THE DEVELOPMENT OF A HUMAN CAPITAL MEASUREMENT AND DISCLOSURE RESEARCH INSTRUMENT FOR THE ZIMBABWEAN MINING COMPANIES

Purpose: The aim of this study is to develop a research instrument to measure and disclose human capital value in the financial statements. The study has been motivated by a lack of guidelines that determine key aspects of human capital despite its contribution to value creation and financial performance. Methodology: This study adopted a post-positivist research philosophy which endorses a quantitative research approach. Quantitative data were collected using the survey questionnaire instrument from the six listed mining companies in Zimbabwe. A convenience sampling technique was utilised and a human capital measurement and disclosure instrument was validated using the exploratory factor analysis. Findings: The paper established eight factors namely; human capital measurements, profitability measures, employee competencies, value drivers, performance-related factors, market-related factors, employee exposures and structure-related factors. The developed questionnaire instrument can be of use to other scholars and policymakers if their studies are aiming to investigate the respondents’ perceptions towards human capital reporting. This will also, provide a basis for the development of a standardised universal approach to measuring human capital value

The temperature effect on electrokinetic properties of the silica–polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) system

The influence of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) adsorption on the structure of the diffuse layer of silica (SiO2) in the temperature range 15–35 °C was examined. The microelectrophoresis method was used in the experiments to determine the zeta potential of the solid particles in the absence and presence of the polymer. The adsorption of PVA macromolecules causes the zeta potential decrease in all investigated SiO2 systems. Moreover this, decrease is the most pronounced at the highest examined temperature. Obtained results indicate that the conformational changes of adsorbed polymer chains are responsible for changes in electrokinetic properties of silica particles. Moreover, the structure of diffuse layer on the solid surface with adsorbed polymer results from the following effects: the presence of acetate groups in PVA chains, the blockade of silica surface groups by adsorbed polymer and the shift of slipping plane due to macromolecules adsorption

Effect of secukinumab on clinical and radiographic outcomes in ankylosing spondylitis: 2-year results from the randomised phase III MEASURE 1 study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of secukinumab, an interleukin-17A inhibitor, on clinical signs and symptoms and radiographic changes through 2 years in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS: In the phase III MEASURE 1 study, patients were randomised to receive intravenous secukinumab 10 mg/kg (at baseline, week 2 and week 4) followed by subcutaneous secukinumab 150 mg (intravenous 150 mg; n=125) or 75 mg (intravenous 75 mg; n=124) every four weeks, or matched placebo (n=122). Placebo-treated patients were re-randomised to subcutaneous secukinumab 150 or 75 mg from week 16. Clinical efficacy assessments included Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society 20 (ASAS20) response rates through week 104. Radiographic changes at week 104 were assessed using the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS). RESULTS: 97 (77.6%) and 103 (83.1%) patients in the intravenous 150 mg and intravenous 75 mg groups, respectively, completed week 104. In the full analysis set (intent-to-treat), ASAS20 response rates at week 104 were 73.7% and 68.0% in the intravenous 150 mg and intravenous 75 mg groups, respectively. Among patients with evaluable X-rays who were originally randomised to secukinumab (n=168), mean change in mSASSS from baseline to week 104 was 0.30±2.53. Serious adverse events were reported in 12.2% and 13.4% of patients in the 150 mg and 75 mg groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Secukinumab improved AS signs and symptoms through 2 years of therapy, with no unexpected safety findings. Data from this study suggest a low mean progression of spinal radiographic changes, which will need to be confirmed in longer-term controlled studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01358175

The adoption of a portfolio of sustainable agricultural practices by smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe

Climate change and variability and soil fertility depletion are among the main biophysical limiting factors for increasing per capita food production for smallholder farmers in developing countries. To tackle these challenges, the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs), has become an important policy topic among donors and development agencies in developing countries. This paper examines the adoption decisions for SAPs, using recent primary data collected in 51 villages in 3 districts of Zimbabwe. The article employs a multivariate probit regression to model simultaneous interdependent adoption decisions by farm households. The analysis reveals that education, farm experience, farm size, income, access to information and agroecology influence the adoption of SAPs. Policies that are aimed at improving household income and enhancing access to information can increase the uptake of SAPs by smallholder farmers. Extension messages should aim to emphasize the complementarities between different SAPs. This information could help policy makers and extension agents to formulate and promote a package of SAPs

Soil ingestion, nutrition and the seasonality of anthrax in herbivores of Etosha National Park

Abstract. Anthrax, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, is a seasonally occurring infectious disease affecting primarily herbivorous wildlife and livestock. The seasonality of anthrax outbreaks varies among locations, making it difficult to develop a single consistent ecological description of this disease. Over 44 years of mortality surveillance, most anthrax cases in Etosha National Park, Namibia are observed in the wet season, although elephants have an anthrax mortality peak in the dry season. Focusing on three host species (plains zebra, Equus quagga; African elephant, Loxodonta africana; and springbok, Antidorcas marsupialis) occupying the endemic anthrax area of Etosha National Park, Namibia, we tested two commonly posited causes of anthrax seasonality in herbivores: increased pathogen exposure due to greater soil contact, and increased host susceptibility due to seasonal nutritional stress. These hypotheses were assessed using fecal sampling and measurement of the percentage of fecal silicates as an index of soil ingestion and fecal nitrogen, phosphorus and crude fiber as nutritional indices. Nutritional quality for all three species was higher in wet than dry seasons. Comparing among wet seasons, nutritional indices showed either a decline in nutrition with increasing rainfall or no significant pattern. All three species had greater soil ingestion in the wet season than the dry season. Higher soil contact during the anthrax peak suggests that anthrax seasonality may in part be due to heightened exposure to B. anthracis in wet seasons, for zebra and springbok. Elephant anthrax deaths do not correspond with the season of increased soil ingestion or grazing, suggesting that other behavioral mechanisms may overshadow foraging-based risk factors for this species. Nutritional stress is unlikely the primary causative factor in wet season anthrax systems, although nutritional stress sufficient to reduce resistance is difficult to assess non-invasively in wild herbivores. In contrast, increased soil ingestion may be an important predisposing factor for wet season anthrax outbreaks. Ultimately, the amount of soil ingested and its importance in the transmission of soil-borne pathogens will vary based on foraging behaviors, intake rates, grassland structure and on the likelihood that foraging areas intersect with pathogen aggregations in the environment

Sand dams for sustainable water management: challenges and future opportunities

Sand dams are impermeable water harvesting structures built to collect and store water within the volume of sediments transported by ephemeral rivers. The artificial sandy aquifer created by the sand dam reduces evaporation losses relative to surface water storage in traditional dams. Recent years have seen a renaissance of studies on sand dams as an effective water scarcity adaptation strategy for drylands. However, many aspects of their functioning and effectiveness are still unclear. Literature reviews have pointed to a range of research gaps that need further scientific attention, such as river corridors and network dynamics, watershed-scale impacts, and interaction with social dynamics. However, the scattered and partially incomplete information across the different reviews would benefit from an integrated framework for directing future research efforts. This paper is a collaborative effort of different research groups active on sand dams and stems from the need to channel future research efforts on this topic in a thorough and coherent way. We synthesize the pivotal research gaps of a) unclear definition of “functioning” sand dams, b) lack of methodologies for watershed-scale analysis, c) neglect of social aspects in sand dam research, and d) underreported impacts of sand dams. We then propose framing future research to better target the synthesized gaps, including using the social-ecological systems framework to better capture the interconnected social and biophysical research gaps on sand dams, fully utilizing the potential of remote sensing in large-scale studies and collecting sand dam cases across the world to create an extensive database to advance evidence-based research on sand dams

Secukinumab improves active psoriatic arthritis symptoms and inhibits radiographic progression: primary results from the randomised, double-blind, phase III FUTURE 5 study

Pathophysiology and treatment of rheumatic disease

Optimizing Livelihood and Environmental Benefits from Crop Residues in Smallholder Crop-Livestock Systems in Southern Africa. Series Paper Number 11

Sustainable forms of intensification are needed to address the low and stagnant production of farming systems in southern Africa. More efficient use of crop-livestock interactions can contribute to this; in this context the effective use of crop residues is becoming increasingly important and also contested. Crop residues left on the field for mulching are expected to bring long-term environmental benefits but when fed to livestock they provide farmers with short-term livelihood benefits. This study aims at better understanding the diversity of farming systems and uses of crop residues, in particular the trade-offs in using the residues for soil amendment versus livestock feed. It is part of a global comparison with sites along a human and livestock population density gradient across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. This southern Africa study represents the most extensive case of semi-arid areas with lowest biomass production. Three sites were compared, at different levels of agricultural intensification, extent of crop-livestock integration and use of crop residues. 1. Mzimba in Northern Malawi – intensified crop oriented production. 2. Nkayi in southwest Zimbabwe – integrated crop-livestock systems. 3. Changara in Tete province in Central Mozambique – extensive crop-livestock farming. Across the three sites, crop residues are clearly needed as livestock feed. In Nkayi and Changara low crop yields and low biomass production against the existing demand from livestock prevents farmers from using residues for purposes other than livestock feed. The practice of collecting and kraal feeding residues in Nkayi illustrates that the pressure on residues is at a level where farmers start privatizing residues in order to ensure their individual benefits. When feeding crop residues in the kraal, farmers also increase the amount of manure for soil fertility improvement. Even in Mzimba, with higher residue production and lower livestock ownership, very few farmers retain the residues to achieve real impact on soil health. Although farmers see soil fertility as a critical constraint, they have limited residues to spare for mulching. The trade-offs of reallocating crop residues from livestock feed to mulching for soil amendment will be high as long as alternative feed technologies and access to input and output markets are not developed. The trade-offs will be lower in areas with higher biomass production and less competition with livestock. Technical options need to increase biomass on existing croplands, addressing feed shortages and the need for soil amendment concurrently. Viable institutional structures and appropriate policies need to support this intensification processes through better access to inputs, knowledge and markets. The pathways for sustainable intensification and more efficient crop residue utilization need to be developed within the local context. We found strong growth potential for livestock-oriented agricultural development in extensive areas (Changara), strengthening crop and livestock integration to support intensification in areas like Nkayi, and enhancing crop-livestock integration for more efficient resource utilization where biomass is less limiting (Mzimba)