383 research outputs found
Sort by
Optimising a Production System Using tools of Total Productive Maintenance: Datlabs Pharmaceuticals as a Case Study
No full textProceedings of the 2011 International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Operations Management
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, January 22 ? 24, 2011Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is a World Class Manufacturing principle that has been used by many companies to improve equipment life-cycle costs as well as Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). This paper is a case study of the application of TPM principles at Datlabs Pharmaceutical Company?s Belmont Plant in Zimbabwe. An ABC analysis of the equipment was done to establish the critical equipment that required 20 percent attention to yield 80% results. TPM pillars were used to root out major losses in the plant and the results show improvements in machine utilisation and OEE for identified critical equipment
Local economic development and migrant remittances:in rural Zimbabwe: building on sand or solid ground?
No full textWorking Paper no 523The paper explores the impact of migrant remittances on local economic development in a locality where more than half of the households have been recipients for at least five years. The study has taken place in rural Zimbabwe and uses an ethnographic method devised for this research. The method was termed ?follow the money? and consists of a scrutiny of several rounds of
economic exchange of goods and services in the locality, starting when households
receive the cash. Consistent with previous research, the study found that remittances boost the consumption of receiving households and have a limited but positive effect on non-receiving households. Part of the cash transfers are used for equipment and investment, mostly in traditional agricultural activities. This study highlights that remittances are responsible for the creation of a significant number of jobs locally, although insecure and low waged, and a small number of growth-oriented businesses, mostly by non-recipients and
oriented to the local market. The study highlights the potential for government
intervention to further enterprise development with the last group of
entrepreneurs in order to localise the longer-term effects of remittances
On a Theoretical Proof of the Weak Equivalence Principle from within the confines of Newtonian Gravitation.
No full textThe great Italian scientist and philosopher, Galileo Galilee, is reported to have stood
at the learning tower of Pisa in Italy and famously dropped objects of different masses
(and compositions), thereby demonstrating that the motion of matter in a gravitational
field is independent of the body?s composition since these objects, despite their different
masses (and compositions), their free-fall time was practically equal. By so doing, Galileo
demolished a more than one and a half millennium of dogma that had been set forth
by the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, namely that, in a gravitational field, heavier objects
fall faster than lighter ones. Galileo?s conclusion is a posteriori justified current scientific
dogma, we all accept this as a durable fact of experience. Gently and modestly, this
reading appears to furnish this hypothesis. We unambiguously demonstrate beyond any
shadow of doubt that Newtonian gravitation implies that gravitational and inertial mass
are equal.National University of Science and Technolog
Modeling Schistosomiasis and HIV/AIDS Codynamics
No full textThis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is
properly cited.We formulate a mathematical model for the cointeraction of schistosomiasis and HIV/AIDS in order to assess their synergistic
relationship in the presence of therapeutic measures. Comprehensive mathematical techniques are used to analyze the model
steady states. The disease-free equilibrium is shown to be locally asymptotically stable when the associated disease threshold
parameter known as the basic reproduction number for the model is less than unity. Centre manifold theory is used to show that the
schistosomiasis-only and HIV/AIDS-only endemic equilibria are locally asymptotically stable when the associated reproduction
numbers are greater than unity. The impact of schistosomiasis and its treatment on the dynamics of HIV/AIDS is also investigated.
To illustrate the analytical results, numerical simulations using a set of reasonable parameter values are provided, and the results
suggest that schistosomiasis treatment will always have a positive impact on the control of HIV/AIDS
Vice Chancellor's Fourteenth Graduation Ceremony Speech
No full textAddress by Professor Lindela Rowland Ndlovu, Vice Chancellor at the Fourteenth Graduation Ceremony
Automation of QFD an e-Learning Tool for Product Development with an Integrated Product Data Management Platform in e-Business
No full textQuality Function Deployment (QFD) initially
evolved from manufacturing organizations, but over the time has found applications in services of various kinds. QFD falls under the six strategies for new product development, notably, design for six sigma, stage-gate model, flexible product development, new concept development model, user-centered design. The evolution of the QFD concept preceded the overwhelming use of the computer in daily business conduct. As
the computer continues to gain momentum as a central hub for daily business transactions, there is need to speed up the development of systems that are centered on the modern
computer world. This paper shows a software development process for QFD automation. The automation is integrated within a Product Data Management (PDM) platform. The motivation towards this effort is to facilitate in-class demonstrations of the QFD methodology and also enable same
paced development of product development systems. Product development systems such as PDM, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems need to be intertwined with tools
that enhance the development effort. Software based on VB 2005 was developed that allows interaction with the user through a graphical interface. The software automatically constructs Houses of Quality (HoQ) to the fourth level. A Microsoft Access database was used as the system backbone and linked to the AutoCAD 2010 software. The database keeps product data, customer requirements and technical requirements. Drawing files for the product were handled by the CAD module integrated with QFD and PDM system. Such a system is dynamic for e-Learning purposes since scholars can use any desired practical design task rather than a pre-modeled video that only supports the original design problem
Understanding the ecological drivers of avian influenza virus infection in wildfowl: a continental-scale study across Africa
No full textEcological drivers of influenza in birdsDespite considerable effort for surveillance of wild birds for avian influenza viruses (AIVs), empirical
investigations of ecological drivers of AIV prevalence in wild birds are still scarce. Here we used a
continental-scale dataset, collected in tropical wetlands of 15 African countries, to test the relative roles of
a range of ecological factors on patterns of AIV prevalence in wildfowl. Seasonal and geographical variations
in prevalence were positively related to the local density of the wildfowl community and to the wintering
period of Eurasian migratory birds in Africa. The predominant influence of wildfowl density with no influence
of climatic conditions suggests, in contrast to temperate regions, a predominant role for inter-individual
transmission rather than transmission via long-lived virus persisting in the environment. Higher prevalences
were found in Anas species than in non-Anas species even when we account for differences in their foraging
behaviour (primarily dabbling or not) or their geographical origin (Eurasian or Afro-tropical), suggesting the
existence of intrinsic differences between wildfowl taxonomic groups in receptivity to infection. Birds were
found infected as often in oropharyngeal as in cloacal samples, but rarely for both types of sample
concurrently, indicating that both respiratory and digestive tracts may be important for AIV replication
Vice Chancellor's Thirteenth Graduation Ceremony Speech
No full textAddress by Professor Lindela Rowland Ndlovu, Vice Chancellor at the Thirteenth Graduation Ceremony
An Environmental Management System approach to mitigation of environmental pollution from tannery operations utilizing proactive strategies. A Case for Leather Processing in Zimbabwe.
No full textProceedings of the Fifth TWAS-ROSSA Young Scientists? Conference and Award Ceremony, 26-27 February 2011, Hilton Hotel, Nairobi, KenyaIn a quest to support the ever-improving standards of living, manufacturing companies engage in consumption patterns that draw materials heavily from the earth on one hand and dump back to the earth as pollution on the other hand. Climate Change is a consequence of such factors that include
human activity and may be a result of years of cumulative, though localized environmental impacts. There is growing concern that manufacturing companies are contributing negatively towards environmental pollution. This paper highlights one such situation in a medium-sized leather processing company in Zimbabwe. The approach taken considers implementation of an Environmental Management System (EMS) as a sustainable way of engaging in ?GREEN? manufacturing to the enjoyment of future generations. Manufacturing companies the world over
have adopted environmentally friendly practices but smaller to medium-sized companies in developing countries continue to face difficulties in utilizing such technologies. This results in costly
production activities that are not environmentally friendly to the disappointment of the company and other stakeholders that include future generations. Apart from this, they become liable for legislative penalties, operate inefficiently, face product boycotts and closure. In this study, Environmental Impacts were identified and ranked in order to establish the critical few. A materials
balance of critical processes was conducted and it revealed areas of potential improvement. This led to the characterization and comparison of waste discharged against regulatory levels. The
development and implementation of the EMS resulted in benefits to the organization, the
environmental and all other stakeholders. Some highly hazardous materials in the process were substituted with environmentally friendly ones thereby reducing the pollution load from the
organization. Lead times were improved and that contributed to the reduction of operation costs. The individual contribution of one organization if extended to consider many other companies, would go a long way in mitigating negative environmental impacts that subsequently cause climate change. Environmental performance improvement at one company alone cannot resolve global environmental pollution hence there is need for networking and adoption of best practices
Supporting African Digital Library Projects: Experiences From The Field
No full textPaper presented at the Second International Conference on African Digital Libraries and Archives (ICADLA-2), Johannesburg, South Africa, 17-18 November, 2011This paper outlines the activities of the African Digital Library Support Network (ADLSN) in enhancing knowledge access by promoting and assisting the development of low-cost digital libraries in Africa. It
aims to stimulate practical discussion on how digital library projects can be run in Africa in a collaborative way. It focuses on the milestones and challenges of the ADLSN, starting by narrating events leading to the formation of the network, its structure and strategic directions. The notion of National
Centres through which the Network grew is discussed and financing of activities addressed. It examines some of the barriers that must be taken into account when developing digital libraries. The paper also
makes recommendations for policies related to collaborative national and/or regional digital library projects.African Digital Library Support Networ