Risk Factors for Hypertension in Patients with Stroke Presenting to Tertiary Care Hospital

OBJECTIVES To determine the risk factors for hypertension in stroke patients presenting to the tertiary care hospital of Peshawar, Pakistan. METHODOLOGY This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the Department of Medicine at Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar. This study spanned months and included 225 patients of either gender who had stroke symptoms within the preceding 72 hours. Detailed information was documented in age (in years), residence, gender, educational qualification, family history of hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus, obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and duration. SPSS version 26.0 was used.RESULTSThe age range of the participants were from 41 to 80 years, with a mean age of 61.004±6.69. The mean duration of hypertension was 3.052±0.85 years. Hypertension was seen in 42.2% of patients. Factors leading to hypertension in stroke patients were age 40.8%, urban area 42%, illiteracy 36.2%, positive family history 61.9%, diabetes mellitus 65.2%, smoking 33.3%, obesity 85.3%, and dyslipidemia 71.8%. CONCLUSION Significant risk factors for stroke include hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, obesity, and positive family history

Phytochemical Analysis and Antibacterial Activity of Berberis vulgaris Extract

Background: Plants are main source of various bioactive compounds that possess great medicinal importance and have gained much popularity for therapeutics due to their less side effects. A diverse category of plants is present to be explored and evaluated for the treatment of different bacterial infection. In the current work, Berberis vulgaris extract in various solvents was evaluated for its phytochemical properties and antimicrobial potential against six different pathogenic bacterial strains.Methods: Different phytochemical tests were carried out to analyze the plant for active biocomponents. The disc diffusion method was used to screen the plant for different pathogenic bacterial strains. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of various plant bioactive compounds (alkaloids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, carbohydrates, and proteins) in variable amount.Results: Among all solvents extracts, butanoic and aqueous fraction showed abundant presence of bioactive compounds, while n-hexane showed least intensity of various phytochemicals. For antimicrobial potential, methanolic and butanoic fractions showed maximum growth inhibition against all strains tested at 1.5mg disc-1. Ethyl acetate and n-hexane also showed better activity against all tested bacteria at all concentrations. The most susceptible microbe was Bacillus subtilis. These results further revealed that least activity was recorded by water extracted solvent and showed no activity against Staphylococcus aureus at all concentrations.Conclusion: The current work highlights the apparent antimicrobial potential of extract derived from of Berberis vulgaris. This plant may be explored for further activities and can be used for the production of antibiotics

The Relationship between Employees Training and Job Satisfaction with Moderating Role of Organizational Culture. A Case of Banking Sector of KP, Pakistan

Employee job satisfaction has been widely acknowledged as one of the most important factors in the performance and productivity of the employees working in an organization. There are certain factors that contribute towards the job satisfaction of the employee’s and one such widely renowned factor is the training of the employees. The relationship between job satisfaction and the training of employees is further moderated by the organizational culture. This study analyzed the impacts of employees training on the level of their job satisfaction under the moderating effects of the organizational culture. Three different dimensions of satisfaction i.e. satisfaction with Pay, work itself and interpersonal relationship was analyzed in the study. Primary data was collected from as ample of 200 employees from different banks operating in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, T-test and regression analysis techniques. The results of the study presented that Hierarchy and Adhocracy culture are the two most dominant cultures prevailing in the banking sector of Pakistan. The results further present that training has significant association with the level of job satisfaction of the employees with their, pay, work itself and interpersonal relationship. The results further established the moderating role of Adhocracy and Hierarchy Culture in determining the relationship between Training and job satisfaction of the employees

The biochemistry of ketogenesis and its role in weight management, neurological disease and oxidative stress

The section of mammalian metabolism known as ketogenesis is responsible for creating ketone bodies. In this mechanism, the liver responds to decreased glucose availability by producing the tiny, water-soluble molecules acetoacetate, D-3-hydroxybutyrate, and propanone. While ketone bodies are always present in small amounts in healthy people, dietary changes and some pathological circumstances can raise the concentrations of these substances in living organisms. The systemic effects of ketogenic diet (KD), despite its recent widespread usage, are poorly known and can range from potentially dangerous results to medically advantageous outcomes depending on the situation. Here, we discuss the metabolism and molecular signaling of ketone bodies before relating the biology of ketone bodies to debates about their potential or actual health benefits. According to the findings of this research, a KD can be used as a natural treatment for weight loss in fat individuals. This is a one-of-a-kind research that will follow the effects of a KD for 24 weeks. The patients' lipid, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and glucose levels all decreased significantly, while their HDL cholesterol levels increased significantly. The adverse effects of medications widely used for weight loss in such individuals were not noted in patients on the KD.&nbsp

RETRACTED: Biosynthesis and characterization of iron oxide nanoparticles from Mentha spicata and screening its combating potential against Phytophthora infestans

Plant pathogens cause serious diseases to agricultural crops which lead to food insecurity in the world. To combat plant pathogens, various strategies have been developed including the use of agrochemicals. The overuse of these chemicals is now leading to the pesticide-resistant capability of pathogens. To overcome this problem, modern nanobiotechnology offers the production of alternative nano drugs. In this study, we used Mentha spicata for the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles using the green synthesis method. The synthesis of Fe2O3 NPs was confirmed through various characterizations. UV–Vis analysis detected a characteristic absorbance at the spectral range of 272 nm. The SEM micrographic analysis at various magnifications displayed circular or rod-shaped nanoparticles with a size ranging from 21 to 82 nm. The elemental EDX characterization showed intense peaks with a weight percent of 57, 34.93, and 8.07 for Fe, O, and, Cl respectively. TGA analysis showed that weight loss at 44–182, 500, and 660°C with no further modification indicates the thermal stability of iron oxide nanoparticles. FTIR spectrum of uncalined detects various bands at 3331, 1625, and 1,437 cm−1 for the hydroxyl group. After calcination two bands at 527 and 434 cm−1 were observed for Fe-O. The antimicrobial in vitro study showed maximum growth inhibition of Phytophthora infestans by the concentration of 100 μg ml−1 of Fe2O3-PE and Fe2O3 NPs. Therefore, this study resulted that bio-stable iron oxide nanoparticles can be used as alternative antimicrobial agents