One of the diseases of veterinary and public health importance affecting the Kafue lechwe (Kobus leche kafuensis) on the Kafue flats is brucellosis, for which only scant information is available. During the 2003 (October), 2004 (December), and 2008 (July-December) hunting seasons in the Kafue flats, we conducted a study to determine the seroprevalence of Brucella spp. in the Kafue lechwe and to evaluate serologic tests for detection of Brucella spp. antibodies in lechwe. The Rose Bengal Test (RBT), competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA), and fluorescence polarization assay (FPA) were used. A total of 121 Kafue lechwe were hunted for disease investigations in 2003, 2004, and 2008 in the Kafue Flat Game Management Area. Of these, 21.6%, (95% confidence interval [CI]: 14.2-29.1%) had detectable antibodies to Brucella spp. The Kafue lechwe in Lochnivar National Park had higher antibody results than those in Blue Lagoon National Park (odds ratio=3.0; 95% CI: 0.94-9.4). Infection levels were similar in females (21.6%) and males (21.7%). Results were similar among RBT, FPA, cELISA tests, suggesting that these could effectively be used in diagnosing brucellosis in the Kafue lechwe. Our study demonstrates the presence of Brucella infections in the Kafue lechwe in two national parks located in the Kafue flats and further highlights the suitability of serologic assays for testing the Kafue lechwe. Because the Kafue lechwe is the most hunted wildlife species in Zambia, hunters need to be informed of the public health risk of Brucella spp. infection. PMID:20966257

We investigated Brucella seroprevalence in Kafue (Kobus leche kafuensis) and Black (Kobus leche smithemani) lechwe antelopes to assess Brucella infections in relation to presence/absence of cattle interaction on the wetlands. Accordingly, two study populations based on cattle interaction were assesed: Kafue lechwe from Kafue flats which interact with cattle; and the Black lechwe with no known interaction with cattle from the Bangweulu swamps. Fourteen Kafue lechwe and thirty Black lechwe were slaughtered between October and December 2009 using special research licenses obtained from the Zambia wildlife authority to investigate diseases in lechwe antelope. For the purpose of this study, blood was collected and sera separated for Rose Bengal and indirect ELISA tests. Seroprevalence of Brucella in the Kafue lechwe was estimated at 42.9% [95% CI: 15.2-70.5] while that in Black lechwe was 0% [95% CI:0.0-11.6]. On the Kafue flats, cattle were spotted grazing in the same areas as lechwe while there was no evidence of cattle presence on the Bangweulu swamps. These differences in seroprevalence between Kafue lechwe and Black lechwe were assumed to be associated with interaction between Kafue lechwe and Brucella infected cattle, and no such contact existed between cattle and the Black lechwe. Our study suggests that brucellosis in the Kafue lechwe may have originated from cattle but has now established a reservoir in wild animals. It is also important to keep in mind that the Black lechwe can easily become infected with Brucella spp. once cattle are introduced in the surrounding areas. PMID:21536335

Contamination of the Kafue River network in the Copperbelt, northern Zambia, was investigated using sampling and analyses of solid phases and water, speciation modeling, and multivariate statistics. Total metal contents in stream sediments show that the Kafue River and especially its tributaries downstream from the main contamination sources are highly enriched with respect to Cu and exceed the Canadian limit for freshwater sediments. Results of sequential analyses of stream sediments revealed that the amounts of Cu, Co and Mn bound to extractable/carbonate, reducible (poorly crystalline Fe- and Mn oxides and hydroxides) and oxidizable (organic matter and sulfides) fractions are higher than in the residual (Aqua Regia) fraction. Compared to Cu, Co and Mn, Fe is bound predominantly to the r...

A total of 984 snails, comprising nine species, were collected from six areas in the Kafue wetlands between August and October 2003 to assess larval trematode infections. Of these, 135 (13.7%) were positive. Most trematode infections were recorded from Lymnaea natalensis (42.8%), which harboured four of the five morphologically different cercariae found. No trematodes were recovered from Bellamya capillata, Biomphalaria pfeifferi, Melanoides tuberculata, Physa acuta and Cleopatra nswendweensis. One snail (0.2%) of 416 Bulinus snails shed brevifurcate-apharyngeate distome cercariae while three (0.7%) shed amphistomes. Gymnocephalous and longifurcate-pharyngeate distome were the commonest types of cercariae recorded while xiphidiocercaria was the least common. The highest prevalence rates of F. gigantica (68.8%) and amphistomes (50.0%) in cattle (n = 101) were in Chiyasa while those in Kaleya had the lowest (9.1 and 18.2%, respectively). In most habitats, infections were recorded in both cattle and snails. Critical determinants of infection may have been the distance of settlements and/or cattle kraals, the number of animals in nearby homesteads and the presence of susceptible host snails. This study suggests that fascioliasis and amphistomiasis could be major constraints of cattle production in the Kafue wetlands because favourable factors were available to introduce and maintain the infections. It further provides a starting point for some comprehensive studies on snail-related aspects of transmission and snail host ecology in Zambia. PMID:17381873

Many scholars claim that open access due to the effective absence of state control is the major reason for the overuse of common-pool resources such as fisheries. Based on data from the Kafue Flats fisheries in Zambia, we argue that the main problem in open-access situations is the paradox of a state that is simultaneously absent and present: present in actions that dismantle local fishery institutions but absent when it comes to the ability to enforce the laws that might protect the resources. Thus, the state is present in the voice of immigrants from other parts of the country who use their Zambian citizenship to legitimize free access to the fisheries. But it is absent when the Department of Fisheries is not able to enforce its own formal rules or control these immigrants? activities. L...

Analysis of serum, whole blood and liver tissue samples from Kafue lechwe in the Lochinvar National Park of Zambia for suspected endocrine disrupting compounds revealed high concentrations for some of the compounds. 45 samples of serum, whole blood and liver tissue were extracted by liquid-liquid extraction followed by an analysis using Gas Chromatography-Electron Capture Detection (GC-ECD). The following endocrine disruptors were analyzed: deltamethrin, aldrin, endosulfan, dieldrin, pp-DDD, heptachlor, d-t-allethrin, pp-DDE, endrin and pp-DDT. For all the samples, dieldrin showed the highest concentration ranging from 1.7 to 44.4 microg/ml in serum and whole blood sample extracts and 0.10-5.1 microg/g wet weight in liver sample extracts. The most frequently detected was deltamethrin in 62% of the samples. Percent recoveries in spiked laboratory blanks ranged between 60% and 100% while calculated detection limits ranged from 0.004 to 0.21 microg/ml for all the endocrine disruptors evaluated. Where endocrine disruptors were detected, the concentrations of most of them far exceeded the maximum residue limits (MRLs) and the extraneous maximum residue limits (EMRLs) set by the Codex Alimentarius of the United Nations (UN), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). PMID:16624410

The recent increase in global demand for copper raw materials has contributed to rising of commodity prices and a scramble for natural resources, modifying forests and assuming a defining role in forest management and governance. However, the influence of mining industries on forests has not well been understood in the copper belt of Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This study was undertaken, in Chingola District in Zambia, operation centre for Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), and Lubumbashi in DRC, where Gecamines and other mining companies operate, to ascertain the relationship between copper mining, forest management and forest-based livelihoods. A multi-site approach was utilized for consultations with diverse actors at local, district and national levels, and with forest depe...

The global spread of HIV and AIDS has presented a major threat to development, affecting the health of the poor and many aspects of social and economic development. The greatest impact of the epidemic has been felt in sub-Saharan Africa, and Zambia ranks among the worst hit countries. The Free Basic Education Policy in Zambia upholds the right of all children to a universal basic education. This study explored staff and student perceptions of the impact of the epidemic on access to, and the quality of, basic education for AIDS-affected children, orphans and other vulnerable children (OVCs) in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia, where the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate ranges from 34 to 40%, and life expectancy has dropped to 33 years. Data were collected from education personnel in six districts of the Copperbelt with the highest prevalence of HIV and AIDS and from staff and students in six schools. The data indicated a range of factors that adversely affect the access to, and quality of, education for AIDS-affected children and OVCs. Factors related to attendance and school completion; teachers and teaching; quality of learning; strategic planning, policy and school development are discussed. A positive outcome of this study was that students, teachers and other professionals freely discussed issues concerning the impact of the HIV and AIDS epidemic on education in a context where such issues are commonly met with silence or denial. The data enhance our understanding of the current crisis in education and the challenges ahead for targeted development of more proactive and inclusive educational policies and practices in Zambia. (Contains 2 tables.)

A study using a structured questionnaire was conducted to assess the perception of cattle farmers of the efficacy of East Coast fever (ECF) immunization in southern Zambia. One hundred and seventy-nine farmers from five districts in southern Zambia were interviewed. The majority of farmers (85%) perceived ECF immunization as being very effective and about half of them (51.4%) preferred immunization to other ECF control strategies. The study showed that the number of calves immunized was strongly associated with the farmer's perception of the benefits of immunization. There was no association between the number of calves immunized and the number of veterinary assistants in a given district or their transport situation. Overall mortality in ECF-immunized calves from various causes stood at 4.2%. Based on farmers' reports, the majority of these deaths seemed to have been caused by anaplasmosis, another tick-borne disease, and might have resulted from relaxation of tick control after ECF immunization. The reasons identified by farmers for not immunizing their animals included failure by immunizing teams to reach certain areas, not having calves of immunization age, and lack of money. These findings provide valuable information on how livestock farmers perceive and adopt new animal disease control strategies and the information could be useful in their planning and implementation. PMID:17405623

The objective of this study is to analyze possible long-term development options of the Zambian electric power system in the period up to 2015. The analysis involved the hydro operations studies of the Zambezi river basin and the systems planning studies for the least-cost generation expansion planning. Two well-known and widely accepted computer models were used in the analysis: PC-VALORAGUA model for the hydro operations and optimization studies and the WASP-III Plus model for the optimization of long-term system development. The WASP-III Plus model is a part of the Argonne National Laboratory's Energy and Power Evaluation Model (ENPEP). The analysis was conducted in close collaboration with the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO). On the initiative from The World Bank, the sponsor of the study, ZESCO formed a team of experts that participated in the analysis and were trained in the use of computer models. Both models were transferred to ZESCO free of charge and installed on several computers in the ZESCO corporate offices in Lusaka. In September-October 1995, two members of the ZESCO National Team participated in a 4-week training course at Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago, U.S.A., focusing on the long-term system expansion planning using the WASP and VALORAGUA models. The hydropower operations studies were performed for the whole Zambezi river basin, including the full installation of the Kariba power station, and the Cahora Bassa hydro power station in Mozambique. The analysis also included possible future projects such as Itezhi-Tezhi, Kafue Gorge Lower, and Batoka Gorge power stations. As hydropower operations studies served to determine the operational characteristics of the existing and future hydro power plants, it was necessary to simulate the whole Zambezi river basin in order to take into account all interactions and mutual influences between the hydro power plants. In addition, it allowed for the optimization of reservoir management and optimization of hydro cascades, resulting in the better utilization of available hydro potential. Numerous analyses were performed for different stages of system development. These include system configurations that correspond to years 1997, 2001, 2015 and 2020. Additional simulations were performed in order to determine the operational parameters of the three existing hydro power stations Victoria Falls, Kariba, and Kafue Gorge Upper, that correspond to the situation before and after their rehabilitation. The rehabilitation works for these three major power stations, that would bring their operational parameters and availability back to the design level, are planned to be carried out in the period until 2000. The main results of the hydro operations studies are presented in Table ES-1. These results correspond to VALORAGUA simulations of system configurations in the years 2001 and 2015. The minimum, average, and maximum electricity generation is based on the simulation of monthly water inflows that correspond to the chronological series of unregulated water inflows at each hydro profile in the period from April 1961 to March 1990. The recommended hydrology dataset provided in the Hydrology Report of the SADC Energy Project AAA 3.8 was used for this study.

Maize ear rots reduce grain yield and quality with implication on food security and health. Some of the pathogenic fungi produce mycotoxins in maize grain posing a health risk to humans and livestock. Unfortunately, the levels of ear rot and mycotoxin infection in grain produced by subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan countries are not known. A survey was thus conducted to determine the prevalence of the ear rot problem and levels of mycotoxins in maize grain. A total of 114 farmsteads were randomly sampled from 11 districts in Lusaka and southern provinces in Zambia during 2006. Ten randomly picked cobs were examined per farmstead and the ear rot disease incidence and severity were estimated on site. This was followed by the standard seed health testing procedures for fungal isolation in the laboratory. Results indicated that the dominant ear rots were caused by Fusarium and Stenocarpella. Incidence of Fusarium verticillioides ranged from 2 to 21%, whereas that of Stenocarpella maydis reached 37% on ear rot diseased maize grain. In addition, 2-7% F. verticillioides, and 3-18% Aspergillus flavus, respectively, were recovered from seemingly healthy maize grain. The mean rank of fungal species, from highest to lowest, was F. verticillioides, S. maydis, A. flavus, Fusarium graminearum, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium spp., Botrydiplodia spp., and Cladosporium spp. The direct competitive ELISA-test indicated higher levels of fumonisins than aflatoxins in pre-harvest maize grain samples. The concentration of fumonisins from six districts, and aflatoxin from two districts, was 10-fold higher than 2 ppm and far higher than 2 ppb maximum daily intake recommended by the FAO/WHO. The study therefore suggested that subsistence farmers and consumers in this part of Zambia, and maybe also in similar environments in sub-Saharan Africa, might be exposed to dangerous levels of mycotoxins due to the high levels of ear rot infections in maize grain. PMID:20626099

Techniques of spatial statistics and GIS are applied to socio-economic, demographic and HIV sentinel data to characterize the geographical distribution of HIV prevalence in Zambia and to estimate current prevalence rates. Maps of the 4 years under study (i.e. 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2004) reveal a spatial variation in HIV prevalence with urban and provincial districts having higher prevalence than rural areas. However, there was an overall trend of decrease in HIV prevalence across the country. The year 2004 exhibited the most reduction, coinciding with protective sexual behavior campaigns operating in the country. Risk factors for HIV prevalence included literacy rates, unemployment, poverty and urban residency. Analysis of regression residual maps indicated high spatial autocorrelation: Mor...

Maize ear rots reduce grain yield and quality with implication on food security and health. Some of the pathogenic fungi produce mycotoxins in maize grain posing a health risk to humans and livestock. Unfortunately, the levels of ear rot and mycotoxin infection in grain produced by subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan countries are not known. A survey was thus conducted to determine the prevalence of the ear rot problem and levels of mycotoxins in maize grain. A total of 114 farmsteads were randomly sampled from 11 districts in Lusaka and southern provinces in Zambia during 2006. Ten randomly picked cobs were examined per farmstead and the ear rot disease incidence and severity were estimated on site. This was followed by the standard seed health testing procedures for fungal isolation in th...

...Collection; Importation of Baby Corn and Baby Carrots From Zambia AGENCY: Animal and Plant...the importation of baby corn and baby carrots from Zambia. DATES: We will consider...the importation of baby corn and baby carrots from Zambia, contact Mr. Alex...

To determine the risk factors associated with Taenia solium transmission in humans and pigs in the rural areas of Eastern and Southern provinces of Zambia, a questionnaire was administered in 788 households from 155 villages. Pigs were examined from 800 households. Tongue examination and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Ag-ELISA) for the detection of circulating antigens of T. solium cysticerci were used to measure infection in pigs. A snowballing technique was utilised to select households with pigs. Prevalence of households with pigs infected with T. solium on tongue examination by district ranged from 12.7% to 32.1% with Ag-ELISA having a range of 30.0-51.7%. Of the total number of households visited, 18.8% and 37.6% had at least one pig positive for porcine cysticercosis on tongue examination and Ag-ELISA, respectively. Risk factors associated with T. solium infection were lack of pork inspection at slaughter (96.7%), consumption of pork with cysts (20.1%), selling of pork infected with T. solium cysticerci (18.3%), free-range husbandry system (83.2%) and absence of latrines (58.0). Free-range husbandry system (OR=1.68; 95% CI=1.36-2.07) was a significant risk factor for porcine cysticercosis in the surveyed areas. The result that pigs were mostly kept on free-range and semi-intensive husbandry systems may have permitted them to have access to eating human faeces that could be contaminated with tapeworm eggs. This study has shown that T. solium infection poses a high public health risk in the study areas and urban areas as well. We recommend that a human survey be conducted to verify the human exposure to taeniasis and/or cysticercosis in Zambia. PMID:16956727

Tongue examination and detection of circulating antigen (Ag-ELISA) were used to establish the prevalence of Taenia solium porcine cysticercosis in free-range pigs in selected districts of Eastern, Southern and Western provinces of Zambia, and to determine if prevalence of porcine cysticercosis was associated with age, breed and sex. Households with pigs were identified using the snowballing technique. A total of 1691 pigs were examined out of which 183 (10.8%) were positive on tongue examination. Ag-ELISA gave a sero-prevalence of 23.3%. When considering the factors in a logistic regression analysis, only breed type was significantly associated with porcine cysticercosis (OR=0.72; 95%CI=0.63-0.81). The crossbred pigs were 72% more likely to have had cysticercosis than the Nsenga (dwarf local) breed as determined by Ag-ELISA. The result that crossbred pigs had a higher prevalence of T. solium cysticercosis suggests that pig breeds may display different susceptibility to cysticercosis. The limited use of latrines in these areas implies that people use the nearby bush for defecation, resulting in pigs having access to human faeces. Therefore, investigation of taeniosis and cysticercosis in humans is warranted to better comprehend the local epidemiology and transmission risks. This should then be followed by extension programs to communities so that the control plans that could be instituted are more sustainable. PMID:17468023

Pig production has increased significantly in the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region during the past decade, especially in rural, resource-poor, smallholder communities. Concurrent with the increase in smallholder pig keeping and pork consumption, there have been increasing reports of porcine cysticercosis in the ESA region. This article reviews the findings concerning the presence and impact of porcine cysticercosis in seven of the ESA countries. Most of the reported findings are based on surveys utilising lingual palpation and post-mortem examination, however, some also used serological assays. In Tanzania, community-based studies on porcine cysticercosis indicate a prevalence of 17.4% in the northern highlands district of Mbulu and a prevalence range of 5.1-16.9% in the southern highlands. In Kenya recent surveys in the southwestern part of the country where smallholder pig keeping is popular indicate that 10-14% of pigs are positive for cysticercosis by lingual examination. Uganda has the most pigs in Eastern Africa, most of which are kept under smallholder conditions. Preliminary surveys in 1998 and 1999 at slaughterhouses in Kampala indicated a prevalence of porcine cysticercosis between 0.12 and 1.2%, however, a rural survey in northern Uganda in 1999 indicated 34-45% of pigs slaughtered in selected villages were infected. Additionally, a new survey of 297 pigs slaughtered in Kampala in 2002 indicated that pigs from the central region of the country were negative for cysticercosis while 33.7% of the pigs coming from the rural Lira district in the north were positive. Interestingly 8 piglet foetuses removed from an infected slaughtered sow coming from Lira district were all found to harbour cysts of T. solium providing evidence of congenital transmission of porcine cysticercosis. In Mozambique, abattoir records indicate that porcine cysticercosis is present in all provinces of the country. A serological survey on pigs in rural Tete Province found 15% of pigs positive. In Zimbabwe, a retrospective study in official abattoirs around the country from 1994 to 2001 reported a mean prevalence of 0.34% which is in contrast to a post-mortem survey in 1999, which showed that the prevalence of porcine cysticercosis in rural west Zimbabwe where smallholder pig keeping is popular was 28.6%. In Zambia, abattoir records reported porcine cysticercosis in six of the nine provinces. Routine meat inspection of 1316 pigs at a slaughter slab in Lusaka showed that 20.6% of the pigs had cysticercosis whereas serological testing of 874 pigs at the same abattoir indicated that 56.6% were found to have circulating antigens of Taenia solium. Field surveys based on lingual palpation in Southern and Eastern Provinces of Zambia revealed prevalences of 8.2-28.4 and 5.2%, respectively. South Africa has the largest number of pigs in Southern Africa and cysticercosis has been recognised as a problem in the country for many decades. There is strong evidence supporting the high prevalence of neurocysticercosis infecting humans from resource-poor areas of the country where pigs are being raised under smallholder conditions. In spite of this community-based surveys on porcine cysticercosis have never been conducted in South Africa and the last slaughterhouse survey was conducted nearly 40 years ago. The prevalences of porcine cysticercosis found in these ESA countries rank among the highest in the world and the disease is emerging as an important constraint for the nutritional and economic well being of resource-poor smallholder farming communities. The current findings suggest the widespread presence of human tapeworm carriers and thus a high risk of human cysticercosis in both rural areas and urban centres in the ESA region. More research is required in the region to assess the extent and public health and economic impact of T. solium infection in order to determine whether and what prevention and control efforts are needed. PMID:12781374

Ecuador. Estonia. Ethiopia detherlands. Nicaragua. New Zealand. Norway. Zambia. ***. * Messages .... man so much energy and sacrifice contribute to the reinforcement of cooperation among .... of the solar system. We are hopeful that the ...

Tanzania, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, and so on), which then belonged to Great. Britain. ... Therefore, the reserves of pyrochlore ores only in the upper regions of ... desert tundras of Pritaymyr'e and the Kola Peninsula to the dense forests of ...

...November, 1938. (4) Jorge Blanco-Castillo; September 20, 2011; U.S. District...District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina; Case No. 5:10-CR-277-1H...District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina; Case No....

There has been an increase in the number of wild ungulates kept in captivity for ecotourism and conservation in Zambia and these animals are susceptible to a number of diseases including gastrointestinal helminth infections. Surveys to determine anthelmintic efficacy to gastrointestinal nematodes in captive-wildlife are not common and there have been no reports of anthelmintic resistance in captive-wildlife in Zambia. This study was carried out to determine the efficacy of the benzimidazole anthelmintic fenbendazole in captive wild impala (Aepyceros melampus) in Zambia. During the month of April 2011, at the end of the rainy season, the faecal egg count reduction test was performed at a private game facility for assessing anthelmintic efficacy of oral fenbendazole and the anthelmintic treatment showed an efficacy of 90%. Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrongylus spp. were the predominant genera present before treatment, but Haemonchus spp. larvae were the only genus recovered from the faecal cultures after anthelmintic treatment. This represents the first documentation of anthelmintic treatment failure in captive wild-antelopes in Zambia. It also demonstrated the ineffectiveness of the common traditional practice of deworming captive-wild antelopes at the end of the rainy season due to the rapid re-infection of impala that occurs due to high pasture infectivity. Suggestions on changes to current anthelmintic use/practices that will make them more efficacious and reduce the possibility of development of anthelmintic resistance in captive wild game in Zambia are also made. PMID:22115945

Zambia like all other countries in the world is faced with environmental problems brought about by a variety of human activities. In Zambia the major environmental issues as identified by Nation Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) of 1994 are water pollution, poor sanitation, land degradation, air pollution, poor waste management, misuse of chemicals, wildlife depletion and deforestation. Zambian has been using a lot of radioactive materials in its various industries. The country has taken several projects with help of external partners. These partners however left these projects in the hands of the Zambians without developing their capacities to manage these radioactive sources. The Government recognized the need to manage these sources and passed legislation governing the management of radioactive materials. The first act of Parliament on Radiation Protection work was passed in 1975 to legislate the use of ionizing radiation. However, because of financial constraints the Country is facing, these regulations have remained unimplemented. Fortunately the international Community has been working in partnership with the Zambian Government in the Management of Radioactive Material. Therefore this paper will present the following aspects of radioactive waste management in Zambia: review Existing Legislation in Zambia regarding management of spent/radioactive sources; capacity building in the field of management of radioactive waste; management of spent and disused radiation sources; existing disposal systems in Zambia regarding spent/orphaned sources; existing stocks of radioactive sources in the Zambian industries.

Abstract Objective. To study pregnant women's knowledge, attitudes and behaviors towards tobacco use and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, and exposure to advertising for and against tobacco products in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Design. Prospective cross-sectional survey between November 2004 and September 2005. Setting. Antenatal care clinics in Lusaka, Zambia, and Kinshasa, DRC. Population. Pregnant women in Zambia (909) and the DRC (847). Methods. Research staff administered a structured questionnaire to pregnant women attending antenatal care clinics. Main outcome measures. Pregnant women's use of tobacco, exposure to SHS, knowledge of the harms of tobacco and exposure to advertising for and against tobacco products. Results. Only about 10% of pregnant women...

Optimal sowing date is essential to attain high maize (Zea mays L.) productivity despite environmental variation in low-input agriculture in Zambia. Local farmers generally plant maize as early as possible after the onset of the rainy season. However, there is no scientific evidence that this timing is optimal for attaining high productivity using local practices. To address this probem, we grew maize at three sowing dates in six fields of Zambia’s Southern Province in the 2008/09 and 2009/10 growing seasons. Grain yield was reduced by delayed sowing, by an average of 19% for all years and locations combined. The reduction resulted from decreased biomass production and harvest index. These results support the early sowing practice applied by local farmers.   

Feasibility studies for the following hydroelectric projects are described briefly: National Fish Hatchery, Cottonwood Irrigation District, Prairie Dog Irrigation District; Wildwood Irrigation District; Shoshone Irrigation District; Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and a private hydropower project. (MHR)

Glucose absorption rates in 14 Arabs in Saudi Arabia were determined by a jejunal perfusion technique and compared with those in 18 Africans in Zambia. None of the subjects had clinical evidence of systemic infection, gastrointestinal disease, malnutrition, or diabetes mellitus. The mean absorption ...

BACKGROUND: In Zambia, unacceptably high resistance to commonly used antimalarial drugs prompted the choice of artemether-lumefantrine (AL) as first line treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Although the safety and efficacy of AL have been extensively documented, no clinical tr...

The Southern African Regional Science Initiative (SAFARI 2000) involved two wet season and one dry season field campaigns. This paper reports on the wet season campaigns. The first was conducted at five sites along the Kalahari Transect in Zambia (Kataba Forest) and Botswana (Pandamatenga, Maun, Okw...

The lower Zambezi valley is an important conservation area for both Zambia and Zimbabwe, encompassing areas of varying levels of habitat and wildlife protection. Crocodiles have an important role in the ecosystem a well as a significant economic value, both attributes require careful management to e...

The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration, U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service (US&FCS) is amending notice for the Executive-Led Trade Mission to South Africa and Zambia scheduled for November 26-30, 2012, published at 77 FR 31574, May 29, 2012, to expand the eligibility to include U.S. trade associations and to set a new application deadline for trade......

The prevalence of antiretroviral therapy (ART) resistance mutations present in HIV-1 subtype C pol and env regions of the proviral DNA was analyzed and compared from therapy-naive individuals before (Cohort A) and after (Cohort B) the availability of free ART in Zambia. Mutations present in sequence...

Examples are presented of applications of a fast Fourier transform algorithm to analyze time series of images of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index values. The results obtained for a case study on Zambia indicated that differences in vegetation development among map units of an existing agroclimatic map were not significant, while reliable differences were observed among the map units obtained using the Fourier analysis.

There have been several recent reports of Pterocarpus angolensis (kiaat) trees dying in South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, where this tree is used in traditional medicine and is a valuable source of timber for woodcarving and furniture. A survey of material from diseased P. angolensis trees in South...

Some African countries with high HIV prevalence rates have adopted male circumcision as an HIV prevention strategy. An overview of the progress on male circumcision scale-up implementation in Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia as of July ...

The study determined heavy metal concentrations and MT1 nucleotide sequence [phylogeny] in liver of the Kafue lechwe. Applicability of MT1 as a biomarker of pollution was assessed. cDNA-encoding sequences for lechwe MT1 were amplified by RT-PCR to characterize the sequence of MT1 which was subjected to BLAST searching at NCBI. Phylogenetic relationships were based on pairwise matrix of sequence divergences calculated by Clustal W. Phylogenetic tree was constructed by NJ method using PHILLIP program. Metals were extracted by acid digestion and concentrations of Cr, Co, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Ni were determined using an AAS. MT1 mRNA expression levels were measured by quantitative comparative real-time RT-PCR. Lechwe MT1 has a length of 183bp, which encode for MT1 proteins of 61AA, which includ...

...District: News Press, published weekly in Castle Rock, Douglas County, Colorado...Bailey, Park County, Colorado. Pikes Peak District: The Gazette, published daily...Rawlins, Carbon County, Wyoming. Hahns Peak-Bears Ears District: Steamboat...

...in California; Changes to District Boundaries AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service...rule that removed the grower district boundaries contained in the administrative rules...and regulations provided the specific boundaries for eight grower districts, but...

...California State Implementation Plan, Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District AGENCY...disapproval of revisions to the Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District (MDAQMD...379) * * * (i) * * * (E) Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District....

...AL 0000] Meeting of the California Desert District Advisory Council SUMMARY: Notice...92-463 and 94-579, that the California Desert District Advisory Council (DAC) to the...by council members, the BLM California Desert District manager, five field office...

...11001075. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA District of Columbia Dorsch's White Cross Bakery, 641 S St. NW., Washington, 11001076. FLORIDA...County Downtown Mount Vernon Historic District, S. Main, S. Mulberry, S. Gay, High, Vine, Gambier & Howard Sts., Ohio...

The Saar transport system for the utilization of waste heat from power stations and industrial processes for district heating is discussed. Construction of a regional compound system for district heating was demonstrated in the Voelkingen district.

...Unified Air Pollution Control District AGENCY: Environmental...Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD...Fuel Fired Boilers, Steam Generators and Process Heaters...protection, Air pollution control, Intergovernmental...

Storage losses due to pests threaten livelihoods of farmers across Africa. Synthetic pesticides provide effective control when used correctly but resource-poor farmers cannot afford them. A survey of farmer ethno-ecological knowledge of pests of stored maize and bean, and their pest management practices including pesticidal plant use, was conducted in eastern Zambia and northern Malawi. Almost all respondents reported serious pest damage, with bruchids (Callosobruchus maculatus) and grain weevils (Sitophilus spp.) being major pests in beans and maize, respectively. The larger grain borer (Prostephanus truncatus) was reported more widely in Malawi. In Zambia, 50% of farmers used synthetic pesticides during storage, while nearly all did so in Malawi. Despite differences in storage methods be...

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe the preliminary development and validation of a potential measure for assessing the accessibility of the built environment in Zambia. It was designed to identify environmental features that present barriers to participation for people with mobility limitations (PWML) using mobility devices such as wheelchairs or crutches.Method: The Participation-Based Environment Accessibility Assessment Tool (P-BEAAT) was developed through focus group discussions and personal interviews with 88 PWML from five provinces of Zambia regarding the accessibility of their built environment. The content validity of the P-BEAAT checklist was accomplished through three phases of development with data gathered from 11 focus groups and nine personal interviews. Resu...

Summary Objective To present evidence on unit and total costs of outpatient HIV/AIDS services in ZPCT supported facilities in Zambia; specifically, to measure unit costs of selected outpatient HIV/AIDS services, and to estimate total annual costs of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) in Zambia. Methods Cost data from 2008 were collected in 12 ZPCT supported facilities (hospitals and health centres) in four provinces. Costs of all resources used to produce ART, PMTCT and CT visits were included, using the perspective of the provider. All shared costs were distributed to clinic visits using appropriate allocation variables. Estimates of annual costs of HIV/AIDS services were made using ZPCT and Ministry of Health data on numbers of persons rec...

Stratabound epigenetic sulphide Zn?Pb?Cu ore deposits of the Central African Copperbelt in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia are mostly hosted in deformed shallow marine platform carbonates and associated sedimentary rocks of the Neoproterozoic Katanga Supergroup. Economic orebodies, that also contain variable amounts of minor Cd, Co, Ge, Ag, Re, As, Mo, Ga, and V, occur mainly as irregular pipe-like bodies associated with collapse breccias and faults as well as lenticular bodies subparallel to bedding. Kipushi and Kabwe in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia, respectively, are the major examples of carbonate-hosted Zn?Pb?Cu mined deposits with important by-products of Ge, Cd, Ag and V in the Lufilian Arc, a major metallogenic province famous for its world-class sedim...

The economic, health, and environmental costs of kerosene, candles, and other fuel-based lighting are well-documented. As a result of efforts by the World Bank and other organizations, numerous lighting products incorporating solar photovoltaic and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been introduced in Sub-Saharan Africa. The category of solar portable lights is increasingly popular, in part because the lower retail price of these lights can make them more affordable to lower-income households. The UC Davis Lighting the Way Zambia project sought to explore the minimum costs and performance requirements for a solar portable light targeting candle and kerosene users in Zambia. This paper discusses the product design process, including the establishment of performance requirements and metrics, ...

The cassava belt area in Southern Africa is experiencing an unforeseen surge in cassava production, processing and consumption. Little documentation exists on the effects of this surge on processing procedures, the prevailing levels of cyanogenic glucosides of products consumed and the levels of products commercially available on the market. Risk assessments disclose that effects harmful to the developing central nervous system (CNS) may be observed at a lower exposure than previously anticipated. We interviewed farmers in Zambia and Malawi about their cultivars, processing procedures and perceptions concerning cassava and chemical food safety. Chips, mixed biscuits and flour, procured from households and markets in three regions of Zambia (Luapula-North, Western and Southern) as well as p...

1. It turns out that the Oaxaca-Blinder wage decomposition is inadequate when it comes to calculation of separate contributions for indicator variables. The contributions are not robust against a change of reference group. I extend the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition to handle this problem. 2. The paper suggests how to use the logit model to decompose the gender difference in the probability of an occurrence. The technique is illustrated by an analysis of discrimination in child labor in rural Zambia.

An outgrowth on the left anteriothoracic region behind the elbow joint was seen in a free living Zebra at the time of postmortem examination. The covering skin was ulcerated, nodular, hard with multiple fistula containing yellowish pus. A pure culture of coagulase positive Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from the deep tissue. Histopathology revealed pyogranulomatous dermatitis characterized by eosinophilic amorphous grains including bacterial colonies. This is the first report of cutaneous staphylococcal granuloma in Zebra in Zambia.   

The present study is the outcome of the Zambia Charcoal Utilization Programme, which is based on cooperation that started in 1989 between the Department of Energy, Ministry of Energy and Water Development (then Ministry of Power, Transport and Communications) and the Stockholm Environmental Institute (SEI). The programme, which is funded by the Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA), consists of a number of studies focusing on different aspects of the wood and charcoal industry in Zambia. Selection of this energy system for detailed study was based on the fact that wood provides the largest contribution to total energy supply in Zambia, and the fact that wood is a renewable resource that could be exploited on a sustainable basis if properly managed. The studies therefore range from those that look at sustainability of the natural forests exploited for charcoal, to those that deal with transportation and health aspects of charcoal production and use. The present report focuses on the environmental and socio-economic effects of charcoal production and use. 72 refs., 20 figs., 38 tabs

This article examines findings from a qualitative investigation of how school district administrators in four mid to large sized urban school districts (10,000???50,000) identify and address differences in school performance. The analysis explores the interaction between district policies and actions that centralize and standardize expectations for teaching, learning, and leadership, and those that lead to the differentiation of district support to schools depending upon their identified needs. The findings demonstrate variability in district orientation and capacity to understand school needs to improve performance, as well as in district strategies for actually differentiating support to schools. Differentiated assistance can focus both on strengthening implementation of district expecta...

Migration has various dimensions; urbanization due to migration is one of them. In Rajasthan State, district level analysis of urbanization due to migrants shows trend invariably for all districts of the state, though the contribution in urbanization by migrants varies from district to district. In some districts the share of migrants moving to urban areas is very impressive, in others it is not that much high. The migrants' contribution is on the raising over the decades. In this paper, the district level migration in the Rajasthan State is examined in relation to total urbanization and urbanization due to migration.

Introduction A rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB) was conducted in Southern Zambia to establish the prevalence and causes of blindness in order to plan effective services and advocate for support for eye care to achieve the goals of VISION 2020: the right to sight. Methods Cluster randomisation was used to select villages in the survey area. These were further subdivided into segments. One segment was selected randomly and a survey team moved from house to house examining everyone over the age of 50 years. Each individual received a visual acuity assessment and simple ocular examination. Data was recorded on a standard proforma and entered into an established software programme for analysis. Results 2.29% of people over the age of 50 were found to be blind (VA correction). The major cause of blindness was cataract (47.2%) with posterior segment disease being the next main cause (18.8%). 113 eyes had received cataract surgery with 30.1% having a poor outcome (VA surgical coverage showed that men (72%) received more surgery than women (65%). Discussion The results from the RAAB survey in Zambia were very similar to the results from a similar survey in Malawi, where the main cause of blindness was cataract but posterior segment disease was also a significant contributor. Blindness in this part of Zambia is mainly avoidable and there is a need for comprehensive eye care services that can address both cataract and posterior segment disease in the population if the aim of VISION 2020 is to be achieved. Services should focus on quality and gender equity of cataract surgery. PMID:2172992

This paper examines managerial leadership and its cultural and historical foundations in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The analysis is based on existing literature, a qualitative analysis of African media reports, and quantitative results from the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness (GLOBE) project. The five SSA countries studied were Nigeria, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa (black sample). Results yielded several common themes that characterize SSA leadership patterns across the region. In particular, a common cultural characteristic, ubuntu, was reflected in high levels of group solidarity, paternalistic leadership, and Humane Oriented leadership. Although the negative legacy of colonial dominance has contributed to a culture of corruption, poverty, tribal...

Land inequality is one of the crucial underpinnings of long-run persistent wealth and asset inequality. This article assesses the colonial roots of land inequality from a comparative perspective. The evolution of land inequality is analysed in a cross-colonial multivariate regression framework complemented by an in-depth comparative case study of three former British colonies: Malaysia, Sierra Leone, and Zambia. The main conclusion is that the literature tends to overemphasize the role of geography and to underestimate the role of pre-colonial institutions in shaping the colonial political economic context in which land is (re)distributed from natives to colonial settlers.

Med udgangspunkt i etnografiske studier af samspillet mellem skole og ungdom i overbygningsskoler i Hanoi, Lusaka og Recife, diskuterer artiklen spørgsmål om hvordan unge forhandler og positionerer sig i forhold til det moderne uddannelsesprojekt sådan som det manifesterer sig i forskellige socio-kulturelle i Vietnam, Zambia og Brasilien. Artiklen introducerer kort til den generelle historiske baggrund for uddannelse i dette internationale perspektiv og diskuterer forestillingen om moderne progressiv pædagogik som dannelsesideal i en ikke-vestlig sammenhæng. Med reference til globaliseringsteorier til belysning af forholdet mellem unge og skole diskuteres forestillingen om transnationale ’uddannelseslandskaber’ som analyse-kategori til studiet af unges deltagelse i - moderne - skole og uddannelse.

This paper asks how investment in large-scale sugar cane production has contributed, and will contribute, to rural development in southern Africa. Taking a case study of the South African company Illovo in Zambia, the argument is made that the potential for greater tax revenue, domestic competition, access to resources and wealth distribution from sugar/ethanol production have all been perverted and with relatively little payoff in wage labour opportunities in return. If the benefits of agro-exports cannot be so easily assumed, then the prospective 'balance sheet' of biofuels needs to be re-examined. In this light, the paper advocates smaller-scale agrarian initiatives. PMID:20873031

This article establishes the level of skills and experience in preservation and conservation management using a case study methodological approach conducted in the 3 university libraries at the University of Zambia. The findings revealed that 20 (57%) of the library staff had not received formal training in preservation and conservation of library materials. The study further established that some of the major obstacles to the development and administration of preservation and conservation programs in the university libraries were lack of funds and necessary skills and qualifications in preservation and conservation techniques and practices. (Contains 25 notes and 3 tables.)

ESKOM is South Africa's leading electricity supplier, providing 97% of the Country's electricity supply by the end of 1989. The yearbook presents statistical data relating to ESKOM's finance, power stations, transmission and distribution equipment, customers, and electricity sales. Maps of ESKOM's 12 distribution regions within South Africa are included. Data relating to South Africa's electricity production and consumption and the electricity supply industries of the following Southern African Countries and regions are also presented: Bophuthatswana, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Transkei, Venda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The 8 papers in this report deal with the following areas: Green River Valley transportation action plan: the development of a successful interjurisdictional road-improvement plan; public-involvement process for identifying problems and alternative solutions for the Year 2010 transportation plan; Miami-downtown people mover demand analysis model; traffic-modeling techniques for the developing world: case studies; some issues in transport planning for third world cities; use of models by french consultants for urban transport planning in developing countries; stepwise regression model of development at nonmetropolitan interchanges; transport in rural areas of developing countries: empirical findings from Western Province, Zambia.

The operation of a district heating system depends on the heat load demand, which varies throughout the year. In this paper, we analyze the coproduction of district heat and electricity or biomotor fuels. We demonstrate how three different taxation scenarios and two crude oil price levels influence the selection of production units to minimize the district heat production cost and calculate the resulting primary energy use. Our analysis is based on the annual measured heat load of a district heating system. The minimum-cost district heat production system comprises different production units that meet the district heat demand and simultaneously minimize the district heat production cost. First, we optimize the cost of a district heat production system based on the cogeneration of electrici...

...Plan, Placer County Air Pollution Control District AGENCY...revisions to the Placer County Air Pollution Control District (PCAPCD...authority of the Clean Air Act as amended in 1990...a significant economic impact on a substantial...

Nov 16, 2011 ... Low-income populations and minority populations that are subject to .... Cultural resources are any prehistoric or historic district, site, ...... structure, building, designed site (e.g. park, cemetery), or district that is 50 years or older ...

This 4-page Clean Cities fact sheet describes the use of biodiesel fuel in 6 school districts throughout Kentucky. It contains usage information for each school district, as well as contact information for local Clean Cities Coordinators and Biodiesel suppliers.

...SUMMARY: The Philadelphia Center City District (CCD) has asked the Federal...requirements of 49 CFR part 661 to permit the Center City District to award a construction...are capable of withstanding tensile and shear stresses imposed, and capable of...

...Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Water Management Plans AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation...SUMMARY: The following Water Management Plans are available for review...Truckee-Carson Irrigation District. Goleta Water District. Delano-Earlimart...

...South Coast Air Quality Management District addressing the...approving certain State fumigant regulations and a revised...2012) (proposed rule on fumigant regulations and revised...South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD)...

...Restricted, Castaic, 12000863 CA-LAN-540, (Rock Art Sites of the Angeles National Forest, California) Address Restricted, Agua Dulce, 12000859 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA District of Columbia Maycroft, The, (Apartment Buildings in Washington, DC,...

...Register of Historic Places/National Historic Landmarks Program...County Sigourney Square Historic District (Boundary...817 S. Main St., Great Barrington, 11000614...Independent City St. Louis Place Historic District, Roughly...

...Friday) in London, KY. Redbird Ranger District: Manchester Enterprise, published weekly (Thursday) in Manchester, KY. Stearns Ranger District: McCreary County...2010-8742 Filed 4-20-10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE...

...COLUMBIA District of Columbia Park Road Courts, (Apartment Buildings in Washington, DC, MPS) 1346 Park Rd., NW...9th St., Lebo, 12000388 Sedgwick County Battin Apartments Historic District, (Residential Resources of...

... BLM Southern Nevada District Office...Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION...515-5173; address: BLM Southern Nevada District Office...biological, cultural, water, soil, visual...into the Final EIS. Authority: 40 CFR...

...U.S. Federal Highway Administration, District of Columbia Division...U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in coordination...of CSX's freight rail network that encompasses about 21...CONTACT: Federal Highway Administration, District of Columbia...

The results of a study to determine the technical, economic and environmental feasibility of geothermal district heating for Mammoth Lakes Village, California are presented. The geothermal district heating system selected is technically feasible and uses existing technology in its design and operation. During a preliminary environmental assessment, no potential adverse environmental impacts could be identified of sufficient consequence to preclude the construction and operation of the proposed district heating system. A follow-on program aimed at implementing district heating in Mammoth is outlined.

This is the final report for a program to establish the SECME Model in the District of Columbia. This program has seen the development of a partnership between the District of Columbia Public Schools, the University of the District of Columbia, the Department of Energy, and SECME. This partnership has demonstrated positive achievement in mathematics and science education and learning in students within the District of Columbia.

This paper describes the construction and operating experience of district heating power stations operated by Energieversorgung Oberhausen AG (EVO). EVO has operated its district heating system since 1958; today there are 110 km of supply lines with an installed heat capacity of about 515 MW. The paper makes suggestions for the design and operation of district heating distribution stations.

BACKGROUND--The aim was to establish a continuing district based confidential enquiry into deaths from asthma. METHODS--A confidential enquiry was conducted in an English health district. Subjects comprised 24 residents of the Norwich health district aged between 16 and 65 years who had died between...

18 pages, 2 tables, 4 figures | This research, following the Regional Innovation Systems and the Industrial Districts theoretical approaches, explores the innovation capacity of the two most important ceramic tile industrial districts in Europe, the Italian district (Sassuolo) and the Spanish distri...

As states approach the funding cliff marking the end of federal stimulus help for education, school districts will be feeling more financial pain than they're experiencing now. But there's good news amid the bad: Big city districts are showing schools nationwide a way to save money and improve efficiency by working together. They've created the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) system, which allows each of the nation's largest urban school districts to compare the performance of business operations, finance, human resources, and information technology across all 65 of the largest urban school districts in the nation. As a result, districts are saving millions of dollars.

This study examined the effects of four variables on job ratings provided by applicants for simulated superintendent vacancies. The participants were superintendents (n = 72) and superintendent-certified personnel (n = 72) reacting to jobs described in simulated position announcements. The participants rated jobs in districts without school councils higher than jobs in districts with school councils. Superintendents rated jobs in districts without school councils higher than did superintendent-certified personnel. Superintendents rated jobs in high-wealth districts with signing bonuses higher than jobs in a high-wealth district with no signing bonus. Implications for recruitment practice and future research are discussed. (Contains 4 tables and 2 figures.)

Miombo woodlands cover the transition zone between dry open savannas and moist forests in Southern Africa. They cover about 2.7 million km2 in southern Africa and provide many ecosystem services that support rural life, including medical products, wild foods, construction timber and fuel. In Zambia, as in many of its neighbouring countries, miombo woodlands are currently experiencing accelerating degradation and clearing, mostly with charcoal production as the initial driver. Domestic energy needs in the growing urban areas are largely satisfied by charcoal, which is less energy-efficient fuel on a tree-to-table basis than the firewood that is used in rural areas, but has a higher energy density and is thus cheaper to transport. This study uses data from inventories and from eddy covariance measurements of carbon exchange to characterize the impact of charcoal production on miombo woodlands. We address the following questions: (i) how much carbon is lost at local as well as at national scale and (ii) does forest degradation result in the loss of a carbon sink? On the basis of our data we (iii) estimate the per capita emissions through deforestation and forest degradation in Zambia and relate it to fossil fuel emissions. Furthermore, (iv) a rough estimate of the energy that is provided by charcoal production to private households at a national level is calculated and (v) options for alternative energy supply to private households are discussed.

Abstract The prevalence of antiretroviral therapy (ART) resistance mutations present in HIV-1 subtype C pol and env regions of the proviral DNA was analyzed and compared from therapy-naive individuals before (Cohort A) and after (Cohort B) the availability of free ART in Zambia. Mutations present in sequences published in a previous study from Zambian ART-naive individuals infected with subtype C were analyzed using current parameters for the classification of ART drug resistance and compared with Cohorts A and B. No statistically significant differences were observed when comparing mutations present in the pol and env of these cohorts. However, an increase in the number of minor, borderline, or partial resistance mutations as well as the presence of major resistance mutations were observed in Cohort B. These results suggest there is an increasing trend of drug resistance-associated mutations that could be a result of the availability of free ART in Zambia. Moreover, the high prevalence of resistance mutations observed for maraviroc and vicriviroc in both cohorts may suggest a limited efficacy of entry inhibitors on HIV-1 subtype C. PMID:12364373

In August and September, throughout south central Africa, seasonal clearing of dry vegetation and other fire-related activities lead to intense smoke haze and ozone formation. The first ozone soundings in the heart of the southern African burning region were taken at Lusaka, Zambia (155 deg S, 28 deg E) in early September 2000. Over 90 ppbv ozone was recorded at the surface (1.3 km elevation) and column tropospheric ozone was greater than 50 DU during a stagnant period. These values are much higher than concurrent measurements over Nairobi (1 deg S, 38 deg E) and Irene (25 deg S, 28 deg E, near Pretoria). The heaviest ozone pollution layer (800-500 hPa) over Lusaka is due to recirculated trans-boundary ozone. Starting out over Zambia, Angola, and Namibia, ozone heads east to the Indian Ocean, before turning back over Mozambique and Zimbabwe, heading toward Lusaka. Thus, Lusaka is a collection point for pollution, consistent with a picture of absolutely stable layers recirculating in a gyre over southern Africa.

?Priority Urban Redevelopment Areas? in Tokyo, Japan, are currently undergoing large-scale urban renewal. However, the heat island phenomenon has become a serious problem in large cities in Japan.We surveyed the temperature and wind conditions in two adjacent areas: a new skyscraper district on the coast (A district) and a typical inland urban district (B district). Our observations indicated local temperature increases and unstable wind with weak velocity in B district.It is possible that differences in the wind environment influence the local temperature. We analyzed the relationship between undulations in ground level and the wind environment by wind tunnel experiments. The results confirmed that there was a weak wind area in B district located behind A district from the direction of the coastline.Our findings indicate that it is important to consider the heat island phenomenon in urban planning in order to make best use of the cooling effect of the breeze from the sea at waterfront areas.   

This study examined Alabama and Tennessee state education report card data for 1998 through 2003. The purpose of the study was to determine whether there were measurable differences in reported accountability indicators between districts that elected and those that appointed superintendents. The study also examined trends in attrition and hiring or electing of male and female superintendents in city and county school districts. Personal interviews and published research indicated that the district superintendency is often a high-risk position. Turnover may be linked to district performance, as well as to factors not reported on district or state education report cards. The data consisted of accountability indicators for 128 Alabama public school districts and 138 Tennessee public school districts. The analysis used t-tests of statistical significance and a series of regression analyses to identify the relationships among the variables of interest. These included funding sources, student socioeconomic status, expenditure per pupil, and teacher education level. Results indicate significant differences in performance indicators between districts that elected and those that appointed superintendents (Alabama) and between city and county districts with appointed superintendents (Tennessee). Gender was a significant predictor on more indicators for the Tennessee report card data than for Alabama, although females were no more likely to be appointed than elected in either city or county school districts. Data for several high-risk districts, those that had as many as three or four superintendents in a 5-year period, were examined to determine if performance indicators were significantly different than for districts with lower superintendent turnover. Although a district on Caution or Alert status was linked to superintendent turnover, districts with the highest turnover rates were on Clear status. Forty-one percent of appointed and 45% of elected Alabama superintendents remained in office from 1999 to 2003. (Contains 5 tables and 23 references.) (Author/SLD)

Nearly every state focuses on implementing standards-based systems but supports educational reform in as many different ways as there are states. An examination of 15 districts located in 13 states suggests, however, that some states and districts have policies and practices in common that support a district's capacity for reform, whether there is an emphasis on professional development, accountability, or student-assessment. Schools in the study benefited from five state practices: development and/or adoption of clear and precise state standards, development of standards-based criterion-referenced assessment programs, provision of professional development, inclusion of rewards and assistance components in state accountability systems, and distribution of federal and state grants supporting reform. District activities that benefited schools in nearly all the states included aligning curricula to standards, building instructional capacity, supporting collaboration among teachers, adopting a district-performance assessment program, evaluating reform practices, fostering relationships in and outside of the district, supporting effective decentralized management, and aligning funding streams to target district and school goals. Some districts emphasizing professional development were more likely to evaluate it for its influence on teacher practices. Districts emphasizing accountability reported benefiting from state reward-and-assistance components. Those focusing on standards-aligned assessment of students' mastery of standards, without an extensive accountability system, were more likely to prefer aligning each district's assessment program with the state's assessment and to evaluate teachers based on their work in the standards-based system. (RKJ)

FVB Sweden and Profu have compiled the current knowledge and possible research issues for the Framework Council of the Swedish District Heating Association concerning major prevailing conditions from the fundamental idea of district heating, the benefits of district heating, and institutional conditions. A short survey of international district heating research is also given. With support from this compilation, the following 9 long term research issues and 5 short term issues for analysis are recommended for further work: Long term research issues: What principles, market values and definition are valid for surplus heat from the energy system? How will the future market for biomass fuels develop in Northern Europe? What are the future heat demands in the Swedish buildings? What are the optimal district heat price with respect to price elasticity, CHP, waste incineration, and industrial surplus heat? What are the overall risks with district heating and how shall these risks be assessed? How shall the energy efficiency for district heating systems be expressed in a simply way? How can the severe electricity dependency be reduced in district heating systems? Consequences and mitigation of really large accidents in district heating systems? What are the combined effects from all energy EC-directives for the Swedish district heating sector? Short term issues for analysis: Elimination of reduction of CHP operation at cold weather? Possible ways of increasing the power-to-heat ratio in existing CHP plants? Which Swedish and international branch rules are used in district heating systems? What are the experiences about tax and market induced incentives from the Swedish district heating systems? What are available knowledge and expectations of third party access in district heating systems?

This is a study of the practices utilized by four school districts, two with high and two with low retention rates of teachers, to examine how similarities and differences in selected human resources practices relate to the successful retention of teachers in these districts. The factors studied that may impact teacher retention included screening and selection processes, criteria used to select individuals for employment as teachers, the orientation/indoctrination programs, mentoring initiatives, professional development activities, teacher evaluation/performance assessments, and factors unique to each school district such as a sense of belonging to the organization. Teacher retention rates were calculated from among 27 school districts using data from the Personnel Master File (PMF) contained within the Basic Education Data System (BEDS) maintained by the New York State Department of Education. Two school districts with high retention rates and two districts with low retention rates were selected for the study. Using a case study methodology the researcher reviewed documents used in the screening and selection process and interviewed individuals who participate and/or have a role in the pre-employment screening process in each district. The following similarities were found in the process used to screen and select the candidates for employment as a teacher in all four districts: (1) Utilization of an electronic application;(2) The initial screening interviews are conducted at the "building level"; (3) Candidates are required to conduct a sample lesson; (4) References are checked although cautious weight is given to references. In the two districts with high retention rate of teachers, trustees of the Board of Education are involved in the initial building level interviews and throughout the screening and selection process. In one of the high retention rate districts, the final selection is made by the majority of trustees. A difference among all four districts was how the final selection was made. Each district had a different decision maker in selecting the successful candidate. These decision makers were as follows: (1) The Superintendent; (2) The Trustees of the Board of Education; (3) A collaborative decision between the Superintendent and Building Principal; (4) The Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources with notification to the Superintendent. Three of the four districts had a formal induction/orientation for new teachers while one of the high retention districts does not have a formal program although new teachers participate in a one day orientation meeting. All four districts have adopted a formal mentoring program; however, the two districts with the higher retention rates adopted their mentoring program in 2004 when required to do so by the Commissioner of Education. The two districts with a lower retention rate have had a mentoring program in place for over 20 years. All four districts have professional development initiatives but there were differences in the focus and content of these programs. Similar to professional development each school district has a process in place to annually evaluate the performance of new teachers, but the process is different in each district. In terms of factors unique to each district these case studies found that a sense of belongingness, which impacts motivation, may have been a contributor to the districts' retention rates. In the two districts with high retention rates there was a strong sense of belongingness and the organization fostered a collegial working environment to motivated teachers to stay. In the districts with low retention, factors were identified that may have contributed to alienating some new teachers thus contributed to a lower retention rate. Given the fact that the study was drawn from a small sample of suburban school districts, within the same geographic area, generalizations cannot be drawn from this study. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without p

Because of many advantages associated with central utility systems, school campuses, from large universities to elementary schools, have used district energy for decades. District energy facilities enable thermal and electric utilities to be generated with greater efficiency and higher system reliability, while requiring fewer maintenance and operations personnel. The scale of district energy systems provides opportunities to generate and deliver energy to school buildings in a more sustainable manner. Renewable energy, combined heat and power (CHP), and thermal energy storage are expensive to install and impractical to maintain within a proposed building's site. Because of the scale of district energy, these challenges can be overcome when installing them within the district energy system itself. As such, district energy often is the ideal choice for buildings pursuing LEED certification.

In looking for examples of districts that were making gains both in assuring teacher quality and in reducing gaps in student achievement, researchers continually came to Clark County, Nevada and Hamilton County, Tennessee. While the road to reform and the specific steps each district took were different, they shared a fundamental element--in both districts, success can be directly linked to the collaboration of the local teachers' union and the school district. Single-minded focus on improving student achievement and a willingness to be flexible allowed these two, often adversarial groups, to work together with outstanding results. Their stories are proof that unions and districts can collaborate successfully to improve student achievement. Clark County and Hamilton County also provide guidance to other districts as they seek support in teaching and learning for all. (Contains 13 tables as Appendix 1 and Selected Resources as Appendix 2. Also contains 22 footnotes.) [This report was funded by the NEA Foundation.

The development of district heating systems in Denmark is described. Government initiatives following the oil crisis of the early 1970s included the development of a comprehensive natural gas system, converting traditional power plants to combined heat and power (CHP) production, and promoting efficient use of energy for room heating. One of the main elements of Danish energy policy has been the development of CHP technology. Denmark's major cities all utilise CHP and waste incineration for district heating. District heating also has a key role in meeting Denmark's commitments to the Kyoto Protocol. The various technical solutions used to provide district heating from CHP and renewable resources, the district heating system in Copenhagen and the technologies used for small-scale district heating and neighbourhood heating in Denmark are outlined.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is everywhere. The technology lets users make and receive phone calls over the Internet, transporting voice traffic alongside data traffic such as instant messages (IMs) and e-mail. While the number of consumer customers using VoIP increases every week, the technology is finding its way into K-12 education as well. In the last few years, VoIP has helped many school districts save big bucks on phone charges and administrative costs, as well as improve communications across the board. In three districts in particular, Clark County School District (Nevada), David Douglas School District (Oregon), and Saugus Union School District (California), the technology has revolutionized telecom strategies, inspiring flexibility, creativity, and connectivity in ways technologists never dreamed. This article shares the stories of these three districts which successfully implemented VoIP to enhance their communication systems.

This report concerns: Kaliningrad Regional District Heating Network project which was implemented from 2004 to 2006. The task of the project was to establish and operate an association for district heating companies in the region in order to transfer and distribute district heating know-how to the sector and through activities strengthen the sector. The long term aim was to contribute to establishment of an association to continue as a real association for the heat supply companies in the region. (au)

The TERMO-technology programme was realised in 1993-1997. The aim of the programme was to promote the profitability and sustainable development of district heating by means of research and development actions. The programme included 36 research projects that were distributed to four research areas. These included heat distribution, metering, information and control systems, the economy of district heating as well as system development. The costs totaled to FIM 12 million. The programme was financed by the participating companies and the Technology Development Centre TEKES. Around eighty Finnish companies and institutions participated in the programme. In addition, the programme participated in international research cooperation in the framework of the Nordic Council of Ministers and the International Energy Agency programmes. The research area Heat Distribution included projects on rehabilitation and status control of district heating networks, pumping, thermal stresses in district heating pipes, material questions, water treatment, steam pipe systems as well as drag reducing additives in district heating water. The research area Metering, Information and Control Systems included projects on forecasts of district heating load, calibration of flow meters, heat cost allocation in buildings, control systems and their qualifications in buildings and improved cooling of district heating water in the consumer equipment. The research area Economy included projects on determination of subscribed heat demand, pricing methods of district heating, success factors of energy companies as well as long term prospects of district heating in Finland. The research area System Development included projects on changing heat loads, district cooling as well as combined heat and power production. After the TERMO programme joint efforts will be continued for the development of district heating technology. The emphasis will be to improve the feasibility of combined heat and power production in connection with district heating and cooling. This technology will have an increasing market both in Finland, elsewhere in Europe and globally. (orig.)

School districts are faced with challenges resulting from the changing demographics of the student population. Consequently, school districts are creating positive, multicultural learning environments. School districts intent on establishing multicultural learning environments should consider the contributions people of color, specifically women of color can make in leading the endeavor. This study highlights the insights and experiences of three women of color school leaders. Their stories demonstrate how leadership from women of color contributes to the development of positive, multicultural learning environments. Their stories provide insight for school districts as they seek effective leadership for their schools and for administration preparation programs as they prepare aspiring school leaders.

Campbell County School District Planetarium, Gillette, Wyoming .... Challenger STEM Learning Center University of Tennessee Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tennessee .... Ho Tung Visualization Lab at Colgate University, Hamilton, New York ...

...Available Retrofit Control Technology for...Commercial Boilers, Steam Generators, and Process...Alternative Control Techniques Document...Air Pollution Control District. (1...Commercial Boiler, Steam Generator and Process...

...parish, village, local public authority...district, council of governments, or any other regional...instrumentality of a local government exclusive of institutions...renewable energy and alternative transportation fuel. Public...

This report presents an assessment of geothermal district heating in the City of La Grande, Oregon. Eight study area districts were analyzed to determine their economic feasibility. Results from the analyses conclude that certain districts within the City of La Grande are economically feasible if certain assumptions are correct. Development of geothermal district heating for these areas would provide direct energy and dollar savings to the building owners and would also provide direct and indirect benefits to low and moderate income households within the City.

Uutest heliplaatidest Dimitri from Paris "Cruising Attitude", Tim Hecker "Mirages", Ludacris "The Red Light District", Mario Frangoulis "Follow Your Heart", Loits "Vere kutse kohustab", "Flamenco Chill Sessions"

...South Atlantic=Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia; East North Central=Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin; East South...

...Blvd., Reno BLM Southern Nevada District Office, 4701...Valley. In 1998, the Southern Nevada Public Land Management...resources (botanical, water, paleontological...appeal requirements. Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6...

For 30 years, the Academy for Educational Development (AED) has worked to support African development. In Uganda, Tanzania, and Botswana AED promoted some of Africa's first AIDS prevention programs. AED is funding research in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and perhaps Zambia that will target stigma and its role in AIDS prevention. Working with governments and the private sector AED has supported programs that saved millions of children from illness and malnutrition. In education, AED has pioneered work on girls education and on educational reform. Working with the Kellogg Foundation, AED is supporting the development of a regional leadership network for the countries of southern Africa, including South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and Swaziland. This booklet presents a brief overview of 35 AED projects and programs in Africa, demonstrating the breadth of technical collaboration with governments and non-governmental organizations across the continent. (BT)

The infectivity of Echinostoma friedi (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae) miracidia was studied experimentally in a range of laboratory-reared snails that coexist in the same natural locality, namely Radix peregra, Lymnaea fuscus, L. truncatula (Lymnaeidae), Gyraulus chinensis, Helisoma duryi (Planorbidae) and Physella acuta (Physidae), and snails from different geographical origins acting naturally or experimentally as intermediate hosts of Schistosoma spp., namely Planorbarius metidjensis (from Málaga, Spain), Biomphalaria glabrata (Guadeloupe), B. alexandrina (Egypt) (Planorbidae), Bulinus cernicus (Mauritius), B. globosus (Zambia), B. natalensis (South Africa) and B. truncatus (Niger) (Bulinidae). Six species of snails were found to be susceptible, with the rate of infection ranging from 0 to 36.7%. The highest infection was detected in R. peregra. The low host specificity of E. friedi might have an epidemiological significance as a requisite for a recent establishment in a new geographical area. PMID:16923279

There are a number of published residual-type methods for deriving tropospheric ozone from TOMS (Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer). The basic concept of these methods is that within a zone of constant stratospheric ozone, the tropospheric ozone column can be computed by subtracting stratospheric ozone from the TOMS Level 2 total ozone column, We used the modified-residual method for retrieving tropospheric ozone during SAFARI-2000 and found disagreements with in-situ ozone data over Africa in September 2000. Using the newly developed TDOT (TOMS-Direct-Ozone-in-Troposphere) method that uses TOMS radiances and a modified lookup table based on actual profiles during high ozone pollution periods, new maps were prepared and found to compare better to soundings over Lusaka, Zambia (15.5 S, 28 E), Nairobi and several African cities where MOZAIC aircraft operated in September 2000. The TDOT technique and comparisons are described in detail.

Six new taxa of Chlorophytum (five from Zambia and one from Malawi) are described, namely C. bulbinifolium Hoell &Nordal, C. zambiense Bjora &Nordal, C. chelindaensis Kativu &Nordal, C. clarae Bjora &Nordal, C. blepharophyllum Schweinf. ex Baker ssp. rubropygmaeum Bjora &Nordal, and C. blepharophyllum Schweinf. ex Baker ssp. pendulum Hoell &Nordal. The sister group relationships of the new taxa were studied by cladistic analyses of nuclear and chloroplast DNA sequences. Chlorophytum bulbinifolium has an isolated position in the cladogram. It is morphologically closest to C. subpetiolatum (Baker) Kativu, but differs by its narrow succulent leaves and smaller flowers. Chlorophytum zambiense is nested with C. andongense Baker, C. macrosporum Baker, and C. viridescens Engl., but differs by bei...

The United States is currently dependent on foreign suppliers for many of its strategic and critical materials. Chrome, platinum, and manganese are primarily supplied by South Africa and the Soviet Union. Zaire and Zambia are the major sources of cobalt. Budgetary cutbacks over the last 20 yr have reduced the stockpiles maintained for defense use. Many are currently in deficit. Considering the tenuous relationships the United States maintains with many of the countries relied on for these strategic materials, an alternative source of materials would be welcomed. One potential source of some of these strategic and critical materials is uranium mill tailings. Substantial quantities of uranium, vanadium, molybdenum, and cobalt have been successfully recovered from uranium mill tailings at Durango, Old Rifle, Grand Junction, Colorado, and Mexican Hat, Utah. The national defense stockpile currently has a deficit of cobalt and vanadium. Other strategic materials currently in deficit (nickel, platinum, palladium, etc.) also may be recoverable from mill tailings.

Behaviour of metals like Cu and Co was studied in nearly neutral (pH ? 6.4) mine drainage seepage in a stream downgradient of a tailing dam at Chambishi site in the Copperbelt of Zambia. They are attenuated by precipitation of ferruginous ochres that incorporate significant quantities of metals. Using chemical analysis, X-ray powder diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy, we show that the ochres are composed mostly of amorphous ferric hydroxide. Close to the seepage face, the total Fe content of ochres increases due to precipitation of amorphous ferric hydroxide, but total Fe in sediment decreases further downstream. The stream then flows through wetland (dambo) where the remaining fraction of metals is removed. During rainy periods, increased flow rate may result in re-suspension of ochre...

A survey for Schistosoma intercalatum conducted in Kinshasa, Zaire, in September 1994 revealed a prevalence of 3.6% (n = 167). Three isolates of schistosomes were made by exposing Bulinus wrighti to miracidia hatched from eggs collected from 2 infected children. Characterization of the isolates by biochemical (isoenzymes of phosphoglucomutase), molecular (restriction fragment length polymorphism and randomly amplified polymorphic deoxyribonucleic acid analysis) and morphological (egg measurements) techniques confirmed the existence of an autochthonous transmission focus of S. intercalatum in Kinshasa. The study also provided evidence of the occurrence of natural hybridization between S. intercalatum and S. haematobium. No potential snail host for either species was found in the 2 rivers examined. Apart from Bu. globosus from Zambia and Bu. wrighti, snail infection experiments showed an incompatible relationship between the parasite isolates and snails belonging to the Bu. forskalii group, the Bu. iruncatus/Bu. tropicus complex, and the Bu. africanus group. PMID:9231190

Summary Objectives This study was carried out to assess whether delaying umbilical cord clamping is effective in improving the haematological status of term infants living in a malaria-endemic area, and whether this is associated with complications in infants and mothers. Methods We randomly assigned women delivering term babies in Mpongwe Mission Hospital, Zambia, to delayed cord clamping (DCC, n = 46) or immediate cord clamping (controls, n = 45) and followed their infants on a bi-monthly basis until the age of 6 months. We compared the haemoglobin (Hb) change from cord values and the proportion of anaemic infants. Secondary outcomes related to infant and maternal safety. Results Throughout the observation period infant Hb levels in both groups declined, but more rapidly in controls than...

Empirical studies of the relationship between school inputs and test scores typically do not account for the fact that households will respond to changes in school inputs. We present a dynamic household optimization model relating test scores to school and household inputs, and test its predictions in two very different low-income country settings--Zambia and India. We measure household spending changes and student test score gains in response to unanticipated as well as anticipated changes in school funding. Consistent with the optimization model, we find in both settings that households offset anticipated grants more than unanticipated grants. We also find that unanticipated school grants lead to significant improvements in student test scores but anticipated grants have no impact on test scores. Our results suggest that naive estimates of public education spending on learning outcomes that do not account for optimal household responses are likely to be considerably biased if used to estimate parameters of an education production function.

Summary Background Innovative prevention strategies for HIV-1 transmission are urgently needed. PRO2000 vaginal gel was efficacious against HIV-1 transmission in studies in macaques; we aimed to assess efficacy and safety of 2% and 05% PRO2000 gels against vaginal HIV-1 transmission in women in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods Microbicides Development Programme 301 was a phase 3, randomised, double-blind, parallel-group trial, undertaken at 13 clinics in South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. We randomly assigned sexually active women, aged 18 years or older (?16 years in Tanzania and Uganda) without HIV-1 infection in a 1:1:1 ratio to 2% PRO2000, 05% PRO2000, or placebo gel groups for 52 weeks (up to 104 weeks in Uganda). Randomisation was done by computerised random number generator. ...

In international debates about post-colonial writing, Zambian literature is largely invisible - overshadowed (as Zambia is in several other regards) by the powerful regional pull of neighbouring South Africa. Moreover, those critics who have written about Zambian texts from the national and regional perspective have tended to represent them as all-too-often aesthetically wanting (i.e. subordinated to journalistic discourses) and almost entirely consumed by the debate about the relative merits of 'modernity' versus 'tradition', usually imagined as the cultural contrast between the city and the country. This article seeks to bypass those trends. Its focus is a recent collection of short fictions edited by Zambian women, which takes both the complexity and the urban inflections of contemporar...

Zambia is well endowed with hydropower and other energy resources, which could facilitate production of electricity for both urban and rural areas of the country. The country has an installed electricity generation capacity of 1786MW and undeveloped hydropower potential of over 6000MW. In the last few years, demand has been growing and it is anticipated to outstrip supply in 2008. The load growth is attributed to increased mining activities and development of the industrial base. The country is also endowed with abundant natural resources such as arable land, water, minerals and wildlife. With the available resource base, electricity along with other social and economic infrastructure such as roads and telecommunications could facilitate increased economic activities. In rural areas, elect...

The composition of tree rings and soils was studied at several locations affected by smelting and transportation in the vicinity of Kitwe (Copperbelt, Zambia). The contents of cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and lead (Pb) and the 206Pb/207Pb isotope ratios in the tree rings were interpreted in relation to potential sources of contamination such as smelter production, acidification of the environment, soil composition, raw material processing, and atmospheric suspended particulate matter (SPM). The highest Co contents in the tree rings correspond to maximum ore production in the mid-1970s. Acidification through SO2 emissions is documented in the increased Mn contents from the mid-1980s. The isotopic composition of the tree rings of the studied tree species varies in the interval 1...

Abstract Human trichomoniasis, caused by the protozoan Trichomonas vaginalis, is a highly prevalent sexually transmitted infection. However, little is known about the degree of strain variability of T. vaginalis. A reliable classification method for T. vaginalis strains would be a useful tool in the study of the epidemiology, pathogenesis and transmission of T. vaginalis. A PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism typing method was designed and evaluated using T. vaginalis isolates obtained after culture of vaginal specimens collected in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Zambia. The variation of the actin gene of T. vaginalis was determined for three ATCC reference strains and 151 T. vaginalis isolates. Eight different types were identified, on the basis of the digestion patterns...

Abstract Background: Vaginal microbicides are in development for the prevention of HIV transmission to women via sexual intercourse. Acceptability of the microbicide delivery method in the targeted population is important to product adherence and, therefore, product effectiveness. It is anticipated that multiple delivery methods will be required to satisfy personal preferences among future microbicide users. Methods: A total of 526 sexually active women aged 18â??30 years participated in a consumer product preference study in Burkina Faso, Tanzania, and Zambia. Screened women who had given consent were instructed to use each of the three products (placebo formulations of a vaginal tablet, film, and soft-gel capsule) once daily for 7 consecutive days for a total of 21 days. Women were inter...

Wankie is Zimbabwe's only coal mine. The coalfield is of lower Permian age and the coal is contained principally in a relatively undisturbed shallow-dipping seam varying in thickness from 3m to 13m and in depth from 30m to 400. Development started in the 1890's. Wankie today is a 5.5 Mt/y mine but retains a mixture of old and new with labor-intensive underground mining contrasting strongly with opencast strip mining using the most up to date technology. Opencast now produces 85% of Wankie's coal. Coal is hauled by rail to the Bulawayo power station, or fed by overland conveyor to the Hwange power station. Coke is exported to Zambia and Zaire. Wankie has sufficient reserves of coal to last another century and expects substantial increase in domestic demand in coming years. The main management challenge today is to balance the need to expand and to compete on the world market.

(Neuro)cysticercosis is an important zoonotic disease caused by infection with Taenia solium metacestode larvae. Existing immunodiagnostic techniques detect antibodies and circulating antigens (Ag) in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Blood/CSF collection is an invasive procedure associated with blood-borne infections and is often not well accepted by communities. Detection of circulating Ag in urine has been suggested as an alternative, however this has been evaluated in clinical settings only. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the performance of a urine Ag-ELISA under field conditions. Paired serum and urine samples were obtained from participants in endemic areas of Ecuador (n=748) and Zambia (n=690) and were subjected to a monoclonal antibody-based Ag-ELISA. Calculation o...

Describes energy resources and demand of countries in sub-equatorial Africa, including Angola, Mozambique, Zaire, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania. The region is well endowed with most energy resources with the exception of oil; even so, the region is unduly dependent on oil. There are large reserves of hydropower which can be developed. Coal as an energy source is likely to increase with a significant growth in the export potential of the region. The change in energy mix will be accelerated by the need to move away from depleting traditional energy forms. Various scenarios are used to determine possible energy demand and sectorial mix to 2020. 9 refs., 1 fig., 14 tabs.

A capture operation to ascertain health status in free-ranging buffaloes from six different areas in the Caprivi Strip in the northeast corner of Namibia was conducted in October 2009. Basic information on the ticks and tick-borne pathogens normally found in wildlife from this area are scarce. The objective of this study was to assess the host status of African buffaloes, Syncerus caffer, for ixodid ticks and two selected tick-borne pathogens in the Caprivi Strip, a key area bordering Angola, Zambia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. Four different tick species have been identified among the 233 collected specimens, and, of 95 tested buffaloes, 54 (57%) were positive for Theileria parva, whereas only 3 (3%) showed evidence of being infected with Ehrlichia ruminantium. PMID:22204058

The 16 conference papers in this collection describe various ways in which counselling is used in distance education in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Thailand, the United Kingdom, West Germany, and Zambia. Following an introduction by Alan Tait, the following papers are presented: (1) "Counselling in the Open University of the Netherlands" (Addie Birkhoff, Annette Douwes, and Claudia Ghijssen Cohen); (2) "New Developments in the Counselling of Students with Disabilities: Computer Databases" (Nigel Cutress); (3) "Stress Management at a Distance" (Sue Dorland); (4) "Self-Selection by Special Entrants--Does It Work?" (David Edge); (5) "Vocational Guidance Provision for Distance Students in Higher Education--Some Findings from an International Survey" (Judith Fage); (6) "Steps to Your Future" (Ruby Gervais); (7) "The 'Dual-Mode Professor'--the Subject Specialist as Tutor" (Sally Haag); (8) "Empathy as a Characteristic of Distance Education--Theory and Empirical Findings" (Borje Holmberg); (9) "Open Learning and the National Certificate in Scotland--Implications for Guidance" (Elspeth Johnson and Carl Togneri); (10) "The Support Needs for Older Students in Distance Education" (Patrick Kelly, Nigel Cutress, and Fiona Palmer); (11) "Telephone Counselling--the Case of the Thailand Open University" (Bira Ketkeaw); (12) "A Carrot for the Teacher: A Training Package Which Aims To Encourage Distance Education To Develop Appropriate Counselling Skills" (Jennette Newport); (13) "Counselling Open University Students in the Prisons of Ireland" (Diane Purcell); (14) "Study Skills and Personal Development" (Sylvia Rhys); (15) "Personal and Professional Development of Counsellors for External Students--A National Perspective for Australia" (Margaret Shapcott); and (16) "Towards the Integration of Counselling Services into Distance Education at the University of Zambia" (Richard Siaciwena). (CGD)

Background Taenia solium taeniosis/cysticercosis is a parasitic infection occurring in many developing countries. Data on the status of human infections in Zambia is largely lacking. We conducted a community-based study in Eastern Zambia to determine the prevalence of human taeniosis and cysticercosis in a rural community. Methods and Findings Stool and serum samples were collected from willing participants. Geographical references of the participants' households were determined and household questionnaires administered. Taeniosis was diagnosed in stool samples by coprology and by the polyclonal antibody-based copro-antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (copro-Ag ELISA), while cysticercosis was diagnosed in serum by the B158/B60 monoclonal antibody-based antigen ELISA (sero-Ag ELISA). Identification of the collected tapeworm after niclosamide treatment and purgation was done using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). A total of 255 households from 20 villages participated in the study, 718 stool and 708 serum samples were collected and examined. Forty-five faecal samples (6.3%) were found positive for taeniosis on copro-Ag ELISA while circulating cysticercus antigen was detected in 5.8% (41/708) individuals. The tapeworm recovered from one of the cases was confirmed to be T. solium on PCR-RFLP. Seropositivity (cysticercosis) was significantly positively related to age (p?=?0.00) and to copro-Ag positivity (taeniosis) (p?=?0.03) but not to gender. Change point analysis revealed that the frequency of cysticercus antigens increased significantly in individuals above the age of 30. Copro-Ag positivity was not related to age or gender. The following risk factors were noted to be present in the study community: free-range pig husbandry system and poor sanitation with 47.8% of the households visited lacking latrines. Conclusions This study has recorded high taeniosis and cysticercosis prevalences and identified the need for further studies on transmission dynamics and impact of the disease on the local people. PMID:16672105

The Ministry of Health and WHO recommend establishment of a National AIDS Advisory Council in Zambia with that country's president or vice president leading it to strengthen AIDS prevention efforts. They conclude that HIV/AIDS is a major health problem in Zambia. Other advice includes more resources for caring for AIDS cases, improvement of AIDS reporting, and creation of a national board or committee on blood transfusion. The National Council would unify policies and activities of the National AIDS Prevention and Control Programme (NAPCP) and guarantee more government funding for NAPCP. Yet the Deputy Minister of Health does not support its creation because the country's new government, which came into power in late 1991, wants to create a National Health Council with various committees centering on different health issues including AIDS. Yet the new government has not paid any more attention to AIDS than the prior government. Instead it puts most of its efforts into reconstructing the bankrupt economy and paying off the country's debt. The new Minister of Health claims health workers are putting too much emphasis on AIDS while malaria kills more people than does HIV. The new government has tried to distribute more drugs in the health care system, however. AIDS health workers always face shortages in medical supplies, drugs, transportation, and accommodation. 75% of patients at urban hospitals are at least HIV infected, up from 13% in 1986. This is evidence of how HIV/AIDS is already burdening the system. By December 1991, the number of recorded AIDS and AIDS Related Complex cases was 24,519 but the actual number is probably much higher. The new government hopes to engage private companies in the fight against AIDS. It also intends to mainstream AIDS into the health care and education system particularly in rural areas. PMID:12317823

District heating networks increasingly are expanding into areas with single family houses. The economics of each project normally decides if a specific network will be constructed, but there is also an environmental dimension in the decision-making. Beside economics, environmental friendliness is often a complimentary argument for customers in the situation to decide if they want to connect to district heating. to connect to district heating. When expanding district heating distributions systems into areas with lower heat density, the economic cost for using district heating will increase compared to more densely build areas. At the same time, the environmental impacts from the district heating system will increase; construction of more pipes, excavation of longer pipe trenches, and increased heat losses will all contribute to this. more pipes, excavation of longer pipe trenches, and increased heat losses will all contribute to this. This study investigates the environmental limitations for use of district heating in areas with low heat density. Life cycle methodology is used to model and compare the environmental impacts from the heating of a single family house (20 MWh/year) by a local oil furnace or by district heating, using Swedish average district heating and varying the linear heat density of the district heating distribution system. The district heating pipes studied are PUR-insulated steel pipes of twin type. Environmental impacts have been characterized as contributions to global warming, acidification, eutrofication and use of finite resources, as well as weighted into single point indicators according to EPS, Ecolndicator99 and ExternE systems. This study does not regard the economy of the use of to EPS, Ecolndicator99 and ExternE systems. This study does not regard the economy of the use of district heating. Over all, Swedish average district heating production competes well with oil fuelled furnaces also in areas with low heat density down to a linear heat density of 0,2-0,3 MWh/m. The use of better insulated pipes, preferably with low environmental impacts during production and network construction, increases the environmental competitiveness of district heating. Acidification and eutrofication should be given special attention when discussing heat generation for district heating. (orig.)

Purpose: This study examines policies set in the collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) negotiated between teachers' unions and school boards and explores what kinds of districts have contract provisions that restrict district administrators, enhance administrative flexibility, and/or improve teachers' professional work lives and that have contracts that are more restrictive overall. Method: The author analyzes a sample of 465 California CBAs and uses linear probability models to highlight the relationships between a set of 95 representative provisions and characteristics of districts that may make them "hard to staff." A measure of overall contract restrictiveness is generated and used to assess the relationships between these district characteristics and contract strength. Findings: Some CBA provisions restrict district administrators, whereas others may provide administrators with greater flexibilities. In addition, many provisions serve to enhance teachers' working conditions. Many of the most restrictive clauses are more frequently found in the contracts of urban districts and districts with higher proportions of minority and poor students. However, many of these same districts have contracts that include important flexibilities and provisions that may enhance teachers' working conditions. Large and urban districts have more restrictive contracts overall, although districts with high proportions of poor and minority students do not. Implications: As policymakers consider renegotiating provisions within CBAs and diminishing the strength of CBAs themselves, it will be important to consider the specific regulations within CBAs and whether they truly constrain administrators or serve some other purpose and whether specific high-need districts are more or less harmed by the contents of CBAs. (Contains 3 tables and 9 notes.)

During FY 1999 the Colville Tribes and the Okanogan Irrigation District (OID) agreed to study the feasibility of restoring and enhancing anadromous fish populations in Salmon Creek while maintaining the ability of the district to continue full water service delivery to it members.

This empirical study looks at coordination and cooperation within five district councils in Tanzania with a special focus on efforts to reduce maternal mortality. In what ways do district councils cooperate with local communities, civil society organisations and the private sector to improve materna...

Outlines the cash management program developed by the Orangeburg School District (SC) for the district's funds. They take bids from banks before deciding which bank to use for all their services, including an investment program. This new system has saved $30,000 in the first year. Sidebars tell how to shop for bank services and list technical assistance resources. (MD)

Ethno-botanical explorations with regard to the folk-lore medicine in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu and Palghat district of Kerala for jaundice was carried out. Out of twenty remedies thus gathered two are found to be new reports and a few others have got interesting combination. The specimens a...

The St. Johns River Water Management District plans to develop a comprehensive modeling system for the Lower St. Johns River Estuary. This report reviews present water quality data-gathering efforts, recommends additional data efforts, and recommends and discusses a water quality model suitable to meet the objectives of the Water Management District.

During the winter of 1988-1989, parents of 2,789 elementary school students completed standardized questionnaires. The students were 5-14 years of age and were from three urban districts and one suburban district of three large Chinese cities. The 4-y average ambient levels of ...

Non-government interveners have been at the forefront of school-level change for over a decade, yet little is known about their capacity to foster change at the district level. This paper develops a theoretical frame for analyzing district-level intervention and applies it to the National Alliance for Restructuring Education. The frame highlights three factors that are salient for reformers' efforts to enhance district capability: (1) a design for change that elaborates goals, processes, and the overall change process; (2) the social and political environments that shape interveners' capacity to sustain effective district-level intervention; and (3) the capability of the intervener's own organization. Applying this frame to the National Alliance for Restructuring Education, a district and state-level intervention that was active in the 1990s, reveals a fundamental dilemma that district-level interveners must manage in order to sustain their efforts. Designs that provide more intensive guidance are more potent instruments for improving districts, but designs that are less detailed place far less pressure on the intervener organization by requiring less human and fiscal resources. A consequence of this is that the logic of improving districts and the logic of organizational survival can be in direct conflict with one another.

In Ostfildern near Stuttgart, on the terrain of the former 'Landesgartenschau' (regional garden festival), the new residential district 'Scharnhauser Park' was constructed. The architectural and ecological concept of this district received an award (Deutscher Staedtebaupreis) in 2006. Between 2006 and 2009, the multistorey residential block 'Blauer Garten' (blue garden) was constructed. It has an exemplary rainwater management concept.

Age-adjusted incidence rates of stomach, lung, and skin cancer among urban (1967-1972) and rural (1963-1972) population of four administrative districts in the Estonian S.S.R. have been presented. In the Kohtla-Järve district (oil shale area) there was an excess of stomach and lung cancer. High rate...

The supply of electrical energy to the city of Hameln and its vicinity began in 1912. District heat supply commenced in 1952. In this article the author summarises the historical development and the current status of both electricity and district heat supply.

The first stage of a 2-year survey of respiratory morbidity in primary school children was conducted in two districts of Hong Kong in April/May 1989. One group (2009) of children was from Kwai Tsing District, which had high levels of exhaust emission from factories. The other group (1837) was from S...

...Sinclair Wyoming Refining Co., et al., Case No. 08-cv-020-WFD, was lodged with the United States District Court for the District...Sinclair Wyoming Refining Co., et al., Case No. 08- cv-020-WFD, and Department of Justice Reference No....

Children were examined for lameness in the Danfa Project district of rural Ghana to assess the impact of endemic poliomyelitis and to test a widely held hypothesis that paralytic poliomyelitis is relatively rare in such districts (less than 1 per 1000 children affected). The observed prevalence of l...

Does poverty or inequality explain the Maoist insurgency in Nepal? In contrast to previous studies we limit the analysis to the hill/mountain districts of Nepal as very few terai (plains) districts are classified as Maoist. And we conduct separate analyses for Maoist control and level of conflict. W...

Abstract in english We report here the reappearence of Aedes aegypti in the Rimac district, and summarize the history of this mosquito species in Peru since its first detection in 1852. On March 17 2000 were found Ae. aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus in Mariscal Castilla town, Flor de Amancaes, San Juan de Amancaes, El Altillo and Santa Rosa in the Rimac district, Lima Province.

Climate, soil and vineyard performance were characterized in the northern Italian alpine valley of Valtellina to develop an eco-physiological model for zoning the district’s viticultural aptitude. Based on a representative sample of 54 small, steep-sloped terraced vineyards planted with the late-rip...

Education Commission of the States nationwide survey of school board presidents concludes that crisis in the superintendency does not exist. Findings do suggest, however, that some districts have a history of "churning" superintendents, which contributes disproportionately to these districts having high turnover rates and a relatively small number of qualified applicants. (Contains 39 references) (Authors/PKP)

The US District Court for the District of New Jersey granted the plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment and denied Xio's motion for summary judgment on a copyright infringement claim, finding that the defendant's 2009 puzzle videogame Mino had copied not just the rules and functionalities of well-known 1980s videogame Tetris, but also its overall look and feel.

This research conducted in Farm of Sheep and Goat Langkat Berseri PT Lela Wangsa Sentana Village at Pangkalan Batu Sub-District of West Brandan District of Langkat Provinsi North Sumatra. The objectives of this research was to test the comparison of four kind of feed are bases of grass and legum (P1...

We examine the effects of trade liberalization on child work in Indonesia. Our estimation strategy identifies geographical differences in the effects of trade policy through district level exposure to reduction in import tariff barriers. We use a balanced panel of 261 districts, based on four round...

Inguinal hernia is the commonest surgical operation. This is a large study from a district general hospital. The study spanned over 2 years with 2 further years of follow up. It is a retrospective analysis of eight hundred and seventy seven (877)inguinal hernia operations performed in a district gen...

The purpose of this study will be to determine if there is a relationship between Hispanic student achievement and the percentage of Hispanic teachers per district in the state of Texas. Specifically, this study will investigate the relationship between the percentage of Hispanic students per district who pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test in eleventh grade and the percentage of Hispanic teachers in their corresponding districts. This correlational investigation will include data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA). This data will consist of the 2007-2008 academic school year. TEA database data collected will include district type and district percentages of eleventh grade Hispanic students passing TAKS, economically disadvantaged students, at risk students, Hispanic teachers, teachers by years of experience, and teacher turnover rates. The main predictor variable identified was the percentage of Hispanic teachers per district. To determine if district community type is a significant factor in student achievement, an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) will be employed. If significance is found by district type, then a minimum of six key informant interviews will be conducted to investigate this difference. These key informants would include two Hispanic teachers from urban, suburban, and rural districts. A one-way ANOVA was conducted to explore Hispanic student achievement based on district type and evidence of statistical significance was not found due to a lack of homogeneity. A multiple regression analysis was conducted on Hispanic students in 11th grade who passed all portions of the TAKS test based on district percentages of Hispanic teachers, at-risk students, economically disadvantaged students, teacher turnover, and teacher experience. A statistically significant relationship was observed, and district percentage of at-risk students and teacher turnover was a statistically significant predictor of Hispanic student achievement on all portions of the TAKS test in 11th grade. A multiple regression analysis was conducted on Hispanic students in 11th grade who passed the English Language Arts (ELA) TAKS test based on district percentages of Hispanic teachers, at-risk students, economically disadvantaged students, teacher turnover, and teacher experience. A statistically significant relationship was observed, and district percentage of at-risk students was a statistically significant predictor of Hispanic student achievement on the ELA TAKS test in 11th grade. A multiple regression analysis was conducted on Hispanic students in 11th grade who passed the Mathematics TAKS test based on district percentages of Hispanic teachers, at-risk students, economically disadvantaged students, teacher turnover, and teacher experience. A statistically significant relationship was observed, and district percentage of at-risk students, economically disadvantaged students, and teacher turnover was a statistically significant predictor of Hispanic student achievement on the Mathematics TAKS test in 11th grade. A multiple regression analysis was conducted on Hispanic students in 11th grade who passed the Science TAKS test based on district percentages of Hispanic teachers, at-risk students, economically disadvantaged students, teacher turnover, and teacher experience. A statistically significant relationship was observed, and district percentage of at-risk students and teacher turnover was a statistically significant predictor of Hispanic student achievement on the Science TAKS test in 11th grade. A multiple regression analysis was conducted on Hispanic students in 11th grade who passed the Social Studies TAKS test based on district percentages of Hispanic teachers, at-risk students, economically disadvantaged students, teacher turnover, and teacher experience. A statistically significant relationship was observed, and district percentage of at-risk students and economically disadvantaged students were a statistically significant predictor of Hispanic student achievement on the Social Studies TAKS test in 11th grade

A total of 800 goats of various breeds, age, and sex were randomly selected from Muzaffargarh (M. garh) and Layyah districts of lower Punjab, Pakistan. The selected goats were visited twice a month to collect information about determinants influencing goat tick infestation prevalence. For acaricidal efficacy, 360 tick-infested adult goats were subjected to an acaricidal treatment and post-treatment quantitative assessment of tick burden. Quantification of adult tick detachment 24?h post-treatment and the duration of treatment efficacy were calculated. Overall prevalence of goat tick infestation in both study districts was 60.1% (481/800). The prevalence was higher in district M. garh than in district Layyah. Tehsil-wise prevalence in district Layyah was highest in tehsil Layyah followed in...

When new leadership assumed responsibility for the Glen Cove School District back in 2005, it was in dire need of a makeover. State test scores were dismal, and its high school had fallen onto the New York Schools in Need of Regents Review list. Failed budgets had forced the district to operate under contingency restrictions, including a moratorium on the purchase of any new equipment. As a result, the district's infrastructure fell into utter disrepair, the newest computer equipment dated back to 1997, and the teachers and students had given up on working with any technology, including the Internet and e-mail, in the classroom. It was time for a complete--and collaborative--overhaul for this Long Island school district. In this article, the author describes how the district became a model of success in three short years, using technology as the foundation for a whole new instructional program.

This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) is one of a series of reports concerning municipal development in various cities in Switzerland. The four city districts involved include Basel (Gundeldinger Feld), Lausanne (Bellevaux), Lucerne (Basel-/Bernstrasse) and Zurich (Werdwies). This paper takes a look at business aspects in the four districts and examines the factors that influence the sustainable development of these districts. The functioning of each of the four districts in relation to their parent cities is discussed both in historical and present-day contexts. Economic aspects and the possibilities for future development are discussed, as are sustainability factors. The criteria for the four districts are compared. The influence expected with respect to projects in the four areas is discussed.

Helsinki Energia has started a new business activity - district cooling. The service is offered to cooling of large buildings, e.g. shopping centers, offices, etc. District cooling power is generated centrally at the power plant and the cooling power is transferred to the customer via separated distribution network. There are three main alternatives for production of district cooling power, mainly compressors, absorption devices and heat pumps. The operating energies required by them include electric power, district heat, steam, burning matter or some waste heat. The conditions for profitable district cooling are that the buildings to be cooled are built on a compact area at a reasonable distance from the district cool generation plant, that there enough need for district cool at the area, and that the district cool production plant is located at the seaside. Technically and economically reasonable construction of district cooling network requires that both the transmissions and distribution networks are as short as possible because the pipe dimensions are large, and because the streets are full of other infrastructure. Location near a sea ease the cooling of the district cool generation process, and especially, it is possible to use the coldness of the seawater directly via heat exchangers. The objective of district cool generation is to intensify the combined heat and power generation during warm seasons by reducing the electric power consumption and by increasing the utilization of surplus heat. It is also possible to reduce the use of harmful refrigerants. The district cooling activities of Helsinki Energia started in 1998 in Pitaejaenmaeki. Ruoholahti district cool system is the first larger area district cool project in Finland. The district cooling plant is constructed at the area of the Salmisaari power plant, hence the plant can utilize the present space and equipment of the power plant in generation of district cool. Energy needed for operation of the absorption devices, i.e. heat, is obtained during warm seasons from surplus heat energy of the prevailing CHP process. When seawater is sufficiently cold, the coldness of it can be transferred directly into the coolant of the network via heat exchangers. In the first stage the power of the district cool system is about 10 MW. Absorption cooling devices, two 3.5 MW absorption devices and 3 MW cold accumulator, are operated with district heat. Building for the district cool plant is constructed. Assembly of the devices is almost done as also most of the pipelines, the seawater pumping station is ready, and the accumulator under construction. Movable 500 kW compressor plant was taken into operation in November 2000. Cooling with seawater started in January 2001, the 7 MW absorption plant is ready in April - May 2001, and the 3 MW accumulator in August 2001. The water circulation of the plant is closed so cold water is not used for any other purpose.

Project aim was to reduce pollution levels in the City of Krakow through the retirement of coal-fired (hand and mechanically-stoked) boiler houses. This was achieved by identifying attractive candidates and connecting them to the Krakow district heating system, thus permitting them to eliminate boiler operations. Because coal is less costly than district hot water, the district heating company Miejskie Przedsiebiorstwo Energetyki Cieplnej S.A., henceforth identified as MPEC, needed to provide potential customers with incentives for purchasing district heat. These incentives consisted of offerings which MPEC made to the prospective client. The offerings presented the economic and environmental benefits to district heating tie-in and also could include conservation studies of the facilities, so that consumption of energy could be reduced and the cost impact on operations mitigated. Because some of the targeted boiler houses were large, the capacity of the district heating network required enhancement at strategic locations. Consequently, project construction work included both enhancement to the district piping network as well as facility tie-ins. The process of securing new customers necessitated the strengthening of MPEC`s competitive position in Krakow`s energy marketplace, which in turn required improvements in marketing, customer service, strategic planning, and project management. Learning how US utilities address these challenges became an integral segment of the project`s scope.

This report focuses on financial options developed specifically for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in three California public school districts. Solar energy systems installed on public schools have a number of benefits that include utility bill savings, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and other toxic air contaminants, job creation, demonstrating environmental leadership, and creating learning opportunities for students. In the 2011 economic environment, the ability to generate general-fund savings as a result of reducing utility bills has become a primary motivator for school districts trying to cut costs. To achieve meaningful savings, the size of the photovoltaic (PV) systems installed (both individually on any one school and collectively across a district) becomes much more important; larger systems are required to have a material impact on savings. Larger PV systems require a significant financial commitment and financing therefore becomes a critical element in the transaction. In simple terms, school districts can use two primary types of ownership models to obtain solar installations and cost savings across a school district. The PV installations can be financed and owned directly by the districts themselves. Alternatively, there are financing structures whereby another entity, such as a solar developer or its investors, actually own and operate the PV systems on behalf of the school district. This is commonly referred to as the 'third-party ownership model.' Both methods have advantages and disadvantages that should be weighed carefully.

Although Missouri has had a Career Ladder program for teachers since 1987, very little research has been carried out to measure the program's effects and what has been studied has not been comprehensive. This paper examines the program's effect on student achievement across the state, using longitudinal data on district math and reading scores for 524 Missouri school districts over a nine-year period. Our primary specification compares achievement levels in participating districts with a matched group of non-participating districts. We also applied alternative specifications to identify the impact of the program, for example controlling for prior district scores and measuring variations in district participation over time to identify effects of the program within a given district. Across the range of specifications, the estimated effects of the Career Ladder program range from small positive effects to no effect in both math and reading. We conclude that if the Career Ladder has a positive impact on test scores, it is probably very small. (Contains 10 tables and 10 footnotes.)

Under Deputy Secretary of Education Michael Golden's leadership, Pennsylvania has made great strides over the last two years developing useful informational tools to assist the Commonwealth's many school districts. While the School District of Philadelphia, along with the other districts, has worked collaboratively with the Commonwealth in this undertaking, Philadelphia has pursued its own aggressive agenda to provide its 13,000 teachers and principals with much-needed classroom informational resources. The School District of Philadelphia employed SchoolNet (www.schoolnet.com) in mid-2002 to provide a centralized database of curriculum, learning resources, assessments, and analyses that could be developed in conjunction with the district's new No Child Left Behind (NCLB) achievement plan. The NCLB Act has left school districts with no time for wishful pondering; thus, sound, datadriven decision-making is now required if schools want to retain federal funding. Fortunately, SchoolNet's Web-based instructional management system (IMS) has provided Philadelphia teachers and administrators with unprecedented access to useful student information that is required to make informed teaching decisions. The IMS effectively eliminates the lag time in existing standardized test and response cycles from entire school semesters to hours, if not minutes. Since its inception in 2002, Philadelphia's IMS, along with the district's comprehensive NCLB initiative, has yielded numerous results. This article presents the numerous performance results of IMS.

Web 2.0 applications and mobile Internet devices have added new issues to the safety/access situation for schools. The purpose of this guide is to assist school districts in developing, rethinking, or revising Internet policies as a consequence of the emergence of Web 2.0, and the growing pervasiveness of smart phone use. The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) Policy Guide addresses these questions: (1) How does policy differ from procedure and does the difference matter?; (2) What are the two major approaches used to develop district AUP (Acceptable Use Policy) policies?;(3) Is the district's AUP a part of or the totality of the district's technology policy?; (4) What are the key federal laws affecting Internet access, safety, and social networking in schools?; (5) How do state laws or district policies affect school districts' Internet policies pertaining to filtering, AUPs, cyberbullying, and cell phone use?; (6) Does the increasing prevalence of Web 2.0 and student-owned mobile devices necessitate updating district ICT (information and communication technologies) policies?; (7) Where can individuals find samples of various exemplary AUPs?; and (8) What are some timely, relevant, and useful resources pertaining to the use of Web 2.0 technologies in schools? A bibliography is included. [This guide was produced by CoSN's Participatory Learning in Schools: Leadership & Policy Initiative. Additional support for this paper was provided by Adobe, eChalk, Gartner, GlobalScholar, Learning.com, Pearson, SAS, and Smart Technologies.

This report presents findings from an investigation into relationships between academic achievement and the distribution of fiscal resources among rural school districts in Oregon. The investigation was prompted by earlier-reported findings suggesting the critical nature of both achievement gaps and resource gaps among rural school districts in the state. A variety of statistical procedures yielded consistent findings indicating that there is considerable disparity in the distribution of fiscal resources among rural districts, and that the level of fiscal resources available to districts significantly influences educational outcomes. Interpreting these findings within the socioeconomic context of rural Oregon, findings include: (1) Districts facing the greatest challenges receive the fewest resources and produce the lowest levels of academic achievement; and (2) Districts facing the fewest challenges receive the greatest resources and produce the highest levels of academic achievement. It is a pattern in which the distribution of resources appears to be compounding, rather than mitigating, socioeconomic disparities. In effect, this maldistribution of resources appears to be working against closing achievement gaps. Results also indicate that the inequitable distribution of resources on a per pupil basis is not the result of the smaller scale of schooling in some parts of the state, offering further support for earlier-reported findings suggesting that school or district consolidation would be a poor policy choice. Three appendixes include: (1) T-test results for comparison of high- and low-achieving districts; (2) T-test results for comparison of highest- and lowest-achieving districts; and (3) Distribution of Key Variables. (Contains 4 footnotes, 26 figures and 4 tables.)

The energy turnaround and the need for environmental protection necessitate not only measures in buildings but also extensive optimisation of residential districts and urban areas. For this, the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Nachhaltiges Bauen (DGNB, German society for sustainable building construction) developed the usage profile 'Neubau Stadtquartiere' (NSQ, construction of new residential districts). The Offenbach harbour district is cooperating in the pilot phase and was the first project to receive a pre-award in gold for sustainable urban development. This example is presented to show how the newly developed DGNB criteria will influence the various urban development qualities.

For schools, spam is not only an annoyance and a time waster; it clogs district mail servers, consumes valuable network bandwidth, and can deliver and propagate a variety of malware programs that can wreak havoc on their system. A district strategy to "can the spam," therefore, must be multifaceted and address security vulnerabilities at different levels. This article focuses on server-level solutions that can filter spam from district e-mail accounts and prevent it from being viewed by users, or at the very least, strip e-mail of potentially damaging attachments. Additionally, the author offers some suggestions for user education, a critical but often overlooked aspect of spam prevention.

District heating, the conversion of primary energy into distributed thermal energy and possible electric energy, is a challenge to regulate. In addition to the ever present asymmetric information in any sufficiently complex activity, some of the inputs for district heating, such as excess process heat, have arbitrary valuation. This study concerns the most developed European district heating and cogeneration system, the Danish. By assessing environmental and economic efficiency, the impact of governmental, market and managerial imperfections are estimated. The principal methodological base is the additive Data Envelopment Analysis model with extensions. The paper ends with some policy suggestions. (author)

Irrigated agriculture is threatened by soil salinity in numerous arid and semiarid areas of the Mediterranean basin. The objective of this work was to quantify soil salinity through electromagnetic induction (EMI) techniques and relate it to the physical characteristics and irrigation management of four Mediterranean irrigation districts located in Morocco, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey. The volume and salinity of the main water inputs (irrigation and precipitation) and outputs (crop evapotranspiration and drainage) were measured or estimated in each district. Soil salinity (ECe) maps were obtained through electromagnetic induction surveys (ECa readings) and district-specific ECa-ECe calibrations. Gravimetric soil water content (WC) and soil saturation percentage (SP) were also measured in the...

Co-generation, combined with district heating, is all the more viable if the heat can be used in summer for refrigeration. This principle has been applied in the context of the extension of the Emmen Shopping Center (SCE) and its project for connection to district heating delivered by the refuse incineration plant in Ibach. The production of heat by boilers has been replaced by district heating combined with a gas co-generation group. Absorption refrigeration groups will replace the compression refrigeration groups in the year 2000. The investment in co-generation will be recouped in four years. (author)

This report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) presents the results of a project that examined three urban locations in Switzerland with respect to their potentials for using solar energy and daylight to reduce energy demands in the lighting, heating and hot-water generation areas. The three urban areas examined included the Matthaeus district in Basle with its older residential apartment buildings, the Bellevaux residential district of Lausanne and the Meyrin district in Geneva - a nineteen-sixties satellite town. The calculation methodology and the three-dimensional digital models used are discussed. The results, including radiation availability and sky-access are discussed. Appropriate active and passive solar technologies are reviewed.

Texas requires a school district to offer bilingual education when its enrollment of limited English proficient (LEP) students in a particular elementary grade and language is twenty or higher. Using school panel data, we find a significant increase in the probability that a district offers bilingual education above this 20-student cutoff. Using this discontinuity as an instrument for district bilingual education provision, we find that bilingual education programs do not significantly impact the standardized test scores of students with Spanish as their home language (comprised primarily of ever-LEP students). However, there are significant positive spillover effects to their non-LEP peers.

A three-year project - financially supported by the Nordic Industrial Fund - on monitoring of corrosion in district heating systems has been initiated with participation of researchers and industrial partners in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The primary objective of the project is to improve the quality control in district heating systems by corrosion monitoring. In Danish systems electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), linear polarisation resistance (LPR), high-sensitive electrical resistance (ER) technology, crevice corrosion probes, as well as weight loss coupons will be tested. Laboratory studies as well as on-line measurements in district heating systems using probes in a specially designed sidestream unit are included in the practical part of the project.

District heating is a critical energy source for countries in transition as it covers 60% of heating and hot water needs in transition economies currently. It can provide a cost-effective, environmentally friendly source of heat and power for cities and also play a significant role in reducing or stabilising carbon emissions. Successfully reforming district heating in major energy producer or transit nations like Russia and Ukraine can have broad benefits for energy security in the region and Western Europe. Yet many district heating systems in transition economies face difficulties: inefficient heat production, costs that exceed revenue and declining sales.

Exploring the critical role of school choice in the future of education reform, Grover (Russ) Whitehurst introduces the Education Choice and Competition Index (ECCI), an interactive web application that scores large school districts based on thirteen categories of policy and practice. The intent of the ECCI is to create public awareness of the differences among districts in their support of school choice, provide a framework for efforts to improve choice and competition, and recognize leaders among school districts in the design and implementation of choice and competition systems. [This report was written with Sarah Whitfield.

For Mike Simeck, superintendent of the 900-student Dansville, Michigan, school district, adding online courses to the district's high school class offerings means enhancing the curriculum, not necessarily saving dollars. A nonprofit company, Virtual High School is one of the leaders in online course delivery on the K-12 level, offering more than 150 full-semester online classes, from the familiar (AP biology and American history) to the uncommon (bioethics, number theory and maritime history). This article discusses the incorporation of online courses in the Dansville, Michigan, school district and Mike Simeck's opinion on online schooling.

The present study was aimed at characterizing the soil-water resource degradation in the rural areas of Gurgaon and Mewat districts, the two economically contrasting areas in policy zones-II and III of the National Capital Region (NCR), and assessing the impact of the study area's local conditions on the type and extent of resource degradation. This involved generation of detailed spatial information on the land use, cropping pattern, farming practices, soils and surface/ground waters of Gurgaon and Mewat districts through actual resource surveys, standard laboratory methods and GIS/remote sensing techniques. The study showed that in contrast to just 2.54% (in rabi season) to 4.87% (in kharif season) of agricultural lands in Gurgaon district, about 11.77% (in rabi season) to 24.23% (in kharif season) of agricultural lands in Mewat district were irrigated with saline to marginally saline canal water. Further, about 10.69% of agricultural lands in the Gurgaon district and 42.15% of agricultural lands in the Mewat district were drain water irrigated. A large part of this surface water irrigated area, particularly in Nuh (48.7%), Nagina (33.5%), and Punhana (24.1%) blocks of Mewat district, was either waterlogged (7.4% area with risk of being waterlogged (17.1% area with 2-3 m ground water depth). Local resource inventory showed prevalence of several illegal private channels in Mewat district. These private channels divert degraded canal waters into the nearby intersecting drains and thereby increase extent of surface irrigated agricultural lands in the Mewat district. Geo-spatial analysis showed that due to seepage of these degraded waters from unlined drains and canals, ground waters of about 39.6% of Mewat district were salt affected (EC(m)ean = 7.05 dS/m and SAR(m)ean = 7.71). Besides, sub-surface drinking waters of almost the entire Mewat district were contaminated with undesirable concentrations of chromium (Cr 2.0-3.23 ppm), manganese (Mn: 0.80-1.55 ppm), nickel (Ni: 0.02-0.10 ppm) and lead (Pb: 0.40-0.83 ppm). Ground waters (42.5%) of Farukh Nagar irrigated with Najafgarh drain water and adjoining (industrialized) Gurgaon and Pataudi blocks were also salt affected and laden with undesirable Cr concentrations (>0.05 ppm). In fact, sub-surface drinking waters of some areas around battery and automobile manufacturing units in Gurgaon and Pataudi blocks were associated with exceptionally high (>0.1 ppm) Ni concentrations. In general, the ground waters of waterlogged or potentially waterlogged areas in the rural areas of Mewat were more contaminated than the ground waters in the rural areas of Gurgaon district with deeper (>5 m) water depths.Though Cr concentrations in the surface and sub-surface irrigation waters of both Gurgaon and Mewat districts were far above the maximum permissible limit of 1 ppm, their bio-available soil-Cr concentrations were well within permissible limit. Even bio-available Ni concentrations in agricultural lands of Gurgaon district associated with Ni contaminated sub-surface irrigations were well within desirable limit of 0.20 ppm. This was primarily attributed to the calcareous nature of the soils of the study area. About 35% of Gurgaon district and 59% of Mewat district irrigated with poor quality waters were salt-affected. These waterlogged/potentially waterlogged calcareous-salt affected soils of Mewat district were having acute zinc (Zn) deficiency (battery business. The study could document the processes and provide spatially accurate information to the ma

Abstract in spanish El reporte mundial de la Salud del 2006 (World Health Report 2006) ha identificado 57 países en los que la densidad de trabajadores de salud con respecto a la población general se encuentra por debajo del umbral crítico de 2,3 por 1000 habitantes. Esto significa que por debajo de este umbral crítico, un país no sería capaz de brindar los servicios básicos para su población, definidos como el 80% de coberturas de inmunización y 80% de atención calificada del part (more) o. De los 57 países, 36 pertenecen al África. Este artículo revisa el progreso realizado por los países para afrontar su crisis de recursos humanos en salud. Cita tres de los estudios mundiales más recientes y los indicadores utilizados para medir el progreso. Asimismo, se presenta la experiencia de ocho países: Malawi, Perú, Etiopía, Brasil, Tailandia, Zambia y Mali. Ello brinda un panorama diverso de esfuerzos, retos y éxitos en cada uno de estos países. El artículo lanza la interrogante sobre si la meta de una reducción del 25% en el número de países en crisis puede lograrse para el año 2015, objetivo definido por la Asamblea Mundial de la Salud en el 2008. El optimismo que los autores quisieran mantener sobre los esfuerzos orientados a esta meta, debe ir sin embargo a la par con un adecuado nivel de inversión de los países en recursos humanos en salud. Los siguientes cuatro años nos mostrarán cuánto en realidad puede ser logrado. Abstract in english The World Health Report 2006 identified 57 countries world-wide whose health worker to population density fell below a critical threshold of 2.3 per 1,000 population. This meant that below this critical threshold, a country could not provide the basic health services to its population, defined here as 80% immunization coverage and 80% skilled birth attendance at delivery. Of the 57 countries, 36 are located in Africa. This article reviews the progress countries have made (more) in addressing their health workforce crisis. It cites 3 of the most recent global studies and the indicators used to measure progress. It also features the experiences of 8 countries, namely Malawi, Peru, Ethiopia, Brazil, Thailand, Philippines, Zambia, Mali. Their situations provide a diverse picture of country efforts, challenges, and successes. The article asks the question of whether the target of 25% reduction in the number of crisis countries can be achieved by 2015. This was a goal set by the World Health Assembly in 2008. While the authors wish to remain optimistic about the striving towards this target, their optimism must be matched by an adequate level of investment in countries on HRH development. The next four years will show how much will really be achieved.

This collection of essays is organized into two sections: Section 1 deals with general issues in social studies, while Section 2 examines social studies education in Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zambia. Essays in Section One are: (1) "The Historical Context of Education in British Colonial Africa" (L. Mafela; P. T. Mgadla); (2) "Philosophical Foundations of Social Studies Education in Africa" (A. A. Adeyinka); (3) "The Language of Social Studies Teaching in Africa" (J. Honey); (4) "The Linguist in the Teaching of Social Studies" (J. T. Mathangwane); (5) "The Use of Religion in Uniting the African People" (J. N. Amanze); (6) "Moral Education in African Schools" (V. Ocaya); (7) "The Relationship between Moral Education and Social Studies: The Case of Botswana Junior Secondary Curriculum" (J. O. Awino); (8) "The Role of African Parents in the Socialisation of Children" (M. O. Onyewadume); (9) "HIV and AIDS among Youth in Botswana: An Emerging Issue in Social Studies" (E. Seloilwe; E. Ncube; D. Ntseane); (10) "Socialisation Issues in Sport" (L. O. Amusa; S. A. Adeniran); (11) "The Values of Sport in the Promotion of a Culture of Peace" (A. L. Toriola); (12) "The Importance of Mathematics to Social Studies" (D. C. Mapolelo); (13) "Educational Technology in the Teaching of Social Studies in African Schools" (A. Akinyemi; A. Ngwako; P. Nleya); (14) "The Role of Teaching Practice in the Preparation of Social Science Teachers" (V. Morara); (15) "Infusing Gender Equity in Social Studies Teaching" (L. Asimeng-Boahene and B.-M. Mazile). Essays in Section Two are: (16) "Social Studies in Botswana" (G. Mautle); (17) "Social Studies in Ethiopia" (H. G. Dagne); (18) "Social Studies in Ghana" (L. Asimeng-Boahene); (19) "Social Studies in Kenya" (J. E. Otiende; O. Oanda); (20) "Social Studies in Malawi" (J. Tlou; V. Kabwila); (21) "Social Studies in Namibia" (F. A. Phiri); (22) "Social Studies in Nigeria" (M. B. Adeyemi); (23) "Social Studies in Tanzania" (W. L. M. Komba); and (24) "Social Studies in Zambia" (C. P. Chishimba; R. K. Simukoko). (BT)

...obtain the hazardous materials endorsement (HME) on a commercial drivers license (CDL...seeking a hazardous material endorsement (HME) on their commercial driver's license...or the District of Columbia may issue a HME on a CDL unless TSA has first...

This project includes support of Comprehensive Everglades Restoration ... and USGS liaison with the South Florida Water Management District. Related ... Kissimmee Valley · Greater Lake Okeechobee · Central Everglades · South East Coast ...

Summary Objective To assess the impact and feasibility of artemether-lumefantrine deployment at community level, combined with phased introduction of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), on malaria transmission, morbidity, and mortality and health service use in a remote area of Ethiopia. Methods Two-year pilot study in two districts: artemether-lumefantrine was prescribed after parasitological confirmation of malaria in health facilities in both districts. In the intervention district, artemether-lumefantrine was also made available through 33 community health workers (CHWs); of these, 50% were equipped with RDTs in the second year. Results At health facilities; 54 774 patients in the intervention and 100 535 patients in the control district were treated for malaria. In the intervention distric...

This thesis presents an analysis of the logistical constructability issues identified for the Sargent Beach, Texas, Shoreline Protection Project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District recognized the advantages of employing constructability ...

Pliensbachian coaliferous sequences were formed along the southern margin of the Stavropol Uplift in various paleogeographic environments. Therefore, peat bogs are developed in various landscape zones. In the southern Kuban coaliferous district, which adjoins the tectonically active central Caucasus, coaliferous sediments were formed in river valleys, whereas peat bogs were developed in swamped valleys. In the northern Kuban and Baksan coaliferous districts situated away from this region, coaliferous sediments were formed under conditions of alluvial-deltaic and alluvial-lacustrine plains. Peat bogs were localized in the swamped alluvial-deltaic and alluvial-lacustrine plains. In the Laba-Urup and southereastern Baksan coaliferous districts situated far away from the tectonically active central Caucasus and dominated by partly isolated bays and lagoons (or coastal plains), peat bogs were formed in the swamped (partly isolated) bays and lagoons (or coastal plains). Similar environments of sedimentation and peat deposition were typical of the Daghestan coaliferous district in the early Aalenian and Bathonian of Middle Jurassic.

A survey was conducted in major chilli-growing hot arid regions of Rajasthan, namely, Bikaner, Nagur, Jodhpur and Jalore districts, during November 2009. Among the four districts surveyed for chilli leaf curl disease (ChLCD), maximum disease incidence was recorded in Jodhpur (98%) followed by Jalore district (88%). The number of whiteflies was also counted in top, middle and bottom leaf of chilli plants grown in these areas. The average number of whiteflies per plant ranged from 0.0 to 4.0. Higher number of whiteflies (4.0) was recorded in Jodhpur and lowest (1.8) in Jalore district. On the basis of conserved region in the genome of begomoviruses infecting chilli, a set of primers was designed to amplify all begomoviruses infecting chilli by PCR; ChCPF 5'-ATTAGGGCTAAGAATTATGTC-3' and ChCPR...

Tweet Special Education Law & Children Who Stutter Download the PDF A child who stutters may be eligible to receive speech therapy for free from the local school district. A federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of ...

Feb 6, 2012 ... Cultural resources are prehistoric and historic sites, structures, districts, artifacts, or any other physical ... site, and a historic cemetery. The subject ... In 2000, the population of the HMA was 342,376 (U.S. Census. Bureau ...

The Metropolitan St Louis Sewer District (MSD) has selected Jacobs Engineering Group Inc to provide professional engineering services for the Lower & Middle River des Peres CSO Controls System Improvements in St Louis, Missouri, USA.