Foot reflexology for reduction of blood pressure in hypertensive individual: A systematic review.

IMPORTANCE: Hypertension is the modifiable risk factor associated with cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality. Foot reflexology has been proposed to reduce the blood pressure for the patients with hypertension but the available evidences are uncertain. OBJECTIVE: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, know the efficacy of foot reflexology on blood pressure reduction in patients with hypertension. DATA SOURCES AND SELECTION: A systematic search of electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, Embase, and Cochrane library since inception till January 2022. Randomized controlled trial with foot reflexology as an intervention for lowering blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive patients was included in the study. DATA EXTRACTION AND OUTCOME MEASURES: Data was independently extracted by four authors. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure was the primary outcome measure. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) were calculated to determine the effect size. RESULTS: The pooled effect of SBP (SMD: -2.70, 95 % of CI: -6.79, 1.39, I2 - 97 %, P < 0.001) and DBP (SMD: -2.12, 95 % of CI: -5.95, 1.71, I2 - 97 %, P < 0.001) changes are not favorable for foot reflexology in terms of reducing blood pressure. CONCLUSION: Findings from the studies showed that foot reflexology interventions were not much effective in the reduction of blood pressure among patients with hypertension.

An Interesting Case of a Movement Disorder.

Neuroacanthocytosis is a genetic neurodegenerative disorder with syndromes of variable inheritance. These hyperkinetic movement disorders are reported to be very rare. It is associated with choreiform movements, orofacial and lingual dyskinesias and acanthocytes on peripheral smear and normolipoproteinemia. Here we present a similar case.

Crystal structure of 2,2,4-trimethyl-2,3,4,5-tetra-hydro-1H-benzo[b][1,4]diazepine hemihydrate.

The title compound, C12H18N2·0.5H2O, crystallizes with two independent organic mol-ecules (A and B) in the asymmetric unit, together with a water mol-ecule of crystallization. The diazepine rings in each mol-ecule have a chair conformation. The dihedral angle between benzene ring and the mean plane of the diazepine ring is 21.15 (12)° in mol-ecule A and 17.42 (11)° in mol-ecule B. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by N-H⋯O and O-H⋯N hydrogen bonds, forming zigzag chains propagating along [001].

Crystal structure of 1-[2,4-bis(4-methoxy-phenyl)-3-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-3-yl]ethanone.

In the title compound, C24H29NO3, the aza-bicycle contains two six-membered rings, viz. a cyclo-hexane ring and a piperidine ring. The first adopts a chair conformation and the second a half-chair conformation. The dihedral angle between their mean planes is 86.21 (13)°, indicating that they are almost perpendicular to one another. The dihedral angle between the planes of the 4-meth-oxy-phenyl rings is 17.51 (13)°, and they make dihedral angles of 81.9 (3) and 81.3 (3)° with the ethan-1-one group. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by C-H⋯π inter-actions forming chains along [10-1].

2-Chloro-1-(2,4,4-trimethyl-2,3,4,5-tetra-hydro-1H-1,5-benzodiazepin-1-yl)ethanone.

In the title compound, C14H19ClN2O, the diazepine ring adopts a boat conformation. The Cl atom of the chloro-acetyl group is trans to the N atom of the diazepine ring. In the crystal, the mol-ecules form chains running along the diagonal of the ac plane through N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.

Mono, bi- and trinuclear metal complexes derived from new benzene-1,4-bis(3-pyridin-2-ylurea) ligand. Spectral, magnetic, thermal and 3D molecular modeling studies.

New bis (pyridylurea) ligand, H2L, was synthesized by the reaction of ethylpyridine-2-carbamate (EPC) and p-phenylenediamine. The ligand was characterized by elemental analysis, IR, (1)H NMR, electronic and mass spectra. Reaction of the prepared ligand with Co(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), Fe(3+), VO(2+) and UO2(2+) ions afforded mono, bi- and trinuclear metal complexes. Also, new mixed ligand complexes of the ligand H2L and 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) with Co(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+) and Fe(3+) ions were synthesized. The ligand behaves as bi- and tetradentate toward the transition metal ions, coordination via the pyridine N, the carbonyl O and/or the amidic N atoms in a non, mono- and bis-deprotonated form. The complexes were characterized by elemental and thermal analyses, IR, electronic and mass spectra as well as conductance and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The results showed that the metal complexes exhibited different geometrical arrangements such as square planar, tetrahedral, octahedral and square pyramidal arrangements. The Coats-Redfern equation was used to calculate the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters for the different thermal decomposition steps of some complexes. 3D molecular modeling of the ligand, H2L and a representative complex were studied.

r-2,c-6-Di-phenyl-piperidine.

In the title compound, C17H19N, the piperidine ring adopts a chair conformation. The phenyl rings substituted at the 2- and 6-positions of the piperidine ring subtend dihedral angles of 81.04 (7) and 81.10 (7)° with the best plane of the piperidine ring. The crystal packing features C-H⋯π inter-actions.

3-Ethyl-cis-2,6-di-phenyl-piperidine.

In the title compound, C19H23N, the piperidine ring adopts a chair conformation. The phenyl rings at the 2,6-positions of the piperidine ring occupy equatorial orientations. The crystal structure features C-H⋯π inter-actions.

Tetra- and hexadentate Schiff base ligands and their Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes. Synthesis, spectral, magnetic and thermal studies.

Tetradentate N(2)O(2), N(4) Schiff bases, 1,2-bis(4-oxopent-2-ylideneamino) benzene (BOAB), 1-(4-oxopent-2-ylideneamino-2-[(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethylideneamino] benzene (OAHAB), 7,16-bis(4-chlorobenzylidene)-6,8,15,17-tetra-methyl-7,16-dihydro -5,9,14,18-tetraza-dibenzo[a,h] cyclo tetradecene (BCBDCT), 7,16-bis(2-hydroxy-benzylidene)-6,8,15,17-tetramethyl-7,16-dihydro-5,9,14,18-tetraza-dibenzo [a,h] cyclo tetradecene (BHBDCT) and hexadentate N(4)O(2) Schiff bases, 2,4-bis {2-[1-(2-hydroxyphenyl) ethylideneamino] phenylimino}-3-(2-hydroxybenzylidene) pentane (BHAPHP), 2,4-bis {2-[1-(2-hydroxyphenyl) ethylideneamino] phenylimino}-3-(4-chlorobenzylidene) pentane (BHAPCP) were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-Vis, (1)H NMR and mass spectra. The solid complexes of the prepared Schiff base ligands with Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions were isolated and characterized by elemental and thermal analyses, IR, electronic and ESR spectra as well as conductance and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The results showed that most complexes have octahedral geometry but few can attain the tetrahedral arrangement. The TG analyses suggest high stability for most complexes followed by thermal decomposition in different steps. The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters for decomposition steps in Cu(II) complexes thermograms have been calculated.

Assessment of perioperative transfusion therapy and complications in sickle cell disease patients undergoing surgery.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative blood transfusion is usually given to sickle cell disease patients to reduce or prevent perioperative morbidity. Assessment of such a practice was the subject of our study. METHODS: A retrospective one year survey of sickle cell disease patients undergoing surgery at Salmaniya Medical Complex, Bahrain was conducted. The medical records were reviewed to characterize the surgical procedure, transfusion management and perioperative complications. RESULTS: 85 sickle cell disease patients who underwent surgery were studied. Preoperatively, 21.2% had exchange transfusion (ETX), 24.7% had simple transfusions (STX) and 54.1% had no transfusion (NTX). 14.1% of all patients had postoperative complications, and 50% of those, had complications from the laparoscopic cholecystectomy group. The incidence of sickle cell crisis postoperatively was 22.2% in ETX group, 9.5% in STX group and 4.34% in the NTX group. The incidence of acute chest syndrome postoperatively was found to be 5.55% in the ETX group, 4.76% in the STX group and 4.34% in the NTX group. No intraoperative complications were recorded in all groups. All patients who had postoperative complications had a preoperative HBSS > 40%. CONCLUSION: Exchange transfusion does not prevent perioperative complications of sickle cell disease patients. HBSS > 40% carries a higher risk of postoperative complications.

Novel atomic absorption spectrometric and rapid spectrophotometric methods for the quantitation of paracetamol in saliva: application to pharmacokinetic studies.

A novel atomic absorption spectrometric method and two highly sensitive spectrophotometric methods were developed for the determination of paracetamol. These techniques based on the oxidation of paracetamol by iron (III) (method I); oxidation of p-aminophenol after the hydrolysis of paracetamol (method II). Iron (II) then reacts with potassium ferricyanide to form Prussian blue color with a maximum absorbance at 700 nm. The atomic absorption method was accomplished by extracting the excess iron (III) in method II and aspirates the aqueous layer into air-acetylene flame to measure the absorbance of iron (II) at 302.1 nm. The reactions have been spectrometrically evaluated to attain optimum experimental conditions. Linear responses were exhibited over the ranges 1.0-10, 0.2-2.0 and 0.1-1.0 mug/ml for method I, method II and atomic absorption spectrometric method, respectively. A high sensitivity is recorded for the proposed methods I and II and atomic absorption spectrometric method value indicate: 0.05, 0.022 and 0.012 mug/ml, respectively. The limit of quantitation of paracetamol by method II and atomic absorption spectrometric method were 0.20 and 0.10 mug/ml. Method II and the atomic absorption spectrometric method were applied to demonstrate a pharmacokinetic study by means of salivary samples in normal volunteers who received 1.0 g paracetamol. Intra and inter-day precision did not exceed 6.9%.

Spectroscopic investigations of new binuclear transition metal complexes of Schiff bases derived from 4,6-diacetylresorcinol and 3-amino-1-propanol or 1,3-diamino-propane.

The bifunctional carbonyl compound; 4,6-diacetylresorcinol (DAR) serves as precursor for the formation of different Schiff base ligands, which are either di- or tetra-basic with two symmetrical sets of either O2N or N2O tridentate chelating sites. The condensation of 4,6-diacetylresorcinol with 3-amino-1-propanol (3-AP) or 1,3-diaminopropane (DAP), yields the corresponding hexadentate Schiff base ligands, abbreviated as H4La and H2Lb, respectively. The structures of these ligands were elucidated by elemental analyses, IR, mass, 1H NMR and electronic spectra. Reaction of the Schiff base ligands with copper(II), nickel(II), cobalt(II), zinc(II), cadmium(II), iron(III), chromium(III), vanadyl(IV) and uranyl(VI) ions in 1:2 molar ratio afforded the corresponding transition metal complexes. A variety of binuclear complexes for the metal complexes were obtained with the ligands in its di- or tetra-deprotonated forms. The structures of the newly prepared complexes were identified by elemental analyses, infrared, electronic, mass, 1H NMR and ESR spectra as well as magnetic susceptibility measurements and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The bonding sites are the azomethine and amino nitrogen atoms, and phenolic and alcoholic oxygen atoms. The metal complexes exhibit different geometrical arrangements such as square planar, tetrahedral, square pyramid and octahedral arrangement.