The frequency of HBeAg and relation with serum level of aminotransferase in chronic hepatitis B

زمینه و هدف: ویروس هپاتیت B (HBV) شایع ترین علت بیماری کبدی حاد و مزمن در جهان به شمار می رود. در افراد ناقل HBV می بایست وضعیت تکثیر ویروسی با استفاده از مارکرهای مناسب از جمله HbeAg مورد بررسی قرار گیرد تا در صورت مثبت بودن و همچنین بالا بودن آنزیم های کبدی افراد مبتلا به هپاتیت مزمن شناسایی شده و سپس تحت درمان قرار گیرند. لذا این مطالعه با هدف تعیین فراوانی مارکر HBeAg و ارتباط آن با سطح ترانس آمینازهای کبدی در افراد HBsAg مثبت انجام گرفت. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه توصیفی – تحلیلی 144 فرد آلوده به ویروس هپاتیت B در مراجعین به بیمارستان امام رضا(ع) شهر مشهد در سال 1385 انتخاب و سپس در سرم این افراد، HBeAg و آنزیم های کبدی با روش الایزا و تست های بیوشیمیایی اندازه گیری شدند. داده ها با استفاده از آزمون های آماری من ویتنی و کای دو تجزیه و تحلیل شد. یافته ها: فراوانی افراد 94 نفر مذکر و 50 نفر مونث بود. این افراد در محدوده سنی 85-2 با میانگین 3/2±4/37 سال قرار داشتند. 18 (26 نفر) دارای HBeAg در سرم بودند. میانگین آنزیم آسپارتات آمینو ترانسفراز (AST) در گروه HBeAg مثبت IU/L 83 و در گروه HBeAg منفی IU/L 2/56 بود (01/0

The Effect of Self-Management Educational Program on Pain Intensity in Elderly Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis is one of the chronic diseases that greatly affect the health and life quality of individuals.AIM: This study aimed to determine the effect of self-management educational program on the pain intensity of the elderly patients with knee osteoarthritis.METHODS: In a randomised clinical trial, a total of 82 elderly patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received six sessions of self-management group education, while the control group received only the routine care during this period. In both groups, patients’ pain intensity, with a visual analogue scale (VAS), were assessed before, immediately after and eight weeks after the start of the study.RESULTS: The mean pain intensity scores of the intervention and control groups were not significantly different before the intervention (P = 0.9), but after the intervention, the mean pain intensity score in the intervention group (3.61 ± 2.36) was significantly lower than that of the control group (4.93 ± 2.00), (P < 0.0001).CONCLUSION: Implementation of a self-management program for the patients with knee osteoarthritis is useful in reducing their pain intensity and can be used as one of the effective methods for their empowerment

Inductive and Deductive: Ambiguous Labels in Qualitative Content Analysis

The propounded dualism in Content Analysis as quantitative and qualitative approaches is widely supported and justified in nursing literature. Nevertheless, another sort of dualism is proposed for Qualitative Content Analysis, suggesting the adoption of inductive and/or deductive approaches in the process of qualitative data analysis. These approaches have been referred and labelled as inductive or conventional ; and deductive or directed content analysis in the literature. Authors argue that these labels could be fallacious, and may lead to ambiguity; as in effect, both approaches are employed with different dominancy during the process of any Qualitative Content Analysis. Thus, authors suggest more expressive, comprehensive, yet simple labels for this method of qualitative data analysis

Directed qualitative content analysis: the description and elaboration of its underpinning methods and data analysis process

Author's accepted version (post-print).Qualitative content analysis consists of conventional, directed and summative approaches for data analysis. They are used for provision of descriptive knowledge and understandings of the phenomenon under study. However, the method underpinning directed qualitative content analysis is insufficiently delineated in international literature. This paper aims to describe and integrate the process of data analysis in directed qualitative content analysis. Various international databases were used to retrieve articles related to directed qualitative content analysis. A review of literature led to the integration and elaboration of a stepwise method of data analysis for directed qualitative content analysis. The proposed 16-step method of data analysis in this paper is a detailed description of analytical steps to be taken in directed qualitative content analysis that covers the current gap of knowledge in international literature regarding the practical process of qualitative data analysis. An example of “the resuscitation team members' motivation for cardiopulmonary resuscitation” based on Victor Vroom's expectancy theory is also presented. The directed qualitative content analysis method proposed in this paper is a reliable, transparent, and comprehensive method for qualitative researchers. It can increase the rigour of qualitative data analysis, make the comparison of the findings of different studies possible and yield practical results.acceptedVersio

Inductive and Deductive: Ambiguous Labels in Qualitative Content Analysis

Abstract The propounded dualism in Content Analysis as quantitative and qualitative approaches is widely supported and justified in nursing literature. Nevertheless, another sort of dualism is proposed for Qualitative Content Analysis, suggesting the adoption of "inductive" and/or "deductive" approaches in the process of qualitative data analysis. These approaches have been referred and labelled as "inductive" or "conventional"; and "deductive" or "directed" content analysis in the literature. Authors argue that these labels could be fallacious, and may lead to ambiguity; as in effect, both approaches are employed with different dominancy during the process of any Qualitative Content Analysis. Thus, authors suggest more expressive, comprehensive, yet simple labels for this method of qualitative data analysis

Using WebQuest in Medical Education

Introduction: Today modern teaching and learning approaches in medical education have received considerable attention. This paper aims to introduce WebQuest as a new method of inquiry-based learning through the use of Internet. Also its application in medical sciences education in general, and especially nursing education is explained. Methods: To find articles related to the WebQuest topic, the popular databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, Nursing Consult, CINAHL, Web of Knowledge were searched using WebQuest related keywords. Very few medical articles were found, and there was no research article published in Iran. Results: WebQuest is a new method of student-centered, inquiry-based learning which uses computer technology to engage and motivate students individually or collaboratively in exploring, analyzing, and synthesizing data to construct a new understanding or meaning. WebQuests, as a student-centered activity, enhance and facilitate higher order cognitive skills, including analysis, synthesis, evaluation and judgment, critical thinking. They also cultivate students’ exploratory and problem solving mentality. Based on constructivist learning theory and inquiry learning, WebQuests involve learners in collaborative learning process and group projects. There is a strong link between WebQuests and multi-media techniques which provide significant opportunity for utilizing internet resources in teaching and learning experiences. Conclusion: It seems the concept of WebQuest is still less known both general and higher education, and particularly in medical education in Iran. Introducing this method in medical education which is based on new approaches of teaching and learning processes can provide a different view and encourage students to learn more effectively, deeply, and indelibly

Impact of learning environment on reading anxiety: a study of medical students in online and traditional settings

Abstract Reading anxiety is a common issue experienced by students in different learning settings. This study compares reading anxiety among medical students in online and face-to-face learning environments. A group of 70 first-year medical students of different genders participated in General English courses during the 2021–2022 academic year at North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences. The students, with an average age of 22, were selected based on their performance on the Oxford Placement Test. They were then randomly assigned to either the control group (receiving face-to-face instruction) or the experimental group (receiving online instruction). Before the sessions, both groups took the EFL Reading Anxiety Inventory (EFLRAI) as a pre-test. The experimental group used the Sama Live App platform for online instruction, while the control group had traditional face-to-face instruction. Following six sessions, students from both groups completed the EFLRAI as a post-test. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software, revealing that the face-to-face group had higher mean reading anxiety levels compared to the online group. The results indicate that participants generally see technology as a beneficial tool for enhancing collaboration with their peers