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Background: Patient demand for oral and maxillofacial telehealth services increased during COVID-19. To explore the potential for their continued use post-COVID-19, an assessment was conducted by examining the association between the clinical and socio-demographic characteristics of consultants and the perceived facilitators and barriers influencing their future intent. Methods: Practicing oral and maxillofacial consultants were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling methods. Data were collected through surveys and key informant interviews. Chi-square tests were used to determine whether consultants' clinical and socio-demographic characteristics and perceptions were associated with a willingness to use telehealth in the future. Coded interview transcripts were analyzed thematically to identify the main themes influencing their willingness. Results: Among the 42 respondents, 82% expressed a willingness to continue using telehealth services with the majority having at least 2 to 3 years (p = 0.028) of experience utilizing these services. The four main themes impacting consultants willingness include the accessibility of oral and maxillofacial healthcare, challenges addressing patient needs, the uncertainty of diagnostic accuracy and effectiveness as a post-operation observation tool. Conclusion: Most oral and maxillofacial consultants favored the routine use of telehealth services beyond COVID-19. Concern for patients' needs was a key determinant of their continued use. Co-designing strategies to eliminate barriers and unmet needs for consultants and patients may improve oral and maxillofacial telehealth uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The force on a current-carrying conductor in a magnetic field is a common aspect of post-16 physics courses. Many textbooks approach this topic via a current balance, e.g. Hutchins (1990) through to Duncan (2000), with websites such as "Practical Physics" giving a qualitative version. This article takes the approach of equating "F = BIL"sin[theta] with "F = ma". In doing this the acceleration can be measured via video analysis and hence force equated to BIL. (Contains 3 tables and 6 figures.)

Borate is an antibacterial preservative widely used in clinical and large-scale epidemiological studies involving urine sample analysis. Since it readily forms covalent adducts and reversible complexes with hydroxyl and carboxylate groups, the effects of borate preservation in [sup.1]H NMR-spectroscopy-based metabolic profiling of human urine samples have been assessed. Effects of various concentrations of borate (range 0-30 mM) on [sup.1]H NMR spectra of urine were observed at sequential time points over a 12 month period. Consistent with known borate chemistry, the principal alterations in the [sup.1]H resonance metabolite patterns were observed for compounds such as mannitol, citrate, and [alpha]-hydroxyisobutyrate and confirmed by ESI-MS analysis. These included line-broadening, [T.sub.1] and [T.sub.2] relaxation, and chemical shift changes consistent with complex formation and chemical exchange processes. To further investigate complexation behavior in the urinary metabolite profiles, a new tool for visualization of multi-component relaxation variations in which the spectra were color-coded according to the [T.sub.1] and [T.sub.2] proton relaxation times respectively ([T.sub.1] or [T.sub.2] ordered projection spectroscopy, TOPSY) was also developed and applied. Addition of borate caused a general decrease in [sup.1]H [T.sub.1] values, consistent with nonspecific effects such as solution viscosity changes. Minor changes in proton [T.sub.2] relaxation rates were observed for the most strongly complexing metabolites. From a molecular phenotyping and epidemiologic viewpoint, typical interpersonal biological variation was shown to be vastly greater than any variation introduced by the borate complexation, which had a negligible effect on the metabolic mapping and classification of samples. While caution is indicated in the assignment of biomarker signals where metabolites have diol groupings or where there are adjacent hydroxyl and carboxylate functions, it is concluded that borate preservation is 'fit-for-purpose' for [sup.1]H NMR-based epidemiological studies, since the essential biochemical classification features of the samples are robustly maintained.

Although NMR spectroscopic techniques coupled with multivariate statistics can yield much useful information for classifying biological samples based on metabolic profiles, biomarker identification remains a time-consuming and complex procedure involving separation methods, two-dimensional NMR, and other spectroscopic tools. We present a new approach to aid complex biomixture analysis that combines diffusion ordered (DO) NMR spectroscopy with statistical total correlation spectroscopy (STOCSY) and demonstrate its application in the characterization of urinary biomarkers and enhanced information recovery from plasma NMR spectra. This method relies on calculation and display of the covariance of signal intensities from the various nuclei on the same molecule across a series of spectra collected under different pulsed field gradient conditions that differentially attenuate the signal intensities according to translational molecular diffusion rates. We term this statistical diffusion-ordered spectroscopy (S-DOSY). We also have developed a new visualization tool in which the apparent diffusion coefficients from DO spectra are projected onto a 1D NMR spectrum (diffusion-ordered projection spectroscopy, DOPY). Both methods either alone or in combination have the potential for general applications to any complex mixture analysis where the sample contains compounds with a range of diffusion coefficients.

Author(s): Wim Broothaerts [1, 2, 3]; Heidi J. Mitchell [1, 3]; Brian Weir [1, 3]; Sarah Kaines [1, 2, 3]; Leon M. A. Smith [1]; Wei Yang [1]; Jorge E. [...]