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Knowledge Management and Market Orientation have become buzzwords today owing to their importance for enhancing organizational performance. Innovation has become the strategic need of organizations at present in order to contend with the extreme market competition. The objective of this research was to examine the impact of knowledge management orientation on a firm's performance with the mediating role of organizational innovation and market orientation. Data was collected through personal survey-based questionnaire. Based on a survey of 343 employees from Telecom Sector of Pakistan, this study applied Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) Technique to observe the research model. The results of the study demonstrate that knowledge management orientation plays an affirmative role in the promotion of organizational performance. The organizational innovation has significant impact on the performance of the organization. It was also revealed that there is positive effect of market orientation on organizational performance. Moreover, innovation and market orientation were observed to have mediating role in the knowledge management orientation-organizational performance linkage. As, the global phenomenon exposes that if the knowledge management, market orientation and innovation in relation to performance are being practiced, then the results are promising, driving extensively in a constructive way as validated by the literature review. Consequently, this research is one the first attempts in Pakistan towards the perspective i.e. knowledge management orientation, organizational innovation, market orientation in relation to the performance of an organization. It will further contribute towards the local academic and viable arena of Pakistan.

The present study is aimed at analyzing the effects of peer tutoring on the academic achievement of students in the subject of biology at secondary level. The objectives of the study were: (1) To find out the effects of peer tutoring on the academic achievement of students in the subject of biology; and (2) To examine the effects of peer tutoring with respect to knowledge, comprehension and application levels in cognitive domain of Bloom Taxonomy. All 433,405 male students at secondary level of 10th grade of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were the population of the study. Forty students were taken as the sample of the study from the Allied National Software Institute (ANSI) Mardan. The Posttest-Only Equivalent Group Design was used. The data collected from pretest and posttest were analyzed through an independent sample t-test. It was found that the mean score of the experimental group was significantly better than that of the control group. It was concluded that peer tutoring enhanced the academic achievement of students in the experimental group significantly as compared to the control group; hence, it was an effective method of instruction for teaching biology at secondary level. It was suggested that peer tutoring may be incorporated along with other teaching methodologies for the subject of biology and it may be given due consideration in all teacher education practices in the country.

Income and prices are important factors that determine and decide households consumption decisions and behavior.

Anthropogenic climate change induced weather and climate extremes have led to frequent heat waves, droughts and floods threatening water resources and food security for an agricultural country like Pakistan. Despite their significance, the trends and variability of extreme temperature and precipitation indices and associated large‐scale drivers in the agro‐ecological zones (AEZs) of Pakistan remain unknown and need urgent attention because of abrupt climate change. The present study documents the spatiotemporal variations of climate change indices together with the elevation‐dependent variability trends over various AEZs in Pakistan for the period of 42 years (1979–2020). Nonparametric Mann–Kendall (MK) and Sen's slope (SS) estimator tests have been employed for trend estimation. Results indicated linearly increasing (warming) and statistically significant trends in Tmean, TNx, WSDI and TR20 whereas significant decreasing (cooling) trends in cool nights (−1.73 days·decade−1) and cold spells (−1.28 days·decade−1). The spatial distribution of temperature indices trends depicts robust warming over southwestern and central zones while cooling trends over northern zones. Regarding precipitation extremes, all indices have shown increasing (wetter) trends with a significant increase in PRCPTOT and RX5day. The stations in northern and subhumid AEZs received more precipitation compared to other zones. Elevation‐dependent trends in temperature indices exhibited a statistically significant positive (negative) relationship with cold (warm) tails. Most of the extreme precipitation indices have a weak, but positive association with elevation except SDII. The weakening of South Asian subtropical upper‐level jet by a high‐pressure system over northeast Pakistan resulted in amplified land surface temperatures. However, the spatial patterns of zonal winds indicate a trough over Pakistan's southern and central parts, with warmer sea‐surface temperature, low sea‐level pressure and easterly anomalies, favour moisture transport and precipitation in Pakistan. The outcomes of present study will be useful in addressing various climate‐induced disasters occurring in various AEZs of Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water is a fundamental and crucial natural resource for human survival. However, the global demand for water is increasing, leading to a subsequent decrease in water availability. This study addresses the critical need for improved water resource forecasting models amidst global water scarcity concerns exacerbated by climate change. This study uses the best weather and water resource forecasting model for sustainable development. Employing a Recurrent Neural Network–Long Short-Term Memory (RNN-LSTM) approach, the research enhances drought prediction capabilities by integrating secondary data of the rainfall, temperature, and ground and surface water supplies. The primary objective is to forecast water resources under changing climatic conditions, facilitating the development of early warning systems for vulnerable regions. The results from the LSTM model show an increased trend in temperature and rainfall patterns. However, a relatively unstable decrease in rainfall is observed. The best statistical analysis result was observed with the LSTM model; the model's accuracy was 99%, showing that it was quite good at presenting the obtained precipitation, temperature, and water data. Meanwhile, the value of the root mean squared error (RMSE) was about 13, 15, and 20, respectively. Therefore, the study's results highlight that the LSTM model was the most suitable among the artificial neural networks for forecasting the weather, rainfall, and water resources. This study will help weather forecasting, agriculture, and meteorological departments be effective for water resource forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan liberalized its trade in different regimes and the recent trade reforms is CPEC project which is expected to reduce wages inequality of skilled and unskilled labor. This study forecasts wages inequality as a result of trade openness in Pakistan by using artificial neural network approach for the period 1991–2017. The empirical outcomes revealed that trade liberalization is influential factor for reducing wages inequality in Pakistan, and the forecasting results for 2019–2026 show a dynamic trend of wages inequality in the response to trade liberalization; however, in many of the years, the positive implication has been witnessed for the inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing prevalence of warmer trends and climate extremes exacerbate the population's exposure to urban settlements. This work investigated population exposure changes to mean and extreme climate events in different Agro‐Ecological Zones (AEZs) of Pakistan and associated mechanisms (1979−2020). Spatiotemporal trends in mean and extreme temperatures revealed significant warming mainly over northern, northeastern, and southern AEZs. In contrast, mean‐to‐extreme precipitation changes showed non‐uniform patterns with a significant increase in the northeast AEZs. Population exposure to mean (extreme) temperature and precipitation events increased two‐fold during 2000–2020. The AEZs in urban settlements (i.e., Indus Delta, Northern Irrigated Plain, and Barani/Rainfall) show a maximum exposure to extreme temperatures of about 70–100 × 106 (person‐days) in the reference period (1979−1999), which increases to 140–200 × 106 person‐days in the recent period (2000−2020). In addition, the highest exposure to extreme precipitation days also increases to 40–200 × 106 person‐days during 2000–2020 than 1979−1999 (20–100 × 106) person‐days. Relative changes in exposure are large (60%–90%) for the AEZs across northeast Pakistan, justifying the spatial population patterns over these zones. Overall, the observed changes in exposure are primarily attributed to the climate effect (50%) over most AEZs except Northern Irrigated Plain for R10 and R20 events, where the interaction effect takes the lead. The population exposure rapidly increased over major AEZs of Pakistan, which could be more vulnerable to extreme events due to rapid urbanization and population growth in the near future. Plain Language Summary: This study investigates the impact of climate change on population in different AEZs of Pakistan from 1979 to 2020. The findings depict widespread warming trends in northern, northeastern, and southern AEZs of Pakistan, whereas changes in precipitation patterns are non‐uniform, with a notable increase in the northeast zone. The study reveals that population exposure to temperature and precipitation events doubled between 2000 and 2020. Urban AEZs such as the Indus Delta, Northern Irrigated Plain, and Barani/Rainfall exhibit the largest exposure to extreme temperatures and precipitation, with exposure increasing over time. The northeast zones of Pakistan experience the highest relative changes in exposure, highlighting the vulnerability of these AEZs to climate events. Climate effect account for the majority of observed exposure changes in AEZs, except Northern Irrigated Plain, where interaction effect plays a key role. The findings suggest that as urbanization and population growth continue, major AEZs in Pakistan are becoming increasingly susceptible to extreme climate events in the future. Key Points: Spatiotemporal trends in mean to extreme temperature (precipitation) events reveal widespread warming across Agro‐Ecological ZonesPopulation exposure to mean (extreme) temperature and precipitation events increases two‐fold in recent climate periodObserved changes in population exposure are primarily attributed to the climate effect (50%) over major Agro‐Ecological Zones [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the debt overhang hypothesis for Pakistan in the period 1960-2007. The study examines empirically the dynamic behaviour of GDP, debt services, the employed labour force and investment using the time series concepts of unit roots, cointegration, error correlation and causality. Our findings suggest that debt-servicing has a negative impact on the productivity of both labour and capital, and that in turn has adversely affected economic growth. By severely constraining the ability of the country to service debt, this lends support to the debt-overhang hypothesis in Pakistan. The long run relation between debt services and economic growth implies that future increases in output will drain away in form of high debt service payments to lender country as external debt acts like a tax on output. More specifically, foreign creditors will benefit more from the rise in productivity than will domestic producers and labour. This suggests that domestic labour and capital are the ultimate losers from this heavy debt burden.

Climate change is the momentous and persisting change in the world's temperature, precipitation, humidity, and other climatic variables. This study, therefore estimated the impact of climatic variations on tomato productivity across agro ecological zones of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Panel data for 28 years (1991-2018) across the six districts of the agro ecological was used due to availability of data on tomato productivity and climatic variables. Yield of tomato, area, maximum temperature and rainfall were included in the final estimated model. The results indicate that the average maximum temperature and average maximum temperature square have a significant impact on tomato yield. Average maximum temperature has positive coefficient while the average maximum temperature square has a negative coefficient. This demonstrates that, at first, the tomato yield increases as the temperature rises. It reaches the maximum at the critical temperature (34.95°C) but shows a decline once the temperature rises from the critical value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Punjab region of Pakistan faced significant losses from flash flooding in 2010 and experienced a multiyear drought during 1998–2002. The current study illustrates the drought and flood conditions using the multi-satellite data products derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) as well as the TRMM Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) satellites with high-quality resolution in the region of Punjab during 2010–2014. To determine the drought and flood events, we used the Vegetation Temperature Condition Index (VTCI) drought monitoring approach combined with the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Land Surface Temperature (LST) to identify the warm and cold edges (WACE) in the provision of soil moisture as well as the VTCI imagery using the MODIS-Aqua data products. We assessed the 2010 flood effect on the four years (2011–2014) of drought conditions during winter wheat crop seasons. The obtained VTCI imagery and precipitation data were utilized to validate the drought and flood conditions in the year 2010 and the drought conditions in the years 2011–2014 during the winter-wheat-crop season. It is worth mentioning that over the four years (2011–2014) of the Julian day~D-041 year, the VTCI shows a stronger link with the accumulative precipitation anomaly (r = 0.77). It was found that for D-201 during the 2010 flood was the relationship was nonlinear, and in D-217, there was a negative relationship which revealed the flood timing, duration, and intensity. For D-281, a correlation (r = 0.97) was noted during fall 2010, which showed the drought and flood extreme conditions for the winter-wheat-crop season in the year 2010–2014. In regard to 2010, the Global Flood Monitoring System (GFMS) model employs the TRMM and TMPA data products to display the study region during the 2010 flood events and validate the VTCI results. This study's spatial and temporal observations based on the observed results of the MODIS, TRMM, and TMPA satellites are in good agreement with dry and wet conditions as well as the flood runoff stream flow and flood intensity. It demonstrates the flood events with high intensity compared with the normality of flood with the complete establishment of flood events and weather extremes during the year of 2011–2014, thereby highlighting the natural hazards impacts. Our findings show that the winter wheat harvest was affected by the 2010 monsoon's summer high rain and floods in the plain of Punjab (Pakistan). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based ionospheric anomalies are nowadays used to identify a possible earthquake (EQ) precursor and hence a new research topic in seismic studies. The current study also aims to provide an investigation of ionospheric anomalies associated to EQs. In order to study possible pre-and post-seismic perturbations during the preparation phase of large-magnitude EQs, statistical and machine learning algorithms are applied to Total Electron Content (TEC) from the Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global Ionosphere Maps (GIMs). We observed TEC perturbation from the Sukkur (27.8° N, 68.9° E) GNSS station near the epicenter of Mw 5.4 Mirpur EQ within 5–10 days before the main shock day by implementing machine learning and statistical analysis. However, no TEC anomaly occurred in GIM-TEC over the Mirpur EQ epicenter. Furthermore, machine learning and statistical techniques are also implemented on GIM TEC data before and after the Mw 7.7 Awaran, where TEC anomalies can be clearly seen within 5–10 days before the seismic day and the subsequent rise in TEC during the 2 days after the main shock. These variations are also evident in GIM maps over the Awaran EQ epicenter. The findings point towards a large emission of EQ energy before and after the main shock during quiet storm days, which aid in the development of lithosphere ionosphere coupling. However, the entire analysis can be expanded to more satellite and ground-based measurements in Pakistan and other countries to reveal the pattern of air ionization from the epicenter through the atmosphere to the ionosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cystic echinococcosis (CE), or hydatid cyst disease (HCD), is a zoonosis of significant importance caused by the cestode of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s. l.) that affects mainly nomadic populations and has substantial economic consequences. Due to the 76% rural and nomadic population, Baluchistan is a highly endemic region in Pakistan for CE; however, it has not yet been investigated for CE. For this purpose, this study was carried out to investigate the molecular epidemiology of CE in this region. In total, 23 human hydatid cyst samples were collected from tertiary health care units in Baluchistan and processed for DNA extraction, which was then followed by sequencing of the cox1 mitochondrial gene of all 23 collected samples, genotyping, and phylogenetic and haplotype analysis. Most subjects were livestock owners (39.13%) in rural settings (73.91%). Most patients (73.19%) were pet owners (dogs) and used water from open sources for drinking. The liver was the most affected organ (52.17%), followed by the lungs (17.39%). Sequence analysis based on the cox1 gene revealed that EG genotype 1 (G1) was the most prevalent (56.52%), followed by G3 (34.78%), while some samples (8.7%) were identified as the Echinococcus canadensis (G6/7) genotype. A total of five haplotypes were detected with high haplotype diversity (0.80) and low nucleotide diversity (0.033). Phylogenetic analysis revealed two diverse sub-clades, each of G1 and G3 isolates from Baluchistan, that were evolutionarily related to previously reported G1 and G3 isolates from Pakistan and China. On the other hand, the G6/7 isolates of this study were evolutionarily identical to the already reported G6/7 isolates from Pakistan, Turkey, and Kazakhstan. This study concludes that diverse G1 and G3 EG isolates are present in this part of Pakistan, while the G6/G7 genotype was reported for the first time from Baluchistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetables are perishable in nature, and it requires a well-established market to facilitate the farmers for selling their produce at a reasonable price and make it accessible for ultimate consumers in preferred shape and location in the required duration. This research is carried out to analyze the existing marketing channels, marketing costs and margins of different market functionaries of potato crop in the selected villages of district Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan in 2019. For this purpose, a total of seventy producers, twenty wholesalers and twenty retailers are randomly selected and interviewed for data collection. From the current research it can be revealed that majority of potato growers followed the same marketing channel i.e. Producer Wholesaler Retailer Consumer. The analysis shows that marketing-margins of potato growers, wholesalers and retailers is estimated as 31.8 percent, 24.1 percent, and 42 percent respectively. Similarly, the share of producer in consumer rupee is obtained as 31.3 percent, respectively. Marketing margin and cost indicated that by reducing the huge margin of retailers the share of growers and wholesalers can be raised in the prevailing marketing channels. The research findings recommended that government must focus on establishing markets at village level, by minimizing the role of intermediaries which will help farmers to generate more profit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater depletion has become a major concern all over the world. Recently, the rapid population growth and need for water and food have placed a massive strain on land and water resources. In this study, groundwater depletion resulting from land-use and climate change was investigated in the Faisalabad district, Pakistan, from 2000 to 2015. A Pearson correlation analysis between climatic parameters and land-use indices with groundwater was conducted to explore the major influencing factors. Interpolation maps of groundwater were generated using the inverse distance weighting interpolation (IDW) method. The Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) of five-year intervals demonstrated a strong increasing trend, whereas the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) presented a declining trend. The results also indicated a significant declining trend in groundwater levels in the region, with the annual average groundwater level decreasing at a rate of approximately 0.11 m/year. Climatic parameters (i.e., precipitation and temperature) further reveal an insignificant increasing trend estimated using the Mann–Kendall test and Sens's slope. Overall, spatial analysis results showed a statistically significant positive trend in the groundwater level of the Faisalabad district, where the NDBI ratio is high and the NDVI is low, owing to the extensive extraction of groundwater for domestic and industrial use. These findings may be useful for a better understanding of groundwater depletion in densely populated areas and could also aid in devising safety procedures for sustainable groundwater management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long‐term drought monitoring and its assessment are of great importance for meteorological disaster risk management. The recurrent spells of heat waves and droughts have severely affected the environmental conditions worldwide, including Pakistan. The present work sought to investigate the spatiotemporal changes in drought characteristics over Pakistan during Rabi and Kharif cropping seasons. The role of large‐scale circulation and interannual mode of climate variability is further explored to identify the physical mechanisms associated with droughts in the region. Monthly precipitation and temperature data (1983–2019) from 53 meteorological stations were used to study drought characteristics, using the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI). The nonparametric Mann–Kendall, Sen's Slope, and Sequential Mann–Kendall tests were applied on the drought index to determine the statistical significance and magnitude of the historical trend. The state‐of‐the‐art Bayesian Dynamic Linear model was further used to analyse large‐scale climate drivers of droughts, revealed an increase in drought severity, mostly over arid to semiarid regions for both cropping seasons. While temperature played a significant role in defining droughts over dry and hot seasons, rainfall is influential over the western disturbances influenced region. The analysis of atmospheric circulation patterns revealed that large‐scale changes in wind speed, air temperature, relative humidity, and geopotential height anomalies are the likely drivers of droughts in the region. We found that Niño4, sea surface temperature, and multivariate El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO4.0) Index are the most influential factors for seasonal droughts across Pakistan. Overall, the findings provide a better understanding of drought‐prone areas in the region, and this information is of potential use for mitigating and managing drought risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Industria Textila is the property of Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Textile si Pielarie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

aims to explore the effects of healthcare expenditures on the actual health status of the masses in Pakistan for the period 1995Q1 to 2017Q1. Methods: We apply the Quantile Autoregressive Distributed Lag (QARDL) approach for estimation purposes. This is the most recent and emerging estimation technique in time series analysis. Results: Our findings confirm that public healthcare spending significantly impacts health outcomes in Pakistan both in the short-run and long-run. Public healthcare spending improves life expectancy and reduces death rate and infant mortality. Conclusion: The study concludes that public healthcare is the main focus of the current regime. It is noticed that spending on healthcare significantly contributes to the health outcomes in Pakistan. These efforts by the government significantly promote life expectancy and drop down the mortality ratio in the country. Based on these notable facts, the government should allocate sufficient resources towards the latest healthcare technologies and equipment to optimize health outcomes in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is one of the most frequent natural disasters occurring in Pakistan and has a great influence on livelihood, agriculture, and economy. The availability of long‐term high‐quality reanalysis products over Pakistan has been of great concern in recent decades. Here, we conduct drought assessment in Pakistan based on the standardized precipitation index (SPI) and the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) at 3, 6, and 12 months timescales during 1983–2018. We use long‐term in situ observations to evaluate the accuracy of reanalysis products, including Climatic Research Unit (CRU TS), National Centers for Environmental Prediction version II (NCEP‐2), European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts Version‐5 (ERA‐5), and Modern‐Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version II (MERRA‐2). The main results are summarized as follows: (a) drought indices and drought areas assessed from reanalysis products are relatively more representative of historical droughts that had occurred in southern Pakistan and overestimation is evident for drought severity in western than eastern Pakistan; (b) statistically significant increasing trends (1984–1998 and 2000–2010) in monthly drought areas and occurrence are evident by CRU TS and MERRA‐2 in dominant arid and semiarid regions; (c) climate variables and drought features of southern Pakistan are best represented by CRU TS and MERRA‐2, while that of southwestern and western parts are best represented by ERA‐5; (d) the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) results range from −2 to 1, where the NSE of SPEI values (−1.0) show relatively weaker than SPI values (0.5) in most parts of the regions, specifically in the southern Pakistan; (e) a strong positive linear relationship on a monthly scale is evident in CRU TS, MERRA‐2, and ERA‐5 exhibiting relatively high correlation coefficient (0.84), except for NCEP‐2. Furthermore, the SPEI results are found to be better than SPI; thus, this study suggests SPEI may be more suitable than SPI in monitoring droughts under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Biology is the property of Instituto Internacional de Ecologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Present study was intended with the aim to document the pre-existence traditional knowledge and ethnomedicinal uses of plant species in the Palas valley. Data were collected during 2015–2016 to explore plants resource, their utilization and documentation of the indigenous knowledge. The current study reported a total of 65 medicinal plant species of 57 genera belonging to 40 families. Among 65 species, the leading parts were leaves (15) followed by fruits (12), stem (6) and berries (1), medicinally significant while, 13 plant species are medicinally important for rhizome, 4 for root, 4 for seed, 4 for bark and 1 each for resin. Similarly, thirteen species were used as a whole while twelve species as partial for medicinal purpose. Further, it is concluded that every part of plants such as bulb, rhizome, roots, barks, leaves, flowers, fruit and seed were used for various ailments. Moreover, among 65 plants species, 09 species are threatened and placed into Endangered (EN) and Least Concern (LC) categories of IUCN. The recorded data are very useful and reflects the significance of the Palas valley as medicinal plants resource area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to examine the characteristics of agricultural land parcels and identify important determinants of their prices in Swabi district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. For this purpose, a sample of 79 land parcels, having transaction record for the year 2015-2017, was selected from 10 randomly chosen villages. Data were collected on their prices and their physical, agricultural and location characteristics. Descriptive statistical tools were used to summarize data on agricultural land characteristics. A linear Hedonic Pricing Model (HPM) was used to estimate agricultural land prices based on physical, location and agricultural characteristics. Results show that agricultural land parcels in Central Swabi district have comparatively high prices, and this is due to their high residential and commercial potential. Developmental projects for roads, hospitals, universities and gas supply infrastructure in the surroundings of Swabi city are resulting human influx from rural areas, and are increasing demand for residential and commercial units in the suburbs. This high demand is pulling land prices and causing utilization of fertile agricultural land for residential and commercial units' construction. Around 50% of the sampled agricultural lands were used for residential and commercial purposes. Results from HPM reveal that agricultural characteristics, such as land fertility and irrigation water availability, were the significant determinates and have positive effects on land prices. Location characteristics, such as road distance, city distance, distance to nearby houses and distance to agricultural market are the important determinants of land prices. These findings imply that agricultural land prices depends on agricultural and location attributes and this is consistent with the Ricardian's Land 'Rent' and Von Thunan's 'Land Location' theories. Based on these findings, the study recommends that agricultural land must be protected through laws from residential and commercial encroachments. Investment in development of agricultural infrastructure and provision of subsidized on important inputs could raise farmers' returns from agriculture and could change their perception to favor using land for agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the myocardial muscles become thickened without an apparent cause. It exhibits the prevalence of 1/500 globally. Eighteen samples from four families of maternally inherited HCM were collected, based on their clinical records. Three mitochondrial encoded genes 16S-rRNA (MT-RNR2), tRNAIle (MT-TI) and tRNALeu (MT-TL1) were targeted for analysis of mutation. Genomic DNA was extracted from buccal swab using Phenol: Chloroform: protocol. The target genes were amplified via polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The amplified gene products were sequenced and compared with the revised Cambridge Reference Sequence (rCRS) Accession-No. N_012920.1. Four mutations in 16S-rRNA gene have been identified viz mt-2552T>A, mt-1811A>G, mt-1888A>G and mt-2467A>T and two are novel, mt- 2552T>A and mt-2467A>T while others have been previously reported, in patients of German and French population. For the first time, the mt-1888A>G and mt-1811A>G mutation in MT-RNR2 gene have been observed in patients of HCM in the Pakistani population and even not found in the control group of the same families. No mutation in mt-DNA encoded tRNAIle, and tRNALeu genes were observed, the mutations detected in mt-DNA encoded 16S-rRNA gene are the pathogenic mutations associated with HCM in Pakistani population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covid-19 has been reported from almost every country on the planet. Widespread measures have been taken to slow or stop the spread of the virus but transmission is still out of control. In KPK, the vast majorities of population do not believe in the reality of the pandemic and seem more inclined towards conspiracy theories. In this review, we discuss the epidemic of COVID-19 in Pakistan and undertake a situation analysis of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The various animals and plant species, their parts, and products are being used in traditional health care and cultural practices but the use of animals, their parts and products have rarely recorded especially in Pakistan. This study investigated and documented animal species used by traditional residents for treatments in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Hazara area of Pakistan. A field survey conducted in 2017-2018 in 6 districts of the Hazara region. A total of 63 animal species belonging to 47 families were reported for their ethnozoological importance including Mammals 33%, Birds 25%, Arthropods 17%, Reptiles 8%, Fishes 6%, Mollusks 3%, Annelids 3% Platyhelminthes and Amphibians 2% respectively. Out of 63 animals, 59 have medicinal importance and used to treat different human diseases. The most used animal species to treat various human ailments in Hazara region were includes Ovisaries (sheep), Portunessanguinolentus crab), Capra aegagrushircus (goat), Columba liviadomestica (pigeon), Bubalusbubalis (Buffalo) and Apiscerana (honey bee) and most used body parts include fats, meat, blood, milk, feces, urine, honey, tusk, feathers and shell. This ethnozoology study can play an important role in the biodiversity and conservation of animal species in the study area, laying the foundation for drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient use of inputs is very essential for broiler farmers to get the maximum possible output for enhancing productivity and ultimately profit of the farm. This study estimated and assessed technical efficiency of broiler farms in district Charsadda of Khyber Paktunkhwa province, Pakistan. In order to achieve the aforesaid objective, multistage random sampling technique was used to collect data from 120 broiler farms. Parametric approach (Stochastic frontier) was employed for analysis of data. Contrary to non-parametric approach, parametric approach entangle modeling cost/production frontier using various econometric techniques. The underlying principle behind the parametric approaches such as Stochastic frontier approach is that it accounts for random error (factors outside the scope of the farmers which affect production cost) and separate the inefficiency component from it and make credible statistical inferences and also the parametric approach has not received any valid criticism since its introduction. Stochastic frontier production function of Cobb- Douglas type was utilized for the estimation. The function was estimated using Maximum Likelihood estimation technique. The results revealed that mean technical efficiency of broiler farms was 0.85 ranging from 0.61 to 0.99, implies that an average farm could produce 14% more output for given level of inputs if they become technically more efficient. The estimated coefficient of the number of day old chicks and feed were 0.45 and 0.21 and statistically significant at 1% and 5% level of significance, respectively. In technical inefficiency effect model, the estimated parameters of age, experience, credit, occupation and labor used were negative and statistically significant. It is suggested that according to the capacity of shed the broiler farms need to increase the number of day old chicks as wells as feed to enhance productivity. Provision of training facilities to the farmers, appropriate to rearing of broilers in open shed farms is a good option for efficient utilization of resources and enhancing efficiency. Provision of credit facilities to broiler farms on easy terms and conditions for purchase of day old chicks, feed, labors and other inputs involved in broiler farming will boost up broiler productivity and efficiency of farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine whether anticipated number of person with disabilities was employed in different government departments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan. Methods: Using across sectional survey, data from 16 different departments of provincial government of KPK was collected by volunteers of 'Friends of Paraplegics. Results: Out of total 1, 71,137 Govt. employees, only 1151 (0.67%) were person with disabilities. None of the included departments fulfilled 2% allocated job quota for person with disabilities. Majority of the employees included in study were from Elementary & Secondary Education Department (n=140345) and Agriculture, Livestock & Cooperation Department (n=14315). The number of person with disabilities in these departments were 960 (0.68%) and 68 (0.48%) respectively. The highest percentage of person with disabilities were working in Higher Education Archives & Libraries Department (1.65%)followed by Law, Parliamentary Affairs & Human Rights Department (1.42%), Planning & Development Department (1.39%) and Administration & Establishment Department (1.16%). Conclusion: It is concluded that a small number of person with disabilities are employed in different Govt. Departments. Moreover, these departments has not ensured providing 2% job quota for person with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to estimate the expenditure, own and cross price elasticities of meat in Pakistan. Working-lesser model is used to estimate elasticities using cross-sectional data from Household Integrated Economic Survey of Pakistan for the year 2013-14. Economic factors such as food commodities prices, households' income and their socioeconomic characteristics are included in the model. The results reveal that on the average, households in rural region spend more on the food items while, urban households spend more on non-food items. Expenditures on beef is noted highest for both urban and rural region followed by chicken, fish and other meat type (Eggs, Shrimps, Prawns). Empirical results show that for all the selected meat type expenditure elasticities are positive suggesting them as normal goods. The expenditure elasticities for mutton and beef are greater than one and are expenditure elastic while chicken, fish and other meat type are expenditure-inelastic. Own-price elasticities for the beef, chicken, fish and mutton are less than unity suggesting them as price-inelastic except other meat type which is highly price-elastic. Cross price elasticities show that most of the meat types are complementary. Others meat category, chicken and fish in both the rural and urban regions are price inelastic confirms that they are having important role in the balanced diet and sustenance of Pakistani household therefore this study recommends promoting of chicken and fish production in both the rural and urban regions of Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research study is carried out to examine allocative efficiency among tomato growers in Mohmand Agency, Pakistan. The study is based on primary data, collected through a well designed questionnaire from a sample of 115 tomato growers. A Cobb-Douglas type production model is used to estimate tomato yield and identify important factors affecting yield. Ordinary Least Square estimates for the model indicate that machinery, seed quantity, labor, number of irrigation, chemicals spray and fertilizers have positive significant effects on tomato yield. Allocative efficiency analysis reveals that machinery, seed quantity, number of irrigation, fertilizers and chemicals are underutilized, while labor and FYM are over utilized for tomato production in the study area. The study recommends training for growers and field labors, provision of shortterm formal credit and subsidies on seed, chemical spray, fertilizers and other underutilized inputs/ capitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Pakistan, the transgender community faces many challenges. Transgender identity is considered taboo and people tend to distance themselves from them without knowing their issues. They face difficulties seeking education, jobs, and even basic human rights. They also face violence and social exploitation. Due to the lack of support from their family members, they're more prone to develop psychological problems and suicidality. Trans rights are human rights - the purpose of our paper is to expose the dire state of mental health of the transgender community in Pakistan on an international platform. We aim to bring a global concern to this problem because we hope that it will spur the relevant authorities to take steps to mitigate the current situation. Special attention should be paid to the protection and education of transgender individuals. If they're suffering from any psychiatric disorder, healthcare professionals should be there to help them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess the profile of TB/multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) among household contacts of MDR-TB patients. Methods Close contacts of MDR-TB patients were traced in the cross-sectional study. Different clinical, radiological and bacteriological were performed to rule out the evidence of TB/MDR-TB. Results Between January 2012 and December 2012, a total of 200 index MDR-TB patients were initiated on MDR-TB treatment, out of which home visit and contacts screening were conducted for 154 index cases. Of 610 contacts who could be studied, 41 (17.4%) were diagnosed with MDR-TB and 10 (4.2%) had TB. The most common symptoms observed were cough, chest pain and fever. Conclusions The high incidence of MDR-TB among close contacts emphasize the need for effective contact screening programme of index MDR-TB cases in order to cut the chain of transmission of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Drug resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) is a major public health problem in developing countries such as Pakistan. Objective: The current study was conducted to assess the frequency of drug resistant tuberculosis including multi drug resistance (MDR- TB) as well as risk factors for development of DR-TB, in Punjab, Pakistan. Methodology: Drug susceptibility testing (DST) was performed, using proportion method, for 2367 culture positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) cases that were enrolled from January 2012 to December 2013 in the province of Punjab, Pakistan, against first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs. The data was analyzed using statistical software; SPSS version 18. Results: Out of 2367 isolates, 273 (11.5%) were resistant to at least one anti-TB drug, while 221 (9.3%) showed MDR- TB. Risk factors for development of MDR-TB were early age (ranges between 10–25 years) and previously treated TB patients. Conclusion: DR-TB is a considerable problem in Pakistan. Major risk factors are previous history of TB treatment and younger age group. It emphasizes the need for effective TB control Program in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rationale of this study is to examine the four indicators of technology as predictors of general organizational commitment in terms of information professionals serving in the university libraries of Pakistan. For this purposes data was collected on the study constructs from a randomly drawn sample of information professionals. The results of correlation analysis showed a positive and significant association between the study variables. The results of regression analysis established all four dimensions of technology as predictors of general organizational commitment. Further, information assurance and security competencies were established as the strongest predictor while social media competencies as the weakest predictor of organizational commitment. The findings of this study supported the previous related results. The results have diverse implications, such as provision or acquisition of required technological skills may enhance the organizational commitment of information professionals. This may further facilitate the attainment of organizational goals and enhancement of professional identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the results of the measurement of emotional intelligence of Pakistani university librarians. Previous studies established that emotional intelligence will be required if effective performance is dependent on stable communication and interactions between workers and patrons. Hence, for a profession like university librarianship where high level of interactions with patrons is involved, emotional intelligence is mandatory. As a result, the present study descriptively measured the current emotional intelligence of librarians performing in universities of Pakistan. The results are significant to understand that how librarians professionally handle their emotions and that of others in the modern age of technological and organizational innovations. Using survey research method, data was collected through semi-structured questionnaire from randomly selected sample of librarians. Findings showed a moderate level of emotional intelligence among these librarians. The results are significant towards training needs assessment and may contribute in the future employability of librarians, curriculum development, and professional development programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted in the Department of Soil Science, Soil and Water Conservation, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan during the year 2012. In this study sulfuric acid producing capability of Thiobacilli was used in solubilizing phosphorous (P) from phosphate rock. For this purpose, seven Thiobacillus strains (IW1, SW2, SS1, IW13, IW14, IW16 and SM1) were isolated, purified and labeled according to their sampling ecologies. A bioleaching experiment was carried out in shake flasks to test P solubilization ability of Thiobacilli, where phosphate rock, Thiobacillus strains and elemental sulfur as an energy source for Thiobacilli were used. Bacterial sulfur oxidation phenomenon produced higher quantity of sulfuric acid which solubilized huge amount of P from phosphate rock. All Thiobacillus strains had different P solubilizing potential. Maximum solubilization of P was noted in Thiobacillus strain IW16 (8.00 g/L, 61% P) followed by strain SW2 (7.58 g/L, 57.81% P) during 40-days of incubation. Phosphorous solubilization had positive significant correlation with concentration of biologically produced sulfates and negative significant correlation with pH of leach solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the long-term precipitation changes is of utmost importance for understanding the impact of climate change. This study investigated the variability of extreme precipitation events over Pakistan on the basis of daily precipitation data from 51 weather stations from 1980-2016. The non-parametric Mann–Kendall, Sen's slope estimator, least squares method, and two-tailed simple t-test methods were used to assess the trend in eight precipitation extreme indices. These indices were wet days (R1 ≥1 mm), heavy precipitation days (R10 ≥ 10 mm), very heavy precipitation days (R20 ≥ 20 mm), severe precipitation (R50 ≥ 50 mm), very wet days (R95p) defining daily precipitation ≥ 95 percentile, extremely wet days (R99p) defining daily precipitation ≥ 99 percentile, annual total precipitation in wet days (PRCPTOT), and mean precipitation amount on wet days as simple daily intensity index (SDII). The study is unique in terms of using high stations' density, extended temporal coverage, advanced statistical techniques, and additional extreme indices. Furthermore, this study is the first of its kind to detect abrupt changes in the temporal trend of precipitation extremes over Pakistan. The results showed that the spatial distribution of trends in different precipitation extreme indices over the study region increased as a whole; however, the monsoon and westerlies humid regions experienced a decreasing trend of extreme precipitation indices during the study period. The results of the sequential Mann–Kendall (SqMK) test showed that all precipitation extremes exhibited abrupt dynamic changes in temporal trend during the study period; however, the most frequent mutation points with increasing tendency were observed during 2011 and onward. The results further illustrated that the linear trend of all extreme indices showed an increasing tendency from 1980- 2016. Similarly, for elevation, most of the precipitation extremes showed an inverse relationship, suggesting a decrease of precipitation along the latitudinal extent of the country. The spatiotemporal variations in precipitation extremes give a possible indication of the ongoing phenomena of climate change and variability that modified the precipitation regime of Pakistan. On the basis of the current findings, the study recommends that future studies focus on underlying physical and natural drivers of precipitation variability over the study region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the performance of remotely-sensed precipitation with rain gauge as reference is essential before their application in estimating multiple processes. In current study, the Global Precipitation Measurements from Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals (GPM-IMERG) and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM-3B42) precipitation products were evaluated, taking the rain gauge data as a reference for the period of 2004 to 2018 over Pakistan. The data at daily, monthly, annual and seasonal timescales were evaluated using multiple statistical (three continuous and four categorical) error metrics. The Satellite Precipitation Products (SPPs) showed consistent precipitation climatology with some regional differences. All SPPs overall performed well in the central and southern regions compared to the northern region of study area. Evaluation revealed that the performance of SPPs was influenced by topography, while the error characteristics of SPPs were dependent on the precipitation intensity and climatic condition of the region. The SPPs were able to capture the extreme precipitation events (95th percentile) across different climatic regions. The highest values for probability of detection (POD), critical success index (CSI), and accuracy (ACC) at the rate of 0.7, 0.4, and 0.9 were observed respectively, while the lowest value for false alarm ratio (FAR) is 0.4. The IMERG final run harmonizes rain gauges very closely in plain and medium elevation regions, while root mean square difference greater than 20 mm/month were observed for high altitude. The spatial distribution of correlation coefficients with the values greater than 0.7 suggest that selected SPPs well captured the seasonality and mutual comparison shows that IMERG final run performed well, followed by TRMM-3B42, whereas in winter and pre-monsoon, the IMERG early run and IMERG late run captured higher precipitation values in the northeast of the study area. The results can help the researchers to select reliable SPPs as an alternate source of rain gauge in the country and other adjoining regions and the data evaluation information can help algorithm developers to rectify the errors and improve the selected SPPs. • This study evaluates the performance of GPM-IMERG and TRMM-3B42 products over Pakistan. • The selected SPPs captured consistent precipitation distribution across different terrains in Pakistan. • The FAR, POD, CSI, and ACC showed better results in the areas of higher annual average rainfall. • The IMERG-F harmonizes rain gauges very closely in plain and medium elevation regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]