Application of an automated labour performance measuring system at a confectionery company

Published ArticleThis paper focuses on the implementation of a labour performance measuring system at a confectionery company. The computer vision based system is based on the work sampling methodology. It consists of four cameras linked to a central computer via USB extenders. The computer uses a random function in C++ in order to determine when measurements are to be taken. OpenCV is used to track the movement of a target worker's dominant hand at a given work station. Tracking is accomplished through the use of a bandwidth colour filter. The speed of the worker's hand is used to identify whether the worker is busy, idle or out of the frame over the course of the sampling period. Data collected by the system is written into a number of text files. The stored data is then exported to a Microsoft Excel 2007 spread sheet where it is analysed and a report on the labour utilisation is generated

Antioxidant properties, protein binding capacity and mineral contents of some plants traditionally used in the management of animal wounds

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Living at the edge of an interface area in Zimbabwe : cattle owners, commodity chain and health workers’ awareness, perceptions and practices on zoonoses

BACKGROUND : In the great Limpopo transfrontier conservation area (GLTFCA), there is an increased interface between wildlife and domestic animals, because rural households move their cattle into the game park in search of grazing and watering resources. This creates opportunities for inter-species transmission of infectious diseases, including zoonoses like brucellosis and tuberculosis, which may also pose a health risk to the local rural communities. This study investigated the awareness, perceptions and practices on zoonoses amongst rural cattle owners, commodity chain- and health-workers in three different localities around Gonarezhou National Park (GNP), Zimbabwe, where the interface between wild and domestic animals varies. METHODS : A cross-sectional study was conducted in Malipati, Chikombedzi and Chiredzi that are considered to be high-, medium- and low-domestic animal-wildlife interface areas, respectively. Data was collected from cattle owners, commodity chain and health-workers using a semi-structured questionnaire. To determine the public health risk of food-borne zoonoses, their practices with regard to meat and milk consumptions, and measures they take to prevent exposure to infections were assessed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and principal component analysis. RESULTS : Most respondents (52.8 %, 102/193) were cattle owners, followed by health (30.1 %, 58/193) and lastly commodity chain workers (17.1 %, 33/193). Overall 67.4 % (130/193) of the respondents were aware of zoonoses with respective 48, 81.8, and 93.1 % of cattle owners, commodity chain, and health workers, being aware. Significantly more cattle owners (P < 0.05) from medium and low interface areas were aware of zoonoses compared to those from high interface areas. All categories of respondents cited anthrax (69.2 %), rabies (57.7 %), tuberculosis (41.5 %) and brucellosis (23.9 %) as important zoonoses. About half (46.1 %; 89/193) of the respondents perceive wildlife as important reservoirs of zoonoses. High proportions 98.4 % (190/193) and 96.4 % (186/193) of the respondents indicated that they consume meat and milk, respectively. Access to game meat and milk from informal markets was closely associated with consumption of raw meat and milk. CONCLUSIONS : Fewer cattle owners from a high interface area of Malipati are aware of zoonoses compared to other areas due to combined effects of limited education and other factors disadvantaging these marginalised areas. This may increase their risk of exposure to zoonoses, considering that consumption of raw meat and milk is common. Thus, awareness campaigns may reduce the public health impact of zoonoses at the interface.This work was conducted within the framework of the Research Platform “Production and Conservation in Partnership (RP-PCP).The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the French Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe (RP-PCP grants) for which the principal investigator (B.M. Gadaga) was a recipient.http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpublichealtham2016Production Animal Studie

Brucellosis in Sub-Saharan Africa:Current challenges for management, diagnosis and control

Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella and affecting domestic and wild mammals. In this paper, the bacteriological and serological evidence of brucellosis in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and its epidemiological characteristics are discussed. The tools available for the diagnosis and treatment of human brucellosis and for the diagnosis and control of animal brucellosis and their applicability in the context of SSA are presented and gaps identified. These gaps concern mostly the need for simpler and more affordable antimicrobial treatments against human brucellosis, the development of a B. melitensis vaccine that could circumvent the drawbacks of the currently available Rev 1 vaccine, and the investigation of serological diagnostic tests for camel brucellosis and wildlife. Strategies for the implementation of animal vaccination are also discussed.Publishe

The impact of voluntary non-financial disclosure on profitability of listed companies

Abstract Given the increasing concern for the global environmental issues and the related need for preservation of the ecosystem, voluntary non-financial disclosure has become more and more important to almost all economies today. However, empirical literature shows findings that are mixed, inconsistent and often contradictory; ranging from positive, to negative, to statistically insignificant relationships. Hence, this study aimed to assess the impact of voluntary non-financial disclosure on selected listed companies. In terms of scope, the study involves 50 Swedish companies with mandatory non-financial disclosure requirements and 76 international companies with voluntary non-financial disclosure. A period of 7 years was considered in the study that secondary data of manufacturing firms from 2014 to 2020 is used. Results showed that energy management and corporate social responsibility have a negative but insignificant impact on profitibility. Whilst diversity on board showed a positive impact on profitability, this impact was insignificant. Size of the firm was the only variable which showed a positive significant impact on profitability. It was concluded that disclosure of information on energy management, corporate social responsibility and diversity on board have no significant impact on financial performance of manufacturing companies regardless of whether they engage in voluntary or mandatory non-financial disclosure. More so, it was concluded that voluntary non-financial disclosure has no short-term impact on profitability of manufacturing firms.

The impact of voluntary non-financial disclosure on profitability of listed companies

Abstract Given the increasing concern for the global environmental issues and the related need for preservation of the ecosystem, voluntary non-financial disclosure has become more and more important to almost all economies today. However, empirical literature shows findings that are mixed, inconsistent and often contradictory; ranging from positive, to negative, to statistically insignificant relationships. Hence, this study aimed to assess the impact of voluntary non-financial disclosure on selected listed companies. In terms of scope, the study involves 50 Swedish companies with mandatory non-financial disclosure requirements and 76 international companies with voluntary non-financial disclosure. A period of 7 years was considered in the study that secondary data of manufacturing firms from 2014 to 2020 is used. Results showed that energy management and corporate social responsibility have a negative but insignificant impact on profitibility. Whilst diversity on board showed a positive impact on profitability, this impact was insignificant. Size of the firm was the only variable which showed a positive significant impact on profitability. It was concluded that disclosure of information on energy management, corporate social responsibility and diversity on board have no significant impact on financial performance of manufacturing companies regardless of whether they engage in voluntary or mandatory non-financial disclosure. More so, it was concluded that voluntary non-financial disclosure has no short-term impact on profitability of manufacturing firms.