11613 research outputs found
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Haemostatic and thrombotic disorders: a journey from bench to bedside
No full textThis compilation focuses on thrombotic and haemostatic disorders, illustrating my journey from basic research on thrombotic and haemostatic disorders to the differential diagnoses of these disorders. For purposes of clarity I shall divide it in three parts. The first part includes the testing of antithrombotic agents. My scientific career started with the testing of antithrombotic drugs in a baboon model of arterial thrombosis. These antithrombotic drugs were mostly targeted at platelets and, to a lesser extent, coagulation. For my PhD, I clarified the catabolism, pharmacokinetics and exctretion of recombinant hirudin, an anti-thrombin drug. The second part includes the development of cost-effective diagnostic tests, mostly for von Willebrand disease (VWD), the most common congenital bleeding disorder. This comprises the largest part of the thesis. I developed four anti-thrombotic peptides by using Phage Display technology that I mastered during my post-doctoral study at the University of Leuven in Belgium. I was also part of the group of researchers that developed many new thrombosis models in baboons. For my M.Med Sc study, I developed a flow chamber model to study in vitro endothelial function, which was subsequently used to test the thrombogenicity of tissue-engineered small vessels. This study was the first where endothelial cells were successfully seeded onto decellularised baboon arteries. This study was undertaken in collaboration with the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein. The third part is a spin-off from my research on VWD. I established the only Special Haemostasis laboratory of the NHLS, situated at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa, by developing, validating and implementing four diagnostic assays. As a result the laboratory now functions as a reference centre for von Willebrand disease; the most prevalent, but underdiagnosed bleeding disorder in South Africa. The developed diagnostic assays resulted in nineteen peer-reviewed publications on the diagnosis of haemostatic and thrombotic disorders. As reference centre for VWD in South Africa, we published eight articles on its diagnosis, together with international leaders in the field. Additionally, we also published the first South African recommendations regarding the differential diagnoses of VWD. We published on other bleeding disorders and on a fatal thrombotic disorder, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). Lastly, is it important to note that the research on VWD, haemophilia and TTP is ongoing.National Research Foundation (NRF)Medical Research Council of South AfricaResearch Trust of the National Health Laboratory ServicesUniversity of the Free State (UFS
Architecture that reactivates the latent potential of green space in the city by intervening on the edge: a building designed for meaningful escape and connecting with your fellow man
No full textWithin urban machines people dwell and seek out various means of correspondence and understanding their place in the world. They are forever balancing between contrasting aspects of an urban lifestyle: the presence of order, which is manifested in the obedient essence of a city and an awareness of disarray, which is personified by the carnal need for thrill. A balance must be maintained. Too much city and the smoke of cars’ exhausts cling to your clothing in a way that becomes more suffocating than nostalgic and, even though naturalists may disagree, isolating one-self beyond the city for too long could potentially become self-inflicted exile. The danger is getting caught up in a mundane routine or losing all sense of order and purpose. A balance must be maintained. It should, however, be kept in mind that before a balance can be maintained, resources to achieve and access this balance must be available. The proposed project is a new cluster of hubs where various meet and greet events take place daily, weekly and monthly. These events introduce opportunities for meaningful meetings between business-oriented citizens as well as nomads and seekers that pass through the urban fabric. The aim of this project is to create opportunities for the city dwellers to gather on the edge of the concrete jungle, escaping the routine of conforming to the nine-to-five race, to the green King's Park. This also allows city dwellers of Westdene and the CBD to reconnect with their fellow man. The proposed program will function as a meeting arena, creating opportunities to gather in formal- or informal settings. This project is specifically focused on blurring and blending the boundary between ritual and deviation from the expected on a daily basis. The architectural intervention will serve as the mediator between these outlines on a theoretical - as well as a physical basis; the building itself is nestled in the midst of city-scape and green scape, between order and chaos. The character is hence intrinsically porous; allowing dwellers to roam freely through a permeable threshold. The interest in this project is manifested in the celebration of how people interact with one another. The conversations people have leave a patina behind on one another, and on the spaces they inhabit. This palimpsest of interactions inhabit the potential of changing how the urban fabric feels through the mark that it leaves, how it envelopes the people of the city scape. Understanding that people need to interact with one another and will seek each other out to fulfil this need is the key to unlocking the green-space of Kings Park. People need to escape the mundane routine of career-centred lives. Meeting, greeting and eating fulfils these needs. This research further investigates the celebration of the curiosity of the exceptional within each person and how architecture as an intervention between the routine and the subliminal can appease the need for urban adventures
Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and sequencing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis clinical isolates
No full textWith the global rise in drug resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB), drug susceptibility testing (DST) is key to ending the disease. Universal access to a prompt and comprehensive DST is therefore a major component towards the End TB strategy. Currently, diagnosis of DR-TB still relies mainly on conventional DST, which distinguish resistant and susceptible strains based on critical concentration (CC). However, studies have shown that M. tuberculosis is not binary but diverse involving low, moderate and high levels of drug resistance. The CC could also change over time with more exposure to anti-TB drugs and for many of the anti-TB drugs the CC is near the wild type minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Consequently, phenotypic DST based on CC testing, may provide inaccurate results, possibly leading to suboptimal treatment regimens. This necessitates to continually revise and evaluate CCs. Thus, validation of quantitative methods determining MIC instead of CCs are needed to enable formulation of optimal regimens. In addition, determination of MIC facilitates monitoring trends of drugs resistance. Methods based on CC cannot detect subtle MIC changes until the mode shifts to the next category. The geometric mean MIC is a more sensitive marker for changes in MIC distributions. Shift in MIC population distributions may have important implications for treatment. While introduction of rapid molecular techniques has improved DR-TB case detection, a comprehensive catalogue of genetic markers of clinically relevant mutations does not exist and mutations associated with resistance to newer and repurposed drugs are yet to be identified. Literature suggests that different genetic polymorphisms are associated with distinct phenotypic resistance levels. However, the impact of those mutations on the MIC remains to be investigated. Previous studies on genetic association for drug resistance in M. tuberculosis mainly relied on phenotypes defined by DST performed at a single CC. MICs are more appropriate to assess the biological effects of genomic variation in understanding the mechanism of resistance. Thus, correlating specific mutations conferring drug resistance with specific MICs for given drug classes are essential to predict levels of resistance which can be used to guide clinical decision-making. This study aimed i) To validate the Sensititre MTCOTB broth microdilution (MYCOTB) method for first and second-line anti-TB drugs ii) To determine the association between specific rpoB mutations and the MIC of rifampin (RIF) and rifabutin (RFB) among clinical MDR-TB isolates and iii) To determine the association between different genetic polymorphisms and resistance at an MIC level and iv) To evaluate the trend of anti-TB MIC for M. tuberculosis clinical isolates over a three year period in order to observe a MIC creep, if any and investigate the role of mutations in MIC changes over time. The MYCOTB broth microdilution method was validated against the agar dilution method (ADM). Strains showing discordant results between the two methods after repeat testing, were resolved using the next generation sequencing. For this purpose, a collection of MDR-TB strains from a cross-sectional MDR-TB study were used. The MYCOTB plate is based on 12 lyophilized anti-TB drugs including first and second-line drugs. For ADM, 11-welled plates of Middlebrook 7H11 medium was used representing all drugs on MYCOTB except for CYC. The categorical, essential as well as sensitivity and specificity of MYCOTB were determined in comparison with ADM. The MYCOTB plate showed good overall performance with categorical agreement ranging from 88% to 98% for the drugs tested. The sensitivity of the plate ranged from 60-100%, with exception of para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS), which had 11%, while specificity ranged from 94% to 100%. Whole genome sequencing resolved 70% of the isolates in favour of the MYCOTB plate. Rifampicin resistance is often associated with the presence of mutations in the 81-bp RIF resistance determining region (RRDR) of the rpoB gene, but the effect of these rpoB mutations on RFB resistance is less well understood. Some rpoB mutations, detectable by rapid molecular diagnostics, confer resistance to RIF but not rifabutin (RFB), suggesting RFB may be effective for treatment of M. tuberculosis with these mutations. The current study investigated the association between rpoB mutations and MIC of RIF and RFB as well as the prevalence of RFB susceptible isolates among RIF resistant strains. MICs for first- and second-line drugs were determined using the MYCOTB method and the RRDR region of the rpoB gene was sequenced. Cross-resistance between RIF and RFB was found in 73% of the isolates. Mutations S531L, H526D and H526Y were associated with both RIF and RFB (p=0.0001), while, D516V and L533P mutations were found in RIF-resistant but RFB susceptible isolates (p=0.001). A total of 27% isolates were resistant to RIF but retained susceptibility to RFB. To determine the association of genetic polymorphism and resistance at MIC level, MICs for first- and second-line drugs were linked to the corresponding genetic mutations. The MICs were determined using the MYCOTB method and relevant genes were sequenced. The Kruskall Wallis static was used to determine the association between MICs and the different mutations. The katG mutations S315T, S315G and double peak S315T were significantly associated with high INH resistance (MIC: 2 to 4ug/ml; p=00001). However, katG mutations were not significantly associated with ETH MICs (p=0.832). The inhA mutations C-15T, T-8A and G-17T were significantly associated with high resistance to both INH (0.5 to 4 ug/ml, p=0.013) and ETH resistance (10 to 40 ug/ml, p=0.001). For MXF and OFX, gyrA mutations at codon 90 and 91 were associated with lower MIC compared to isolates at codon 94. Isolates with gyrA mutation at the codon 90 had lower MIC (OFX: 4 to 8 ug/ml; p=0.0001: MXF 1 ug/ml; p=0.0001) compared to isolates at codon 94 (OFX: 8 to 32 ug/ml; p=0.000, MXF: 1 to 8ug/ml; p=0.0001). The mutations A1401G, C492T, C492T_A1401G and A514C_A1401G were associated with high MICs for KAN (10 to 40ug/ml, P=0.0001) and AMI (16ug/ml, p=0.0001). Cross-resistance between AMI and KAN was found in 85% of resistant isolates. The embB mutation was not significantly associated with MIC ranges in this study. To investigate the MIC trend and possible MIC creep, the distributions of individual MICs were plotted against time to evaluate changes over the study period. Additionally, the MIC50, MIC90 and MIC range, modal MIC, geometric mean and median MIC were determined over the three-year period. The MIC trends over the three years and the significance of changes was assessed using paired T-test. A P-Value <0.05 was considered as significant. The study showed MIC creep for three drugs RFB (p=0.0001), MXF (p=0.0001) and OFX (p=0.0001), whereas EMB (p=0.0067) and INH (p=0.0218) showed decrease in MIC over time. All the other drugs; RIF, PAS, SM, KAN, CYC, AMI, and ETH showed stable MICs over three years. The study showed the MYCOTB assay is a good alternative to conventional DST methods; relatively rapid and provides quantitative data on susceptibility to first- and second-line drugs, thus facilitating therapeutic decision-making and therapeutic drug monitoring to optimize regimen efficacy. The 96-well microplate format without the need for equipment will allow its use in resource-limited settings. The study showed that up to 27% of MDR-TB patients may benefit from a treatment regime that include RFB as a substitute for RIF resistance. Different drug resistance mutations were associated with different MIC ranges; katG, inhA gyrA and rrs mutation were associated with high MICs of their respective drugs while mutations such as rpsL (for KAN and AMI) and embB were not significantly associated with MIC ranges. This information can help in guiding clinical decision-making. The study further showed a general increase in the proportion of resistant strains over the study period for 9 of the 11 drugs tested, with evidence of creep for three drugs (MOX, OFX and RFB). Thus the monitoring of MIC changes of drugs is important to prevent gradual loss of drug efficacy.National Research Foundation (NRF)Centre for Tuberculosis of the NICDNational Health Laboratory Services (NHLS)Department of Medical Microbiology & Virology of the University of Free Stat
Use of exotic germplasm to enhance the performance of local maize
No full textExotic maize germplasm has been used minimally in most maize breeding programmes in Zimbabwe and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The major reasons for this include challenges in adaptation and the general tendency by breeders to shun the dilution of their elite breeding material. Breeders often prefer the easier and more predictable option of recycling their elite materials. This has resulted in the loss of genetic diversity, development of breeding bottlenecks and subsequent possibilities of stagnating or deteriorating yield gain. The cost and time constraints, the generally high expectations imposed by industry, and the huge capital outlays required to introduce exotic germplasm further discourages its inclusion in local breeding programmes. Traditionally in most breeding programmes in SSA, exotic germplasm is incorporated through introgression with backcrossing to produce modified local inbred lines. The modified local inbred lines with minor exotic components are then used in the production of three-way hybrids for commercialisation. Only minor modifications to the elite germplasm are accepted by most breeders. The usefulness of an inbred in any breeding programme is dependent upon its performance in combination with other inbreds. In this study, the usefulness of inbred lines was investigated through the production and evaluation of F1 single-cross hybrids and F1 three-way hybrids. The general aim of this study was to illustrate quicker and easier ways of identifying usable exotic inbreds in local breeding programmes. The yield per se performance of each hybrid in different stress environments was used as the major reference for selection. This study also challenged and allayed the breeders’ fears concerning the use of exotic germplasm by identifying superior marketable hybrids without going through the lengthy process of backcrossing. Furthermore, the study demonstrated the huge potential of local x exotic crosses as sources of multiple pedigree starts. All hybrids in this study were evaluated in varied stress environments approximating the local farmers’ conditions of low phosphorus, low nitrogen, random stress, high density and optimal conditions. Two hundred and fifty temperate inbreds with expired Plant Variety Protection (ex-PVP) certificates from the United States of America (USA) were crossed with three CIMMYT single-cross testers: CML539/CML442 (A tester), CML444/CZL068 (B tester), and CML312/CML444 (AB tester) to produce three-way hybrids which were evaluated over eight sites. The best inbreds, which were identified for enhancing yield from heterotic group A (SS group) were LH159, LH214, LH23HT, LH213 and MM402A. The best combiners from heterotic group B (NSS group) were HB8229, W8304, LH198, PJH40 and LH190, and from the unclassified lines were PHR58, WIL500, PHK35 and ICI441. The Griffing diallel model 1 method 4 mating scheme was used to evaluate 18 local inbred lines in a local x local diallel scheme and nine selected exotic inbred lines in an exotic x exotic diallel scheme. The North Carolina design II (NCII) was used to evaluate 18 selected local inbreds in combination with 12 selected exotic lines. Highest yielding crosses from the local x local diallel were, L3 x L6 and L4 x L14, and from the exotic x exotic diallel were E7 x E1 and E1 x E9. Inbred lines with the highest GCA from the diallels were L16, L4, E1 and E9. The best crosses from the NCII were N28 x N16 and N21 x N4. Local inbred lines N19, N28 and N30 and exotic inbred N3, N8 and N16 had the highest significant positive GCA effects. Inbred lines from Mexico lowland tropics and Kenya produced the best hybrids in combination with local lines, suggesting them as the most promising future sources of usable germplasm. The leveraging of local single-crosses using exotic tropical germplasm produced 1860 hybrids which were evaluated across eight sites. The outstanding combinations of (local x local) x local hybrids were DJH141028, DJH153523, DJH152318, DJH152580, DJH166030, DJH167263, and DJH168087. The best combinations of (local x local) x exotic hybrids were DJH161178, DJH152183, DJH152552, and DJH168068. The (local x local) x exotic crosses produced equally competitive hybrids as compared to the (local x local) x local. The highest heterosis was generated between the combination of IITA inbred lines and CIMMYT single-crosses, identifying IITA germplasm as the most promising source of tropical exotic germplasm. Overall, this study identified exotic inbred lines that can be used in local breeding programmes to produce hybrids directly and provides an initial step in a possibly bigger and even more comprehensive screening and evaluation programme that can be funded to create a database for the performance of exotic inbred lines in local breeding programmes
Classification and spoilage characteristics of Chryseobacterium isolates from fish
No full textThe genus Chryseobacterium was initially reported to have only six species and the number has increased rapidly over the years. The genus is represented by a total of 113 species at present. Species belonging to the genus Chryseobacterium are widespread in nature. They have been reported from clinical, environmental, industrial and food sources. Their spoilage characteristics have been well defined in food products including poultry, meat, milk and milk products and fish. Development of unpleasant odours in food contaminated by Chryseobacterium species usually results from the activity of proteolytic enzymes. The first aim of this study was to classify 11 potential Chryseobacterium fish isolates from a previous study. The methods that were used included 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, conventional phenotypic methods and the BIOLOGTM Omnilog identification system. Chryseobacterium balustinum, C. gleum and C. piscium were used as reference strains throughout the whole study. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the 11 Chryseobacterium isolates represented members of the genus Chryseobacterium. The highest similarity were obtained for C. piscium by strains SH 23-4 (98.89%), SH 28-3 (100%) and SH 30-1 (100%) and it was therefore concluded that these three strains could be other strains of C. piscium. This finding was confirmed by the phylogenetic treeing methods used in this study because the three strains clustered closely with C. piscium. Strains SH 11-3(a), SH 11-3(b), SH 20-4, SH 25-4, SH 40-3, SH 19-2(b) and SH 11-4(b) had sequence similarity values lower than 98.7%, it is therefore a possibility that these strains might be novel species of Chryseobacterium, however, further investigations need to be performed for confirmation. The BIOLOGTM Omnilog Gen III identification system and conventional phenotypic methods were also useful in classification. The BIOLOGTM Omnilog was also able to identify strains SH 23-4, SH 28-3 and SH 30-1 as possible strains of C. piscium. The other strains could not be identified because of its limited database. The second aim of this study was to estimate the spoilage potential of the 11 Chryseobacterium isolates by determining their spoilage potential in terms of substrate oxidation by the BIOLOGTM Omnilog system. The results indicated that all the isolates could be potential fish spoilers, however, strains SH 11-4(b) and SH 23-4 were able to oxidise the most of the carbon sources (25/31) and could be regarded as being able to cause the most spoilage. Sensory analysis of inoculated FJB samples did not show significant differences in terms of odour production, however, odours such as smelly feet, cabbage-like, fruity, sour and putrid sewage were noted for the 11 Chryseobacterium isolates and their reference strains. Chryseobacterium species were able to produce a total of 87 volatile compounds in fish juice broth (FJB) at 4 and 25 °C. The composition of the volatile compounds detected was, however, slightly higher for samples that were incubated at 25 °C than at 4 °C. The frequently detected compounds occured in FJB samples containing C. gleum and strain SH 30-1 and the least detected compounds occurred in FJB samples containing strains SH 19-2(b) and SH 11-4(b). The frequently produced compounds with more pronounced odours were identified as 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, indole, dimethyl disulphide and 2-phenylethanol. FJB samples inoculated with strains SH 30-1, SH 28-3, SH 25-4 had the majority of volatile compounds associated with unpleasant odours, such as fishy from trimethylamine; spoiled, putrid from dimethyl sulphide; and faecal, nauseating from indole. It was concluded that 7/11 Chryseobacterium strains in this study could be novel Chryseobacterium species. Sensory analysis and Gas-Chromatrography/Mass-Spectrometry were useful in estimating the spoilage potential of the Chryseobacterium species through odour production. The BIOLOGTM system can be used as an effective screening method for identifying the carbon sources utilised by the Chryseobacterium species which could then be investigated further for the potential of these starins to cause food spoilage. Chryseobacerium species used in this study have the potential to spoil fish and/other fish products because of their psychrotolerant and proteolytic nature.National Research Foundation (NRF)University of the Free State Post Graduate Schoo
Maputo Bay Fishery Complex: an architectural investigation of Maputo’s edge
No full text“We must become technicians of the emotions, makers of smiles, tear jerkers, exaggerators, spokesmen of dreams, performers of miracles, messengers; and invent raw, bold, vigorous and intense buildings without taste, absurd and chaotic, to invent an architecture the size of life. Buildings shall yet belong to the people, architecture shall yet become real and alive, and beauty shall yet be warm and convulsive.”- Amâncio d’Alpoim Miranda “Pancho” Guedes Pancho Guedes was not a purist - he celebrated that his architecture had a life of its own and would be appreciated and adapted by the people who made their homes in it (Guedes, 2015: online). One of the aims of this dissertation was to mine the poetic depths of the architectural contribution of the most influential Mozambican architect, Pancho Guedes (1925-2015)
Youth in conflict with the law: an exploration of socio-criminogenic risk factors
No full textDissertation (M.A. (Criminology))--University of the Free State, 2019Criminal Justice in South Africa has endured a period of evolution, having progressed from colonialism to apartheid to democracy. Yet, law violations remain a fundamental challenge in contemporary South Africa. As what could have been seen during the past few years, the sheer number of transgressions committed by and against young people remains problematic, as individuals aged 12 to 22 years form part of a ‘high risk’ age cohort for both contravening the law and for criminal victimisation. As a result, a considerable proportion of the youth populace are pushed to the peripheries of South African society and experience a great degree of marginalisation within various domains, thereby amplifying their risk of coming into conflict with the law.
Moreover, a significant number of youth have already been negatively affected by challenges related to socio-economic disadvantage, limited opportunities for conventional success, family conflict and antisocial peer affiliation, while an equally high percentage of youth have been incarcerated for serious transgressions. These youth face numerous complications in terms of both their transition into adulthood, as well as on their journey to become responsible social actors. Accordingly, the current study was aimed at identifying and exploring socio-criminogenic risk factors within the family, school, community and peer group domain through the explanation and synthesis of the Strain, Subculture, Social Control and Social Learning perspectives, in order to gain a greater understanding of the personal experiences and views of detained youth with the ultimate aim of conflict reduction.
A qualitative methodological approach was utilised, together with research strategies of an exploratory and descriptive nature. Data was obtained using a purposive sample of 20 youth detained at the Kimberley Youth Development Centre. The findings obtained during the course of the study indicated that a significant proportion of youth in the sample were exposed to several key risk factors conducive to youth misconduct. These factors included antisocial peer affiliation (75%), participation in gang-related activities (65%), community or neighbourhood disorganisation (60%), the use of alcohol and illicit substances (60%) and the experience of socio-economic disadvantage (55%). An evaluation of commonly recurring clusters of risk factors identified gang membership (55%) and the use of alcohol and illicit substances (50%) as the most prominent socio-criminogenic risk factors experienced by the participants in the sample.
On the basis of these findings, it is evident that further research pertaining to the criminogenic risk factors for youth misconduct in the South African context is required. With reference to the recommendations in the current study, it is envisaged that the findings will stimulate future research conducted with all-inclusive population-representative samples, which could potentially aid in the identification of universal risk factors experienced by the majority of South African youth in conflict with the law. Research utilising a control group, longitudinal research and research including female youth and those under the age of 18 years, would be particularly valuable in this regard. Furthermore, future research would facilitate the expansion of knowledge regarding criminogenic risk factors for youth misconduct, to contribute to the development of new policies and procedures and/or to the modification of existing policies and intervention programmes, with the reduction of conflict as ultimate aim
Stochastic groundwater flow models in confined and leaky aquifers
No full textThis dissertation proposes an application of stochastic modeling of groundwater flow in confined and leaky aquifers. We are estimating that aquifer parameters such as transmissivity, storativity and leakage factor vary, not constant, in space at different period especially in heterogeneous environment. Heterogeneous environment are known to be complex because of their uncertainty. Uncertainty referred in modeling includes errors in dataset, which might be bias or variance (under fitting/over fitting), low or not enough data, or unbalanced data, which all affect the model produced if not captured with appropriate model technique. The groundwater flow equation for confined and leaky aquifers derived by the latest version Atangana and Ramotsho, as well asAtangana and Mathobo, which all include scaling matrix of the soil, are considered and further modified to a new scheme of stochastic models for confined and leaky aquifer. We tried to achieve the capture statistical setting of aquifer parameters using the concept of stochastic modeling technique. The aquifer parameters are replaced by distribution for instance, Gaussian or normal distribution.Due to the complexity of the modified models, it is almost impossible to obtain the exact solution by using analytical solution, thus we opt to numerical analysis, in particular the Newton method used to derive the numerical solutions of the modified models. Detailed analysis of stability and convergences, we used method are presented for both models. Numerical simulations are depicted for different distributions
An internal integrated marketing communication approach for city branding
No full textThe global competition amongst cities necessitates the need for cities to brand themselves. The practice of city branding is growing, with many cities pioneering unique ways to build their brands. City branding is becoming increasingly popular due to the numerous benefits that it holds for cities. The city of Kimberley has a rich history of diamond mining and the Big Hole is a popular tourist attraction in the city. Despite this strong brand asset, it appears that the strength of the city brand has deteriorated. The study sought to answer the research question: How can an internal integrated marketing communication approach be used to empower the tourism sector of Kimberley, and enhance the Kimberley city brand? For this study, one research question and primary research objective was set. The goal of this study was to provide guidelines for an internal integrated marketing communication approach for the tourism sector of Kimberley. To attain this goal, the following secondary objectives were set: to determine the nature and scope of city branding and brand equity; to give an overview of the importance of an internal focus in integrated marketing communication; and to investigate the knowledge and experiences of the role players in the tourism industry of Kimberley regarding the brand Kimberley. Considering the aim and objectives of the study, a qualitative approach was followed and a literature review and phenomenology were used as research strategies. The former was through a review of relevant literature on the main theoretical domains of the study and the latter through in-depth interviews to assess the knowledge of Kimberley’s key tourism role players about the city. Results suggested that there is lack of brand awareness of the Kimberley city brand and, amongst the internal stakeholders, the brand’s identity is not clear. They also suggest that the city has a poor internal brand image that evoked negative brand attitudes, making it difficult for the city to build brand equity and strengthen its brand to compete with other cities. The same results suggest that there is there is poor management of the brand internally. Feelings of disheartenment emerged due to the non-integrated marketing communications in the city that explained the lack of brand awareness in the city. The conclusions of the study indicated that there was a lack of internal collaborative partnerships amongst the role players to elevate the Kimberley brand due to the fact that the tourism sector did not operate as system. This also indicates that a lack of internal communications, internal branding and internal marketing in the city highlight its weak internal relationships. To address the identified challenges, participants suggested a number of interventions to improve the visual image of the city, by improving cleanliness and the city’s dilapidated infrastructure. Since the tourism sector is services based, participants believed that the Kimberley brand can be improved if employees are empowered through customer training. The need to build strategic partnerships to propel the vision of the city was also highlighted. Moreover, as a first step to address the issues raised, much needed attention needs to be paid to the physical appeal of the city. From these conclusions, recommendations were supplied based on the “4 p’s” of city brand management, namely, people, process, place and partnerships.It is anticipated that this study will assist internal stakeholders in Kimberley on how to improve the city branding strategies in an effort to enhance the image of city.National Research Foundation (NRF)University of the Witwatersran
Landscape Appreciation Centre: an architectural exploration of identity and genius loci at Semonkong, Lesotho
No full textThis dissertation emanates from an interest in vast natural landscapes. It proposes an Appreciation centre in the majestic mountains of Semonkong, nestled in the heart of Lesotho. The objective is to design a meaningful place that respects the site with regards to the context, climate, appropriate technology and materials. This will be achieved through the investigation of identity and biophilia. The client is the Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) which aims to promote sustainable and responsible economic development through tourism. Other objectives of this institution include providing a positive and consistent voice for Lesotho, and encourage tourists to learn more about the destinations they visit in Lesotho. This dissertation has been organized into two main parts which focus on the grounding and making of the project respectively. The first part will identify the aims and problem statements by exploring the topology, morphology, typology and tectonics of the impending design outcome. This part also explores the theoretical grounding leading towards a design methodology. The second part will identify the design development and its synthesis, tectonics and a concluding reflection assessment of the design's success or lack thereof