In this study, a series of Li₂O-Al₂O₃-B₂O₃ glasses doped with various concentrations of Dy₂O₃ (where x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 mol%) were prepared by using a conventional melt-quenching technique. The structural, physical and optical properties of the glasses were examined by utilising a variety of techniques instance, X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis-NIR spectrometer, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and photoluminescence (PL). The XRD spectra demonstrate the amorphous phase of all glasses. Furthermore, the UV-vis-NIR spectrometers have registered optical absorption spectra a numbers of peaks which exist at 1703, 1271, 1095, 902, 841, 802, 669, 458, 393 and 352 nm congruous to the transitions from the ground of state (⁶H_15/2) to different excited states, ⁶H_11/2, ⁶F_11/2 + ⁶H_9/2, ⁶F_9/2 + ⁶H_7/2, ⁶F_7/2, ⁶F_5/2, ⁶F_3/2, ⁴F_9/2, ⁴I_15/2, ⁴F_7/2 and ⁶P_7/2, respectively. The spectra of emission exhibit two strong emanation bands at 481 nm and 575 nm in the visible region, which correspond to the transitions ⁴F_9/2 → ⁶H_15/2 and ⁴F_9/2 → ⁶H_13/2. All prepared glass samples doped with Dy₂O₃ show an increase in the emission intensity with an increase in the concentration of Dy³⁺. Based on the obtained results, the aforementioned glass samples may have possible applications, such as optical sensor and laser applications.

As the total volume of mammograms in Dubai is increasing consistently, it is crucial to focus on the process of dose optimization by determining dose reference levels for such sensitive radiographic examinations as mammography. This work aimed to determine local diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) for mammography procedures in Dubai at different ranges of breast thickness. A total of 2599 anonymized mammograms were randomly retrieved from a central dose survey database. Mammographic cases for screening women aged from 40 to 69 years were included, while cases of breast implants and breast thickness outside the range of 20–100 mm were excluded. Mean, median, and 75 percentiles were obtained for the mean glandular dose (MGD) distribution of each mammography projection for all compressed breast thickness (CBT) ranges. The local DRLs for mammography in Dubai were found to be between 0.80 mGy and 0.82 mGy for the craniocaudal (CC) projection and between 0.89 mGy and 0.971.8 mGy for the mediolateral oblique (MLO) projection. Local DRLs were proposed according to different breast thicknesses, starting from 20 to 100 mm. All groups of CBT showed a slight difference in MGD values, with higher values in MLO views rather than CC views. The local DRLs in this study were lower than some other Middle Eastern countries and lower than the standard reference levels reported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at 3 mGy/view.

This study aimed to establish the local diagnostic reference levels (LDRLs) of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) examinations based on body size with regard to noise magnitude as a quality indicator. The records of 127 patients (55 males and 72 females) who had undergone CTPAs using a 128-slice CT scanner were retrieved. The dose information, scanning acquisition parameters, and patient demographics were recorded in standardized forms. The body size of patients was categorized into three groups based on their anteroposterior body length: P1 (14–19 cm), P2 (19–24 cm), and P3 (24–31 cm), and the radiation dose exposure was statistically compared. The image noise was determined quantitatively by measuring the standard deviation of the region of interest (ROI) at five different arteries—the ascending and descending aorta, pulmonary trunk, and the left and right main pulmonary arteries. We observed that the LDRL values were significantly different between body sizes (p < 0.05), and the median values of the CT dose index volume (CTDI_vol) for P1, P2, and P3 were 6.13, 8.3, and 21.40 mGy, respectively. It was noted that the noise reference values were 23.78, 24.26, and 23.97 HU for P1, P2, and P3, respectively, which were not significantly different from each other (p > 0.05). The CTDI_vol of 9 mGy and dose length product (DLP) of 329 mGy∙cm in this study were lower than those reported by other studies conducted elsewhere. This study successfully established the LDRLs of a local healthcare institution with the inclusion of the noise magnitude, which is comparable with other established references.

Background/Objective: This study evaluates the mean glandular dose (MGD) in mammography screening for women aged 40–69 in Dubai, based on a retrospective analysis of a dose survey involving 2599 participants. Methods: MGD was calculated using the Dance formula. Results: The average MGD was 0.96 ± 0.39 mGy for mediolateral oblique (MLO) views and 0.81 ± 0.33 mGy for craniocaudal (CC) views. Weak inverse correlations were found between age and organ dose (OD) for both views, while a direct relationship was observed between breast thickness and entrance skin dose (ESD). In adjusted models, ESD was strongly associated with MGD (β = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.97, 1.09), while OD showed a moderate association (β = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.40, 0.49). Significant variations in ESD, OD, and MGD were noted across age groups and breast thicknesses. Conclusions: Lower MGD indicates reduced radiation exposure risk, while higher MGD in MLO views suggests improved imaging quality. Monitoring and optimizing MGD are essential for enhancing patient safety and screening efficacy.

Background/Objectives: This study investigated the lifetime attributable risk (LAR) of radiation-induced breast cancer from mammography screening in Dubai. It aimed to explore the relationship between breast thickness, patient age, and the associated radiation dose during mammographic examinations. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 2601 patients aged 40 to 69 across five screening facilities in Dubai’s healthcare system. Due to a low correlation between the mean glandular dose (MGD) and breast thickness, both glandular and non-glandular doses were included in calculations as the organ dose (OD). This comprehensive approach examined the impact of whole breast tissue on risk assessments. Key exposure parameters such as the kilovoltage peak (kVp), milliampere-seconds (mAs), and source-to-skin distance were extracted from the dose survey. Results: Our findings reveal that the organ dose increases with breast thickness, emphasizing the need for dose optimization in denser tissues. The LAR decreases with age across all thickness categories, but higher initial LAR values were seen in younger patients with thicker tissue. This study emphasizes the increased sensitivity of younger women, who usually have denser breast tissue, to radiation-induced cancer risks. Conclusions: Personalized screening protocols considering age and breast thickness are crucial for balancing early cancer detection benefits with radiation risks. Future research should improve mammography protocols, explore alternative methods, and consider generic testing for young high-risk patients to mitigate risks while maintaining diagnostic efficacy.

Lack of public understanding, perception and awareness of the biological effects of prenatal ultrasound has led to the non-medical use of ultrasound. An educational programme is required to enlighten pregnant women and the public regarding prenatal ultrasound safety. To evaluate the effectiveness of educational modules (video and brochure) in improving knowledge, awareness and perception (KAP) among pregnant women regarding prenatal ultrasound safety. This is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-and post-test design. This study recruited 51 pregnant women as respondents from the Obstetrics and Gynaecology clinic (O&G) of Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM). The first phase of the study was conducted by distributing a set of closed-ended questionnaires with multiple choice and Likert scale answers to assess the KAP of pregnant women regarding the safe use of prenatal ultrasound, followed by educational modules where the respondents were allocated into three groups (17 watched a video, 17 received brochure and 17 received combined media). After the intervention, the respondents' KAP were assessed using the same questionnaire. The Wilcoxon signed rank test showed that educational modules like video, brochure and combined media had a statistically significant increase in post-test scores over the pre-test scores (video: mean rank = 9.00, p < 0.05) (brochure: mean rank = 9.79,p < 0.05) and (combined media: mean rank = 10.17, p > 0.05). The Kruskal Wallis test indicated that educational video was more effective in improving the KAP of pregnant women than the brochure and combined media (mean rank = 34.62, p < 0.05). Among the parameters, the occupation has the strongest positive correlation with the post-test knowledge score in improving the KAP of pregnant women regarding the safe use of prenatal ultrasound. The educational video is the most effective approach for enhancing pregnant women's KAP. The educational module on the safety of prenatal ultrasound is thought to dispel myths by providing accurate information to audiences from various backgrounds.