Split-sample Technique Research Articles

Comparison of Conventional Pap Smear With Liquid-based Cytology for Screening of Cancer Cervix

Abstract Objective: The objective of the study was to compare conventional Pap smear (CPS) and liquid-based cytology (LBC) by the split technique method in terms of satisfactory/unsatisfactory smear, the prevalence of inflammatory smear, and cellular atypia. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out between 2017 and 2019 after obtaining ethics committee approval. A total of 200 women were recruited for the study attending the gynecology outpatient clinic with various symptoms, such as discharge per vaginum, dysmenorrhea, infertility, and pain abdomen, and after obtaining written informed consent. Pregnant women, women with pelvic inflammatory disease, and cases with obvious cervical lesions or growth were excluded. Pap smear was taken with a Rovers Cervex-Brush. The split sample technique was followed wherein using one side of the brush conventional slide was prepared and fixed with cytospray. The brush head was detached and suspended in the preservative fluid for LBC. Both CPS and LBC were sent for examination. The same experienced pathologist examined the samples. The qualitative variables were compared using the Mcnamer test to compare the prevalence of unsatisfactory smear, inflammatory smear, and cellular abnormalities between CP and LBC. The categorical variables were presented in number and percentage (%) and continuous variables were presented as mean ± standard deviation and median. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The maximum number of patients (62.5%) belonged to the fourth decade of life. The mean age was 39 years. A total of 93% of women were from the urban areas while 7% belonged to the rural areas. The majority of the women (78.5%) were multiparous and around 43% were second para. Pap smear reports were satisfactory in 93.5% of women in CPS, while 99% of reports were satisfactory in LBC. The difference between CPS and LBC in terms of the prevalence of satisfactory/unsatisfactory smear was statistically significant with a P = 0.0064. Dense inflammation reported by all LBC smears was reported as the same in CPS. The strength of agreement between CPS and LBC was not strong in terms of different grades of inflammation with a kappa value of 0.24. There was no difference in the reporting of cellular atypia between both methods. Conclusions: CPS and LBC are equal in terms of detection of inflammation and epithelial cell abnormality. Infections were also detected by both the screening methods CPS and LBC. The only thing which makes LBC better is the rate of satisfactory smears and the benefit of adding human papillomavirus DNA testing possible only in LBC.

Adaptation of Mindfulness in Parenting Questionnaire (MIPQ) for parents of children aged 2-12 years

Mindful parenting intervention programs and trait can support positive parenting conditions and affect children's psychosocial development. However, the measurement of mindful parenting has not been widely developed. The Mindfulness in Parenting Questionnaire (MIPQ) scale is one approach that has been developed; it is considered to have good psychological properties and has been validated in several countries. This study aims to find evidence for the validity of the Indonesian version of the MIPQ score interpretation (MIPQ-Ind) in a population of parents of children aged 2-12 years. The total participants are 822 parents (268 fathers and 554 mothers) who live in Jakarta. Using the split sample technique and employing EFA and CFA tests, the research results show that the MIPQ-Ind has two valid factors, as indicated by the index χ2/df= 2.8, CFI= 0.9, GFI= 0.96 RMSEA= 0.06, and RMSR = 0.04. The internal structure validity is 0.913 for being in the moment with child (BMC) factor and 0.906 for the mindful discipline (MD) factor. The study shows that MIPQ-Ind can measure mindful parenting in the population of parents of children aged 2-12 years in Indonesia.

Does Liquid-Based Technology Improve Detection of Cervical Epithelial Abnormalities and Worth in Low Resource Setting?

Introduction: Cervical cancer is the most frequent cancer among Nepalese women. Aims: This study was undertaken to assess the strength of liquid-based cytology (LBC) and conventional Pap smear (CPS) in detecting cervical dysplasia/cancer, and assess feasibility of LBC in our setting. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study. Samples were collected from 312 patients for CPS and LBC by split sampling technique. Smears were interpreted according to the Bethesda System. The results between two methods were compared and analyzed statistically by applying Chi-square and t-tests. Results: There was no significant difference in adequacy rates, representativeness, detection of organisms and epithelial abnormalities between two methods. Neutrophils, haemorrhage, mucus and debris were more in CPS than LBC (P value <0.05). Conclusion: We didn’t find significant difference between two methods in detecting cervical epithelial abnormalities. The high cost of LBC makes CPS still a better option in the countries with low resource setting.

Antioxidants improve the semen quality following cryopreservation in Indian yak bulls

The present study was conducted to elucidate the effect of different antioxidants on the semen quality of cryopreserved yak semen. The ejaculates found suitable were extended (1:10) with 4 different Tris extenders by split sample technique containing different antioxidants in each of 3 extenders, viz. Taurine @ 50 mM, Trehalose @ 100 mM or vitamin E @ 2 mM and one control (without additive). The sperm motility, live sperm, HOSTreacted sperm, total incidence of acrosomal changes and extracellular release of ALT and AST differed significantly between antioxidants. Total sperm motility, live sperm and HOST-reacted sperm were significantly higher and total incidence of acrosomal changes and extracellular release of AST were significantly lower in extender containing antioxidants than that in control. The difference between taurine, trehalose and vitamin E was not significant for parameters like sperm motility, HOST-reacted sperm and extracellular release of ALT. The per cent live sperm was significantly higher and total incidence of acrosomal changes was significantly lower for taurine than for trehalose and vitamin E. The extracellular release of ALT was significantly lower in extender containing taurine or trehalose than in control while the extracellular release of AST was significantly lower in the extender containing taurine than that in containing trehalose, vitamin E and control. The findings of the present study revealed that addition of taurine, trehalose and vitamin E in Tris extender significantly improved the post thaw quality of yak semen. Among the antioxidants evaluated, 50 mM of taurine in Tris extender could be effectively used to obtain better quality of frozen thawed yak semen.

Predictive lithological mapping based on geostatistical joint modeling of lithology and geochemical element concentrations

The spatial analysis and interpretation of lithological and geochemical sampling information are central in mineral prospecting and initial geological-mining exploration to delineate exploration targets and locate economic mineralization. This work compares two geostatistical approaches for the spatial prediction of lithological classes through a case study in mineral prospection, considering lithological and geochemical information at a set of surface samples. Both approaches calculate the probabilities of occurrence of the lithological classes at unsampled locations and select the most probable class as the predicted lithology. A split-sample technique is used to assess their performance, with the predictions being made at a testing data subset on the basis of the information of a training subset. The first approach relies on a cokriging of the lithological class indicators and yields an accuracy score (percentage of matches between true and predicted lithological classes) of 90.5%, while the second approach, consisting of a plurigaussian modeling of the classes, increases this score to 92.6%. Unlike the former approach, it also provides consistent outcomes of both the lithological classes and the geochemical covariates, which is valuable for mineral prospectivity mapping.

Efficacy of soy-lecithin for replacing egg yolk in tris extender on quality of frozen buck semen

The present study undetaken to find the efficacy of incorporating soy-lecithin in tris extender for replacing egg yolk, a widely used animal component. Pooled ejaculates (40), 10 from each of four bucks maintained at Goat Research Station, Burnihat were used for freezing in tris extender containing 1% and 1.5% soy-lecithin and 20% egg yolk by adopting split sample technique following conventional method. The post thaw sperm motility in 1.5% soy-lecithin-tris extender (60.20±0.45%) was comparable with that of 20% egg yolk-tris (61.20±0.45%), the difference being non-significant. However, the post thaw values for live sperm, intact acrosome and hypo-osmotic swollen sperm were significantly lower in 1.5% soy-lecithin-tris as compared to that in 20% egg yolk-tris. The post thaw values were significantly higher for 1.5% than that for 1% soy-lecithin for all the parameters studied. It could be concluded that 1.5% soy-lecithin-tris extender has similar efficacy with that of 20% egg yolk-tris extender in respect of post thaw sperm motility; however, significantly lower post thaw values for remaining sperm qualities obtained with soy-lecithin in tris-based extender necessitate further trials comprising higher number of ejaculates from more bucks to find a suitable level of soy-lecithin for replacing egg yolk in tris extender for freezing of goat semen.

Managing stormwater runoff in Appalachia: what does the public think?

As concerns about urban stormwater runoff become more acute and decentralized management gains popularity, there is a need to better understand public attitudes about stormwater management. We surveyed residents in Appalachia to assess knowledge about stormwater runoff, concerns about impacts, efforts to abate runoff on private property, and attitudes towards who should manage and pay for management. The survey also employed a split sample technique to assess how detailed, science-based information documenting negative impacts influences public concern and attitudes toward stormwater management. The results show the majority of respondents know what stormwater runoff is, but they know less about what its impacts are. About a third of respondents have implemented stormwater abatement measures on their property. There is no consensus on who should manage or pay for stormwater management. Providing more detailed science-based information had no influence on respondents’ general concern about stormwater runoff or their attitudes about its management.

A Regression Model for Prediction of Cesarean-Associated Blood Transfusion.

To develop a model to predict cesarean-associated red blood cell transfusion. Secondary analysis of all cesarean deliveries in the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network Cesarean Registry. Using a split-sample technique, the derivation group was used to identify associated factors and build predictive models, and the validation group was used to estimate classification errors and determine test characteristics. Using factors available at the time of cesarean, we developed a multivariable logistic regression prediction model. A total of 59,468 women were split evenly and randomly into the derivation and validation groups. The overall rate of transfusion was 2.7%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the derivation and validation groups were 0.82 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.80-0.84) and 0.84 (95% CI: 0.82-0.85), respectively (p = 0.16). The strongest predictors of transfusion were placenta previa (odds ratio [OR]: 7.06, 95% CI: 5.19-9.61) and eclampsia/Hemolysis Elevated Liver Enzymes Low Platelets syndrome (OR: 5.67, 95% CI: 3.77-8.51). In the validation group, the model had a sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values of 55.8, 91.5, 16.2, and 98.6%, respectively. Overall, 90.5% of patients were correctly classified. A regression model incorporating variables available at the time of cesarean accurately predicts the need for intra- or postoperative transfusion.

COMPARISON OF LIQUID-BASED CYTOLOGY AND CONVENTIONAL CYTOLOGY FOR EVALUATION OF CERVICAL PAP SMEARS

INTRODUCTION: This high mortality rate from cervical cancer globally can be reduced by an approach that includes prevention, early diagnosis, effective screening and treatment programmes. There are currently vaccines that protect against common cancer-causing types of human papilloma virus and can significantly reduce the risk of cervical cancer. in low socioeconomic or developing countries where screening programmes are not available, diagnosing cervical cancer at an early stage and providing access to effective treatment can significantly improve the likelihood of survival. Liquid-based cytology (LBC) was introduced at around mid-1990s as an alternative technique to process the cervical samples. After that most of the developed countries has switched from conventional Pap smear to LBC. LBC has been proposed to be beneficial than Pap smear because of less number of unsatisfactory smears
 MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study comprises of 287 cervical samples from women visiting the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology over a period of 1 year. Samples were taken and divided into two parts by split-sample technique. Material was taken from the fornix, portio, and endocervix from all women. Slides for conventional cytology and LBC were stained according to the Pap method. LBC was considered representative if the slide contained >5000 epithelial cells. Endocervical cells were considered present if the slide contained ≥2 groups of glandular/metaplastic cells with ≥5 cells each or if the slide contained ≥10 dissociated glandular/metaplastic cells
 RESULTS: 287 patients were included in the study. Epithelial cell abnormality was observed in 10 cases in conventional smear while in LBC it was 11. In conventional smear pap report of Unsatisfactory, normal, atrophic, altered flora and candida was in 21,193, 21, 46 and 10 cases respectively. In LBC pap report Unsatisfactory, normal, atrophic, altered flora and candida was in 15,214, 22, 44 and 13 cases respectively. Epithelial cell abnormality was seen in 10 (3.5%) cases by both the methods. Of these 10 cases low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion was observed in 2 cases, High grade squamous intraepithelial lesion in one case, Squamous cell carcinoma in one case and atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance in 6 cases.
 CONCLUSION: There was a similar detection rate of epithelial abnormalities and infections in both the methods. US rate of CPS was 7.3% and 5.2% for LBC. Thus LBC can be a superior test as compared to conventional pap smear but has to reconsidered in the low-resource setting.

Randomization in small sample surveys with the Halton sequence

Randomization has been widely used in surveys for various purposes such as within household respondent selection, rotation of questions and answer choices, and split sample (or ballot) technique for survey experiments. The randomization is usually based on a random number generating process whereby the computer generates random numbers which are then used to classify respondents in different groups. In this study, we use an alternative randomization based on the Halton sequence. The method is used in a survey with a political experiment which requires randomization of the political candidate’s characteristics. Our survey results demonstrate that the Halton sequence can be quite effective in randomly assigning respondents into groups, especially in surveys with small sample sizes

Revealing the impact of operational logistics service quality on omni-channel capability

Purpose This paper introduces the term “omni-channel capability” and tests its validity. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of logistics service quality (LSQ) on omni-channel capability. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was used to evaluate the new concept of “omni-channel capability” and LSQ from the consumer’s perception. A two split sample technique was used to validate omni-channel capability and test the impact of LSQ on it through structural equation modeling. Factor analysis and structural equation modeling were performed to introduce, test and validate omni-channel capability, and test the study’s hypotheses. Consumers who had previously shopped from both the online and physical stores of a particular retailer completed a self-administered survey. Findings The findings supported the use of the term “omni-channel capability,” which has three elements: channel consistency, cross-channel and social media. The results also revealed the positive impact of operational LSQ on omni-channel capability. Practical implications Taking consumer perceptions as a reference point, this study reveals major issues that retailers should focus on while pursuing an omni-channel strategy. The findings also highlight the need for retailers to ensure operational LSQ to implement an omni-channel management strategy. Originality/value To improve on the limited theoretical understanding and empirical grounding of omni-channel management, this study described the three elements of omni-channel capability. The impact of operational LSQ on omni-channel capability gives empirical support for the theorized hierarchy of dynamic capabilities (zero- and first-order capabilities).

Influence of omega‐3 incorporation in sperm preservation medium on physical and kinematic properties of chilled and cryopreserved ram spermatozoa

Two experiments were carried out to investigate the efficiency of supplementing sperm preservation medium with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on improving liquid-chilled storage and cryopreservation capacity of ram spermatozoa. Ejaculates (n=100) were collected from five adult rams, Ovis aries, by an artificial vagina twice weekly throughout the period February-April, 2017. After initial evaluation, ejaculates of each collection session from the same males were pooled, diluted (1:10) with Tris-citric acid egg yolk extender, and were further split into five aliquots using a split-sample technique. The first aliquot served as control (omega-free), whereas the other four portions were supplemented with 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 or 0.4mM omega-3, respectively (T0 ). Thereafter, the diluted specimens were stored at 4°C for 48hr, during which sperm physical and morphometric properties were evaluated along with oxidative stress indices (T24 , T48 ). Omega-3 levels that efficiently mitigated the detrimental effects of chilled preservation, and maintained preservation aptitude of spermatozoa were further investigated for sperm cryosurvival against control (untreated). Post-thaw physical and kinematic properties of spermatozoa, in all groups, were objectively evaluated by a computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) system. The results showed that, at 48hr of chilled storage, supplementing preservation medium with 0.4mM omega-3 was positively correlated (p<0.01) with each of progressive motility, live sperm, intact acrosome and intact cell membrane (r=0.83, 0.85, 0.85, 0.89, respectively). Furthermore, a positive correlation (p<0.01) was observed between inclusion of omega-3 in cryopreservation medium and each of post-thaw total sperm motility, progressive motility, live sperm, normal sperm, intact acrosome, intact cell membrane, VCL, VSL, VAP, ALH and STR (r=0.76, 0.84, 0.79, 0.90, 0.89, 0.91, 0.61, 0.73, 0.65, 0.78 and 0.60, respectively). These results accentuate efficiency of supplementing the diluent with omega-3 fatty acids on improving chilled and cryopreservation aptitude of ram spermatozoa.

Liquid-based cytology versus conventional cytology for detection of uterine cervical lesions: a prospective observational study

Liquid-based cytology (LBC) and conventional cytology (CS) are routine diagnostic techniques in cervical cytology, but few studies have compared their diagnostic performances with each other and with histologic diagnosis. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performances of these techniques in subjects with abnormal cervical cytology of atypical cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) or worse. A total of 312 patients diagnosed with ASC-US or worse were enrolled in this prospective study in Japan from 2013 to 2014. LBC and CS samples were prepared by a split-sampling technique and evaluated blindly. The results were classified using the Bethesda System 2001. Colposcopy and biopsy were conducted simultaneously or within 4 weeks of cytology-specimen collection in all cases. Diagnostic performance was calculated in terms of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for detection of CIN2 or worse, with a cut-off ASC-US or worse. There was one unsatisfactory CS sample and the remaining 311 cases were evaluated. The sensitivities of LBC and CS were 100.0% and 98.8%, specificities were 17.2% and 23.8%, PPVs were 56.1% and 57.9% and NPVs were 100.0% and 94.7%, respectively. LBC had slightly higher sensitivity and NPV for detection of CIN2, but there was no significant difference between the two methods. There was no significant difference in the diagnostic performances of LBC and CS in patients with ASC-US or worse. LBC may therefore be an alternative approach to CS for cervical cancer screening.

Efficacy of egg yolk based and egg yolk free soya bean milk based extenders for cryopreservation of Zebu cattle and buffalo semen

This study was undertaken on three mature bulls each of Gir cattle and Surti buffalo breeds to evaluate the comparative efficacy of egg yolk based standard TFYG (Tris-citrate-fructose-yolk-glycerol) extender and egg yolk free soybean based commercial extenders Optixcell® (IMV, France) and Andromed® (Minitube, Germany) under split-sample technique. The ejaculates (9/bull) were extended @ 100×106 sperm ml-1 with three extenders and frozen using biofreezer following 4 hr of equilibration. The pooled means of progressively motile sperm observed (irrespective of extenders) at initial, pre-freeze and post-thaw stage in Gir bulls semen were 76.53±0.53, 71.11±0.53 and 39.86±0.90% and in Surti buffalo 80.76±0.39, 74.65±0.45 and 40.35±1.07%, respectively. The corresponding values for live sperm were 75.64±0.76, 69.01±0.97 and 47.99±1.11 % for Gir and 80.90±0.45, 75.76±0.48 and 52.33±0.86 % for Surti buffalo; and those of intact acrosome 94.29±0.25, 90.29±0.27 and 79.29±0.33 % for Gir bulls, and 93.94±0.21, 89.94±0.23 and 78.95±0.26 % for Surti buffalo semen, respectively. The HOS reactive sperm at initial, pre-freeze and post-thaw stage were 76.18±0.74, 71.04±0.76 and 27.90±0.70 % for Gir, and 81.83±0.35, 76.47±0.39 and 27.83±0.68 % for Surti bulls, respectively. The overall mean post-thaw incubation (37°C) survival of spermatozoa observed at 60, 120 and 180 min were 28.40±0.91, 17.78±0.86 and 9.44±0.72% for Gir bulls semen, and 28.01±0.99, 18.40±1.01 and 10.51±0.93% for Surti buffalo semen, respectively. Optixcell was proved superior, and at par with TFYG, than the Andromed in maintaining greater motility, viability, morphology, acrosomal/plasma membrane integrity including post-thaw sperm longevity of cattle and buffalo spermatozoa with significant differences only in sperm motility and post-thaw longevity. The motile, live and HOST reactive sperm were significantly higher in buffalo semen than cattle at initial and pre-freeze stage, but not at post-thaw stage. The results showed that egg yolk free commercial Optixcell extender and egg yolk based TFYG extender were at par in terms of most of the sperm quality traits, hence any one of them can be preferred over Andromed for successful routine cryopreservation of cattle and buffalo semen.

The impact of serviceability-oriented dimensions on after-sales service cost and customer satisfaction

This research investigates the customer's perspective on product serviceability, including its impact on after-sales service cost (AC) and satisfaction/loyalty when experiencing service or repair. Using a split-sample technique, exploratory factor analysisand confirmatory factor analysis are carried out on survey data from 1464 users of automobiles and air conditioners in Japan in order to identify dimensions related to serviceability as well as to examine the relationship between each construct. From this, the research identified four serviceability-oriented dimensions: tangibles dimension of serviceability, assurance dimension of serviceability, responsiveness dimension of serviceability and AC. Through structural equation modelling, a conceptual model was analysed. Hypotheses about the relationships between the four dimensions of serviceability, and their positive effects on customer satisfaction/loyalty (CS) were tested for both products and were found to be supported. As other contributions to the product serviceability literature, AC was found to act as a mediating variable, and CS for the product and for after-sales service experiences formed into a single dimension by which customers viewed the product. These research results provide insight to scholars and practitioners for strategising after-sales service requirements during new product development and for offering customer-friendly practices in after-sales service.

Quality of Labrador- Retriever dog semen on short-term preservation in different extenders

The objective of the present study was to find the comparative efficacy of three extenders to preserve semen of Labrador-Retriever (LR) dogs at 5o C for a short term. The semen samples of LR dogs were collected by digital manipulation method and extended at the rate of 1:4 in Tris-Egg Yolk- Citric Acid-Glucose (TEYCAG), Tris-Egg Yolk- Citric Acid-Fructose (TEYCAF) and Egg Yolk-Citrate-Glycine-Glucose (EYCGG) extenders by split sample technique. Semen was evaluated at 0, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 hours of preservation. Mean motile, live and HOST-reacted sperm and acrosomal, head, mid piece and tail abnormalities of spermatozoa varied significantly (PP less than 0.01) between extenders and between preservation periods. The interactions between extender and preservation period were also significant (P less than 0.01) except for HOST-reacted and head abnormalities of sperm. The highest mean motile, live and HOST-reacted sperm were recorded in TEYCAG extender which did not differ significantly from that of TEYCAF extender. Mean per cent sperm acrosomal and tail abnormalities were significantly (PP less than 0.05) lower, and the incidences of mean sperm head and mid piece abnormalities were also lower in TEYCAG, but not significantly from that in TEYCAF irrespective of hour of preservation. Per cent motile, live and HOST-reacted sperm were significantly (PP less than 0.05) lower and sperm acrosomal, head, mid piece and tail abnormalities were significantly (PP less than 0.05) higher in EYCGG as compared to that in TEYCAG and TEYCAF irrespective of hour of preservation. It was concluded that the semen of LR dog sustained good quality during preservation up to 5 days at 5oC suitable for successful artificial insemination and would be preserved better in TEYCAG and TEYCAF extenders than in EYCGG extender, since more than 50 per cent sperm motility and live sperm were maintained up to 120 hours of preservation in the former two extenders.

The relationship between patient safety climate and occupational safety climate in healthcare – A multi-level investigation

IntroductionPatient safety climate/culture is attracting increasing research interest, but there is little research on its relation with organizational climates regarding other target domains.The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between patient safety climate and occupational safety climate in healthcare. MethodThe climates were assessed using two questionnaires: Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture and Nordic Occupational Safety Climate Questionnaire. The final sample consisted of 1154 nurses, 886 assistant nurses, and 324 physicians, organized in 150 work units, within hospitals (117units), primary healthcare (5units) and elderly care (28units) in western Sweden, which represented 56% of the original sample contacted. ResultsWithin each type of safety climate, two global dimensions were confirmed in a higher order factor analysis; one with an external focus relative the own unit, and one with an internal focus. Two methods were used to estimate the covariation between the global climate dimensions, in order to minimize the influence of bias from common method variance. First multilevel analysis was used for partitioning variances and covariances in a within unit part (individual level) and a between unit part (unit level). Second, a split sample technique was used to calculate unit level correlations based on aggregated observations from different respondents. Both methods showed associations similar in strength between the patient safety climate and the occupational safety climate domains. ConclusionsThe results indicated that patient safety climate and occupational safety climate are strongly positively related at the unit level, and that the same organizational processes may be important for the development of both types of organizational climate. Practical applicationsSafety improvement interventions should not be separated in different organizational processes, but be planned so that both patient safety and staff safety are considered concomitantly.

Citizens’ attitudes towards migrant workers in Qatar

Public attitudes play a critical role in shaping policies towards immigration and the status of migrant workers. Facing growing pressure from international human rights organizations, media and other groups, the Gulf Cooperation Council states have begun efforts to reform the current kafala system, which prevails throughout the region. Yet despite these efforts, relatively little is known about what citizens actually think of this policy, let alone their more general attitudes towards foreign workers. In the following paper, we explore this question and focus on the case of Qatar. Recently, the Qatari government promised to reform their sponsorship system in 2015. Whether this reform succeeds will depend on public attitudes towards this new policy and how citizens perceive the role of foreign workers in the country. Drawing on data from a nationally representative survey in Qatar, we use a split sample technique to better disentangle citizens’ varying attitudes towards blue-collar and white-collar workers. The survey results suggest that Qatari citizens are ambivalent about foreign workers’ contributions and overall impact on their country. While they value foreign workers’ positive contribution to the development of their country in general, they have concerns about this population’s impact on economic and health resources. Ultimately, most citizens would prefer to maintain the sponsorship system, or kafala, as it is right now.

Coping With Paradoxical Demands Through an Organizational Climate of Perceived Organizational Support

Organizational demands on productivity, innovations, and safety may seem paradoxical. How can the organization support employees to cope with such paradox? Based on organizational climate measures of safety, occupational health, innovativeness, and production effectiveness, we explored if a second-order organizational climate could be identified, that was associated with staff safety, health, innovations and team effectiveness, and if such a climate could be represented by an organizational climate of perceived organizational support (POS). Questionnaire data were collected from 137 workgroups in four Swedish companies in construction and mining. Analyses (structural equation modeling) were done at the workgroup level and a split sample technique used to investigate relations between climates and outcomes. A general second-order organizational climate was identified. Also, an organizational climate constructed by items selected to represent POS, was associated with team effectiveness, innovations, and safety. A POS-climate may facilitate employees’ coping with paradoxes, and provide a heuristic for managers in decision making.

Ultrasound-assisted liquefaction of dromedary camel semen

The current investigation aimed to evaluate the rheological and physical properties of camel semen subjected to liquefaction by high-power low frequency ultrasound. Ejaculates (n=18) were collected during the rutting season from 2 adult male camels, Camelus dromedarius, (9 ejaculates each) using a modified artificial vagina. Immediately after collection, each ejaculate was split into 3 aliquots by a split-sample technique. The first aliquot (raw) was evaluated for rheological, physical and morphological properties, whereas the other 2 aliquots were diluted (1:3) with Tris-lactose egg yolk extender. An aliquot of diluted semen served as control and was evaluated for the aforementioned criteria immediately after dilution (T0) and after an equilibration period of 3h at 5°C (T180). Meanwhile, the other diluted specimen was exposed to 4 sets of a 40kHz ultrasound nominal frequency, 2min each at 2min interval, at 37°C for physical viscosity elimination. Throughout the exposure period, semen rheological properties and sperm physical characteristics were evaluated. Thereafter, sperm kinetics of equilibrated control and ultrasonic-treated semen were objectively assessed by a computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) unit. Time of exposure to the ultrasonic waves was negatively correlated (P<0.01) with each of viscosity score (r=−0.95) and thread length (r=−0.93), whereas it was positively correlated (P<0.01) with the percent of progressive motility (r=0.87). Furthermore, ultrasonic-treated semen recorded higher (P<0.05) motility, viability and sperm dynamics criteria than those of control. These results point to the successful application of ultrasound technology to improve handling, evaluation and processing of camel semen.