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The measurement of thyroid absorbed dose by gafchromic� EBT2 film and changes in thyroid hormone levels following radiotherapy in patients with breast cancer
No full textBackground: Radiotherapy is a main method for the treatment of breast cancer. This study aimed to measure the absorbed dose of thyroid gland using Gafchromic EBT2 film during breast cancer radiotherapy. In addition, the relationship between the absorbed dose and thyroid hormone levels was evaluated. Methods: Forty-six breast cancer patients, with the age ranged between 25 and 35 years, undergoing external radiotherapy were studied. The patients were treated with 6 and 18 MV X-ray beams, and the absorbed thyroid dose was measured by EBT2 film. Thyroid hormone levels, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxin (T4), were measured before and after the radiotherapy. Pearson's, Spearman's, and Chi-square tests were performed to evaluate the correlation between the thyroid dose and hormone levels. Results: The mean thyroid dose was 26 ± 9.45 cGy with the range of 7.85-48.35 cGy. There were not any significant differences at thyroid hormone levels between preradiotherapy and postradiotherapy (P > 0.05). There was a significant relationship between increased thyroid absorbed dose and changes in TSH and T4 levels (P < 0.05), but it was not significant in T3 level (P = 0.1). Conclusion: Regarding the results, the thyroid absorbed dose can have an effect on its function. Therefore, the thyroid gland should be considered as an organ at risk in breast cancer radiotherapy. © 2020 Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved
Burnout syndrome among nurses in a psychiatric hospital in Dammam, Saudi Arabia
Full text linkBackground: Burnout syndrome (BOS) is a serious issue among nurses due to chronic exposure to work-related stress. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of BOS among psychiatric nurses in a hospital in Saudi Arabia. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 395 nurses were included through simple random sampling at a psychiatric hospital. The Maslach Burnout Inventory was used to measure the burnout. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with BOS among nurses. Results: The mean age of the participants was 35.43 ± 7.04 years. Most study participants were married (69.1%) Saudi (74.7%) males (68.4%), and the average time of service in the hospital was 13 years. Most of the participants (82.3) had burnout, ranging from mild to very severe. After adjustment for covariates, we found that severe BOS was reported among Saudi nurses (odds ratio OR 3.28 and confidence interval CI 1.28-8.37) and among ex-smokers (OR 4.9, CI 1.39-17.5). Single participants reported moderate BOS (OR 2.37 and CI 1.19-4.72). These values were statistically significant. Conclusions: BOS is prevalent among psychiatric nurses. The most common factors associated with BOS were Saudi nationality, single status, and being an ex-smoker. There is a need for counseling services for nurses to address this issue
Development and validation of the social responsibility questionnaire for Iranian nurses
Full text linkBackground: Assessment of nurses' social responsibility is necessary for improving their social responsibility and accountability. Valid and reliable culturally appropriate instruments are needed for such an assessment. Objectives: This study aimed to develop and validate the Nurse Social Responsibility Questionnaire (NSRQ) for Iranian nurses. Methods: This methodological study was conducted in a qualitative and a quantitative phase. In the qualitative phase, the concept of social responsibility was explored using a grounded theory study and the item pool of NSRQ was generated. In the quantitative phase, the psychometric properties of the questionnaire (namely face, content, and construct validity and reliability) were evaluated. Results: Exploratory factor analysis revealed that NSRQ consisted of four factors which were labeled ethical commitment, clinical care management, professional competence, and divine satisfaction. The Cronbach's alpha and the test-retest intraclass correlation coefficients of NSRQ were 0.92 and 0.95, respectively. Conclusion: The 27-item NSRQ is a valid and reliable instrument for social responsibility measurement among nurses
Predicting the quality of life of patients with mild traumatic brain injury: A study based on psychological variables
Full text linkBackground: Recognizing the factors related to psychological disorders such as depression, stress, anxiety, and other related problems in a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) can be helpful in designing more effective treatment protocols. This study aimed at examining the effect of some prevalent psychological issues on predicting the quality of life of the MTBI patients. Methods: In this descriptive correlational study, 322 MTBI patients (mean age, 38.8 ± 10.8 years) who had admitted to the emergency and neurosurgery departments of Kashan Shahid Beheshti Hospital during April-July 2017 were selected using the convenient sampling method. Data were collected using the quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire (as a dependent variable), mental fatigue questionnaire, and depression, anxiety and stress scale (DASS-21). Finally, the data were analyzed in SPSS-23 by multiple regression analysis. Results: The results of the study showed that the regression model was significant (P Conclusion: The findings of this study show that there is a negative relationship between psychological factors and quality of life among the MBTI patients. Thus, it is suggested to design more specific psychological-based rehabilitation programs with regard to gender differences to improve the quality of life among these patients after discharging from the hospital
Protocol of identification of effective factors in reducing fall among the hospitalized patients: A systematic review
Full text linkBackground: The patient's fall is one of the factors threatening the patient's health in hospitals and medical centers. More than 12 of patients fall once during the hospitalization period, which in some cases leads to disability or death. Therefore, falling prevention is one of the essential issues in the hospital and requires interventions. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the effective factors in controlling the hurts caused by patient fall. Methods: This study was conducted to present a protocol for identifying the effective factors of patient fall in hospitals. For this purpose, four international databases were investigated and searched, in two phases (databases are Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, along with Google Scholar). First, we selected and categorized the articles, using PRISMA instruction for systematic review studies. In the second phase, the findings were analyzed using thematic analysis; then, categories and subcategories were extracted. To examine the quality of studies, critical appraisal skills program, Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklists were applied. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO CRD42020161328. Ethics and Dissemination: There is no human participation in the study, and after data analysis, the author prepared an article for a specialized journal. Permission to the study was obtained from the ethics committee of the Faculty of Health and Safety, affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
Synthesis of novel Fe3O4@SiO2@Er2TiO5 superparamagnetic core–shell and evaluation of their photocatalytic capacity
No full textRare earth oxides Er2TiO5 photocatalysts supported on superparamagnetic Fe3O4@SiO2 core–shell nanostructures were prepared through a sol–gel method. The achieved magnetic nanostructures were characterized by a number of procedures such as XRD, FE-SEM, TEM, UV–Vis DRS, VSM and PL spectroscopy and then the activity of the magnetic nanostructures as a photocatalysts for the UV–Vis induced degradation of methyl orange was evaluated. The activity of Fe3O4@SiO2@Er2TiO5 were tested as photodegradation catalysts for removing methyl orange. Moreover, the effect of incorporating different amounts of erbium oxides in the photocatalysts was studied and it was found that the optimal amount of erbium oxide in terms of reaching the highest photocatalytic activity was 25 wt. © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature
Circular RNAs: New genetic tools in melanoma
Full text linkMelanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer. New technologies have resulted in major advances in the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and other cancer types. Recently, some studies have investigated the role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in different cancers. CircRNAs are a member of long noncoding RNA family mainly formed through back-splicing and have a closed-loop structure. These molecules affect several biological and oncogenic cascades in diverse ways via acting as microRNA sponge, interacting with RNA-binding proteins and acting as a transcription regulator. In this review, we made an insight into the impact of circRNA dysregulation in the melanoma tumorigenesis based on the presented evidences. © 2020 Future Medicine Ltd
The Effect of Synbiotic Supplementation on Growth Parameters in Mild to Moderate FTT Children Aged 2–5 Years
Full text linkSynbiotic (probiotic bacteria and prebiotic) has beneficial effects on the gastrointestinal tract. This study was designed to investigate the effect of synbiotic supplementation on the growth of mild to moderate failure to thrive (FTT) children. A randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted involving 80 children aged 2–5 years with mild to moderate FTT, who were assigned at random to receive synbiotic supplementation (109 colony-forming units) or placebo for 30 days. The weights, height, and BMI were recorded in a structured diary, and the questionnaires were completed to monitor the numbers of infection episodes, gastrointestinal problems, admission to hospital, and appetite improvement during the study. Sixty-nine children completed the study. There were no differences in the demographic characteristic between the two groups. The mean weight was similar at baseline. After 30 days of intervention, the mean weight of the participants in the synbiotic group increased significantly than those in the placebo group (600 ± 37 vs. 74 ± 32 g/month P 0.000). BMI changes in synbiotic and placebo group were 0.44 and 0.07 kg/m2, and that the differences among the two groups were significant.(P 0.045) Furthermore, the height increment in synbiotic and placebo group was 0.41 and 0.37 cm respectively with no significant difference (P 0.761). Administration of 30-day synbiotic supplementation may significantly improve weight and BMI in Iranian children with mild to moderate FTT, but there is no effect on the height in this study. Further studies should be designed to found out the effect of synbiotic on growth parameters in undernourished and well-nourished children. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature
Comparison of dosimetric parameters of small-field electron beams between Advanced Markus, Semiflex 3D, and Diode E responses
Full text linkThe usage of dosimetry of small fields in radiotherapy to measure radiation dose is difficult because of high-dose gradients, lateral electronic disequilibrium, and detector volume effects. In this study, three dosimeters namely, Markus, Semiflex 3D, and Diode E were tested using the Elekta-accelerator electron beams. The electron beam parameters, penumbra, and output factor were determined using these dosimeters for each field size and energy. According to the results, Diode E and Advanced Markus exhibited the greatest difference in Rq among the electron beam parameters. Furthermore, the greatest difference in penumbra was observed between Diode E and Advanced Markus for the field size of 3 cm2 at 10 MeV. In terms of output factor, three dosimeters exhibited the greatest difference between Diode E and Advanced Markus for the field size of 3 cm2 at 10 MeV. The findings indicate that the Semiflex 3D can be regarded as an appropriate dosimeter for electron small-field dosimetry. © 2020, Japanese Society of Radiological Technology and Japan Society of Medical Physics
Measuring the dose–width product and proposing the local diagnostic reference level in panoramic dental radiography: a multi-center study from Iran
Full text linkObjective: Although radiation exposure associated with dental radiography is relatively low, patient exposure must be kept practically low. Therefore, it is necessary for each country to establish its own diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) suitable for its equipment and practice. In the present study, dose-width product (DWP) values for panoramic dental radiography were measured and a local DRL was established. Methods: Five panoramic devices from five radiology clinics of Kashan, Iran were selected to measure the DWP values of panoramic dental radiography. To investigate the DWP values, the parameters of each patient’s exposure (e.g., tube voltage, tube current, and exposure time) at these five radiology clinics were extracted. Then, the dose value received by each patient was measured based on a CT pencil chamber. Finally, the overall median DWP values for the patients with small, medium, and large sizes were obtained, and these values were considered as the local DRLs for panoramic dental radiography. Results: A total of 99 adult patients were included in the present study. The findings demonstrated that the median and third-quartile DWP values for these five radiology clinics ranged from 42.3 to 94.3 and 49.7 to 142.8 mGy mm, respectively. The local DRL values, which were established as the overall median DWP values, were 43.4, 52.0, and 80.3 mGy mm for the adults with small, medium, and large sizes, respectively. Conclusion: The local DRL proposed in this study for the adult with standard/medium size was lower than those proposed by other reports and seemed acceptable for panoramic radiography in Kashan, Iran. © 2020, Japanese Society for Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology and Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd