University of Zimbabwe

About: University of Zimbabwe is a education organization based out in Harare, Harare, Zimbabwe. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The organization has 4378 authors who have published 6800 publications receiving 160720 citations. The organization is also known as: UZ & University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.

Pressure management as a leakage reduction and water demand management tool: The case of the City of Mutare, Zimbabwe

Abstract: Water is now considered a scarce but essential resource, which should be managed in an integrated manner. The traditional approaches of resource development are now considered as unsustainable. Water demand management (WDM), the new approach, aims at influencing demand, thus improving distribution efficiency. Leakage control and pressure management are some of the WDM strategies. The study was carried out in Mutare and investigated the potential for leakage control through pressure management. The city experiences high water losses due to an aged system of reticulation, faulty metering of 25% and high system pressures. Unaccounted for water (UFW) for the city during the study period averaged 57%. UFW for the two specific study areas in Chikanga averaged 47% and 32%. One of the areas was investigated for leakage reduction through pressure management. The normal operating pressure in the system was 75–80 m. Epanet was used for modelling pressure distribution. Results from logged minimum night flows (MNF) show that at 77 m UFW due to leakage was 25%. A pressure reduction from 77 m to 50 m resulted in 25% reduction in MNF. Further reduction of pressure below 50 m resulted in deterioration of service. No flow was received at the highest point when the pressure was set at 30 m. At this pressure, results from Epanet gave 0.84 m pressure at the highest point. The hydraulic model predicted 50 m as minimum pressure for an acceptable minimum pressure in the system. It was concluded that operating the system at 50 m in the area under pressure management reduced the MNF by 25% without affecting the service. There is great potential for leakage control through pressure management. It is recommended that leakage control through pressure management be investigated in other parts of the city using Epanet as a tool. Replacement of very old pipes should be considered together with other strategies. 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transformative Knowledge Transfer Through Empowering and Paying Community Researchers

Abstract: Environmental research is often conducted independently of the community in which the environment is situated, with transfer of results into policy and on-ground action occurring independently of the community's interests or aspirations. Increasingly the need for greater community involvement in the research process has been recognized. For community members, however, such engagement usually involves trade-offs. While it is often assumed that community members should participate voluntarily because they will gain from the research, any benefits from knowledge, understanding and a capacity to influence the research have to be offset against time and potential loss of unremunerated intellectual property. We argue, using case studies from tropical Australia and Africa, that a more effective means of engagement and knowledge transfer is training and remuneration of community members as coresearchers. This engagement is much more than payment for labor—it is investment in local intellectual property and requires researcher humility, power-sharing and recognition that access to research funding provides no moral or intellectual authority. Further, we argue that, for effective adoption of research results, community members need to be part of negotiated agreements on the initial nature of the research to ensure it answers questions of genuine local relevance and that local researchers have the capacity to place locally conducted research into a wider context. We argue that immediate rewards for involvement not only secure engagement but, where appropriate, are likely to lead to effective implementation of research results, enhanced local capacity and greater equity in intellectual power-sharing.

A serosurvey using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibodies against poultry pathogens in ostriches (Struthio camelus) from Zimbabwe.

Abstract: Horseradish peroxidase-conjugated goat anti-ostrich IgG was raised and used in commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits to detect antibodies reactive with 11 poultry pathogens in sera from 149 ostriches from nine farms around Zimbabwe. Antibodies were detected to turkey rhinotracheitis virus (99%), Newcastle disease virus (23%), avian reovirus (19%), infectious bursal disease virus (15%), avian encephalomyelitis virus (15%), Mycoplasma gallisepticum and/or M. synoviae (11%), reticuloendotheliosis virus (10%), Salmonella enteritidis (8%), avian leukosis virus (3%), infectious bronchitis virus (2%), and Pasteurella multocida (< 1%). Although evidence of prior infection with turkey rhinotracheitis and newcastle disease virus was present on all farms tested, there was marked variation between farms in the prevalence of exposure to other poultry pathogens.