Surviving the business life cycle : a theoretical framework for independent financial advisers

Independent financial advisers play a vital role in assisting clients to meet their financial goals. However, it appears that additional guidance is needed for these advisers to survive in their complex business environment, governed by strict legislation. To date, only a small amount of research has been conducted in this area and no formal research study in South Africa has provided a course of direction for these advisers. Consequently, this study aimed to expand the body of knowledge by investigating the potential problems posing a threat to the businesses of independent financial advisers in their business life cycle, as well as possible strategies that can be implemented to counter those obstacles. Based on the findings a theoretical framework was proposed, suggesting key areas independent financial advisers would need to focus on in their business life cycle to conquer the challenges they might encounter and survive. The study concluded with a number of hypotheses to set the direction for future empirical research regarding the survival and growth of independent financial advisers in South Africa

Advantages and disadvantages of partial codification of directors’ duties in the South African Companies Act 71 of 2008

This article offers a critical examination of partial codification and its effect on the interpretation of the directors’ standard of conduct provision. Previously, the fiduciary duties and the duty of care and skill were regulated by the common law and case law. In May 2004, the Department of Trade and Industry released a policy document entitled South African company law for the 21st century: Guidelines for corporate law reform. The policy document acknowledged that South Africa had no extensive statutory dispensation that covered the duties of directors. The policy document recognised the need to bring South African company law in line with international trends and to reflect and accommodate the changing environment for businesses locally and internationally. For the first time in South Africa’s corporate law history, the Companies Act 71 of 2008 partially codifies the fiduciary duties of directors, the duty of care and skill, and introduces the business judgement rule (also referred to as the ‘safe-harbour provisions’) into South African company law. The Companies Act 71 of 2008 prescribes   certain duties and its  extent, but the content of those duties, such as bona fides, is still determined by the common law

Franchisees, change, and the life cycle

By virtue of the franchisor-franchisee relationship a franchise is neither a small business nor a large corporateand more aptly viewed as a hybrid organizational form. Despite this anomaly the franchise still has to contendwith the standard business challenges including constant change in the operating context. Mindful of the multiple sources of change that could impact on the franchise, and the paucity of research in this regard, the current study set out to explore the nature of organizational change experienced at the level of the franchise. Twenty-one (21) franchisees of a large retail institution participated in a qualitative study which utilized a semistructuredinterview schedule for data gathering. Franchisee narrative was subjected to content analysis and a multitude of change themes were extracted. The findings revealed that franchises are subjected to an extensive array of changes originating both external and internal to the franchisor. Moreover, it was observed that the salience of change phenomena life cycle stage-specific. The implications of the study are briefly indicated

Mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) as a feasible tool in detecting adult malnutrition

Objectives: This study aimed to expand on the limited South African malnutrition prevalence data and investigate the feasibility of mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) as a malnutrition screening tool. Design: A cross-sectional, multi-centre, descriptive design was adopted. Setting: The study was undertaken in three tertiary public hospitals in the same urban area within the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Subjects: Adult hospitalised patients volunteered to participate (n = 266). Methods: Data were collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires; obtaining anthropometric measurements; and consulting medical files. For maximum accuracy of various MUAC cut-off points, receiver operating characteristic curves were generated and area under the curve determined. Results: Both body mass index (BMI) and MUAC identified 21% of participants as underweight or malnourished, and 39% as overweight or obese. The Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) found 23% at increased malnutrition risk. Nurses or doctors detected and referred only 19% of underweight patients (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), to dietetics services. Direct measurements of BMI and MUST were unobtainable in 38% and 43% of patients respectively, whilst MUAC was obtainable in 100%. A statistically significant relationship (p < 0.001) exists between MUAC, BMI and MUST to detect malnutrition or malnutrition risk. MUAC cut-offs for undernutrition were determined at < 23 cm (BMI < 16 kg/m2) and < 24 cm (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), respectively, for the study’s population groups. Conclusion: Malnutrition prevalence was high in this study, but often unidentified, with only a fifth referred to dietetic services. MUAC is a feasible method to identify adult malnutrition and should be considered as a malnutrition screening tool and key nutritional status indicator in South African public hospitals

Can Adaptive Interfaces Improve the Usability of Mobile Applications?

Abstract. Mobile applications are becoming increasingly widespread and complex. Many of these applications suffer from usability issues, including information overload, screen clutter, lack of task support and limited interaction me chanisms. Adaptive user interfaces (AUIs) have been proposed to address some of these usability issues. The aim of this paper is to investigate how AUIs can improve the usability of mobile applications. This paper discusses several simple types of adaptation that have been shown to yield significant usability benefits for mobile applications. Two case studies are presented to illustrate how an AUI can be incorporated into different types of mobile applications. This paper also discusses the lessons learned from these case studies and presents some implications for designing adaptive systems in the future

Proximal tibial dimensions in a formalin-fixed neonatal cadaver sample : an intraosseous infusion approach

DATA AVAILABILITY : The quantitative and qualitative data used to support the findings of this study are included within the article, and additional data may be requested from the corresponding author.PURPOSE : Methods to administer intramedullary medication and fluid infusion in both adults and children date to the early twentieth century. Studies have shown that intraosseous access in the proximal tibia is ideal for resuscitation efforts as fewer critical structures are at risk, and neither is the blood flow to the lower limbs compromised. Insertion of a needle in children younger than 5 years does have the risk to damage to the epiphyseal growth plate. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the ideal intraosseous insertion site distal to the epiphyseal growth plate in neonates. METHODS : The samples consisted of both the left and right sides of 15 formalin-fixed neonatal cadavers. The dimensions were measured on the superior surfaces of each section, anteromedial border, cortical thickness, and medullary space. RESULTS : The most desirable location to gain vascular access is at 10 mm inferior to the tibial tuberosity. CONCLUSION : The smallest cortical thickness (1.32 mm), the largest medullary space (4.50 mm), and the largest anteromedial surface (7.72 mm) were observed at 10 mm inferior to the tibial tuberosity. It is imperative that health care professionals are familiar with the osteological sites that could be safely used for an intraosseous infusion procedure.https://link.springer.com/journal/276hj2023AnatomySurger

Measurements of q2 moments of inclusive B →xcℓ+νℓ decays with hadronic tagging

We present the measurement of the first to fourth order moments of the four-momentum transfer squared, q2, of inclusive B→Xcℓ+νℓ decays using the full Belle dataset of 711 fb-1 of integrated luminosity at the (4S) resonance where ℓ=e, μ. The determination of these moments and their systematic uncertainties open new pathways to determine the absolute value of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element Vcb using a reduced set of matrix elements of the heavy quark expansion. In order to identify and reconstruct the Xc system, we reconstruct one of the two B-mesons using machine learning techniques in fully hadronic decay modes. The moments are measured with progressively increasing threshold selections on q2 starting with a lower value of 3.0 GeV2 in steps of 0.5 GeV2 up to a value of 10.0 GeV2. The measured moments are further unfolded, correcting for reconstruction and selection effects as well as QED final state radiation. We report the moments separately for electron and muon final states and observe no lepton flavor universality violating effects. © 2021 authors. Published by the American Physical Society. Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3

Scientific collaboration with educators: practical insights from an in‐class noise‐reduction intervention

Moving the field of Mind, Brain, and Education forward requires researchers and educators to reframe the boundaries of their own discipline in order to create knowledge that is both scientifically based, and of practical relevance for education. We believe that this could be done by co‐constructing research projects from the start. We present a case study of a noise‐reduction intervention in elementary classrooms, in which teachers and researchers worked together from the onset of study design. We examine the processes behind: (1) selecting research questions and measures, (2) planning interventions, (3) receiving ethical approval and funding, (4) recruiting schools, and (5) collecting data. At each step, our study provides suggestions for future collaborative efforts, keeping in mind broader theoretical and methodological implications. We believe that our concrete examples and suggestions will be useful for beginning and confirmed researchers, as well as teachers aiming to know more about research projects

The superfield quantisation of a superparticle action with an extended line element

A massive superparticle action based on the generalised line element in N = 1 global superspace is quantised canonically. A previous method of quantising this action, based on a Fock space analysis, showed that states existed in three supersymmetric multiplets, each of a different mass. The quantisation procedure presented uses the single first class constraint as an operator condition on a general N = 1 superwavefunction. The constraint produces coupled equations of motion for the component wavefunctions. Transformations of the component wavefunctions are derived that decouple the equations of motion and partition the resulting wavefunctions into three separate supermultiplets. Unlike previous quantisations of superparticle actions in N = 1 global superspace, the spinor wavefunctions satisfy the Dirac equation and the vector wavefunctions satisfy the Proca equation. The off-shell closure of the commutators of the supersymmetry transformations, that include mass parameters, are derived by the introduction of auxiliary wavefunctions. To avoid the ghosts arising in a previous Fock space quantisation an alternative conjugation is used in the definition of the current, based on a Krein space approach