Human intestinal microbiota has undergone a lot of research in recent years and we are beginning to expand our knowledge of the role of bacteria, fungi, viruses and helminths in our gut in health and disease. Our gut contains myriad of over hundreds of millions of microbes that influence our body physiology, nutrition, metabolism, and immunity. A change in the type of these microbes has been shown to be associated with gastrointestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and systemic diseases like metabolic syndrome and cancer. In this article, an attempt has been made to review some significant recent studies that have looked into the complex types of intestinal microbes and how they interact with the human body. This paper also serves to explain what probiotics are, and how they function as a separate "organ" within our body. It includes their method of action, the latest evidence-based research on their use in health and disease and some common sources of probiotic bacteria.

Objective: Over the last decade, various methods to improve patient safety and to reduce medical errors are being implemented. Medical students should look into and participate in patient safety during their education. The objective of the study was to study the personal awareness, attitudes, and knowledge of patient safety measures in use in a Malaysian Medical College after implementation of the patient safety study module in the curriculum. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional analysis using a validated World Health Organization questionnaire (“Patient Safety – Curriculum Guide, Topic 1 questionnaire on patient safety”) on 4th-year medical students. The students’ awareness, attitudes, and knowledge of patient safety measures were assessed. Results: One hundred and thirty-four years four undergraduate students of the Faculty of Medicine were recruited for the study using a convenience sampling method. The majority of study participants were females (65.4%). The median age of study participants was 24 years of the interquartile range = 1. On analysis, a majority of study participants had a medium level of knowledge about errors and patient safety. There was a significant positive correlation between the safety of the health-care system and personal influence over safety and attitudes toward patient safety (P < 0.05). There was also a positive correlation between personal influence over safety and safety at the workplace (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Our study indicates that student attitudes toward patient safety measures are positive, and knowledge and awareness are fair.

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