Helminths infection of Schizothorax niger in Kashmir, India: morphological and molecular characterization.

Background: The identification of helminth parasites in Schizothorax spp. from Kashmir, including Schyzocotyle acheilognathi, Pomphorhynchus kashmirensis, and Adenoscolex oreini, is hindered by morphological limitations and high intraspecific variation. While previous studies have relied on morphological diagnosis, a comprehensive molecular characterization is lacking.

A prospective comparative study of open versus laparoscopic stage II Fowler-Stephens orchidopexy in pediatric patients.

Introduction: Laparoscopic Fowler Stephens orchidopexy, single stage or two-stage, is now routinely performed in non-palpable testis. We performed second stage orchidopexy as open inguinal approach and compared the outcome of this approach to two-staged laparoscopic orchidopexy.

Methods: We performed a prospective randomized interventional study of two different approaches for intra-abdominal testis.

Un/met: a mixed-methods study on primary healthcare needs of the poorest population in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan.

Background: Access of all people to the healthcare they need, without financial hardship is the goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). As UHC initiatives expand, assessing the needs of vulnerable populations can reveal gaps in the system which may be covered by relevant policies. In this study we (i) identify the met and unmet primary healthcare needs of the poorest population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (KP), Pakistan, and (ii) explore why the gaps exist.

Cognitive therapy for depression in tuberculosis treatment: protocol for multicentre pragmatic parallel arm randomised control trial with an internal pilot.

Introduction And Objectives: There is an unmet need to develop high-quality evidence addressing tuberculosis (TB)-related mental health comorbidity, particularly in the context of lower-middle-income countries. This study aims to examine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) versus enhanced treatment as usual (ETAU) in improving depressive symptoms in people with TB and comorbid depression, enhancing adherence with anti-TB treatment (ATT) and its implementation in the real-world setting of Pakistan.

Methods: We will conduct a pragmatic parallel arm randomised control trial with an internal pilot.

Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation for the Development of Transgenic Crops; Present and Future Prospects.

Plant transformation based on Agrobacterium-mediated transformation is a technique that mimics the natural agrobacterium system for gene(s) introduction into crops. Through this technique, various crop species have been improved/modified for different trait/s, showing a successful genetic transformation so far. This technique has many advantages over other transformation methods such as stable integration of transgene, cost effective.

Smokeless Tobacco Cessation Support in Dental Hospitals in Pakistan: Dentists and Dental Patients' Perspectives on Current Practices, Support Needed, and Opportunities Available.

Introduction: Despite evidence on the effectiveness of tobacco cessation interventions in dental settings, the implementation remains low, especially for smokeless tobacco (ST). The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of the influences governing the implementation of ST cessation support in dental hospitals.

Aims And Methods: A multicenter qualitative study was conducted at two tertiary-care dental hospitals, in Pakistan.

The importance of human factors in therapeutic dietary errors of a hospital: A mixed-methods study.

An accurate therapeutic diet can help people improve their medical condition. Any discrepancy in this regard could jeopardize a patient's clinical condition. This study was aimed to determine prevalence of dietary errors among in-patients at an international private hospital's food department, and to explore causes of error to suggest strategies to reduce such errors in the future.

Parasitic anomalies observed in snow trout due to anthropogenic stress in water bodies.

There is interrelationship of the environmental conditions and fish health. Decrease or increase of pollution in aquatic ecosystem have direct impact on presence or absence of parasites. Fish living under optimum environmental, well-nourished conditions are more resistant to diseases than fish weakened by malnutrition caused by parasite infestation or due to deterioration of environmental conditions because ofpollution.

Evaluation of blood cell viability rate, gene expression, and O-GlcNAcylation profiles as indicative signatures for fungal stimulation of salmonid cell models.

Fungal diseases of fish are a significant economic problem in aquaculture. Using high-throughput expression analysis, we identified potential transcript markers in primary head kidney and secondary embryonic cells from salmonid fish after stimulation with the inactivated fungi Mucor hiemalis and Fusarium aveneacium and with purified fungal molecular patterns. The transcript levels of most of the 45 selected genes were altered in head-kidney cells after 24 h of stimulation with fungal antigens.

Awareness, perceptions of and compliance with tobacco control policies among naswar vendors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan.

Introduction: Regulatory compliance in the retail environment is integral to the success of tobacco control. We assessed compliance among naswar (smokeless tobacco product widely used in South Asia) vendors with tobacco control laws. We also assessed their awareness of tobacco-related harms and policies and perceived effect of policies on their sales.

Managing violence against healthcare personnel in the emergency settings of Pakistan: a mixed methods study.

Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a half-day training on de-escalation of violence against healthcare personnel regarding prevention and management of violence incidents versus a similar tertiary-level hospital with no such training. Secondary objectives were to compare the overall satisfaction, burnout, fear of violence and confidence in coping with patients' aggression of the healthcare personnel in the two hospitals.

Design: Mixed method design, with a comparative cross-sectional (quantitative) and focus group discussions (qualitative) components.

Smokeless Tobacco Initiation, Use, and Cessation in South Asia: A Qualitative Assessment.

Introduction: Smokeless tobacco (ST) is a significant South Asian public health problem. This paper reports a qualitative study of a sample of South Asian ST users.

Methods: Interviews, using a piloted topic guide, with 33 consenting, urban dwelling adult ST users explored their ST initiation, continued use, and cessation attempts.

Supply Chain Actors' Willingness to Switch the Business of Smokeless Tobacco: A Mixed-Methods Study on Naswar Business in Pakistan.

Introduction: Provision of alternate livelihoods to smokeless tobacco (SLT) supply chain (SC) actors can help in curtailing SLT business and its consumption. We explored the reasons for SC actors' engagement in Naswar (SLT used in South Asia) business and their willingness to switch to other alternatives.

Aims And Methods: We conducted an equal-status concurrent mixed-methods study in four districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.

Study on pathogenicity and characterization of disease causing fungal community associated with cultured fish of Kashmir valley, India.

Cultured fisheries of developing countries are continously challenged by a number of pathogenic microbes. Among microbial diseases, fungal and fungal like pathogen outbreaks lead to negative social and economic impacts on stakeholders. The cultured fisheries of Kashmir valley are also facing challenge from fungal pathogens, leading to tremendous socio-economic lossess to the fish farmer community hence, yearns to boost the sector with efficient management strategy.

Implementing smokeless tobacco control policy in Pakistan: a qualitative study among Naswar supply chain actors.

Objective: To obtain insights into the perceptions of barriers and facilitators to implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) among smokeless tobacco (SLT) supply chain actors in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.

Methods: We conducted a qualitative study to investigate the perceptions about SLT control policy formulation and implementation among exclusive Naswar sellers and point of sale vendors. We conducted five focus group discussions in three districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa using combined deductive-inductive thematic analyses.

Compliance of Oral Snuff (Naswar) Packaging and Sales Practices with National Tobacco Control Laws and the Relevant Articles of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan.

Introduction: Smokeless tobacco (SLT) is a significant contributor to tobacco-related harm in Pakistan but its control has lags behind that of combustible tobacco. We assessed the compliance of Naswar's (a widely used SLT product in the Southeast Asia) packaging and sales practices with the national legislations and relevant articles of the WHO framework convention on tobacco control (FCTC).

Aims And Methods: A cross-sectional observational audit was conducted in three districts of Pakistan.

Compliance of smokeless tobacco supply chain actors and products with tobacco control laws in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan: protocol for a multicentre sequential mixed-methods study.

Introduction: South Asia is home to more than 300 million smokeless tobacco (ST) users. Bangladesh, India and Pakistan as signatories to the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC) have developed policies aimed at curbing the use of tobacco. The objective of this study is to assess the compliance of ST point-of-sale (POS) vendors and the supply chain with the articles of the FCTC and specifically with national tobacco control laws.

What Are We Doing For Injuries? The Burden And Level Of Preparedness For Mass Emergencies In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province Of Pakistan.

Background: Injuries are one of the highly prevalent public health problems of Pakistan but still we are unable to develop a mechanism for its quantification and management. To understand the reasons of not doing so we need detailed discussion among the leaders of different stakeholders working in area of injuries. In this study, a focus group discussion (FGD) of provincial health leaders was conducted to explore challenges and gaps and identify opportunities for quantification and management of injuries in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

Retraction Note to: Occurrence, spread and control measures of (Bothriocephalidae: Cestoda).

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1007/s12639-014-0568-6.].

Systemic lupus erythematosus with Sjögren's syndrome and renal tubular acidosis presenting as nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presenting as diabetes insipidus (DI) is a rare association; there is a case report of neurogenic DI in patients of SLE; however, SLE and nephrogenic DI has not been reported in literature. We present a case of SLE presenting as nephrogenic DI. We report a case who presented with DI (nephrogenic) and fulfilled criteria for SLE and Sjögren's syndrome with renal tubular acidosis.

Retraction Note to: Comparative karyological analysis of three species of Rudolphi 1808 (Cestoda:Pseudophyllidea) from species of Kashmir valley.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1007/s12639-012-0185-1.].

The morpho-agronomic characterization study of germplasm under salt marsh habitat in Swat, Pakistan.

The present research study evaluate and identify the most suitable and high yielding genotypes of for the salt marsh habitat of Swat in moist temperate sort of agro climatic environment of Pakistan. A total of fourteen genotypes were cultivated and analyzed through Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). These genotypes were AZRC-4, NL-2, NL4, NL-5, NL-6, NARC-11-1, NARC-11-2, NARC-11-3, NARC-11-4, 09503, 09505, 09506, P.

A field survey on the status of gastrointestinal helminth parasites in hangul (Cervus elaphus hanglu) in Dachigam National Park of Kashmir.

One year crossectional survey was carried out to determine and describe the prevalence and intensity of gastrointestinal parasite infections in hangul (Cervus elaphus hanglu) in Dachigam National Park of Kashmir through faecal examinations. Out of 153 faecal samples examined, 82 (53.59 %) were found infected with GIT helminthes.