383 research outputs found
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Modelling the Role of Diagnosis, Treatment and Health Education on Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis Dynamics
No full textTuberculosis, an airborne disease affecting almost a third of the world?s population remains one of the major public health burdens globally. Although it can be cured, the resurgence of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa calls for concern. To gain insight into its qualitative dynamics at the population level, mathematical modeling which
require as inputs key demographic and epidemiological information can fill in gaps where field and lab data are not readily available. A deterministic model for the transmission dynamics of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis to assess the impact of diagnosis, treatment and health education
is formulated. The model assumes that exposed individuals develop active tuberculosis due to endogenous activation and exogenous re-infection. Treatment is offered to all infected individuals except those latently infected with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. Qualitative
analysis using the theory of dynamical systems show that in addition to the disease-free equilibrium, there exists a unique dominant locally asymptotically stable equilibrium corresponding to each strain. Numerical simulations suggest that at the current level of control strategies (with
Malawi as a case study), the drug sensitive tuberculosis can be completely eliminated from the population, thereby reducing multi-drug resistant tuberculosis
Integrating Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Library and Information Science Curricula In Zimbabwe
No full textCountry report presented at a Regional Workshop on ?Integrating ICTs in Library and Information Science Curriculum in Africa? 20 to 23 November, 2006, Windhoek, NamibiaLibrary and information science education in Zimbabwe started off as an on-the-job
training for library assistants, primarily in the government service way back in the 1960s.In addition to that, the Rhodesia (later the Zimbabwe) Library Association also offered rudimentary training to the same categories of personnel. Professionally trained librarians were found mainly at the then and sole University College of Rhodesia, given the legislative requirements for the College to employ a professional librarian and professional senior staff. Professional librarians were also found within the public service, manning various libraries belonging to government ministries and institutions, including the National Archives, Teachers? Training Colleges, Schools of Nursing, Colleges of Agriculture; and, public libraries. All of these professionals had received their education outside the country, owing to lack of a library school or schools in Zimbabwe at that time. Also, the level of automation in various types of libraries was not
as common as is the case today. Systems were largely manual, save for inter-library loan
transactions that occasionally would be done using the telephone and/or telex devices. In
later years, particularly towards Independence in 1980, the use of facsimiles for some library routines became common
Rural Libraries Outreach Project Evaluation Report: 1996 to 2002
No full textEvaluation Report Prepared for Edward Ndlovu Memorial Trust by Hikwa,Lawton (2003
Inhibition of Esterases of the Freshwater Snails Helisoma duryi and Lymnaea natalensis by Mixtures of Pesticides
No full textPesticides indirectly reach aquatic reservoirs via aerial drifts and as runoffs where they affect aquatic organisms. Aquatic reservoirs receive different pesticides from the different fields which usually surround them. However, studies investigating effects of pesticide mixtures on aquatic biota is limited. The effects of six pesticides and their mixtures on esterase activity of two freshwater snail species were investigated. Groups of snails were exposed to individual as well as mixtures of the pesticides for 96 hours before analysing for esterase activity. All pesticides inhibited esterase activity in exposed snails. Binary mixtures of pesticides caused additive or synergistic inhibitions of esterase activities when compared to effects of individual pesticides. The results indicated the importance of chemical interactions on the overall effects of pesticides on aquatic organisms.This research was supported by the International Foundation for Science (IFS), Stockholm, Sweden, and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons', The
Hague, the Netherlands, through a grant to Dr Yogeshkumar S.Naik, the International Programme in Chemical Sciences
(IPICS), Uppsala University, Sweden and the Research Board, NUST, Bulawayo, Zimbabw
Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs)?s critical role in the economy.
No full textPublished in the Chronicle Newspaper of November 29,2012 on the Productivity Column
RFID Based Automatic Tollgate System (RATS)
No full textPresented at the CIE42 Conference Proceedings, 16-18 July 2012, Cape Town, South Africa.Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an auto identification technology which uses Radio
Frequencies (between 30 kHz and 2.5GHz) to identify objects remotely. The paper describes
a system which does the job of detecting, billing and accounting for vehicles as they pass
through a tollgate using RFID as the identification technology. In the design, a frequency of
928MHz is used as it is in the Industrial Scientific and Medical (ISM) band. The system is a
great investment in the transport industry. It reduces the common hustles in accounting for
the movement of goods from point to point. The design can be further developed to aid the
satellite surveillance systems once all toll gates are networked. An RFID tag is programmed
with information in the form of an Electronic Product Code (EPC), which can be read over a
considerable distance so that its contents identify the vehicle and enhance a transaction to
be undertaken with respect to the specific tag identity taking advantage of radio
frequencies? ability to travel longer ranges with better data capacities and high speed
attained with maximum accuracy. The design has been implemented as a miniaturized
prototype
Management of financial records at the Marondera Municipality in Zimbabwe
No full textManagement of financial records at the Marondera Municipality in ZimbabweThis study examines the management of financial records at the Municipality of Marondera. A qualitative case
study design with an interpretevist world view was used in this exploratory study. Interviews and document
analysis were employed as data gathering techniques. The sample was purposively selected from key financial and
records management staff at the municipality and the National Archives of Zimbabwe. The major finding in this
study was that financial records were not properly managed. This was evidenced by a large number of records of
enduring importance which were intermingled with those of transitory value. Findings revealed that staff were not
trained to effectively manage financial records. Furthermore, there was no clear framework or programme within
which financial records were managed. There was some disconnect between the municipality and the National
Archives of Zimbabwe. The researchers recommend that the municipality should employ qualified and experienced
records personnel to design and implement a proper financial records management programme in compliance with
relevant legislation. The municipality should also develop an integrated framework for managing its records in
general and financial records in particular. The municipality should also seek to work with the National Archives
of Zimbabwe so that it gets guidance on the management of its records, especially with regards to matters pertaining
to retention, appraisal and disposal of financial records
The Constitution and the Media: talking points
No full textPaper prepared for the COPAC Thematic Committee on the Media by Lawton Hikwa1, January 201
Inhibition of Esterases of the Freshwater Snails Helisoma duryi and Lymnaea natalensis by Mixtures of Pesticides.
No full textAn article with illustrations.Pesticides indirectly reach aquatic reservoirs via aerial
drifts and as runoffs where they affect aquatic organisms.
Aquatic reservoirs receive different pesticides from the different
fields which usually surround them. However, studies
i investigating effects of pesticide mixtures on aquatic biota is
limited. The effects of six pesticides and their mixtures on
esterase activity of two freshwater snail species were investigated.
Groups of snails were exposed to individual as well as mixtures
of the pesticides for 96 hours before analysing for esterase
activity. All pesticides inhibited esterase activity in exposed snails.
Binary mixtures of pesticides caused additive or synergistic
inhibitions of esterase activities when compared to effects of
individual pesticides. The results indicated the importance of
chemical interactions on the overall effects of pesticides on
aquatic organismsInternational
Foundation for Science (IFS), Stockholm, Sweden, and the
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons', The
Hague, the Netherlands, through a grant to Dr Yogeshkumar S.
Naik, the International Programme in Chemical Sciences
(IPICS), Uppsala University, Sweden and the Research Board,
NUST, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Loom Speed and Tension to Reduce Warp and Weft Breaks in Air Jet Weaving
No full textLoom Speed and Tension to Reduce Warp and Weft
Breaks in Air Jet Weaving is a published article of the Textile Technology department.The study sought to identify correct values of loom speed and warp tension suitable for weaving 100% cotton
yarn on Dornier double beam Air Jet Looms, AWSE2/E type. The causes of warp breaks are, poor quality yarn, uncontrolled
temperature and humidity, uncontrolled weaving tension and loom speed. The experiments were conducted to determine
warp and weft breaks at i) varying warp tension (50cN to 85cN) and constant speed (560 rpm,), ii) at constant warp
tension(80cN) and different loom speed (520 to 560 rpm). The company where the study was conducted is referred to as
?Company A?. Temperature and relative humidity and were kept constant at 27? and 75% respectively. The yarn quality
was good (11cN/tex), according to the Ulster Statistics standard levels which was the exact tenacity of the 30 tex yarn used at
?Company A?. The results showed that warp and weft breaks occur even if the maximum warp tension during weaving is
lower than the breaking strength of the yarn. A combination of high loom speed (560 rpm ) and high tension (80cN) lead to
increased breaks, but breaks become reduced with the reduction in tension to 70cNeven if the machine speed was maintained
at 560 rpm . Above that tension, warp breaks start to increase. The number of warp breaks was also found to increase with the
loom speed. Weft breaks also occurred due to entanglement at low warp tension (50cN). Adjustment of warp tension and
loom speed can help to determine the optimum values of warp tension and loom speed to be used in order to reduce the
number of warp breaks for individual Air Jet Looms. An equation to determine the number of warp breaks which can occur at
a given warp tension was modelled. This equation[eq 4] can be used to provide very good estimations for initial setting of
warp tension. Another modelled equation[eq5] can be used to estimate the number of weft breaks at a given warp tensi