Profiling The Needs and Wants of Millennials in The Tourism Industry: Implications for Zimbabwe

Purpose: The main purpose of the paper is to profile the needs and wants of millennials in the tourism industry and their implications for tourism operators in Zimbabwe. Methods: The study adopted a qualitative design approach with document analysis being the data collection method. Data were analyzed thematically.  Results: The major finding was that millennials desire authentic and memorable experiences, they are highly knowledgeable, have strong digital skills, they are social media creatures and are permanently connected online, they are particular and question everything, they prefer leisure and recreational activities, they prefer hotel facilities with health-oriented facilities like fitness centers and they practice volunteer tourism.  Millennials are different, they think and act differently, and their travel choices and preferences are different from the generations before them. Implications: Tourism operators including hotels should adapt their service delivery systems to the needs and wants of millennials to achieve superior business performance. There is a need for the adoption of proactive marketing strategies as well as taking full advantage of the opportunities presented by millennials in the tourism industry in Zimbabwe

Vertical Coordination to Smallholder Small Grain Growers in Zimbabwe: Benefits of Contract Farming and Policy Implications

Zimbabwe’s agro-ecological regions IV and V lie in low rainfall areas and food security is a perennial concern. Vertical coordination strategies and market institutions provide hope for building farmer resilience in regions affected by climate change in Zimbabwe. This study focused on four districts (Binga, Chiredzi, Hwange, Matobo) which are in regions IV and V. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 281 respondents. Probit and Multiple linear regression models were used to evaluate the determinants. Results show that contract farmers allocated more than 3 hectares to small grains agricultural enterprise. The research established that long distances to markets, access to credit, extension services and affiliation to farming groups are some critical determinants which influence market participation and yields sold

Quantitative diagnostics of soft tissue through viscoelastic characterization using time-based instrumented palpation

AbstractAlthough palpation has been successfully employed for centuries to assess soft tissue quality, it is a subjective test, and is therefore qualitative and depends on the experience of the practitioner. To reproduce what the medical practitioner feels needs more than a simple quasi-static stiffness measurement. This paper assesses the capacity of dynamic mechanical palpation to measure the changes in viscoelastic properties that soft tissue can exhibit under certain pathological conditions. A diagnostic framework is proposed to measure elastic and viscous behaviors simultaneously using a reduced set of viscoelastic parameters, giving a reliable index for quantitative assessment of tissue quality. The approach is illustrated on prostate models reconstructed from prostate MRI scans. The examples show that the change in viscoelastic time constant between healthy and cancerous tissue is a key index for quantitative diagnostics using point probing. The method is not limited to any particular tissue or material and is therefore useful for tissue where defining a unique time constant is not trivial. The proposed framework of quantitative assessment could become a useful tool in clinical diagnostics for soft tissue

The relationship between micro-structure and mechanical behaviour in passive skeletal muscle

THESIS 10800This thesis presents and discusses investigative work performed on characterising the behavioural response of skeletal muscle tissue that was subjected to large deformations. The passive mechanical properties of muscle tissue are important for many biomechanics applications, including impact biomechanics, tissue engineering and rehabilitation engineering. However, significant gaps remain in our understanding of the passive three-dimensional tensile and compressive response of skeletal muscle tissue. In particular, the tensile quasi-static soft tissue anisotropy remains unclear and the responses to loading at intermediate fibre directions, as well as the asymmetrical behavioural response of muscle tissue have not been investigated before

Elderly Women’s Perceptions of People Living with AIDS under their Care: Case Study of Makumbi Mission/Zimbabwe

This study was undertaken at Makumbi Mission to assess elderly women’s perceptions on people living with AIDS under their care. Recommendations for improvement were made to all stakeholders. The study assessed the traditional beliefs, values, reactions and attitudes held by elderly women and investigated the experiences in their transaction with people living with HIV and AIDS. An analysis on how people living with AIDS appreciate the services rendered to them by elderly women was made. A convenient sample of ten elderly women aged between 56 and 86 years was chosen basing on their availability and willingness to participate in the study. Ten people living with AIDS and ten key informants in the community were interviewed. Elderly women were found to have different perceptions on people living with AIDS. These perceptions were influenced by their economic status, their knowledge and traditional beliefs on the disease. The following views were held about AIDS; that it is a natural disease like any other diseases (60%), results from carelessness on one’s life, is a disease of the prostitutes, from angered ancestral spirits and a punishment from God which accounted for 10% each. Knowledge and beliefs on HIV and AIDS varied, 60% cited Tuberculosis, 20% had knowledge about AIDS and 20% had no knowledge about the disease. Their reactions towards AIDS patients varied from mixed feelings {30%} and a greater number {70%} reported that they showed love and compassion. Challenges identified by the carers included lack of policy frameworks on elderly women care givers, resources, training, follow up visits by health professionals, and lack of motivation. To address the challenges experienced by care givers, the study recommended the urgency of calling on all stakeholders to work together rectifying unpopular misconceptions, beliefs, myths on people living with AIDS and the provision of adequate resources to care givers. The Government should come up with policy and legislation frameworks targeted at elderly women perceptions on people living with AIDS under their care

Factors influencing the enrolment of female students studying civil engineering at tertiary institutations: A case study of Bulawayo Polytechnic.

The study investigated on the factors influencing enrolment of female students studying civil engineering. The low enrolment of female students studying civil engineering prompted the researcher to carry out the study. Research questions were highlighted and the significance of the study, delimitations of the study, limitations of the study were presented. The literature review revealed factors which influences the enrolment of female students studying civil engineering which were socio-cultural, personal and socio-economic factors. The descriptive case study was chosen because of its ability to give in-depth information about the phenomenon understudy. The population consisted of eighty students of which fifty five were male and twenty five were female students. Five lecturers also constituted the population. Simple random sampling was used to select a sample of students and purposive sampling was used to select a sample of lectures. The researcher used questionnaires and interviews to collect data. Data collected were presented and analyzed descriptively using quantitative and qualitative sampling. Research study revealed that the causes of low enrolment were lack of proper Science and Mathematical background, lack of career guidance in schools and socio-cultural factors as well as lack of role models in the society. Challenges faced by female students included social challenges, physical capabilities and financial challenges. Intervention strategies proposed were effective career guidance at secondary level, encouragement of female students to do Mathematics, Science and Technical drawing at secondary level to enhance the chances of studying civil engineering

The anisotropic mechanical behaviour of passive skeletal muscle tissue subjected to large tensile strain

The passive mechanical properties of muscle tissue are important for many biomechanics applications. However, significant gaps remain in our understanding of the three-dimensional tensile response of passive skeletal muscle tissue to applied loading. In particular, the nature of the anisotropy remains unclear and the response to loading at intermediate fibre directions and the Poisson?s ratios in tension have not been reported. Accordingly, tensile tests were performed along and perpendicular to the muscle fibre direction as well as at 30, 45 and 60 degrees to the muscle fibre direction in samples of Longissimus dorsi muscle taken from freshly slaughtered pigs. Strain was measured using an optical non-contact method. The results show the transverse or cross fibre (TT?) direction is broadly linear and is the stiffest (77kPa stress at a stretch of 1.1), but that failure occurs at low stretches (approximately ? = 1.15). In contrast the longitudinal or fibre direction (L) is nonlinear and much less stiff (10kPa stress at a stretch of 1.1) but failure occurs at higher stretches (approximately? = 1.65). An almost sinusoidal variation in stress response was observed at intermediate angles. The following Poisson?s ratios were measured: ?LT = ?LT?= 0.47, ?TT?= 0.28 and ?TL= 0.74. These observations have not been previously reported and they contribute significantly to our understanding of the three dimensional deformation response of skeletal muscle tissue

A structural model of passive skeletal muscle shows two reinforcement processes in resisting deformation

Passive skeletal muscle derives its structural response from the combination of the titin filaments in the muscle fibres, the collagen fibres in the connective tissue and incompressibility due to the high fluid content. Experiments have shown that skeletal muscle tissue presents a highly asymmetrical three-dimensional behaviour when passively loaded in tension or compression, but structural models predicting this are not available. The objective of this paper is to develop a mathematical model to study the internal mechanisms which resist externally applied deformation in skeletal muscle bulk. One cylindrical muscle fibre surrounded by connective tissue was considered. The collagenous fibres of the endomysium and perimysium were grouped and modelled as tension-only oriented wavy helices wrapped around the muscle fibre. The titin filaments are represented as non-linear tension-only springs. The model calculates the force developed by the titin molecules and the collagen network when the muscle fibre undergoes an isochoric along-fibre stretch. The model was evaluated using a range of literature based input parameters and compared to the experimental fibre-direction stress-stretch data available. Results show the fibre direction non-linearity and tension/compression asymmetry are partially captured by this structural model. The titin filament load dominates at low tensile stretches, but for higher stretches the collagen network was responsible for most of the stiffness. The oblique and initially wavy collagen fibres account for the non-linear tensile response since, as the collagen fibres are being recruited, they straighten and re-orient. The main contribution of the model is that it shows that the overall compression/tension response is strongly influenced by a pressure term induced by the radial component of collagen fibre stretch acting on the incompressible muscle fibre. Thus for along-fibre tension or compression the model predicts that the collagen network contributes to overall muscle stiffness through two different mechanisms: (1) a longitudinal force directly opposing tension and (2) a pressure force on the muscle fibres resulting in an indirect longitudinal load. Although the model presented considers only a single muscle fibre and evaluation is limited to along-fibre loading, this is the first model to propose these two internal mechanisms for resisting externally applied deformation of skeletal muscle tissu

The anisotropic mechanical behaviour of passive skeletal muscle tissue subjected to large tensile strain

The passive mechanical properties of muscle tissue are important for many biomechanics applications. However, significant gaps remain in our understanding of the three-dimensional tensile response of passive skeletal muscle tissue to applied loading. In particular, the nature of the anisotropy remains unclear and the response to loading at intermediate fibre directions and the Poisson's ratios in tension have not been reported. Accordingly, tensile tests were performed along and perpendicular to the muscle fibre direction as well as at 30°, 45° and 60° to the muscle fibre direction in samples of Longissimus dorsi muscle taken from freshly slaughtered pigs. Strain was measured using an optical non-contact method. The results show the transverse or cross fibre (TT') direction is broadly linear and is the stiffest (77 kPa stress at a stretch of 1.1), but that failure occurs at low stretches (approximately λ=1.15). In contrast the longitudinal or fibre direction (L) is nonlinear and much less stiff (10 kPa stress at a stretch of 1.1) but failure occurs at higher stretches (approximatelyλ=1.65). An almost sinusoidal variation in stress response was observed at intermediate angles. The following Poisson's ratios were measured: VLT=VLT'=0.47, VTT'=0.28 and VTL=0.74. These observations have not been previously reported and they contribute significantly to our understanding of the three dimensional deformation response of skeletal muscle tissu