpose use of the lake water