Khorasan Province Research Articles

Description of Achaemenothrombium khashayarshahi sp. nov. (Prostigmata: Achaemenothrombiidae) from Iran with new host records

Achaemenothrombium khashayarshahi Noei sp. nov. (Acari: Achaemenothrombiidae) is described and illustrated from larvae ectoparasitic on Lepidoptera from Khorasan Razavi and South Khorasan provinces, Iran. This is the fifth larval species of the genus, this far known only from Iran. A key to the larval species of Achaemenothrombium is presented.

An empirical test of techniques of neutralization regarding polluting behaviors in rural Iran

Environmental pollution is regarded as a major environmental crime in most countries; Iran is no exception. This study examines water and soil polluting behavior among villagers in Jimabad, Mashhad County—a rural area in the Razavi Khorasan province in the northeastern region of Iran. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from a random sample of 315 respondents in the population of the villagers of Jimabad. This article reports on the levels of water and soil polluting behavior among the respondents and the results are discussed in terms of techniques of neutralization, religiosity and cultural context.

Medical Plant of Aloe Vera in Desert Regions of Iran: Greenhouses, Economic Importance, Development, Extension, Processing and Marketing

Medical plants are the best source for getting treatment from various diseases. Using of natural substances with therapeutic properties has been used since ancient times. More than 500 species of Aloe Vera are known. This plant is native to tropical areas, including the north of Africa, Europe and the southern part of the Mediterranean region. Aloe Vera grows widely in the south of Iran and is cultured for the pharmaceutical uses. Aloe Vera is a plant with structural and physiological adaptations that allow it to survive in arid or semiarid regions with erratic rainfall. Aloe Vera is a medicinal plant cultivated for various applications in medical, food and health products. Aloe Vera has been used for centuries for its health, beauty, medicinal and skin care properties. Aloe Vera is a plant that can produce sap and gel. The gel is extracted from the leaves, and this is the most widely used substance as a treatment. Different from traditional treatment modalities, Aloe Vera will great reduce medical cost intended as complementary therapy. Aloe Vera is much more effective and less costly in the prevention and healing the ulcers compared to current treatments. Also, since the revival of traditional medicine is important and the side effects of this drug has been proven to be trivial over the years, it seems Aloe Vera is a good substitute to replace the current methods or to be used as a complementary method for prevention of pressure ulcers and improving community health. In this article, introducing various aspects of cultivating Aloe Vera greenhouses in desert regions of Iran and their economic importance plus approaches for their development, extension, processing and marketing. Main locations of study were greenhouses of Aloe Vera in two provinces in Iran, namely South Khorasan and Semnan provinces in the east and north of the country. For doing this study utilized qualitative approach with its main tools for gathering information such as participatory observation, maps, scientific articles, pictures, documents etc.. In the end present appropriate approaches for improving its economic importance, development, extension, processing and marketing in Iran.

Educational challenges of family caregivers of vegetative state patients for home care preparedness: A qualitative content analysis.

Patients with a vegetative state (VS) are completely dependent on caregivers in all physical aspects of their lives. Caring for such patients comes with a great deal of difficulty for family caregivers. As a result, family caregivers must be fully trained and prepared for this role. The present qualitative study was conducted to investigate the educational challenges faced by family caregivers of VS patients for home care preparedness. The present qualitative study was conducted through the conventional content analysis method from August 2020 to September 2021 in two provinces of Iran (Sistan and Baluchestan Province; and Razavi Khorasan Province). Fourteen family caregivers of patients in a VS were included in the study. Semi-structured and in-depth interviews were employed to collect data. The Graneheim and Lundman method was utilized to conduct the data analysis using MAXQDA2020 software. Data collection continued until data saturation and the identification of main categories. As indicated by the data analysis, three categories of "unmet educational needs," "confused caregiver," and "searching for practical knowledge" which included 19 sub-categories described the experiences of family caregivers of patients in a VS concerning challenges they went through in preparation for patient care at home. Participants' experiences revealed that despite the inadequacy of educations provided by health-care providers on knowledge and skills required by family caregivers, they were committed to caring for the patient and trying to acquire the required knowledge. Results indicated that inadequate education and the lack of family caregivers' contribution to caring for the patient in the VS during their stay in the hospital impedes their acquisition of adequate knowledge and skill to care for patients at home. Therefore, healthcare system policymakers should be planning to eliminate the educational barriers faced by family caregivers and expand the educational activities of hospitals' homecare centers to provide educational support of family caregivers after the patient's discharge.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) Towards COVID-19 Among General Population of South Khorasan Province, Iran: A Quick Online Cross-sectional Survey

Background: COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease and a pandemic. Knowledge, attitude, and practice of people about this disease can play an essential role in better accepting executive actions set by health officials and national planners. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of the general population of South Khorasan province about COVID-19 and the influencing factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed online on 699 people living in South Khorasan, Iran. The participants were chosen by a convenience sampling technique. The research tool was an adapted questionnaire from researchers that included demographic characteristics, 15 questions on awareness, 12 questions on attitude, and seven questions on practice. Data were analyzed using the independent t test, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: The levels of knowledge, attitude, and practice of the participants were 73.13, 80, and 84.85%, respectively. The most common symptoms of this disease were shortness of breath, dry cough, and fever or headache, in sequence. More than half of the participants (56.90%) felt at risk for contracting the disease. Most participants washed their hands (80%) and used a facemask (79.60%). The correlation between awareness and practice was 0.60. Older, divorced, and low-educated people had lower knowledge and practice. Conclusions: Despite that the levels of knowledge, attitude, and practice of people was good regarding COVID-19 in this study, the continuous informing of the people through television, radio, and social media is needed for maintaining the status quo. Besides, new approaches and policies for the poor, rural populations, the elderly, the illiterate, and the unemployed should be adopted by relevant authorities due to their lower level of knowledge and practice.

Temporal trends and prediction of bovine tuberculosis: a time series analysis in the North-East of Iran.

Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is a disease with high economic relevance. This study aimed to determine a fast alert surveillance system for bTB before the outbreak in the epidemic region of Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted using the Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model for monthly bTB detections (reactors). These reactor cases result from the positive Tuberculin Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) test on cattle farms for the period between April 2007 and March 2019 in Razavi Khorasan province. Autocorrelation functions (ACF) and partial autocorrelation functions (PACF) plots were used to determine model parameters. The Akaike Information Criteria (AIC) were employed to select the best-fitted model. The root mean square error (RMSE) was applied for the evaluation of the models. Then, the best-fitted model was hired to predict the cases for 12 oncoming months. The data were analysed by STATA (ver. 14) software with a significant level at P≤0.05. ARIMA (3, 0, 3) 12 was introduced as a recommended fitted model according to white noise residual test (Q=22.87 and P=0.98), lower AIC (541.85), and more precise model RMSE (1.50). However, the forecast values were more than the observed values. The application and interpretation of ARIMA models are straightforward, and may be used as immediate tools for monitoring systems. However, we proposed an Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average with Exogenous Input (ARIMAX) model with some measurable exotic factors such as economic fluctuations, climate changes, and pulmonary tuberculosis to introduce a more precise and accurate model for the fast alert surveillance system.

Determining Effective Factors in Cloud Computing Acceptance Using Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation Model and Davis’ Technology Adoption Model (A Case of Financial Institution)

Background and Objectives: Determining effective factors in cloud computing adoption on employees of Noor credit institution in South Khorasan province, Iran, is the purpose of the present study. A practical oriented method is applied regarding the research objective and a descriptive-survey method is used for collecting field data. Employees of Noor credit institution of South Khorasan province (50 people) are selected as the research sample.Methods: Accurate questionnaires are analyzed. Two researcher-made questionnaires are conducted as research tools. These questionnaires consist of effective factors in cloud computing adoption (12 factors including 47 items) and cloud computing adoption intention (3 items). The reliability of the research is evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient which is obtained α=0.54% for the questionnaire of effective factors in cloud computing adoption and has various values for the questionnaire of the cloud computing adoption intention. Also, the descriptive statistics approach is used to define variables, and confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis are applied in the inferential section. Structural equation modeling using Smart-PLS software is used to determine the effective factors in cloud computing adoptionResults: All 12 determined factors in cloud computing adoption are considered as dependent variables and cloud computing adoption intention is considered as an independent variable. 12 effective factors in cloud computing adoption on Noor credit institution of South Khorasan in Iran are determined and examined.Conclusion: It can be concluded that all factors (except the support of the top manager) have a positive and significant effect on cloud computing adoption intention, nonetheless, the value of statistic t for path analysis of the support of the top manager on cloud computing adoption intention is less than 1.96. This shows that the support of the top manager does not have a significant effect on cloud computing adoption intention.

Validation of the effectiveness of learning in the virtual education system of Bojnord universities

Background and Aim: As a result of the changes and developments in technology, the phenomenon of education has also gone out of its traditional form and has appeared in the form of distance education or electronic education. This research aims to validate the effectiveness of learning in the virtual education system of Bojnord universities. Methods: This research was exploratory in the mixed-method research approach. The statistical population in the qualitative section is 18 faculty members and university lecturers from the universities of Khorasan provinces (Northern, Southern, and Razavi) who were selected in a purposeful and accessible manner. Statistical population of the quantitative part of the study included all academic staff members, faculty teachers, virtual education experts, and doctoral students of North Khorasan, South Khorasan, and Razavi universities were. The sample size was calculated based on Cochran's formula of 347 samples. Results: Based on the analysis of qualitative data obtained from exploratory interviews and coding and content analysis of the text of the interviews and, at the same time, their compliance with the theoretical foundations, and according to the opinion of the participants: The main categories and factors (dimensions) and sub-factors (components) influencing in increasing the effectiveness of virtual training can be classified into 5 categories or main dimensions and 40 sub-factors. The main effective dimensions are: From the administrative, administrative, and organizational factors of the university, the curriculum and educational design factors, the factors related to a professor's and comprehensive qualifications, the technological equipment and information technology infrastructure factor, and the cultural factors of virtual space. Finally, each identified component was examined through a questionnaire, and the results showed that the model has a good fit. Conclusion: Therefore, it is strongly suggested that Azad University managers take the necessary measures and arrangements for students to access virtual platforms, high-speed internet, quality equipment, and update the equipment.

Efficient Metaheuristic Algorithms for a Robust and Sustainable Water Supply and Wastewater Collection System

An efficient design of a water supply and wastewater collection system is significantly important to tackle the natural uncertainty of this system and the sustainable development goals in developing countries like Iran. To address the natural uncertainty in the water supply and the challenge of global warming, this design must be robust and this motivates a robust optimization. To consider the sustainability criteria, this design should cover all economic, environmental and social impacts. Hence, this study develops innovative solutions based on recent and traditional metaheuristic algorithms for a robust and sustainable water supply and wastewater collection system. Red deer algorithm (RDA) and Keshtel algorithm (KA) as the recent algorithms, are employed. These recent algorithms are compared with the state-of-the-art methods like genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO). An application of our model and algorithms, is tested on a case study in North Khorasan province. After performing some analyses on the performance of our algorithms and sensitivities on the model, a discussion is provided to conclude managerial insights and findings for practitioners in the applied system.

High prevalence of clonally related multiple resistant Salmonella Infantis carrying class 1 integrons in broiler farms.

The poultry industry in Iran is the main supplier of protein in the food chain. In the present study, we showed the importance of the possible dissemination of clonally related multiple drug resistant (MDR) Salmonella Infantis in broiler farms in Iran. In total, 156 fecal samples belonging to 23 poultry farms in Razavi Khorasan province, northeast of Iran, were examined for the presence of Salmonella serovars. Molecular serotypes and serogroups, class 1 and 2 integron types, colistin resistance genes ( mcr1 and mcr2) and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were determined on the recovered Salmonella isolates. Based on PCR analysis, 30 recovered Salmonella isolates were identified asS. Infantis (23 isolates; 76.6%),S. Enteritidis (six isolates; 20%), and one isolate (3.3%) was not serotyped by the applied method. Class 1 integrons were detected in 22 isolates (95.6%) and class 2 integrons were not detected in any of the isolates. Although colistin resistance was prevalent in disc diffusion test, mcr-1 and mcr-2 genes were not detected. All class 1 integrons carried the cassette aadA1 gene. All Salmonella isolates were resistant to colistin and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and MDR patterns were observed in most (96.6%) isolates. This study revealed a high prevalence rate of S. Infantis and the presence of class 1 integrons in broiler farms. The presence of the same integron cassettes in the sequenced isolates suggests that strains are clonally related. Stringent monitoring programs are required to prevent the spreading of MDR Salmonella serovars into food chain via poultry products.

Yield and qualitative and biochemical characteristics of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) cultivated in different soil, water, and climate conditions

Saffron is highly valued for its unique aroma, taste, color, and medicinal properties. Iran is one of the most important saffron-producing countries. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of climatic and environmental characteristics of six sites (Shirvan, Faruj, Zavareh, Torbat-e Heydarieh, Ghayen, and Birjand) on the yield and qualitative, and biochemical characteristics of saffron. The studied sites were considered as treatments. The obtained data were analyzed based on a nested design, where the village within the site was considered an experimental error, and the farm within the village within each site was considered a sampling error. The Torbat-e Heydarieh treatment with altitudes of ~1323.3 m produced the maximum saffron flower yield (0.83 g m2), stigma yield (0.098 g m2), safranal content (15.8%), picrocrocin content (30.6%), and crocins content (69.3%). Evidently that the low maximum summer temperature in the area is one of the reasons for its superiority. The correlation analysis between traits shows that the maximum summer temperature had a significant negative correlation with saffron flower yield, stigma yield, and picrocrocin and crocin content. Results showed the highest total flavonoid and phenol content and DPPH activity related to Shirvan and Faruj. Although the results showed that selenium could increase the quantitative and qualitative yield of saffron, this requires further studies to confirm it. Based on the findings, it is concluded that I) qualitative and quantitative characteristics of saffron are strongly controlled by the environmental and climatic conditions and II) Razavi Khorasan province had a significant advantage in terms of flower and stigma yield and safranal, picrocrocin and crocin content of saffron and North Khorasan province in terms of biochemical characteristics.

The Challenge of Taliban Ideology for International Politics: Religious Competition, Counterterrorism, and the Search for Legitimacy

This paper examines the Taliban vision of an Islamic polity posing a challenge to neighboring Central and South Asian states as well as more distant ones in Eurasia and the Middle East. As a potential magnet for militants across these regions, Taliban Islam represents an alternative to forms of piety and legal practice in states that have signifi cant Muslim populations and where each government claims some degree of religious legitimation and control over Islamic authority and interpretation. Author claims the Taliban ideology poses a dilemma to regional actors, too, in that it makes all parties who might cooperate with the movement vulnerable to criticism based on human rights discourse. At the same time, the presence of the Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP) has permitted the movement the opportunity to seek to reframe its international standing and its relationship to violence. The Taliban have adapted their critique of ISKP to the claim that they share a counterterrorism mission with other governments, an assertion that allows the movement and its partners to defl ect criticism from various quarters and normalize relations with other states. Author concludes that, seeking international support, the Taliban have adapted their ideological claims to position the movement simultaneously as a competitor to other visions of militant jihadist politics and as a counterterrorist force laying the groundwork for the legitimation of their place in a rapidly evolving global order.

The armed resistance to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan

The main violent threat to the Taliban regime comes from the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) armed group, but the Taliban regime will also have to deal with armed resistance from ethnic groups in Afghanistan that already feel threatened by the new regime. ISIS – K presents a serious challenge to the Taliban's regime in Afghanistan as the group operates in cells across the country. ISIS – K doesn't possess the capabilities to overthrow the Taliban government. Still, they can damage the credibility of the Taliban, which has claimed that it is the only group that can bring peace and stability to the country. The ethnic groups (the Shia Hazara and Uzbek and Tajik ethnic groups) are already under pressure in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. These groups that in the 1990s formed the "Northern Alliance" that fought against the Taliban are organizing to defend themselves against Islamic State attacks and Taliban persecution and in the future could become a significantly armed opposition to the Taliban regime.

Inequality trends in the distribution of healthcare human resources in eastern Iran

Background Inequitable distribution of human resources in healthcare is one of the main obstacles to improve any health system. This study aimed to evaluate inequalities in the distribution of human resources in healthcare in South Khorasan Province, Iran. Methods We have investigated three types of health staff (i.e. nurses, general practitioners, and specialists) from 2013 to 2018. Data were collected from the annual reports of the Statistical Centre of Iran. The Gini coefficient and time trend regression were applied to measure the inequality. Results The distribution of specialists and general practitioners were the highest and lowest inequality, respectively. Inequalities in the distribution of nurses and specialists have decreased from 2013 to 2018, while the Gini coefficients of the general practitioners have increased from 0.31 to 0.38. According to the regression analysis, inequality in the distribution of nurses and specialists was decreasing over the time; however, the decline was only significant for specialists. While the coefficient B for general practitioners is positive, this indicates raised inequality, but the observed increase was not significant. Conclusions This study revealed that Iran, similar to several other low- and middle-income countries, is with faced the challenge of inequitable distribution of human resources in healthcare, which in turn indicates the necessity of reforms at national and regional levels to address inequalities in the distribution of healthcare human resources, particularly in South Khorasan Province. Hence, the main policy recommendation is to focus on continuous monitoring and evaluation of resource allocation in South Khorasan Province to reduce inequalities.

K-Means Clustering and General Regression Neural Network Methods for Copper Mineralization probability in Char-Farsakh, Iran

Due to the efficiency of data mining science for analyzing and reviewing extensive data, especially geochemical data, essential methods and techniques such as the hierarchical method, K-Means method, density-based methods, Cohennon method, and so forth, have been developed and utilized by numerous researchers for clustering. One of the most notable and widely used algorithms in the field of clustering is the K-Means algorithm. This algorithm divides the data into K clusters by emphasizing the distance criterion. This study focuses on applying this method according to lithogeochemical data taken from the 1:100,000 scale map of Chahar-Farsakh in South Khorasan province for the elements of copper, cobalt and nickel to the sampling coordinates. The optimal value of K was classified according to the desirability of the selection and the data, and thus the relationships between these elements in the range were determined. This was analyzed by changing the value of K from 3 to 15 criteria mentioned in each class to reveal the optimal K. According to the observations, the existence of a quadratic relationship with negative concavity between copper and cobalt elements, as well as a special exponential relationship between copper and nickel and a positive linear relationship between nickel and cobalt, were reported. Finally, considering the coordinates of the samples and the concentration of cobalt and nickel, the quantity of copper was predicted using a General Regression Neural Network (GRNN). The accuracy of this method was estimated to be 0.99 on training data and 0.76 on test data. Therefore, using the proposed method (K-means Clustering and GRNN) in this paper, it is possible to examine the extent of changes in other elements in the analysis. Also, it is possible to make deeper and broader explorations via determining the relationship between the elements.

The pattern of internal and external political behavior of government sector managers with a political intelligence approach (case study: municipalities of Khorasan Razavi province)

Background and purpose: In municipalities, due to the large scale and volume of human resources, which are the most skilled and specialized forces. Managers need to use all kinds of strategies and political skills to maximize the use of these resources to improve the organization's performance, which is considered its main capital. Therefore, this research aims to present the model of intra-organizational and extra-organizational political behaviors of public sector managers with the approach of political intelligence in the municipalities of Razavi Khorasan province. Methodology: The current research is a developmental-applied, hybrid, and mixed exploratory research, combining qualitative and quantitative methods. In the qualitative part, the statistical population includes all professors of the management group and senior managers of the municipalities of Razavi Khorasan province in 2017. Twenty qualified people were included in the statistical population framework of the qualitative section, and finally, the information of 17 people was analyzed. In the quantitative part, the statistical population includes all the senior managers of the municipalities of Razavi Khorasan Province, and according to the statistics and information received from the municipalities of Razavi Khorasan Province, in 2016, 366 managers were working in 73 cities of Razavi Khorasan Province. They were. According to Cochran's formula, the required sample size is approximately equal to 191 municipal managers of Razavi Khorasan province. In the qualitative part, the dimensions and components of intra-organizational and extra-organizational political behaviors and political intelligence were determined by reviewing and reviewing second-hand sources (articles and books). In the qualitative part, we examined the research questions. The data were analyzed by structural equations and with the help of AMOS software. Results: According to the results of the research, the dimensions of intra-organizational and extra-organizational political behaviors and political intelligence were investigated, and the components were identified, and finally, the results showed that political intelligence has an effect of 0.84 on the political behavior of managers. In this way, by improving the political intelligence of managers, it is possible to predict their political behavior to the extent of 0.84. Conclusion: In order to improve the ambiguous attitude of the managers of Khorasan Razavi province, it is suggested that the managers clarify the employment conditions for newcomers and that contracts are concluded transparently.

An annotated catalog of Iranian Symphypleona and Neelipleona (Hexapoda: Collembola): new records and key to species

This article provides an annotated catalog of the Symphypleona and Neelipleona (Hexapoda: Collembola) of Iran based on published literature and specimens recently collected from three different ecosystems in North Khorasan province (Forest, Rangeland, and Agricultural) of the years 2018 and 2019. Thirty-five species in seven families and 17 genera are listed. Among them, Megalothorax minimus and Bourletiella sp. are recorded for the first time from Iran. An updated key to the Iranian species and information on the biology and geographical distribution of each species is provided.

Productivity Loss of Diabetes in Iran (South Khorasan Province)

Background: This study aims to assess the productivity loss in diabetic patients living in South Khorasan Province, Iran, in 2017. Methods: This cost of illness and analytical study was performed on 1003 patients with diabetes referred to hospitals and healthcare centers in South Khorasan Province. After being randomly selected, the participants filled the short form health and labor questionnaire by the human capital method to estimate the productivity loss caused by health problems. Data were collected in person or via phone interviews. The collected data were analyzed by data quantile regression model using Stata v. 11. Results: The Mean±SD productivity loss based on actual and labor law income was 19.61±46.24 and 16.61±49.39 dollars, respectively. In addition, the results showed that the Mean±SD number of lost working days is 0.81±2.39 days. According to the regression model, gender, educational levels, marital status, and employment status affected the number of working days lost at 0.25 quantile (P≤0.05). Conclusion: Improving productivity in diabetic patients and consequently reducing the resulting economic burden is essential to promoting their physical, mental, and social health.

Implementing MCDM Techniques for Ranking Renewable Energy Projects under Fuzzy Environment: A Case Study

Energy requirements have increased dramatically due to industrialization, economic, and population growth. To meet this demand, and solve its challenges, such as climate change, renewable energies do play an important role. This research work aims at selecting the best renewable energy projects using a hybrid decision-making framework from environmental, economic, technical, and social aspects at a sub-national level. In this regard, a new hybrid fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making model is deployed in which Vise Kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje, distance from average solution, and additive ratio assessment methods are used. In addition, for the weighing of criteria, Fuzzy Shannon’s entropy is used. Furthermore, the North Khorasan province is nominated as a sub-national study area. The results show that among 30 sub-criteria, social acceptance, net-presented cost, and noise were the top three with weights of 0.1105, 0.1003, and 0.0988, respectively. Solar energy projects also accomplished high ranks with an overall score of roughly 0.22. After that, small hydropower got second place with a score of 0.187. Moreover, the ranking of cities indicates that Jajarm was the most suitable location for implementing renewable energy development with a score of 0.14. Finally, sensitivity analysis was carried out to show that the mathematical model possessed good robustness.

Evaluation of Radiographers’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Performance Regarding Gonadal Shielding in Diagnostic Radiology Examinations: Southern Khorasan Province Hospitals of Iran

Background: Nowadays, ionizing radiation is increasingly used in medicine. One of the most frequent X-ray examinations is pelvic radiography. Gonads are susceptible in the pelvic area. Gonadal shielding (GS) is a useful method to reduce the received dose by gonads. Despite the benefits of using gonadal shielding, it is rarely used by radiographers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in ten governmental hospitals with 300 radiographs. Results: The radiographers’ knowledge of using GS had a value equal to 59.1%. However, the radiographers did not have enough information on the subject, although their awareness about the significance of GS was acceptable. Conclusions: Although the radiographers believed in the necessity of using GS for pelvic, abdominal, and spine examinations, they used no shields.