Burnout among surgeons before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: an international survey

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had many significant impacts within the surgical realm, and surgeons have been obligated to reconsider almost every aspect of daily clinical practice. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study reported in compliance with the CHERRIES guidelines and conducted through an online platform from June 14th to July 15th, 2020. The primary outcome was the burden of burnout during the pandemic indicated by the validated Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure. Results: Nine hundred fifty-four surgeons completed the survey. The median length of practice was 10 years; 78.2% included were male with a median age of 37 years old, 39.5% were consultants, 68.9% were general surgeons, and 55.7% were affiliated with an academic institution. Overall, there was a significant increase in the mean burnout score during the pandemic; longer years of practice and older age were significantly associated with less burnout. There were significant reductions in the median number of outpatient visits, operated cases, on-call hours, emergency visits, and research work, so, 48.2% of respondents felt that the training resources were insufficient. The majority (81.3%) of respondents reported that their hospitals were included in the management of COVID-19, 66.5% felt their roles had been minimized; 41% were asked to assist in non-surgical medical practices, and 37.6% of respondents were included in COVID-19 management. Conclusions: There was a significant burnout among trainees. Almost all aspects of clinical and research activities were affected with a significant reduction in the volume of research, outpatient clinic visits, surgical procedures, on-call hours, and emergency cases hindering the training. Trial registration: The study was registered on clicaltrials.gov "NCT04433286" on 16/06/2020

Coded environments: data-driven indoor localisation with reconfigurable intelligent surfaces

Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces have recently emerged as a revolutionary next-generation wireless networks paradigm that harnesses engineered electromagnetic environments to reshape radio wave propagation. Pioneering research presented in this article establishes the viability of Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces-enhanced indoor localisation and charts a roadmap for its integration into next-generation wireless network architectures. Here, we present a comprehensive experimental analysis of a Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces-enabled indoor localisation scheme that evaluates the localisation accuracy of different machine learning algorithms under varying Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces states, antenna types, and communication setups. The results indicate that incorporating Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces can significantly enhance indoor localisation accuracy, achieving an impressive 82.4% success rate. Moreover, this study delves into system performance across varied communication modes and subcarrier configurations. This research is poised to lay the groundwork for implementing Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces-empowered joint sensing and communications in future next-generation wireless networks

Health care for all: effective, community supported, healthcare with innovative use of telemedicine technology

Abstract Abstract Almost half of the world’s total population reside in rural and remote areas and a large number of these people remain deprived of most basic facilities like healthcare and education. It is deemed impossible for government with scarce resources in developing countries to open and run a health facility in every remote community using conventional means. One increasingly popular unconventional mean is the use of existing technology to improve exchange of medical information for the purpose of improving health of underprivileged communities. Telemedicine implies the use of information and communication technology to provide health care remotely from a distance. With the induction of telemedicine, patients who live in rural and remote areas can have increased access to medical services. In many developing countries, use of telemedicine however has been limited mainly to teleconferencing between primary and secondary/tertiary care facilities for diagnosis and management of patients. This system still requires patients from remote communities to travel, often long and arduous journeys to the centre where telecom and medical facilities are available. Health Care 4 All International, a not for profit registered charity is providing primary care to patients by taking telemedicine into their homes in remote communities, thus obviating the need and hardships of travel for patient

Waste audit: Pathway to attain sustainability at Qatar University

Waste audit has proved to be a valuable first step in development of a viable waste minimization and recycling program. Waste characterization has been successfully used at many educational institutions in the United States and elsewhere for advancing campus sustainability plan. As part of the requirements for the special topic course: "Solid and Hazardous Waste Management," taught by the first author at the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Qatar University, in Spring 2016, students conducted waste audit of selected buildings on the campus. The designated buildings were visited before performing the waste audit and a questionnaire was used to record vital information about each building. Using common materials along with a portable electronic balance, the students sorted the waste into various categories to determine relative amount of each type generated at a particular building. The audit was conducted twice at each of the four buildings to obtain an average value. While the waste stream at the four buildings consisted essentially of paper, plastics, metals, and food waste, it was found that the relative abundance of each of type of waste was a function of the purpose and use of the building. Details of the waste audit procedure, materials and methods, along with discussion of the results obtained are included in the presentation. Results of the waste audit should provide baseline data for developing a sound waste minimization and recycling program at Qatar University. This information, combined with assessment of energy and water use on the campus, would serve as major steps in reduction of greenhouse gases by preventing recyclables from ending up in landfills; saving natural resources by increased recycling; and conservation of energy and water resources. Recommendations are made for expanding waste audit to cover all buildings on the campus to obtain comprehensive data for advancing Qatar University's sustainability plan. We recommend that a concerted effort be initiated to encourage the campus community to sort paper, plastic, metal, and food waste before tossing them into the trash receptacles; avoid co-mingling the waste, and to practice energy and water conservation.qscienc