ESL Learners’ Perceptions and Preferences of Written Corrective Feedback (WCF)

Despite the growing body of research examining the effectiveness of Written Corrective Feedback (WCF) in improving L2 learners’ writing accuracy, there has been a notable lack of studies investigating learners’ preferences and perceptions of WCF in the Sri Lankan context. This study aims to address this gap by investigating ESL learners’ perceptions and preferences of WCF in a Sri Lankan ESL classroom. Specifically, the study seeks to investigate ESL learners’ perceptions of WCF, their preferred types of WCF, and the causes underlying their preferences. This study applies a mixed-methods research approach, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods. Data were collected from 60 ESL students by means of written questionnaires. The qualitative data were analyzed using the deductive content analysis method, whereas the quantitative data were processed using Microsoft Excel to generate descriptive statistics. The findings reveal that students tend to hold a positive view of WCF. In addition, the study concludes that students perceive teacher-provided WCF positively, viewing it as beneficial for improving their writing skills. Moreover, the study reveals that students prefer indirect WCF, where errors are highlighted or indicated by the teacher but not corrected, suggesting that they value guidance and support in their writing development over explicit correction. However, the generalizability of the findings is limited by the fact that the sample was drawn from a single public school and focused only on Grade 11 students, which may not fully represent the broader population of ESL learners. To address this limitation, future studies should expand their scope by including larger and more diverse samples from multiple schools and educational levels to offer a more comprehensive understanding of ESL learners’ feedback preferences.   DOI: http://doi.org/10.31357/fhss/vjhss.v10i01.0

Web Application development project for vehicle parking reservation system in student apartments

This thesis presents the development, design and deployment of “ParkEz” a full stack web-based vehicle parking reservation system designed for student housing provider in Mikkeli, Finland. The objective was to create a system that would offer an automated, real-time parking spot reservation solution by addressing the inefficiencies in the commissioner’s manual parking management by automating parking bookings, enabling real-time availability updates, and promoting smooth communication between administrators and tenants. In this study agile approaches and test-driven development were utilized to provide dependable and robust functionality, while development process placed a strong emphasis on user-centred design concepts, aiming to guarantee an intuitive experience for MOAS tenants. A completely functional online application, accompanied with comprehensive documentation, and an efficient parking management procedure for commissioner are comprise by replacing manual paperwork by a digital solution. “ParkEz” increases productivity, lowers expenses, and boosts user satisfaction. Because of its flexibility, the system can be used by other housing providers who are facing similar issues. “ParkEz”, which was developed with the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express, React, and Node.js), simplifies parking bookings, approvals, and assignments while lowering administrative effort and human error. Tenants can easily reserve parking spots via the system's user-friendly interface, and MOAS administration can manage requests, assign roles, and keep an eye on parking allocations using the administrative dashboard. Further the system's scalability, features like payment gateways, log histories and interoperability with other housing organisations can be added in the future

Microbial influence on intestinal development and mode of action of mannan oligosaccharides in broiler chicken

The effect of intestinal microbiota and dietary supplementation of mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) on mucosal architecture and digestive physiology in broiler chicks was examined. In experiment 1, pre-sterilized eggs (Ross x Ross 308) were placed in three HEPA (high efficiency particulate air)-filtered isolator units at day 19 of incubation. Germ-free chicks in one isolator were conventionalized by exposure to cecal contents from a laying hen. Bacterial contamination occurred in one germ-free isolator such that these birds were monoassociated by a bacterium within the Acinetobacter spp. resulting in 3 categories of microbial status including germ-free (GF, n=10), conventionalized (CV, n=19) and monoassociated (Mono, n=13) birds. Dietary treatments assigned to each isolator consisted of a negative control (NC, 0 g/kg of MOS in the basal diet) and MOS (2 g/kg of MOS in the diet) resulting in a 2X3 factorial treatment arrangement. At 7 d of age, body weight was recorded and birds were killed to permit collection of visceral organs, intestinal tissues and cecal contents. Body weight, relative length of small intestinal segments and relative bursa weight were significantly increased in CV birds. These birds also had increased crypt depth and lamina propria area. Dietary MOS increased villus height and villus surface area in CV birds compared with GF and Mono birds. Transcripts for all housekeeping genes tested in ileal tissue were increased by MOS such that transcripts were normalized to unit mass of total RNA. In comparison to birds fed the NC diet, MOS significantly increased the abundance of proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), toll-like receptor (TLR)-4, avian β-defensin (GAL)-6, interleukin (IL)-8, peptide transporter 1 (PepT1) and sodium-dependent glucose transporter (SGLT)-1 transcripts in ileum per unit total RNA. However, the effect of microbial status on selected gene expression profiles was surprisingly limited. A second experiment was conducted to confirm the conventionalization protocol produced a complex microbiota similar to conventionally reared birds. Twenty day-old broiler chicks (Ross x Ross 308) were assigned to one of two wire-floored battery cages provided the NC and MOS diets ad libitum and killed at 7 d of age. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) analysis demonstrated that microbial diversity indices (Richness, Evenness, Shannon, and Simpson) were greater in conventionalized gnotobiotic birds compared to the conventionally reared birds confirming a successful conventionalization strategy in the gnotobiotic trial. These studies demonstrate that under good hygienic conditions, CV chicks thrive similar to GF animals. Based on responses to MOS observed in GF birds, evidence indicates that MOS, independent of changes in microbial composition, directly modifies host response parameters including innate immune activation, digestive and absorptive function

A waste minimisation framework for the procurement of design and build construction projects

Both construction Waste Minimisation (WM) and construction procurement activities play an effective role in attaining sustainability by giving due consideration to the environment, community and social conditions in delivering built assets. The construction industry has a major impact on the environment, both in terms of resource consumption and increasing waste production. Recent figures published by the UK government reveal that construction and demolition activities produce approximately 32% of total waste generated: three times the waste produced by all households combined. However, the current and on-going research in the field of construction WM and management focuses mainly on onsite waste quantification and management; and stakeholders‟ source identification. Little research has been undertaken to evaluate the relationship between Construction Procurement Systems (CPS) and construction waste generation. However, literature emphasises the need for research in this context. This research aims to develop a Procurement Waste Minimisation Framework (PWMF) to enhance WM practices by evaluating the relationship between CPS and construction waste generation. Objectives of the research include: examine construction WM drivers, WM approaches, waste origins and causes; critically review and evaluate current CPS and sustainable procurement practices in the UK; assess the relationship between CPS and construction waste generation; investigate and synthesis Procurement Waste Origins (PWO); examine the most suitable CPS that could potentially embed and sustain WM; develop and validate the PWMF. This research has adopted a survey research design and mixed methods sequential procedure. Data has been gathered through a cross sectional, self-administered postal questionnaire survey (N=258 distributed, n=65 received) and semi-structured interviews (N=17) with procurement managers and sustainability managers from the top 100 UK contracting organisations and quantity surveyors from the top 100 UK quantity surveying organisations. Data analysis techniques include: descriptive statistics; non-parametric tests; and constant comparative method. The PWMF has developed based on the findings of literature review, questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews and adopting key concepts of problem solving methodology. The PWMF validation method includes: validation questionnaire (N=8) and follow-up semi-structured interviews (N=6) with procurement managers, sustainability managers and quantity surveyors. Key findings which emerged from the study include: CPS do have an impact on waste generation in construction; integrated CPS have major potential to integrate WM strategies; four PWO identified (i.e. uncoordinated early involvement of project stakeholders; ineffective communication and coordination; unclear allocation of WM responsibilities; and inconsistent procurement documentation) and associated sub-waste causes; and the developed PWMF enables to diagnose potential waste origins and causes, and WM improvement measures for design and build projects. The study has made recommendations which, if adopted, will lead to significant improvements in WM practices and sustainable procurement practices in construction. The content should be of interest to contractors, clients, and organisations dealing with procurement, waste and sustainability

Rapeseed napin and cruciferin are readily digested by poultry

Rapeseed proteins have been considered as being poorly digestible in the gut of non-ruminants. The aim of the study was to assess the digestibility of napin and cruciferin in ileal digesta of broiler chickens, testing sixteen samples of rapeseed co-products with protein levels ranging from 293 g/kg to 560 g/kg dry matter. Each sample was included into a semi-synthetic diet at a rate of 500 g/kg and evaluated with broiler chickens in a randomised design. Dietary and ileal digesta proteins were extracted and identified by gel-based liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Three isomers of napin (a 2S albumin) and nine cruciferins (an 11S globulin) were identified in the rapeseed co-products, whereas six endogenous enzymes such as trypsin (I-P1, II-P29), chymotrypsin (elastase and precursor), carboxypeptidase B and α-amylase were found in the ileal digesta. It is concluded that as none of the rapeseed proteins were detected in the ileal digesta, rapeseed proteins can be readily digested by broiler chickens, irrespective of the protein content in the diet

Assessment of the Spatiotemporal Variability of Urban Heat Island Intensity in Colombo Metropolitan Area

During the last few decades, the Colombo Metropolitan Area (CMA) has experienced rapid population growth and unplanned urbanization, resulting in the replacement of natural landcover with more impervious surfaces. The primary approach of current study was to determine the gradients of air temperature and assess the spatiotemporal variation of atmospheric urban heat island (AUHI) intensity in the CMA considering a range of rural sites extending in different radial directions from the urban center. A total of sixteen rural observation sites that extend from an urban center in four directions were selected within the CMA, with four sites 3.5 km apart from each other in any direction. The air temperatures at each site were measured using HOBO UX-100-003 temperature data loggers for an 8-day period from 21st to 28th, of February 2022. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalized difference building index (NDBI) were used to determine the influence of land use/land cover on air temperatures. The results revealed that air temperature had a strong positive correlation with NDBI. Thus, the current study suggests that the impervious surface/s is a significant predictor of air temperature over the study area. The higher air temperatures were observed at the urban center in relation to the selected suburban and rural observation sites. Hence, the current study confirms that AUHI exists within the selected study area over the CMA. It was found that AUHI tends to be present throughout the day in the CMA. However, it becomes strong between 12.00 A.M. and 6.00 A.M and mostly weakens in the late afternoon hours. Furthermore, this study found that the timing and magnitudes of AUHI vary from direction to direction across the study area depending on the site-specific characteristics of the rural observation sites. The current study emphasizes that site-specific land use/land cover characteristics can have a significant impact on the interpretation of UHI study results even within a single metropolitan area. Therefore, taking only one rural site might not be effective in determining the UHI intensity and a range of sites need to be considered (to select from) for in-depth analysis of UHI in any given area. The findings of the current study will provide firsthand knowledge for urban planners to identify future trends in UHI in the CMA and will promote further UHI research in this area. Keywords: Rural observation site, Atmospheric urban heat island, Normalized Difference Vegetation Inde

Evaluating the Viability of Norwegian Waste Management Techniques for Enhanced Recycling in Sri Lanka

The study was conducted to evaluate the viability of Norwegian waste management techniques for enhanced recycling in Sri Lanka. Reviews on the current waste management practices in Sri Lanka and that of Norwegian waste management techniques were carried out. Special interview with the manager, GLØR Waste Management, Lillehammer, Norway was also conducted. Waste management techniques, including recycling strategies, waste-to-energy systems, and extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies in both nations were compared to assess their applicability to Sri Lanka. Key barriers, such as policy gaps, infrastructure limitations, and socio-cultural factors, that may hinder the adoption of Norwegian waste management practices in Sri Lanka were identified. Based on these, policy recommendations and strategies to enhance recycling and waste management efficiency in Sri Lanka based on Norway’s best practice were proposed

The Challenges for Implementing the Nagoya Protocol in a Multi-Level Governance Context:Lessons from the Belgian Case

The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing is the latest protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Its implementation can lead to two fundamentally different processes: a market-oriented self-regulatory approach, which emphasizes the self-regulating capacity of the economic actors involved, or a normative institutionalist approach, which focuses on the norms and formal rules of institutions that not only support and frame, but also shape and constrain the actions of the players acting within them. This paper analyzes the challenges related to the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol in the specific case of Belgium, and evaluates the possibility of moving from a self-regulatory to an institutional approach of implementation, which we argue is necessary to achieve the objectives of the Protocol. This move is analyzed in the specific multi-level governance context characterizing the Nagoya Protocol, which has a natural tendency towards a market-oriented self-regulatory approach

Grid-connected converters in hybrid wind-hydrogen systems

The production of hydrogen, facilitated by wind-generated energy, is currently a topic of significant interest among scientists and engineers. One of the arrangements is to connect an electrolyzer to the DC-link of the two converters, which are in a back-to-back configuration between the generator and the grid. The grid-connected converter of this system plays a pivotal role in system operation since it has to handle the dynamical effects of the wind generator, the hydrogen electrolyzer and the grid. This thesis has proposed a suitable control strategy that can be employed in the grid-connected converter of a hybrid wind-hydrogen system. The work commenced with the development of small-signal dynamic models for the wind generator, the hydrogen electrolyzer system and the grid-connected converter. This was followed by the integration of closed-loop dynamics of the wind generator and the hydrogen electrolyzer system into the grid-connected converter model. Next, a control strategy was developed for the grid-connected converter model using linear PI controllers, which was later validated through both software and hardware implementations. Finally, the real test system was presented, and its components, capabilities and limitations were discussed. The incorporation of wind generator and hydrogen electrolyzer dynamics was carried out by obtaining the closed-loop admittance transfer functions of each system model. The operation of the grid-connected converter is dependent on the dynamics of its subsystems due to their interactions. Hence, the DC input current, which the grid-connected converter receives, is dependent on the admittances of the other two subsystems. In this way, the source-affected open-loop transfer functions for the grid-connected converter model could be developed, which can be used for the loop-shaping technique to tune the PI controllers by setting the required stability margins. DC-link voltage regulation and converter current control are among the major objectives of the designed control scheme. The system performance was evaluated under four scenarios in both software and hardware implementations, and the results were observed. The results in all four scenarios depicted that the developed controller can accurately maintain the steady-state operation at both rated and under-rated operating conditions. Furthermore, the converter demonstrated its ability to deal with dynamical impacts caused by sudden changes in the input current by returning to steady-state operation quickly and smoothly. The real test system which is present at the Power Electronics Laboratory of Tampere University, consists of components to emulate wind generation to an extent that is sufficient for most research. However, it lacks the ability to create various grid conditions and reflect the dynamic behavior of wind gusts, turbine blades and the turbine tower