Background and aimsGastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common gastrointestinal disease worldwide that is associated with impaired quality of life and higher risk of complications. The identification of risk factors is necessary for preventive measures. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of GERD symptoms as well as its relation to body mass index (BMI) and other risk factors among medical students of Jeddah and Rabigh branches, King Abdul-Aziz University, Saudi Arabia.Subjects and methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine in Rabigh, King Abdul-Aziz University, Saudi Arabia. The study included 197 medical students from Rabigh and Jeddah branches of the university. The study employed a Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire which is derived from a self-administered validated GERD questionnaire (GerdQ).ResultsThe prevalence of GERD symptoms was 25.9%. The most frequent symptoms were regurgitation and burning sensation. High BMI, family history, energy drinks and fried food were found to be statistically significant risk factors (p<0.05) by univariate analysis. However, the logistic regression for the prediction of GERD symptoms among medical students showed that only family history had a significant correlation (p<0.05).ConclusionGERD symptoms were common in medical students of King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. Family history was found to be a significant predictor of GERD symptoms. Effective educational strategies for groups with significant risk factors of GERD need to be implemented.

Depression-induced cognitive impairment has recently been given more attention in research. However, the relationship between depression and different types of memory is still not clear. Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) is a commonly used animal model of depression in which animals are exposed to chronic unpredictable environmental and psychological stressors, which mimics daily human life stressors. This study investigated the impact of different durations of CUMS on various types of memory (short- and long-term spatial memory and recognition memory) and investigated CUMS’ impact on the ultrastructural level by histological assessment of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Twenty male C57BL/J6 mice (6 weeks old, 21.8 ± 2 g) were randomly divided into two groups (n = 10): control and CUMS (8 weeks). A series of behavioral tasks were conducted twice at weeks 5–6 (early CUMS) and weeks 7–8 (late CUMS). A tail-suspension test (TST), forced swimming test (FST), elevated zero maze (EZM), elevated plus maze (EPM), open field test (OFT), and sucrose-preference test (SPT) were used to assess anxiety and depressive symptoms. The cognitive function was assessed by the novel object recognition test (NORT; for recognition memory), Y-maze (for short-term spatial memory), and Morris water maze (MWM: for long-term spatial memory) with a probe test (for reference memory). Our data showed that 8 weeks of CUMS increased the anxiety level, reported by a significant increase in anxiety index in both EPM and EZM and a significant decrease in central preference in OFT, and depression was reported by a significant increase in immobility in the TST and FST and sucrose preference in the SPT. Investigating the impact of CUMS on various types of memory, we found that reference memory is the first memory to be affected in early CUMS. In late CUMS, all types of memory were impaired, and this was consistent with the abnormal histological features of the memory-related areas in the brain (hippocampus and prefrontal cortex).

Background The practice of hand hygiene (HH) has prime importance among Health Care Professionals (HCPs) and non-compliance could cause adverse consequences. By keeping the importance of HH in mind, this study aims at investigating the knowledge and attitudes towards HH among medical students and interns at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (SA). Methods The study includes 453 medical students and interns (189 males & 264 females). This study was completed in three months; from September to November 2017. The World Health Organization (WHO) HH questionnaire was used and data were analyzed on SPSS-21. Results Two-third of the participants 292 (64.2%) had formal training in HH in the last three years. Almost half of the participants 254 (56.1%) had correct knowledge regarding the major course of transmission of potentially detrimental microbes among patients in the healthcare premises. Just 124 (27.4%) of the respondents had the correct knowledge about the most common basis of germs accountable for healthcare-related infections. Females had significantly better knowledge than males regarding the type of HH technique needed before palpation of the abdomen (177(54%) Vs. 151(46%); P < 0.002), before an injection (175(54.5%) Vs. 146(45.5%); P < 0.007), after emptying a bedpan (207(64.7%) Vs. 113(35.3%); P < 0.001), following discarding examination gloves (256(60.4% Vs. 168(39.6%); P < 0.001] and after exposure to blood (200(64.1%) Vs. 112(35.%); P < 0.001). Female participants had better knowledge than males regarding the type of HH actions. Females also had a significantly better attitude towards the importance of HH than males (240(62.5%) Vs. 144(37.5%); P < 0.001). Conclusion The majority of the participants’ knowledge regarding HH was not up to the mark; however, female students had better knowledge compared to male students. The medical students and interns’ knowledge and positive attitude towards HH can play a pivotal role in preventing HCPs associated infections and it would overall decrease the infection-related burden on the hospital and governmental budgets. It is suggested that multi-dimensional plans are required to change this low compliance to a higher rate.

Stem cells are a versatile source for cell therapy. Their use is particularly significant for the treatment of neurological disorders for which no definitive conventional medical treatment is available. Neurological disorders are of diverse etiology and pathogenesis. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is caused by abnormal protein deposits, leading to progressive dementia. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is due to the specific degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons causing motor and sensory impairment. Huntington’s disease (HD) includes a transmittable gene mutation, and any treatment should involve gene modulation of the transplanted cells. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disorder affecting multiple neurons sporadically but induces progressive neuronal dysfunction. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) impacts upper and lower motor neurons, leading to progressive muscle degeneration. This shows the need to try to tailor different types of cells to repair the specific defect characteristic of each disease. In recent years, several types of stem cells were used in different animal models, including transgenic animals of various neurologic disorders. Based on some of the successful animal studies, some clinical trials were designed and approved. Some studies were successful, others were terminated and, still, a few are ongoing. In this manuscript, we aim to review the current information on both the experimental and clinical trials of stem cell therapy in neurological disorders of various disease mechanisms. The different types of cells used, their mode of transplantation and the molecular and physiologic effects are discussed. Recommendations for future use and hopes are highlighted.

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Introduction An imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and the defence mechanisms underlying the activity of antioxidant enzymes has been demonstrated as the leading pathology in diabetes mellitus (DM)-related microvascular complications. Purpose This study aims to evaluate the association between polymorphisms in antioxidant enzyme-encoding genes: catalase (CAT); manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD); glutathione S transferase M1 (GSTM1); and GSTT1 glutathione S transferase T1 (GSTT1), and the risk of type II diabetic nephropathy (DN) in the Saudi population. Patients and Methods The present study involved 64 type II DM patients with nephropathy and 64 type II diabetes patients without nephropathy from the King Abdulaziz University (KAU) Hospital. They underwent real-time PCR genotyping for the Mn-SOD and CAT genes. Multiplex PCR was used to detect GSTM1- and GSTT1-null polymorphisms. Results A statistically significant difference was observed between the case and control groups with regard to polymorphisms in the CAT gene (P = 0.037), but not for polymorphisms in the Mn-SOD (P = 0.64) gene. In addition, a statistically significant association was observed between null polymorphisms of the GSTT1 and GSTM1 genes and DN in the case and control groups (P = 0.046 and P = 0.035, respectively). Conclusion Our results showed that the genetic ability to combat oxidative stress may play a major role in DN pathogenesis in Saudi type II DM patients. These polymorphisms in antioxidant enzyme-encoding genes could be used as independent genetic markers for the construction of risk prediction models for kidney-related complications in type II DM patients.

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Unplanned hospital readmission forms costly, but preventable burdens on healthcare system. This study was designed to evaluate cardiovascular-related readmission rate after discharge of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients and its relationship with medication adherence at a university hospital, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A total of 370 consecutive patients presenting with ACS were involved. The inclusion criteria were clinical and coronary angiography diagnostic data of ACS. Exclusion criteria included heart valve disease, myocarditis, hepatic disease, and history of acute infection during the previous two weeks. Patients were divided into index admission group (n = 291) and unplanned readmission group (n = 79). Readmission and medication adherence rates were evaluated during 1-30, 31-180, 181-365, and 366-548 days post-ACS discharge. Medication adherence was estimated with a (yes/no) questionnaire. Results: The overall readmission rate was 21.4%; individual rates were 30.4%, 38.0%, 27.8%, and 3.8% and the overall medication adherence rate was 62.03%, while individual rates were 54.2%, 70.0%, 63.6%, and 33.3% during the four periods, respectively. There were strong correlations between medication non-adherence and readmission rates. Heart failure, ST-elevated myocardial infarction, unstable angina, cerebrovascular accident, and arrhythmia represented the top causes. Body mass index was higher in readmission group. There were significant correlations between smoking, hypertension, cerebrovascular accident, ischemic heart disease, previous stent, instent restenosis, and LDL-cholesterol as predictor factors and readmission rate. Conclusion:The cardiovascular-related unplanned readmission rate post-ACS discharge was 21.4%, and medication non-adherence rate was 37.97%. There were strong correlations between them in the time frames from 1-month to 1.5-year post-discharge. The individual rates decreased by time, but the first month showed lower rates than the following 5 months and this indicated the role of factors other than medication non-adherence in readmission. The rates are generally consistent with the international levels but utilizing technology can further improve medication adherence and reduce readmission rates.