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Responsible Conduct of Research: Moral and Professional Obligations in Research
No full textThe Second World War was a historical milestone for a number of things. In science the application of Albert Einstein's physics formulae were proven beyond reasonable doubt. Bang, Bang! The atomic bomb detonated on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in August 1945, unveiling the unprecedented truth of nuclear atomic energy. But even Hiroshima cannot completely question the outweighing benefits of Einstein's coined E = mc mass energy equivalence equation and his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect that made him win the 1921 Nobel Prize . The resultant benefits, from Einstein's discoveries, to human kind have been and remain to be outstanding. However, a visit to Hiroshima and Nagasaki following the atom bomb coupled with a chat with the Hibakushas2, the Japanese atomic bomb survivors, always begs the difficult moral question, 'what was the morality of the scientific discovery of the atomic bomb? Indeed the human activity of delving into elucidating the unknown, commonly known as 'research', has not been without controversy across ages during humankind's existence on earth especially each time it has crossed the boundaries of justice and fair play. There is neither doubt nor any argument regarding the necessity of maintaining a clear equilibrium between human morality and the pursuit of science. The greatest scientist himself, Albert Einstein, unreservedly propounded this truth. He is quoted to have said; The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life. Now, the difficult lies on how to balance between research and obligations of human kind common good. Failure to do so leaves ugly trails of life with loss of human dignity
Approaches to Soil Resource Inventorization and State of Digital Soil Mapping in Zambia
No full textSoil is a complex system whose quantification and geographical distribution is key to understanding many ecosystem processes. However, this understanding is hampered by lack of high resolution soil maps that enable decisions regarding climate regulation, agricultural management and environmental planning. In view of this, various approaches to soil mapping have been applied. This paper presents a review of soil resource inventorization and the state of digital soil mapping in Southern Africa, with specific reference to Zambia. It is a synthesis of the conventional approaches available and commonly used for soil mapping. The paper further discusses the current state of digital soil mapping in Zambia in relation to the prevailing worldwide scenario. The review has shown that while extensive work has taken place using conventional methods of soil mapping, less than I % of the work has been done using predictive approaches in Zambia and only for scientific research purposes. This therefore, means that the current methods and techniques in digital soil mapping require further exploration so as to test their application at regional and national levels and to determine the full range of possibilities and outcomes for various combinations of the existing data source
Editorial Comment
Full text linkThe six articles in this volume are almost evenly spread between language (linguistics) and literature, with one article focused on onomastics. The literature articles include: “Some Novels are Novels while Others are not: Carnivalesque and Spontaneity in Dambudzo Marechera’s House of Hunger” (Gankhanani Moffat Moyo and Stewart Crehan). This article investigates the concept of novelness in the context of Marechera’s House of Hunger. Shadreck Kondala’s “Contradictions of a Society in Transition: A Look at Henry Musenge’s Novel Changing Shadows”. The paper highlights the contradictions that characterise a society undergoing cultural transition. Mukundwe Siame and Parnwell Munatamba contributed “’Our Hell is the Other’: ‘The Other’ in Albert Camus’s The Stranger” which examines Camus’ existentialist view of hell
Unravelling the Complexity of Cinyanja Compound Words: A Distributed Morphology Approach
Full text linkCompound words are found in most languages and play an essential role in the lexicon of the majority of languages because they reflect the interface between morphology, phonology, syntax and semantics. The present study seeks to provide a broader analysis of Cinyanja Verb-Noun (VN) compound words with a non-derived noun in the nominal position based on Distributed Morphology framework provided by Halle and Marantz (1993). Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to show the intricate processes involved in the formation and interpretation of compound words. The data used in this study were mainly collected from secondary sources, which included written sources in Cinyanja. The findings of the study arising from the syntactic analysis of the compound words provide insights on the insertion of the noun class prefix in the derivational process. Furthermore, using Distributed Morphology in the interpretation of lexicalised meaning, the findings provide insights on the complexities and creativity involved in the construction of compound words in Cinyanja
Evaluating Non-Antibiotic Therapeutic Strategies for Controlling Lactococcosis in Nile Tilapia: Investigating the Efficacy of Aloe Vera Extracts, Vitamin D and Selenium Supplement, and Probiotics in Experimental Infections
Full text linkThis study investigated non-antibiotic therapeutic strategies for controlling lactococcosis in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The efficacy of Aloe vera extract, Vitamin E/Selenium supplementation, and multi-strain probiotics was evaluated against Lactococcus garvieae infection in an experimental setting. Two hundred Nile tilapia were divided into four groups: control, Aloe vera, Vitamin E/Selenium, and probiotic. After a 42-day treatment period, fish were challenged with L. garvieae and monitored for 28 days. Clinical signs, mortality rates, and survival were assessed. The control group exhibited severe disease progression with 100% mortality by day 21 post-infection. Aloe vera treatment reduced mortality to 20%, showing moderate efficacy. Vitamin E/Selenium supplementation provided greater protection with only 5% mortality. The probiotic-treated group demonstrated the most remarkable results, with no clinical signs or mortalities throughout the study. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences between treatment groups and the control, with probiotics showing the largest effect size (Cohen's d = 0.98, p < 0.001), followed by Vitamin E/Selenium (Cohen's d = 0.9, p = 0.001) and Aloe vera (Cohen's d = 0.74, p = 0.003). These findings highlight the potential of non-antibiotic interventions in managing L. garvieae infections, with probiotics emerging as the most effective treatment. The study contributes to the development of sustainable aquaculture practices and reduced reliance on antibiotics, aligning with global efforts to mitigate antimicrobial resistance in aquaculture
Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia-Associated Fetal Wastage and Meat Quality Compromise in Cattle Slaughtered at Dr Abubakar Saraki Memorial Abattoir, Kwara State, Nigeria
No full textContagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) is still endemic in Nigeria. The Mycoplasma Unit of the Department of Veterinary Microbiology, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, has completed an 18-month investigation of CBPP cases encountered at the main city abattoir. Investigation was with special emphasis on fetal wastes, physical and health conditions of cattle presented for slaughter at the abattoir. Blood and tissues samples were obtained during ante mortem and postmortem examinations for laboratory investigations and diagnosis of CBPP were based on classical pathological lesions and culture of Mycoplasma organism identified serologically as M. mycoides subsp. mycoides from lung lesions and pleural fluids obtained from the cattle. From a total of 41,069 cattle slaughtered, 40,075 (97.6%) were cows from which 6,699 fetuses were encountered, and 963 (2.3%) were bulls. Thus, an average of 372 fetuses was wastedeach month at the abattoir. Of the 40,075 cows slaughtered, 913 (2.3%) were CBPP-positive and carried 153 fetuses. Most cows carried twin fetuses.We estimate that each fetal wastage is equivalent to 50,000 Naira losses to the farmer, and each emaciated animal slaughtered is a loss of approximately 200,000 Naira.Studies are warranted to determine annual national economic losses resulting from slaughtering emaciated cattle that are often discovered to be pregnant, and propose strategies to address the avoidable revenue loss
Bacterial Contamination Levels in Fresh Fish Fillets Sold in Lusaka District of Zambia
Full text linkZambia’s aquaculture sector has expanded rapidly, increasing the risk of bacterial zoonotic diseases from fish. This cross-sectional study assessed bacterial contamination in 132 fresh fish fillets—69 hake and 63 tilapias — sold in Lusaka District, Zambia, addressing gaps in local fish contamination and antimicrobial resistance. Bacterial isolates were identified through morphological characteristics and biochemical tests, while antibiotic susceptibility was determined using the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method. Total viable count (TVC) and faecal coliform analysis showed that 31% of samples exceeded TVC limits, and 45% contained faecal coliforms. Notably, 93% of tilapia fillets were contaminated, while hake fillets showed no faecal contamination. Escherichia coli (53.8%) was the predominant bacterium, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (46.2%), Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Enterobacter. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed broad-spectrum efficacy of chloramphenicol, while Staphylococcus and Serratia species exhibited resistance to penicillin. Ciprofloxacin and doxycycline were largely effective, though one E. coli strain showed resistance. The high contamination levels, particularly in tilapia fillets, pose serious health risks to vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. Consumption of contaminated fish could lead to gastrointestinal illness or severe infections. These findings highlight the need for improved aquaculture practices, stricter food safety regulations, and enhanced public awareness on proper fish handling and cooking to mitigate health risks
Programmed Death Ligand-1 Expression in Gastric Cancer Cases in Zambia
Full text linkGastric cancer is a highly fatal disease in Zambia due to delayed diagnosis, aggressiveness of the disease and ineffective treatment. Programmed death ligand-1 is a key biomarker of gastric cancer, linked to immune evasion and response to anti- Programmed death ligand-1 therapies. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of in gastric cancer cases and its association with various clinicopathological prognostic factors in Zambia.
This pilot study utilized archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks from patients diagnosed with gastric cancer at the University Teaching Hospitals in Lusaka, Zambia. A total of 41 gastric cancer samples were examined, with 65.9% female (27) and 34.1% male (14), and a median age of 63 years (interquatile range: 56–76). The slides were stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin, followed by immunohistochemical analysis to assess Programmed Death Ligand-1 expression, which was evaluated using a combined positive scoring system. Statistical analysis was conducted using STATA, version 15.
Six patients (14.6%) exhibited positive expression of Programmed Death Ligand-1, with a combined positive score of 1 or higher. However, our analysis did not reveal any significant associations between PD-L1 expression and any of the clinicopathological variables assessed.
We found that a small proportion (14.6%) of GCs in our population express Programmed Death Ligand-1, identifying a potentially therapeutically actionable patient group
The Potential of Capsicum annum Extracts to Prevent Lactococcosis in Tilapia
No full textThe capsaicin was extracted in-house from locally purchased chili pepper (Capsicum annum). Varying concentration of capsaicin was mixed with Lactococcus garvieae each and inoculated on mueller hinton agar to determine the minimum bactericidal concentration. Four groups of 100 fish each were injected with either 1) Capsaicin, 2) bacteria and capsaicin, 3) bacteria and 4) normal saline (negative control). The fish were observed for 7 days post treatment and experiment was repeated three times. Protection against infection was measured by the lack of clinical disease and survivability of the fish during period of experimentation. The minimum bactericidal concentration of capsaicin on growth of Lactococcus garvieae was 0.1967mg/ml. Significantly, more fish in the bacteria and capsaicin group survived (
Gastro-intestinal parasites of Capra hircus slaughtered in parts of Ijebu Ogun State, Nigeria.
No full textThis study investigated the prevalence and species diversity of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites in domestic goats (Capra hircus) slaughtered at two (2) major abattoirs in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria. Out of 104 faecal samples subjected to the sedimentation technique in the Zoology Laboratory, an overall GI parasite prevalence of 78.8% was detected. Ten parasite species were identified, namely Bunostoma spp., Capillaria spp., Coccidia spp., Fasciola hepatica, Haemochus contortus, Moneiza spp., Nematodirus, Taenia hydatigena, Trichuris ovis and Strongyloides spp. with Coccidia spp. and Trichuris ovis being the most common (10.2% each), followed by Fasciola hepatica (7.3%). The abattoir located at Imowo-Eleran had the most prevalence with 70.2%. The There was no significant relationship with p>0.05 between the parasites found in the faecal samples collected and demographic factors (age or sex). Mono-infections predominated (40.4%), but double and triple infections were also observed, indicating polyparasitism. The findings highlight significant health on goat productivity due to parasitism. Poor abattoir hygiene and management practices could likely contribute to the infection rates at the two abattoirs. This study underscores the need for improved parasite control strategies and better sanitary conditions in abattoirs to reduce GI parasite burdens in Nigerian domestic goats