Awareness, Knowledge, Attitude, and Skills (AKAS) of Telemedicine and Its Use by Primary Healthcare Providers.

Background: This study aimed to determine the rate of telemedicine (TM) use and the levels of awareness, knowledge, attitude, and skills of TM among primary healthcare (PHC) providers.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 104 PHC providers were subjected to a validated AKAS scale via Survey Monkey. The tool consists of 4 parameters that users can respond to using a 4-point Likert scale to assess their awareness (12 statements), knowledge (11 statements), attitude (11 statements), and skills (13 statements) on TM.

Physicians' Examination and Referral Practices on Orthodontic Problems Among 6-12-Year-Old Children in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Physicians are more likely to examine children than dentists; thus, they may have a significant role in detecting oral and dentofacial problems. This study aimed to determine the rate and comprehensiveness of examinations, the rate and quality of referral practices, and the predictors of referral practice of physicians regarding orthodontic problems among children.

Methods: In a multi-center cross-sectional study, a total of 518 physicians in Saudi Arabia were subjected to an e-questionnaire of four sections: (1) Physicians' demographic and work-related characteristics; (2) Physicians' comprehensiveness of oral and orthodontic examinations; (3) Physicians' referral practices to orthodontists and reasons considered for referral; and (4) Physicians' sources of orthodontic education.

Adhesion of microorganisms to bovine submaxillary mucin coatings: effect of coating deposition conditions.

The adhesion of Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans on mucin coatings was evaluated to explore the feasibility of using the coating to increase the infection resistance of biomaterials. Coatings of bovine submaxillary mucin (BSM) were deposited on a base layer consisting of a poly(acrylic acid-b-methyl methacrylate) (PAA-b-PMMA) diblock copolymer. This bi-layer system exploits the mucoadhesive interactions of the PAA block to aid the adhesion of mucin to the substratum, whereas the PMMA block prevents dissolution of the coating in aqueous environments.

Spectroscopic ellipsometry of mucin layers on an amphiphilic diblock copolymer surface.

Both visible and infrared (IR) spectroscopic ellipsometry have been employed to study the structure of thin layers of bovine submaxillary mucin (BSM) adsorbed on poly(acrylic acid-block-methyl methacrylate) (PAA-b-PMMA) copolymer and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) surfaces at three pH values (3, 7, and 10). The adsorbed mucin layer on the copolymer surface had the greatest thickness (17 nm) when adsorbed from a mucin solution at a pH of 3. For the first time, IR ellipsometry was used to identify adhesive interactions and conformational changes in mucin/polymer double layers.

Absorption of cetylpyridinium chloride into poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based microgel particles, in dispersion and as surface-deposited monolayers.

The addition of cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) to aqueous dispersions of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) [poly(NIPAM)] and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) [poly(NIPAM-co-AAc)] microgel particles leads to absorption of the CPC into the particles and to corresponding changes in their hydrodynamic diameter. With the latter set of particles there is a strong pH dependence. The dependence of both hydrodynamic diameter and electrophoretic mobility of the microgel particles on the added CPC concentration show a strong correlation with CPC uptake, as obtained from direct CPC absorption measurements.

Swelling and deswelling of adsorbed microgel monolayers triggered by changes in temperature, pH, and electrolyte concentration.

The formation and characterization of close-packed monolayers of negative, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-based microgel particles onto positively charged silicon wafers is described. The silicon wafers were rendered positive by first oxidizing their surface to silica and then adsorbing a layer of poly(ethyleneimine). The thickness of the deposited microgel monolayers (under aqueous conditions) has been determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry as a function of temperature (20-60 degrees C), pH (3-8), and added NaCl concentration (0-1 M).