SUCCESSION PLANNING IN THE RELIGIOUS NON-PROFIT SECTOR: UNDERSTANDING ASSOCIATE PASTORS’ EXPERIENCES OF SERVING AS INTERNAL INTERIMS

Abstract SUCCESSION PLANNING IN THE RELIGIOUS NON-PROFIT SECTOR: UNDERSTANDING ASSOCIATE PASTORS’ EXPERIENCES OF SERVING AS INTERNAL INTERIMS Darius Chapman Committee Co-Chair: Andrea D. Ellinger, Ph.D. Committee Co-Chair: Rochell McWhorter, Ph.D. The University of Texas at Tyler May 2017 The concept of succession planning is not new for organizations, as most will experience the loss of key personnel for a variety of reasons including retirement, termination, death, and unforeseen circumstances. Therefore, having a deliberate and systematic process for identifying, developing, and retaining key personnel makes succession planning critical to the long term viability of organizations. However, challenges in the global marketplace, such as talent shortages, and the impending mass exodus of Baby-Boomers are making it more difficult to fill such vacancies. These challenges are even more pronounced in the non-profit sector which tends to have fewer resources to institute effective succession plans. An important aspect of the succession planning process is identifying temporary replacements who can serve in the vacant positions until they are filled. These individuals are referred to as interims, but they have been largely neglected in the succession planning and non-profit literatures. Therefore, this research examined how associate pastors within a non-profit protestant religious denomination, who served as internal interims, perceived and processed their experiences during and after serving in these capacities when they were not selected to fill the senior pastor positions permanently. Accordingly, a qualitative phenomenological multiple-case embedded case study design was employed to explore the interim experiences of 15 associate pastors. Data was collected through semi-structured Skype interviews, observations and field notes. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyze the data. The findings from this study contribute to the limited existing literature on internal interims and offer several practical implications and pathways for future research

The new onset of dysphagia four years after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: Case report and literature review.

Background: Dysphagia is a common complication immediately following anterior cervical spine surgery. However, its onset more than 1-year postoperatively is rare. Case Description: A 45-year-old male initially underwent a C3-4 and C5-6 anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). At age 49, 4 years later, he presented with worsening dysphagia accompanied by neck and right upper extremity pain. Radiographs demonstrated an extruded left C3 screw, which had migrated into the prevertebral soft tissues at the C4-C5 level; there was also loosening of the right C3 screw. The subsequent barium swallow study revealed that the screw was embedded in the pharyngeal wall. The patient required a two-stage operation; first, to remove the anterior instrumentation, and second, to perform a posterior instrumented C2-T2 fusion. Conclusion: A barium swallow study and other dynamic imaging are a valuable component of the diagnostic workup and therapeutic intervention to evaluate the delayed onset dysphagia following an ACDF

Spatiotemporal characteristics of atrial fibrillation electrograms: a novel marker for arrhythmia stability and termination

Background: Sequentially mapped complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAE) and dominant frequency (DF) sites have been targeted during catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). However, these strategies have yielded variable success and have not been shown to correlate consistently with AF dynamics. Here, we evaluated whether the spatiotemporal stability of CFAE and DF may be a better marker of AF sustenance and termination. Methods: Eighteen sheep with 12 weeks of "one-kidney, one-clip" hypertension underwent open-chest studies. A total of 42 self-terminating (28–100 s) and 6 sustained (>15 min) AF episodes were mapped using a custom epicardial plaque and analyzed in 4-s epochs for CFAE, using the NavX CFE-m algorithm, and DF, using a Fast Fourier Transform. The spatiotemporal stability index (STSI) was calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient of consecutive AF epochs. Results: A total of 67,733 AF epochs were analyzed. During AF initiation, mean CFE-m and the STSI of CFE-m/DF were similar between sustained and self-terminating episodes, although median DF was higher in sustained AF (p=0.001). During sustained AF, the STSI of CFE-m increased significantly (p=0.02), whereas mean CFE-m (p=0.5), median DF (p=0.07), and the STSI of DF remained unchanged (p=0.5). Prior to AF termination, the STSI of CFE-m was significantly lower (p<0.001), with a physiologically non-significant decrease in median DF (−0.3 Hz, p=0.006) and no significant changes in mean CFE-m (p=0.14) or the STSI of DF (p=0.06). Conclusions: Spatiotemporal stabilization of CFAE favors AF sustenance and its destabilization heralds AF termination. The STSI of CFE-m is more representative of AF dynamics than are the STSI of DF, sequential mean CFE-m, or median DF

Future trade-offs to 2050: land cover change, biodiversity and agriculture in Zambia

In Zambia, demand for cereal to feed a growing population is predicted to double by 2050. As pressure on agricultural land increases, there is an urgent need to develop tools to minimise conflicts between competing land uses

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in a UK university identifies dynamics of transmission

AbstractUnderstanding SARS-CoV-2 transmission in higher education settings is important to limit spread between students, and into at-risk populations. In this study, we sequenced 482 SARS-CoV-2 isolates from the University of Cambridge from 5 October to 6 December 2020. We perform a detailed phylogenetic comparison with 972 isolates from the surrounding community, complemented with epidemiological and contact tracing data, to determine transmission dynamics. We observe limited viral introductions into the university; the majority of student cases were linked to a single genetic cluster, likely following social gatherings at a venue outside the university. We identify considerable onward transmission associated with student accommodation and courses; this was effectively contained using local infection control measures and following a national lockdown. Transmission clusters were largely segregated within the university or the community. Our study highlights key determinants of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and effective interventions in a higher education setting that will inform public health policy during pandemics.</jats:p

A new versatile hand dynamometer

Adelaide, South Australi

Predictors of Extended Hospitalization and Early Reoperation After Elective Lumbar Disc Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Lumbar disc arthroplasty (LDA) has emerged as a motion-sparing alternative to lumbar fusion. Although LDA may be amenable to the ambulatory surgical setting, to date no study has identified the factors predisposing patients to extended hospital stay. METHODS: A national surgical quality improvement database was queried from 2011 to 2019 for patients undergoing elective, single-level, primary LDA. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to elucidate predictors of length of stay (LOS) at or above the 90th percentile of the study population (3 days). Secondary study endpoints included rates of complications, as well as predictors and reasons for unplanned reoperation within 30 days. RESULTS: A total of 630 patients met eligibility criteria for the study, of whom 517 (82.1%) had LOS(17.9%) had LOS ≥3 days. Multivariate logistic regression revealed associations between prolonged hospitalization and postoperative diagnosis of degenerative disk disease, obesity, Hispanic identity, and operation length \u3e120 minutes. Before discharge, patients with LOS ≥3 days were more likely to have venous thromboembolisms, pneumonia, surgical site infections, and reoperations. Independent predictors of reoperation were wound infections, diabetes, and smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Complications following elective single-level LDA are relatively rare, with few extended hospitalizations being attributable to any specific complication. Risk factors for prolonged LOS appear to be related to diagnosis and surgical time rather than to modifiable preoperative comorbidities. Conversely, unplanned reoperations within 30 days are associated with optimizable perioperative factors such as smoking, diabetes, and surgical site infection