Pamphlet as a tool for continuing medical education: Performance assessment in a randomized controlled interventional study

Background: Pamphlet is a tool used for distance continuous professional development programs. In this study, we assessed the impact of an educational pamphlet on improving prescription writing errors in general physicians' performance. Methods: In this randomized controlled interventional study, we prepared a training pamphlet according to the most prevalent prescription writing problems. We randomized 200 participants among general physicians affiliated with Tehran Social Security Insurance Organization, and randomly divided them into intervention and control groups. Participants' prescriptions (N= 34888) were investigated over a month, and then the prepared pamphlet was sent out to the participants in the intervention group. After three months we examined their one-month prescriptions again (N= 30296) and investigated the changes in prescription errors. Results: There was no significant difference in the mean number of prescriptions in two groups before and after intervention (p= 0.076). Mean number of medicinal items reduced significantly in intervention group. Also mean number of prescriptions including injection drugs (p= 0.024), Corticosteroids (p= 0.036), Cephalosporin (p= 0.017) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (p=0.005) reduced significantly. No significant differences were found for other errors. Conclusion: This study showed that use of an appropriate pamphlet has a considerable impact on improving general physicians' performance and could be applied for continuous professional development

Short communication: Play-based occupational therapy for hospitalized children with cancer: A short communication

The benefits of play-based occupational therapy for hospitalized children with cancer warrant further exploration. Pediatric cancer disease symptoms, complications from treatment, and multiple and prolonged hospitalizations restrict participation in the daily activities of a child's life. However, occupational therapy services in pediatric oncology are limited because of the disease nature, treatment complications, hospital environment, and unclear playbased occupational therapy frame. For this purpose, we decided to introduce the process of occupational therapy in such children, using the play-based approach by reviewing the current literature. Considering limitations and problems in hospitalized children with cancer, it seems that controlling symptoms, facilitating independent doing of daily activities, improving the Quality of Life (QoL), and making hospital environment more acceptable are more accessible, using the play-based approach compared with other traditional interventions. © 2020 University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences

Cigarette smoking and occupational noise-induced hearing loss

Background: Noise is the most common occupational hazard. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a known occupational disease. The economic costs of NIHL have been estimated to be billions of dollars. Besides, cigarette smoking is a common habit worldwide. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, we surveyed the effect of smoking on NIHL in 504 workers in a large wagon manufacturing company exposed to noise >85 dBA. All required data were obtained using direct interview and questionnaires. To determine noise exposure level, we used industrial hygienist's reports of sound level measurements. A qualified audiologist assessed hearing status using standardized audiometric examination. Results: We concluded that the frequency of hearing loss in smokers was higher than non-smokers based on Model 1: odds ratio (OR) = 9.35, 95 confidence interval (CI) = 5.74-15.22 and P-value < 0.001; and based on Model 2: OR = 9.06, 95 CI = 5.93-13.84 and P-value < 0.001. Besides, these results were confirmed by logistic regression statistical method. Conclusions: It can be concluded that smoking may accelerate NIHL, but for confirming this opinion, further studies are warranted. © 2009 The Author. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved

Adaptation, growth and survival of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in Bafgh brackish water

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the possibility of adaptation, growth and survival of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with 0.3g initial weight and red tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) with 0.7g initial weight in underground brackish water. Fry of Nile tilapia and red tilapia imported from Indonesia and after passing larviculture (25g) were examined separately in fiber glass tank by two replicate. Fish were fed at a restricted feeding program according to standard table during the light period. The results showed that some growth factors such as final weight, final length, daily growth rate, specific growth rate and weight gain in Nile tilapia were slightly higher than red tilapia but other factors such as survival and feed conversion rate in red tilapia were slightly higher than Nile tilapia. There were no significantly differences at 99% level among these factors. Length-weight relationship equation was w = 0.012×TL3.189 in Nile tilapia and w = 0.014×TL3.119 in red tilapia (r2 = 0.99), b value were 3.189 and 3.119 respectively in Nile and red tilapia representing isometric growth. According to the reliable growth and high survival rate (98%), it seems that both Nile and red tilapia could be good candidates for rearing in brackish water condition

General regression neural network (GRNN) for the first crack analysis prediction of strengthened RC one-way slab by CFRP

In this study, six strengthened RC one-way slabs with different lengths and thicknesses of CFRP were tested and compared with a similar RC slab without CFRP. The dimensions of the slabs were1800 x 400 x 120 mm and the lengths of CFRP used were 700, 1100, and 1500 mm, with different thicknesses of 1.2 and 1.8 mm. The results of the experimental operation for the first crack were used to generate general regression neural networks (GRNNs). Concerning the limited data for training and testing, the different data were extracted seven times for use as training and testing data. In this case, the optimum run was evaluated and compared with the experimental results. The results indicate that the amount of MSE and RMSE was acceptable and the correlation coefficient was close to 1

Tinidazol antibiotic degradation in aqueous solution by zero valent iron nanoparticles and hydrogen peroxide in the presence of ultrasound radiation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficiency removal of the antibiotic Tinidazol by hybrid system of ultrasonic/nZVI/H₂O₂ (US/nZVI/H₂O₂) in aquatic environment. It examined the effect of variables such as concentration of antibiotic, nZVI and H₂O₂, frequency of US and pH. Also the performance of system in removal of COD and electrical energy consumed by the ultrasonic bath was investigated. Findings showed the best efficiency (93 %) for system in pH 3, concentration hydrogen peroxide of 1M, amount of 0,2 g of zero valent iron nanoparticles and 130 kHz radiation frequency. According to the results US/nZVI/H₂O₂ method can be good performance in removal of antibiotics Tinidazol and similar pollutants

Assessment of groundwater quality and evaluation of scaling and corrosiveness potential of drinking water samples in villages of Chabahr city, Sistan and Baluchistan province in Iran

The aims of this study were to assess and analysis of drinking water quality of Chabahar villages in Sistan and Baluchistan province by water quality index (WQI) and to investigate the water stability in subjected area. The results illustrated that the average values of LSI, RSI, PSI, LS, and AI was 0.5 (±0.34), 6.76 (±0.6), 6.50 (±0.99), 2.71 (±1.59), and 12.63 (±0.34), respectively. The calculation of WQI for groundwater samples indicated that 25 of the samples could be considered as excellent water, 50 of the samples were classified as good water category and 25 of the samples showed poor water category. © 2017 The Author

Improvement of black tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) diets with replacement of low-cost, native materials

Fish meal production has been fixed in the world because of a limitation in fish stocks. On the other hand, demand of fish meal is growing daily and consequent the cost, too. Therefore, attention to the other protein sources is nessesary. Some plant protein sources, especially oilseeds, have valuable potentials for replacing fish meal because of relative high production in the world and Iran and low cost. According to existing information and availability, cottonseed meal and canola meal were selected as oilseeds; and Azolla was considered whether to be controlled in north provinces of Iran as weed. Growth indices (WG and SGR), food (FCR) and protein efficiency (PER and PCE) of fingerling Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus were evaluated in 3 synchronous examinations with 12 treatments and 36 replications. Groups of control, canola meal (at rates of 25, 50, 75 and 100%), cottonseed meal (at rates of 15, 25, 35 and 45%), as the replacements of expensive protein sources (fish meal and soybean meal), and azolla (at rates of 13, 21 and 29% of diet) were studied. Growth indices, total food intake and protein intake of control group were higher than all diets contained plant protein sources. They decreased with plant protein increasing in every grous, separagely (p0.05) between control and canola meal (at rates of 25 and 50%), cottonseed meal (at rates of 15, 25 and 35%) and azolla (at rates of 13 and 21%). All plant protein ingredients were unpalatable, and consequent total food intake, protein consumption and growth decreased. It will be expected that Canola meal and cottonseed meal replace expensive protein sources at the rates of 50 and 35% respectively, and azolla use at the rate of 21% in diets If the problem in palatability solves

Correction to: Isolated Human and Livestock Echinococcus granulosus Genotypes Using Real-Time PCR of cox1 Gene in Northeast Iran (Acta Parasitologica, (2019), 64, 3, (679-685), 10.2478/s11686-019-00117-w)

Unfortunately, the affiliation of Majid Fasihi-Harandi needs to be edited. The correct affiliation is Research Center for Hydatid Disease in Iran, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

Evaluation of NPP1 as a novel biomarker of coronary artery disease: A pilot study in human beings

Purpose: Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is utilized as an important tool for global risk assessment of cardiovascular events in individuals with intermediate risk. Ecto phosphodiesterase/nucleotide phosphohydrolase-1(ENPP1) converts extracellular nucleotides into inorganic pyrophosphate and it is a key regulator of tissue calcification that adjusts calcification in tissues like vascular smooth muscle cells. The main purpose of this clinical study was to find out the correlation between ENPP1 serum concentration and CAC in human for the first time. Methods: In this study 83 patients (16 diabetic patients and 67 non-diabetic patients) with coronary artery disease who fulfilled inclusion and exclusion criteria, entered the study. For all patients a questionnaire consisting demographic data and traditional cardiovascular risk factors were completed. Computed tomography (CT)-Angiography was carried out to determine coronary artery calcium score and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used for measuring ENPP1 serum concentrations. Results: There was a reverse significant correlation between ENPP1 serum concentration and total CAC score and also CAC of right coronary artery (RCA) (P < 0.05) in non-diabetic patients. Conclusion: On the basis of our results, ENPP1 serum concentration may be a suitable biomarker for coronary artery disease at least in non-diabetic patients. However, more studies with higher sample size are necessary for its confirmation. © 2018 The Authors