Assessing an integrated team-teaching lecture in medicine and surgery program- Galala University.

INTRODUCTION: Achieving integration in medical curricula without redundancy in basic medical sciences disciplines is a substantial challenge. Introducing co-teaching in such curricula with active inter-disciplinary participation is believed to best utilize the teaching and learning time for instructors and students, to motivate the students, and to provide a more robust base for bridging the gap between basic and clinical medical sciences in medical schools. Additionally, including more than one student-centered activity in one session is expected to increase the students' involvement and improve the retention of knowledge. Our study aims at minimizing redundancy and improving the students' motivation in learning the topic "insulin-glucose regulation" during the Endocrine and Metabolism module taught to year three students at Galala University, Faculty of Medicine in Egypt. METHODS: The authors designed a 3-hr co-teaching integrated session with 3 basic medical sciences aimed to explain the clinical terms including online accessed pre/post-tests, small student groups-created pre/post-session MCQ, with co-sharing of students in the introduction of scientific materials. RESULTS: The students' scores in the post-test showed that they gained more knowledge compared to before. Interestingly, there was only an improvement in the students' performance in generating questions before and after the session, as well as in the integrated question in the end-of-semester exam, we suggest implementing this approach in other topics and modules in medical schools. It would also be favorable to follow up with the students taught using this approach and those taught differently to assess the effectiveness of this approach in a controlled manner. CONCLUSION: Integrated sessions effectively increase student awareness of medical concepts and reduce redundancy in basic medical sciences. This approach exposes students to a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter, improving their comprehension and retention. It is a valuable method for educators and instructors seeking to enhance their students' learning experience in the field of medical sciences.

Knowledge sharing among academics from Egyptian medical schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Sharing knowledge among scientists during global health emergencies is a critical issue. So, this study investigates knowledge-sharing behavior and attitude among staff members of 19 Medical schools in Egyptian universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Across-sectional study was conducted using a web-based questionnaire. A total of 386 replies from the 10,318 distributed questionnaires were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were computed using SPSS (version 22) to summarize the demographic data. Inferential statistics such as the independent and chi-square test were used to achieve the study aims. RESULTS: More than half of the respondents (54.4%) indicated that their levels of knowledge of COVID-19 were good. Most participants (72.5%) reported that scientific publications and international websites were the most reliable source of their knowledge concerning COVID-19. More than 46% stated they sometimes share their knowledge. The lack of time to share and organizational culture were the most important factors that could affect their knowledge sharing. Additionally, about 75% of participants shared knowledge about treatment.

Characterization and closed-loop control of infrared thalamocortical stimulation produces spatially constrained single-unit responses.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a powerful tool for the treatment of circuitopathy-related neurological and psychiatric diseases and disorders such as Parkinson's disease and obsessive-compulsive disorder, as well as a critical research tool for perturbing neural circuits and exploring neuroprostheses. Electrically mediated DBS, however, is limited by the spread of stimulus currents into tissue unrelated to disease course and treatment, potentially causing undesirable patient side effects. In this work, we utilize infrared neural stimulation (INS), an optical neuromodulation technique that uses near to midinfrared light to drive graded excitatory and inhibitory responses in nerves and neurons, to facilitate an optical and spatially constrained DBS paradigm. INS has been shown to provide spatially constrained responses in cortical neurons and, unlike other optical techniques, does not require genetic modification of the neural target. We show that INS produces graded, biophysically relevant single-unit responses with robust information transfer in rat thalamocortical circuits. Importantly, we show that cortical spread of activation from thalamic INS produces more spatially constrained response profiles than conventional electrical stimulation. Owing to observed spatial precision of INS, we used deep reinforcement learning (RL) for closed-loop control of thalamocortical circuits, creating real-time representations of stimulus-response dynamics while driving cortical neurons to precise firing patterns. Our data suggest that INS can serve as a targeted and dynamic stimulation paradigm for both open and closed-loop DBS.

Contributions of University of Toronto Dentistry Alumni to China's Early Dental Education.

University of Toronto Dentistry alumni have made valuable contributions to the evolution of dentistry and the dental profession not only in Canada but also internationally. The founder and some of the early faculty members of West China College of Stomatology at Sichuan University (formerly the Dental School of West China Union University), known as the birthplace of China's modern dental science education, were alumni from the University of Toronto. With their excellent dental background, skills, and dedication, those pioneers laid a firm foundation for modern dental education in China and their contributions to this effort will be addressed in this paper.

Vaccine Hesitancy, Knowledge, and COVID-19 Vaccination in a Sample of Italian and Albanian Healthcare Students Attending an University in Albania.

BACKGROUND: Vaccine hesitancy (VH) has increased over the past decade with large geographical variations between countries, posing a threat to global public health. This phenomenon is growing in the general population as well as among healthcare workers (HCWs), who are the most reliable source of vaccine-related information for patients. Special attention must therefore be paid to medical students, who are the future HCWs. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study (November 2022-January 2023) on all the Albanian and Italian students attending medical science courses at the Catholic University "Our Lady of Good Counsel" (Tirane, Albania) to investigate VH and the factors contributing to it (using the Vaccination Attitude Examination Scale-VAX), including COVID-19 vaccination. Vaccine knowledge was assessed using the Zingg and Siegrist Scale. Students were asked to voluntarily answer an anonymous questionnaire. RESULTS: 689 questionnaires were collected (58.8% Albanians, 72.3% female; 70.4% aged 20-25 years; 70.4% attending the Medicine and Surgery course). Generally, students showed low VH, especially Italians (p < 0.001); however, some hesitancy was observed regarding the potential long-term effects of vaccines, especially among Albanians (p < 0.05). The results also showed a significant difference in vaccine knowledge scores between different course years (χ2 = 90.058; df = 40; p = < 0.001) and different degree courses (χ2 = 89.932; df = 40; p = < 0.001). With regard to COVID-19 vaccination, being of Albanian origin significantly increases the risk of not being vaccinated (OR = 7.215; 95%CI 3.816-13.640, p < 0.001), highlighting possible differences in vaccine coverage and policy between the two countries. CONCLUSION: Vaccine hesitancy should be addressed at early stages during medical sciences courses, in order to protect future healthcare workers, to preserve essential health services, and reduce the risk of further pandemics.

Excess Mortality in the United States, 2020-21: County-level Estimates for Population Groups and Associations with Social Vulnerability.

To assess the excess mortality burden of Covid-19 in the United States, we estimated sex, age and race stratified all-cause excess deaths in each county of the US during 2020 and 2021. Using spatial Bayesian models trained on all recorded deaths between 2003-2019, we estimated 463,187 (95% uncertainty interval (UI): 426,139 - 497,526) excess deaths during 2020, and 544,105 (95% UI: 492,202 - 592,959) excess deaths during 2021 nationally, with considerable geographical heterogeneity. Excess mortality rate (EMR) nearly doubled for each 10-year increase in age and was consistently higher among men than women. EMR in the Black population was 1.5 times that of the White population nationally and as high as 3.8 times in some states. Among the 25-54 year population excess mortality was highest in the American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) population among the four racial groups studied, and in a few states was as high as 6 times that of the White population. Strong association of EMR with county-level social vulnerability was estimated, including positive associations with prevalence of disability (standardized effect: 40.6 excess deaths per 100,000), older population (37.6), poverty (23.6), and unemployment (18.5), whereas population density (-50), higher education (-38.6), and income (-35.4) were protective. Together, these estimates provide a more reliable and comprehensive understanding of the mortality burden of the pandemic in the US thus far. They suggest that Covid-19 amplified social and racial disparities. Short-term measures to protect more vulnerable groups in future Covid-19 waves and systemic corrective steps to address long-term societal inequities are necessary.

Which educational messengers do medical students prefer for receiving healthinformation? Development and psychometrics of using health messengers questionnaire.

INTRODUCTION: Individuals vary in their selection of health messengers. This research aimed to construct an instrument to measure the preferences of medical students in selecting health messengers and in the next step to validate the aforementioned questionnaire. METHOD: This research is a descriptive survey with an approach to construct a questionnaire. The statistical population included all students studying at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in March to June 2022 in the academic year 2021-2022. 500 participants were involved in the study. To determine the types of health messengers and review the texts, a group of 15 primary items consisting of the 6 components of academic sources (2-items), formal news sources (2-items), mass media (3-items), internet search (2-items), social networks and messenger applications (4-items), and informal conversation (2-items) were compiled. A 4-point scale was developed the content validity of which was confirmed using CVI and CVR method and the reliability index was calculated to be 0.818. Factor analysis was also used to determine the construct validity and factor loading of each item. RESULTS: The research covers university students in different medical fields. Using factor analysis, together with KMO = 0.810 and Bartlett's sphericity index P < 0.0001, saturation and the suitability of the test were confirmed. Students' preferences based on factor load were social media (28.92%), official and unofficial health sources(10.76%), academic sources (9.08%), internet search (8.18%), and mass media (7.13%), respectively. Among social media, Telegram (0.85) had the highest factor load followed by Instagram (0.79), and WhatsApp (0.71). CONCLUSION: Medical students are always on the move and naturally prioritize mobile-based methods. They prefer messengers that are free from time and space restrictions. The widespread availability of mobile devices and the ability to search for and access information make it easier to test health information. Therefore, in health policy, attention should be paid to the virtual capabilities, especially mobile-based approaches.

A Risk-Based Approach for Safety Case Follow-up of Adverse Event Reports in Pharmacovigilance.

This study presents an analysis of follow-up attempts for adverse event (AE) reports, shedding light on the characteristics of a risk-based approach to Individual Case Safety Report (ICSR) follow-up by Marketing Authorization Holders (MAH). The analysis primarily focuses on Spontaneous Reports (SR), reports from Patient Support Programs (PSPs), and literature, utilizing data from safety reports sourced from the European Economic Area (EEA) during the pre-pandemic period. Through descriptive statistics, we examine response rates spanning 1 year and compare various types of cases based on distinct ICSR features, including serious vs non-serious, listed vs unlisted, suspected vs not-suspected, SR vs PSP vs literature, as well as comparisons between different product categories (innovator, biological, generics, and combinations). The objective of this report is to stimulate further dialogue within the industry and regulatory authorities regarding the adoption of a risk-based approach to ICSR follow-up procedures.

Desafíos para la enseñanza de ciencias médicas en condiciones de contingencia

La pandemia de COVID-19 contribuyó a la afectación del proceso tradicional de formación de profesionales de la salud, por lo que fueron implementados, de forma abrupta, ajustes y modificaciones que garantizaran la continuidad del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. El objetivo de la revisión bibliográfica consiste en una actualización de las adecuaciones en los métodos de enseñanza en los diferentes escenarios docentes durante las diferentes etapas de contingencia. La revisión incluyó publicaciones, en su mayoría del período 2019-2021, y se emplearon principalmente las bases de datos ESBCO, CUMED y SciELO. Como resultado de la investigación, se plantea la complementación de las clases presenciales por otras modalidades a distancia, ya sea de tipo virtual o en línea: una forma de semipresencialidad, con un mayor empleo de las redes sociales y plataformas virtuales. En conclusión, la enseñanza de ciencias médicas en tiempos de contingencia constituye un reto, ya que ha sido necesario pasar de la enseñanza presencial tradicional a otras modalidades, con énfasis en las tecnologías de la información y de la comunicación, y así reorganizar la educación para garantizar la formación de profesionales de la salud.

The pandemic of COVID-19 contributed to affect the traditional training process of the health professionals, which is why adjustments and modifications were abruptly implemented to guarantee the continuity of the teaching-learning process. The objective of the bibliographical review is to update the adequacy in the teaching methods in the different teaching scenarios during the different contingency stages. The review included publications, mostly from the period 2019-2021, and database used were mainly EBSCO, CUMED and SciELO. As a result of the research, it is proposed the complementation of face-to-face classes by other remote modalities, either virtual or online: a semi-face-to-face form, with a bigger employment of the social networks and virtual platforms. In conclusion, the teaching of medical sciences in times of contingency is a challenge, since it has been necessary to move from traditional face-to-face education to other forms, with emphasis on information and communication technologies, and thus reorganize education to ensure the training of health professionals.

The Effectiveness of Oral Health Education Among Non-dental Healthcare Professionals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A Quasi-experimental Study.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the level of oral health knowledge and practices among non-dental health professionals and to evaluate the effectiveness of oral health education provided to them. METHOD: A convenience sample was recruited from non-dental healthcare professionals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to participants to evaluate their oral health knowledge and behavior. Then, oral health educational material (a video) that was specifically developed for the study was sent to all participants to educate them about some oral health information related to adult oral health, oral signs of some systemic diseases, and the oral side effects of some medications. Two weeks later, the same questionnaire was sent to these participants to assess the effectiveness of the oral health education provided to them. RESULT: The pre-intervention questionnaire results revealed a lack of oral health knowledge and inadequate oral health practices among the participants. After the intervention, the level of knowledge improved significantly from 6.4±2.2 to 10.4±3.8 out of 16 (p <0.001). CONCLUSION: The oral health education intervention used in the current study was effective in improving oral health knowledge among non-dental healthcare professionals.

Learner satisfaction with synchronous and asynchronous virtual learning systems during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tehran university of medical sciences: a comparative analysis.

BACKGROUND: The need for electronic learning and its systems, especially during specific circumstances and crises, is crucial and fundamental for users in universities. However, what is even more important is the awareness and familiarity of learners with different systems and their appropriate use in e-learning. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the satisfaction of learners with synchronous and asynchronous electronic learning systems during the COVID-19 period at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. METHODS: The present study was a descriptive-analytical study conducted cross-sectionally from the first semester of 2019-2020 academic year until the end of the second semester of 2021-2022 academic year, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample size was determined to be 370 students and 650 staff members using the Krejcie and Morgan table. The face validity and reliability of the research tool, which was a researcher-made questionnaire, was confirmed. Considering a response rate of 75%, 280 completed questionnaires were received from students, and 500 completed questionnaires were collected from employees. For data analysis, absolute and relative frequencies, as well as independent t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Post Hoc tests in the SPSS software were utilized. RESULTS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, both students and staff members at Tehran University of Medical Sciences showed a relatively decreasing level of satisfaction with electronic learning. There was a significant difference in satisfaction between these two groups of learners regarding electronic learning (P = 0/031). Learners were relatively more satisfied with the offline system called "Navid" compared to online learning systems. Among the online systems, the highest level of satisfaction was observed with the Skype platform. CONCLUSION: Although learners expressed relative satisfaction with electronic learning during the COVID-19 period, it is necessary to strengthen infrastructure and provide support services, technical assistance, and continuous updates for electronic learning platforms. This can contribute to more effective and efficient utilization of electronic learning, especially during particular circumstances and crises, or in hybrid models combining online and face to face education and training.

Exploring the viewpoint of faculty members of medical sciences universities about effective factors on their organizational retention: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Faculty retention in medical sciences universities is one of the most important values for the survival of the educational system. This study aimed to explore the viewpoint of faculty members of medical sciences universities in Iran about effective factors affecting their organizational retention. METHODS: Qualitative study using deep interviews collected by maximum variation sampling. A purposively selected sample of 15 faculty members was recruited throughout two Iranian medical sciences universities (Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Kerman University of Medical Sciences) during 2021-22. RESULTS: Qualitative data analysis provided 3 main categories and 10 sub-categories. Three main categories were identified that affected the faculty's organizational retention included individual factors, institutional factors, and socio-political factors. CONCLUSION: Factors that contribute to the improvement of faculty retention encompass various aspects. These include consideration given to the personal and social requirements of faculty members, support provided by the organization along with effective resource management, a fair and transparent organizational structure, and the maintenance of political stability both within the university and the nation.

Orthopaedic Eponyms: A Tool of the Past.

Eponyms are commonplace in the medical vernacular, however, their use has become increasingly controversial amongst clinicians. Whilst some view them as an honour bestowed on those whose achievements deserve recognition, others see them as thwarted with problems due to confusion, imprecision and unwittingly applauding controversial figures. Nevertheless, the history and culture retained within eponyms define modern-day medicine. To identify current trends in understanding of eponyms, we presented a questionnaire of orthopaedic eponyms and their associated imaging to unspecialised trainees, specialist orthopaedic trainees, and qualified consultants. Eponymous terms were poorly understood at all levels of experience, with- third and fourth-year Orthopaedic trainees (specialist trainee years five and six (ST5/ST6)) being outperformed (22.3%) by non-specialist postgraduate doctors with two or more years of experience (foundation year two (F2) and core surgery year two (CT2)) (29.3%). Based on these trends we present a further narrative review of the challenges eponyms present, whilst justifying their continued use to acknowledge the origins of our discipline, from the favourable to shameful.

The Effect of a One-Day Workshop on the Quality of Framing Multiple Choice Questions in Physiology in a Medical College in India.

Background Multiple choice questions (MCQs) are commonly used in medical exams for more objectivity in assessment. However, the quality of the questions should be optimum for a proper assessment of the students. A faculty development program (FDP) may improve the quality of MCQs. The effect of a one-day workshop on framing MCQ as a part of a FDP has not been explored in our institution. Aim This study aimed to evaluate the quality of MCQ in the subject of physiology before and after a one-day workshop on framing MCQ as a part of a FDP. Methods This was a retrospective study conducted in the Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Deoghar, Jharkhand, India. A one-day workshop on framing MCQ as a part of a FDP was conducted in March 2022. We took 100 MCQs and responses from the students from examinations conducted before the workshop and 100 MCQs and responses from the students after the workshop. In pre-workshop and post-workshop, the same five faculties framed the questions. Post-validation item analysis including difficulty index (DIFI), discrimination index (DI), distractor effectiveness (DE), and Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20) for internal consistency was calculated. Results Pre-workshop and post-workshop quality of the MCQ remain equal in terms of DIFI (chi-square {3} = 2.42, P = 0.29), DI (chi-square {3} = 2.44, P = 0.49), and DE (chi-square {3} = 4.97, P = 0.17). The KR-20 in pre-workshop and post-workshop was 0.65 and 0.87, respectively. Both had acceptable internal consistency. Conclusion The one-day workshop on framing MCQs as a part of a FDP did not have a significant impact on the quality of the MCQs as measured by the three indices of item quality but did improve the internal consistency of the MCQs. Further educational programs and research are required to find out what measures can improve the quality of MCQs.

Rapid assessment of changes in phage bioactivity using dynamic light scattering.

Extensive efforts are underway to develop bacteriophages as therapies against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, these efforts are confounded by the instability of phage preparations and a lack of suitable tools to assess active phage concentrations over time. Here, we use Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) to measure changes in phage physical state in response to environmental factors and time, finding that phages tend to decay and form aggregates and that the degree of aggregation can be used to predict phage bioactivity. We then use DLS to optimize phage storage conditions for phages from human clinical trials, predict bioactivity in 50-year-old archival stocks, and evaluate phage samples for use in a phage therapy/wound infection model. We also provide a web-application (Phage-ELF) to facilitate DLS studies of phages. We conclude that DLS provides a rapid, convenient, and non-destructive tool for quality control of phage preparations in academic and commercial settings.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Toward Tuberculosis Among Health Faculty and Non-Health Faculty Students of Kabul University and Kabul University of Medical Sciences, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Introduction: Afghanistan ranks 24th among the countries with a high TB death rate. The number of TB patients has unfortunately increased by 3% during 2022 compared to 2021. University students are among the high-risk groups for TB. The frequent and high level of person-to-person contact in universities increases the transmission of infectious diseases including TB. This study aimed to evaluate the level of knowledge, attitude, and practices of university students regarding tuberculosis to better understand the situation. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among 415 health and non-health faculty students between October and December 2022. Multi-stage stratified sampling technique was used to collect the data and data were analyzed using SPSSv25. Cross-tabulation and a Chi-Square test were used to identify differences between groups. Results: The results of this study showed that 18.1% of health and 2.4% of non-health faculty students had good knowledge about TB. There was a significant difference in the knowledge of health and non-health faculty students (P value<0.01). The level of good attitude of health and non-health faculty students about TB was 26.7% and 14.9%, respectively. Regarding practices, 41.9% of health faculty students and 29.8% of non-health faculty students had good practices about TB. There was a significant difference in the attitude (P value = 0.03) and practices (P value = 0.024) of health and non-health faculty students (health faculty students had better knowledge, attitude, and practices.). Conclusion: The knowledge, attitude, and practices of health and non-health faculty students were insufficient about TB. The practice level of health faculty students was poorer than what was expected based on their field. Television and the Internet played a good role in informing students about TB. So, both can be used for transferring good knowledge, positive attitudes, and correct practices about TB to society.

Knowledge, Beliefs, and Practices Related to Menstruation Among Female Students in Afghanistan.

Background: Menstruation is a universal, natural, unique, and physiological phenomenon. Despite the fact that menstruation is a natural fact of life, it is still considered taboo in Afghanistan and other developing countries. Objective: To assess knowledge, beliefs, and practices related to menstruation among female students of Kabul University of Medical Sciences (KUMS). Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was conducted at KUMS in 2022, and a quota sampling technique was used. Results: In this study, 339 students participated out of the 346-sample size. The majority of participants (70.02%), were over 20 years of age. About (59.60%) of participants were aware of menstruation before menarche. The main source of their information was their mothers (37.50%). The average age of menarche was 13.5 years old. Above 70% of respondents had normal patterns of menstruation. More than half of them (51.90%) had dysmenorrhea. Frequent menstrual disorders were abdominal pain (58.1%), and backache (56.1%). The majority of respondents had good and acceptable knowledge of menstruation (33.6%), and (63.1%) respectively. A statistically significant relationship between knowledge and academic year was observed (P value = 0.005). The majority of respondents (92.6%) had poor menstrual beliefs. A statistically significant relationship between respondents' age and beliefs was observed (P value = 0.004). Mother education did not affect respondents' level of beliefs (P value = 0.4). In addition, respondents had good practice of menstruation (75%). Conclusion: In general participants had a good and acceptable level of knowledge with good practice related to menstruation. Despite the good knowledge and practice, the respondents' beliefs related to menstruation were poorer than what was expected from medical disciplines students. Their frequent source of information was their mothers, which highlights the provision of information and education for mothers and all females.

Social determinants of health: Awareness and attitude of students and professors in medical sciences universities.

BACKGROUND: Considering the obvious and important role of social determinants of health on health outcomes and the mission of medical universities in explaining it, the aim of this study was to determine the awareness and attitude of the medical universities students and professors toward social determinants of health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This descriptive-survey study was conducted on the students and professors of Isfahan and Kashan Universities of Medical Sciences in fields related to social determinants of health and at different educational levels in the years 2020-2021. Data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire of awareness and attitude. Data were reported by descriptive statistics using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 20. RESULTS: The average percentage of correct answers to awareness questions was 44% by professors and 33.3% by students. The overall mean score of professors' attitude toward social determinants of health was 2.48 and students' attitudes were 2.65 out of 5. Professors' awareness about social determinants of health was more than students and their attitude was less positive than students. CONCLUSION: Considering that a significant percentage of effective factors in health outcomes are social determinants of health and bearing in mind that universities, especially medical universities in providing healthcare, maintaining, improving, and promoting the health of the community, and also training the necessary human resources in the health sector to provide services play an important role, officials and decision-makers in the Ministry of Health and universities should decide to define this issue in the educational curriculum as well as holding related workshops.

Assessment of virtual education during the covid-19 pandemic from the perspective of faculty members and students: a cross-sectional descriptive study in northwest Iran.

BACKGROUND: Since the coronavirus outbreak, many countries have replaced traditional education with virtual education in order to prevent the disease spread, and also avoid stopping education. The aim of the present study was to assess the virtual education status at Khalkhal University of Medical Sciences during the covid-19 pandemic from the perspective of students and faculty members. METHODS: This is a descriptive-cross-sectional study that was conducted between December 2021and February 2022. The study population included faculty members and students who were selected by consensus. Data collection instruments included demographic information form and a virtual education assessment questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out using independent T-test, one sample T-test, Pearson Correlation, and ANOVA test in SPSS software. RESULTS: A total of 231 students and 22 faculty members of Khalkhal University of Medical Sciences participated in the present study. The response rate was 66.57%. The mean and standard deviation of assessment scores of students (3.3 ± 0.72) were lower than those of faculty members (3.94 ± 0.64), which showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.01). User access to the virtual education system (3.8 ± 0.85) and lesson presentation (4.28 ± 0.71) obtained the highest scores from the perspective of students and faculty members, respectively. There was a statistically significant association between employment status and the assessment score of faculty members (p = 0.01), and the field of study (p < 0.01), the year of university entrance (p = 0.01), and the assessment score of students. CONCLUSION: The results showed a higher than mean assessment score in both groups of faculty members and students. There was a difference between faculty members and students in terms of virtual education scores in the parts that require the creation of better processes and more complete capabilities in the systems, which seems that more detailed planning and reforms will improve the process of virtual education.

Science and Technology of Additive Manufacturing Progress: Processes, Materials, and Applications.

As a special review article, several significant and applied results in 3D printing and additive manufacturing (AM) science and technology are reviewed and studied. Which, the reviewed research works were published in 2020. Then, we would have another review article for 2021 and 2022. The main purpose is to collect new and applied research results as a useful package for researchers. Nowadays, AM is an extremely discussed topic and subject in scientific and industrial societies, as well as a new vision of the unknown modern world. Also, the future of AM materials is toward fundamental changes. Which, AM would be an ongoing new industrial revolution in the digital world. With parallel methods and similar technologies, considerable developments have been made in 4D in recent years. AM as a tool is related to the 4th industrial revolution. So, AM and 3D printing are moving towards the fifth industrial revolution. In addition, a study on AM is vital for generating the next developments, which are beneficial for human beings and life. Thus, this article presents the brief, updated, and applied methods and results published in 2020.