Learning during the Transition Period: How Identifying Executives as Designate CEOs Affects their Learning

CEO succession is an important event in organizations. Around 80% of succession events are relay successions, where a CEO successor is identified a few years before the actual succession event takes place. The success of relay succession compared to horse race and outside successions has been credited to the learning that an heir apparent acquires during the transition period. However, to my knowledge, none of the CEO succession research examines the learning process of heirs apparent. This study attempts to fill this gap through empirical qualitative research. Using a combination of learning and sensemaking perspectives, this study builds premises proposing that the designation of executives as heirs apparent affects their learning processes by (1) eliciting a new identity for them, (2) triggering a potential for a future identity, (3) changing their social context, and (4) influencing their enacted environment. The research question guiding this study is: “how the designation of executives as heirs apparent affects their learning and prepares them to become CEOs”. To empirically answer this thesis research question, I use a phenomenological approach. My findings provide a rich basis for analysis and evidence to support the proposed model regarding the impact of designation on executives’ learning during transition period. This study suggests designation elicits a new identity for executives and induces changes in their environment affecting how they interpret cues and adjust their behaviours and cognition accordingly. It also suggests executives, after designation, undergo a deep thinking process to establish the standards for their future identity as CEOs

From Consulting to Publication

International audienc

The apoptotic and anti-proliferative activity of 'Origanum majorana' extracts on human leukemic cell line

Scientists are constantly searching for phytochemicals and compounds with anti-cancer and antioxidant activity. In this study, the anti-proliferative activity of plant extracts from 'Origanum majorana' (marjoram) was tested on human lymphoblastic leukemia cell line Jurkat. Cytotoxicity was examined using non-radioactive cytotoxicity assay and the IC(50) was calculated. At non-cytotoxic concentrations, the viability of cells decreased with increase of concentration of plant extract. The anti-proliferative effect was also found to be dose-dependent. Analysis via flow cytometry shows that marjoram extracts stimulated apoptosis. Induction of apoptosis was caused by an up-regulation of p53 protein levels and down-regulation of Bcl-2alpha. Marjoram exhibited a strong scavenging activity (SC(50)=0.03mg dry weight). The conclusions from this study suggest that marjoram extracts exhibit anti-proliferative effect and high antioxidant activity. For that it merits further investigation as a potential therapeutic agent

Texas Triple Helix, 2022

Table of Contents: Play Outside the Shadow / by Craig Hurwitz (p. 6) -- Nutritional Psychiatry: How the Globalization of the Western Diet is Wreaking Havoc on our Mental Health / by Cara Fonken (p. 8) -- Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Investigating Society Post-Nuclear Disaster / by Monique Tran (p. 10) -- New Alzheimer's Drug: Providing Hope and Sparking Controversy / by Tanisha Jasani (p. 12) -- Coffee Break / by Elias Nasser (p. 14) -- Spanning Decades and Disciplines: The Loneliness Epidemic / by Daniel Xiong (p. 16) -- Alleviating Speech Disorders / by Vamshi Pothireddy (p. 18) -- Donor: A Dive into the Limitations of Organ Donation / by Aditi Kalia (p. 20) -- A 5 Year Age Gap: What Gender Reveals About Lifespan / by Audrey Dejong (p. 22) -- Children, Parental Autonomy, and the Integrity of Public Health: A Moral Compulsion for Vaccine Mandates / by Teo Jakobsen (p. 24) -- Classical Music and Clinical Medicine: Never the Twain Shall Meet? / by Aditya Prasad (p. 26) -- Censoring Music: Yay or Nay? / by Rida Shehzad (p. 28) -- Mother Nature's Design / by Haya Prasla (p. 30) -- Cancer Alley: Southern Louisiana's Petrochemical Nightmare / by Yash Desai (p. 32)College of Natural SciencesLiberal ArtsUT Librarie

Quantifying Microvascular Changes Using OCT Angiography in Diabetic Eyes without Clinical Evidence of Retinopathy

Objective: To compare quantitative OCT angiography (OCTA) parameters of macular ischemia in diabetic eyes without retinopathy with those in healthy nondiabetic controls. Design: Cross-sectional study from August 2014 through June 2017. Subjects: Thirty-nine eyes of 39 diabetic patients without clinical evidence of diabetic retinopathy and 40 eyes of 40 healthy nondiabetic subjects. Methods: Subjects underwent OCTA imaging using prototype AngioVue software (RTVue XR Avanti). Analyses of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) and vasculature surrounding the FAZ were performed on the automatically generated en face OCTA images of the superficial and deep retinal vasculatures using vessel-based and FAZ-based metrics. Main Outcome Measures: Comparison of measurements made in the superficial and deep retinal capillary plexuses of diabetic eyes and normal eyes. Results: FAZ-based analysis revealed statistically significant differences between diabetic and normal eyes in FAZ area (superficial and deep layers), perimeter (superficial layer), major axis length (superficial layer), and minor axis layer (superficial and deep layers). Vessel-based analysis revealed statistically significant differences in the binarized flow index (superficial and deep layers), both including and excluding the FAZ area. Conclusions: Quantitative OCTA parameters reveal subclinical macular ischemia at both the superficial and deep retinal capillary plexuses in diabetic eyes that do not manifest clinical retinopathy. Vessel-based and FAZ-based metrics applied to OCTA images may serve as effective tools for screening and disease monitoring in patients with diabetes without clinical evidence of retinopathy

Assessment, endoscopy, and treatment in patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis during the COVID-19 pandemic (PROTECT-ASUC): a multicentre, observational, case-control study

BackgroundThere is a paucity of evidence to support safe and effective management of patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis during the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to identify alterations to established conventional evidence-based management of acute severe ulcerative colitis during the early COVID-19 pandemic, the effect on outcomes, and any associations with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and severe COVID-19 outcomes. MethodsThe PROTECT-ASUC study was a multicentre, observational, case-control study in 60 acute secondary care hospitals throughout the UK. We included adults (≥18 years) with either ulcerative colitis or inflammatory bowel disease unclassified, who presented with acute severe ulcerative colitis and fulfilled the Truelove and Witts criteria. Cases and controls were identified as either admitted or managed in emergency ambulatory care settings between March 1, 2020, and June 30, 2020 (COVID-19 pandemic period cohort), or between Jan 1, 2019, and June 30, 2019 (historical control cohort), respectively. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with acute severe ulcerative colitis receiving rescue therapy (including primary induction) or colectomy. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04411784. FindingsWe included 782 patients (398 in the pandemic period cohort and 384 in the historical control cohort) who met the Truelove and Witts criteria for acute severe ulcerative colitis. The proportion of patients receiving rescue therapy (including primary induction) or surgery was higher during the pandemic period than in the historical period (217 [55%] of 393 patients vs 159 [42%] of 380 patients; p=0·00024) and the time to rescue therapy was shorter in the pandemic cohort than in the historical cohort (p=0·0026). This difference was driven by a greater use of rescue and primary induction therapies with biologicals, ciclosporin, or tofacitinib in the COVID-19 pandemic period cohort than in the historical control period cohort (177 [46%] of 387 patients in the COVID-19 cohort vs 134 [36%] of 373 patients in the historical cohort; p=0·0064). During the pandemic, more patients received ambulatory (outpatient) intravenous steroids (51 [13%] of 385 patients vs 19 [5%] of 360 patients; p=0·00023). Fewer patients received thiopurines (29 [7%] of 398 patients vs 46 [12%] of 384; p=0·029) and 5-aminosalicylic acids (67 [17%] of 398 patients vs 98 [26%] of 384; p=0·0037) during the pandemic than in the historical control period. Colectomy rates were similar between the pandemic and historical control groups (64 [16%] of 389 vs 50 [13%] of 375; p=0·26); however, laparoscopic surgery was less frequently performed during the pandemic period (34 [53%] of 64] vs 38 [76%] of 50; p=0·018). Five (2%) of 253 patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during hospital treatment. Two (2%) of 103 patients re-tested for SARS-CoV-2 during the 3-month follow-up were positive 5 days and 12 days, respectively, after discharge from index admission. Both recovered without serious outcomes. InterpretationThe COVID-19 pandemic altered practice patterns of gastroenterologists and colorectal surgeons in the management of acute severe ulcerative colitis but was associated with similar outcomes to a historical cohort. Despite continued use of high-dose corticosteroids and biologicals, the incidence of COVID-19 within 3 months was low and not associated with adverse COVID-19 outcomes