<p>Uvod: Reumatoidni artritis (RA) je bolest koja dovodi do ireverzibilnog o&scaron;tećenja zglobova usled čega je neophodno pri postavljanju dijagnoze započeti lečenje. TNF-alfa inhibitori predstavljaju revolucionarno otkriće u lečenju RA, pri čemu su najče&scaron;će kori&scaron;ćeni Etanercept i Adalimumab. Oni nisu efikasni kod svih pacijenata kod kojih se primene, a mehanizmi gubitka odgovora nisu jasni. Cilj rada je odrediti uticaj Etanercepta i Adalimumaba na aktivnost bolesti (merenjem DAS28 SE i DAS28 CRP skora) i funkcionalni status pacijenata (merenjem HAQ-DI upitnika), broj bolnih i otečnih zglobova pre i tokom godinu dana primene ovih lekova, kao i utvrditi povezanost koncentracije Etanercepta i Adalimumaba u krvi sa vrednostima DAS28 SE u momentu odreĎivanja koncentracije leka. Praćena je i učestalost neželjenih efekata kod pacijenata lečenih sa ova dva leka. Ispitan je i uticaj primene Metotreksata na nivoe lekova u krvi, kao i doza Metotreksata pre i 6 meseci nakon uvoĎenja Etanercepta ili Adalimumaba. Metode: Studija je sprovedena u Specijalnoj bolnici za reumatske bolesti i Klinici za nefrologiju i kliničku imunologiju, Kliničkog centra Vojvodine u Novom Sadu i obuhvatila je 88 pacijenata kod kojih je postavljena dijagnoza RA, od kojih je 49 bilo lečeno Etanerceptom, a 39 Adalimumabom. Analizirana je medicinska dokumentacija, a nakon početka primene TNF-alfa inhibitora svim ispitanicima je u toku godinu dana svaka tri meseca raĎena kontrola koja je podrazumevala anamnezu i fizički pregled, analizu biohemijskih nalaza krvi, merena je aktivnost bolesti merenjem indeksa aktivnosti bolesti DAS28 SE i DAS28 CRP i raĎena procena funkcionalnog statusa tako &scaron;to je pacijent popunjavao HAQ-DI upitnik. Rezultati: Aktivnost RA merena DAS28 SE i DAS28 CRP indeksima, funkcionalni status meren HAQ-DI upitnikom, broj bolnih i otečenih zglobova i vrednosti reaktanata akutne faze značajno su veći pre početka terapije Etanerceptom i Adalimumabom i smanjuje se tokom prvih 6 meseci lečenja ovim lekovima i potom se taj efekat terapije održava do kraja perioda praćenja. Nema statistički značajne razlike u poreĎenju Etanercepta i Adalimumaba u odnosu na učestalost neželjenih dejstava. Doza Metotreksata je statistički značajno manja 6 meseci nakon upotrebe biolo&scaron;kog leka Etanercept i Adalimumab. Pacijenti lečeni Metotreksatom uz Adalimumab imali su statistički značajno veće nivoe leka, nego oni koji ga nisu koristili. Zaključak: TNF-alfa inhibitori ne dovode do zaustavljanja bolesti kod svih pacijenata kod kojih se primene. Mehanizam gubitka odgovora na terapiju TNF-alfa inhibitorima nije jasan. Kako bi se donela najbolja odluka za pacijenta, neophodno je odrediti nivo leka u krvi, kao i nivo antitela na lek prilikom svake promene stanja pacijenta. Za sada nema dovoljno studija koje ukazuju da li postoji veza izmeĎu ekspresije TNF-alfa gena i nivoa TNF-alfa u krvi, te da li bi se merenjem TNF-alfa u krvi mogla korigovati terapija i doza TNF-alfa inhibitora &scaron;to će verovatno biti predmet budućih istraživanja.</p> / <p>Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a disease that leads to irreversible joint damage, which makes necessary to start treatment when the diagnosis is set. TNF-alpha inhibitors represent a revolutionary discovery in the treatment of RA, and the most commonly used are Etanercept and Adalimumab. They are not effective in all patients, and the mechanisms of loss of response are not clear. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of Etanercept and Adalimumab on disease activity (by measuring DAS28 SE and DAS28 CRP score) and the functional status of patients (by measuring the HAQ-DI questionnaire), the number of painful and swollen joints before and during the first year of administration of these drugs. Also, it was determined a correlation between the concentration of Etanercept and Adalimumab in blood and the values of DAS28 SE at the moment of drug concentration measurement. The incidence of adverse effects in patients treated with these two drugs was also observed. It was examined the effect of Methotrexate on drug levels in the blood as well as the dose of Methotrexate before and 6 months after the introduction of Etanercept or Adalimumab. Methods: The study was conducted at the Special Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases and the Clinic of Nephrology and Clinical Immunology, Clinical Center of Vojvodina in Novi Sad. It included 88 patients with RA, 49 were treated with Etanercept and 39 with Adalimumab. Medical documentation was analyzed, and during the first year of TNF-alpha inhibitor administration, every three months were done anamnesis and physical examination, analysis of blood biochemical findings, measurements of the disease activity with DAS28 SE and DAS28 CRP score and a functional status assessment with the HAQ-DI questionnaire. Results: Disease activity measured by DAS28 SE and DAS28 CRP scores, functional status measured with HAQ-DI questionnaire, number of painful and swollen joints and acute phase reactant values are significantly higher before Etanercept and Adalimumab therapy and decreased during the first 6 months of treatment with these drugs and then this effect of therapy is maintained until the end of the monitoring period. There is no statistically significant difference in the comparison of Etanercept and Adalimumab with respect to the frequency of adverse events. The dose of Methotrexate was statistically significantly lower for 6 months after the use of Etanercept and Adalimumab. Patients treated with Methotrexate and Adalimumab had statistically significantly higher drug levels than those who did not use it. Conclusion: TNF-alpha inhibitors are not effective in all patients who used them. The mechanism of loss of response to TNF-alpha inhibitors is not clear. In order to make the best decision for the patient, it is necessary to determine the drug level in the blood as well as the level of antibodies to the drug in each change in the patient&#39;s condition. For now, there are not enough studies to indicate whether there is a link between expression of the TNF-alpha gene and the level of TNF-alpha in the blood, and whether the measurement of the TNF-alpha in blood could be used for therapy correction and change of dose of TNF-alpha inhibitor, which is likely to be the subject of the future research.</p>

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Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Herstellung und Charakterisierung von verdünnten magnetischen II-VI und III-V Halbleiter-Dünnschichten. Diese Systeme bieten vereinfachte optische kohärente Kontrolle von Spin-basierten Prozessen und eignen sich hervorragend für den Einsatz in zukünftigen opto-magnetischen Anwendungen. ZnO-, ZnXO-, GaN- und GaXN-Proben (X = Mangan, Cobalt) sind mit Hilfe der naßchemischen Sol-Gel Synthese hergestellt worden. Sie werden mit Hilfe der Photolumineszenzspektroskopie untersucht. Die spektrale Position der elektronischen Niveaus in der Nähe der Bandkante dieser Materialien wird bestimmt, um in weiteren Experimenten die freien und gebundenen Exzitonen einzeln abzufragen. Mit der Methode der zeitaufgelösten differentiellen Transmissionsspektroskopie (TRDT) werden die Lebensdauern dieser Ladungsträger bestimmt und mit ultraschnellen Prozessen der optischen Anregung und Relaxation in Verbindung gebracht. Die Methode der zeitaufgelösten Faraday-Rotation-Spektroskopie (TRFR) wird angewandt, um die kohärente Spindynamik des optisch angeregten Teilchenensembles zu beschreiben. Die Kohärenz unterliegt den Störeinflüssen verschiedener Streumechanismen, die in der vorliegenden Arbeit identifiziert und quantitativ beschrieben werden. Bei einigen untersuchten Materialsystemen (ZnCoO, ZnMnO und GaMnN) wird die jeweilige spezifische Elektron-Ion Austauschenergie N0α bestimmt, welche die Kopplungsstärke der elektronischen Spins zu denen der Dotierionen beschreibt.

During the recession period of 2008/2009, global tourism declined by 8%. This was also evident is South Africa with the domestic travel market shrinking by 8% as well. However, this did not apply to the Kruger National Park (KNP) which experienced a sustained Accommodation Unit Occupancy growth of 1.6% during the same period. Visitors to the KNP thus see it as an attractive holiday destination irrespective of tough economic conditions characterised by less disposable income. To sustain this growth, it is important to be aware of the reasons visitors still visit the KNP during a recession. The aim of this study was to determine the reasons why visitors still travelled to the KNP during the 2008/2009 recession. This can be done by analysing the visitors’ behaviour and the motivational factors (internal feelings of the visitors) and determinants of the demand (income and exchange rates for instance) that influenced visitors’ choice to visit the KNP. To achieve this aim, a survey was conducted at the KNP between 15 and 20 December 2009 (high season). A total of 355 questionnaires were completed, after which a number of analyses were done to determine the effects of the recession on travel behaviour. For the purpose of this study, two articles were written. Article 1 is titled: “Motivations of visitors to the Kruger National Park during the 2008/2009 recession period”. The aim of this article was to determine the motivations of visitors to the KNP during the recession. A factor analysis on the motivations to visit the park was conducted, of which the following factors obtained the highest mean values: Escape, Wildlife experience and Family benefits. Push factors to the KNP were important to such an extent that visitors regarded visiting the park as a primary need or lifestyle. The results furthermore showed that visitors might have adapted their spending behaviour at the park to still afford to visit the park during the recession. This article provides a better understanding of visitors’ feelings towards the KNP, especially amidst recessions which, in turn, will improve niche marketing and a competitive advantage. Article 2 is titled: “Factors that influenced demand to the Kruger National Park during the 2008/2009 economic recession”. The aim of this article was to identify the determinants that influence the demand for visits to the KNP. Due to the homogeneous nature of the park’s market, the results of the stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed a few socio-demographic and behavioural determinants that influenced visitors’ demand to the park. The motives Escape and Souvenirs were the only two behavioural determinants while the provinces Gauteng and Mpumalanga were the only socio-demographic determinants. These two provinces are the two main markets for the KNP. Visitors indicated that visiting the KNP is a great way of escaping their busy metropolitan areas, especially in the Gauteng province. Mpumalanga residents have many tourism attractions in their province thus lowering the chances that they will visit the KNP. The determinant Souvenirs indicates that visitors adapted their spending at the park to still be able to afford visits. It was also found that demand to visit the park was not greatly influenced by the recession, because visitors could adapt their spending at the park. This is the first time the determinants of demand to a national park during a recession period have been conducted. The study indicated that visiting natural areas may have become a primary need or part of a lifestyle, especially during the 2008/2009 recession period. This article gives park management guidelines that will ensure the sustainability of the KNP because this information now allows for well-planned, thorough marketing and management of the park. In the case of KNP, which has a homogeneous market, the number of determinants identified influencing demand for visiting the park is fewer than has been found in other studies done on heterogeneous markets. This study therefore also makes a valuable methodological contribution in relation to analysing demand of homogeneous and heterogeneous markets. / Thesis (M.Com. (Tourism))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The event tourism industry is one of the fastest growing tourism industries worldwide. One type of event that is growing immensely is festivals, especially music festivals such as the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. As a result of the fast growing pace of festivals, it has become crucial for a festival to sustain itself in the market place to stay competitive. The Cape Town International Jazz Festival (the Jazz Festival) is a fast growing music festival and hosts numerous well–known local and international jazz artists, as well as young up–and–coming artists. For this exciting Jazz Festival to keep growing, it needs to be sustainable. To achieve this, the organisers and managers of the Jazz Festival need to know what is important to the visitors of the Jazz Festival, so they can fulfil their needs. This in turn leads to satisfied visitors that will return to the Jazz Festival and keep the festival sustainable. Generally speaking, music festivals have a more professional management approach than other tourism events and thus are more likely to be more successful. Key Success Factors (KSFs) are a precondition for the success of any event and will influence the competitiveness of the event in the market place. It is imperative for organisers to identify the KSFs that are important to the visitors so as to provide them with a satisfactory experience. This will also assist in measuring the achievement of the event’s goals and objectives. The main purpose of this study was to determine the KSFs in managing the visitor experience at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. To reach this goal, the study is divided into two articles. Research for both articles was conducted at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival through distributing 400 questionnaires randomly throughout the two days of the festival, which was held on 3 and 4 April 2010. Article 1 is titled: “Key aspects for efficient and effective management of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival: a visitor’s perspective”. The main purpose of this article was to identify the Key Success Factors in managing the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, to determine what visitors deemed as important when attending the Jazz Festival. A factor analysis was done to achieve this goal. Results indicated that Hospitality Factors, Quality Venues, Information Dissemination, Marketing and Sales, and Value and Quality are the KSFs that are of importance when managing the Jazz Festival. The results of this article provided festival managers with valuable information when organising an event such as the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Article 2 is titled: “The importance of different Key Success Factors to different target markets of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival based on travel motives”. The main purpose of this article was to determine whether different target markets that are visiting the Jazz Festival, deemed different KSFs as important, depending on their travel motives. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done to determine if there were statistically significant differences between the three clusters and the KSFs that they deemed important. Results showed that the three clusters, namely, Escapists, Culture Seekers and Jazz Lovers, deemed different KSFs as important when they are visiting the Jazz Festival. The results of this article gave festival organisers and marketing managers insight as to which markets to focus scarce marketing resources on and which markets to keep growing, as they will sustain the festival in the long term. Therefore, this research revealed the KSFs that are of utmost importance when managing the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, and that these aspects differ for certain markets. Organisers therefore need to assess the KSFs to provide products that will satisfy the visitor in order for him/her to return each year and keep the festival competitive and sustainable. / Thesis (M.Com. (Tourism))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

During the recession period of 2008/2009, global tourism declined by 8%. This was also evident is South Africa with the domestic travel market shrinking by 8% as well. However, this did not apply to the Kruger National Park (KNP) which experienced a sustained Accommodation Unit Occupancy growth of 1.6% during the same period. Visitors to the KNP thus see it as an attractive holiday destination irrespective of tough economic conditions characterised by less disposable income. To sustain this growth, it is important to be aware of the reasons visitors still visit the KNP during a recession. The aim of this study was to determine the reasons why visitors still travelled to the KNP during the 2008/2009 recession. This can be done by analysing the visitors’ behaviour and the motivational factors (internal feelings of the visitors) and determinants of the demand (income and exchange rates for instance) that influenced visitors’ choice to visit the KNP. To achieve this aim, a survey was conducted at the KNP between 15 and 20 December 2009 (high season). A total of 355 questionnaires were completed, after which a number of analyses were done to determine the effects of the recession on travel behaviour. For the purpose of this study, two articles were written. Article 1 is titled: “Motivations of visitors to the Kruger National Park during the 2008/2009 recession period”. The aim of this article was to determine the motivations of visitors to the KNP during the recession. A factor analysis on the motivations to visit the park was conducted, of which the following factors obtained the highest mean values: Escape, Wildlife experience and Family benefits. Push factors to the KNP were important to such an extent that visitors regarded visiting the park as a primary need or lifestyle. The results furthermore showed that visitors might have adapted their spending behaviour at the park to still afford to visit the park during the recession. This article provides a better understanding of visitors’ feelings towards the KNP, especially amidst recessions which, in turn, will improve niche marketing and a competitive advantage. Article 2 is titled: “Factors that influenced demand to the Kruger National Park during the 2008/2009 economic recession”. The aim of this article was to identify the determinants that influence the demand for visits to the KNP. Due to the homogeneous nature of the park’s market, the results of the stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed a few socio-demographic and behavioural determinants that influenced visitors’ demand to the park. The motives Escape and Souvenirs were the only two behavioural determinants while the provinces Gauteng and Mpumalanga were the only socio-demographic determinants. These two provinces are the two main markets for the KNP. Visitors indicated that visiting the KNP is a great way of escaping their busy metropolitan areas, especially in the Gauteng province. Mpumalanga residents have many tourism attractions in their province thus lowering the chances that they will visit the KNP. The determinant Souvenirs indicates that visitors adapted their spending at the park to still be able to afford visits. It was also found that demand to visit the park was not greatly influenced by the recession, because visitors could adapt their spending at the park. This is the first time the determinants of demand to a national park during a recession period have been conducted. The study indicated that visiting natural areas may have become a primary need or part of a lifestyle, especially during the 2008/2009 recession period. This article gives park management guidelines that will ensure the sustainability of the KNP because this information now allows for well-planned, thorough marketing and management of the park. In the case of KNP, which has a homogeneous market, the number of determinants identified influencing demand for visiting the park is fewer than has been found in other studies done on heterogeneous markets. This study therefore also makes a valuable methodological contribution in relation to analysing demand of homogeneous and heterogeneous markets. / Thesis (M.Com. (Tourism))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The event tourism industry is one of the fastest growing tourism industries worldwide. One type of event that is growing immensely is festivals, especially music festivals such as the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. As a result of the fast growing pace of festivals, it has become crucial for a festival to sustain itself in the market place to stay competitive. The Cape Town International Jazz Festival (the Jazz Festival) is a fast growing music festival and hosts numerous well–known local and international jazz artists, as well as young up–and–coming artists. For this exciting Jazz Festival to keep growing, it needs to be sustainable. To achieve this, the organisers and managers of the Jazz Festival need to know what is important to the visitors of the Jazz Festival, so they can fulfil their needs. This in turn leads to satisfied visitors that will return to the Jazz Festival and keep the festival sustainable. Generally speaking, music festivals have a more professional management approach than other tourism events and thus are more likely to be more successful. Key Success Factors (KSFs) are a precondition for the success of any event and will influence the competitiveness of the event in the market place. It is imperative for organisers to identify the KSFs that are important to the visitors so as to provide them with a satisfactory experience. This will also assist in measuring the achievement of the event’s goals and objectives. The main purpose of this study was to determine the KSFs in managing the visitor experience at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. To reach this goal, the study is divided into two articles. Research for both articles was conducted at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival through distributing 400 questionnaires randomly throughout the two days of the festival, which was held on 3 and 4 April 2010. Article 1 is titled: “Key aspects for efficient and effective management of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival: a visitor’s perspective”. The main purpose of this article was to identify the Key Success Factors in managing the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, to determine what visitors deemed as important when attending the Jazz Festival. A factor analysis was done to achieve this goal. Results indicated that Hospitality Factors, Quality Venues, Information Dissemination, Marketing and Sales, and Value and Quality are the KSFs that are of importance when managing the Jazz Festival. The results of this article provided festival managers with valuable information when organising an event such as the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Article 2 is titled: “The importance of different Key Success Factors to different target markets of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival based on travel motives”. The main purpose of this article was to determine whether different target markets that are visiting the Jazz Festival, deemed different KSFs as important, depending on their travel motives. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done to determine if there were statistically significant differences between the three clusters and the KSFs that they deemed important. Results showed that the three clusters, namely, Escapists, Culture Seekers and Jazz Lovers, deemed different KSFs as important when they are visiting the Jazz Festival. The results of this article gave festival organisers and marketing managers insight as to which markets to focus scarce marketing resources on and which markets to keep growing, as they will sustain the festival in the long term. Therefore, this research revealed the KSFs that are of utmost importance when managing the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, and that these aspects differ for certain markets. Organisers therefore need to assess the KSFs to provide products that will satisfy the visitor in order for him/her to return each year and keep the festival competitive and sustainable. / Thesis (M.Com. (Tourism))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.