AN EXPLORATION OF ERP ADOPTION AT SMES IN GAUTENG AS A STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) play a significant role in developing countries like South Africa. They face many detrimental challenges, including COVID-19 and a shrinking economy. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems can help SMEs mitigate some critical risks by providing real-time accurate information to aid decision making.The study was conducted with active Covid-19 restrictions in South Africa. A qualitative research method was applied using semi-structured interviews and snowball sampling to gain a better understanding of the perceptions and unique perspectives on the use of ERP by SMEs in Gauteng. Thematic analysis, aided by NVivo version 12 software, was used to analyse the data.When SMEs reach a size where they cannot keep track of company information themselves, an ERP system becomes a great asset. It provides timely and accurate information to facilitate decision making and strategic planning. SMEs tend to purchase a mixed selection of ERP software. ERP provides SMEs with the capabilities to become more sustainable and there is a great desire for such systems to be implemented, budget permitting. SMEs using ERP systems are in a better competitive position when compared with those enterprises who choose not to use it.SMEs can become more resilient in times of crises so the integration of ERP systems must be part of the strategic objectives of SMEs

Cardiovascular disease in anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody-associated vasculitis

Anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a rare, multisystem, autoimmune disease characterised by microvascular inflammation. Over the past 20 years, advances in immunological management have improved short-term patient outcomes. Longer-term, patient outcomes remain poor with cardiovascular disease now the leading cause of death in AAV. Importantly, the incidence of cardiovascular disease in these patients exceeds that expected by traditional risk factors alone, suggesting a contribution from disease-specific factors. There are currently no validated tools that accurately assess cardiovascular disease risk in patients with AAV. Similarly, it is unclear how different immunosuppressive therapies contribute to and modify cardiovascular risk, and there is a paucity of data examining the efficacy of traditional cardioprotective medications in AAV. In this review we examine the potential pathways that contribute to the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in AAV, and the current evidence to manage this risk

Rules of Engagement: design attributes for social interactions

We present a taxonomy for the design of workplace “break” spaces. The taxonomy can be used to identify aspects of current spaces that are either successful or problematic. From this analysis, we demonstrate how the taxonomy can be used to identify opportunities for computer mediated augmentation of spaces, and how such designs can be validated against this taxonomy

Design analysis of the Grade 9 technology curriculum in South Africa.

Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Durban-Westville, 2002.During the years of apartheid (pre 1994) there were two main streams that one could follow while studying at school viz. academic or technical. The majority of South African learners followed the more traditional academic stream allowing some to enter careers as doctors, lawyers, policemen/woman, school teachers and the like, while the remainder ended up jobless. Those pupils who followed the technical stream were considered by some of the more academically inclined persons, to be the 'duller' type of pupil, who could learn a trade and end up as a blue-collar worker. As the cost of technical education has always been much higher than the purely academic courses, the number of schools offering technical subject courses in South Africa has always been in the minority. The entire scene changed after the banning of apartheid (post 1994) and the introduction of the notion of globalisation. Rapid developments suddenly appeared world-wide especially with the introduction of new technologies, mainly in informatics. Suddenly the world seemed to be a much smaller place as one could e-mail, fax, or use a cell phone anywhere in the world at the touch of a button. In order for South Africa to become part of the new world order, and to think about global markets, certain essential changes had to be made firstly to the local environment. A depressed economy needed rejuvenation. There was a growing awareness that serious change was needed in the way children think and learn at school and to start aligning ideas with international trends. To do this, the Department of Education in Pretoria (DoE), decided to radically transform the education sector by introducing a new system of education known as outcomes-based education (OBE). The new OBE system brought with it mixed reactions from the South African public and from the teachers within the system. Many teachers did not want to accept that education could be done in a different way than they had been used to, in the past twenty to forty years. Younger teachers on the other hand did embrace change but are still trying to get the right balance within the prescribed parameters laid down in national education policy documents. To try and achieve such balance, the minister of education called for an independent review committee to re-work the general education and training phase curricula in order for them to be made more 'user-friendly' as many complaints had been received about the policy documents being overly complicated and unmanageable in the normal classroom situation. This process was concluded in May 2001 and Technology education remained as one of the eight new learning areas within the general education and training phase (GET) of South African schooling. The first draft of the Technology education curriculum was handed out for public comment in October 1997 and was used as the basis for a pilot study at selected schools in 1998. This information was used as the basis for analyzing the design of the Technology curriculum at grade 9 level. Grade 9 was selected as it is the final exit from general education and training (GET) into further education and training (FET), and because it was the starting point for the pilot project in 1998. Valuable data was available at the pilot project school sites to be used in this study. Not all the provinces were able to initiate a pilot project due to a number of reasons but those that did viz. Kwazulu/Natal, Gauteng, and the Western Cape were visited individually to collect data. This study therefore 'unpacks' the Technology curriculum into component parts using an analysis tool developed from a theoretical framework. This unpacking of the parts allows one the opportunity to critically check whether or not certain important aspects of the design were omitted either intentionally or unintentionally by the design team (NTT). Chapter one orientates the reader and sets the scene from where I, as researcher, locate myself and what the prevailing conditions are like at South African schools. The study problem is highlighted as are the obstacles that have tended to have an impact on the final curriculum design. Chapter two provides an overview of the related theory associated with the field of curriculum study. Technology education is discussed as broadly as possible within the framework of the new OBE education system for South African schools. Chapter three discusses the methodologies applied to ensure reliability and validity of the findings. The design analysis tool is presented with an explanation of each of the eight components. Chapter four relates an interesting story about the findings. A description of the educational sites is presented together with descriptions of the educators at the six pilot schools, as well as some background of the national technology design team (NTT). All recorded evidence was gathered during personal visits to the schools and individual meetings with the design team members. Chapter five provides a discussion of the data to analyse the Technology curriculum. In this way the reader is directed to the problem areas that were identified and supported the purpose of this curriculum study. Chapter six firstly answers the three critical questions posed in Chapter one. An alternative model for curriculum design and development is presented. This theoretical model is intended to reduce the weaknesses of the present curriculum design if applied to any similar initiative in the future. This will allow educators greater freedom to do what they do best - to teach from a curriculum policy that they clearly understand and are trained to deliver. In this way South African schools and all learners will be rewarded by being well prepared for a variety of challenging careers in the global world that we live in

High levels of Notch signaling down-regulate Numb and Numblike

Inhibition of Notch signaling by Numb is critical for many cell fate decisions. In this study, we demonstrate a more complex relationship between Notch and the two vertebrate Numb homologues Numb and Numblike. Although Numb and Numblike at low levels of Notch signaling negatively regulated Notch, high levels of Notch signaling conversely led to a reduction of Numb and Numblike protein levels in cultured cells and in the developing chick central nervous system. The Notch intracellular domain but not the canonical Notch downstream proteins Hes 1 and Hey 1 caused a reduction of Numb and Numblike. The Notch-mediated reduction of Numblike required the PEST domain in the Numblike protein and was blocked by the proteasome inhibitor MG132. Collectively, these observations reveal a reciprocal negative regulation between Notch and Numb/Numblike, which may be of relevance for stabilizing asymmetric cell fate switches and for tumor development

Cooperation between somatic Ikaros and Notch1 mutations at the inception of T-ALL

To understand the interactions between Notch1 and Ikaros in the evolution of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), we traced the evolution of T-ALL in mice with an inherited Ikaros mutation, Ikzf1Plstc which inactivates DNA binding. DNA-binding Ikaros repressed Notch1 response in transfected cell lines and in CD4+8+ (DP) thymocytes from young pre-leukemic Ikzf1Plstc heterozygous mice. In DP thymocytes, a 50-1000 fold escalation in mRNA for Notch1 target genes Hes1 and Dtx1 preceded thymic lymphoma or leukemia and was closely correlated with the first detectable differentiation abnormalities loss of heterozygosity (LOH) eliminating wild-type Ikzf1, and multiple missense and truncating Notch1 mutations. These findings illuminate the early stages of leukemogenesis by demonstrating progressive exaggeration of Notch1 responsiveness at the DP thymocyte stage brought about by multiple mutations acting in concert upon the Notch1 pathwa

Utility of interval kidney biopsy in ANCA-associated vasculitis

OBJECTIVES: ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a rare autoimmune disorder that commonly involves the kidney. Early identification of kidney involvement, assessing treatment-response and predicting outcome are important clinical challenges. Here, we assessed the potential utility of interval kidney biopsy in AAV. METHODS: In a tertiary referral centre with a dedicated vasculitis service, we identified patients with AAV who had undergone interval kidney biopsy, defined as a repeat kidney biopsy (following an initial biopsy showing active AAV) undertaken to determine the histological response in the kidney following induction immunosuppression. We analysed biochemical, histological and outcome data, including times to kidney failure and death for all patients. RESULTS: We identified 57 patients with AAV who underwent at least one interval kidney biopsy (59 interval biopsies in total; median time to interval biopsy ∼130 days). Of the 59 interval biopsies performed, 24 (41%) patients had clinically suspected active disease at time of biopsy which was confirmed histologically in only 42% of cases; 35 (59%) patients were in clinical disease-remission, and this was correct in 97% of cases. The clinician’s impression was incorrect in one in four patients. Hematuria at interval biopsy did not correlate with histological activity. Interval biopsy showed fewer acute lesions and more chronic damage compared with initial biopsy and led to immunosuppressive treatment-change in 75% (44/59) of patients. Clinical risk prediction tools tended to operate better using interval biopsy data. CONCLUSION: Interval kidney biopsy is useful for determining treatment-response and subsequent disease management in AAV. It may provide better prognostic information than initial kidney biopsy and should be considered for inclusion into future clinical trials and treatment protocols for patients with AAV