• International Area Studies Review
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.271-294
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• 2017

Despite a huge amount of foreign assistance and close economic guidance by international donors throughout the past decades, Zambia today still suffer from a high level of aid dependency and the absence of sustainable economic development. In this study, I investigate the factors that resulted in aid (and development) failure in Zambia, focusing on institutional/historical contexts. I propose that in Zambia, government has largely failed to implement (or even produce) effective economic policies that could lead to successful use of foreign assistance for long-term, sustainable development. In particular, I focus on the nature of state and politics in Zambia, and argue that failed politics is one of the main causes of development and aid failure in Zambia and highlight colonial legacies and other contextual/institutional factors to understand the nature of politics and state in Zambia. In particular, this paper proposes that the Zambian case demonstrates that foreign aid and donor influence could worsen the situation directly by simply providing wrong guidance and also by further weakening the state (and institutional) capacity of the recipient country.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.67-69
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• 2010

Trypomastogotes of Trypanosoma brucei were detected from 4 asymptomatic kudus (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) on a game ranch located approximately 45 km north east of Lusaka, Zambia. Blood smears examined from 14 wildlife species comprising of the impala (Aepyceros melampus), Kafue lechwe (kobus leche kafuensis), sable antelope (Hippotragus niger), tsessebe (Damaliscus lunatus), warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus), puku (Kobus vardoni), zebra (Equus burchelli), waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus), bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus), reedbuck (Redunca arundinum), wilderbeest (Connochaetes taurinus), hartebeest (Alcephelus lichtensteini), African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), and kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) showed that only the kudu had T. brucei. Although game ranching has emerged to be a successful ex-situ conservation strategy aimed at saving the declining wildlife population in the National Parks, our findings suggest that it has the potential of aiding the re-distribution of animal diseases. Hence, there is a need for augmenting wildlife conservation with disease control strategies aimed at reducing the risk of disease transmission between wildlife and domestic animals.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.437-440
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• 2011

Babesia spp. were detected from 4 asymptomatic pukus captured on a game ranch in central Zambia in October 2008. Blood smears were examined in 4 species of aymptomatic free-ranging antelopes, namely the puku (Kobus vordanii), reedbuck (Redunca arundinum), bushbuck (Tragelaphus sylvaticus), and kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), and showed the presence of Babesia parasites only in the puku. In the puku, the prevalence of babesiosis was estimated at 33.3% (n=12), while the overall prevalence in all examined animals was 8.5% (n=47). The parasites showed morphological characteristics of paired ring-like stages with the length varying between $1.61{\mu}m$ and $3.02{\mu}m$ ($mean=2.12{\mu}m$, n=27; $SD=0.76{\mu}m$). Both the infected and non-infected pukus showed good body condition scores (BCS), while the dominant tick species detected from all animals were Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, Rhipicephalus spp., and Boophilus spp. To our knowledge this is the first report of Babesia spp. infection in pukus in Zambia. These findings suggest that wildlife could play an important role in the epidemiology of babesiosis in Zambia.

• Journal of Construction Engineering and Project Management
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2020

With the increased dependence on subcontracting in the construction industry, the operational relationship between main contractors and subcontractor plays an imperative role in successful project delivery. Consequently, improving this relationship increases the probability of project success and enhancing project performance. A wide range of research has confirmed that partnering improves the main contractor-subcontractor relationship. Though the positive impact of partnering on project performance is supported by a plethora of evidence, the guiding theory on practical partnering process steps is limited. The study aimed at improving subcontracting in the construction industry through a partnering process relevant to Zambia guided by factors obtained from industry expects. Questionnaire surveys and Semi-structured interview were adopted to investigate the perception of construction industry professionals and academics towards the main contractor-subcontractor relationship along with improvement factors. The findings showed that the relationship between main contractors and subcontractors on most projects in Zambia is unsatisfactory therefore justifying attention. Top factors that can enhance the main contractor-subcontractor relationship were identified. From the factors deduced and guidelines on partnering best practices, a project partnering model was developed.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.91-94
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• 2011

We report 2 cases of Thelazia rhodesii infection in the African buffaloes, Syncerus caffer, in Zambia. African buffalo calves were captured from the livestock and wildlife interface area of the Kafue basin in the dry season of August 2005 for the purpose to translocate to game ranches. At capture, calves (n = 48) were examined for the presence of eye infections by gently manipulating the orbital membranes to check for eye-worms in the conjunctival sacs and corneal surfaces. Two (4.3%) were infected and the mean infection burden per infected eye was 5.3 worms (n=3). The mean length of the worms was 16.4 mm (95% CI; 14.7-18.2 mm) and the diameter 0.41 mm (95% CI; 0.38-0.45 mm). The surface cuticle was made of transverse striations which gave the worms a characteristic serrated appearance. Although the calves showed signs of kerato-conjunctivitis, the major pathological change observed was corneal opacity. The calves were kept in quarantine and were examined thrice at 30 days interval. At each interval, they were treated with 200 ${\mu}g/kg$ ivermectin, and then translocated to game ranches. Given that the disease has been reported in cattle and Kafue lechwe (Kobus lechwe kafuensis) in the area, there is a need for a comprehensive study which aims at determining the disease dynamics and transmission patterns of thelaziasis between wildlife and livestock in the Kafue basin.

• Asia Pacific Journal of Business Review
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.1-16
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• 2017

The fundamental goal of the research was to verify if the Twin Deficits Hypothesis holds for the economy of Zambia using time series data from 1980-2014. The current account and budget deficit were employed as key variables. The exchange rate was also used as a transmission mechanism to see how it contributes in the nexus. Cointegration tests confirmed a long run association of the variables. After fitting the VECM model, Granger causality tests confirmed the existence of twin deficits for Zambia. The results supported uni-directional reverse causality. The exchange rate was shown to be more significant in the long run than in the short run. The implosion of the time series as shown by the predicted cointegration equation implies that unless drastic measures are taken to cure the deficits, using the current account as the major target variable, twin deficits will persist for some time. The major policy implication of this research is that given that Zambia is a primary commodity-dependent developing country subsisting largely on copper revenues to sustain the economy, there is a need to move away from "copper addiction," given the recent volatility of earnings of primary commodities (e.g. through diversification of the economy, import substitution, and other strategies).

• Proceedings of The Korean Society of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.43-48
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• 2001

Many applications in the areas of agricultural, hydrological and environmental resource management require data over very large areas and with a high imaging frequency - monitoring crop growth, water stress, seasonal wetland flooding and natural vegetation development. This precludes the use of fine resolution data (Landsat, Spot) on the grounds of cost, accessibility and low imaging frequency. Meteorological satellites have the potential to fill this need, given their very wide spatial coverage, and high repeat imaging. The Remote Sensing Unit (RSU) at the Zambia Meteorological Department routinely receives, processes and archives imagery from both Meteosat and NOAA AVHRR satellites. Here I wish to present some examples of applications of these data sets that arise from the RSU work - relationships between rainfall and vegetation development as assessed by satellite, derived information and seasonal patterns of flooding in the Barotse floodplain and the Kafue flats. I also wish to outline ways in which a more widespread use of this data by the Zambian institutions canbe achieved.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.25.1-25.9
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• 2020

Fish is an extremely perishable food product which requires proper handling soon after harvest. The present study was aimed at assessing post-harvest fish losses and preservation practices in Siavonga district, Southern Zambia. Structured and semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data on post-harvest fish losses and preservation practices from aquaculture producers, artisanal, and commercial fishers. All the fishers who landed on the lakeshore were interviewed, while aquaculture producers were randomly selected based on the information provided by the local department of fisheries. The results of the study revealed that all the fishers experienced post-harvest fish losses at varying degrees with those losing up to 10% of the total catch being in the majority. In contrast, aquaculture producers did not report any post-harvest fish losses. Most aquaculture producers commonly used chilling as preservation practice contrary to artisanal and commercial fishers who commonly used smoking and sun sun-drying respectively. Furthermore, fish product safety and quality control were poorly practiced in the district. Lack of cold storage facilities and fluctuating weather conditions were the major challenges impacting fish post-harvest activities. Therefore, to curb the loss of revenue due to post-harvest fish losses, we propose the introduction of new technology, self-development skills for fishing communities, and enhanced access to refrigeration facilities.

• Proceedings of The Korean Society of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.38-38
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• 2001

The rainfall estimates give sufficiently accurate information to map areas which have received the minimum rainfall necessary for outbreaks of pests such as locusts, thus cutting down the cost of searching for likely outbreak sites. At the other end of the scale, satellite rainfall estimates can be used to give timely warnings of changes in river levels and the likelihood of floods in large river catchments.(omitted)

• Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.61-68
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• 2023

Background and Purpose: Analyzing brain amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) images to access the occurrence of β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition in Alzheimer's patients requires much time and effort from physicians, while the variation of each interpreter may differ. For these reasons, a machine learning model was developed using a convolutional neural network (CNN) as an objective decision to classify the Aβ positive and Aβ negative status from brain amyloid PET images. Methods: A total of 7,344 PET images of 144 subjects were used in this study. The 18F-florbetaben PET was administered to all participants, and the criteria for differentiating Aβ positive and Aβ negative state was based on brain amyloid plaque load score (BAPL) that depended on the visual assessment of PET images by the physicians. We applied the CNN algorithm trained in batches of 51 PET images per subject directory from 2 classes: Aβ positive and Aβ negative states, based on the BAPL scores. Results: The binary classification of the model average performance matrices was evaluated after 40 epochs of three trials based on test datasets. The model accuracy for classifying Aβ positivity and Aβ negativity was (95.00±0.02) in the test dataset. The sensitivity and specificity were (96.00±0.02) and (94.00±0.02), respectively, with an area under the curve of (87.00±0.03). Conclusions: Based on this study, the designed CNN model has the potential to be used clinically to screen amyloid PET images.