Lessons learned from infertility investigations in the public sector

Objectives. To determine the main factors causing infertility in an urban, tertiary hospital population. To establish if any such major causal factor could be used to rationalise and improve the service for infertile couples in the public sector.Design. A retrospective analysis of the hospital records of 206 women who had a tubal patency test (hysterosalpingogram) performed and the results of the investigations performed in the couples with infertility.Results. Of the 206 women 38 (18.5%) had normal fallopian tubes on hysterosalpingogram; 33 (16%) had unilateral obstruction and 135 (65.5%) had bilateral tubal obstruction. Of the latter group 81 (60%) had significant hydrosalpinges. Semen analysis results in 148 partners (71.8%) demonstrated a normal count in 85 (62%), normal motility in 70 (51%) and normal morphology in only 25 (18%). Testing for ovulation (mid-luteal phase progesterone) was positive in 91 of 124 women tested (73%). Compliance, technical and logistical problems were encountered with both semen analysis and mid-luteal phase progesterone tests.Conclusions. Infertility is a major problem in South Africa, with limited resources for investigation and treatment in the public sector. Tubal factor infertility was the most common cause of infertility demonstrated in this study. In the presence of bilateral tubal obstruction with hydrosalpinges the prognosis is so poor that unless assisted reproductive techniques are available and affordable, further infertility investigations do not seem justified. Recommendations on an approach to the infertile couple in the public sector is outlined

Large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the uterine cervix- a clinicopathological study of five cases

Objective. The present study describes 5 cases of large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) of the uterine cervix, evaluating their clinical features and pathological profiles.Methods. Clinical data were obtained from the patients' clinical files at the combined gynaecological-oncology unit of Johannesburg Hospital and the University of the Witwatersrand Medical School, Johannesburg, South Africa. A histopathological diagnosis was obtained after biopsy material from all 5 patients was examined microscopically and subjected to immunohistochemical staining with MNF116 (pankeratin), synaptophysin and chromagranin A, all of which are neuroendocrine markers. Two patients received pelvic radiotherapy only. None of the 5 patients in this series received chemotherapy or underwent surgery.Results. All 5 patients were adult females, with an average age of 57.3 years. The majority were multiparous, with the most common presenting complaint being vaginal bleeding. Three of the 5 patients presented with advanced-stage cervical carcinoma, with evidence of metastases in 2 of them. Treatment responses and long-term survival in our series proved to be disappointing as 3 of the 5 patients died in less than 6 months. On histopathological examination, all 5 tumours showed features of a high-grade poorly differentiated malignant neoplasm with ulceration and extensive tumour necrosis including trabecular and organoid growth patterns. All 5 neoplasms also showed strong immunoreactivity for MNF116, while their endocrine nature was confirmed by staining for synaptophysin in all cases. None of the tumours showed positive staining for chromagranin A.Conclusions. LCNECs are rare tumours and distinct from other neoplasms of the uterine cervix. The results of this' study reaffirm the biologically aggressive nature of this uncommon tumour and its very unfavourable prognosis

Pulmonary oedema after hexoprenaline administration in preterm labour A report of 4 cases

Despite the widespread use of ,a-sympathomimetic agents for preterm labour there appears to be a limited appreciation of the need for cardiovascular monitoring in the mother. Four patients in whom pulmonary oedema developed during tocolysis with hexoprenaline are described and the aetiological factors and pathogenesis of this potentially lethal complication discussed. Guidelines for the safe use of hexoprenaline in preterm labour are suggested

Assessing facebook profiles of job candidates: opening pandora’s box

The information is likely prohibited from being used in employment decisions or is irrelevant to job performance, write Liwen Zhang, Chad Van Iddekinge, John Arnold, Philip Roth, Filip Lievens, Stephen E. Lanivich, and Samantha Jorda

What's on job seekers' social media sites? A content analysis and effects of structure on recruiter judgments and predictive validity

Many organizational representatives review social media (SM) information (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) when recruiting and assessing job applicants. Despite this, very little empirical data exist concerning the SM information available to organizations or whether assessments of such information are a valid predictor of work outcomes. This multistudy investigation examines several critical issues in this emerging area. In Study 1, we conducted a content analysis of job seekers' Facebook sites (n = 266) and found that these sites often provide demographic variables that U.S. employment laws typically prohibit organizations from using when making personnel decisions (e.g., age, ethnicity, and religion), as well as other personal information that is not work-related (e.g., sexual orientation, marital status). In Study (n = 140), we examined whether job seekers' SM information is related to recruiter evaluations. Results revealed that various types of SM information correlated with recruiter judgments of hireability, including demographic variables (e.g.. gender, marital status), variables organizations routinely assess (e.g.. education. training, and skills). and variables that may be a concern to organizations (e.g., profanity. sexual behavior). In Study 3 (ta = 81), we examined whether structuring SM assessments (e.g., via rater training) affects criterion-related validity. Results showed that structuring SM assessments did not appear to improve the prediction of future job performance or withdrawal intentions. Overall, the present findings suggest that organizations should be cautious about assessing SM information during the staffing process

Individual differences and their measurement: A review of 100 years of research

This article reviews 100 years of research on individual differences and their measurement, with a focus on research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. We focus on 3 major individual differences domains: (a) knowledge, skill, and ability, including both the cognitive and physical domains; (b) personality, including integrity, emotional intelligence, stable motivational attributes (e.g., achievement motivation, core self-evaluations), and creativity; and (c) vocational interests. For each domain, we describe the evolution of the domain across the years and highlight major theoretical, empirical, and methodological developments, including relationships between individual differences and variables such as job performance, job satisfaction, and career development. We conclude by discussing future directions for individual differences research. Trends in the literature include a growing focus on substantive issues rather than on the measurement of individual differences, a differentiation between constructs and measurement methods, and the use of innovative ways of assessing individual differences, such as simulations, other-reports, and implicit measures

Do candidate reactions relate to job performance or affect criterion-related validity? A multistudy investigation of relations among reactions, selection test scores, and job performance

Considerable evidence suggests that how candidates react to selection procedures can affect their test performance and their attitudes toward the hiring organization (e.g., recommending the firm to others). However, very few studies of candidate reactions have examined one of the outcomes organizations care most about: job performance. We attempt to address this gap by developing and testing a conceptual framework that delineates whether and how candidate reactions might influence job performance. We accomplish this objective using data from 4 studies (total N = 6,480), 6 selection procedures (personality tests, job knowledge tests, cognitive ability tests, work samples, situational judgment tests, and a selection inventory), 5 key candidate reactions (anxiety, motivation, belief in tests, self-efficacy, and procedural justice), 2 contexts (industry and education), 3 continents (North America, South America, and Europe), 2 study designs (predictive and concurrent), and 4 occupational areas (medical, sales, customer service, and technological). Consistent with previous research, candidate reactions were related to test scores, and test scores were related to job performance. Further, there was some evidence that reactions affected performance indirectly through their influence on test scores. Finally, in no cases did candidate reactions affect the prediction of job performance by increasing or decreasing the criterion-related validity of test scores. Implications of these findings and avenues for future research are discussed

Disentangling the Effects of Applicant Defensive Impression Management Tactics in Job Interviews

This study explores (1) the effects that three kinds of applicant defensive impression management (IM) tactics (apologies, justifications, and excuses) have on interviewer evaluation and (2) the moderating effects that two types of interviewer negative concerns (competence-related and integrity-related concerns) have on the aforementioned relationship. Two hundred and one managers from Taiwan participated in this study by watching a simulated interview. Compared with the control group, applicants using defensive IM tactics received higher interviewer ratings when negative concerns surfaced. Moreover, the type of interviewer negative concern moderated the effects of defensive IM tactics. All three tactics had similar effects on interviewer evaluation when the concern was competence related. Apology was, however, the most effective tactic when the concern was integrity related.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/79091/1/j.1468-2389.2010.00495.x.pd