Kashmir

BACKGROUND: The incidence of acute pancreatitis is increasing globally. Gallstones (GS) and ascariasis are the major causes for acute pancreatitis in the Kashmiri population. In recent years, we have observed an increase in the admission rate of acute pancreatitis. Many patients who present first time as gallstone pancreatitis have asymptomatic gallstones. We aimed at studying the etiology and yearly admission rate of acute pancreatitis with main focus on gallstone pancreatitis and the contribution of asymptomatic gallstones...

BACKGROUND: It is essential to implement a high-quality electronic database for keeping important information. The District Health Information System (DHIS) is an active data-keeping system in Pakistan. This study aimed to evaluate the patients' data from the DHIS dashboard for the District Headquarters Hospital, Kotli, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). METHODOLOGY: The data was requested from the hospital administration at District Headquarters Hospital, Kotli, AJK, and the data was analyzed after permission was granted...

Background: Kashmir Himalaya hosts the most diverse and rich flora in the world, which serves as grazing land for millions of small ruminants in the area. While most plant species are beneficial, some can be poisonous, causing economic losses and animal health issues for livestock. Consequently, this study is the first comprehensive report on the traditional phyto-toxicological knowledge in District Muzaffarabad and the assessment of its authenticity through experimental studies in rats. Methods: The data regarding traditional knowledge was gathered from 70 key respondents through semi-structured interviews, which was quantitatively analyzed and authenticated through plant extract testing on Wistar female rats and comparison with published resources...

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori antibiotic resistance has undergone vast changes in the last two decades. No systematic review has been done on the prevalence of antibiotic resistant H. pylori in India in the last two decades. We evaluated the pattern of resistance rates across various regions of India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review of the geographical variations in antibiotic resistance pattern of H. pylori was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Science Direct, etc...

INTRODUCTION: A patient safety culture primarily refers to the values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors within a healthcare setup in a community that assists in prioritizing patient safety and encouraging the reporting of errors and near-misses in that facility. There is a direct impact of patient safety culture on how well patient safety and quality improvement programs work. The aim of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to investigate the practices to improve patient safety culture and adverse event reporting practices among healthcare professionals in a tertiary care hospital located in Mirpur Azad Jammu and Kashmir...

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a serious illness that can affect multiple organs including the lungs. The COVID-mortality risk is attributed to the quick transmission of the virus, the severity of disease, and preclinical risk factors, such as the presence of comorbidities. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) can predict disease severity in COVID-19 patients. METHODOLOGY: This was a retrospective cohort study in which data were obtained from COVID centers at tertiary care hospitals in Azad Jammu and Kashmir...

Like other crops, different types of diseases affect apple trees. These diseases cause ugly cosmetic changes on the fruit and hence reduce its shelf life and value. To eliminate their impact, they need to be detected well in advance before any control measures are applied. The manual method of disease detection and subsequent classification has flaws as it involves manual scouting and analysis of the affected leaves through the naked eye. Besides, the manual method may result in wrong judgment as the knowledge of an expert limits the accuracy...

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Differences in the number of alien plant species in different locations may reflect climatic and other controls that similarly affect native species and/or propagule pressure accompanied with delayed spread from the point of introduction. We set out to examine these alternatives for Himalayan plants, in a phylogenetic framework. We build a database of alien plant distributions for the Himalaya. Focusing on the well-documented regions of Jammu & Kashmir (west) and Bhutan (east) we compare alien and native species for (1) richness patterns, (2) degree of phylogenetic clustering, (3) the extent to which species-poor regions are subsets of species-rich regions and (4) continental and climatic affinities/source...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Crocus sativus L. known as saffron, is a popular food condiment with a high aroma, deep colour, and long and thick threads (stigmas) cultivated in Iran, Morocco, Spain, Italy, China, Japan, France, Turkey, and India. In 'Ayurveda', saffron is acknowledged for its immunostimulant, aphrodisiac, cardiotonic, liver tonic, nervine tonic, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, galactagogue, febrifuge, sedative, relaxant, and anxiolytic activities. The renowned Persian physician and philosopher, Avicenna, delineated saffron as an antidepressant, hypnotic, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, bronchodilator, and aphrodisiac in his book, the Canon of Medicine...

Acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), Kashmir bee virus (KBV), and Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) usually persist as covert infections in honey bee colonies. They can cause rapid bee mortality in cases of severe infection, often associated with high Varroa destructor infestation, by which they are transmitted. In various countries, these viruses have been associated with colony collapse. Despite their potential danger, these viruses are often disregarded, and little information is available on their occurrence in many countries, including Italy...

Phytochemicals are broadly acknowledged for their health-promoting effects owing to the fact of their capacity to counteract free radicals (e.g., superoxide anion radical, hydroxyl radical, hydroperoxyl radical, singlet oxygen, hypochlorite, and nitric oxide) and shield against oxidative stress induced by environmental factors. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between altitude, morphology, soil parameters, in vitro antioxidant potential and phytochemical composition of Phlomis cashmeriana collected from four different locations of Kashmir Himalaya characterized by diverse habitats and elevations...

The aim of the current study was to screen and identify heavy metal (chromium, cadmium, and lead) associated bacteria from petroleum-contaminated soil of district Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan to develop ecofriendly technology for contaminated soil remediation. The petroleum-contaminated soil was collected from 99 different localities of district Muzaffarabad and the detection of heavy metals via an atomic absorption spectrometer. The isolation and identification of heavy metals-associated bacteria were done via traditional and molecular methods...

OBJECTIVE: The causes of idiopathic infertility are still not known; however, it may be associated with microbial etiologies. The present study examines the vaginal microbiota of infertile as well as fertile women longitudinally. METHODOLOGY: The study was presented and accepted by the Institutional Ethical Committee of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra, Jammu and Kashmir (India). An observational, prospective, multicenter investigation was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Government Medical College Jammu, and its affiliated hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir (India)...

The present study was conducted with the aim of isolation and identification of the biofilm-forming denitrifying Pseudomonas bacterial strains from eutrophic waters of Dal lake, India, followed by the study of inter-relation of biofilm formation and denitrification potential of Pseudomonas strains. The bacterial strains were characterized by morphological observations and identified using 16S rDNA sequencing followed by the quantification of biofilm formation of these st by crystal violet (CV) assay using 96-well microtiter plate and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) extraction...

This study attempts to examine the morphological, elemental and physical characteristics of PM10 over the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) using FTIR and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) analysis. The study aimed at source identification of PM10 by exploring the inorganic ions, organic functional groups, morphology and elemental characteristics. The pollution load of PM10 was estimated as 63 ± 22 μg m-3 ; 53 ± 16 μg m-3 ; 67 ± 26 μg m-3 and 55 ± 11 μg m-3 over Mohal-Kullu, Almora, Nainital and Darjeeling, respectively...

Exposure to violence can have profound and lasting effects on individuals and communities, impacting various aspects of their lives. Understanding the relationship between exposure to violence and resilience is crucial for designing effective interventions and support systems. This study aims to identify resilience factors among adults living in such areas and rank them from most to least important. Two staged mixed-method approaches, including face-to-face interviews and the best-worst method, were used to identify factors, assign weights, and rank them...

Petrographical characterization and field observations were caried out to evaluate Kamlial Formation in Bagh district, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Based on detailed petrography, the lithic arenite consisted of quartz (20-25%), feldspar (7-11%), rock fragments (20-37%), cementing materials (11-21%), and accessory minerals. Grains are mostly angular to subrounded and poorly to moderately sorted. The analysis revealed that the lithic arenite is mineralogically immature; also, the current activity during the time of deposition was low...

Workplace events play a significant role in shaping the performance of employees and organizations. Negative events, in particular, require careful attention due to their severe impact on employee wellbeing and performance. Workplace bullying and incivility are two negative events that can cause significant harm to employees and contribute to poor performance. This study examines the effects of workplace bullying and incivility on employee performance in the presence of perceived psychological wellbeing (PWB), with the moderating role of perceived organizational support (POS) considered for both independent variables and employee performance (EP)...

Phytochemicals have become significantly important for scientific research since these possess incredibly remarkable health benefits, especially antioxidant potential to scavenge free radicals and combat the harmful effects of oxidative stress caused by adverse environmental factors. The efficacy and quantity of these phytochemicals relies upon numerous factors including the extraction method, solvent polarity and the habitat features in which the plant is growing. In this study we emphasized on phytochemical analysis and antioxidant activity of Bistorta amplexicaulis , an important medicinal plant species from Kashmir Himalaya...