Relationships amongst extended internal marketing variables, brand recognition and brand recall in service organisations : a comparative study

Abstract: This comparative study examined relationships among the extended internal marketing mix elements and brand recognition and recall in two South African service organisations. The internal marketing mix elements used to determine their influence on brand recognition and recall as perceived by customers of car rental companies and stakeholders of the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS), consisted of people, process, positioning and performance, while brand recall referred to trustworthiness, overall evaluation and loyalty. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. The findings of the study indicated that process and performance are critical for car rental customers to recognise and recall the brand, compared to CMS stakeholders who perceived people, positioning and performance as important for recognising the brand and building trustworthy and loyal relationships. Hence, irrespective of the type of service organisation, the successful implementation of internal marketing programmes is essential to enhance the brand recognition and recall of these organisations

Electrochemical study of chromium(0) Fischer carbene complexes : trends in redox potential

It is illustrated that the electrochemical redox potentials of chromium(0) Fischer carbene complexes containing a heteroaromatic substituent can be determined to a high degree of accuracy from the gas phase density functional theory (DFT) optimized frontier orbital energies, with a mean average error of the calculated redox potentials of 0.047 V for the chromium-based oxidation potential and 0.057 V for the carbene ligand based reduction potential. For the first time it was possible to distinguish between the Cr0/I oxidation peaks of the E and the Z-isomer of a cyclohexylamino pentacarbonyl chromium Fischer carbene complex, namely [(CO)5CrC(NHCy)(2-thienyl)]. The linear relationship obtained between the oxidation potential and the DFT calculated highest molecular orbital energies, made it possible to assign the oxidation peak at the lower less positive oxidation potential to the oxidation of the E isomer, and the peak at the slightly higher (more positive) oxidation potential to the oxidation of the Z isomer of [(CO)5CrC(NHCy)(2-thienyl)].The South African National Research Foundation (JC, ML), the Central Research Fund of the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa (JC, EE) and the University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa (ML).http://www.elsevier.com/locate/poly2018-05-08Chemistr

Synthesis and XPS characterization of Si-supported chromium(0) Fischer aminocarbene complexes

Ethoxy chromium (0) Fischer carbene pentacarbonyl complexes [(CO)5CrC(OEt)R]; R = 2- thienyl (1), 2-furyl (2) were covalently anchored onto aminopropyltrimethoxysilanefunctionalised silicon-wafers to form Cr-grafted Si-wafers S1 and S2 that were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy determined that binding energy of the Cr 2p3/2 photoelectron line of the thienyl-containing complexes were smaller than that of the furyl-containing complexes. The binding energy of the Cr 2p3/2 photoelectron line of the ethoxycarbene complexes was smaller than that of aminocarbenes. The binding energy of the Cr 2p3/2 photoelectron line of the Cr-grafted Si-wafers were ca. 1 eV higher than that of the related aminocarbenes. A 25 – 33 % anchoring of the Crcomplexes 1 and 2 on the aminopropyltrimethoxysilane-functionalised silicon-wafers was achieved.The South African National Research Foundation (JC, ML), the Central Research Fund of the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa (JC, EE) and the University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa (ML).http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jorganchem2018-05-31hb2017Chemistr

A critical engagement with theological education in Africa

The higher education landscape has arguably become one of the most arduous to traverse. More so in the African context, where a host of variables continiously challenge educators to reflect critically on their philosophies and practices as they engage an ever-changing audience. In this book, a critical engagement with theological education in Africa is offered. As the book originates from South Africa, it is presented as a South African perspective, although contributors are situated accross the African continent and abroad. The common denominator is that all contributers are, in some way or another, invested in theological education in Africa. The main contribution of this collaborative work is to be sought in the insights it offers on four main areas of theological education: A historical and current orientation on theological edcuation in Africa, some paradigm shifts in theological education in Africa, ministerial formation needs versus theological education challenges, and a critical reflection on elective models and methods. The book presents the original and innovative research of scholars for fellow scholars involved in theological higher education as it is grounded in the respective fields of interest of each contributor. It contributes to a better understanding of the complex African theological higher education landscape that is also mindful of post-COVID-19 realities. Methodologically the work draws on a combination of methods, including literature studies, empirical work, and in some cases sectional offerings from doctoral studies, as indicated in the various chapters

A critical engagement with theological education in Africa

The higher education landscape has arguably become one of the most arduous to traverse. More so in the African context, where a host of variables continiously challenge educators to reflect critically on their philosophies and practices as they engage an ever-changing audience. In this book, a critical engagement with theological education in Africa is offered. As the book originates from South Africa, it is presented as a South African perspective, although contributors are situated accross the African continent and abroad. The common denominator is that all contributers are, in some way or another, invested in theological education in Africa. The main contribution of this collaborative work is to be sought in the insights it offers on four main areas of theological education: A historical and current orientation on theological edcuation in Africa, some paradigm shifts in theological education in Africa, ministerial formation needs versus theological education challenges, and a critical reflection on elective models and methods. The book presents the original and innovative research of scholars for fellow scholars involved in theological higher education as it is grounded in the respective fields of interest of each contributor. It contributes to a better understanding of the complex African theological higher education landscape that is also mindful of post-COVID-19 realities. Methodologically the work draws on a combination of methods, including literature studies, empirical work, and in some cases sectional offerings from doctoral studies, as indicated in the various chapters

UNLOCKing creative & innovative teaching in higher education extended abstracts

No abstract available.publishe

Parasite co-infections show synergistic and antagonistic interactions on growth performance of East African zebu cattle under one year

The co-occurrence of different pathogen species and their simultaneous infection of hosts are common, and may affect host health outcomes. Co-infecting pathogens may interact synergistically (harming the host more) or antagonistically (harming the host less) compared with single infections. Here we have tested associations of infections and their co-infections with variation in growth rate using a subset of 455 animals of the Infectious Diseases of East Africa Livestock (IDEAL) cohort study surviving to one year. Data on live body weight, infections with helminth parasites and haemoparasites were collected every 5 weeks during the first year of life. Growth of zebu cattle during the first year of life was best described by a linear growth function. A large variation in daily weight gain with a range of 0·03–0·34 kg, and a mean of 0·135 kg (0·124, 0·146; 95% CI) was observed. After controlling for other significant covariates in mixed effects statistical models, the results revealed synergistic interactions (lower growth rates) with Theileria parva and Anaplasma marginale co-infections, and antagonistic interactions (relatively higher growth rates) with T. parva and Theileria mutans co-infections, compared with infections with T. parva only. Additionally, helminth infections can have a strong negative effect on the growth rates but this is burden-dependent, accounting for up to 30% decrease in growth rate in heavily infected animals. These findings present evidence of pathogen–pathogen interactions affecting host growth, and we discuss possible mechanisms that may explain observed directions of interactions as well as possible modifications to disease control strategies when co-infections are present.This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust (grant No. 079445).http://www.parasitesandvectors.com/am2014ab201

Parasite co-infections and their impact on survival of indigenous cattle

In natural populations, individuals may be infected with multiple distinct pathogens at a time. These pathogens may act independently or interact with each other and the host through various mechanisms, with resultant varying outcomes on host health and survival. To study effects of pathogens and their interactions on host survival, we followed 548 zebu cattle during their first year of life, determining their infection and clinical status every 5 weeks. Using a combination of clinical signs observed before death, laboratory diagnostic test results, gross-lesions on post-mortem examination, histo-pathology results and survival analysis statistical techniques, cause-specific aetiology for each death case were determined, and effect of co-infections in observed mortality patterns. East Coast fever (ECF) caused by protozoan parasite Theileria parva and haemonchosis were the most important diseases associated with calf mortality, together accounting for over half (52%) of all deaths due to infectious diseases. Co-infection with Trypanosoma species increased the hazard for ECF death by 6 times (1.4–25; 95% CI). In addition, the hazard for ECF death was increased in the presence of Strongyle eggs, and this was burden dependent. An increase by 1000 Strongyle eggs per gram of faeces count was associated with a 1.5 times (1.4–1.6; 95% CI) increase in the hazard for ECF mortality. Deaths due to haemonchosis were burden dependent, with a 70% increase in hazard for death for every increase in strongyle eggs per gram count of 1000. These findings have important implications for disease control strategies, suggesting a need to consider co-infections in epidemiological studies as opposed to singlepathogen focus, and benefits of an integrated approach to helminths and East Coast fever disease control.The Wellcome Trust (grant No. 079445)http://www.plosone.orgam201

Tetrabenzoporphyrin and -mono-, - Cis -di- and tetrabenzotriazaporphyrin derivatives: Electrochemical and spectroscopic implications of meso CH Group replacement with nitrogen

Nonperipherally hexyl-substituted metal-free tetrabenzoporphyrin (2H-TBP, 1a) tetrabenzomonoazaporphyrin (2H-TBMAP, 2a), tetrabenzo-cis-diazaporphyrin (2H-TBDAP, 3a), tetrabenzotriazaporphyrin (2H-TBTAP, 4a), and phthalocyanine (2H-Pc, 5a), as well as their copper complexes (1b-5b), were synthesized. As the number of meso nitrogen atoms increases from zero to four, Îmax of the Q-band absorption peak becomes red-shifted by almost 100 nm, and extinction coefficients increased at least threefold. Simultaneously the blue-shifted Soret (UV) band substantially decreased in intensity. These changes were related to the relative electron-density of each macrocycle expressed as the group electronegativity sum of all meso N and CH atom groups, âχR. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy differentiated between the three different types of macrocyclic nitrogen atoms (the Ninner, (NH)inner, and Nmeso) in the metal-free complexes. Binding energies of the Nmeso and Ninner,Cu atoms in copper chelates could not be resolved. Copper insertion lowered especially the cathodic redox potentials, while all four observed redox processes occurred at larger potentials as the number of meso nitrogens increased. Computational chemical methods using density functional theory confirmed 1b to exhibit a Cu(II) reduction prior to ring-based reductions, while for 2b, Cu(II) reduction is the first reductive step only if the nonperipheral substituents are hydrogen. When they are methyl groups, it is the second reduction process; when they are ethyl, propyl, or hexyl, it becomes the third reductive process. Spectro-electrochemical measurements showed redox processes were associated with a substantial change in intensity of at least two main absorbances (the Q and Soret bands) in the UV spectra of these compounds

Design and descriptive epidemiology of the Infectious Diseases of East African Livestock (IDEAL) project, a longitudinal calf cohort study in western Kenya

BACKGROUND: There is a widely recognised lack of baseline epidemiological data on the dynamics and impacts of infectious cattle diseases in east Africa. The Infectious Diseases of East African Livestock (IDEAL) project is an epidemiological study of cattle health in western Kenya with the aim of providing baseline epidemiological data, investigating the impact of different infections on key responses such as growth, mortality and morbidity, the additive and/or multiplicative effects of co-infections, and the influence of management and genetic factors. A longitudinal cohort study of newborn calves was conducted in western Kenya between 2007-2009. Calves were randomly selected from all those reported in a 2 stage clustered sampling strategy. Calves were recruited between 3 and 7 days old. A team of veterinarians and animal health assistants carried out 5-weekly, clinical and postmortem visits. Blood and tissue samples were collected in association with all visits and screened using a range of laboratory based diagnostic methods for over 100 different pathogens or infectious exposures. RESULTS: The study followed the 548 calves over the first 51 weeks of life or until death and when they were reported clinically ill. The cohort experienced a high all cause mortality rate of 16% with at least 13% of these due to infectious diseases. Only 307 (6%) of routine visits were classified as clinical episodes, with a further 216 reported by farmers. 54% of calves reached one year without a reported clinical episode. Mortality was mainly to east coast fever, haemonchosis, and heartwater. Over 50 pathogens were detected in this population with exposure to a further 6 viruses and bacteria. CONCLUSION: The IDEAL study has demonstrated that it is possible to mount population based longitudinal animal studies. The results quantify for the first time in an animal population the high diversity of pathogens a population may have to deal with and the levels of co-infections with key pathogens such as Theileria parva. This study highlights the need to develop new systems based approaches to study pathogens in their natural settings to understand the impacts of co-infections on clinical outcomes and to develop new evidence based interventions that are relevant