Effect of using different U/S probe Standoff materials in image geometry for interventional procedures : the example of prostate

PURPOSE: This study investigates the distortion of geometry of catheters and anatomy in acquired U/S images, caused by utilizing various stand-off materials for covering a transrectal bi-planar ultrasound probe in HDR and LDR prostate brachytherapy, biopsy and other interventional procedures. Furthermore, an evaluation of currently established water-bath based quality assurance (QA) procedures is presented. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Image acquisitions of an ultrasound QA setup were carried out at 5 MHz and 7 MHz. The U/S probe was covered by EA 4015 Silicone Standoff kit, or UA0059 Endocavity balloon filled either with water or one of the following: 40 ml of Endosgel(®), Instillagel(®), Ultraschall gel or Space OAR™ gel. The differences between images were recorded. Consequently, the dosimetric impact of the observed image distortion was investigated, using a tissue equivalent ultrasound prostate phantom - Model number 053 (CIRS Inc., Norfolk, VA, USA). RESULTS: By using the EA 4015 Silicone Standoff kit in normal water with sound speed of 1525 m/s, a 3 mm needle shift was observed. The expansion of objects appeared in radial direction. The shift deforms also the PTV (prostate in our case) and other organs at risk (OARs) in the same way leading to overestimation of volume and underestimation of the dose. On the other hand, Instillagel(®) and Space OAR™ "shrinks" objects in an ultrasound image for 0.65 mm and 0.40 mm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The use of EA 4015 Silicone Standoff kit for image acquisition, leads to erroneous contouring of PTV and OARs and reconstruction and placement of catheters, which results to incorrect dose calculation during prostate brachytherapy. Moreover, the reliability of QA procedures lies mostly in the right temperature of the water used for accurate simulation of real conditions of transrectal ultrasound imaging

SELF-EFFICACY AND SPORTS: PERCEPTION OF PUNJAB UNIVERSITY ATHLETES

Self-efficacy is a person's judgment about being able to perform a particular task. It's a student’s belief on his/her capabilities to perform a particular activity. It is not necessary that if a person has a high self-efficacy in a certain area then he will have the same in other. Self-efficacy varies from person to person or task to task. Self-efficacy theory originated from social cognitive theory of Albert Bandura(1995), i.e. "The belief in one’scompetencies to execute the courses of action required to manageprobablecircumstances".It can also be said that it is the belief of a person that he can perform in a certain manner to achieve a certain goal. These beliefs are factors of how people think, behave and feel (Bandura, 1994).

SPORTS AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING: PERCEPTION OF UNIVERSITIES’ PLAYERS

The purpose of the games and sports is to create a friendly and healthy environment for our up-to-the-minute generation and youth. It also helps the people to enhance their patience and control, and their mind-set toward other peoples of the society. Sports teach how to show tolerance and how to switch aggression. This study was quantitative in nature. In this research, population was students of the University of the Punjab. In this study researcher collected data through survey method and research instrument was rating scale. Statistical analysis showed that most of the players approved that sports promote the positive effects regarding social well-being

2-Azido-1-(4-methyl­phen­yl)ethanone

In the mol­ecule of the title compound, C9H9N3O, the angle formed by the least-squares line through the azide group with the normal to the plane of the benzene plane ring is 46.62 (16)°. The crystal structure features C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, which link the mol­ecules into zigzag chains running parallel to [010]

Academic Stress Levels in Annual & Semester System: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study on Students of Physiotherapy in Lahore, Pakistan

Physical Therapy in Pakistan has not yet been considered amongst the reputed professions due to the lack of awareness among the public. This being the very reason of the higher stress among the students studying physiotherapy is kept under consideration in this study. The main purpose of this study was to determine if the students of Annual system endure stress levels higher than those of Semester system. Also the aim was to determine which assessment system was more conducive for an effective learning & to acknowledge the major stressors among the DPT students along with their coping strategies. This study was a Comparative Cross-Sectional Study conducted in duration of 8 months. Data was collected from both male and female students of DPT who had completed 50% of their credit hours of the curriculum. The sample size calculated was found to be 343 (n=343). Exposure assessment included the International Stress Questionnaire which is most commonly used instrument for the evaluation of stress levels among students. The International Stress Questionnaire was administered into a group of 70 students from Public and Private Institutes for validation purpose. Thus 560 questionnaires were distributed among students amongst which only 384 were fully completed and thus included for the statistical analysis. Mean age of the students was found to be 21±1.34 years. Amongst 384 students, 292 were females and 92 were males.190 students were from Annual system i.e. Pass/Fail system and 194 had GPA system as their assessment system. Interpretations were done according to the standard way i.e. a score of 4 or less was supposed to be mild, 5-13 was moderate and 14 or more was severe. Amongst those from Annual system, 17 had mild, 139 had moderate and 34 had severe stress. Amongst 194 students from GPA system, 122 had mild and 72 had moderate stress whereas none of those reported to fall in the category of severe stress. Independent t test was applied to identify if there were significant differences between the two groups and the p value was found to be 0.00 i.e. highly significant. A forum should be developed to register all the students enrolled in Doctor of Physiotherapy every year encompassing all Institutes to prevent the biasness due to non-probability sampling method used to recruit sample

2-Azido-1-(4-nitro­phen­yl)ethanone

In the title compound, C8H6N4O3, the ketone [C—C(=O)—C] and nitro groups are tilted with respect to the benzene ring by 18.92 (6) and 24.11 (15)°, respectively. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked into inter­woven chains running parallel to the [100] direction by C—H⋯N hydrogen bonds and weak π–π stacking inter­actions, with centroid–centroid separations of 3.897 (3) Å

Economic Aspect of Conflict Transformation in Balochistan (2001-2008)

Economic development tends to bring stability in conflict ridden areas and mostly acts as a prescription for political stability and sustainability. In this context, Balochistan is one such study which implicates that deprivation and economic backwardness have been key players in intensifying conflict within and between the federal and provincial governments. Relative economic deprivation in Balochistan has become one of the root causes of conflict in the area. This study would focuses on developmental projects introduced by President General Pervez Musharraf in 2005 to pacify the intensity of insurgency in Balochista

Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Psychiatric Disorders in Pakistan: A Case Control Study

Background. The psychiatric disorders like anxiety and depression could have a profound influence on onset, expression, and course of Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Aim. To estimate the frequency and strength of association of common mental disorders (CMDs) in patients with IBS and patients with other chronic diseases, that is, migraine and hypertension. Method. This was a case control study. Individuals aged 18–70 years diagnosed as IBS were enrolled as cases. The control groups consisted of patients without IBS but diagnosed to have a chronic disease, that is, migraine or HTN. Self-Reporting Questonnaire-20(SRQ-20) was used as a screening tool for the detection of CMD. Results. 82 patients were enrolled in each group. Mean SRQ score was significantly higher in IBS group than controls (9.9 ± 4.5 versus 4.9 ± 3.6, P < 0.001). CMDs were more frequent (67.1% versus 22%) and the odds of CMD were 7.24 times higher among IBS patients than controls (95% CI 3.6–14.5, P < 0.001). No difference was found in frequency of CMDs among various subtypes of IBS. Conclusion. We found that CMDs are more common and strongly associated with IBS as compared to other chronic diseases. Early screening for CMDs might be useful for an effective management of IBS

N-(Benzothia­zol-2-yl)butyramide

The title compound, C11H12N2OS, was synthesized from 2-amino­benzothia­zole and butanoyl chloride in anhydrous acetone. In the crystal structure, mol­ecules are linked by N—H⋯N and C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and by C—H⋯π inter­actions