Prioritization of Watersheds in Wular Catchment for Sustainable Development and Management of Natural Resources

The resource development programmes are applied generally on watershed basis and thus prioritization is essential for proper planning and management of natural resources for sustainable development. The study area is situated in Sopore, Bandipore and Sonawari tehsils. It lies between 34°12′24.67″ and 34°36′26.26″ N latitude and 74°26′41.42″ and 74°56′02.90″E longitude. The present study is an attempt to carry out the prioritization on an integrated approach utilizing, land use/cover, drainage morphometry and socio-economic data. The indicators included in prioritization are man- land ratio, population growth, average annual fuel wood consumption, drainage density, forest cover, built up, barren land and agriculture.The prioritization is carried by assigning ranks to the individual indicators and a composite score is calculated. It is revealed from the study that eight watersheds fall under high priority zone, eight under medium and three under low priority zone. The Watershed 1EW2b has attained the highest priority level. The prioritized watersheds are in dire need of management and planning so that the problem of environment degradation in them can be addressed

Geomorphologic Character & Receding Trend of Kolahoi Glacier in Kashmir Himalaya

Glaciers are a valuable source of fresh water which sustain life and provide water for drinking, irrigation, hydro power generation, etc. Besides, these exert considerable influence on the climate of a region and fluctuate in dimension in response to the climatological changes and therefore, these are regarded as sensitive indicators of the climate of a region. Glaciers are in the process of retreat in almost all the parts of the world due to global warming. The same process of retreat is found in the valley’s largest glacier, Kolahoi. Thus, it is of great significance to obtain the accurate information of changes in Kolahoi glacier  (34° 07′ to 34° 12′ N latitude; & 75° 16′ to 75° 23′ E longitude, Liddar valley, Kashmir Himalayas). The study was carried out using Remote Sensing and GIS techniques and thorough field observations were conducted to identify the geomorphologic features. The area of the glacier receded from 13.57km² in 1963 to 10.69km² in 2005, registering a change of 2.88km2at a rate of 0.068km2per year. The Crevasses developed in the ablation portion of the Kolahoi Glacier and the formation of numerous caves at its snout position act as the important indicators of its recession. The result of this retreat will prove disastrous for the valley in many fields like drinking water, agriculture, horticulture, ground water, hydro power capacity of the state, etc. Therefore, we need to make efforts to save this precious source of water for the present as well as for future generations

Business Intelligence at Telenor Pakistan

Telenor Pakistan won two “best practices” awards from The Data Warehousing Institute for its business intelligence (BI) infrastructure in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, its Director of BI was promoted to Vice President of BI for the Telenor Group that had stakes in cellular network operations across thirteen countries. The new Director of BI, Rizwan Fazal, had been recruited from a major competitor. With past credentials, existing challenges and future ambitions in mind, his task was now to design a “roadmap” for BI that would satisfy all stakeholders that the unit would indeed progress ahead. The challenge – as he saw it – was, “How do you take what is already a de facto ‘centre-of-excellence’ even further?

Impact of Audit Quality on Real Earnings Management: Moderating Role of Corporate Governance

Purpose: This study aims to examine the effectiveness of audit quality in restricting earnings management in the presence of country’s governance system. Methodology: The data was collected from 195 Pakistani-based and 150 UK based non-financial companies. The sampling period is ten years from 2010 to 2019. To test the hypotheses, the Generalized Method of Moments was applied. Findings: The results showed that firms switch from accrual earnings management to real earnings management in developed economies which are characterized by strong governance mechanism. Moreover, the negative association between governance mechanism and earnings management is increased in the presence of Big-4 auditor. Conclusion: It is concluded that audit quality restricts the firms to use real earnings management especially in those countries where governance mechanism is strong

Mortality among Critically Ill Acute Kidney Injury Patients Stratified with RIFLE Classification

Acute kidney injury, also referred to as AKI, is a common complication seen in critically ill patients . There has been a significant increase in the number of AKI cases over the past few decades. In order to standardize the classification of AKI, the RIFLE (Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss, End-Stage) and AKIN (AKI Network) criteria were developed.This is a prospective, observational, and longitudinal cohort study where data from all patients admitted to the hospital intensive care unit (ICU) were collected. The study duration ranged from March 2019 to September 2020. During the study period, 198 patients were admitted to the ICU. Of these, 69 were excluded while the remaining 104 patients were included in the study.About 66–67% of the total critically ill patient population admitted in the ICU suffer from some etiology related to AKI. Our study highlights the aspect in which the cases of AKI are underreported. RIFLE class R or class I is still associated with excess mortality compared with patients who maintained normal function. RIFLE is a reliable system of classification, which is well classified and indicates the immediate necessity of renal replacement therapy (RRT); the prognosis of early RRT is fairly good in critically ill patients with AK

An Examination of Product Innovation and Buyer-Supply Relationships in Pakistani Firms

The purpose of this paper is to explore the interface between buyers and suppliers in the context of product innovation in an emerging economy. Specifically, it examines the strategic and tactical initiatives necessary to drive inter-organizational alignment and thus positive innovation outcomes. It also examines the impact of organizational characteristics on product innovation. Design/methodology/approach – Using survey data from 191 organizations in Pakistan, a structural equation model of the relationships between buyers’ and suppliers’ strategic focus on innovation, supplier innovation focus, collaborative innovation, and measures of product innovation and market performance is tested. In addition, hierarchical regression analysis is used to identify the impact of various organizational characteristics on product innovation performance. Originality/value – The study offers new insight into the role of inter-organizational collaboration as a driver of product innovation. Moreover, it adds to a limited literature on supply chain management in emerging economies generally, and on product innovation in the Indian sub-continent specifically. Findings – The results suggest that a firm’s product innovation performance is positively influenced by strategic buyer-supplier alignment with regard to product innovation, and the existence of mechanisms that foster inter-organizational collaboration. This in turn has a positive impact on market performance. Product innovation performance is also influenced by a firm’s age, the nature of its ownership, and the extent to which it exports its products

Supply Chain Strategy and the Role of Suppliers: Evidence from the Indian Sub-Continent

Supply chain strategy is widely recognized as being a crucial component of a broader corporate strategy. However, the relationships between a firm’s strategic supply chain focus, the tactical orientation of its suppliers, and the firm’s performance, are less well understood. Much of what is known is also based on developed country contexts. This study empirically examines relationships between a buying firm’s supply chain strategy and operational dimensions of its suppliers in a developing country context

Linkages between Firm Innovation Strategy, Suppliers, Product Innovation, and Business Performance: Insights from Resource Dependence Theory

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to use resource dependence theory to hypothesize that a buyer’s innovation strategy enhances supplier innovation focus and a buyer-supplier relationship that supports product innovation. These in turn positively impact buyer product innovation outcomes and business performance. Moreover, it is argued that the buyer-supplier relationship positively moderates the impact of supplier innovation focus on product innovation. Design/methodology/approach Structural equation modeling and hierarchical linear regression are used to test hypotheses. Findings The results support all hypotheses and suggest that company (buyer) age and variables related to buyer engagement with international markets directly influence performance. The results also indicate that the buyer-supplier relationship does not moderate the relationship between innovation strategy and innovation performance. Research limitations/implications This study demonstrates that how a firm builds the conditions to effectively leverage the complementary resources and capabilities of suppliers directly influence innovation outcomes and business performance. Practical implications An important factor in firms achieving their product innovation goals is the selection and management of suppliers that are strategically aligned with regard to innovation. While managers need to develop internal innovation capabilities, partnering with like-minded organizations, and creating conditions for effective cooperation are key drivers of innovation outcomes. Originality/value In contrast to prior research that has examined operational issues, this study shows how the strategic alignment of buyers and suppliers with regard to innovation is an antecedent of product innovation outcomes. Moreover, it adds to a limited literature on supply chain management practices in emerging markets

Climate of the Gilgit-Baltistan Province, Pakistan

The present study focuses on the climate conditions of Gilgit Baltistan. It includes the distribution ofdifferent weather elements like precipitation, temperature, number of rainy days, humidity, wind speed, air pressure,evapotranspiration, sunshine, factors affecting climate, and climate classification. Due to glaciation, the area is badlyeroded and consists of deep valleys and moraines. There is a marked variability between the climates of the eastern andwestern observatories of the area. Mostly, terrace agriculture is practiced in the area with deciduous and alpine forests.Based on temperature, the area has been divided into three distinct climate regions, namely, mild, cool, and cold.Whereas, based on precipitation, it classified into arid, semi-arid and undifferentiated highlands. Chilas is the hottestarea of the province, while Astor and Skardu are the coldest. The study area receives heavy precipitation from localthunderstorms, particularly during April and May. There are four rainy seasons, namely winter, pre-monsoon,monsoon, and post monsoon precipitation. The highest precipitation in the area is observed at Astore, while the lowestat Gupis. The relative humidity is below 55% throughout the year and causes chill with low temperature and crackingin human skins. Based on the variability of weather elements, the province has been divided into three macro, threemeso and six micro climate regions

Biopesticide activity of sugarcane associated rhizobacteria: Ochrobactrum intermedium strain NH-5 and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain NH-300 against red rot under field conditions

Colletotrichum falcatum is the major fungal pathogen causing sugarcane red rot. Four antagonistic bacterial strains exhibiting biocontrol activity against this pathogen in greenhouse conditions were characterized for production of different antifungal metabolites and biocontrol determinants to elucidate the mechanism of action involved in their antagonistic activity. The strains were also evaluated under field conditions to assess their biocontrol potential. All the strains produced hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and volatile and diffusible antibiotics. In addition, the Ochrobactrum intermedium strain NH-5 produced siderophores and the broad spectrum antibiotic 2, 4-diacetylphloroglucinol (2,4-DAPG); Pseudomonas sp. NH-203 produced siderophores, and Pseudomonas sp. NH-276 produced protease. Two strains, Ochrobactrum intermedium NH-5 and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia NH-300, exhibited good biocontrol activity, suppressing red rot by 44–52% on two sugarcane varieties, SPF-234 and Co-1148, in field experiments. The strains gave consistent results in three consecutive years and showed potential to be used as biopesticides