COMPARISON OF HIRING STRATEGIES OF ORTHODONTIC PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS By Steven C. Petritz, D.D.S. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2018 Thesis Director: Bhavna Shroff, D.D.S., M.Dent.Sc., M.P.A. Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Orthodontics Program Director Purpose: Evaluate factors that influence hiring outcomes of clinical and non-clinical staff in orthodontic private practices. Methods: Orthodontists (n=1968) were surveyed regarding their hiring methods and outcomes. Responses were summarized using descriptive statistics. Chi-square tests were used to compare between hiring strategies and outcomes. Results: Survey response rate was 23% (n = 452 responses). 65% received 1-10 applicants and 54% utilized online job sites. Online job sites was associated with increased number of applicants (p<0.0001) and number of days to fill the position (p<0.0001). Forty-seven percent of respondents used the internet to screen candidates. Sixty-two percent of respondents hired based on personality. Fifty-seven percent of respondents plan to use employee referrals for future hiring needs. Conclusion: Online job sites accounted for the majority of the most recent hires. Orthodontists indicated that their future preference to be employee referrals. Social and professional relationships may lead to a more efficient hiring process.

The inability of business owners to hire skilled employees affects the profitability of a small business. Small business owners may attain profitability by understanding the value of military veterans and cultivating strategies for the hiring and recruitment process. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies that business owners in Fayetteville, North Carolina used to recruit military veterans as a means to acquire skilled employees to maximize productivity, profitability, and sustainability. The conceptual framework of this study included human capital theory and recruitment theory. The purposive sample consisted of 6 participants who were small business owners. Data from interviews and supporting documents were processed and analyzed using data source triangulation to identify 3 emergent themes. Findings indicated that, for these 6 Fayetteville small business owners, job description and transition workshops, resume review and communication, and accommodations and benefits were key attributes related to the successful recruitment of military veterans as skilled employees. Specifically, streamlined hiring processes, relationship building, and access to resources were predictive of a successful hire. Knowledge barriers regarding hiring processes prevented efficient communication between small business owners and military veterans, but business owners cultivated strategies to help with hiring military veterans. The implications for positive social change include the potential for business owners to capitalize on the skills that military veterans bring to the civilian workforce, which in turn may improve the economy.

Nurses comprise the largest segment of the healthcare workforce. Adequate numbers of nurses help to ensure sufficient and safe nursing care in all settings. The current nursing shortage poses a barrier to optimum nursing care, and the nature of recruitment and retention of nurses has generated research interest because of its association with the labor shortage. The purpose of the project was to develop a nurse mentorship program for possible adoption by a northern state correctional facility. Goals are to aid recruitment and improve retention of nurses in the facility. This quality improvement project was informed by Jean Watson's theory of transpersonal caring. Program development was guided by a team of interdisciplinary stakeholders in the institution, including a nurse educator, institutional directors of both education and nursing departments, and senior staff nurses who agreed agreeing to function as project coordinators. The peer-reviewed literature and institutional contexts informed program conceptualization and planning for implementation and planning. A series of meetings were held in which the project team explored and discussed available evidence relative to institutional context and needs. The primary product of the project was a mentoring program, and secondary products include plans for implementation and evaluation of that program by the institution in the future as part of a broader institutional initiative. The developed program was shared with 5 nurse scholars with relevant expertise as a content validation process, with revisions made in accordance with feedback. The implementation and evaluation plans include all details necessary for operationalizing as well as evaluating merit and worth of the program over time.

Government leaders have not been successful in their strategies for developing a pipeline of African American college students to address the absence of African American representation in civil service management positions. Increasing African American representation among civil service personnel may produce a government workforce that reflects American society, which may promote equitable and responsive solutions in serving public interests. The purpose of this qualitative modified Delphi study was to build consensus among a nationwide expert panel of government-affiliated talent managers as to strategies for creating a sustainable civil service pipeline of annual graduating classes of African American collegians. The research questions, grounded by Chamberlain's theory of strategy, focused on determining the desirability and feasibility of strategic tactics for recruitment. From 4 rounds of questionnaires, with Likert-type scales, median scores were calculated for each strategic tactic to reveal the level of consensus for each tactic. Consensus-based findings included 6 different types of tactics: (a) competitive and transparent compensation packages; (b) recruiting at African American workshops and conferences; (c) quality and affordable insurance; (d) career training and development opportunities; (e) internships to African American college students; and (f) recruiting from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics program organizations. This study contributes to positive social change by providing practitioners with consensus-based tactics to enable more African Americans to have the opportunity to have a career in the civil service, which may yield a more proportionate, socially responsible citizenry and a healthier, more economically competitive economy.

Thesis (MPA)--University of Limpopo, 2011 / The paper examines the causes of the high turn-over rate and the non-retention of the academic staff at the University, and come up with possible solutions to curb the problem. The study addresses the factors that affect the academic staff recruitment and retention strategies. The paper further address identification of factors contributing to the high turnover rate of the academic staff at the University of Limpopo, analyze causes of the problems, work on the feedback obtained from interviewees, and make recommendations that will enable the University to come up with possible and implementable strategies for the recruitment and retention of the academic staff. This was evident by the results of the study through the literature review and the interviews held that academic staff recruitment and retention is a problem. It is therefore advisable for the University to take note of the results of this study, and that there should be a turn-around strategy that could be implemented and monitored. The Human Resource department should have a database that tracks the career path of all academic staff, and notify all appointees who are coming up for tenure. This notice could go out at the start of the last but one year before the appointees become eligible for appointment with tenure. The university must develop a culture of reasonable, clearly articulated, and enforced deadlines for processing applications for promotion. Human Resources department have a role to play in the promotion process as well. Access to information about the promotion process can be enhanced by revamping the websites for some of the institutions which are not really helpful in this respect. Relevant documents (e.g., conditions of service, appointment and promotion guidelines, benefits) can then be made accessible via institutional websites in a very organized manner than is currently the case in many universities

Thesis (MPA) --University of Limpopo, 2011

The resilience of coral reefs depends, among others, upon local physical and biological characteristics. This dissertation focused on how herbivory, structural complexity, and sedimentation can impact the structure, function, and, ultimately, resilience of Caribbean coral reefs. We filled an important knowledge gap related to trophic niche and ecological roles of surgeonfishes (A. coeruleus and A. tractus), two of the most important herbivorous fishes in the Caribbean. We showed that both species feed primarily on turf algae preventing further progression of algal succession while A. tractus may also help reduce macroalgal abundance by targeting common macroalgal species such as Dictyota spp. We used a factorial experiment to analyze the interactive effects of herbivory (exclosure vs. open plots) and reef structural complexity (vertical vs. horizontal substrate orientation), on the development of benthic communities. We found that vertical substrates were quickly dominated by crustose algae regardless of herbivory treatment while succession of horizontal substrates was determined by herbivory. Our results suggest that at small scale, reef complexity is a major factor determining algal community structure. We investigated why, despite high levels of herbivory, coral cover in South Florida has failed to recover. We surveyed benthic composition, grazing and abiotic characteristics along six spur and groove reefs in the Florida Keys. Using boosted regression tree analyses, we found that sediment abundance was the best predictor of both juvenile and adult corals, which could explain the failure of coral recovery. We studied spatial and temporal changes of reef communities of reefs in Havana, Cuba where global and local stressors have affected coral communities while overfishing and nutrient enrichment has led to low herbivory levels. Our surveys revealed a region-wide high abundance of algae (~60%) as a consequence of heavy overfishing with likely negative consequences on coral recovery. In summary, my dissertation showed context-depend effects of herbivory, structural complexity, and sediment on Caribbean coral reefs. While reduction of herbivory can often suppress coral recovery, on coral reefs with robust herbivore populations, physical factors such as structural complexity and sediment may still limit coral recovery and fundamentally impact reef resilience.

Lake Tahoe kokanee salmon have experienced decreasing mean adult size and fluctuating populations since 1970. We proposed to determine whether fish production was limited by spawning and incubation processes in Taylor Creek , or by growth constraints , or by mortality in the lake by studying egg-to-fry survival rates and early life history . Estimated egg-to-fry survival was 15. 9% for the 1994 brood year and 1.5% for the 1995 brood year. Egg-to-adult survival was 3.5% for the 1991 brood year and 5.9% for the 1992 brood year. Of the 35 possible survival scenarios, egg-to-fry survival was 7.5-20% and fry-to-adult survival (inlake phase) was 20-60%. The differing egg-to-fry survival rates corresponded to different stream temperature regimes during critical incubation periods. During and after the outmigration, fry inhabited the littoral zone, pelagic zone, and an estuarine environment created by a flooded meadow. Chironomids were the dominant prey in both 1995 and 1996 for fry in the littoral regions. Fry declined in the littoral zone approximately 30 days after peak outmigration during both 1995 and 1996. Juveniles and adults in the lake inhabited the upper 10 m of the water column and consumed primarily copepods for most of their limnetic life. Otolith analysis revealed that five year classes were present with the fifth year class representing 15.0% (1995) to 7.6% (1996) of the spawning population. Despite Lake Tahoe's low productivity, kokanee achieved greater size at age-4 than many other populations. Low densities (14.5 fish/hectare) and warmer winter temperatures may enable kokanee to reach greater size. Kokanee production may be limited by warm stream temperatures during spawning and early incubation in some years. Egg-to-fry survival is the most limiting factor. Enhancement of the kokanee population should focus on this phase of life history. Kokanee are not native to the Lake Tahoe Basin, which is considerably south of their historic range. Kokanee may be limited by inadequate adaptation to California's mild climate.

Survival and establishment of mangrove propagules at higher tidal elevations beyond the landward margin of their distribution is a requirement for the continued existence of mangrove populations in response to rising sea-level. Despite the growing body of literature that discusses mangrove recruitment patterns, few studies have empirically examined establishment and post-establishment growth success of propagules at the higher intertidal positions into witch mangrove populations are migrating. Using an experimental field approach, this study compares establishment and post-establishment growth success of propagules at three positions across a tidal elevation gradient within a landward-transgressing mangrove population of SW Florida (USA). I observed black mangrove, Avicennia germinans, recruitment as adults of this taxon may occupy low to high tidal elevations of the intertidal zone in SW Florida, indicating that propagules are capable of successfully establishing and reaching reproductive age in novel environments. However, establishment and post-establishment growth of A. germinans in encroachment areas landward to that of lower intertidal positions has not been examined. To accomplish this, I began by monitoring movement patterns of marked A. germinans propagules released at three intertidal positions during a high spring tide to confirm that propagule dispersal to encroachment areas located at higher tidal elevations occurred at the selected field site. Propagule survival, establishment success, and post-establishment growth rate of seedlings was monitored during a reciprocal transplant study utilizing two of the three intertidal positions, one representing a lower intertidal area within the mangrove population’s niche and one representing a higher intertidal area beyond the population’s landward margin. Regardless of parental tree origin, A. germinans propagules had greater establishment success in the lower intertidal position. Likewise mean seedling height was consistently greater among established seedlings in the lower intertidal although the difference in mean seedling height between tidal locations decreased linearly over the monitoring period. Propagule mortality was greatest at the higher intertidal position (27.5% of tethered propagules died) when compared to that in the lower intertidal (0.07%). Interestingly, the tidal position of propagule origin significantly influenced survival only during the first 33 days of the reciprocal transplant experiment. After this time interval and establishment as a seedling, no mortality was observed in either treatment position for 125 days. Together, results show that intraspecific variation in A. germinans propagule establishment and post-establishment seedling growth exists in landward transgressing populations across intertidal positions. My findings indicate that abiotic conditions of the higher intertidal environments into which mangroves are migrating may be detrimental for early life stages of A. germinans but not seedlings. Combined, my results suggest that investigations into mangrove success at novel intertidal positions should focus on limitations at the propagule life stage as there was no indication that survivorship varied among tidal elevation once mangrove seedlings were established. Finally, assessing maternal reserves of dispersing propagules may provide additional insight into the importance of mangrove propagule origin on initial survival.

Hipercapnia, hipóxia e atelectasia pulmonar são eventos comuns em pacientes anestesiados. A ventilação mecânica pode ser usada nesses casos para garantir adequada troca de gases dos pacientes e melhora da oxigenação, porém seu uso implica em efeitos hemodinâmicos e pulmonares indesejáveis. Para minimizar estes, baixos valores volumes correntes são recomendados, além do uso de pressão positiva ao final da expiração (PEEP) e manobras de recrutamento alveolar (MRA). Este estudo intencionou avaliar o uso de volume corrente de 8mL/kg, além do uso de PEEP associada, ou não, a MRA quanto a oxigenação e troca gasosa de cães jovens, ASA I e II, submetidos a anestesia geral inalatória, para cirurgias ortopédicas e odontológicas, durante 1 hora e que permaneceram em decúbito dorsal. Para tanto, foram utilizados 27 cães, divididos em 2 grupos (14 no grupo PEEP e 13 no grupo MRA) de acordo com o uso isolado de PEEP ou associado a MRA. Todos os pacientes receberam acepromazina 0,03 mg/kg associada a meperidina 3 mg/kg (IM) como MPA, indução realizada com propofol em dose suficiente para intubação orotraqueal e manutenção realizada com isoflurano 1,0 a 1,6% em FiO2 de 50%. Todos os cães foram mantidos em decúbito dorsal logo após intubação, instituição do protocolo de ventilação determinado de acordo com o grupo em que foi alocado e uso de bloqueador neuromuscular rocurônio na dose de 0,6 mg/kg (IV). Após 15 minutos de instrumentação e estabilização do plano anestésico os dados de mecânica ventilatória, gasometria arterial, oxigenação e hemodinâmica foram coletados (M0). No grupo em que se realizou MRA, a PEEP saiu de 0, sofrendo acréscimos de 5 cmH2O a cada 3 minutos, chegando a 15 e retornando gradativamente a 5 cmH2O, pressão na qual foi mantido durante o resto do tempo anestésico. No grupo PEEP foi instituída a pressão de 5 cmH2O, sendo mantida até a extubação. Ao final da MRA (M15 15 minutos após M0) todos foram novamente coletados, assim como em M30 e M60 (respectivamente, 30 e 60 minutos após M15). Através dos parâmetros de capnometria, observou-se que o volume corrente utilizado foi eficiente para garantir troca gasosa em todos os pacientes incluídos no estudo. O uso da MRA foi suficiente para reabrir as áreas colapsadas do pulmão em M0, porém, quando comparado seus índices de oxigenação e complacência com aqueles encontrados no grupo PEEP, não houve superioridade de um dos grupos. O uso de PEEP 5 cmH2O foi capaz de manter os alvéolos sem sofrer re- colapso ao longo do período do estudo. O uso de MRA ou PEEP não interferiu nos parâmetros de hemodinâmica dos cães inseridos no estudo. / Hypercapnia, hypoxia and pulmonary atelectasis are common events in anesthetized patients. Mechanical ventilation can be used in these cases to ensure adequate gas exchange of patients and improvement of oxygenation, but its use implies undesirable hemodynamic and pulmonary effects. To minimize these, low tidal volumes are recommended, in addition to the use of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and alveolar recruitment maneuvers (ARMs). The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of current volume of 8mL / kg, in addition to the use of PEEP, associated to oxygenation and gas exchange of young dogs, ASA I and II, submitted to general inhalation anesthesia for orthopedic surgeries and dental implants for 1 hour and remained in the supine position. For this, 27 dogs were used, divided into 2 groups (14 in the PEEP group and 13 in the ARM group) according to the use of PEEP alone or associated with ARM. All patients received acepromazine 0.03 mg / kg associated with meperidine 3 mg / kg (IM) as MPA, induction with propofol in sufficient doses for orotracheal intubation and maintenance with isoflurane 1.0 to 1.6% in FiO2 of 50%. All dogs were kept in dorsal decubitus position immediately after intubation, ventilation protocol established according to the group in which they were allocated and use of neuromuscular blocker rocuronium at the dose of 0.6 mg / kg (IV). After 15 minutes of instrumentation and stabilization of the anesthetic plane the data of ventilatory mechanics, arterial blood gases, oxygenation and hemodynamics were collected (M0). In the group which was held MRA left PEEP 0, 5 cmH2O suffering increases every 3 minutes, reaching 15 and returning gradually to 5 cmH 2 O, in which pressure was maintained for the rest of the duration of anesthesia. In the PEEP group, a pressure of 5 cmH2O was instituted and maintained until extubation. At the end of the ARM (M15 - 15 minutes after M0) all were collected again, as well as in M30 and M60 (respectively, 30 and 60 minutes after M15). Through the parameters of capnometry, it was observed that the tidal volume used was efficient to guarantee gas exchange in all patients included in the study. The use of MRA was enough to reopen the collapsed lung areas M0, but compared their levels of oxygenation and compliance with those found in the PEEP group, there was no superiority of one group. The use of PEEP 5 cmH2O was able to maintain the alveoli without undergoing re-collapse over the study period. The use of MRA or PEEP did not interfere in the hemodynamic parameters of the dogs inserted in the study.