Energy Smart Buildings: Potential for Conservation and Efficiency of Energy

Energy is the basic ingredient for economic growth and development [Lorde, et al. (2010)]. Presently demand for energy has significantly increased due to the overall expansion of economic and industrial activity in all important economic sectors e.g. industry, agriculture, and services. In addition to the expansion of economic activity and subsequent increase in energy demand at industrial level, population growth and increased consumption are also adding to the demand for energy [OECD (2011)]. In other words, modern economy has become highly dependent on energy resources. In order to meet the increased energy demand and ensure its sustainable supply, there is a need to have strong and robust plans with all options to consider at various levels

Modelling farmer and consumer preferences for cleaner food production

Agriculture in Pakistan is currently unsustainable due to intensive farming practices – the concentrated use of agricultural inputs, including water and agrochemicals. The widespread use of intensive farming has dire effects on both human health and the natural environment. As such the antidote to these problems would be the adoption of sustainable agriculture. The present research proposes to reduce the use of agrochemicals such as pesticides and fertilisers, and adopt efficient irrigation technology in tomato cultivation in district Khushab Pakistan. Discrete choice experiment (DCE) approach is deployed to study farmer and consumer preferences and their valuation of the proposed changes to facilitate the adoption of sustainable agriculture in tomato cultivation. Questionnaire data is used to investigate farmer and consumer perceptions and understanding of existing farming practices and proposed changes. Findings reveal that majority farmers and consumers are aware of the unfavourable health and environmental impacts of existing farming practices used in tomato cultivation. Empirical analysis of questionnaire data show that farmers who own their farmland and those who have received the training to apply agrochemicals are more likely to have a positive perception of the proposed changes. Likewise, consumers who have more awareness and information about different farming practices and a greater health consciousness are more keen to see the changes in existing farming practices. DCE analysis shows that farmers prefer the reduction in the use of pesticide and fertiliser use, but place a negative value on the adoption of drip irrigation. On the other hand, consumers not only prefer the proposed changes, but their willingness to pay (WTP) to implement the proposed changes is higher than the farmers’ willingness to accept (WTA). This implies that the proposed changes in current farming practices used for tomato cultivation are economically viable, and hence that market-based approaches to control agricultural pollution may be more effective than regulations in Pakistan

Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Business in Pakistan: Perceptions and Realities

Climate change is the biggest challenge human family has ever faced in world history. It has local as well as global impacts and almost all the ethnic groups, communities, and geographical locations are exposed to it [Stern (2006)]. But comparatively developing countries are more exposed to the changes which are taking places due to climate [Stern (2006) and Barker (2008)]. The degree of their exposure which has a number of determinants varies across different regions [Karen, et al. (2004)]. Climate experts so far have proposed two broader solutions for this problem; mitigation of climate change by reducing the amount of emitted carbon from atmosphere, and adaptation to climate changes [Tompkins and Adger (2005) and Becken (2005)]. Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is dealing with climate change mitigation. It is the milestone towards global carbon mitigation efforts [Miriam, et al. (2007)]. This protocol has resulted in the establishment of carbon markets by adopting the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Pakistan ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and implemented it in 2005. To ensure the smooth functioning of carbon trading business in Pakistan, CDM related infrastructure was developed. Mainly this includes the establishment of CDM Cell in Pakistan, but a number of private consultancies also came into being with the emergence of this mechanism

Educating local people for nature protection especially with reference to endemic plants in Chitral-Pakistan (a case study)

Chitral having unique geographical conditions thus supporting about 173 endemic plant species. These endemic plants are used for various purposes like medicinal, fuel wood, food etc. Apart from the exploitation climate change and other anthropogenic factors like land clearing, construction works etc. also pose serious threats to these plants. Thus conservation program initiated to aware the community as well as young people. The method used basically formation of “Endemic Plants Clubs” of school students and village conservation committees (VCCs) to assess the information through brochures, posters and meetings. The educational program covered 54 schools and a total of about 5000 students. Similarly 32 VCCs of about 67 villages were also taken on platform. Repeated awareness sessions with students and community supporting with multimedia were approached for whole year. The questionnaire survey was carried out randomly with 191 female and 197 male among community and students to analyze the effect of conservational education sessions. The assessment results indicate length of residence and education is more significant. Moreover detail feedback showed that priorities for approach to use natural resources vary among community and students. Most critical issue is fuel wood consumption along with use as vegetable or medicinal plants and needs to be readdressed in further session with alternative approache

ACCESS TO HANDHYGIENE IN SOUTH EAST ASIA IN RELATION TO COVID-19: A REVIEW

The present review aims at gathering refocus on access to handwashing in South East Asia. It is because, here nearly half of the households, schools and about one fourth of the health care centers lack the basic handwashing facility and that too at the time when about one third of global new COVID-19 positive cases are getting reported from this region these days. Data on access to, handwashing device having soap and water availability, in South Asia is mainly based on the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF JMP) Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WHO/UNICEF JMP 2020). In addition various relevant research and review papers were reviewed using the key words such as handwashing, South East Asia, Hand hygiene, and COVID-19. There is a high need to reaccess the factor of hand hygiene in South East Asia in relation to COVID-19 for the control of the present pandemic and other such challenges, particularly in South East Asia

Farm Households’ Perception of Weather Change and Flood Adaptations in Northern Pakistan

This research investigates farm households' adaptations to climate change-driven monsoon floods in the rural district of Nowshera, Pakistan. Some households in these flood-affected communities have undertaken autonomous adaptations to flooding. We surveyed five hundred farm households from both flood-affected and unaffected villages to investigate the factors driving the uptake of the following autonomous flood adaptations: plinth elevation, grain storage, participation in communal flood preparations and the creation of edge-of-field tree lined shelterbelts. We used both binary and multivariate probit regressions to investigate the correlation across adaptation options. Empirical results suggest that access to agricultural extension services, off-farm work opportunities, past duration of standing floodwaters, farm to river distance, receiving post-flooding support and tribal diversity are the main drivers of flood adaptations. Moreover, we report the complementary uptake of adaptations in pairs. Given the prediction of climate change-driven flooding in the Hindu Kush, we recommend cost-effective policies that increase the resilience of vulnerable agricultural-dependent rural communities. In addition, we report that respondents perceived a change in weather towards hotter and dryer weather over the last ten years

CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID-19) PSYCHOLOGICAL, BEHAVIOURAL AND INTERPERSONAL IMPACTS OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE OUTBREAKS: A REVIEW

Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic sweeps across the world, it is causing widespread concern, fear and stress all of which are natural and normal reactions to the changing and uncertain situation that everyone finds themselves in. WHO takes the impact of the crisis on people’s mental health very seriously and is monitoring the situation together with national authorities while providing information and guidance to governments and public. The current study was carried out to indicate that COVID-19 has negative psychological, behavioural and Interpersonal problems other than mortality. A review of the studies performed in other parts of the world showed that COVID-19 has caused several psychological impacts, including increased anxiety, stress and depression. By an increase in the prevalence rate of COVID-19 and its resulted restrictions, the level of stress, depression and anxiety increases, as well; therefore, raising public awareness of the disease and providing positive psychological programs in the media aimed at controlling stress can reduce anxiety in society

Genetic Evaluation of Spontaneous Miscarriages and Couples through Conventional and Modern Diagnostic Tools

ABSTRACT: Background: Genetic causes of miscarriages have been extensively reported and studied in almost half of the first-trimester pregnancy losses, for the reason genetic investigations of the product of conceptions (POCs) are crucial to help identify possible genetic etiology. This information is helpful for the devastated parents as it provides them with more acceptance of the loss and helps them recognize possible recurrence risks. Objective: The aim of this study is two folds; the first is to corroborate an alternative molecular test, QF-PCR which is rapid, more economical, and has less failure rate, and the second is to explore potential parental chromosomal abnormalities causing recurrent spontaneous miscarriages. Methodology: A total of seventy-six products of conceptions (POCs) were obtained from the Gynecology department of Civil Hospital, Karachi. Further blood samples from forty-five couples were also collected in addition to ninety-three maternal blood samples. All of these samples were subjected to amplify short tandem repeat (STR) for common chromosomal aneuploidies (13, 18, and 21). Real-time QF-PCR was performed on 76 POCs on Sansure Biotech Inc, Changsha, China, using primers D13S631 and D13S634 for chromosome 13, D18S386 and D18S535 for chromosome 18, and D21S1411 and D21S1414 for chromosome 21. Parental blood samples were examined by both QF-PCR and karyotyping for cross-checking with their POC. Chromosome 16 was used as an internal control for the amplification of each reaction. Statistical analysis was done by using SPSS version 24. Results: QF-PCR analysis revealed chromosomal aneuploidies among twenty-nine POCs with the highest number of trisomy 13 followed by trisomy 21 and then trisomy 18 while all the parental samples were normal. Nine cases of chromosomal abnormalities were ruled out through karyotyping from parental blood samples further, a Robertsonian translocation was observed through conventional cytogenetics and interestingly the corresponding POC was found to have trisomy 21. Conclusion: This study further confirmed QF-PCR as a competent technique to be included in the first line of prenatal diagnostic methods. As QF-PCR was found to be less laborious, has lesser turnaround time, is more economical, and has a low failure rate than karyotyping

IN VITRO AND IN VIVO SCREENING OF ANTI-INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY OF METHANOLIC AND AQUEOUS EXTRACTS OF ANOGEISSUS LATIFOLIA LEAVES

Objective: To evaluate and compare anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of methanolic and aqueous extract of Anogeissus latifolia leaves Methods: The in vitro antioxidant activity was investigated using nitric oxide radical inhibition activity assay, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity assay, DPPH free radical scavenging assay, and reducing power assay. The in vitro anti-inflammatory activity was investigated using erythrocyte membrane stabilization, inhibition of protein denaturation, and proteinase inhibitory activity the in vivo anti-inflammatory activity was investigated using carrageenan-induced rat paw edema. The biochemical parameters were evaluated in the blood, which included the determination of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase values and in the liver, which includes the estimation of lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione, and superoxide dismutase. Results: The methanolic extract caused a significant dose depended on the reduction of inflammation when compared with the aqueous extract of Anogeissus latifolia. The anti-inflammatory activity of all groups was found to be comparable to the standard indomethacin group. The maximum percent inhibition in paw edema was found in methanolic extract of Anogeisuss latifolia at a dose of 500 mg/kg was 53.33%, with significant anti-inflammatory activity p<0.001. Conclusion: The leaf extract of Anogeissus latifolia possesses anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. The therapeutic effect of Anogeisuss latifolia extracts will encourage its use in the treatment of inflammation

Molecular Breeding for Abiotic Stresses in Maize (Zea mays L.)

Abiotic constraints resulting from climate changes have widespread yield reducing effects on all field crops and therefore should receive high priority for crop breeding research. Conventional breeding has progressed a lot in building tolerant genotypes but abiotic stress tolerance breeding is limited by the complex nature of abiotic stress intensity, frequency, duration and timing, linkage drag of undesirable traits/genes with desirable traits; and transfer of favorable genes/alleles from diverse plant genetic resources limited by gene pool barriers giving molecular breeding a good option for breeding plant genotypes that can thrive in stress environments. Molecular breeding (MB) approaches viz., marker-assisted selection (MAS), marker-assisted backcrossing breeding (MABB), marker assisted recurrent selection (MARS) and genomic selection (GS) or genome wide selection (GWS) offer opportunities for plant breeders to develop high yielding maize cultivars with resilience to diseases in less time duration precisely. For complex traits (mainly abiotic stresses) where multiple QTLs control the expression, new strategies like marker assisted recurrent selection (MARS) and genomic selection (GS) are employed to increase precision and to reduce cost of phenotyping and time duration with disease resilience. This review discusses recent developments in molecular breeding for developing and improving abiotic stress resilience in field crops