Life at risk

The issue of child labor and hazardous work is a reality in many developing countries including Pakistan. With its high population density, mostly in the rural areas, a majority of the households engage in activities that are geared towards survival without considering the negative implications. Children who are usually of school going age and on whose shoulders the future depend are forced to work, often in hazardous conditions. The reasons for child labor are many; the most salient factors are poverty, lack of education and the lack of implementation of the laws of Pakistan. This study was conducted in the Union Council Dhilum Ballagun, Sialkot district in the Punjab Province of Pakistan; where many forms of child labour on farms is widespread. Child labor in agriculture demonstrates a high recruitment rate of young people; the conditions are often dangerous to many hazards that really harm their health. This study primarily discusses the agriculture child labor in district Sialkot with a particular focus on their working and health condition

Wild Soybeans: An Opportunistic Resource for Soybean Improvement

Reduced genetic diversity in cultivated soybean coupled with changing dietary expectations, climate change, and increase in population demands expansion of current gene pool. Wild soybeans are an opportunistic resource and a rational choice to discover novel genes and gene families for alternative crop production systems and to improve soybean. Multiple agronomic traits, lineage-specific genes, and domestication-related traits have been studied in wild soybeans in contrast to cultivated soybeans, and it has been proved that wild soybeans are an essential genomic resource containing unique and useful genetic resources that have been lost during domestication to expand the gene pool in order to improve soybean. Wild soybean is very often a plant of disturbed habitats of Southeast Asia. The vulnerability of these habitats to agriculture systems and urban expansion causes a reduction in the area of distribution and hence the diversity. To capture the wild soybean genetic diversity in its main distribution areas, a unique and comprehensive germplasm collection, characterization, and conservation platform is direly needed. Chung’s Wild Legume Germplasm Collection is preserving and maintaining a representative wild soybean germplasm collection guided by the principles of conservation genetics. These wild legumes and particularly wild soybean is a promising genetic resource for soybean breeders

Participation of NGOs for development of Socio-Economic status of Employees in Pakistan

This study investigates the development phenomena launched by local and international NGOs in the context of Pakistan especially in the field of education, health, saving, living standard, socio-economic, environment, micro-finance, good governance and social justice etc. Notwithstanding, this study examines the effect of NGOs’ policies on socio-economic development of their employees in Southern Punjab. Data were collected through questionnaires which have been analyzed with E-Views. For this study, total number of 300 respondents was selected from 12 districts of Southern Punjab. The districts included in this study are (Bahawalpur, Bhakkar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Jhang, Khanewal, Layyah, Lodhran, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Vehari). The number of respondents included in this survey varies from organization to organization and district to district. The non-probability (purposive sampling) method was used for the selection of employees of organization and for data collection. Hence NGOs in Pakistan play the important role of catalyst in the attainment of sustainable living standard, prosperity, attitude, per capita income, saving, right decision for family matter, level of eternal satisfaction, social status among colleagues of same level

Modelling the gender inequality in Pakistan: A macroeconomic perspective

The paper takes up the case of gender build inequality and its potential repercussions on economic growth of Pakistan. Using cointegration and causality analysis, we explore the relationship between gender inequality and its macroeconomic determinants i.e. economic growth, financial development, trade openness and foreign direct investment. For the this purpose, we have applied the Bayer-Hanck combined cointegration approach to test the long-run relationship and Granger causality for causal links amid the variables on the most recent and extended time period data (1972-2013). The cointegration test results validate the long-run association among the underlying variables. We found economic growth and financial development ignite gender driven disparity. Whereas, trade openness and foreign direct investment found to reduce gender gap. The positive bidirectional causal link between economic growth and gender inequality portrays unhealthy socio-economic environment to reduce gender inequality in the country. The feedback effect exists between financial development and gender inequality

Modelling the gender inequality in Pakistan: A macroeconomic perspective

The paper takes up the case of gender build inequality and its potential repercussions on economic growth of Pakistan. Using cointegration and causality analysis, we explore the relationship between gender inequality and its macroeconomic determinants i.e. economic growth, financial development, trade openness and foreign direct investment. For the this purpose, we have applied the Bayer-Hanck combined cointegration approach to test the long-run relationship and Granger causality for causal links amid the variables on the most recent and extended time period data (1972-2013). The cointegration test results validate the long-run association among the underlying variables. We found economic growth and financial development ignite gender driven disparity. Whereas, trade openness and foreign direct investment found to reduce gender gap. The positive bidirectional causal link between economic growth and gender inequality portrays unhealthy socio-economic environment to reduce gender inequality in the country. The feedback effect exists between financial development and gender inequality

Stability of Capsaicinoids and Antioxidants in Dry Hot Peppers under Different Packaging and Storage Temperatures

The maintenance of the quality and storage life of perishable fruits and vegetables is a major challenge for the food industry. In this study, the effects of different temperatures, packaging materials and storage time on the stability of capsaicinoids and antioxidants, such as total carotenoids, ascorbic acid and total phenolic compounds, were studied in three commercially cultivated hot pepper hybrids, namely Sky Red, Maha and Wonder King. For this purpose, dry whole pods were packed in jute bags and low-density polyethylene bags (LDPE), stored for five months under controlled conditions at 20, 25 or 30 ¿C and analyzed on Day 0 and at 50-day intervals until Day 150. The three hot pepper hybrids differed significantly with respect to their capsaicinoids and antioxidant concentrations, but the results indicated that with the increase in storage temperature and time, a gradual and steady decrease in these levels was equally observed for all hybrids. Overall, mean concentrations after five months were significantly reduced by 22.6% for ascorbic acid, 19.0% for phenolic compounds, 17% for carotenoids and 12.7% for capsaicinoids. The trends of capsaicinoids and antioxidants evolution were decreasing gradually during storage until Day 150, this effect being more pronounced at higher temperature. Furthermore, the disappearance rates of capsaicinoids and antioxidants were higher in peppers packed in jute bags than in those wrapped with LDPE. In conclusion, despite the sensitivity of capsaicinoids and antioxidants to oxygen, light and moisture, the packaging in natural jute or synthetic LDPE plastic bags, as well as the storage at ambient temperature preserved between 77.4% and 87.3% of the initial amounts of these health- and nutrition-promoting compounds during five months’ storage

Mapping Fluctuations of Hispar Glacier, Karakoram, using Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) and Normalized Difference Principal Component Snow Index (NDSPCSI)

Investigation of the fluctuations in the snow-covered area of the major glaciers of the Karakoram range is essential for proper water resource management in Pakistan, since its glaciers are responding differently to the rising temperatures. The objective of this paper is to map snow covered area of Hispar glacier in Hunza river basin for the years 1990, 2010 and 2018. Two techniques, (NDPCSI) Normalized Difference Principal Component Snow Index and (NDSI) Normalized Difference Snow Index were used. Hispar glacier of the Hunza basin has lost 114 km2 of its ice cover area, during the last 28 years, with an alarming annual retreat rate of 1.67 km2 of glacier ice from 1990 to 2018. Hunza basin experienced a +1°C rise in both mean minimum and mean maximum temperature during 2007 to 2018.as a result, Karakorum ice reserves have been affected by rising temperature of the region. Due to temperature rise, retreat of snowcovered area of Hispar, Karakoram mountain range shows a shift in the cryospheric hazard zone

Irradiation Maintains Functional Components of Dry Hot Peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) under Ambient Storage

Hot peppers used as natural flavoring and coloring agents are usually irradiated in prepacked form for decontamination. The effects of gamma radiation on the stability of functional components such as capsaicinoids and antioxidant compounds (carotenoids, ascorbic acid and total phenolics) were investigated in hot peppers (Capsicum annuum). Whole dried peppers packed in polyethylene bags were gamma irradiated at 0 (control), 2, 4, and 6 kGy and subsequently stored at 25 °C for 90 days. The irradiation dose did not substantially affect the initial contents of capsaicinoids, ascorbic acid and total phenolics, though the concentration of carotenoids declined by 8% from the control (76.9 mg/100 g) to 6 kGy radiation dose (70.7 mg/100 g). Similarly, during storage for 90 days at ambient temperature the concentrations of capsaicinoids and total phenolics remained fairly stable with mean percent reductions from 3.3% to 4.2%, while the levels of total carotenoids and ascorbic acid significantly (p < 0.05) declined by 12% and 14%, respectively. Overall, neither irradiation nor subsequent ambient storage could appreciably influence the contents of functional components in hot peppers. These results revealed that gamma irradiation up to 6 kGy can be safely used for decontamination to meet the needs for overseas markets without compromising product quality

Determinants of Life Expectancy and its Prospects under the Role of Economic Misery: A Case of Pakistan

The present study investigates the determinants of life expectancy in the presence of economic misery using Pakistan’s time series data over the period of 1972-2012. The stationary properties of the variables are examined by applying unit root test accommodating structural breaks. The ARDL bounds testing approach to cointegration is applied to examine the long run relationship between the variables. Our findings show that cointegration between the variables is confirmed. Moreover, health spending improves life expectancy. Food supply contributes to life expectancy. A rise in economic misery deteriorates life expectancy. Urbanization enhances life expectancy while illiteracy declines it. The causality analysis reveals that life expectancy is Granger cause of health spending, food supply, economic misery, urbanization and illiteracy. This paper opens up new insights for policy making authorities to consider the role of economic misery while formulating comprehensive economic policy to improve life expectancy in Pakistan

Determinants of Life Expectancy and its Prospects under the Role of Economic Misery: A Case of Pakistan

The present study investigates the determinants of life expectancy in the presence of economic misery using Pakistan’s time series data over the period of 1972-2012. The stationary properties of the variables are examined by applying unit root test accommodating structural breaks. The ARDL bounds testing approach to cointegration is applied to examine the long run relationship between the variables. Our findings show that cointegration between the variables is confirmed. Moreover, health spending improves life expectancy. Food supply contributes to life expectancy. A rise in economic misery deteriorates life expectancy. Urbanization enhances life expectancy while illiteracy declines it. The causality analysis reveals that life expectancy is Granger cause of health spending, food supply, economic misery, urbanization and illiteracy. This paper opens up new insights for policy making authorities to consider the role of economic misery while formulating comprehensive economic policy to improve life expectancy in Pakistan