An Experiment in Ministering to Felt Needs of a Small Church Through Contemporary Sabbath Services

Problem Jesus came to give fullness of life and yet people leave the church because of unsatisfying interpersonal relationships. It was the task of this project to measure the effects of Sabbath services upon the interpersonal relationships between church members. Method Ten Sabbath services were specifically designed to improve the interpersonal behaviors of inclusion, control, and openness, and to stimulate the interpersonal feelings of significance, competence, and love. The Schutz Measures instrument was administered before and after the ten services to determine whether these behaviors and feelings had improved. Results The scores on the Schutz instrument revealed that improvements were realized for the feelings of significance, competence, and love, and the behaviors of inclusion and control. Even though the congregation\u27s score on openness moved slightly toward desiring more privacy, the intensity of the desire for openness also improved. Conclusions The average number of members and visitors attending weekly during the study was only nineteen, so conclusions can not be generalized; however, the evidence indicated that the use of ten-minute prayer-request times, life-situational sermons, post-sermon discussions, and instruction on felt needs helped the congregation to feel that interpersonal relationships had improved

TAKING STOCK AND LOOKING FORWARD: A SCIENTOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF IS/IT INTEGRATION CHALLENGES IN MERGERS

The last decade has seen a rise in research on the topic of challenges associated with information systems (IS) in corporate mergers and acquisitions (M&As). Although this proliferation of research has the potential to significantly improve our understanding of IS challenges in M&A activity, absent is the necessary step of consolidating and integrating extant knowledge. In this paper, we review the domain of IS integration in M&As with focus on the theory building in the area. We identify and analyse 48 articles, published in 13 journals and 5 conference proceedings based on their theoretical contribution. Based on the analysis we point out gaps in the literature and suggest directions for future research

Technological-Integration Challenges – The Case of Digital-Technology Companies

This research examines the technology-related integration challenges to acquisitions in digital industries and how these challenges can be managed. Historically, companies seeking to increase markets, products or customers have utilized the strategic growth process of mergers and acquisitions. Their motivation was primarily to utilize economies of scale and operational synergies to integrate acquisition targets that were similar in product, market, and customer demographics. The aim of these acquisitions was to scale the acquisition products to its own markets and customers while potentially gaining new markets and customers in the process. For companies in the digital-technology industry, the path to growth in these fast-paced markets is through the acquisition of innovation-based technologies from new and emerging companies to complement their current R&D strategies. The incumbent enterprises look for emerging technology companies as acquisition targets in order to stay ahead of the increasingly fast technology-development lifecycle. The acquisition and integration process for these types of companies present challenges to practitioners that are very different from what has been experienced in the past and will present new research opportunities for scholars researching the related domains

Accentuated challenges of IT & Operations-based value creation

Technology driven industries have seen fast moving technology changes, higher complexity and reduced product life cycles. These emerging trends present challenges for companies in industries where technology is at the forefront. The extant research deals with ‘low-tech’ industries and majority of findings are not applicable to the high-tech industry; in fact this industry has many additional challenges. In this study, we aim to explore the process of M&A in the high-tech industry by drawing on extant literature and empirical field work. The paper outlines a research project in progress which intends to provide theoretical, empirical and practical contributions in answering the research question: what role does Operations and IT play in creating value in high-tech M&As? The research adds a needed perspective on M&A literature by unveiling unique challenges and opportunities faced by the M&A teams in this sector. The phenomenon is studied from multiple perspectives: integration team, acquiring group and the company being acquired

An introspection for the field of IS integration challenges in M&A

The last decade has seen a rise in research on the topic of challenges associated with information systems (IS) in corporate mergers and acquisitions (M&As). Although this proliferation of research has the potential to significantly improve our understanding of IS challenges in M&A activity, absent is the necessary step of consolidating and integrating extant knowledge. In this paper, we review the domain of IS integration in M&As with focus on what have been studied and how it has been studied. By reviewing 37 articles, published in 13 journals, 5 conference proceedings this paper identifies patterns and gaps, and provides directions for future research

Predictors for Success and Failure in Transoral Robotic Surgery-A Retrospective Study in the North of the Netherlands

Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) is utilized for treating various malignancies, such as early-stage oropharyngeal cancer and lymph node metastasis of an unknown primary tumor (CUP), and also benign conditions, like obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic lingual tonsillitis. However, the success and failure of TORS have not been analyzed to date. In this retrospective observational multicenter cohort study, we evaluated patients treated with TORS using the da Vinci surgical system. Success criteria were defined as identification of the primary tumor for CUP, &gt;2 mm resection margin for malignant conditions, and improvement on respiratory polygraphy and tonsillitis complaints for benign conditions. A total of 220 interventions in 211 patients were included. We identified predictors of success, such as low comorbidity status ACE-27, positive P16 status, and lower age for CUP, and female gender and OSA severity for benign conditions. For other malignancies, no predictors for success were found. Predictors of failure based on postoperative complications included high comorbidity scores (ASA) and anticoagulant use, and for postoperative pain, younger age and female gender were identified. This study provides valuable insights into the outcomes and predictors of success and failure in TORS procedures across various conditions and may also help in patient selection and counseling.</p

Management approach for recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax in consecutive pregnancies based on clinical and radiographic findings

OBJECTIVE: To describe management and clinical features observed in a patient's seven spontaneous pneumothoraces that developed during two consecutive pregnancies involving both hemithoraces. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 21 year old former smoker developed three spontaneous left pneumothoraces in the index pregnancy, having already experienced four right pneumothorax events in a prior pregnancy at age 19. RESULTS: Chest tubes were required in several (but not all) hospitalizations during these two pregnancies. Following her fourth right pneumothorax, thoracoscopic excision of right apical lung blebs and mechanical pleurodesis was performed. The series of left pneumothoraces culminated in mini-thoracotomy and thoracoscopically directed mechanical pleurodesis. For both pregnancies unassisted vaginal delivery was performed with no adverse perinatal sequelae. With the exception of multiple pneumothoraces, there were no additional pregnancy complications. CONCLUSION: Spontaneous pneumothorax in pregnancy is believed to be a rare phenomenon, yet the exact incidence is unknown. Here we present the first known case of multiple spontaneous pneumothoraces in two consecutive pregnancies involving both hemithoraces. Clinical management coordinated with obstetrics and surgical teams facilitated a satisfactory outcome for both pregnancies. The diagnosis of pneumothorax should be contemplated in any pregnant patient with dyspnea and chest pain, followed by radiographic confirmation