Clinicians' evaluations of, endorsements of, and intentions to use practice guidelines change over time: a retrospective analysis from an organized guideline program

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Purpose</p> <p>Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) can improve clinical care but uptake and application are inconsistent. Objectives were: to examine temporal trends in clinicians' evaluations of, endorsements of, and intentions to use cancer CPGs developed by an established CPG program; and to evaluate how predictor variables (clinician characteristics, beliefs, and attitudes) are associated with these trends.</p> <p>Design and methods</p> <p>Between 1999 and 2005, 756 clinicians evaluated 84 Cancer Care Ontario CPGs, yielding 4,091 surveys that targeted four CPG quality domains (rigour, applicability, acceptability, and comparative value), clinicians' endorsement levels, and clinicians' intentions to use CPGs in practice.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Time: In contrast to the applicability and intention to use in practice scores, there were small but statistically significant annual net gains in ratings for rigour, acceptability, comparative value, and CPG endorsement measures (p < 0.05 for all rating categories). Predictors: In 17 comparisons, ratings were significantly higher among clinicians having the most favourable beliefs and most positive attitudes and lowest for those having the least favourable beliefs and most negative attitudes (p < 0.05). Interactions Time × Predictors: Over time, differences in outcomes among clinicians decreased due to positive net gains in scores by clinicians whose beliefs and attitudes were least favorable.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Individual differences among clinicians largely explain variances in outcomes measured. Continued engagement of clinicians least receptive to CPGs may be worthwhile because they are the ones showing most significant gains in CPG quality ratings, endorsement ratings, and intentions to use in practice ratings.</p

Improvement of wheat yield grown under drought stress by boron foliar application at different growth stages

Two field experiments were conducted to determine the effect of boron foliar application and water stress on yield of wheat plant grown in calcareous soil during 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 seasons. The highest mean values obtained against boron application time were potential contributor to total grains mass by improving the plant height (99.42 and 98.32 cm), spike length (11.86 and 11.72 cm), number of spikelets m−2 (332.65 and 324.35), grain yield plant−1 (21.56 and 20.26 g), 1000-grain weight (35.2 and 37.4 g) and grain yield (1.87 and 1.85 ton fed.−1), which were recorded at normal irrigation level (100% from the amount of water consumption for wheat) with boron spraying at booting stage (B1) in the first and second seasons, respectively. Furthermore, boron application significantly enhanced all studied growth traits under water stress levels (50% from the amount of water consumption for wheat) compared to B-untreated plants. Boron spraying at booting stage enhances also plant pigments contents recording its highest mean values under normal water level (100% from the amount of water consumption for wheat). The reduction in stress markers (proline and H2O2) and the enhancement of plant pigments content under water stress levels (50% from the amount of water consumption for wheat) by B spraying suggests an alleviating effect of boron foliar application to water stress in the test plant. This alleviating effect was more pronounced when B applied at booting stage. Therefore, booting stage was found to be the best time for boron application to get higher grains production and consequently, better economic returns of wheat. Keywords: Wheat, Growth stages, Boron application time, Water stress, Crop yield, Plant pigments, Proline, H2O

ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL, ANTITUMOR ACTIVITY AND PHENOLIC PROFILE OF PHOENIX DACTYLIFERA LINN

Objective: Phoenix dactylifera Linn (Fam.: arecaceae)or date fruits are commercial crops that notarized in holy quran. 70% aqueous MeOH extract of the fruits led to isolation of six compounds; its chemical structures were determined as, β-sitosterol (1), caffeic acid (2), ferulic acid (3), protocatechuic acid (4), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (5) and luteolin (6).Methods: The accurately weighed date fruits were washed, sliced and socked freshly in 70% methanol then exhaustively extracted under reflux for about 2 w and filtered, then fractionated by different solvent; finaly the butanol extract evaporated and fractionated on a polyamide glass column. Using Sephadex LH-20 column to purify the compounds obtained. In our preliminary study, the extracts and compounds were subjected to in vitro cytotoxicity against HepG2 cell line through the MTT assay and the antioxidant potential of the extracts and pure compounds were assayed through in vitro model using (DPPH) and phosphomolybdenum assays.Results: Compounds 2 and 3 exhibited promising antitumor activity with IC50 values of 6 and 10 μg/ml, respectively. Moreover compounds 1, 4, 5 and 6 showed cytotoxic activity with IC50 values of 13, 15, 21 and 35 μg/ml, respectively. The antioxidant potential of the compounds showed the inhibition percentage values (SC50) ranged from 4.36 to 10.25 μg/ml, while the total antioxidant capacity ranged from (583.66 to 702.00 mg AAE/g compound).Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that; dates constituents are powerful as antioxidant and antitumor; hence it is the best potential for pharmaceutical applications