Estimating the magnitude and correlates of poverty using consumption approach in Khyber Agency (FATA)

Poverty is an integral part of the human condition, though its existential aspects differ from culture to culture and from region to region.  As such, experts on the subject cannot reduce it to a single factor but focus on the forces which combine to cause the vicious cycle of poverty. The present study was used Poverty consumption approach to find out the incidence and correlates of poverty in Khyber Agency, Fata with a sample size of 110 households in its background. We have applied two different methods, poverty profile and an econometrics approach in our empirical analysis. According to the survey results, 48.1 % households are above and 51.9 % households are below poverty line. The depth and severity of poverty are 10.52% and 3.7% respectively. The results show that dependency ratio, persons per room, household size and age of head of the household have positively affected the level of poverty while household’ landholding, total assets of the household and earning members per household have negatively the incidence of poverty. The results of logistic model show that age of the households head, household size, household head is illiterate, household head is farmer, residence in kacha house was positively and significantly correlated with the probability being poor while households satisfaction with education facilities and household have members in abroad for income purpose are negatively and significantly correlated with the probability of being poor. Our final conclusion is that the people of the area may be introduced to new patterns of thinking to change their lives for the better. Awareness programs may be launched to prepare the new generation for the changes and challenges ahead.  In this regard, the women of the area may be educated and empowered to enable them to actively participate in income-generating activities on sustainable grounds. Keywords: Poverty, households, FATA, Pakista

How Similar are the Determinants of Mortality and Fertility?*

In a pre-transition situation both fertility and mortality are high. However, in the process of demographic transition, fertility decline follows mortality decline and when the demographic transition is complete both these variables vary closely at a low level. In other words, both these variables behave in a way which are oomplimentaJy to each other and hence it may be hypothesised that the factors which explain variation in fertility should explain variation in mortality or vice versa. Nevertheless, the strength and sometimes even direction of these determinants may vary from time to time and from place to place. Presently, Pakistan is in the process of demographic transition. By using the 1990-91 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey data, here in this exercise, an attempt is made to identify and investigate' the similarities and the differences if any, in the determinants of both fertility and mortality

Osmopriming combined with Boron-Tolerant Bacteria (Bacillus sp. MN54) improved the productivity of Desi Chickpea under rainfed and irrigated conditions

Chickpeas are rich source of protein and predominantly grown in boron (B)-deficient sandy-loam soils in Pakistan. Boron-tolerant bacteria (BTB) could tolerate higher B levels in soil and increase B availability to the plants. Field trials were conducted under irrigated (district Layyah) and rainfed (district Chakwal) conditions to evaluate the interactive effects of pre-optimized B application methods and BTB (Bacillus sp. MN54) on the nodule’s population, grain quality, productivity, and grain-B concentration in desi chickpea during 2019–2020 and 2020–2021. Boron was applied as soil application (1 kg B ha−1), foliar application (0.025% B), osmopriming (0.001% B), and seed coating (1.5 g B kg−1 seed) with or without BTB inoculation. Untreated seeds receiving no B through any of the methods were regarded as control. The individual and interactive effects (up to three-way interaction of location × BTB inoculation × B application methods) of year, location, B application methods and BTB inoculation significantly altered the growth and yield-related traits of desi chickpea. The four-way interaction of year × location × BTB inoculation × B application methods was non-significant for all recorded growth and yield-related traits. Regarding individual effects, the higher values of growth and yield-related traits were noted for 2020–2021, rainfed location, BTB inoculation and B application through seed priming. Similarly, in two-way interactions 2020–2021 with rainfed location and BTB inoculation, rainfed location with BTB inoculation and osmopriming and osmopriming with BTB inoculation recorded higher values of the growth and yield-related traits. Osmopriming combined with BTB inoculation significantly improved dry matter accumulation and leaf area index in both locations. Boron application through all the methods significantly improved grain quality, yield grain B concentration. The highest grain and biological yields, and nodules’ population were recorded with osmopriming followed by soil application of B combined with BTB inoculation. The highest plant B concentration (75.05%) was recorded with foliar application of B followed by osmopriming (68.73%) combined with BTB inoculation. Moreover, the highest economic returns (USD 2068.5 ha−1) and benefit–cost ratio (3.7%) were recorded with osmopriming + BTB inoculation in 2020–2021 under rainfed conditions. Overall, B application through osmopriming and soil application combined with BTB inoculation could be used to increase productivity and profitability of desi chickpea, whereas foliar application is a better method to enhance grain and plant B concentration

Women's Empowerment and Reproductive Choices

The 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in their Programme of Action calls for promoting gender equality and equity and the empowerment of women. Furthermore, the conference also recognises the basic rights of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing, and timing of their children, as well as the right to the information and the means to do so [Sadik (1994)]. The need for such a programme of action arose in view of the fact that in many countries, including Pakistan, women are generally least empowered and hence they have negligible rights to decide about the number of their children. According to the 1990-91 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey, over 54 percent women either wanted to stop having children or wanted to wait at least two years before having another child [Ali and Rukanuddin (1992)]. However, in practice, all of these women were not protected; instead, only 12 percent were practising contraception [Shah and Ali (1992)]. The low incidence of family planning practice on the part of the women is not so much due to the dearth of family planning services; rather it is due to resistance by husbands, in-laws, and other peer pressures. Demographers like Caldwell (1982) and Cain et al. (1979) also contend that in patriarchal societies it is the patriarchy which militates against the fertility decline.

Experimental Study on Seismic Response Characteristics of Soil On Building Models Using 1-D Shake-Table.docx

ABSTRACT. This research investigates the impact of seismic response on the scaled 1:10 multi storey steel frame-model supported by isolated shallow footings placed on sand sample. One dimensional shake-table testing was carried out on four, three and two storeys steel Frame Model subjected to El-Centro 0.46pga Earthquake. Dynamic properties acceleration, displacement, natural frequency of the frame models on isolated footing with changing of storey height were measured. Moreover, it was found that acceleration responses and natural frequencies decreased with an increase in frame model height while displacement responses increased for a given foundation type with increased height. In conclusion, soil, the structure's height, and the materials properties all affect a structures seismic response during an earthquake

Impact on Health and Nutrition Outcomes in Sindh Province, Pakistan

We independently conducted the impact assessment of the Tawana Pakistan Project (a school?based feeding programme to improve the nutritional status of primary school girls in impoverished rural districts of Pakistan). The evaluation was conducted among school?going girls in four districts of Sindh, Pakistan. Pre? and post?intervention data was collected for anthropometric measurements, nutritional status and physical examination. Paired analysis of 1,028 girls (5–12 years) was undertaken using McNemar's test. 1 Our findings revealed a significant association of the school?based nutrition programme with reductions in the proportion of wasting (p<0.0001; CI 12.2%–15.7%) and underweight (p<0.0001; CI 9.2%–14.5%) while no association was established for stunting (p = 0.0817; CI 0.3%–5.5%). The results support the potential for such programmes in improving the nutritional status of primary school girls in impoverished areas and gains in health and improved growth

A New Correlation Coefficient for T-Spherical Fuzzy Sets and Its Application in Multicriteria Decision-Making and Pattern Recognition

The goal of this paper is to design a new correlation coefficient for -spherical fuzzy sets (TSFSs), which can accurately measure the nature of correlation (i.e., positive and negative) as well as the degree of relationship between TSFS. In order to formulate our proposed idea, we had taken inspiration from the statistical concept of the correlation coefficient. While doing so, we firstly introduce the variance and covariance of two TSFS and then constructed our scheme using these two newly defined notions. The numerical value of our proposed correlation coefficient lies within the interval , as it should be from a statistical point of view, whereas the existing methods cannot measure the negative correlation between TSFS, as their numerical value falls within the interval , which is not reasonable both statistically and intuitively. This aspect has also been thoroughly demonstrated using some numerical examples. The comparison results witnessed the dominance and upper hand of our proposed method over the existing definitions, with reliable and better results. In order to demonstrate the feasibility, usefulness, and practical application, we applied our proposed scheme to solve technical and scientific problems of multicriteria decision-making and pattern recognition. The numerical results show that our proposed scheme is practically suitable, technically applicable, and intuitively reasonable.publishedVersio

Critical Analysis on Prevailing Teaching Strategies Promoting Critical Thinking in Public Elementary Classroom: A Survey of District Shaheed Benazirabad

Critical teaching is the process of students' intellectual development, which is used for conceptualization, communication, problem identification, collecting data through observation, analyzing information, and problem-solving and reflecting high-order thinking in the elementary classroom. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effective teaching strategy that promoted critical thinking among the students of public elementary schools in four Talukas of District Shaheed Benazirabad. A self-made questionnaire containing 15 statements was distributed among 102 participants including 64 male and 38 female teachers in 28 public elementary schools. The target population was 314 junior school teachers in 64 public elementary schools in the district. From the statistical data, it was analyzed, overall 82.35% of respondents found either strongly agree or agree and recommended the ‘visual-aid’ teaching strategy promotes high order critical thinking in public elementary classrooms. ‘Problem-based activity’ and ‘making charts on the topic’ were also recommended as 68.72% and 64.70% respectively. From the findings it was analyzed that the visual aid teaching strategy observed as more effective and result oriented and was concluded that Visual-aid is widely integrating technology being used as a teaching tool to promote critical thinking and logics through colorful text, voice, pictures, and videos. The study is very important because it has dragged the teachers’ attention toward the most effective and result-oriented teaching strategies. Keywords: Critical thinking; teaching strategies; elementary students; classroom. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-12-14 Publication date: April 30th 202