Knowledge, Practice and Self-Efficacy in Evidence-Based Practice among Midwives in East Iran

Objectives: The successful implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) can lead to appropriate and effective midwifery care during pregnancy, childbirth and in the postnatal period. However, levels of knowledge and confidence in one’s ability to apply EBP are related to its effective implementation. This study aimed to investigate levels of knowledge, practice of and self-efficacy towards the use of EBP among midwives in East Iran.Methods: This cross-sectional study took place between January and February 2016 and involved 98 midwives employed at two hospitals and all four urban health care centres in Torbat-e Heydariyeh, Iran. Two subscales of the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire were used to assess participants’ knowledge and practice of EBP, respectively, while a modified version of a previously described scale was used to determine self-efficacy. Results: A total of 76 midwives participated in the study (response rate: 77.6%). Mean knowledge, practice and self-efficacy scores were 4.48 ± 0.94, 3.53 ± 0.68 and 2.80 ± 0.81, respectively. Significant relationships were found between mean selfefficacy, practice and knowledge scores and proficiency in English language (P = 0.001 each) and statistical methods (P <0.050 each). Additionally, significant relationships were found between knowledge and practice of EBP and proficiency in the use of databases (P <0.050 each). Knowledge and self-efficacy scores were significantly correlated with practice (P = 0.001 each). Conclusion: These findings demonstrate a need for improvement in the self-efficacy, practice and knowledge of EBP among midwives in East Iran. Interventions that promote these factors may help increase the use of EBP in this population

Isolation and genetic fingerprinting of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Iranian patients with cystic fibrosis using RAPD-PCR

Abstract Sixty four Iranian patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) wer

Differential roles of brain oscillations in numerical processing: evidence from resting-state EEG and mental number line

Recent works point to the importance of emotions in special-numerical associations. There remains a notable gap in understanding the electrophysiological underpinnings of such associations. Exploring resting-state (rs) EEG, particularly in frontal regions, could elucidate emotional aspects, while other EEG measures might offer insights into the cognitive dimensions correlating with behavioral performance. The present work investigated the relationship between rs-EEG measures (emotional and cognitive traits) and performance in the mental number line (MNL). EEG activity in theta (3–7 Hz), alpha (8–12 Hz, further subdivided into low-alpha and high-alpha), sensorimotor rhythm (SMR, 13–15 Hz), beta (16–25 Hz), and high-beta/gamma (28–40 Hz) bands was assessed. 76 university students participated in the study, undergoing EEG recordings at rest before engaging in a computerized number-to-position (CNP) task. Analysis revealed significant associations between frontal asymmetry, specific EEG frequencies, and MNL performance metrics (i.e., mean direction bias, mean absolute error, and mean reaction time). Notably, theta and beta asymmetries correlated with direction bias, while alpha peak frequency (APF) and beta activity related to absolute errors in numerical estimation. Moreover, the study identified significant correlations between relative amplitude indices (i.e., theta/beta ratio, theta/SMR ratio) and both absolute errors and reaction times (RTs). Our findings offer novel insights into the emotional and cognitive aspects of EEG patterns and their links to MNL performance

Knowledge, Practice and Self-Efficacy in Evidence-Based Practice among Midwives in East Iran

Objectives: The successful implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP) can lead to appropriate and effective midwifery care during pregnancy, childbirth and in the postnatal period. However, levels of knowledge and confidence in one’s ability to apply EBP are related to its effective implementation. This study aimed to investigate levels of knowledge, practice of and self-efficacy towards the use of EBP among midwives in East Iran.Methods: This cross-sectional study took place between January and February 2016 and involved 98 midwives employed at two hospitals and all four urban health care centres in Torbat-e Heydariyeh, Iran. Two subscales of the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire were used to assess participants’ knowledge and practice of EBP, respectively, while a modified version of a previously described scale was used to determine self-efficacy. Results: A total of 76 midwives participated in the study (response rate: 77.6%). Mean knowledge, practice and self-efficacy scores were 4.48 ± 0.94, 3.53 ± 0.68 and 2.80 ± 0.81, respectively. Significant relationships were found between mean selfefficacy, practice and knowledge scores and proficiency in English language (P = 0.001 each) and statistical methods (P <0.050 each). Additionally, significant relationships were found between knowledge and practice of EBP and proficiency in the use of databases (P <0.050 each). Knowledge and self-efficacy scores were significantly correlated with practice (P = 0.001 each). Conclusion: These findings demonstrate a need for improvement in the self-efficacy, practice and knowledge of EBP among midwives in East Iran. Interventions that promote these factors may help increase the use of EBP in this population

HPV DNA integration site as proof of the origin of ovarian metastasis from endocervical adenocarcinoma: three case reports

International audienceBACKGROUND:Most endocervical adenocarcinomas are human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers associated with p16 immunostaining. Ovarian metastasis from cervical cancer is a rare phenomenon, the mechanism of dissemination remains unclear. The diagnosis of metastasis may be difficult to establish when the ovarian neoplasm presents features consistent with primary tumor. Immunohistochemical expression of p16 in ovarian tumors can guide the diagnosis of metastasis from HPV-related cervical cancer, but p16 positivity is nonspecific. Identical HPV genotype in the paired endocervical and ovarian tumors is a better marker for cervical origin, which may also be confirmed by identical HPV integration site.CASE PRESENTATION:Two women presented with HPV18 cervical adenocarcinoma. No signs of disease were visible on MRI after treatment. After several years of follow-up, mucinous ovarian tumors were discovered in both patients. Molecular analyses showed that the ovarian lesions were HPV18-positive; indicating a primary cervical origin. A third woman was diagnosed with grade 1 ovarian endometrioid carcinoma with no peritoneal carcinomatosis. Final histological examination and HPV genotyping revealed HPV18-related in situ endometrioid adenocarcinoma in the endocervix and HPV18-related invasive endometrioid adenocarcinoma in the endometrium and both ovaries. Additional molecular analyses performed in two patients identified the same HPV integration sites in both the ovarian and cervical tumors, confirming that the ovarian mass was a metastasis from the cervical adenocarcinoma.CONCLUSION:We report three new cases of ovarian neoplasia in which the diagnosis of metastasis from cervical cancer was supported by the same HPV genotype and the same integration site in the paired cervical and ovarian tumors. To our knowledge, this is the first report of molecular evidence of the cervical origin of an ovarian metastasis. HPV screening should be performed in ovarian tumors for all patients with history of cervical neoplasia