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Geopolitics plays a decisive role in the international politics. The importance of geopolitics can be seen in the Twentieth century that culminated in the First Word War. The Berlin-Baghdad Railway...

Urban trees serve as CO2 emissions absorbers resulting from activities of human in the city, as well as an indicator of atmospheric quality and a pollution scouting device. The importance of trees in the planning process for the sustainable development of cities cannot be overstated. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential of “carbon stocks” and tree stands in Faisalabad that had the highest carbon stock and CO2 sequestration rates. The study was carried out in September-November 2019 in the Faisalabad city area covering 20 locations. The biomass calculation and carbon stock estimation is based on Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) is measuring by utilizing an “allometric equation B = 0.11 ρ D (2+0.62)”. Allometric equations containing the definite wood density of each tree species are used in data processing. The findings depicted, potential of “carbon stocks” in Faisalabad trees is 34.782 + 41.84 kg/ha with Jinnah Park, and Razabad is 5.033 + 2.70 kg/ha. Overall, the maximum CO2 sequestration rate is 16.096 + 16.37 kg/ha/year and the minimum in Razabad with 1.893 + 1.13 kg/ha/year.&nbsp

India is arming and modernizing its military with its land forces receiving equipment in an unprecedented manner while its navy is growingly becoming a blue water navy capable of projecting power way beyond its shores and is rapidly arming its air force to become a strategic force capable of playing an independent role. The international environment is favourable for India, which is further adding impetus towards indigenization and modernization of Indian defence and military capabilities while providing an opportunity for the economy to flourish even more. The paper is an endeavour to analyze, assess, predict and prescribe the potential upshots and outcomes of indigenization, local and licensed manufacturing and joint ventures initiated by India in defence and military sectors – and the likelihood of such choices and actions in becoming a vital strategic and security concern for Pakistan.

A Marxist understanding of the ills of capitalism is applicable to 21st -century capitalism. Motivated by surpluses, capitalism become global in its endeavour of outsourcing production and capital labour substitution. As a result, the capitalist core established an exploitative relationship with the developing and under-developed third world countries. In order to protect their interests and to keep the antagonistic feelings below the threshold, the bourgeoisie elite utilized every tool available to strengthen their control over the resources, maintained their hegemony and absorb counter-hegemonic ideas. The article is an attempt to understand the Marxist interpretation of capitalism and debate in its relevance to 21st -century international politics. With the help of the Iraq war, the article concludes that Marxism and Marxist inspired theoretical interpretation is the best lens to explain the operation of capitalism at the world stage.

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is widely recognised as a violation of human rights and a challenge to public health. VAWG also has economic and social costs that have not been adequately recognised. These costs not only impact individual women and their families but ripple through society and the economy at large. The threat VAWG poses to the social fabric of the country and its impacts on economic development have not been adequately investigated, analysed or quantified in Pakistan. The Department of International Development (UK) funded a five year (2014-2019) research project to examine the costs of VAWG in South Sudan, Ghana and Pakistan. The research in Pakistan was led by researchers at the National University of Ireland Galway in collaboration with Ipsos Mori (UK/ Pakistan), the International Centre for Research on Women (Washington D.C.), and the Social Policy and Development Centre (Pakistan). A National Advisory Committee composed of stakeholders and policy makers within Pakistan also inputted into the project. The research explores the tangible and intangible costs of violence to individuals, families, communities and businesses in Pakistan. It further estimates costs of VAWG at the national level. Although such estimates cannot account for the totality of costs of violence, many of which occur over generations or which have ripple effects that the methods used here cannot capture, the study demonstrates significant impacts from VAWG in Pakistan, and makes the economic case for investment by government and donors in the prevention of VAWG. Methodology To ascertain the costs of VAWG in Pakistan, this study used a mixed method approach including both quantitative surveys of individual women, households and businesses, and qualitative inquiry methods including key informant interviews, participatory focus groups and individual in-depth interviews. An overall sample of 2998 women was drawn from across the main provinces of Punjab, Sind, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad Capital Territory. 532 employees and 25 managers across 100 businesses in Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad took part in business surveys. In addition, over 100 individuals took part in qualitative interviews and Focus Group Discussions in the agricultural district of Sargodha and the city of Islamabad. A range of analysis methods were used including thematic content analysis, econometrics, and statistical analysis to generate findings and produce estimates of the costs of VAWG. Assumptions and Limitations An important assumption in the study is that any type of violence (economic, psychological, physical or sexual) has negative impacts for women experiencing such behaviours. The analysis thus explores the economic impacts of any behaviour of violence across the different locations that women experience violence. The study also has several limitations that need to be acknowledged. First, there is a strong possibility of significant underreporting by women respondents about their experiences of violence, given the stigma surrounding such issues in Pakistan. Second, the costs estimated in this study are not comprehensive given the narrow focus on tangible costs. Third, national estimates extrapolated from sample data can result in overestimates or underestimates depending on the representativeness of the sample as well as cell size for variables of interest. Thus, given these limitations, the estimates provide only an indication of the significance of the costs that are incurred due to VAWG in Pakistan. Nevertheless, the contribution of knowledge from this project on the social and economic costs of violence, though incomplete, is an essential first step in making the economic case for investment in activities to prevent, reduce or eliminate VAWG. This report has been supported by funding from U.K. Department for International Development as part of the overall ‘What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls’ Research and Innovation Programme. peer-reviewed

Socio-economic costs of violence against women and girls in Ghana Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is one of the most widespread human rights violations. VAWG is a significant social, economic and public health problem. Globally, 35% of women have experienced physical/sexual IPV or non-partner sexual violence in their lives. We know that this violence has implications for women’s health and wellbeing; however, we have less understanding about the impacts of VAWG on communities, businesses, and the national economy. While it has been estimated that violence against women and girls costs the global economy about US$8t, there are few studies, particularly of developing countries, that outline the national-level economic costs of such violence. Similarly, few studies explicitly analyse the social costs of VAWG. In recognition of the dearth of knowledge on these impacts and costs, the UK Department for International Development (DFID) funded research to investigate the social and economic costs of VAWG in Ghana, Pakistan and South Sudan (2014–19), as part of its wider What Works to Prevent Violence research and innovation programme. A consortium, led by the National University of Ireland, Galway, with Ipsos MORI and the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW) and working in collaboration with the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at the University of Ghana, undertook a mixed-methods study to estimate the economic losses caused by VAWG as well as the non-economic costs of violence that impact on economic growth, development and social stability in Ghana. A National Advisory Board, composed of stakeholders and policy-makers, also provided input to the research, ensuring the relevance of the findings to the Ghanaian context. Methods This study used a mixed method approach including both quantitative surveys of individual women, households and businesses, and qualitative inquiry methods including key informant interviews, participatory focus groups, and individual in-depth interviews. An overall sample of 2002 women was drawn from 84 primary sampling units across the main ten regions of Ghana. In addition, 805 employees and 27 managers were surveyed in businesses in Accra and Kumasi. In order to estimate economic costs, statistical analysis was performed to ascertain direct costs (out of pocket expenditures due to VAW) and indirect costs (productivity loss due to absenteeism, presenteeism and tardiness). Thematic analysis of qualitative data added depth and context to the findings. Assumptions and Limitations An important assumption in the study is that any type of violence (economic, psychological, physical or sexual) has negative impacts for women experiencing such behaviours. We have therefore explored the economic impacts of any behaviour of violence across the different locations that women experience violence. The study has several limitations that need to be acknowledged. First, the costs estimated in this study are not comprehensive given the narrow focus on tangible costs. Thus the estimates provide only a partial estimate of the costs that are incurred by individuals, households, communities and the overall economy. Second, to extrapolate national costs, we assumed that the unit costs derived from the women’s survey are representative of costs in regions not covered in this study. Third, national estimates extrapolated from sample data can result in overestimates or underestimates depending on the representativeness of the sample as well as cell size for variables of interest. Estimates presented in this report must therefore be seen as an indication of the impact of VAWG and not a full accounting. Nevertheless, the contribution of knowledge from this project on the social and economic costs of violence, though incomplete, is an essential first step in making the economic case for investment in activities to prevent, reduce or eliminate VAWG. This report has been supported by funding from the U.K. Department for International Development as part of the overall ‘What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls’ Research and Innovation Programme. peer-reviewed

Middle Eastern dilemma is the corollary of the power vacuum after the Iraq invasion. ‘Replacement of authority’ does not necessarily conform to the objective of democracy and hope. Invade, overthrow, install and roll-back, a Machiavellian scheme, does not serve the goals of democracy. A major power in a hurry disturbs equilibrium. Replacing one autocrat with another will not do any good for the society at hand and the region into consideration. All the regional actors would try to adjust to the changes in equilibrium. As a result, organizations like ISIS exploit the slip-ups of provisional governments and get the backing of other actors, whose interests are at stake. The regional actors, operating in the environment of security dilemma join the conflict to extract as much as possible to keep regional balance in order. History replicates this phenomenon time and again. Middle East (Iraq and Syria) is the contemporary example of this phenomenon. This paper will try to understand the ongoing conflict in the Middle East from the perspective of regional politics operating under the environment of security dilemma, and major powers’ politics operating under the basic logic that regional influence enhance the capabilities of major powers that contribute to state’s hierarchical position internationally, which therefore, makes it difficult to create common grounds for peace process.

Nickel (Ni) toxicity in agricultural crops is a widespread problem while little is known about the role of biochar (BC) and other organic amendments like farm manure (FM) from cattle farm and compost (Cmp) on its alleviation. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of BC, Cmp and FM on physiological and biochemical characteristics of maize (Zea mays L.) under Ni stress. Maize was grown in Ni spiked soil without and with two rates of the amendments (equivalent to 1% and 2% organic carbon, OC) applied separately to the soil After harvest, plant height, root length, dry weight, chlorophyll contents, gas exchange characteristics and trace elements in plants were determined. In addition, post-harvest soil characteristics like pH(s), ECe and bioavailable Ni were also determined. Compared to the control, all of the amendments increased plant height, root length, shoot and root dry weight with the maximum increase in all parameters by FM (2% OC) treatment. Similarly, total chlorophyll contents and gas exchange characteristics significantly increased with the application of amendments being maximum with FM (2% OC) application. Amendments significantly increased copper, zinc, manganese and iron concentrations and decreased Ni concentrations in the plants. The highest reduction in shoot Ni concentration was recorded with FM (2% OC) followed by BC (2% OC) being 73.2% and 61.1% lower compared to the control, respectively. The maximum increase in soil pH and decrease in AB-DTPA extractable Ni was recorded with BC (2% OC) followed by FM (2% OC). It is concluded that FM (2% OC) was the most effective in reducing Ni toxicity to plants by reducing Ni uptake while BC (2% OC) was the most effective in decreasing bioavailable Ni in the soil through increasing soil pH. However, long-term field studies are needed to evaluate the effects of these amendments in reducing Ni toxicity in plants. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

WOS: 000401447500007, PubMed ID: 27734212

The work reported in this paper describes the behavior and prediction of damping properties of the 3D composite laminated engine mount shell structure. The shell structure has a shape of box with four vertical and two horizontal plates with the thickness of 15mm and 20mm respectively. For more accurate prediction of the structural behavior, many researchers have incorporated the time dependent property of the material into their field of studies. In this article the finite element approach utilizes the concept of viscoelastic damping, which is carried out by direct integration. This paper describes the potential application of composite material as a damper device because of its damping, high stiffness and low weight properties, which favor the use as engine mount in submarine and ships where weight is the highest priority.

pests of sugarcane plant ABSTRACT The research was conducted at the Sugar Mill Plantation PTPN Camming, District Libureng, Bone, and continued at the Laboratory of Plant Pests and Diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine the fitofag insects associated with sugarcane (S. officinarum L.) plants at several age levels. Research method was made using several kinds of traps namely Pitfall traps, nets traps and direct observation of yellow adhesive. Observations were made as many as 8 times, with an interval of 3 days. The research result showed that fitofag insects that were found in sugarcane plantation were dominated by Bactrocera spp. (Tephritidae: Diptera) and the lowest insect was Pyralidae (Lepidoptera). The insects which categorized as pest in sugarcane crop were Locusta sp. (Orthoptera), wereng (Homoptera: Cicadellidae), C. lanigera (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae), Pyralidae (Lepidoptera), Gryllidae (Orthoptera), and Curculionidae (Coleoptera).

This study intends to investigate the impact of foreign capital inflow on economic growth of Pakistan during the period of 1985-2010. The empirical analysis is based on multiple regression technique. Results show that foreign direct investment (FDI), foreign portfolio investment (FPI) and remittances are positive and significant relationship with economic growth. While foreign aid shown significant but negative relationship with economic growth. Finding further suggests that foreign direct investment, foreign portfolio investment and remittances enhance the economic growth. And it is recommended that country like Pakistan should enhance the domestic resources to break the vicious circle of foreign aid.

The aim of this study is to investigate the impacts of weather conditions on the destination choice for the leisure trips within the Netherlands. This empirical analysis will be based on two main data sources. First, the transportation survey which is obtained from Statistics Netherlands for year 2001 to 2005. This survey contains information about the socioeconomic and travel behavior of individuals. It provides information about the origin and destination of the trip, the day and time on which the trip took place, the mode of transportation use for that trip etc. Weather data is provided by Royal Netherlands Metrological Institute (KNMI) for same period. This data is hourly recorded by 32 weather stations more or less evenly located in the Netherlands. The weather conditions contain information about temperature, precipitation , horizontal visibility and wind during every hour of the day. The two datasets will be linked to obtain combined dataset of transport and weather. Multinomial logit model will be use for the choice decision of individual. A nested logit model will also be applied to estimate the mode choice and destination choice decision simultaneously while controlling for weather conditions.

Refereed/Peer-reviewed We conducted a pot experiment to evaluate the potential for soil- and foliar-applied silicon (Si), alone and in combination, to a Cd-contaminated soil in order to evaluate the effects on such amendments on the Cd translocation from soil to wheat root, shoot and grains. Five treatments were used, T1) control with no external factor added, T2 received only Cd, while T3–T5 treatments received Cd in combination with soil, foliar and soil plus foliar applied Si. Except control (T1), soil was contaminated with Cd at 10 mg kg−1 in all the treatments and 1% solution of Si as an amendment was used for soil and/or foliar application or their combination. Overall, while Si application improved both plant growth and yield in Cd-contaminated soil. Control and combined soil- and foliar-applied Si in Cd contaminated treatments showed equally positive (2.5%) increase in plant height over Cd contaminated treatment. Grain yield was also highest in the treatment receiving Cd plus soil-applied Si (29%) followed by control (26%). It was concluded that Si can alleviate Cd toxicity in wheat irrespective of whether the Si was soil-applied or applied via a foliar method, but soil applied Si proved the best in this regard. Novelty statement Immobilization of metals i.e., cadmium (Cd) with soil-applied amendments like biomaterials and organic manure to decrease Cd concentration in plants have already been widely investigated. Silicon (Si) is a cheap in-organic and readily available element in the nature and also used for the same purpose. It can be applied both in soil as well as by foliar and soil + foliar application to decrease the metals concentration in soil and plants. However, comparative effectiveness of these three methods have not been checked simultaneously. In this study, we have studied the comparative effectiveness of Si application to soil, foliar and their combination (soil + foliar) to decrease Cd concentration during wheat crop.

Lead (Pb) is a persistent toxic element with no beneficial properties for living beings. Apart from geogenic sources, anthropogenic activities like mining, smelting, paints, Pb-acid battery industries, municipal and industrial dumps and wastewaters, vehicular exhaust, and household dust are responsible for its contamination in soil. Pb bioavailability in soil depends on Pb concentration in the soil, soil type, pH, soil organic matter, Fe- and Mn-oxides, soil flora and fauna, and soil water content. Pb uptake by plants is determined by external/environmental factors, such as soil pH, organic matter and clay contents, and internal/plant factors, such as plant species, plant growth stage, plant root system, production of root exudates, plant metabolites, and transporters. Remediation of Pb-contaminated soils involves in-situ and ex-situ approaches, including physical, chemical, and biological techniques. Physical remediation includes soil replacement, excavation, solidification, vitrification, subsurface barriers, washing and flushing, containment, and thermal treatment. Chemical stabilization, soil washing, and electrokinetics are examples of chemical remediation methods for Pb-contaminated soils. Bioremediation involves processes such as biosorption, bioleaching, and biomembranes using microbes (bacteria, fungi, and algae), plants, or a mix thereof.