AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF COMPENSATION ON JOB PERFORMANCE AND WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT IN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA-“A CORRELATION MODEL”

The purpose of this paper is to find the impact of compensation on job performance and work-family conflict, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and subsequently present a model illustrating a relationship between them. The study is based on primary data collected from 400 employees working in Saudi Arabia. The researchers also do a comprehensive literature review of the past theories and research material available on the specified topic. The illustrated model indicates a relationship between compensation, job performance and work-family conflict by showing the impact of compensation, which is directly and indirectly linked to work-family conflict, through job performance of an employee in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The limitation of the study is that the model is based on data collected from employees working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia only, which could have been collected from other regions of the Middle East countries as well. According to this model, compensation to the employees should be paid attention to, which would result in enhanced job performance and conflict free work-family environment

A Comparative Study of the Software Packages Used as HRIS by Organizations Operating in India: Human Resource Professionals’ Perspective.

The aim of the study was to do a comparative study to find the various software packages of human resource information system (HRIS) used by organizations operating in India. In this era of information explosion, in a developing country like India , human resources should be managed well and to do so, an integration of technology with the day today activities of employees should be the prime focus of organizations, operating in any domain. In the human resource management domain the technological solution is the implementation and use of human resource information system, which has in the last couple of decades become one of the most important pillar of modern human resource management. Thus for this study, a total of 71 companies across India were shortlisted across six different sectors namely information technology, real estate, business process outsourcing, financial services, manpower consulting and travel & tourism. The sample size of 385 respondents was decided, but only 355 questionnaires were found to be usable and were thus analyzed, which is a response rate of 96.25%. Chi-square results showed that organizations in the real estate sector and the service sector of India, differed significantly on the software packages  being used as human resource information system (HRIS) by organizations operating in India. This study also provided concrete insight about human resource professionals, perspective about the various features of human resource information system (HRIS) that the organization is currently using. Research Type: Research Paper Keywords: Human Resource Information System, Human resource Management, HRIS Software, Features of Human Resource Information System, India

Is there any benefit of drain placement on postoperative complications in patients undergoing the sistrunk procedure?

Abstract Introduction Same-day, outpatient Sistrunk procedure is commonly performed to manage thyroglossal duct cyst anomalies and may lead to postoperative complications. Surgical drains are placed to prevent complications, but recent observations show no advantage and rather increased health care costs and patient discomfort. Objective The study evaluated if drain placement in the Sistrunk procedure offers any benefit on postoperative complications. Methods A retrospective analysis of patient records having undergone same-day, outpatient Sistrunk procedure from 2004 to 2014 was done. Of 58 (38 male and 20 female) patients included, 38 did not have drains placed and the remaining 20 had drains placed. Mean and median age of patients was 18.1 and 13.5 years, respectively. Postoperative complications of patients with drains versus those without drains were statistically analyzed. Results Overall, about 10% of patients had hematoma/seroma (H-S), with 6.9% of patients needing aspiration for H-S; 3.4% had wound infections; and 1.7% had pus formation. No statistically significant differences in Sistrunk-related complications between patient groups (with drain or without drain) were seen using Fisher exact (two-sided) test: H-S (p = 0.08); need for aspiration (p = 0.29); wound infection (p \u3e 0.05); and pus formation (p = 0.35). Chi-square test also did not show any significant difference in the groups in terms of number of follow-ups. Conclusion Surgical placement of a drain in the Sistrunk procedure does not seem to offer any advantage in terms of reducing common postoperative complications. Same-day Sistrunk procedure without any drain placement may be a safer alternative without necessitating hospitalization. More studies with larger sample size are needed for further substantiatio

Frequency of sensorineural hearing loss in chronic suppurative otitis media

Abstract Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is defined as chronic otorrhea (i.e., lasting \u3e 6-12 weeks) through a perforated tympanic membrane. It is generally associated with some degree of conductive hearing loss. However, recurrent ear infections due to perforated eardrum result in absorption of toxins and macromolecules into the cochlea leading to sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). We planned to determine the frequency of sensorineural hearing loss in chronic suppurative otitis media. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Aga Kgan University Hospital, Karachi, from October 2013 to March 2014. Average threshold of speech frequencies was calculated via pure tone audiogram for both diseased and normal contralateral ear. A mean of \u3e25db in diseased ear was labelled as positive case for SNHL. SNHL was reported in 64(52%) patients and the frequency was found to increase with increasing duration. Patients with CSOM should be counselled regarding the risk of developing SNHL if left untreated

A1: An energy efficient topology control algorithm for connected area coverage in wireless sensor networks

Energy consumption in Wireless Sensor Networks(WSN’s) is of paramount importance, which is demonstrated by the large number of algorithms, techniques, and protocols that have been developed to save energy, and thereby extend the lifetime of the network. However, in the context of WSN’s routing and dissemination, Connected Dominating Set (CDS) principle has emerged as the most popular method for energy-efficient topology control (TC) in WSN’s. In a CDS-based topology control technique, a virtual backbone is formed which allows communication between any arbitrary pair of nodes in the network. In this paper, we present a CDS based topology control protocol – A1 – which forms an energy efficient virtual backbone. In our simulations, we compare the performance of A1 with three prominent CDS-based protocols namely Energy-efficient CDS (EECDS), CDS Rule K and A3. The results demonstrate that A1 performs consistently better in terms of message overhead and other selected metrics. Moreover, the A1 protocol not only achieves better connectivity under topology maintenance but also provides better sensing coverage when compared with the other protocols

Efficiency of Crystal Violet Stain to Study Mitotic Figures in Oral Epithelial Dysplasia

AIM: To evaluate mitotic activity in the different grades of oral epithelial dysplasia using 1% crystal violet stain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A descriptive study was conducted in the Department of Histopathology of the Post Graduate Medical Institute, Lahore on a total of thirty-three cases of the Oral Epithelial Dysplasia (OED). Fresh, frozen paraffin-embedded archival tissue blocks were collected from Lahore General Hospital, Lahore & Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Department of Nawaz Sharif Hospital, Yakki Gate, Lahore. The representative sections were taken and, after processing, mounted on glass slides and stained with H&E and crystal violet stains. The stained slides were then examined under an optical microscope. The efficacy of 1% crystal violet stain to identify mitotic figures in the different grades of oral epithelial dysplasia was assessed with the sample t-test. A difference of p < 0.05 was considered to be significant. RESULTS: A comparison of the mitotic figure count in two categories in sections stained with both stains showed a statistically significant difference. An increase in the mean mitotic count was noted in the sections of OED stained with crystal violet in comparison to the sections of OED stained with H&E which was statistically significant (p = 0.00). CONCLUSION: Counting of mitotic cell is the rapid and simplest way of evaluating the proliferative activity of cells. Crystal violet stain can be a rationalised step in the staining of mitotic figures compared to the usual H&E staining and can be employed as a selective stain during routine histopathological procedures

improving the mechanical performance of cement composites by carbon nanotubes addition

Abstract: The addition of high performance nano materials like carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, graphene etc. in the cement and concrete is gaining attention for achieving multifunctional composite materials with enhanced mechanical, physical and electrical properties. The nano-metric size range and the exceptionally high mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes possess very great potential for their utilization in cementitious composites for obtaining remarkable properties. Billions of ton of concrete is used every year in construction industry and its quantity may be reduced to a large extent only by improving the mechanical and durability properties. One way of achieving the enhanced mechanical properties of cement composite is the utilization of thoroughly dispersed carbon nanotubes in the composite matrix. In the present research, small fractions of multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNTs) i.e. 0.05 and 0.10 wt.% of cement have been incorporated into the cement concrete and their influence on the mechanical properties of the resulting composites have been studied. It is a well-known fact that the uniform dispersion of the MWCNTs in the composite matrix holds the key for the performance improvement. Therefore, special attention was paid to this aspect and uniform dispersion of MWCNTs was achieved through the use of high energy sonication in the presence of modified acrylic based polymer (acting as a surfactant). The concrete specimens were tested in splitting tensile, flexure and compressive strength after 3, 7, 28 and 56 days of immersed water curing. It was observed that the addition of 0.05wt.% MWCNTs increased the splitting tensile strength by 20.58%, flexural strength by 26.29% and compressive strength by 15.60% as compared to the control mix at 28 days of curing. The strength enhancements for the concrete mixes containing MWCNTs may be regarded to the phenomenon of bridging, pinning and branching of the cracks at nano/micro level due to the presence of MWCNTs. Beside strength enhancements, it was also observed that the MWCNTs had tremendously enhanced the fracture energy and breaking strains of the concrete mixes as observed in three-point bending tests. The research concludes that very low amounts of MWCNTs incorporated in the cement concrete mixes improve their mechanical strengths and fracture behavior remarkably but the thorough dispersion of MWCNTs in the matrix have to be insured

Higher Education Capacity Building in Water Resources Engineering and Management to Support Achieving the Sustainable Development Goal for Water in Pakistan

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires a multi‐pronged approach, with a key element being the development of a trained Community of Practice to sustain the advances in the relevant sectors. The engagement of higher education as a catalyst in the development and capacity building of the next generation of professionals and citizens comprising the Community of Practice is essential to meet the challenges of poverty, climate change, and clean water and to sustain those advances past 2030. This paper describes a capacity building program funded by the United States Agency for International Development to partner the University of Utah, in the United States, with Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, in Pakistan, to create the U.S.‐Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Water (USPCASW). The USPCASW program includes six core components of Curriculum Reform, Applied Research, Exchanges and Training, Governance, Gender Equity, and Sustainability. This paper describes the project, the activities for each component, and the multi‐level assessment of the program, activities, and impact. The paper also highlights the overarching impact of the program and its alignment with achieving the Sustainable Development Goal for Water. Following the description of the program components and assessment, the paper concludes with a discussion of challenges and lessons learned