**Editorial**

This is the Volume 18, Number 2 issue of OUSL Journal, the Journal of The Open University of Sri Lanka which is published biannually. The articles published in this Volume include research based on the disciplines of Chemistry, Education, Social Sciences, Modern Applied Mathematics, Journalism and Law.

"Coffee" is one of the most popular beverages in the world prepared from roasted coffee beans. In the study, *Beverages of Coffee and Phytochemicals Present in Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora - A Review* explains the importance of this beverage in many aspects. The two main species used for making beverages are called *Coffea arabica* (**Arabica**, accounting for 60-70% of the world's production) and *Coffea canephora* (**Robusta**). Coffee beverages are manly categorized according to the brewing method; e.g., espresso, cold brew, ristretto, etc. During roasting the processed coffee beans undergo endothermic and exothermic reactions such as Strecker degradation, Millard reactions, pyrolysis, hydrolysis, oxidation, reduction, decarboxylation, polymerization, etc. After roasting these heated soft coffee beans are rapidly cooled by using air or water to cease the exothermic reaction and then they are grinded. Now people prefer to consume decaffeinated coffee products which contain very low caffeine content. Various types of alkaloids, polyphenols, flavonoids, sugars, vitamins and minerals are rich in coffee plant. Coffee exhibits a high antioxidant activity, antimicrobial, anticancer, hepato-protective properties, etc. Prominently, leaves and seeds are applied as folk medicines. The best health advantages from coffee can be obtained with moderate usage.

The study titled *Expectancy and Motivation: Determinants of Teacher Retention in Private Schools in Nepal*, shows that teachers in private secondary schools in Nepalgunj express satisfaction with their current jobs, indicating an intention to stay at the school for an extended period. Satisfaction with the selection process, job commitment, working atmosphere, and leadership positions suggests that fair processes, a supportive work environment, and effective leadership contribute to teachers' willingness to remain in their roles. Teachers are dissatisfied or neutrally satisfied with the services provided by the school, and they perceive limited growth
potential within the institution. This implies that to enhance
teacher retention, schools need to offer more benefits and
opportunities for professional growth. Correlation analysis
demonstrates a positive relationship between teacher retention
and various aspects, including compensation and benefits,
selection process, commitment, growth opportunities, work
environment, and leadership position. Null hypotheses are rejected
in favor of the alternative hypotheses, indicating a positive
correlation between retention factors and teacher retention.
Multiple regressions reveal that all six factors (salary and benefits,
selection process, engagement, growth possibilities, work
environment, and leadership role) collectively have a substantial
joint effect on employee retention. Growth opportunities emerge as
the most effective predictor, with a greater beta value. The study
recommends that private secondary schools prioritize growth
opportunities to retain capable and competent teachers. While
emphasizing growth opportunities, the study underscores the
importance of not neglecting other factors such as the selection
process, work environment, engagement, salary and benefits, and
leadership roles, as they collectively contribute to school
performance. The study provides valuable insights for school
management in private secondary schools in Nepalgunj.
Emphasizing growth opportunities while addressing other
motivational factors is highlighted as crucial for teacher retention
and overall school performance.

The rubber industry has played a crucial role in the economic
development of Sri Lanka and has been a significant contributor
to export earnings for many years. The focus of the study, Rubber
Plantations in Sri Lanka: An Examination of Historical and Current
Grievances in the Pahala Karannagoda Grama Niladari Division is
primarily twofold. The initial objective is to examine the historical
background of the rubber industry in Sri Lanka. The second
objective is to investigate the current socio-economic challenges
faced by the rubber industry in the Pahala Karannagoda Grama
Niladari Division. Despite the importance of the rubber industry in
this region, no previous research has been conducted specifically
on the Karannagoda rubber industry. Furthermore, inherited
grievances exist in the area due to geographical factors. This study
primarily adopts a historical and grievance-based approach.
Therefore, the research area is selected based on the main research
focus and aims to collect new data related to the grievances experienced. The theoretical framework of this study is primarily based on rural grievance theories, which focus on the challenges faced by rural communities in agrarian societies. A mixed-method approach is employed for this research, utilizing field investigations and the analysis of textual documents. The field investigations were carried out in the Pahala Karannagoda Grama Niladari division, and 73 purposive samples were interviewed as key informants. The data was analyzed using the ground theory analysis method, applying the principles of rural grievances theory. The findings of this study indicate that rubber plantations have gradually developed and made significant contributions to the country's economy. However, rubber planters in the Pahala Karannagoda Grama Niladari division face numerous challenges, including pest and disease issues, inadequate infrastructure, price instability, transportation difficulties, labor scarcity, and high input costs. These difficulties have resulted in reduced crop yields and decreased profitability for many rubber planters in the region. It appears that the economic grievances experienced by rubber planters in the Pahala Karannagoda GN Division outweigh any social grievances. Nevertheless, based on the principles of grievances arising from agriculture, there is no indication of the potential for social mobilization in the area due to sustained suffering and grievances. The evident reality is that planters and laborers in the rubber industry have been transitioning to other more profitable professions. As a result, the rubber industry in the area as a whole has suffered a collapse. Those who remain in the industry find themselves unable to voice their grievances. In conclusion, this investigation provides valuable insights into the historical and current status of rubber plantations in rural Sri Lanka. The findings can inform policies and practices aimed at supporting the sustainability and growth of the rural rubber industry in the country.

The coordination and integration of the activities are mandatory to have an efficient supply chain. When the routed vehicles return to the depot and the doors at the depot are busy, the returned vehicles have to wait to unload the accumulated shipments. Therefore, properly scheduling these vehicles to those doors at the depot to minimize waiting time is considered to be an optimization problem. In the study, *Optimal Solution for the Integrated Model of the Problems in Capacitated Vehicle Routing and Vehicle Scheduling*
at the Multi-door Depot, ‘routing vehicles’ to collect the shipments from suppliers and ‘scheduling vehicles’ to doors at the depot, based on *first come first served* basis, are simultaneously solved. Due to high complexity, basic variants of both problems are taken into integration and small-instances are randomly generated for the numerical experiments. The feasibility of the developed Mixed Integer Quadratic Programming model is confirmed from the results obtained using Branch and Bound algorithm. The accuracy of the results is cross checked with the enumeration method. Since the integrated problem is NP-hard, heuristics or meta-heuristic methods are recommended to solve the large-scale instances. Moreover, it can be recommended for further studies that to amend this model by incorporating additional constraints to make it more applicable to real-world scenarios.

Citizen journalism is a social and communication phenomenon occasioned by increased internet penetration and digital media adoption among the people formerly known as media audiences. It has however resulted in sharing of emotion-provoking content on social media, thereby posing ethical challenges that call for regulation. The study on *Sensationalism as an Ethical Issue in Citizen Journalism among Undergraduates of Select Universities in Ogun State, Nigeria* examined the prevalence of, and motivation for sharing sensational content among undergraduates of selected universities in Ogun State, Nigeria. It also investigated the perception of the undergraduates about the ethical implications of such content while practicing citizen journalism. The study was anchored on social responsibility media theory. It adopted descriptive survey research design and administered a self-structured questionnaire on a sample of 381 respondents drawn through a multi-stage sampling technique from a population of 53,749 full-time undergraduates of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun; and Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, all in Ogun State, Nigeria. Findings of the study showed that majority of the undergraduates of the selected universities owned digital devices, were present on social media and participated in citizen journalism. There was prevalence of sharing of sensational content among the undergraduates and they mostly shared entertaining content, followed by emotional causes. They were motivated by entertainment, appeal, and controversies in sharing sensational content but perceived sensationalism to be ethically wrong. The
study recommended media literacy and fact-checking as antidotes
to sensationalism in digital media.

The keynote speech of the Open University Research Sessions 2024 (OURS 2024) titled *Sri Lanka as a Battlefield of International Law*, explains how Sri Lanka, despite its size as a small state, has played a role in the shaping of international law. It cursorily deals with the Chola conquest as an early example of Indian interest in the island and the visit of the Chinese Admiral, Cheng Ho as an example of Chinese interest with Sri Lanka but its concern is with the application of Eurocentric international law by successive European colonisers with the island, most importantly, the use and justification of the right to conquer Asian peoples and the struggle for independence from colonialism. Thereafter, it deals with the concerns of independent Sri Lanka with the application of international law. It deals with the manner in which international law has been blended into Sri Lankan law. It then details modern problems which have arisen in several areas like the environment, human rights, and the law of the sea.

We welcome your suggestions for further improvement of this
Journal. We are looking forward to publishing your current
research findings in our next issue.

**Professor Shyama R. Weerakoon**

Editor in Chief/OUSL Journal

Email: ouslj@ou.ac.lk

ID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0975-2738