Assessing the Dynamic Economic Impact of Tourism in a Developing Region in South Africa

According to the National Development Plan (NDP), the three main developmental problems South Africa is facing include: high levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality. Tourism, as an economic sector, has been cited as a possible solution to create much-needed employment and income which could lead to reduced poverty and improved inequality. Tourism could be used in developing regions as a driver of economic growth. The objective of this study is to determine the dynamic impact of the tourism sector on economic growth in a developing region in South Africa, namely the Vaal-Triangle region. The research methodology followed a quantitative design, using a pooled panel approach including the two municipal areas of Metsimaholo and Emfuleni which comprises the Vaal region. Annual data from 2001 to 2017 were used to analyse the impact of growth in tourism on economic growth. Economic growth was set as the dependent variable and tourism measurements such as tourism spending and trips as the independent variables. Results from the analysis confirm the original hypothesis that tourism growth has a significant impact on economic growth. The sector therefore, has the potential to create employment opportunities and alleviate poverty in a developing region if promoted and supported to its full potential. &nbsp

Dietary elimination of children with food protein induced gastrointestinal allergy – micronutrient adequacy with and without a hypoallergenic formula?

Background: The cornerstone for management of Food protein-induced gastrointestinal allergy (FPGIA) is dietary exclusion; however the micronutrient intake of this population has been poorly studied. We set out to determine the dietary intake of children on an elimination diet for this food allergy and hypothesised that the type of elimination diet and the presence of a hypoallergenic formula (HF) significantly impacts on micronutrient intake. Method: A prospective observational study was conducted on children diagnosed with FPIGA on an exclusion diet who completed a 3 day semi-quantitative food diary 4 weeks after commencing the diet. Nutritional intake where HF was used was compared to those without HF, with or without a vitamin and mineral supplement (VMS). Results: One-hundred-and-five food diaries were included in the data analysis: 70 boys (66.7%) with median age of 21.8 months [IQR: 10 - 67.7]. Fifty-three children (50.5%) consumed a HF and the volume of consumption was correlated to micronutrient intake. Significantly (p <0.05) more children reached their micronutrient requirements if a HF was consumed. In those without a HF, some continued not to achieve requirements in particular for vitamin D and zinc, in spite of VMS. Conclusion: This study points towards the important micronutrient contribution of a HF in children with FPIGA. Children, who are not on a HF and without a VMS, are at increased risk of low intakes in particular vitamin D and zinc. Further studies need to be performed, to assess whether dietary intake translates into actual biological deficiencies

Shock recovery experiments confirm the possibility of transferring viable microorganisms from Mars to Earth

Extract from introduction: With regard to the impact and ejection phase we tested the case for the transfer of microorganisms from Mars to Earth. Using a high explosive set-up thin layers of bacterial endospores of Bacillus subtilis, of the lichen Xanthoria elegans and of the cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis sp. embedded between two plates of gabbro were subjected to 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 GPa which is the pressure range observed in Martian meteorites [1]

Life after shock: the mission from Mars to Earth

Extract from introduction: The minerals of the Martian meteorites collected so far indicate an exposure to shock waves in the pressure range of 5 to 55 GPa [1]. As terrestrial rocks are frequently inhabited by microbial communities, rocks ejected from a planet by impact processes may carry with them endolithic microorganisms, if microbial life existed/exists on this planet

Factors affecting the selection of a retail bank in South Africa : a female Generation Y consumer’s perspective

Abstract: Please refer to full text to view abstrac

The use of big data in marketing : an emerging market financial services industry perspective

Abstract: As a result of the competitive nature of financial services, this industry is positioned to leverage big data to gain a competitive advantage. The financial services industry, in South Africa and in emerging markets, has been known not to leverage big data optimally. Creating personalized customer relationships through big data has been found to be a source of competitive advantage. This study aims to identify the extent to which big data is used in a financial institution. This will be done from a marketing perspective, using a model developed by Byrom, Bennison, Hernandez and Hooper (2001, p.336). Qualitative research was conducted, including in-depth personal interviews with marketers in the financial services industry. The Morse and Field approach was used for data analysis. Findings indicated that although big data was being utilized, it was not optimally exploited. The study identified gaps in the usage of big data for marketing decision making

The perceived service quality, satisfaction and behavioural intent towards cellphone network service providers : a generational perspective

The importance of providing customers with quality services in order to satisfy them and encourage future purchases is well documented in literature. Yet, the cellphone network provider industry of South Africa seems to be riddled with service quality problems. This study aims to determine different generations’ perceived service quality of services and satisfaction levels with services provided by cellphone network service providers, as well as their behavioural intentions towards these providers. The study furthermore examines the correlations between these three constructs and uncovers significant differences between different generations. Data was collected from 2339 respondents by means of a self-administered questionnaire. Young Generation Y consumers perceive the service quality levels and service satisfaction levels of these providers as significantly lower than other generations. This is also true for their behavioural intent. Significant correlations also exist between the generations’ perceived level of service quality they experience, their perceived level of satisfaction with, and their behavioural intent towards providers. This implies that providers should strongly focus their efforts on satisfying the needs, and improving the service satisfaction of young Generation Y consumers in order to retain them in the future. Providers should also vary marketing strategies based upon the differences uncovered between the generations

Impact experiments in support of “Lithopanspermia”: The route from Mars to Earth

Shock recovery experiments on a Martian analogue rock (gabbro) loaded with three types of microorganisms reveal that these organisms survive the impact and ejection phase on Mars at shock pressures up to about 50 GPa with exponentially decreasing survival rates

Untwisting of a cholesteric elastomer by a mechanical field

A mechanical strain field applied to a monodomain cholesteric elastomer will unwind the helical director distribution. There is an analogy with the classical problem of an electric field applied to a cholesteric liquid crystal, but with important differences. Frank elasticity is of minor importance unless the gel is very weak. The interplay is between director anchoring to the rubber elastic matrix and the external mechanical field. Stretching perpendicular to the helix axis induces the uniform unwound state via the elimination of sharp, pinned twist walls above a critical strain. Unwinding through conical director states occurs when the elastomer is stretched along the helical axis.Comment: 4 pages, RevTeX 3 style, 3 EPS figure