Natural compounds have been suggested as alternative sources for pediculosis capitis control. We aimed to investigate the chemical composition and evaluate the pediculicidal activity of spearmint, clove, cassia, thyme, eucalyptus, and anise essential oils in addition to sesame oil against human head lice in vitro. A filter paper contact bioassay method was used by applying 0.25 and 0.5 mg/cm2 of each tested oil to filter paper in Petri dishes with 15 females head lice and another with ten nits. The lice mortalities were reported every 5 min for 180 min. The percentage of inhibition of hatch (PIH) was used to calculate ovicidal activity by daily microscopic inspections 5 days after the hatching of controls. Comparison with the widely used pediculicide (malathion) was performed. The most effective essential oil was spearmint followed by cassia and clove with KT50 values of 4.06, 7.62, and 12.12 at 0.5 mg/cm2 and 8.84, 11.38, and 19.73 at 0.25 mg/cm2, respectively. Thyme, eucalyptus, and anise were also effective adulticides with KT50 values of 18.61, 32.65, and 37.34 at 0.5 mg/cm2 and 29.92, 43.16, and 45.37 at 0.25 mg/cm2, respectively. Essential oils were also successful in inhibiting nymph emergence. Spearmint oil was the most effective, with a complete inhibition of emergence at 0.5 mg/cm2. Sesame fixed oil did not show any adulticidal or ovicidal activity against head lice in vitro. The observed insecticidal activity was comparable tomalathion. The results herein described the effectiveness of these essential oils as potential pediculicides for head lice control. Incorporation of essential oils in pediculicide formulations needs proper formulation and clinical trials.

Natural compounds have been suggested as alternative sources for pediculosis capitis control. We aimed to investigate the chemical composition and evaluate the pediculicidal activity of spearmint, clove, cassia, thyme, eucalyptus, and anise essential oils in addition to sesame oil against human head lice in vitro. A filter paper contact bioassay method was used by applying 0.25 and 0.5 mg/cm2 of each tested oil to filter paper in Petri dishes with 15 females head lice and another with ten nits. The lice mortalities were reported every 5 min for 180 min. The percentage of inhibition of hatch (PIH) was used to calculate ovicidal activity by daily microscopic inspections 5 days after the hatching of controls. Comparison with the widely used pediculicide (malathion) was performed. The most effective essential oil was spearmint followed by cassia and clove with KT50 values of 4.06, 7.62, and 12.12 at 0.5 mg/cm2 and 8.84, 11.38, and 19.73 at 0.25 mg/cm2, respectively. Thyme, eucalyptus, and anise were also effective adulticides with KT50 values of 18.61, 32.65, and 37.34 at 0.5 mg/cm2 and 29.92, 43.16, and 45.37 at 0.25 mg/cm2, respectively. Essential oils were also successful in inhibiting nymph emergence. Spearmint oil was the most effective, with a complete inhibition of emergence at 0.5 mg/cm2. Sesame fixed oil did not show any adulticidal or ovicidal activity against head lice in vitro. The observed insecticidal activity was comparable tomalathion. The results herein described the effectiveness of these essential oils as potential pediculicides for head lice control. Incorporation of essential oils in pediculicide formulations needs proper formulation and clinical trials.

Natural compounds have been suggested as alternative sources for pediculosis capitis control. We aimed to investigate the chemical composition and evaluate the pediculicidal activity of spearmint, clove, cassia, thyme, eucalyptus, and anise essential oils in addition to sesame oil against human head lice in vitro. A filter paper contact bioassay method was used by applying 0.25 and 0.5 mg/cm2 of each tested oil to filter paper in Petri dishes with 15 females head lice and another with ten nits. The lice mortalities were reported every 5 min for 180 min. The percentage of inhibition of hatch (PIH) was used to calculate ovicidal activity by daily microscopic inspections 5 days after the hatching of controls. Comparison with the widely used pediculicide (malathion) was performed. The most effective essential oil was spearmint followed by cassia and clove with KT50 values of 4.06, 7.62, and 12.12 at 0.5 mg/cm2 and 8.84, 11.38, and 19.73 at 0.25 mg/cm2, respectively. Thyme, eucalyptus, and anise were also effective adulticides with KT50 values of 18.61, 32.65, and 37.34 at 0.5 mg/cm2 and 29.92, 43.16, and 45.37 at 0.25 mg/cm2, respectively. Essential oils were also successful in inhibiting nymph emergence. Spearmint oil was the most effective, with a complete inhibition of emergence at 0.5 mg/cm2. Sesame fixed oil did not show any adulticidal or ovicidal activity against head lice in vitro. The observed insecticidal activity was comparable tomalathion. The results herein described the effectiveness of these essential oils as potential pediculicides for head lice control. Incorporation of essential oils in pediculicide formulations needs proper formulation and clinical trials.

Background Psoriasis has a significant negative impact on patients’ quality of life. Psoriasis Disability Index (PDI) is a psoriasis-specific questionnaire that was developed by Finlay and Coles, which concerns the functional lifestyle disabilities caused by psoriasis. It has been used internationally for almost 20 years and has been translated into at least 26 languages. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the PDI questionnaire for Egyptian psoriasis patients. Patients and methods One hundred adult Egyptian patients with chronic plaque-type psoriasis aged 16 years or older with no other systemic disease were enrolled in this study. The patients were examined to determine the clinical type of psoriasis and to measure the severity of psoriasis by calculating Psoriasis Area Severity Index score. The impact of psoriasis on quality of life was assessed using the Arabic version of the PDI after translation and cultural adaptation according to WHO guidelines. Results The internal consistency for the 15 items of the Arabic version of the PDI questionnaire was significant; intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.853 and Cronbach’s a coefficient was 0.860, indicating reliability of the developed Arabic version. Conclusion The Arabic version of the PDI questionnaire was found to be a reliable and valid measure for evaluating the quality of life for Egyptian patients with psoriasis.

Background Psoriasis has a significant negative impact on patients’ quality of life. Psoriasis Disability Index (PDI) is a psoriasis-specific questionnaire that was developed by Finlay and Coles, which concerns the functional lifestyle disabilities caused by psoriasis. It has been used internationally for almost 20 years and has been translated into at least 26 languages. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the PDI questionnaire for Egyptian psoriasis patients. Patients and methods One hundred adult Egyptian patients with chronic plaque-type psoriasis aged 16 years or older with no other systemic disease were enrolled in this study. The patients were examined to determine the clinical type of psoriasis and to measure the severity of psoriasis by calculating Psoriasis Area Severity Index score. The impact of psoriasis on quality of life was assessed using the Arabic version of the PDI after translation and cultural adaptation according to WHO guidelines. Results The internal consistency for the 15 items of the Arabic version of the PDI questionnaire was significant; intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.853 and Cronbach’s a coefficient was 0.860, indicating reliability of the developed Arabic version. Conclusion The Arabic version of the PDI questionnaire was found to be a reliable and valid measure for evaluating the quality of life for Egyptian patients with psoriasis.

Background Psoriasis has a significant negative impact on patients’ quality of life. Psoriasis Disability Index (PDI) is a psoriasis-specific questionnaire that was developed by Finlay and Coles, which concerns the functional lifestyle disabilities caused by psoriasis. It has been used internationally for almost 20 years and has been translated into at least 26 languages. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the PDI questionnaire for Egyptian psoriasis patients. Patients and methods One hundred adult Egyptian patients with chronic plaque-type psoriasis aged 16 years or older with no other systemic disease were enrolled in this study. The patients were examined to determine the clinical type of psoriasis and to measure the severity of psoriasis by calculating Psoriasis Area Severity Index score. The impact of psoriasis on quality of life was assessed using the Arabic version of the PDI after translation and cultural adaptation according to WHO guidelines. Results The internal consistency for the 15 items of the Arabic version of the PDI questionnaire was significant; intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.853 and Cronbach’s a coefficient was 0.860, indicating reliability of the developed Arabic version. Conclusion The Arabic version of the PDI questionnaire was found to be a reliable and valid measure for evaluating the quality of life for Egyptian patients with psoriasis.

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The objective of this study was to evaluate the expression patterns of cell cycle-associated proteins in newly diagnosed non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) to clarify the significance of these proteins as prognostic predictors in 161 consecutive patients undergoing transurethral resection (TUR). Expression levels of 7 cell cycle-associated proteins, including Aurora-A, c-erbB2, cyclin-D1, Ki-67, p21, p27, and p53, in TUR specimens were measured by immunohistochemical staining. Of the 7 proteins, weak expression of p21 was significantly associated with the incidence of intravesical recurrence (P = 0.012). Univariate analysis identified expression level of p21, tumor size, T stage, and concomitant carcinoma in situ (CIS) as significant predictors for intravesical recurrence (P = 0.0053, 0.0014, 0.024, and 0.035, respectively). Of these, p21 expression, tumor size, and concomitant CIS appeared to be independently related to intravesical recurrence (P = 0.029, 0.025, and 0.016, respectively). Furthermore, there were significant differences in intravesical recurrence-free survival according to positive patterns of these 3 independent factors; that is, intravesical recurrence occurred in 17 of 72 patients who were negative for risk factor (23.6%), 30 of 57 positive for a single risk factor (52.6%), and 24 of 32 positive for 2 or 3 risk factors (75.0%). These findings suggest that consideration of expression levels of cell cycle-associated proteins, in addition to conventional parameters, would contribute to accurate prediction of intravesical recurrence following TUR of NMIBC. Moreover, combined evaluation of p21 expression, tumor size, and concomitant CIS might be particularly useful for further refinement of the outcome in predicting intravesical recurrence following TUR of NMIBC.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the expression patterns of cell cycle-associated proteins in newly diagnosed non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) to clarify the significance of these proteins as prognostic predictors in 161 consecutive patients undergoing transurethral resection (TUR). Expression levels of 7 cell cycle-associated proteins, including Aurora-A, c-erbB2, cyclin-D1, Ki-67, p21, p27, and p53, in TUR specimens were measured by immunohistochemical staining. Of the 7 proteins, weak expression of p21 was significantly associated with the incidence of intravesical recurrence (P = 0.012). Univariate analysis identified expression level of p21, tumor size, T stage, and concomitant carcinoma in situ (CIS) as significant predictors for intravesical recurrence (P = 0.0053, 0.0014, 0.024, and 0.035, respectively). Of these, p21 expression, tumor size, and concomitant CIS appeared to be independently related to intravesical recurrence (P = 0.029, 0.025, and 0.016, respectively). Furthermore, there were significant differences in intravesical recurrence-free survival according to positive patterns of these 3 independent factors; that is, intravesical recurrence occurred in 17 of 72 patients who were negative for risk factor (23.6%), 30 of 57 positive for a single risk factor (52.6%), and 24 of 32 positive for 2 or 3 risk factors (75.0%). These findings suggest that consideration of expression levels of cell cycle-associated proteins, in addition to conventional parameters, would contribute to accurate prediction of intravesical recurrence following TUR of NMIBC. Moreover, combined evaluation of p21 expression, tumor size, and concomitant CIS might be particularly useful for further refinement of the outcome in predicting intravesical recurrence following TUR of NMIBC.

OBJECTIVES: • To evaluate the expression of integrin proteins, a family of transmembrane heterodimers, in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). • To assess the significance of these proteins as prognostic indicators in patients undergoing transurethral resection (TUR). PATIENTS AND METHODS: • The present study comprised 161 patients diagnosed as having NMIBC after TUR. • Expression levels of six subunits of integrin proteins, including α2, α3, α5, α6, β1 and β4, were measured in TUR specimens by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: • Of the six proteins, expression levels of α2-, α3-, α6- and β4-subunits were significantly associated with the incidence of intravesical recurrence. Univariate analysis identified expression levels of α3-, α6- and β4-subunits as important predictors of intravesical recurrence, while tumour size, pathological T stage and concomitant carcinoma in situ (CIS) were also important. • Multivariate analysis showed that the expression level of the β4 subunit, pathological T stage and concomitant CIS are independently related to intravesical recurrence. • There were significant differences in intravesical recurrence-free survival for patients who were positive for the three independent risk factors; intravesical recurrence occurred in 10 of 49 (20.4%) patients who were negative for all risk factors, 31 of 68 who were positive for one risk factor (45.6%), and 30 of 44 who were positive for two or three risk factors (68.2%). CONCLUSIONS: • Consideration of the expression levels of integrins, particularly those of the β4 subunit, in TUR specimens, in addition to conventional variables, would contribute to accurate prediction of intravesical recurrence after TUR for NMIBC patients.