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Background We sought to assess the level of non-compliance with the International Code of Marketing breast-milk substitutes (BMS) and/or Statutory Instrument (SI) Number 48 of 2006 of the Laws of Zambia in two suburbs, Kalingalinga and Chelstone, in Zambia. Methods This was a cross sectional survey. Shop owners (80), health workers (8) and mothers (214) were interviewed. BMS labels and advertisements (62) were observed. The primary outcome was mean non-compliance defined as the number of article violations divided by the total 'obtainable' violations. The score ranges from 0 to 1 with 0 representing no violations in all the articles and one representing violations in all the articles. Results A total of 62 BMS were assessed. The mean non-compliance score by manufacturers in terms of violations in labelling of BMS was 0.33 (SD = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.26, 0.40). These violations were mainly due to labels containing pictures or graphics representing an infant. 80 shops were also assessed with mean non-compliance score in respect of violations in tie-in-sales, special display, and contact with mothers at the shop estimated as 0.14 (SD = 0.14; 95% CI: 0.11, 0.18). Conclusions Non-compliance with the Code and/or the local SI is high after 10 years of domesticating the Code.

ObjectiveThe study explored the experiences and challenges of adults living with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) presenting at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka.Research designA qualitative descriptive study was conducted. The research relied on purposive sampling to select 28 participants for in-depth interviews. Participants were interviewed during clinical visits at UTH.ResultsViews from participants showed that some adults living with T2DM experienced physical and mental illnesses. Participants’ views reflected that their livelihood with T2DM was influenced by family support, poor or non-adherence to treatment guidelines and access to information, education and communication materials. The most important challenges reported were psychosocial and financial.ConclusionThe study concluded that some adults living with T2DM experience a lot of physical sicknesses and their challenges, especially of the psychosocial nature may require professional attention. However, particular attention should be paid to the patient’s self-care and psychosocial therapy. Self-care protocols should be tailored to complement the different types of patients with diabetes and improve their quality of life.Cite Now

A Periodic Mesoporous Organosilica (PMO) is an organic-inorganic hybrid composition with ordered porous structure on a molecular imprinted polymer (MIP). A triblock copolymer Pluronic F127 poly(ethyle ne glycol)- poly(propylene glycol)-poly(ethylene glycol) as structure directing agent (SDA) and 1,4-bis(triethoxysilyl)benzene (BTEB) as a precursor were used to synthesis the PMO-MIP using a non-covalent approach. The non-covalent approachshowed a limited number of selective imprinted sites due to the lack of strong intermolecular attractions between DDT template and the BTEB precursor. However, treatment of PMO-MIP with chlorotrimethylsilane (CTMS) significantly reduced the SiO-H and Si-OH resulting in a more non-polar material. The synthesized PMO-MIP was able to recover 106%, 85% and 99% of DDT, DDD and DDE respectively which shows that it can be used not only for extraction of DDT and its metabolites from environmental samples but also as a clean-up for samples.

The study investigated qualitatively and quantitatively the presence of organophosphate pesticide (OPP) residues in cabbages, tomatoes and soil from vegetable gardens of Manzini region and assessed the health risk to consumers. Samples were analysed using QuEChERS extraction technique and GC-ECD. Mean recoveries of the pesticides range from 70.61% to 103.76%. Among 26 samples of cabbages analysed, 8 samples (30.77%) contained residues of dichlorvos with a mean concentration of 2.889 ± 0.617 mg/kg, 8 samples (30.77%) contained residues of dimethoate with mean concentration of 2.898 ± 0.894 mg/kg while 5 samples (19.23%) contained both dichlorvos and dimethoate. The highest concentration of dichlorvos of 5.460 ± 0.911 mg/kg was found in Ngwempisi cabbages while the lowest concentration of 0.415 mg/kg was in Mgazini cabbages. The highest amount of dimethoate of 13.150 ± 3.246 mg/kg was in Matfunjwa cabbages while the lowest amount of dimethoate of 0.106 ± 0.187 mg/kg was in Boyane cabbages. All the contaminated cabbages had residue levels above the Codex (FAO/WHO) and EU MRLs. None of the 15 samples of tomatoes was found to be contaminated with organophosphate pesticides. Out of 41 samples of soil, chlorpyrifos was detected in only 3 samples (7.32%) with mean concentration of 1.145 ± 0.136 mg/kg. The highest amount of 2.778 ± 0.134 mg/kg was found in soil from Buoyane. The health risk estimate also demonstrated that the levels of pesticides residues in cabbages pose health threat to consumers. The results of this study provide a database on the levels of organophosphate pesticide residues in vegetables in the Manzini region to the Ministries of Agriculture and Health. This will help introduce safer pesticide management practices. It will also bring awareness to the general public on the dangers of OPPs to human health and environment.

Aflatoxins belong to a group of naturally occurring toxins which contaminate foodstuffs under favourable conditions. Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus produce aflatoxins; the four major aflatoxins which contaminate foodstuffs are B1, B2, G1 and G2. Maize, groundnuts, rice, wheat and other foodstuffs are susceptible to aflatoxin contamination. B1 in the majority of cases is the most abundant, most toxic and the most potent natural carcinogen and is classified as a Group 1 human carcinogen. The extent of contamination varies with geographical location, agricultural practices of farmers and susceptibility of crops to fungal activity during pre- and/ or post-harvesting. Research on groundnuts in Swaziland showed contamination with aflatoxins; however, no data exists on the contamination of maize grains, yet maize is a main staple food of the Swazi nation and its consumption is high. The purpose of the study was to carry out an investigation on the occurrence of aflatoxins on maize grown in various homesteads. Maize samples were collected from different areas in Hhohho, Manzini, Shiselweni and Lubombo regions. Extraction with methanol:water (85:15 v/v) was followed by detection with HPLC-PDA for the analysis of aflatoxins. Results showed that B1 was the most pre-dominant toxin with the lowest concentration at 0.4 ppb and the highest at 25 ppb, both samples were from the Shiselweni region. A total of 90 maize samples were collected for analysis, it was determined that overall contamination with G2 was 20% with 13% above 4 ppb- the European Union (EU) maximum recommended limit. B1 contamination was at 31%, overall, with 18% above 2 ppb- the EU maximum recommended limit. Concentrations for G1 and B2 could not be determined due to poor resolution of peaks. These results show that people in Swaziland are being exposed to aflatoxins through feeding on contaminated maize. There is a growing urgency for the Swaziland government to come up with strategies of teaching the people about food safety.Keywords: aflatoxins, Aspergillus, maize, contamination, carcinogen, toxin, Swaziland, HPLC-PDA

Executive Summary. This paper investigates whether there are any discernible trends in the U.S. and Australian commercial real estate public debt markets with the onset of the global financial cris...

This paper presents survey results of factors considered by originators/issuers and arrangers of Australian Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities to obtain high credit ratings and those considered in the pricing of the issues to ensure their success. Rating of issues was found to be the main reason why investors invest in CMBSs and provision of funds at attractive rates as the main motivation behind CMBS issuance. Furthermore, asset quality was found to be the most important factor necessary to obtain a high credit rating, supporting the previous industry view that the assets backing the securitisation are its fundamental credit

This paper investigates how property risk in Australian Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) issued between 2000 and 2005 can be assessed and reported in a more systematic and consistent approach to be easily understood by institutional investors. Our framework shows that assessing and reporting property risk in Australian CMBSs, which are primarily backed by direct property assets, under the headings of investment quality risk, covenant strength risk, and depreciation and obsolescence risk can easily be done. Rating agencies can adopt a more systematic and consistent approach towards reporting of assessed property risk in CMBS. Issuers and institutional investors can examine the perceived consistency and appropriateness of the rating assigned to a CMBS issue by providing inferences concerning property risk assessment

Using artificial neural networks (ANN) and ordinal regression (OR) as alternative methods to predict LPT bond ratings, we examine the role that various financial and industry-based variables have on Listed Property Trust (LPT) bond ratings issued by Standard and Poor’s from 1999-2006. Our study shows that both OR and ANN provide robust alternatives to rating LPT bonds and that there are no significant differences in results between the full models of the two methods. OR results show that of the financial variables used in our models, debt coverage and financial leverage ratios have the most profound effect on LPT bond ratings. Further, ANN results show that 73.0% of LPT bond rating is attributable to financial variables and 27.0% to industry-based variables, with the office LPT sector accounting for 2.6%, retail LPT sector 10.9% and stapled management structure 13.5%

The paper explores the development of the Australian Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (CMBS) market from 1999 to 2006 and outlines similarities and dissimilarities with the United States (US) and European (EU) CMBS markets. Whilst the US has been the market leader in terms of issuance volumes and diversity of asset classes backing the issues, the other two regions have not lagged far behind and have replicated the US CMBS model to suit their local needs. In comparison to the much bigger US and EU CMBS markets, the Australian CMBS market is well matured as seen by the diversity of asset classes backing the issues and transaction types, tightening spreads and record issuance volumes. The strong commercial real estate market outlook supports further CMBS issuance, with Listed Property Trusts (LPTs) continuing their dominance as issuers

The zinc tellurolato complex [Zn(TeC 6 H 2 Me 3 -2,4,6) 2 ] n ( 1 ) was obtained by protolysis of Zn[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 2 with mesitylene tellurol, 2,4,6-Me 3 C 6 H 2 TeH, in light petroleum. The complex formed a coordination polymer soluble only in strongly coordinating solvents. Reaction with one equivalent of PMe 3 afforded [Zn(TeC 6 H 2 Me 3 ) 2 (PMe 3 )] ( 2 ), while an excess of Lewis bases L gave four-coordinate adducts [Zn(TeC 6 H 2 Me 3 ) 2 L 2 ] [L = PMe 3 ( 3 ), N -methylimidazole ( 5 ), pyridine ( 6 ); L 2 = Me 2 PC 2 H 4 PMe 2 ( 4 )]. The adducts are more soluble than 1 but lose L on heating. The crystal structure of 6 has been determined by X-ray diffraction and confirmed the monomeric nature of the complex. Heating the complexes either without a solvent or in paraffin oil to 270–320°C led to the formation of cubic ZnTe. Prolonged exposure to temperatures of 350°C in vacuo led to the slow decomposition of ZnTe into the elements. The thermolysis of 1 in refluxing 4-ethylpyridine proceeded more slowly giving nano-scale particles of ZnTe, accompanied by the formation of crystalline tellurium.

The reaction of But2PNHR′ with selenium or tellurium affords the chalcogenophosphinic amides But2P(E)NHR′(E = Se or Te; R′= Pri or cyclo-C6H11). The compounds [But2P(E)NHCH2]2 were prepared similarly. The crystal structure of But2P(Te)NH(C6H11) was determined; it shows a short P–Te bond of 2.371(1)A and a rather long P–N bond of 1.781(4)A. The lithium salts Li[But2P(Se)NR′] react with [TiCl3(cp)](cp =η-C5H5) to give [TiCl2(cp){But2P(Se)NR′}]. The reaction of Li[But2P(Se)NPri] with [TiCl4(thf)2](thf = tetrahydrofuran) affords [TiCl3{But2P(Se)NPri}], while a similar reaction with Li[But2P(Se)N(C6H11)] leads to the isolation of [TiCl2{But2P(Se)N(C6H11)}2]. The structures of [TiCl2(cp){But2P(Se)NPri}] and [TiCl2{But2P(Se)N(C6H11)}2]·C7H8 have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The selenophosphinic amidato ligands are bidentate in all cases. The former complex adopts a distorted square-pyramidal geometry with apical cp, while the latter is octahedral with cis-CI ligands and trans stereochemistry for the nitrogen donors.

A weaning practices and foods study was conducted to provide guidelines for a concurrent project on development of computer‐optimized weaning blend formulations from indigenous Zambian food commodities. The study sample was selected from mothers and their children in 5 high population‐density areas of Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia, to represent children in similar urban communities in Lusaka for whom improved weaning mixtures are to be designed. The investigation included a nutritional evaluation of children's dietary intake; a survey of cultural, social and economic practices which could influence nutritional status; and responses from mothers as to which foods they would use or avoid in weaning their children. The results suggest the mothers are considerably more knowledgeable about the principles of child nutrition than their practices indicate. The information obtained will be helpful in nutritional design and selection of most likely acceptable ingredients for low‐cost, blended food weaning mixt...

The dimeric complexes [Zn(EAr″) 2 ] 2 (1a, E=S; 1b, E=Se) (Ar″=2,4,6-t-Bu 3 C 6 H 2 ) reacted with N, S, or P donor ligands to give three-coordinate monomeric complexes, Zn(EAr″) 2 (L) (L=2,6-lutidine, tetrahydrothiophene, PMe 3 , PMePh 2 ). From the reaction of [Zn(SeAr″) 2 ] 2 (1b) with excess tetrahydrothiophene the S-oxide complexZn(SeAr″) 2 (OSC 4 H 8 ) (12b) was also isolated and identified by X-ray diffraction

The sterically hindered zinc chalcogenolato complexes [Zn(EAr″)2]2 (E = S, Se; Ar″ = 2,4,6-But3C6H2) react with 1 equivalent of tert-butylisocyanide in non-coordinating solvents to give Zn(EC6H2But3)2(CNBut) (1, E = S; 2, E = Se) as thermally stable crystalline adducts; the compounds are thought to be chalcogenolato-bridged dimers. In the presence of excess isocyanide ligand the 1 : 2 adducts Zn(EAr″)2(CNBut)2 (3, E = S; 4, E = Se) are isolated. The compounds represent the first examples of well-characterized isocyanide complexes of zinc. The X-ray structure of 4 showed that it is monomeric with a distorted tetrahedral coordination geometry of the metal centre, which reflects the steric requirements of the chalcogenolato and isocyanide ligands, respectively.

The volatile zinc thiolato complex Zn(SAr[double prime])[sub 2] (1) (Ar[double prime] = C[sub 6]H[sub 2]-t-Bu[sub 3]-2,4,6) was characterized by variable-temperature and solid-state [sup 13]C CP-MAS NMR and X-ray crystallography. The compound is dimeric in the solid state, with trigonal-planar zinc coordinated to three sulfur ligands and asymmetric thiolato bridges. In benzene solution, 1 dissocites into two-coordinate monomers, while at low temperature dimeric species exist in dichloromethane or toluene. The skeletal bonding pattern and the asymmetry of the thiolato bridges are explained on the basis of EHMO calculations; the Zn-S bonds are essentially [sigma] in character, with negligible contributions from Zn-S (p-p)[sub [pi]] interactions. 23 refs., 5 figs., 6 tabs.

Using panel data methodology, the determinants of capital structure in 34 Australia real estate investment trusts (A-REITs) are investigated for the period 2003 to 2008. Our results show that tangibility and size positively influence leverage, with risk having a negative impact. The A-REIT earnings payout requirement implies that profitability and growth opportunities have a low effect on leverage. No evidence is found to support A-REITs issuance of debt when interest rates are low. However, evidence is found to show that A-REITs are less likely to default on their debt obligations in a strong real estate market. Real estate sector effects are mixed and stapled management structure and international operations have significant negative signs, showing that A-REITs with these features should have lower gearing levels. The signs of the determinants show that both pecking order theory and the trade-off theory are at work in explaining the capital structure of A-REITs. We also find some support for A-REITs following the market timing theory of capital structure.

The paper examines the decision by Australian Real Estate Trusts (A-REITs) to issue seasoned equity offerings from 2000-2008 and stock market reaction to the offerings. The findings review that highly leveraged A-REITs with variable earnings are less likely to issue seasoned equity offerings. Inconsistent results for structure and type of properties held by the A-REIT do not allow for inference to be drawn. Similar to previous studies of seasoned equity offerings, we find a significant negative abnormal return associated with their announcement and no evidence of excessive leakage of information. Furthermore, market reaction differences to announcements of SEOs for the pre-global financial crisis (GFC) (2000-2006) and GFC eras (2007-2008) are noted with GFC era shareholders incurring larger abnormal return losses at 1.13% in comparison to the pre-GFC era shareholder loss of 0.34% on the SEO announcement day. Cross-sectional regressions show that the issued amount, leverage and profitability are significant factors affecting abnormal returns. Growth opportunities, tangibility, operating risk, size of A-REIT and other variables capturing A-REIT structure and property types held do not have an impact on abnormal returns.

Using artificial neural networks (ANN) and ordinal regression (OR) as alternative methods to predict Commercial Mortgage‐backed Securities (CMBS) credit ratings, we examine the role that various financial and industry‐based variables have on CMBS credit ratings issued by Standard and Poor's from 1999–2005. Our OR results show that rating agencies use only a subset of variables they describe or indicate as important to CMBS credit rating as some of the variables they use were statistically insignificant. Overall, ANN show superior results to OR in predicting CMBS credit ratings. Santrauka Sisteminant komercine hipoteka užtikrintų vertybinių popierių prekybos sandorius, svarbiausias tikslas – gauti aukštą kredito reitingą, nes tai daro poveikį pelningumui ir emitento sėkmei. Kredito reitingų agentūros teigia, kad jų vertinimai išreiškia kiekvienos agentūros nuomonę apie potencialią emitento nemokumo riziką ir daugiausia remiasi emitento gebėjimo bei noro grąžinti savo skolą analize, kurią atlieka komitetas, taigi tyrinėtojams jų reitingų kiekybiškai replikuoti nepavyktų. Tačiau tyrinėtojai replikavo obligacijų reitingus, remdamiesi prielaida, kad finansiniai koefi cientai turi daug informacijos apie įmonės kredito riziką. Prognozuodami komercine hipoteka užtikrintų vertybinių popierių reitingus, kaip alternatyvius metodus naudojame dirbtinius neuroninius tinklus ir ranginę regresiją. Ranginės regresijos rezultatai rodo, kad reitingų agentūros naudoja tik tą kintamųjų poaibį, kuriuos jos apibūdina arba nurodo kaip svarbius komercine hipoteka užtikrintų vertybinių popierių reitingui, nes kai kurie iš naudojamų kintamųjų statistiškai nereikšmingi. Apskritai dirbtinių neuroninių tinklų rezultatai, prognozuojant komercine hipoteka užtikrintų vertybinių popierių reitingus, geresni nei ranginės regresijos. First published online: 18 Oct 2010

No abstract available