The Scientific World Journal
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Acceptance rate15%
Submission to final decision115 days
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CiteScore3.900
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A Review of the Prospective Effects of Spacing and Varieties on Onion Yield and Yield Components (Allium cepa L.) in Ethiopia

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Research Article

Chemical Profiling and Biological Activities on Nepalese Medicinal Plant Extracts and Isolation of Active Fraction of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis

The importance of medicinal plants for the treatment of different diseases is high from the aspects of the pharmaceutical industry and traditional healers. The present study involves nine different medicinal plants, namely, Neolamarckia cadamba, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Pogostemon benghalensis, Equisetum debile, Litsea monopetala, Spilanthes uliginosa, Desmostachya bipinnata, Mallotus philippensis, and Phoenix humilis, collected from Chitwan district of Nepal for biochemical analysis followed by the isolation of active plant fractions from the bioactive plant extract. The methanolic extracts of roots, barks, seeds, seed cover, and the other aerial parts of plants were used for the phytochemical analysis and biological activities. The DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging assay was adopted to evaluate the antioxidant activity. Antibacterial activity was evaluated using the agar well diffusion method. The antidiabetic activity was studied by the α-amylase enzyme inhibition assay. The highest antioxidant activity was observed in extracts of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis followed by Mallotus philippensis (seed cover), Pogostemon benghalensis, Litsea monopetala, Phoenix humilis, and Neolamarckia cadamba with IC50 values of 27.38 ± 1.35, 32.08 ± 2.81, 32.75 ± 2.13, 33.82 ± 1.07, 40.14 ± 0.93, and 50.44 ± 3.75 µg/mL, respectively. The highest antidiabetic activity was observed in extracts of Phoenix humilis followed by Desmostachya bipinnata and Pogostemon benghalensis with IC50 values of 95.69 ± 6.97, 99.24 ± 12.6, and 106.3 ± 12.89 µg/mL, respectively. The mild α-amylase enzyme inhibition was found in extracts of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Spilanthes uliginosa Swartz, Litsea monopetala, and Equisetum debile showing IC50 values of 110.4 ± 7.78, 115.98 ± 10.24, 149.83 ± 8.3, and 196.45 ± 6.04 µg/mL, whereas Mallotus Philippensis (seed cover), Mallotus philippensis (seed), and Desmostachya bipinnata showed weak α-amylase inhibition with IC50 values of 208.87 ± 1.76, 215.41 ± 2.09, and 238.89 ± 9.27 µg/mL, respectively. The extract of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis showed high zones of inhibition against S. aureus (ATCC 25923) and E. coli (ATCC 25922) of ZOI 26 and 22 mm, respectively. The chemical constituents isolated from the active plant Nyctanthes arbor-tristis were subjected to GCMS analysis where the major chemical compounds were 11,14,17-eicosatrienoic acid and methyl ester. These results support the partial scientific validation for the traditional uses of these medicinal plants in the treatment of diabetes and infectious diseases by the people living in different communities of Chitwan, Nepal.

Research Article

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) Status toward Clinical Reasoning and Evidence-Based Medicine among the Medical Interns and Gynecology Residents of Iran University of Medical Sciences

Background. Clinical reasoning and evidence-based medicine (EBM) are important concepts in modern medicine. Objective. We performed this study to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) status toward clinical reasoning and EBM among the medical interns and gynecology resident physicians of Iran University of Medical Sciences and related factors. Methods. A cross-sectional study (Tehran, Iran, first half of 2022) was conducted based on two researcher-made questionnaires consisting of three components for each including clinical reasoning attitude (CR-A), clinical reasoning knowledge (CR-K), clinical reasoning practice (CR-P), EBM attitude (EBM-A), EBM knowledge (EBM-K), and EBM practice (EBM-P). The related factors were age, gender, educational level, score of general practice education, having research experience, and general practice experience. Results. A total of 60 individuals participated. The mean score was good for CR-A, moderate for CR-K, moderate for CR-P, good for EBM-A, moderate for EBM-K, and moderate for EBM-P. The total score was moderate in both clinical reasoning and EBM. Among the related factors, CR-P was associated with higher educational levels and having experience in general practice (). Research experience was associated with better CR-K and all KAP components for EBM (). Conclusion. The total score and many of the KAP components had moderate status for clinical reasoning and EBM. Planning on the associated factors should be regarded in the future. Such questionnaires are suggested to be validated for use in quasi-experimental studies.

Research Article

Nutritional Composition and Antinutritional Factors of Five Wild Edible Fruits Grown in the Mekdela District, South of Wollo, Ethiopia

This study was carried out to determine the mineral content and nutritional properties of five wild fruits Rhus vulgaris, Rosa abyssinica, Rhus natalensis, Euclea racemosa, and Ficus sur. The proximate composition parameters (moisture, ash, crude fiber, crude fat, and crude protein) and antinutritional factors were evaluated using methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists and elemental analysis using the atomic absorption spectroscopy technique. Among the five wild edible fruit species, Rhus vulgaris had the highest carbohydrate content (83.3 ± 0.28 g/100 g) and a high total energy (344.5 ± 2.21 kcal/100 g). Euclea racemosa was found to have the maximum ash content (12.8 ± 0.37 g/100 g), protein content (3.22 ± 0.01 g/100 g), and moisture (16.24 ± 0.003 g/100 g), respectively. Rhus natalensis showed the highest fiber content (9.54 ± 0.003 g/100 g). Mineral analysis showed that local wild fruits contained a considerable amount of minerals. The calcium concentration ranged from 99.51 mg/100 g in Euclea racemosa to 160.12 mg/100 g in Ficus sur. Potassium concentration varied from 54.34 mg/100 g in Euclea racemosa to 234 mg/100 g in Rhus vulgaris. Iron ranges from 21.4 mg/100 g in Rosa abyssinica to 41 mg/100 g in Rhus natalensis, and zinc ranges from 2.3 mg/100 g in Rhus vulgaris to 4.2 mg/100 g in Ficus sur. A high saponin content (2.12 mg/100 g) and a low tannin content (0.23 mg/100 g) were obtained in Rosa abyssinica. The phytate content (1.52 mg/100 g) and the oxalate content (0.9 mg/100 g) were high in Rhus natalensis. In conclusion, the present study shows that wild fruits can be used as food supplementation in food in a safe area.

Research Article

Steaming Maintains Fatty Acids, Antioxidants, and Proximate Content in Snack Bar Products from Cocoa Beans

Chocolate products on the market are generally in the form of chocolate bars as snacks made from cocoa powder. Fat and powder are separated first through a pressing process to obtain the cocoa powder. Cocoa powder loses most of its fat content during processing. Therefore, the study aimed to determine the effect of steaming time on the cocoa bean content of fatty acids, free fatty acids, proximate levels, and antioxidant activity of snack bar products made from steamed cocoa beans. Seven steaming time intervals for cocoa beans were studied. The results showed that a longer steaming time affects the fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, antioxidants, and proximate in cocoa beans. Steaming time treatment at 45 minutes increased oleic acid, palmitic acid, and antioxidant activity. In addition, reducing free fatty acids represents a quality improvement that meets international Codex Alimentarius standards, offering a competitive advantage in the market. The food industry can adopt this steaming technique to develop snack bars and new products that are healthier and more sustainable by using steaming as an effective processing method in maintaining and increasing the nutritional value of products.

Research Article

Wavelet Coherence Analysis of Plasma Beta, Alfven Mach Number, and Magnetosonic Mach Number during Different Geomagnetic Storms

We study the variation in plasma beta, Alfven Mach number, and magnetosonic Mach number during different geomagnetic storms of solar cycles 23, 24, and 25. In addition, we employ measurements of the solar wind’s flow pressure, proton density, interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) along the z-direction (Bz), temperature, velocity, and geomagnetic index SYM-H. Here, the wavelet coherence (WTC) approach of plasma beta, the Alfven Mach number, and the magnetosonic Mach number have been used with the symmetrical H component (SYM-H) index, which are critical indicators of the plasma behavior and magnetic field interactions. A solar CME or, much less severely, a corotating interaction region (CIR), which is formed at the leading edge of a high-speed stream, is the source of the magnetic storm. The key objective of this study is to reveal the possible dependencies of the geomagnetic indices on whether a storm is driven by a CME or CIR. For CIR-associated storms, large amplitude waves occur preferentially with the rising Alfven Mach number and plasma beta. At the same time, the magnetosonic Mach number lacks variability during the storms caused by shock on the arrival of Earth’s environment. This is different for CME-driven storms, where the variations of the magnetosonic Mach number do not show much fluctuation compared to the Alfven Mach number and plasma beta. WTC between SYM-H and our derived parameters indicates periodicities between 64 and 512 minutes and noticeable regions of significantly enhanced power on November 07–09, 2004, and June 21–23, 2015. However, the magnetosonic Mach number showed a noticeable coherence with SYM-H between 64 and 250 minutes on September 06–08, 2017. Although, during March 19–21, 2021, both the Alfven Mach number and magnetosonic Mach number showed a noticeable coherence with SYM-H, plasma beta showed none. These parameters can be used in the prediction of geomagnetic storms of the category above G3.

Review Article

Application of Hierarchical/Multilevel Models and Quality of Reporting (2010–2020): A Systematic Review

Introduction. Multilevel models have gained immense popularity across almost every discipline due to the presence of hierarchy in most data and phenomena. In this paper, we present a systematic review on the adoption and application of multilevel models and the important information reported on the results generated from the use of these models. Methods. The review was performed by searching Google Scholar for original research articles on the application of multilevel models published between 2010 and 2020. The search strategy involved topics such as “multilevel models,” “hierarchical linear models,” and “mixed models with hierarchy.” The search placed more emphasis on the application of hierarchical models in any discipline but excluded software methodological development and related articles. Results. A total of 121 articles were initially obtained from the search results. However, 65 articles met the inclusion criteria for the review. Out of the 65 articles reviewed, 46.2% were related to health/epidemiology, 15.4% to education and psychology, and 16.9% to social life. The majority of the articles (78.5%) were two-level models, and most of these studies modelled univariate responses. However, the few that modelled more than one response modelled them separately. Moreover, 83.1% were cross-sectional design, and 9.2% and 6.2% were longitudinal and repeated measures, respectively. Moreover, a little over half (55.4%) of articles reported on the intraclass correlation measure, and all articles indicated the response variable distribution where most (47.7%) were normally distributed. Only 58.5% of articles reported on the estimation methods used as Bayesian (20%) and MLE (18.5%). Again, model validation measures and statistical software were reported in 70.8% and 90.8% articles, respectively. Conclusion. There is an increase in the utilization of multilevel modelling in the last decade, which could be attributed to the presence of clustered and hierarchically correlated data structures. There is a need for improvement in the area of measurement and reporting on the intraclass correlation, parameter estimation, and variable selection measures to further improve the quality of the application of multilevel models. The integration of spatial effects into multilevel models is very limited and needs to be explored in the future.

The Scientific World Journal
 Journal metrics
See full report
Acceptance rate15%
Submission to final decision115 days
Acceptance to publication14 days
CiteScore3.900
Journal Citation Indicator-
Impact Factor-
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