Effectiveness of Structured Nursing Teaching Program on Outcomes of Chronic Low Back Pain Patients Undergoing Radiofrequency Ablation

Background: Chronic low back pain is a full disorder that considers an important health problem. Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of structured teaching program on outcomes of chronic low back pain patients undergoing radiofrequency ablation. Methods: A quasi-experimental research design has been utilized. Setting: Anesthesia and pain management department at the main Assiut University Hospital. Sample: Sixty low back pain patients undergoing radiofrequency ablation. They were randomly assigned in two groups of 30 patients each. Tools: three tools were utilized: Tool I: Structured interview patients' questionnaire. Tool II: Visual analogue pain scale and Tool III: "Modified Oswestry low back pain disability questionnaire" in addition, structured nursing teaching program. Results: More than half (53.3%) of the case group their age was from 18 to < 55 years, and the rest of them (46.7%) were older adults aged 55 years and more. 80% of the case group had good knowledge post implementation of the program. (100%) of the case group had worst pain intensity level which decrease to (46.7%) post program. 40% of case group had sever disability, which decreased to 30% post implementation of the program. there were significant relation between pain analogue scale and Oswestry low back pain disability scale in pre and post structured nursing teaching program regarding to occupation Conclusion: Structured nursing teaching program had an effective strategy to improve the patients’ outcomes through increasing patients' knowledge, and decreasing both pain intensity and physical disability in the case group versus the control group. Recommendation: Supervised structured teaching program should be carried out for all patients undergoing radiofrequency ablation about pre-and post-procedure instructions and helpful hints for a healthy back when standing, walking, sitting, sleeping, and lifting. Keywords: Chronic low back pain, Radiofrequency ablation, structured nursing teaching program. DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/65-08 Publication date: August 31st 201

AN INTELLIGENT GPS/INS INTEGRATED SYSTEM USING CO-ACTIVE NEURO-FUZZY INFERENCE SYSTEM (CANFIS)

The Global Positioning System (GPS) and Inertial Navigation System (INS) have complementary operational characteristics. To have the benefits of these systems and to overcome their disadvantages, GPS and INS are integrated together to provide accurate position, velocity, and attitude. In this paper, a novel technique based on Co-active Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (CANFIS) is proposed to implement GPS/MEMS-INS integration. The proposed CANFIS is constructed of the neural network adaptive capabilities and the fuzzy logic qualitative approach. The performance of the CANFIS is examined. In fact, this is extremely difficult to achieve if the Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems (MEMS) based inertial sensors are involved in the integrated INS/GPS system due to their relatively high measurement noise. CANFIS is used to model the operation of the MEMS sensors so as to reduce the integrated system’s errors. Experimental results were reached and are outlined in this paper. The results of the study are highly promising and suggest that CANFIS modeling is a more flexible and enhanced alternative to the corresponding conventional models approach in combating MEMS error

Humic Acid-Coated Fe₃O₄ Nanoparticles Confer Resistance to Acremonium Wilt Disease and Improve Physiological and Morphological Attributes of Grain Sorghum

Acremonium wilt disease affects grain quality and reduces sorghum yield around the globe. The present study aimed to assess the efficacy of humic acid (HA)-coated Fe3O4 (Fe3O4/HA) nanoparticles (NPs) in controlling acremonium wilt disease and improving sorghum growth and yields. During the season 2019, twenty-one sorghum genotypes were screened to assess their response to Acremonium striticum via artificial infection under field conditions and each genotype was assigned to one of six groups, ranging from highly susceptible to highly resistant. Subsequently, over the two successive seasons 2020 and 2021, three different concentrations of 10, 40 and 80 mg L−1 of Fe3O4/HA NPs were tested against A. striticum. The concentrations of 40 and 80 mg L−1 were found to be highly effective in controlling acremonium wilt disease on different sorghum genotypes: LG1 (highly susceptible), Giza-3 (susceptible), and Local 119 (resistant) genotypes. After harvest, the physiological (growth and yield) and biochemical (peroxidase, catalase, and gibberellic acid) attributes of sorghum plants were determined, and the results demonstrated that concentrations of 40 and 80 mg L−1 increased peroxidase and catalase activities in healthy (uninoculated) sorghum genotypes compared to inoculated sorghum genotypes. Additionally, the toxicity of Fe3O4/HA NPs on male albino rats was investigated via hematological (CBC), chemical (ALT and AST) and histopathological analyses. The concentration 80 mg L−1 of Fe3O4/HA NPs caused a marked increase in ALT and creatinine level after 51 days of feeding. Severe pathological alterations were also observed in liver and kidney tissues of rats administered with grain sorghums treated with 80 mg L−1. In comparison with the untreated control plants, a concentration of 40 mg L−1 significantly increased the growth, yield and gibberellic acid levels (p ≤ 0.05) and was found to be safe in male albino rats. Conclusively, a concentration of 40 mg L−1 of Fe3O4/HA NPs showed promising results in curtailing A. striticum infections in sorghum, indicating its great potential to substitute harmful fertilizers and fungicides as a smart agriculture strategy