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Background: Access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities is crucial for health and human rights, impacting nutrition and weight. Methods: Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey (MICS) 2017– 18 has been used in this study to examine the association between WASH and underweight, alongside other factors. Analysis included descriptive statistics, association tests, logistic regression, and population-attributable fractions (PAF). Results: According to results child were 1.8, 1.1 and 1.04 times less likely to be underweight if they had access to improved source of drinking water, improved sanitation and hygiene facilities respectively. The likelihood of child being underweight reduces by 1.4, 1.89, 2.01 and 2.55 times if the household wealth status increases from poorest to second, middle, fourth and richest wealth quintiles, respectively. As the mothers' education level increases from no schooling to primary, middle, secondary, and higher level, the possibility of child being underweight reduces by 1.22, 1.24, 1.60 and 2.01 times, respectively. Moreover, the likelihood of a child being underweight decreases as the education level of the household head improves. If maternal age is less than 20 or more than 35 years the likelihood of the child being underweight is increased by 1.074 and 1.121 times, respectively. A child is 1.1 times more likely to be underweight if birth spacing is less than 2 years. A child's risk of being underweight decreases by 1.1 times if they have not experienced diarrhea. A child who has never been breastfed has 1.3 times higher risk of being underweight. The results of Population Attributable Fraction (PAF) indicate that holding the other factors constant, approximately 36.46% burden of underweight was preventable by access to improved drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene practices. Conclusion: Comprehensive strategy is needed that focuses on improving access to safe drinking water, sanitation infrastructure, and hygiene behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across countries has seriously impacted the effective management of infectious diseases, with subsequent impact on morbidity, mortality and costs. This includes Pakistan. Antimicrobial surveillance activities should be mandatory to continually assess the extent of multidrug-resistant bacteria and the implications for future empiric prescribing. The objective of this retrospective observational study was to monitor the susceptibility pattern of microbes in Pakistan. Materials and Methods: Clinical samples from seven laboratories in Punjab, Pakistan were collected between January 2018 and April 2019, with Punjab being the most populous province in Pakistan. The isolates were identified and their antimicrobial susceptibility was tested using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion assay and micro broth dilution methods. The antibiotics assessed were those typically prescribed in Pakistan. Results: In total, 2523 bacterial cultural reports were studied. The most frequently isolated pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus (866, 34.3%), followed by Escherichia coli (814, 32.2%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (454, 18.0%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (269, 10.7%). Most pathogens were isolated from pus (1464, 58.0%), followed by urine (718, 28.5%), blood (164, 6.5%) and sputum (81, 3.2%). Conclusions: The findings suggest that current antimicrobial options are severally restricted in Pakistan due to the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens. This calls for urgent actions including initiating antimicrobial stewardship programs to enhance prudent prescribing of antibiotics. This includes agreeing on appropriate empiric therapy as part of agreed guidelines, in line with the WHO EML and AWaRe book, whilst awaiting culture reports. This is alongside other measures to reduce inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing and reverse the threat of rising AMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigated the best economically viable power source with the least environmental impact and socially acceptable for the maize crop. Maize is one of the key economic crops in Pakistan. Solar-, electric-, and diesel-powered drip irrigation systems (DIS) were considered for comparative study. We selected 45 sites of maize crop to collect the data, with an area of 1–3 ha, from three divisions. For economic viability, the benefit:cost ratio, life cycle cost, and payback period were calculated, and CO2 emissions were calculated to assess the environmental impact. The SPSS model was used for one-way ANOVA followed by post hoc and chi-squared tests to check the significance level between all power sources. It was found that the B-C of electric power, solar, and diesel drip irrigation systems was 1.65, 1.52, and 1.44, respectively. Solar, diesel, and electricity power DIS have CO2 emissions of 0.02, 0.730, and 1.106 tons/ha, respectively. The research concludes that solar power and electric power are the best sources for the environment and economically, respectively. It is recommended that solar power DIS be subsidized, which will help to lower CO2 emissions and reduce the electricity shortfall in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the years, a crop variety grown on the commercial scale and under different conditions becomes vulnerable to various kinds of issues involving both biotic and abiotic plant stresses, alone or in combinations. This demands their substitution with new and improved genotypes possessing higher productivity and inherent resistance/tolerance against yield-limiting stresses. In this context, this editorial reports the development of a new chickpea kabuli variety "Noor-2019". This cultivar has improved yield potential, dietary elements (proteins, fat, ash), and more importantly, resistance against fusarium wilt and ascochyta blight compared to the existing varieties. The evolution of this strain commenced in 2002-03 cropping season by crossing K-90399 as a female parent with K-52582 as a male parent. The female parent had high yield potential, whereas the male parent had wilt resistance and was developed through introgression breeding using ILWC-126, an accession of Cicer reticulatum. Henceforth, the genetic variability was created to select for high yield and wilt resistant recombinants in subsequent generations. Resultantly, a uniform and high yielding progeny line PCK-09012, later designated as "Noor-2019" was selected and evaluated for yield, agronomy, and insect pests. This cultivar revealed a potential yield of 2882 kg ha-1 in testing phase and outperformed standard checks by producing 78.2%, 13.1%, and 28.8% higher grain yield in station, adaptation and national uniform yield trials, respectively. The plants of Noor-2019 are 60-65cm tall, semi-erect, and medium in canopy spread. Its grains are light brown, ram-headed, medium in size with a 100-seed weight of 25 g. Adoption of this cultivar across different climatic regions of Punjab, and other provinces could contribute in attaining self-sufficiency in local chickpea production as well as plummeting import bill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compares the performance of four satellite-based rainfall products (SRPs) (PERSIANN-CCS, PERSIANN-CDR, SM2RAIN-ASCAT, and CHIRPS-2.0) in a semi-arid subtropical region. As a case study, Punjab Province of Pakistan was considered for this assessment. Using observations from in-situ meteorological stations, the uncertainty in daily, monthly, seasonal, and annual rainfall estimates of SRPs at pixel and regional scales during 2010–2018 were examined. Several evaluation indices (Correlation Coefficient (CC), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Bias, and relative Bias (rBias), as well as categorical indices (Probability of Detection (POD), Critical Success Index (CSI), and False Alarm Ration (FAR)) were used to assess the performance of the SRPs. The following findings were found: (1) CHIRPS-2.0 and SM2RAIN-ASCAT products were capable of tracking the spatiotemporal variability of observed rainfall, (2) all SRPs had higher overall performances in the northwestern parts of the province than the other parts, (3) all SRP estimates were in better agreement with ground-based monthly observations than daily records, and (4) on the seasonal scale, CHIRPS-2.0 and SM2RAIN-ASCAT were better than PERSIANN-CCS and PERSIANN. In all seasons, CHIRPS-2.0 and SM2RAIN-ASCAT outperformed PERSIANN-CCS and PERSIANN-CDR. Based on our findings, we recommend that hydrometeorological investigations in Pakistan's Punjab Province employ monthly estimates of CHIRPS-2.0 and SM2RAIN-ASCAT products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various field trials were performed at different locations of Punjab, Pakistan to study the effect of trace metals on uptake of iron (Fe) and wheat productivity as well as the health risk assessment by ingestion of wheat grains grown with application of different irrigation sources. The experimental design was laid out in RCBD having four replications. Soil samples were taken before sowing of crop from 0 to 15 cm depth and Triticum astivum samples were taken after irrigation through different water treatments examined for pollution load index (PLI), bioaccumulation factor (BAF), translocation factor (TF), bioconcentration factor (BCF), daily intake of metal (DIM) and health risk index (HRI) parameters. Fe concentrations in soil from five districts where wheat types watered with 3 different supplies ranged from 30.28 to 41.03 mg/kg and in grain sample ranged between 1.36 and 6.74 mg/kg. All the samples had DIM values of Fe were observed lower than standard tolerable limits and values of HRI less than 1 which indicates that there is no Fe toxicity due to utilization of wheat grains. • Due to water scarcity, farmers use wastewater for irrigation resulting heavy metal accumulation in the crops. • Wheat is a broadly cultivated cereal crop used as staple food in Pakistan that calls for focus of attention. • Studies were conducted at various districts of Punjab, Pakistan to check the uptake of iron (Fe) and yield of wheat. • Bioaccumulation, Translocation and bio concentration factors, DIM, and health risk index parameters were investigated. • Daily intake of Fe less than standard tolerable limits and HRI less than 1 indicated no Fe toxicity due to wheat consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]