Detection of low index liquid analytes in real-time, in-situ, and with high accuracy is of great importance in various scientific fields, particularly in medicine and biology. Accurate detection of plasma concentration in blood samples is one of the most significant usages of biosensors in medicine. In this paper, we report a highly sensitive biosensor using hollow core microstructure optical fibers (HC-MOFs) to detect low index liquid analytes with a particular focus on detection of plasma concentration in blood samples. We demonstrate how variations in plasma concentration in blood can change transmission spectra of the HC-MOF due to the photonic bandgap mechanism. We use the finite element approach to explore how the biosensor’s performance depends on the number of capillary rings encircling the hollow core of the fibre. An average spectral and amplitude sensitivity of 8928.57 nm/RIU and 1.21 dB/RIU is reported for the optimized design of HC-MOF for five capillary rings with a refractive index detection range of 1.333 to 1.3385 for different ratios of plasma in blood serum. The proposed biosensor can have potential application in liquid analyte detection in medicine, chemistry, and biology where real-time and accurate data about liquid analytes are necessary for human metabolism.

Background: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are a board category of conditions arising from the various components of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) complex. Bio-psychosocial model is the most accepted theory describing the etiopathogenesis of TMD. Dental students are vulnerable to psychological disorders including anxiety, depression and stress. Hence, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the TMD among dental students of various academic levels and explore the association of TMD with biographic, academic, and psychosocial parameters. Methods: A total of 246 students of a dental school in Saudi Arabia were chosen for the study. After getting consent, all students were examined as per the diagnostic criteria/Temporomandibular disorders (DC/TMD) including components from axis-I and axis-II. Results: The overall cross-sectional prevalence of TMD was found to be 36.99%. Pain arising from the jaw, temple, and peri-auricular area was the most commonly reported symptom and elicited sign during examination. Among the pain-related TMD, myalgia was the commonest diagnosed condition, whereas disc displacement with reduction was found prevalent in intra-articular disorder category. Female (OR=1.94; P=0.004), married (OR=1.74; P=0.04), and students in clinical levels (OR=1.65; P=0.03) were shown to have significantly higher risk to develop TMD. Among the psychosocial parameters, parafunctional habits (OR=2.10; P<0.001) and anxiety (OR=1.55; P=0.04) are shown to increase risk of developing TMD. Students with any TMD reported to have significantly higher pain intensity (OR=1.68; P=0.01) and jaw functional limitations (OR=1.45; P=0.008). Conclusion: Dental students especially in the clinical levels were shown to poses higher risk of developing TMD, hence strategies such as academic counselling and objective evaluation via rubrics should be planned to modify the administration of the curriculum, training methods and evaluation process.

Background and Objectives: Health-care workers (HCWs) are playing an instrumental role in combating coronavirus infection (COVID-19). While rendering their services, they also run the risk of cross-contamination. Hence, it is important to evaluate and correlate the knowledge and attitude of HCWs of Saudi Arabia about COVID-19. Materials and Methods: A prospective, nationwide, questionnaire-based survey was conducted after getting the approval from the institutional ethical board. A validated and reliable questionnaire was constructed, developed on the Qualtrics software, and circulated through an electronic medium across the country. The questionnaire had a total of 29 questions regarding knowledge and attitude about COVID-19. Through convenience sampling, the data were collected from a total sample of 1553 HCWs. Based on the primary area of expertise, the sample was categorized into three study groups with 1040 medical health-care professionals (MHCPs) (Group I), 318 dental health-care professionals (DHCPs) (Group II), and 195 allied health-care professionals (AHCPs) (Group III). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was done using SPSS v. 21, where P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Female HCWs ( P = 0.003) were shown to have a higher (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.46; confidence interval [CI]: 1.19–1.79) risk of inadequate knowledge in comparison to male HCWs. With respect to qualification, HCWs with doctorate qualification ( P = 0.005) (aOR: 0.39; CI: 0.2–0.75) had shown to have adequate knowledge compared to their counterparts. AHCPs were shown inadequate knowledge ( P < 0.001; aOR: 2.36; CI: 1.65–3.38), but adequate attitude ( P < 0.001; aOR: 0.13; CI: 0.09–0.2) compared to MHCPs and DHCPs. Conclusion: MHCPs were shown to have the most appropriate level of knowledge, whereas AHCPs outscore other counterparts of HCWs with respect to attitude toward COVID-19. Emphasis should be directed to the whole community of HCWs in enhancing their awareness and practice attitude toward the novel infection of COVID-19.

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Editorial on the Research TopicRecent advancements in the dental biomaterials applied in various diagnostic, restorative, regenerative and therapeutic procedures Recent advancements in the dental biomaterials applied in various diagnostic, restorative, regenerative, and therapeutic proceduresIn recent times, dentistry has evolved in many directions at a very rapid pace. These advancements can be witnessed in every aspect of dentistry, including diagnosis, investigation, and therapeutic approaches, such as restorative, reparative, regenerative, and rehabilitative techniques. With improvements in investigative methodologies such as micro-computed tomography, scanning electron microscopy, spectroscopy, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cell line culture, immunohistochemistry, and laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), the field's understanding of diseases in terms of their etiopathogenesis and the available responses in the form of treatments have improved tremendously. Furthermore, nanotechnology has also contributed to a revolution taking place in various areas of the sciences, such as molecular biology, chemistry, and engineering. Dentistry is no exception to this: a vast amount of research is ongoing in this area, with existing dental biomaterials being modified to improve their physical, mechanical, and biological properties. Additionally, with the expanding need for treatment, new biomaterials are even being developed, while alterations to existing