ABSTRACT
Wearable devices have played a key role in the medical industry, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic spread. The need for a self-monitoring system increased since the spread of the virus. With the development of semiconductor technology and the increased research and development in medical wearable devices, wearable devices have been able to detect the medical condition of patients. This paper presents a biomedical wearable device to monitor the vital signs of patients. The device can be used to detect the patient COVID-19 infection. Data were extracted using different sensors and other components, and results were displayed on a mobile application that showed the health status of the patient. A PCB (Printed Circuit Board) design was made for the purpose of making the system a wearable device. The system power consumption ranged from 5-37.5mW. © 2022 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
Background: Dental schools used e-learning systems to continue teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: This study aimed to determine attitudes, experiences, and barriers to e-learning during the pandemic among dental students in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study (descriptive) was performed at the Faculty of Dentistry, Umm Al-Qura University. There were 245 responses to the study questionnaire, having a response rate of 90.74%. The questionnaire was validated through a pilot study. A t-test analysis showed a significance level of 0.05. Results: Participants had moderate levels of attitudes, with the mean and standard deviation (SD) being 2.99 (SD = 1.21) to 3.41 (SD = 1.19). Clinical year students had significantly (p < 0.05) better attitudes than non-clinical year students. The most prevalent personal barrier was "lack of interaction with colleagues" (55.92%), the technical barrier was "the slowness of network" (67.35%), infrastructure/technological barrier was "low bandwidth" (67.76%), the content barrier was "impracticality of some courses" (50.61%), and the barrier related to the instructor was "difficulty contacting academic staff from home" (43.67%). About 83.27% stated that recorded lectures allowed participants to revisit the course, improving learning during the pandemic. However, only 44.08% believed e-learning provided a better opportunity to learn dental clinical procedures because of the zoom function on cameras. Conclusion: The overall attitude toward e-learning was moderate, with several barriers highlighted. Nevertheless, the e-learning system seems to have helped during the pandemic, and it might be essential for dental schools to build a hybrid teaching strategy into their curricula for consistent use.
ABSTRACT
Applications of medicinal uses of metals and their complexes have been gaining major clinical significance, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ligation behavior of quercetin (Q), a flavonoid, and Zn metal, i.e., the Zn/Q complex, was fully characterized based on molar conductance, infrared (IR) spectra, elemental analysis, electronic spectra, thermogravimetric analysis, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in our lab. Hepatotoxicity was induced by cadmium (CdCl2 ). A total of 40 male albino rats were randomly distributed into the following four groups: Control, hepatotoxic group (CdCl2 ), Zn/Q-treated group, and group treated with a combination of CdCl2 and Zn/Q. Serum hepatic enzymes (AST, ALT, and LDH), total protein, and enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidant levels were determined. Histology and TEM for hepatic tissues, in addition to the gene expression of SOD as an antioxidant enzyme in the hepatic tissues, were evaluated. The Q/Zn treatment demonstrated potent protective effects against CdCl2-induced sever oxidative stress and suppressed hepatic toxicity, genotoxicity, liver enzyme disturbances, and structural alterations. In conclusion, the Zn/Q complex produced a high potent antioxidant effect against the oxidative injury and genotoxicity induced by CdCl2 and could be considered to be a potent ameliorative hepatoprotective agent against CdCl2 hepatotoxicity, which could be beneficial during the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.