Comparison between the chemical composition and radical scavenging activities of essential oils of leaves, flowers and fruits of callistemon lanceolatus DC grown in Egypt

The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from leaves, flowers and fruits of Callistemon lanceolatus were analyzed by a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer [GC/MS]. The oil yields were 0.68%, 0.52% and 025%, respectively. Thirty six compounds were identified in leaf oil, while thirty four compounds were identified in both the flower and fruit oils. 1, 8-Cineole was the main component in the three oils in percentage 87.83% in leaf oil, 73.79% in flower oil and 40.89% in fruit oil, followed by p-menth-1-en-8-o1 which is present in higher percentage in fruit oil [4.30%] than in leaf oil [2.92%]. The flower oil was characterized by its high content of alpha-pinene [27.16%] and cis-asarone [9.68%].In vitro radical scavenging activities of these oils obtained by DPPH [2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl] assay, were also evaluated between 5 and 20 mg/ml. The scavenging activities of the oils were time dependant, since the activities increased 2-4 folds after 30 minutes. At 20 mg/ml, leaf, fruit and flower oils showed good capacities to act as a non specific donor of hydrogen atoms or electrons, quenching 91.6, 71.5 and 52% of the radicals, respectively. The IC50 of the oils were 7.6, 11.8 and 19.1 mg/ml, respectively

Chemical and physiological studies on Anise hyssop [Agastache foeniculum pursh] and hyssop [Hyssopus officinalis L] plants grown in Egypt as new spices

Two years trials were carried out to evaluate the anise hyssop [Agastachefoeniculum Pursh] and hyssop [Hyssopus officinalis L] plants as new sources ofessential oil in Egypt. Changes in growth, oil production and oilconstituents of anise hyssop and hyssop were determined during their lifecycles. The yields of fresh herb and oil of hyssop and anise hyssop reachedtheir peaks at the flowering stage of growth, July and August, respectively. The two major components of anise hyssop herb oil were methylchavicol [62.31%]and limonene [8.46%] which accounted for approximately 70.77% of the totalanise hyssop herb oil grown in Egypt, while hyssop herb oil was characterizedby high content of beta-pinene [19.60%], pinocamphone [19.20%] and camphor[16.3%]

Patient satisfaction with health care: the case of five multisectorial hospitals

This study was conducted to assess patient satisfaction with health care in five selected multi-sectorial hospitals and identify its relationship with certain demographic characteristics and hospital- related variables. A sample of 269 patients of both sexes was selected from medical and/or surgical wards of the hospitals. Data were collected by means of patient satisfaction rating scale [PSRS]. Sixty items tool covering seven dimensions of patient satisfaction were developed and tested by the investigators as well as demographic and hospital related data sheet

Nurses perception of and satisfaction with work empowerment factors

A random sample of 175 and 167 nurses was selected from one university hospital and one Ministry of Health Hospital, respectively. Data were collected by the work empowerment factors scale [WEFS]. Factor analysis revealed six meaningful work empowerment factors represented in 45 items including [1] organizational effectiveness, [2] leadership, [3] work incentives, [4] work relationships, [5] nature of work and [6] personal conduct. Nurses showed low to moderate degrees of satisfaction in relation to factors No. 1, 2 and 3 showing a significant difference in the degree of satisfaction between nurses of the two studied hospitals. All nurses showed a moderate degree of satisfaction with items 4 and 5. However, the university hospital nurses showed a high degree of satisfaction with item 6, while the Ministry of Health nurses showed a moderate degree of satisfaction. No significant difference was found between the two studied groups of nurses in relation to factors 4, 5 and 6

profile of health maintenance behaviors and self care perception among family members of Saudi Arabian patients: for nursing interventions

The purpose of this study was to construct a data base that conveys the cultural images of health maintenance behaviors and self care perception among selected Saudi Arabian patients' family members. The identified information shapes the health practices among the studied group as they have a role as care givers for themselves and for patients during hospital stay and at home. The study was conducted on 100 family members, 50 males and 50 females, who were randomly selected during patients hospital stay at medical surgical wards, outpatient clinics and emergency care units of Fahd University Hospital. Self care inventory [SCI] and health maintenance behavior questionnaire [HMBQ] and demographic data sheet were the instruments of this study. Data were collected through semistructured interview. The results were analyzed and significant tests showed the presence of significant statistical differences between male and female subjects in relation to self care perception and in some areas of the health maintenance behavior such as smoking and regular check up. The results of this study can guide nurses as a change agent to modify and support persons within the social and cultural studied situation to adhere to health practices which enhance or sustain well-being

Lipid metabolism in non-bullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma

The study comprised 20 cases of non bullous congentital ichthyosiform erythroderma of both sexes for both cases and 20 of their parents. Two control groups matching for age and sex for both cases and parents were also studied [each included 20 subjects]. All groups were subjected to history taking, pedigree analysis, thorough clinical examination, and microscopic examination of their peripheral blood smears. Cases were also subjected to ophthalmologic assessment, audiometry and measurement of intelligence quotients [I. Q.]. Skin biopsies for detailed ultrastructural studies were performed in 4 cases. Lipid profile was performed for all subjects. Parental consanguinity was found in 90%, of cases, myopathic changes in 25%, ectropion in 30%, cataract in 15% and retinal dysfunction in 10% of cases. Sensory neural deafness was found in 10% of cases who were also found to be mentally affected [I. Q. 65 and 68], and displayed evidences of developmental delay. Electron microscopic findings of skin biopsies showed lipid droplets in the basal and suprabasal cell layers. Leucocytic vacuoles were detected in eosinophils of cases and their parents. No significant differences were found in lipid profile namely cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, total lipids and triglycerides. We conclude that patients with non-bullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma appear to represent an inborn error of lipid metabolism, which we believe to lie at the cellular level. The presence of lipid droplets within the leukocytes of clinically unaffected parents indicates that carrier detection is possible through examination of a stained peripheral blood smear

Threats and stresses of initial medical surgical clinical experience as perceived by novice student nurses

Based upon the theory of cognitive appraisal of stress, an instrument was designed to identify the threats of the clinical experience as described by 120 novice students at their initial exposure to the medical surgical practice in baccalaureate nursing program. Using content analysis six areas of threats were determined including personal inadequacy, fear of making errors, uncertainly, the clinical instructor, fear of the clinical experience and fear of failure. The test of significance revealed that uncertainly was the highest threat- provoker, and the threat of inadequacy was the lowest. The threats elaborated in this study should provide nurse educators with some insights into underst and ing the stressors inherent in the clinical experience and the effective means of dealing with them so as not to interfere with student's learning

Alpha 1-antitrypsin and sex chromosome abnormalities

Serum levels of Alpha-I-antitrypsin were determined in 63 individuals: 14 cases of Turner syndrome, 16 cases with Klinefelter syndrome [all our cases had normal mentality], 10 normal age-matched females and 10 normal age-matched males. A group of parents of the cases was studied [10 mothers and 3 fathers]. A statistically high significant decrease of alpha-I -antitrypsin was detected in cases with sex chromosome abnormalities as compared to the control group [P < 0.001]. No significant difference was detected in our study in serum level of alpha-I-antitrypsin in parents as compared to control group [P > 0.05]. No significant difference was found between serum level of alpha-I- antitrypsin in both Turner and Klinefelter syndrome cases. We conclude that alpha-I-antitrypsin may have a role in the development of sex chromosomal abnormalities. Experimental approach on the molecular and cytogenetic level may be needed to prove the underlying mechanism during cell division

Glycemic index of some common Egyptian diets in NIDDM

It is well known that different carbohydrate foods elicit a wide spectrum of plasma glucose responses when eaten without other foods [Garpo et al., 1980]. The choice of carbohydrate diet should not be based on its chemical composition but on the glycemic index it produces [Garpo et al, 1981]. The aim of this work is to study the glycemic response of some.commonly used Egyptian foods in their individual and mixed forms to determine their effects on blood glucose response and hence, the possibility of incorporating them into diets of non-insulin dependent diabetics. Sixty adult NIDDM patients were studied. They were divided into six groups studied for foods each containing an equivalent amount of carbohydrate to 100 gm of glucose. The glycemic responses were calculated according to the formula of Jenkins [1981]. It has been found that the tested diets gave blood glucose responses much lower than those of equivalent amounts of glucose in a liquid formula. Leguminous diets [beans and lentils] gave lower glycemic indices then cereals [bread], with the glycemic index of lentils being lower than that of beans. Regarding mixed diets, bread and tamia had higher index than other tested foods. On previous studies [Khater 1986A and 1986B] we found the same difference in glycemic response to the tested foods in normals. This finding is different from Collier et al [1986], who found different glycemic response to the same diet between normals and diabetic individuals

Action of diazoalkanes on chrysenequinone a note on keto-epoxide transformation to methylene dioxy derivatives

It has been reported by Schonberg et al that diazomethane and diphenyl diazomethane react with Chrysenequinone to give methylene dioxy derivatives I. Later, this product was represented by structure II