A managers view of critical success factors necessary for the successful implementation of ERP

Organisations look to enterprise resource planning (ERP) as a significant strategic tool of competition. ERP plays an important role in today's enterprise management and is beginning to be the backbone of organisations. Although ERP has been recognised as a useful tool, in practice, there are many difficulties in compelling people to implement it effectively. In this case, how to help ERP's future effective implementation has already attracted the attention of several researchers. The goal of this research was to increase the knowledge base regarding Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software implementation in the public sector. To this end, factors regarding benefits sought through ERP system implementation and critical factors surrounding successful ERP implementation were identified. In addition, the perception of project team members' satisfaction with modules implemented and their concerns about implementing ERP software were identified in this study. The results of this study provided recommendations for public sector organisations in order to increase their opportunity for successful ERP system implementation. However, there is no reason why this information cannot be considered to be useful to private sector organisations when considering ERP implementation projects. The literature review and results of this study suggested that the benefits sought during ERP system implementation included increased standardisation, better reporting, and reduced operational costs were recognised as goals of ERP software implementation, with the overarching goal to improve efficiency. Factors that were important to successful ERP system implementations were top management support, knowledgeable and experienced project managers and knowledgeable and committed team members. The study included recommendations for organisations to fully research ERP functionality prior to implementation, to implement strong change management, use other means of measuring return on investment, ensure employee buy-in and top management involvement and to avoid scope creep at all cost. In addition, a key element is to undertake some form of benchmarking exercise of existing systems prior to commencement as a measure of success of implementation of all or various elements of ERP

The relationship between recalled self-esteem as a child and current levels of professional burnout among Anglican clergy in England

This study links and tests three strands of theory concerned with explaining individual differences in levels of professional burnout in general and among religious professionals in particular. These three strands concern the significance of current self-esteem, recalled self-esteem as a child, and personality. Data were provided by a sample of 1,278 male stipendiary parochial clergy working in the Church of England who completed the modified Maslach Burnout Inventory (specially designed for use among clergy), and the short-form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (designed to measure the personality dimensions of extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism), together with a semantic differential index of recalled self-esteem as a child. The bivariate correlation coefficients demonstrated significant associations between more positive self-esteem as a child and lower levels of professional burnout (higher personal accomplishment, lower emotional exhaustion and lower depersonalisation). The bivariate correlation coefficients also demonstrated significant associations between personality and professional burnout. Multiple regression analyses, however, demonstrated that the association between recalled self-esteem as a child and professional burnout largely disappeared after controlling for the personality variables. The conclusion is drawn that knowledge about the personality profile of clergy functions as a more secure predictor of susceptibility to professional burnout than knowledge about recalled self-esteem as a child

Comparison of lung ultrasound with transpulmonary thermodilution in assessing extra-vascular lung water

Background: Increased extra-vascular lung water (EVLW) is common in critical care and correlates with the severity of acute lung injury, length of intensive care unit stay and mortality. Lung ultrasound (LUS) can assess EVLW by determining the amount of ‘B-lines’: artefacts signifying alveolar-interstitial oedema. This study’s aim was to determine whether EVLW estimation with the help of LUS correlates with the more accurate PiCCO2® cardiac output system utilising transpulmonary thermodilution.Methods: This prospective observational study was undertaken at Universitas Academic Hospital, Bloemfontein. Patients were scanned according to a fixed protocol, followed by transpulmonary thermodilution. The cumulative B-line count was compared with the EVLW index generated by the PiCCO2® system.Results: Four males and six females were enrolled. The mean EVLW index was 9.1 ml/kg/m2 (standard deviation 1.45), and the median cumulative B-line count was 14 (interquartile range 6–25). A positive, but not statistically significant, correlation was found (r = 0.40, p = 0.25) between the B-line count and EVLW index.Conclusion: This study investigated a possible correlation between LUS interpretation and transpulmonary thermodilution in assessing EVLW. Results seem promising, but the small sample could indicate only that LUS might be of use for the assessment of EVLW. Further studies are needed.Keywords: B-lines,critical care, extra-vascular lung water, lung ultrasound, thermodilutio

The effect of sevoflurane induction on the myocardial performance index in healthy individuals

Background: The myocardial performance (Tei) index is a simple, reproducible and easily performed measure of cardiac performance. Its ease of use and proven clinical application make this an attractive measure perioperatively. For appropriate use of this index under sevoflurane anaesthesia, drug effects on normal values need to be defined.Methods: A total of 38 ASA 1 patients were consecutively included in this study. Induction was by sevoflurane inhalation. Steady state was defined as 3–5 min spontaneous tidal ventilation with an end-tidal sevoflurane concentration of at least 2.3%. Baseline and steady-state measurements included haemodynamics and four-chamber transthoracic echocardiographic image acquisition. Offline analysis focused on tissue Doppler studies of the lateral mitral annulus. Discrete variables before and after induction were compared.Results: Changes in simple haemodynamic variables were as expected (Systolic blood pressure: mean [95% CI] –11.62 [–15.96 to –7.27]; diastolic blood pressure: mean [95% CI] –6.46 [–11.65 to –1.28]; heart rate: mean [95% CI] 2.66 [–1.72 to 7.05]). Isovolumic contraction time decreased from baseline (mean [95% CI] –3.37 [–5.11 to –1.64]). Isovolumic relaxation time also decreased (mean [95% CI] –7.44 [–10.23 to –4.66]). Ejection time decreased (mean [95% CI] –4.41 [–11.62 to 2.80]). This saw a consistent decrease in the Tei index with a p-value of < 0.0001 (mean [95% CI] –0.035 [–0.050 to –0.021]).Conclusion: Sevoflurane at 1-MAC minimally decreases the Tei index. This implies that, overall, myocardial mechanics/ performance in healthy individuals is not negatively affected by sevoflurane anaesthesia. Reference values for this index appear to be applicable for patients under sevoflurane anaesthesia.Keywords: Anaesthetics volatile, sevoflurane, heart, myocardial function, Tei index, tissue Doppler echocardiograph

Terahertz underdamped vibrational motion governs protein-ligand binding in solution

Low-frequency collective vibrational modes in proteins have been proposed as being responsible for efficiently directing biochemical reactions and biological energy transport. However, evidence of the existence of delocalized vibrational modes is scarce and proof of their involvement in biological function absent. Here we apply extremely sensitive femtosecond optical Kerr-effect spectroscopy to study the depolarized Raman spectra of lysozyme and its complex with the inhibitor triacetylchitotriose in solution. Underdamped delocalized vibrational modes in the terahertz frequency domain are identified and shown to blue-shift and strengthen upon inhibitor binding. This demonstrates that the ligand-binding coordinate in proteins is underdamped and not simply solvent-controlled as previously assumed. The presence of such underdamped delocalized modes in proteins may have significant implications for the understanding of the efficiency of ligand binding and protein–molecule interactions, and has wider implications for biochemical reactivity and biological function

Light sensitivity in a vertebrate mechanoreceptor?

Using immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis we demonstrate that melanopsin is localised in cells around the central pore of lateral line neuromasts in the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. Since melanopsin is a known photoreceptor pigment with diverse functions in vertebrates, we suggest that the lateral line of Xenopus laevis, which is primarily a mechanorecptor, may also be light sensitive. Potential functions of such photosensitivity are discussed, including its role in mediating locomotor responses following dermal illumination

Disaster, Relief and Political Change in Southern Ethiopia: Developments from within Suri Society

This chapter describes responses to the ecological crisis and political changes in Ethiopia in the early 1990s among the Suri, an agropastoral group in K„fa Region, southern Ethiopia. Data are derived from fieldwork carried out in the area after the change of regime in 1991. Attention is paid to environmental conditions and the Suri subsistence system, relations between the Suri and neighbouring ethnic groups, drought and famine in the area, in particular in the 1980s, and the Suri attitude towards the interventions of outside agencies, interethnic conflict in the period 1984-1993, Suri recovery and adaptation in the early 1990s, and the effects of drought, famine, and political upheaval on Suri socioeconomic organization, local political relations, and ethnic identities and interethnic relations. Bibliogr., notes, refASC – Publicaties niet-programma gebonde

Transcutanous aortic valve replacement with Medtronic CoreValve in a publicprivate partnership hospital complex

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the initial experience of transcutaneous aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in a high risk aortic stenosis population not suitable for conventional surgical valve replacement. Background: No data exist for TAVI with Medtronic CoreValve in South Africa and especially not in a public private partnership hospital complex. Methods: Retrospective data regarding severe aortic stenosis evaluation, risk stratifi cation and management were evaluated over a 24 month period. Results: A total of 106 patients were evaluated of whom17 were accepted for surgical valve replacement (SVR) while TAVI was attempted in 25. The CoreValve was successfully implanted in 96% (24/25) of the cases. No procedural or peri-procedural deaths occurred. Threepatients required permanent pacemaker insertion in the peri-procedural period and 2 patients had vascular access complications requiring blood transfusion only. Median hospital stay was 3.7days (range: 2 - 7). Aortic valve gradient showed a signifi cant reduction after valve implantation, which was sustained during follow-up (p<0.001). NYHA class symptomatology also improved from a median of 3.3 to 1.0 (p<0.001). During follow-up there were 4 late deaths, not related to the procedure, occurring after 78 to 193 days. Average cost for private and government patients were R268 000.00 and R163 000.00 respectively. Conclusions: The CoreValve can be implanted with a high success rate. Short term mortality and morbidity are acceptable. Signifi cant symptomatic improvement is gained at follow-up. The fi nancial implications are important