The Scientific World Journal最新文献

Background: In the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), premature neonates frequently endure painful procedures that can lead to long-lasting sequelae, underscoring the critical need for safe and effective pain management strategies. Auricular massage has demonstrated significant benefits for children, including anxiety and stress relief. Investigating its effectiveness in alleviating pain in neonates could introduce a valuable nonpharmacological approach to pain management, enhancing the overall care and comfort of these vulnerable infants.

Objective: This research is aimed at studying the effectiveness of a 3-min session of auricular massage in reducing pain caused by nasal and oral suctioning among premature neonates in the NICU in Jordan.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial employing a single-blind crossover design was conducted in a single hospital. Preterm neonates were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. In Condition I, neonates initially received auricular massage treatment after suctioning, followed, after 2 days, by no massage after suctioning. Conversely, in Condition II, neonates had the reversed sequence, starting with no massage and then receiving auricular massage treatment after 2 days. Pain levels in the neonates were assessed using the Premature Infant Pain Profile-Revised (PIPP-R) scale.

Results: Data from 60 preterm neonates were analyzed using the SPSS Version 28. Chi-square and independent t-tests revealed no significant differences between neonates in the study conditions based on gender (p = 0.43), gestational age (p = 0.41), and body weight (p = 0.35). Paired t-test results indicated a significant difference in pain scores when comparing periods of auricular massage to periods without massage. The mean pain score following auricular massage was 3.63 (SD = 2.36), whereas it was 10.23 (SD = 2.40) in the absence of massage.

Conclusion: Auricular massage for a 3-min duration is an effective nursing intervention that warrants consideration as a nonpharmacological method of pain relief for premature neonates during admission to the NICU.

Eleutherine palmifolia (L.) Merr., or Wan Hom Daeng, is a medicinal plant valued for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Its bulbs contain flavonoids, phenolics, and naphthoquinones, but slow natural propagation and low seed viability hinder large-scale cultivation and conservation. This study evaluated the optimal Clorox concentration and exposure time for sterilizing E. palmifolia bulb explants and examined the effects of BA and NAA on in vitro shoot and root development. The results revealed that surface sterilization with 20% Clorox for 20 min yielded the highest explant survival rate at 73.33%. Shoot induction was significantly enhanced in MS medium supplemented with 2 or 4 mg/L BA, or a combination of 2 mg/L BA and 0.5 mg/L NAA, all achieving a 100% shoot formation rate. Root induction was most effective in MS medium containing 0.5 mg/L NAA alone, also with a 100% success rate. These findings establish a reliable and efficient protocol for the in vitro propagation of E. palmifolia, providing a foundation for its conservation, sustainable use, and potential commercial cultivation to meet increasing demand in the medicinal plant sector.

Background: This study explored the potential of Psorospermum febrifugum extracts as a promising natural treatment option for acne vulgaris. Previous research suggests that P. febrifugum extracts might hold promise against factors that worsen acne vulgaris. This valuable information is however still scattered across various scientific publications, and this has hindered its accessibility, comprehensive understanding, and easy usage. There is need to review, synthesize, and compile this valuable information into a user-friendly article to enable easy understanding, accessibility, and usability of P. febrifugum bark extract as an option to treat acne vulgaris.

Methods: A comprehensive assessment, synthesis, and compilation of the potential of P. febrifugum for treatment of acne vulgaris were conducted through review of work done across major scientific databases (Cochrane Library, MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar), among studies published in English between April 1980 and April 2022. The search focused on studies that investigated the plant description, traditional medicinal usage, active components of P. febrifugum, its safety profile, and its efficacy against factors contributing to acne vulgaris lesions. The study included in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo, and clinical trials while excluding computer-modeled (in silico) studies.

Results: From an initial 200 search results, 37 full-text articles inclusive of three informative abstracts met the inclusion criteria. The review revealed that P. febrifugum extracts possessed several properties beneficial for acne treatment, including anti-inflammatory response, antibacterial properties, antioxidant activity, antilipase activity, and keratolytic properties (promoting skin cell shedding). Notably, key bioactive compounds such as garcinone E, psorospermin, mangiferin, and betulinic acid exhibit distinct structural features, including prenylation and hydroxylation, that contribute to their ability to inhibit microbial growth, suppress inflammation, regulate lipid metabolism, and all critical pathways in acne pathogenesis. These structural-functional relationships between phytochemicals and acne mechanisms support the pharmacological promise of this plant extract.

Conclusion: The review suggests that P. febrifugum holds significant therapeutic potential against factors that aggravate acne vulgaris severity. The stem bark of P. febrifugum is therefore a promising raw material that could be used to develop topical formulations (gels or creams) for the treatment of acne vulgaris disease.

Objective: Although caregiver assistance is generally assumed to improve the mental health of individuals with disabilities, this relationship has not been evaluated using population-based data. This study was aimed at assessing the association between caregiver assistance and depression among individuals with disabilities in Chile in 2015.

Methods: A cross-sectional secondary data analysis was conducted using data from the 2015 Second National Study on Disability (ENDISC II) in Chile. The primary outcome was depression diagnosed by a physician or health professional. The main exposure variable was caregiver assistance. Additional confounding variables were included in the analysis.

Results: The analysis included data from 2610 individuals with disabilities. In the overall sample, caregiver assistance was not associated with depression. However, stratified analysis by disability severity showed that among individuals with severe disabilities, caregiver assistance was associated with a 27% reduction in the prevalence of depression (PR = 0.73; 95% CI: 0.59-0.89), after adjusting for confounding variables.

Conclusions: Among individuals with severe disabilities in Chile, caregiver assistance appears to reduce the likelihood of depression. Healthcare policies should promote and strengthen both formal and informal caregiving for this vulnerable population.

Smallholder farmers in Ethiopia face significant challenges in accessing reliable agricultural information due to limited extension services, inadequate infrastructure, low literacy levels, and restricted access to digital tools. These barriers negatively impact farm productivity. This study investigates the effect of agricultural information utilization on wheat productivity in the East Gojjam Zone of the Amhara Region. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey of 403 wheat-producing households. To address potential selection bias, a propensity score matching (PSM) model was applied, incorporating variables such as farmer mobility, access to extension services, availability of farm inputs, proximity to markets, and exposure to electronic media. The findings reveal that farmers who accessed and effectively used agricultural information achieved an average wheat yield increase of 19.675% per hectare compared to nonusers. This result underscores the crucial role of information access in improving productivity, particularly when supported by better mobility, strong extension services, reliable input supply, market accessibility, and media connectivity. Based on these insights, the study recommends strengthening the agricultural extension system, improving input supply chains, enhancing rural market infrastructure, expanding access to electronic media, and promoting cooperative-based information dissemination as key strategies to support sustainable agricultural development in Ethiopia.

Bacterial infections, particularly those caused by Gram-positive bacteria like vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), are a growing concern. This review highlights the potential of the Streptomyces genus in producing novel antibacterial compounds against Gram-positive bacteria. The study was carried out following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). To gather relevant literature on novel anti-Gram-positive bacteria compounds produced by Streptomyces, a web search was conducted using several databases, including Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar, covering the period from January 2013 to mid-2024. The search terms employed in this study included "Streptomyces," "antimicrobial/antibacterial activity," "compounds," and "Gram-positive bacteria." Consequently, a total of 248 Streptomyces-derived compounds were featured across the 96 eligible studies. These compounds include 100 polyketides (58 aromatic polyketides, 30 macrolides, and 12 other polyketides), 72 peptides (67 nonribosomal peptides [52 typical cyclic peptides and 15 lipopeptides] and 5 ribosomal peptides), 23 terpenoids, five polyketides-terpenoids, six alkaloids, 12 phenazines, 11 nucleoside antibiotics, and 19 other compounds belonging to distinct chemical classes. The results emphasize that Streptomyces is an unlimited source of naturally occurring compounds with various structural variations that can occasionally have targeted action against a range of pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria.

Introduction: Over the past few decades, particularly following the Chernobyl incident, awareness of the importance of safety culture has increased significantly. Traditionally, safety culture has been assessed using questionnaires, with results often influenced by employees' psychological states. Therefore, the present study evaluates safety culture through an audit-based approach, employing performance indicators grounded in Edgar Schein's model. Materials and Methods: To identify the key factors contributing to the safety culture index, Edgar Schein's model was applied. Relevant indicators were derived across three levels: artifacts, espoused values, and basic assumptions. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), combined with expert evaluations, was used to determine the relative importance of these criteria. Finally, the company's safety culture index was quantitatively assessed using guide tables and the weighted contribution of each factor. Results: Then, 10 indicators were identified across the three levels of Schein's model: quality of documentation and procedures, employee involvement, management of professional competence, change management, organizational learning, openness and communication, prioritization of safety, managerial knowledge, safety perspectives, and attitudes toward mistakes. According to the FAHP results, prioritization of safety had the highest weight (0.157), while quality of documentation and procedures had the lowest weight (0.026) in the safety culture index. Discussion: An audit-based approach proves more effective than questionnaire methods for quantitatively assessing safety culture.

Soil erosion remains a critical environmental and agricultural challenge in Ethiopia, particularly in highland areas such as the Soro District of Central Ethiopia, where land degradation directly threatens agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods. This study was undertaken to better understand the key factors influencing smallholder farmers' adoption of soil and water conservation practices, along with their perceptions of soil erosion and its impacts. The study employed a mixed methods approach, combining household surveys, focus group discussions, and field observations to gather both quantitative and qualitative data from a representative sample of smallholder farmers. Descriptive analysis, principal component analysis, and probit regression models were used to analyze the collected data. Probit regression analysis revealed that factors such as sex, education, size of farmland, interactions with extension services, participation in conservation training, and household income all played a significant and positive role in encouraging the adoption of soil and water management practices. In contrast, soil fertility was found to have a negative effect on the uptake of soil and water conservation techniques. Farmers perceived damaged conservation structures, soil loss, and farmland fragmentation as key consequences of severe soil erosion. While most farmers recognize soil erosion as a major threat to their land, adoption rates of sustainable practices remain uneven due to economic, institutional, and knowledge-based constraints. The study underscores the importance of integrating local perceptions into policy frameworks and promoting participatory approaches to enhance the uptake of conservation practices. These insights contribute to the design of more effective and context-specific land management strategies aimed at ensuring long-term environmental sustainability and agricultural resilience in the region.

BSL-3 laboratories are fundamental for the safe handling of infectious microorganisms that require high-containment measures. Through a literature review, this work was aimed at highlighting the importance of these laboratories in supporting research and public health responses, especially during health emergencies. The review presents an overview of the global distribution of BSL-3 facilities, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on laboratory investments, and future perspectives on their role in national development. It was observed that the pandemic exposed limitations in laboratory capacity, leading many countries to operate in suboptimal environments, underscoring the need for strict biosafety standards and preparedness infrastructure. This review also identifies disparities in global BSL-3 capacity-particularly in low- and middle-income countries-and examines the Brazilian context, where the absence of a unified regulatory framework hinders progress. By synthesizing international trends and Brazil's recent initiatives, including the development of its first BSL-4 laboratory, this work contributes to understanding the challenges and opportunities for strengthening biosafety infrastructure in support of equitable pandemic preparedness.

Mental health disorders remain a significant global burden, and access to timely mental healthcare remains limited. Community pharmacies, given their accessibility to the public, are well-positioned for early mental health screening. Here, we aimed to assess pharmacy students' knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers in this regard. The study was conducted via a printed questionnaire, and a total of 211 students, with a mean age of 23.3 ± 3.32 years, participated, including males (35.55%) and females (64.45%). Most students agreed that they are familiar with common mental health disorders (44.08%) and the roles of pharmacists in mental healthcare (38.39%), but were neutral in terms of their ability to identify signs and symptoms (43.13%), awareness of mental health screening tools (32.7%), and confidence in their ability to perform screening (28.44%), with males reporting higher awareness and confidence (p < 0.05) than females. In terms of attitudes, the majority strongly agreed that mental healthcare is essential (50.24%), and most agreed that pharmacists are well-positioned for mental health screening (40.28%) and that screening can improve patient outcomes (39.81%), reduce stigma (37.44%), and should be a routine pharmacy practice (30.81%). The overall score of self-perceived knowledge was 59%, while that for positive attitude was 69%. Lastly, the participants moderately agreed on several potential barriers, including time constraints, lack of pharmacist training or education, lack of sufficient privacy, patient reluctance to share and communicate, and stigma toward mental illness among pharmacists, with agreement scores ranging from 53.25% to 64.75%. The results indicate a low level of perceived knowledge, moderately positive attitudes, and relative awareness of the potential barriers, suggesting a need for improved awareness and education in this regard.