A Systematic Review of Publications on Perceptions and Management of Chronic Medical Conditions Using Telemedicine Remote Consultations by Primary Healthcare Professionals April 2020 to December 2021 During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Telemedicine technologies allow distribution of health-related services and information and can include electronic and telecommunication technologies, remote patient and clinician contact, referral and prescribing, patient education, and monitoring. This systematic review aimed to evaluate publications on the perceptions and management of chronic medical conditions using telehealth remote consultations by primary healthcare professionals between April 2020 and December 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Electronic databases, including Cinhal, PubMed, Science Direct, and ProQuest were searched to extract qualitative studies relevant to the topic. Inclusion criteria were developed based on the Population, Exposure, and Outcomes scoping framework. The target population was healthcare professionals working in primary care settings. Included studies encompassed various types of telemedicine, such as synchronous telemedicine, video conferencing, telephone conversations, and smart devices. Eight studies were included. Synchronous telemedicine was highly effective in ensuring the continuity of care and treatment, providing patients with convenience, improved access to treatment, and earlier disease management. Video conferencing and telephone consultations were the most common methods used. Challenges included concerns about patient privacy, technology literacy, and acceptance. Telemedicine was commended for its ability to provide access to immediate expert medical advice and eliminate the need for long-distance travel, contributing to increased patient compliance. Synchronous telemedicine is a promising solution for managing chronic conditions during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, offering benefits to patients and healthcare professionals. To maximize its potential, concerns regarding patient privacy, confidentiality, and technology literacy need to be addressed. Proper legislation and regulations are required for long-term success of telemedicine, making it a valuable component of healthcare systems.

Prevalence of burnout and practice-related risk factors among Saudi Board dental residents using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory: A survey-based cross-sectional study.

Occupational burnout is a chronic psychological problem affecting professionals. The aim of this study was to assess the types and categories of burnout among Saudi Dental board residents at different levels of residency in different provinces of Saudi Arabia, using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Questionnaires were sent to 170 Saudi Dental board residents via Email and WhatsApp. at various training centers in Saudi Arabia, in May 2022. A part of the questionnaire covered the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants such as gender, training level or center, number of working sessions or hours per week and day, dental speciality, and marital status. The second part consisted of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory survey with 21 questions. Only 110 participants returned the answered questions. The overall significant type of burnout was present in 46.3% of the respondents while 53.7%, were for free or minimal burnout. Personal, work-related, and patient-related burnout recorded 62%/38%; 40% to 60%, and 60%:40% for free or minimal to significant burnout. The overall burnout types of values were equal in both gender as well as training levels with no significant differences and P-values ≤ .05. Burnout values were close to each other among the participants in different specialties, except for orthodontics residents which were the least. Analysis of variance, followed by chi-square tests showed a significant difference among participants in different specialties in type and categories of burnout with P-values between .002 to .029. Finally, the burnout value was higher among married participants. Overall burnout types were marginally similar between genders and training levels, while the significant was slightly higher in females, married, highest training level, restorative, and prosthodontic speciality participants.

Online Questionnaire-Based Study to Evaluate the Attitudes and Use of Rubber Dental Dams by Saudi Dental Practitioners.

BACKGROUND A dental dam is a protective sheet with an aperture and is used to prevent the spread of infection during dental procedures. This study aimed to use a 2-part online questionnaire to evaluate the attitudes and use of rubber dental dams by 300 Saudi dental interns, general dental practitioners, residents, specialists, and consultants in prosthodontics, endodontics, and restorative dentistry. MATERIAL AND METHODS The 17-item validated questionnaire consisted of 5 questions on demographics, 2 on knowledge, 6 on attitudes, and 4 on perceptions. It was distributed through Google Forms. The chi-square test was used to determine the associations between the study variables and perception questions. RESULTS A total of 41.67% participants were specialists/consultants, among which 59.2% were in the prosthodontics specialty, 12.8% in endodontics, and 28% in restorative dentistry. Most participants (84.67%) stated the necessity of using rubber dams during post and core procedures. A total of 53.67% had received enough training for using rubber dams during their undergraduate/residency education. The majority of participants (41%) also preferred using rubber dams during the prefabricated post and core procedures, and 28.33% stated that the remaining tooth structure was one of the major reasons for not using rubber dams during the post and core procedures. CONCLUSIONS Workshops and hands-on training should be conducted among dental graduates to instill a positive attitude regarding the use of rubber dams.

Chitosan grafted tetracarboxylic functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for removal of Pb(II) from an aqueous environment.

In this study, the chitosan-grafted tetracarboxylic functionalized magnetic nanoparticle (Fe3O4@TCA@CS) was synthesized via in situ co-precipitation process and amidation reaction to improve efficiency of adsorption process and obtain cost-effective adsorbents for removal of toxic Pb(II) metal from aqueous environment. The Fe3O4@TCA@CS nanocomposite was analyzed by FTIR, TEM-EDX, TGA, XRD, BET, and Zeta potential. The performance of Fe3O4@TCA@CS for Pb(II) ions adsorption was achieved as a function of pH, dose, contact time, initial Pb(II) concentration, and temperature. The influence of coexisting ions such as Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and Cd2+on removal efficiency of Pb(II) was also investigated. The results revealed that the coexisting ions had little influence on Pb(II) removal efficiency. The pseudo-first-order and Freundlich models were better to describe the adsorption of Pb(II) onto Fe3O4@TCA@CS and the maximum adsorption capacity of Pb(II) was 204.92 mg/g at pH:5.5; adsorbent dose: 0.015 g; and temperature: 298 K. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the Pb(II) adsorption onto Fe3O4@TCA@CS was an exothermic process. In conclusion, the study provides a new, simple, low-cost, and effective chitosan-based magnetic nanocomposite as a promising adsorbent with excellent adsorption capacity, magnetic separation, and reusability for Pb(II) removal from an aqueous environment.

Preparation and Characterization of Modified Polysulfone with Crosslinked Chitosan-Glutaraldehyde MWCNT Nanofiltration Membranes, and Evaluation of Their Capability for Salt Rejection.

Nanofiltration membranes were successfully created using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and MWCNTs modified with amine (MWCNT-NH2) and carboxylic groups (MWCNT-COOH). Chitosan (CHIT) and chitosan−glutaraldehyde (CHIT-G) were utilized as dispersants. Sonication, SEM, and contact angle were used to characterize the as-prepared membranes. The results revealed that the type of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT, MWCNT-COOH and MWCNT-NH2) used as the top layer had a significant impact on membrane characteristics. The lowest contact angle was 38.6 ± 8.5 for the chitosan-G/MWCNT-COOH membrane. The surface morphology of membranes changed when carbon with carboxylic or amine groups was introduced. In addition, water permeability was greater for CHIT-G/MWCNT-COOH and CHIT-G/MWCNT-NH2 membranes. The CHIT-G/MWCNT-COOH membrane had the highest water permeability (5.64 ± 0.27 L m−2 h−1 bar−1). The findings also revealed that for all membranes, the rejection of inorganic salts was in the order R(NaCl) > R(MgSO4).

Unfunctionalized and Functionalized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes/Polyamide Nanocomposites as Selective-Layer Polysulfone Membranes.

Nowadays, reverse osmosis is the most widely utilized strategy in membrane technology due to its continuous improvement. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of the surface characteristics of support layers in thin-film membranes to improve their reverse osmosis performance. In this study, interfacial polymerization was used to generate the membranes by employing polyamide as a selective layer on top of the polysulfone supporting sheet. Different membranes, varying in terms of the concentrations of unfunctionalized and functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), as well as ethanol, have been fabricated. The efficiency of the membrane has been increased by increasing its permeability towards water with high salt rejection. Different characterization techniques were applied to examine all of the fabricated membranes. PA-EtOH 30% (v/v), as a selective layer on polysulfone sheets to enhance the membrane's salt rejection, was shown to be the most efficient of the suggested membranes, improving the membrane's salt rejection. The water permeability of the polyamide membrane with EtOH 30% (v/v) was 56.18 L/m2 h bar, which was more than twice the average permeability of the polyamide membrane (23.63 L/m2 h bar). The salt rejection was also improved (from 97.73% for NaCl to 99.29% and from 97.39% for MgSO4 to 99.62% in the same condition). The PA-MWCNTs 0.15% membrane, on the other hand, had a reduced surface roughness, higher hydrophobicity, and higher water contact angle readings, according to SEM. These characteristics led to the lowest salt rejection, resulting from the hydrophobic nature of MWCNTs.

Fabrication of novel buckypaper metal oxide nano-catalysis glycerol carbonate/MWCNTs membrane for efficient removal of heavy metals.

This study describes the fabrication of novel buckypaper membranes through the dispersion of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in the presence of surfactants metal oxide nano-catalysis Zinc oxide and magnesium oxide (ZnO and MgO) glycerol carbonate separately. Following vacuum filtration of the scattered solutions, self-supporting membranes known as buckypapers (BPs) were produced. The suggested membranes were employed for the efficient removal of heavy metals. The obtained data indicated that the incorporation of both glycerol carbonates prepared by two different nano metal oxides enhanced the permeability of MWCNTs membranes rejection efficiency. The characterization of the synthesized metal oxide nanoparticles, as well as the physicochemical and morphological properties of the membranes, were investigated. The rejection capabilities of membranes for the heavy metal ions were examined. Moreover, the suggested MWCNTs/ZnO nano-catalyst glycerol carbonate BP membrane displayed high rejection efficiency for heavy metals (Cd2+, Cu2+, Co2+, Ni2+, and Pb2+) than that prepared from the MgO nano-catalyst one.

The Magnitude and Determinants of Tinnitus among Health Science Students at King Khalid University.

BACKGROUND: Tinnitus is a symptom that is defined as a subjective perception of noise in an absence of external sound. It is an indicator of auditory system abnormalities. It can also be present in individuals without any hearing abnormalities. Difficulty to consternate, insomnia, and decreased speech discrimination are the most common symptoms related to tinnitus. AIM: To assess the magnitude and pattern with determinants of tinnitus among health science students at King Khalid University. Methodology. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted targeting all accessible students in health science colleges in King Khalid University which is the main university in the Aseer region, south of Saudi Arabia. Students were included consecutively from different faculties and different grades. Data were collected through a self-administered prestructured questionnaire, which was distributed and recollected the next day. Tinnitus was screened using an adapted form of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). RESULTS: A total sample of 400 students have been included with their ages ranging from 18 to 30 years with a mean age of 22 ± 1.8 years), and 28.5% of the students recorded positive findings. Tinnitus was bilateral among 51.8% of students, and 44.7% of tinnitus students hear buzzing sound while 21.1% have hissing sound and 10.5% had pulsating sound. Among 46.5% of students with tinnitus, the heard sound was of moderate loudness and intermittent among 64.9% of them. Conclusions and Recommendations. In conclusion, the study revealed that just more than a quarter of students complained of tinnitus which was bilateral among half of them. Tinnitus frequency was mainly moderate in intensity and intermittent. Having ear problems, loud sounds, and allergy were the most important predictors of having Tinnitus.