Prevalence of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Its Impact on the Quality of Life Among Obese Individuals in Al-Baha Region, Saudi Arabia.

Background Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a global gastrointestinal disorder, and obesity is a particular risk factor. Symptoms of GERD, such as heartburn and acid reflux, are caused by abnormal relaxation in the lower esophagus, causing gastric acid reflux. Persistent symptoms can affect the patient's quality of life (QOL) and can cause complications, such as esophageal adenocarcinoma. Management of GERD includes lifestyle changes, antacids, and anti-reflux surgery. Even though GERD is a common disease, few research has been carried out on it in Saudi Arabia. Aim This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of GERD and its associated risk factors among obese individuals in the Al-Baha region population and the effect of GERD on their QOL. Methods A cross-sectional study included 314 obese participants from the Al-Baha region. A questionnaire was filled out to measure the prevalence of GERD, risk factors, and effects on the QOL of the participants. Data were analyzed by the IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 26.0 (released 2019, IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Descriptive statistics and the chi-squared test were applied. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with the incidence of GERD. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results A total of 314 patients who met our inclusion criteria completed the survey; 42% of them were women, the mean age of all patients was 35.3 ± 12.9 years, and 38.2% of the patients were diagnosed with GERD. Epigastric pain and burning sensation were the most common symptoms (44.9%). Five out of six domains in the QOL questionnaire showed more effects among GERD participants than non-GERD participants, and the results were statistically significant (p = 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that men are 1.8 times more likely than women to be diagnosed with GERD, and smokers have 2.6 times the risk of being diagnosed with GERD than non-smokers. Conclusion The present study showed a high prevalence of GERD among obese patients in the Al-Baha region, negatively affecting their QOL. Major risk factors included gender, smoking, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Public health programs to raise awareness of these risk factors and lifestyle habits are necessary to improve QOL and prevent complications.

The Expression of Serglycin Is Required for Active Transforming Growth Factor ß Receptor I Tumorigenic Signaling in Glioblastoma Cells and Paracrine Activation of Stromal Fibroblasts via CXCR-2.

Serglycin (SRGN) is a pro-tumorigenic proteoglycan expressed and secreted by various aggressive tumors including glioblastoma (GBM). In our study, we investigated the interplay and biological outcomes of SRGN with TGFßRI, CXCR-2 and inflammatory mediators in GBM cells and fibroblasts. SRGN overexpression is associated with poor survival in GBM patients. High SRGN levels also exhibit a positive correlation with increased levels of various inflammatory mediators including members of TGFß signaling pathway, cytokines and receptors including CXCR-2 and proteolytic enzymes in GBM patients. SRGN-suppressed GBM cells show decreased expressions of TGFßRI associated with lower responsiveness to the manipulation of TGFß/TGFßRI pathway and the regulation of pro-tumorigenic properties. Active TGFßRI signaling in control GBM cells promotes their proliferation, invasion, proteolytic and inflammatory potential. Fibroblasts cultured with culture media derived by control SRGN-expressing GBM cells exhibit increased proliferation, migration and overexpression of cytokines and proteolytic enzymes including CXCL-1, IL-8, IL-6, IL-1ß, CCL-20, CCL-2, and MMP-9. Culture media derived by SRGN-suppressed GBM cells fail to induce the above properties to fibroblasts. Importantly, the activation of fibroblasts by GBM cells not only relies on the expression of SRGN in GBM cells but also on active CXCR-2 signaling both in GBM cells and fibroblasts.

Patient Safety in the Surgical Field: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Al-Baha University Medical Students.

Background Patient safety and quality of surgical care are crucial in healthcare. Adequate knowledge and attitudes among healthcare providers regarding differentiating malpractice from surgical complications are essential for preventing adverse events. We aimed to assess medical students' knowledge and attitudes toward patient safety in surgical procedures. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted among clinical years of medical students and interns at Al-Baha University, Saudi Arabia, from June 15, 2023, to August 1, 2023. Exclusion criteria were students from basic years, pharmacology students, applied medical science, dental students, and students from other universities. A self-administered questionnaire collected data on participants' demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to patient safety in surgical procedures. Results A total of 271 medical students participated, exceeding the target sample size of 181. Participants' ages ranged from 20 to 28 years, with the majority between 23 and 25 (60.5%). Males accounted for 63.8% of participants. The largest group was fourth-year students (31.7%), followed by interns (23.6%), those in sixth year (23.2%), and those in fifth year (21.4%). Moreover, 82.7% of participants demonstrated good knowledge of patient safety concepts. The highest level of knowledge was noted among fourth-year students (89.5%), and the lowest was among fifth-year medical students (75.9%), but was not statistically significant (p=0.701). Most participants demonstrated appropriate attitudes and practices (83.6%); however, 9.2% refused to perform surgery on a patient with active hepatitis B due to concerns for their own safety. Conclusion The majority of participants exhibited suitable knowledge and attitudes toward patient safety in surgical scenarios, but there was deficient knowledge among fifth- and sixth-year students. Moreover, a negative attitude regarding patient safety was noticed, exemplified by refusing surgeries on patients with active hepatitis B.

Correction: Novel sensor for the determination of CA 15-3 in serum of breast cancer patients based on Fe-gallic acid complex doped in modified cellulose polymer thin films.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D3RA02495D.].

Correction: Highly selective optical sensor N/S-doped carbon quantum dots (CQDs) for the assessment of human chorionic gonadotropin ß-hCG in the serum of breast and prostate cancer patients.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D3RA01570J.].

Ecofriendly Elimination of Ni (II) Using Fabricated Nanocomposite Based on Chitosan/Silver Nanoparticles/Carbon Nanotubes.

Nickel ions are hazardous heavy metals that are non-biodegradable and can lead to allergic sensitivity and dermatitis. Nanomaterials are chosen for their effective elimination of impurities from water structures based entirely on the variety of therapy and degree of purification. The target of this work was the combination of the properties of biopolymers such as chitosan, silver nanoparticles (SNPs), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in one ecofriendly compound for Ni (II) uptake from the aqueous solution. To attain this target, the endeavor was made by creating a nanocomposite based on chitosan/SNPs/CNTs. The characterization of the structure of the fabricated nanocomposite (Chit-SNPs-CNTs) was carried out using different techniques. The removal of Ni (II) was examined by studying the adsorption of Ni (II) ions onto the fabricated nanocomposite by batch adsorption using UV, XRD, XPS, and ICP techniques. Moreover, we investigated the effect of the contact time, pH of the solution, and mass of the adsorbent on the efficiency of the adsorption of Ni (II). The results show that the adsorption capacity of Ni (II) increased by increasing the contact time with a neutral pH. The maximum removal of Ni (II) ions (99.70%) was found using 0.3 g of the (Chit-SNPs-CNTs) nanocomposite. In addition, the results indicate that the fabricated nanocomposite has a high adsorption effectivity, which is associated to the function of the chitosan, SNPs, and CNTs in upgrading the adsorption efficiency. Finally, the results in the existing work indicate that the ecofriendly nanocomposite organized here gave excessive effectivity closer to the elimination of Ni (II).

Novel sensor for the determination of CA 15-3 in serum of breast cancer patients based on Fe-gallic acid complex doped in modified cellulose polymer thin films.

Fe-gallic acid MOF embedded in an epoxy methyl cellulose polymer (CMC) thin film was synthesized and characterized by different micro-analytical tools such as: FE-SEM/EDX, XPS analysis, XRD analysis, FT-IR, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Fe-gallic acid MOF doped in a stable CMC polymer thin film is used as a novel sensor to identify CA 15-3 in the sera of patients suffering breast malignancy. The presence of appropriate functional groups in aqueous CA 15-3 solutions enables it to interact with the Fe-gallic acid MOF embedded in the thin film. The Fe-gallic acid MOF was found to absorb energy at 350 nm (λex) and emits radiation at 439 nm which was specifically quenched in the presence of CA 15-3 over a working concentration range of 0.05-570 U mL-1. In contrast to other CA 15-3 detection methods which suffered from electronic noise, interference and slowness, the Fe-gallic acid MOF proved its sensitivity as an economic, stable and reliable probe for the detection and determination of CA 15-3 in patients' serum samples with a detection limit of 0.01 U mL-1 at pH 7.2.

Highly selective optical sensor N/S-doped carbon quantum dots (CQDs) for the assessment of human chorionic gonadotropin ß-hCG in the serum of breast and prostate cancer patients.

A low-cost, accurate, and highly selective method was used for the assessment of the human chorionic gonadotropin ß-hCG in the serum of breast and prostate cancer patients. This method is based on enhancing the intensity of luminescence displayed by the optical sensor N/S-doped carbon dots (CQDs) upon adding different concentrations of ß-hCG. The luminescent optical sensor was synthesized and characterized through absorption and emission and is tailored to present blue luminescence at λem = 345 nm and λex = 288 nm at pH 7.8 in DMSO. The enhancement of the luminescence intensity of the N/S-doped CQDs, especially, the characteristic band at λem = 345 nm, is typically used for determining ß-hCG in different serum samples. The dynamic range is 1.35-22.95 mU mL-1, and the limit of detection (LOD) and quantitation limit of detection (LOQ) are 0.235 and 0.670 mU mL-1, respectively. This method was practical, simple, and relatively free from interference effect. It was successfully applied to measure PCT in the samples of human serum, and from this method, we can assess some biomarkers of cancer-related diseases in human body.

Chest Radiological Findings and Clinical Characteristics of Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 Patients from Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral respiratory disease that first emerged in China in December 2019 and quickly spread worldwide. As the prevalence of COVID-19 increases, radiological examination is becoming an essential diagnostic tool for identifying and managing the disease's progression. Therefore, we aimed to identify the chest imaging features and clinical characteristics of patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this retrospective study, data of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients were collected from 4 hospitals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Their common clinical characteristics, as well as imaging features of chest X-rays and computed tomography (CT) images, were analyzed. RESULTS A total of 297 patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who underwent chest imaging were investigated in this study. Of these patients, 77.9% were male and 22.2% were female. Their mean age was 48 years old. The most common clinical symptoms were fever (187 patients; 63%) and cough (174 patients; 58.6%). The predominant descriptive chest imaging findings were ground-glass opacities and consolidation. Locations of abnormalities were bilateral, mainly distributed peripherally, in the lower lung zones, and in the middle lung zones. CONCLUSIONS This study provides an understanding of the most common clinical and radiological features of patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. The majority of COVID-19 patients in our study cohort had either stable or worse progression of lung lesions during follow-ups; thus, they presented moderate disease cases. Elderly males were more affected by COVID-19 than females, with fever and cough being the most common clinical symptoms.