BACKGROUND: Sexual changes in breast cancer occur after diagnosis and treatment, including a mastectomy. Sexual assertiveness is an effective factor in sexual satisfaction, which means the ability to convey sexual feelings, beliefs, and thoughts. Given the limited studies on sexual assertiveness in breast cancer and different client participation, this study was conducted to compare the effect of sexual counseling based on two models of PLISSIT (Permission, Limited Information, Specific Suggestion, Intensive Therapy) and BETTER (Bring Up, Explain, Tell, Time, Education, Record) on sexual assertiveness in women after mastectomy.
METHODS: This quasi-experimental intervention was conducted in 2021 in Mashhad, Iran. Seventy-eight mastectomized women with breast cancer were assigned to the BETTER (n = 39) and PLISSIT (n = 39) groups using permuted block randomization with a block size of 4 and an allocation ratio of 1:1. Both groups received four individual counseling sessions, one week apart. The research tools included a demographic information form and the Hulbert index of sexual assertiveness. Changes in the mean scores of sexual assertiveness between the two groups were evaluated before and four weeks after the intervention, and the mean changes were compared between the groups. Data analysis was conducted using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, independent t-test, paired t-test, and Chi-square tests using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 (P < 0.05).
RESULTS: The results of the study showed that before the intervention, there was no significant difference in the score of sexual assertiveness in both groups (P = 0.253). The mean score of sexual assertiveness changes before and after the intervention in the BETTER group (8.07 ± 4.9) was significantly higher than in the PLISSIT group (5.58 ± 4.7) (P < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that BETTER sexual counseling was more effective in increasing the sexual assertiveness of mastectomized women than PLISSIT counseling. Due to its simplicity and client-centeredness, this model can be used in breast cancer care programs.

UNASSIGNED: An efficient inventory control system would help optimize the use of resources and eventually help improve patient care.
UNASSIGNED: The study aimed to find out the surgical consumables using always, better, and control (ABC) and vital, essential, and desirable (VED) technique as well as calculating the lead time of specific category A and vital surgical consumables.
UNASSIGNED: This was a descriptive, record-based study conducted from January to March 2016 in the surgical stores of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. The study comprised all the surgical consumables which were procured during the financial year 2014-2015. Stores ledger containing details of the consumption of the items, supply orders, and procurement files of the items were studied for performing ABC analysis and calculating the lead time. A list of surgical consumables was distributed to the doctors, nursing staff, technical staff, and hospital stores personnel to categorize them into VED categories after explaining them the basis for the classification.
UNASSIGNED: ABC analysis revealed that 35 items (14%), 52 items (21%), and 171 items (69%) were categorized into A (70% annual consumption value [ACV]), B (20% ACV), and C (10% ACV) category, respectively. In the current study, vital items comprised the majority of the items, i.e., 73% of the total items and essential (E) category of items comprised 26% of all the items. The average internal, external, and total lead time was 17 days (range 3-30 days), 25 days (range 5-38) and 44 days (range 18-98 days), respectively.
UNASSIGNED: Hospitals stores need to implement inventory management techniques to reduce the number of stock-outs and internal lead time.

For the construction of galactose biosensor, chitosan was electropolymerised onto the pencil graphite electrode. This chitosan modified pencil graphite electrode acts as good matrix for immobilization of enzyme nanoparticles of galactose oxidase. Development of this nanocomposite was further confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The presence of chitosan makes the present galactose biosensor more efficient, reproducible and stable. The sensitivity was reported 7 × 10-3 mA/mM/cm2 with linear range from 0.05 to 25 mM and better detection limit of 0.05 mM. When the solution of galactose was spiked with 0.5 mM and 1 mM, the analytical recoveries were found 98.6% and 97.6%. A better storage stability was achieved (90days) when compared to earlier reported biosensors.