The Juvenile Justice System of Zambia.

This thesis examines juvenile justice in Zambia and shows that it is characterised by duality. The system has been critically examined in order to assess its historical development and to appreciate the traditional cultural aspects pertaining to child socialisation that may help to understand and improve juvenile justice, with regard to the operation of the police, courts, probation services and correctional institutions (Approved School and a Reformatory). It is shown that at certain stages of the criminal process there are instances of non-compliance with the provisions of the Juveniles Act, and that misconception of the Act leads to the ill-treatment of juvenile offenders. A review of literature on juvenile justice is conducted for the purpose of analyzing theoretical notions underlying the development of the juvenile justice systems in Western countries, because of the general influence of the West on the Zambian legal system and, in particular, the critical impact of English law. Completed case records of juvenile cases in the Lusaka magistrates' courts for the period from January 1991 to December 1992 are examined and analysed by: name, age, sex, offence charged, final disposition or reason for discontinuance, presentence report submitted or not, whether parent or guardian attended court and compliance with the Act. Views of correctional staff and inmates, judges and magistrates, senior police officers and government officials are presented. This study seeks to place the results in the context of the United Nations Guidelines For the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency (Riyadh Guidelines 1990) and other international Instruments on the rights of child, taking into consideration the economic situation of the country. The thesis identifies weaknesses and defiaciencies in the structure and operations of the juvenile justice system and makes recommendations for reform (i.e. such as improved resources, better training, replacement of the correctional institutions and wider general recognition of the special problem faced by juveniles in contemporary Zambia)

Burnup-Dependent Neutron Spectrum Behaviour of a Pressurised Water Reactor Fuel Assembly

Understanding the behaviour of a neutron spectrum with burnup is important for describing various phenomena associated with reactor operation. The quest to understand the neutron spectrum comes with a lot of questions. One question that is usually asked by students is: Does the neutron spectrum harden or soften with burnup? Most textbooks used by students do not provide a definite answer to this question. This paper seeks to answer this question using a 3D model of a standard 17 × 17 pressurised water reactor fuel assembly. Two cases were studied using the Serpent Monte Carlo code: the first considered the fuel assembly with constant boron concentration (traditionally found in many published papers), and the second considered boron iteration (where the boron concentration was reduced with burnup). Neutron spectra for the two cases at beginning of life and end of life were compared for spectral shifts. In addition, thermal spectral indices were used to assess spectrum hardening or softening with burnup. Spectral shifts to lower energies were observed in the thermal region of the neutron spectrum, whereas the fast region experienced no spectral shift. There was an increase in thermal spectral indices indicating that the spectrum became soft with burnup

Morpho-physiological and Yield Responses Associated with Plant Density Variation in Soybean (Glycine max L. (Merrill))

Understanding morpho-physiological factors associated with yield decline at high density in soybean (Glycine max L.) can assist in optimizing productivity and seed quality. The objective of this study was to determine effects of different spacing on development and seed quality. The study tested the concept of yield plasticity. Five varieties that included determinate (SC Safari, Dina and Magoye) and indeterminate (Kaleya and Pan 1867) and three densities (300,000, 400,000 and 550,000 plants/ha) were used. A randomized complete block design arranged in 2 factor- factorial with variety and plant density and 4 replications was used. The experiment was done at Seed Control and Certification Institute in Chilanga, Zambia in 2015. Parameters assessed included: height, branches/plant, chlorophyll, nitrogen, 50 % flowering, pod-fill time, maturity duration, biomass, seed quality, yield and yield components. Significant effects for variety were present for all parameters while plant density effects were highly significant for number of branches/plant, biomass yield, pods/plant, seeds/pod and yield. Interaction effects were observed for pods/plant and seeds/plant. Traits positively and significantly correlated to yield were height, canopy biomass yield, pods/plant and seeds/plant. Biomass, pods/plant, seeds/plant and 100 seed weight contributed significantly to total variation of grain yield. Plant height, biomass yield, number of pods/plant, number of seeds/plant and hundred seed weight were critical parameters determining yield elasticity. Kaleya, Pan 1867 and Dina appeared more tolerant of planting at high density

International Information Management Corporation

Abstract: Interviews in rural Zambia taught us how people use the internet and the benefits they experience. The study showed that people and communities in rural areas do benefit from ICT both socially and economically. Basically, they use the internet for the same purposes as people in Western countries, such as to communicate, to search for information and to buy things. However, internet is even more important in rural areas because of lack of alternatives, such as telephone lines, libraries, newspapers, roads in good condition, and public transport. Most participants feel that the internet can have a positive impact on their culture; however, more African content should be developed and placed on the internet. This paper is about cases of real people and how internet changed their lives. Internet empowered them and helped them to build a more sustainable future

Training of Trainers (ToT) Workshop on Climate Smart Nutrient and Water Management in Crop Production Course Module

As part of the AICCRA, the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) are tasked to develop curricula and training materials to accelerate the mainstreaming of Climate Information Services (CIS) and Climate- Smart Agriculture (CSA) into University’s curricula in Africa. This report describes the activities of a training of trainers’ (ToT) workshop on Climate Smart Nutrient and Water Management in Crop Production course module . The University of Zambia (UNZA) organised and hosted the Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop from the 29th August - 2nd September, 2023 at Chita Lodge in Kafue District of Zambia with the objective of increasing awareness on climate-smart soil nutrient and water management at university level and with non-academic audiences. The ToT included 28 participants (about 39% women) drawn from various institutions involved in training, dissemination and promotion of CSA and CIS in Zambia. These institutions included the Ministry of Agriculture, Zambia National Information Services (NAIS), Zambia College of Agriculture (ZCA), Natural Resource Development College (NRDC), Kasisi Agriculture Training Centre (KATC), Indaba Agriculture Policy and Research Institute (IAPRI), AfriSeed and relevant Departments at the University of Zambia. The workshop was organised as a three-day Modular Training of Trainers workshop organised in interactive sessions and a field visit. The Sessions included: (i) Official opening and setting of the scene; (ii) Concepts and principles of soil health and nutrient management in crop production; (iii) Soil: plant-water interrelations; (iv) Challenges of climate change to soils and soil fertility management; (v) Water management for crop production; (vi) Climate smart crop production and nutrient management Systems; (vii) Nutrient management for climate change adaptation and crop production; and, a field visit to two Conservation Agriculture (CA) practicing farms. The following issues and recommendations emerged from the ToT: (i) There is need to scale-up the training to cover additional institutions and farmers for enhancement of CSA practices; (ii) There is need to contextualize the module to suit the different stakeholders and environments; (iii) There is need to develop a toolkit translating scientific terms into the major local languages of Zambia; and, (iv) based on the success of the training workshop, the Department of Soil Science has since received requests to organise similar training to targeting seed companies in climate smart agriculture. We therefore recommend that: (i) a scale-up of ToT be implemented; (ii) the next phase of AICCRA includes the development of contextualized materials including booklets, pamphlets, flyers, videos, bulletins and newsletters. Such materials could be developed in partnership with the media houses

Application of fundamental techniques for physicochemical characterizations to understand post-formulation performance of pharmaceutical nanocrystalline materials

Nanocrystalline materials (NCM, i.e., crystalline nanoparticles) have become an important class of materials with great potential for applications ranging from drug delivery and electronics to optics. Drug nanocrystals (NC) and nano co-crystals (NCC) are examples of NCM with fascinating physicochemical properties and have attracted significant attention in drug delivery. NCM are categorized by advantageous properties, such as high drug-loading efficiency, good long-term physical stability, steady and predictable drug release, and long systemic circulation time. These properties make them excellent formulations for the efficient delivery of a variety of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). In this review, we summarize the recent advances in drug NCM-based therapy options. Currently, there are three main methods to synthesize drug NCM, including top-down, bottom-up, and combination methods. The fundamental characterization methods of drug NCM are elaborated. Furthermore, the applications of these characterizations and their implications on the post-formulation performance of NCM are introduced

Use of Mobile Phones and Text Messaging to Decrease the Turnaround Time for Early Infant HIV Diagnosis and Notification in Rural Zambia: An Observational Study

Background: Early infant diagnosis of HIV infection is challenging in rural sub-Saharan Africa as blood samples are sent to central laboratories for HIV DNA testing, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment initiation. Simple technologies to rapidly deliver results to clinics and notify mothers of test results would decrease many of these delays. The feasibility of using mobile phones to contact mothers was evaluated. In addition, the first two years of implementation of a national short message service (SMS) reporting system to deliver test results from the laboratory to the clinic were evaluated. Methods: The study was conducted in Macha, Zambia from 2013 to 2015 among mothers of HIV-exposed infants. Mothers were interviewed about mobile phone use and willingness to be contacted directly or through their rural health center. Mothers were contacted according to their preferred method of communication when test results were available. Mothers of positive infants were asked to return to the clinic as soon as possible. Dates of sample collection, delivery of test results to the clinic and notification of mothers were documented in addition to test results. Results: Four hundred nineteen mothers and infants were enrolled. Only 30% of mothers had ever used a mobile phone. 96% of mobile phone owners were reached by study staff and 98% of mothers without mobile phones were contacted through their rural health center. Turnaround times for mothers of positive infants were approximately 2 weeks shorter than for mothers of negative infants. Delivery of test results by the national SMS system improved from 2013 to 2014, with increases in the availability of texted results (38 vs. 91%) and arrival of the texted result prior to the hardcopy report (27 vs. 83%). Texted results arriving at the clinic before the hardcopy were received a median of 19 days earlier. Four discrepancies between texted and hardcopy results were identified out of 340 tests. Conclusions: Mobile phone and text messaging technology has the potential to improve early infant diagnosis but challenges to widespread implementation need to be addressed, including low mobile phone ownership, use and coverage in rural areas

Use of mobile phones and text messaging to decrease the turnaround time for early infant HIV diagnosis and notification in rural Zambia: An observational study

Background: Early infant diagnosis of HIV infection is challenging in rural sub-Saharan Africa as blood samples are sent to central laboratories for HIV DNA testing, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment initiation. Simple technologies to rapidly deliver results to clinics and notify mothers of test results would decrease many of these delays. The feasibility of using mobil

Multiple behaviour change intervention for diarrhoea control in Lusaka, Zambia: a cluster randomised trial

Background Eff ective prevention and control of diarrhoea requires caregivers to comply with a suite of proven measures, including exclusive breastfeeding, handwashing with soap, correct use of oral rehydration salts, and zinc administration. We aimed to assess the eff ect of a novel behaviour change intervention using emotional drivers on caregiver practice of these behaviours. Methods We did a cluster randomised controlled trial in Lusaka Province, Zambia. A random sample of 16 health centres (clusters) were selected from a sampling frame of 81 health centres in three of four districts in Lusaka Province using a computerised random number generator. Each cluster was randomly assigned 1:1 to either the intervention— clinic events, community events, and radio messaging—or to a standard care control arm, both for 6 months. Primary outcomes were exclusive breastfeeding (self-report), handwashing with soap (observation), oral rehydration salt solution preparation (demonstration), and zinc use in diarrhoea treatment (self-report). We measured outcome behaviours at baseline before start of intervention and 4–6 weeks post-intervention through repeat cross-sectional surveys with mothers of an infant younger than 6 months and primary caregivers of a child younger than 5 years with recent diarrhoea. We compared outcomes on an intention-to-treat population between intervention and control groups adjusted for baseline behaviour. The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02081521. Findings Between Jan 20 and Feb 3, 2014, we recruited 306 mothers of an infant aged 0–5 months (156 intervention, 150 standard care) and 343 primary caregiver of a child aged 0–59 months with recent diarrhoea (176 intervention, 167 standard care) at baseline. Between Oct 20 to Nov 7, 2014, we recruited 401 mothers of an infant 0–5 months (234 intervention, 167 standard care) and 410 primary caregivers of a child 0–59 months with recent diarrhoea (257 intervention, 163 standard care) at endline. Intervention was associated with increased prevalence of self-reported exclusive breastfeeding of infants aged 0–5 months (adjusted diff erence 10·5%, 95% CI 0·9–19·9). Other primary outcomes were not aff ected by intervention. Cluster intervention exposure ranged from 11–81%, measured by participant self-report with verifi cation questions. Comparison of control and intervention clusters with coverage greater than 35% provided strong evidence of an intervention eff ect on oral rehydration salt solution preparation and breastfeeding outcomes. Interpretation The intervention may have improved exclusive breastfeeding (assessed by self-reporting), but intervention eff ects were diluted in clusters with low exposure. Complex caregiver practices can improve through interventions built around human motives, but these must be implemented more intensely

Effects of Compost Manure on Soil Microbial Respiration, Plant-Available-Water, Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Yield and Pre-Harvest Aflatoxin Contamination

Peanut production in Zambia is often characterized by low yields and high aflatoxin incidence in harvested kernels. Soil amendments such as farmyard manure have shown potential to increase yields and reduce pre-harvest aflatoxin incidence. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effects of composted cattle manure on soil properties that relate to yield and pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination of peanut kernels. Research evaluated the effects of composted cattle manure on soil respiration, plant-available water (PAW), peanut yield and pre-harvest aflatoxin contamination in a field experiment conducted in two successive rain-fed cropping seasons starting in December, 2015 and ending in April 2017, in Chongwe District, Zambia. Six (6) levels of compost were incorporated into the top 10 cm of the soil at rates of 0, 4.5, 12.0, 19.5, 27.0, and 34.5 metric tons/ha 1 wk before planting. There was a strong positive relationship between levels of compost and soil microbial respiration (R2=0.84) and PAW (R2=0.86). Secondly, compost manure was associated with increases in pod (R2=0.65) and kernel (R2=0.61) yield. The kernel yield potential of the planted cultivar was achieved at the rate of 12 metric tons per ha. Thirdly, there was a reduction in total aflatoxin levels with increasing levels of compost (R2=0.85). The improvement in peanut yield and the decrease in aflatoxin concentrations in kernels can be attributed to the improvement in soil moisture retention capacity and soil microbial activity arising from manure amendments. This study demonstrated the potential of compost manure to increase soil microbial activity, PAW, peanut yield and minimize aflatoxin contamination at field level