Knowledge and Awareness of Diabetes Mellitus Disease among High School Students in King Abdulaziz Military City, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Saudi Arabia is considered to be one of the highest countries in the Middle East for the incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM). Data are lacking regarding knowledge and awareness about DM among school students in Saudi Arabia. AIM: The study aimed to assess the level of knowledge and awareness of DM among high school students within the military city, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A descriptive type of cross-sectional study was conducted among 278 high school students applying a convenience sampling technique. The sample size was calculated using OpenEpi, Version 3. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to the high school students (male and female) after official communication with the school’s dean. The level of knowledge and awareness was categorized into “adequate” and “inadequate” as per each topic/question, and also as per each response/answer. Data entry and analysis were carried out using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Pearson’s Chi-square tests were performed to explore if there is any significant association between the knowledge and awareness level of the high school students and their (i) gender, (ii) age, and (iii) level of education. RESULTS: More than half of the high school students had adequate level of knowledge and awareness about DM in terms of symptoms (67.3%), complications (56.5%), monitoring method (62.6%), lifestyle modifications (63.7%), frequency of routine eye check-up (63.3%), important factors for blood sugar control (79.1%), treatment (56.5%), and management of hypoglycemia symptoms (57.6%). On the contrary, a large number of the students showed inadequate level of knowledge and awareness about the disease in terms of definition (80.6%), major causes (57.9%), effect of high blood pressure (51.8%), frequency of routine blood pressure check-up (55%), rationale of a regular urine test (58.3%), medication for DM (66.9%), and duration of medication (69.8%). However, no significant associations were found between the knowledge and awareness level of the high school students about the definition or major causes of DM and the (i) gender, (ii) age group, and (iii) level of education of the students. CONCLUSION: The level of knowledge and awareness of a considerable number of high school students regarding DM was inadequate, and some of them possessed various misconceptions about this particular chronic disease. Health authorities and school authorities in the region should offer special efforts to improve the level of knowledge and awareness of the students through regular health education campaigns

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) and the Role of Advanced Hemodynamic Monitoring

This study aimed at exploring the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) as a multi-modality, evidence-based approach to improving the quality of patient care after major surgery and to investigate the effectiveness of the implementation of the ERAS on the outcome measures. Therefore, the problem of this study lies in exploring the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) upon the role of advanced hemodynamic monitoring through examining a sample of (220) patients in two Jordanian hospitals (Jordan Hospital and the Specialty Hospital) undergoing major surgery. The study concluded that the patients had witnessed progressive outcome measures in the Improved Post-operative Morbidity Score (POMS), and the Reduced Length of Stay in Hospital, and the Reduced episodes of harm and surgical complications

Association of Body Mass Index With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Among Adult Population in Ksa: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) stands as a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycemia stemming from anomalies in insulin secretion, insulin action, or a combination thereof. Its global prevalence has soared, posing substantial public health ramifications. This scenario holds for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), where the prevalence of DM has surged to a critical juncture, warranting heightened attention as a paramount health challenge. In this milieu, the identification of robust markers conducive to early detection and preventive interventions for DM is a matter of paramount significance. One such marker of potential relevance is the Body Mass Index (BMI), a metric ubiquitously deployed to gauge an individual's weight status Methods: A cross-sectional study design will be employed to investigate the association between Body Mass Index (BMI) and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) among the adult population in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The study will be conducted within various urban and rural settings across different regions of KSA, aiming for a representative geographic distribution. The study population will comprise adults aged 18 years and older residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  A multistage stratified random sampling method will be used. Firstly, distinct geographical regions will be chosen as strata. Then, within each stratum, random sampling will be performed to select specific cities, neighborhoods, and households. From these households, eligible individuals will be invited to participate. Individuals aged 18 years and older, regardless of gender, who are willing to participate and provide informed consent will be eligible for inclusion. Individuals with pre-existing medical conditions affecting BMI and T2DM status will be excluded. Data will be collected through structured interviews. Information on demographics, medical history, lifestyle factors, and dietary habits will be gathered through face-to-face interviews. Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, waist circumference) will be obtained using standardized procedures. The data collection instruments will include a questionnaire encompassing demographic and medical history sections, lifestyle assessment, and dietary intake. Standardized instruments will be used for anthropometric measurements to ensure consistency. The questionnaire will undergo expert review and pilot testing to enhance its validity. Anthropometric measurements will be taken by trained professionals using calibrated equipment to ensure reliability. Pre-established protocols will be followed for both data collection and measurement procedures. Results: The researchers obtained results and information from 808 adults collected from various regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A multi-stage stratified random sampling method was used. There was no significant difference between the number of males and females in the sample, as the number of males reached 407, representing 50.4%. The average age in the study was 40 years. There was a statistical significance between gender and cumulative blood sugar. The normal blood sugar level was the most common in the study at 69%, followed by those with diabetes at 21.28% Conclusion: The most common values ​​that affect type 2 diabetes mellitus among the adult population in KSA were BMI followed by blood pressure, family history, number of medications, family history, and commitment to taking medications

Budesonide as a first line therapy in autoimmune hepatitis: A systematic review

BackgroundAutoimmune hepatitis (AIH) Is a chronic liver disease with female predominance. Treatment of this condition required usually a long-term corticosteroid therapy.AimsCurrent review aimed to summarize the efficacy of budesonide as a first line treatment in AIH.Methods Pub Med, ‎Google Scholar, and EBSCO ‎ databases were ‎systematically search for relevant articles. The terms ‎ ‎‎autoimmune hepatitis, budesonide, prednisolone and ‎azathioprine ‎were used. out of hundred ‎and six, only ‎five fulfilled ‎the inclusion criteria. Results Out of 106 articles, only 5 included in this review. All patients included in current review were steroid naive. Budesonide in dose of 3 mg trice a day was the used in 2 out of 5 studies both document complete platelet response in 50–80 per cent. Azathioprine was added to budesonide in 3 out of 5 studies, 60 per cent of the budesonide treated patient had a complete platelet response versus 30–40 per cent of prednisolone treated group.ConclusionIn non-cirrhotic AIH patients, budesonide was as effective as prednisolone with fewer steroid related side effects.

Ionothermal Synthesis of Metal Oxide-Based Nanocatalysts and Their Application towards the Oxidative Desulfurization of Dibenzothiophene

Herein, different types of metal-containing ionic liquid (IL) complexes and various metal oxide-based nanocatalysts have been successfully prepared (from ionic liquids) and applied for the oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT). The ILs complexes are comprised of N,N′-dialkylimidazolium salts of the type [RMIM-Cl]2[MCln], where [RMIM+] = 1 alkyl-3-methylimidazolium and M = Mn(II)/Fe(II)/Ni(II)/Co(II). These complexes were prepared using an easy synthetic route by refluxing the methanolic solutions of imidazolium chloride and metal chlorides under facile conditions. The as-prepared complexes were further used as precursors during the ionothermal and chemical synthesis of various metal oxide-based nanocatalysts. The resulting ILs salts and metal oxides NPs have been characterized by FT-IR, TGA, XRD, SEM, and TEM analysis. The results indicate that thermal and chemical treatment of ILs based precursor has produced different phases of metal oxide NPs. The calcination produced α-Fe2O3, Mn3O4, and Co3O4, NPs, whereas the chemical treatment of the ILs salts have led to the production of Fe3O4, Mn2O3, and α-Co(OH)2. All the as-prepared salts and metal oxide-based nanocatalysts were used as catalysts towards ODS of dibenzothiophene. The oxidation of dibenzothiophene was performed at atmospheric conditions using hydrogen peroxide as the oxygen donor. Among various catalysts, the thermally obtained metal oxide NPs such as α-Fe2O3, Mn3O4, and Co3O4, have demonstrated relatively superior catalytic activities compared to the other materials. For example, among these nanocatalysts, α-Fe2O3 has exhibited a maximum conversion (∼99%) of dibenzothiophene (DBT) to dibenzothiophene sulfone (DBTO2)

Effects of trunk exercises using virtual reality technology on trunk performance and impairment post stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis

To systematically explore the effects of trunk exercises using virtual reality technology compared to conventional exercises for trunk impairment in patients with subacute and chronic strokes. A comprehensive search of literature published from inception until December 2022 was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, IEEE, and the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro). The inclusion criteria encompassed all randomized controlled trials (RCT) published in the English language involving adults who had had strokes and the evaluation of the effectiveness of virtual reality -based trunk exercises in reducing trunk impairment post stroke as measured by the trunk control test (TCT) and/or the trunk impairment scale (TIS) compared to conventional trunk exercises. A total of 397 studies were retrieved, and six studies were included in the current analysis. A random-effects meta-analysis of six studies indicated that video games had a very large, significant effect (SMD = 1.11; 95%, P  The study findings indicate that trunk exercises using virtual reality have a highly significant effect on reducing trunk impairment in patients with subacute and chronic stroke. Large RCTs are needed to study the effects of virtual reality trunk exercises on the acute, subacute, and chronic stages of stroke.</p