Digital health innovations such as online webinars,websites,blogs,and health apps have been associated with increased sexual and reproductive health(SRH)among the general population.Many studies have been conducted in...Digital health innovations such as online webinars,websites,blogs,and health apps have been associated with increased sexual and reproductive health(SRH)among the general population.Many studies have been conducted in developed countries in the West;however,little research has been conducted in low-income countries,especially in Pakistan.The socioeconomic instability and the government's lack of awareness and knowledge have resulted in no regulations being placed to incorporate telehealth in medicine.The healthcare departments must take into consideration the lifechanging impact of telehealth and the barriers that prevent it in becoming known,to reduce the incidence of unsafe abortions and sexual health practices that prove to be a stigma in society.展开更多
Discoveries of many coal seams at depths by drilling carried by Geological Survey of Pakistan in Sor Range and Harnai Gochina, extended the coal seams at depth which is challenge for mine owners to exploit feasibly. B...Discoveries of many coal seams at depths by drilling carried by Geological Survey of Pakistan in Sor Range and Harnai Gochina, extended the coal seams at depth which is challenge for mine owners to exploit feasibly. Bed to bed gypsum samplings (and their chemical analyses) of huge gypsum deposits from Sulaiman foldbelt is a base for industrialist and also planers to develop cement and gypsum industries to increase export and foreign exchange for the development of area and Pakistan. Low and high grade sedimentary iron deposits, silica sand and uranium host rocks and their extensions in Sulaiman and Kirthar foldbelts are presented. Anomalies of a few base metals arise as a result of geochemical exploration carried at part of Loralai District of Balochistan. Theropod dinosaurs were frequent in India, while Poripuchian titanosaurs (Sauropoda, Dinosauria) were frequent in Pakistan. Besides some ichnotaxa, many bone taxa such as 1 titanosauriform, 14 titanosaurian sauropod (including one new titanosaur), and 3 theropod dinosaurs are established from Pakistan. Among these 12 titanosaur species and 3 theropod species are named in about 10 km<sup>2</sup> area of Vitakri dome and 2 titanosaur species are named in about a few hundred square meter area of Mari Bohri (Kachi Bohri) which is about 10 km westward from Vitakri dome. Pakistan is a unique country which discoverd 14 diversified titanosaurs in a short area and also in a short period (67 - 66 million years ago/Ma). About 400 bones found from a few meter thick upper part of upper shale horizon of latest Maastrichtian Vitakri Formation which is base for titanosaur taxa. Cranial material is in low fraction (but include significant diverse snouts), caudal vertebrae are prominent, the cervicals, dorsals and sacrals have significant numbers, forelimb and hind limb bones have balanced fraction. Humeri, femora and tibiae are most common. To know the position of Pakistani titanosaurs among titanosaurs and sauropods, there is a need to extend list of characters for phylogenetic analyses. This broad feature list should include main characters of titanosaurs from Pakistan and also from global world.展开更多
Saraikistan (South Punjab and surrounding) area of Pakistan is located in the central Pakistan. This area represents Triassic-Jurassic to Recent sedimentary marine and terrestrial strata. Most of the Mesozoic and Earl...Saraikistan (South Punjab and surrounding) area of Pakistan is located in the central Pakistan. This area represents Triassic-Jurassic to Recent sedimentary marine and terrestrial strata. Most of the Mesozoic and Early Cenozoic are represented by marine strata with rare terrestrial deposits, while the Late Cenozoic is represented by continental fluvial deposits. This area hosts significant mineral deposits and their development can play a significant role in the development of Saraikistan region and ultimately for Pakistan. The data of recently discovered biotas from Cambrian to Miocene age are tabulated for quick view. Mesozoic biotas show a prominent paleobiogeographic link with Gondwana and Cenozoic show Eurasian. Phylogeny and hypodigm of Poripuchian titanosaurs from India and Pakistan are hinted at here.展开更多
The current study extends the previous literature by exploring the effects of a newly discovered driver,i.e.,import taxes(as a proxy for commercial policies),on the consumption-based carbon emissions(CCO2e)for 1990Q1-...The current study extends the previous literature by exploring the effects of a newly discovered driver,i.e.,import taxes(as a proxy for commercial policies),on the consumption-based carbon emissions(CCO2e)for 1990Q1-2017Q4.For empirical analysis,several tests and methods,including Augmented Dickey–Fuller unit root test,Zivot–Andrews unit root test,asymmetric cointegration bound testing approach,non-linear ARDL,Wald-test,Granger causality test and wavelet quantile correlation(WQC)method are utilized.Furthermore,NARDL technique estimates reveal that contractionary commercial policy enhances the environmental quality by disrupting the detrimental effects of CCO2e.However,expansionary commercial policy escalates the environmental pollution by boosting the carbon emissions.Also,the exports and the renewable energy improve the ecological quality;however,GDP deteriorates the atmospheric quality by increasing the CCO2e.Besides,WQC method and the trivariate Granger causality test are deployed to confirm the robustness of the results.Based on the findings,some crucial policies are also recommended for sustainable and green development in Pakistan.展开更多
The eastern road section of the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC)traverses the challenging terrain of northern Pakistan,where frequent landslides pose a significant threat to socioeconomic development and infrastr...The eastern road section of the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC)traverses the challenging terrain of northern Pakistan,where frequent landslides pose a significant threat to socioeconomic development and infrastructure.However,the insufficient data on landslide hazards presents a substantial challenge to practical mitigation efforts.Therefore,we conducted an extensive study to gain insight into landslide assessment along the Mansehra-Muzaffarabad-Mirpur and Mangla(MMMM)Expressway.This study involved preparing a landslide inventory,analyzing landslide causative factors,and developing landslide susceptibility models(LSMs)using published data,remote sensing interpretations,field excursions and integrated predictive techniques.We first used Pearson's correlation coefficient(PCC),variable importance factors(VIF),and information gain ratio(IGR)to evaluate multicollinearity among the selected landslide causative factors(LCFs).Then,the topographic roughness index(TRI)with VIF>5 and PCC>0.7 was considered a redundant factor and thus removed before the data modeling.Finally,we adopted multiple machine-learning methods to analyze landslide susceptibility.The results indicate that the landslide inventory contains 1,776 events,of which 674 were classified based on geometrical and lithological configurations.The IGR results show that the rainfall,lithology,PGA,drainage density,slope,and distance to fault are the most effective LCFs.The AUC values for random forest(RF)(0.901),extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost)(0.884),and K-nearest neighbor(KNN)(0.872)remained higher than evidential belief function(EBF)(0.833),weight of evidence(WoE)(0.820),and certainty factor(CF)(0.810),respectively.The RF model outperformed all other models in terms of prediction.However,these models are accurate but newer in the area;thus,susceptible zones were verified with comprehensive field investigations.The northern and central regions accounted for the high and very high susceptibility classes in the final landslide susceptibility mapping(LSM)compared to the southern areas.展开更多
Cotton is a revenue source for cotton-producing countries;as the second-largest crop in Pakistan,it significantly contributes to its economy.Over the past few decades,cotton productivity has become unstable in Pakista...Cotton is a revenue source for cotton-producing countries;as the second-largest crop in Pakistan,it significantly contributes to its economy.Over the past few decades,cotton productivity has become unstable in Pakistan,and climate change is one of the main factors that impact cotton yield.Due to climate change,it becomes very important to understand the change trend and its impact on cotton yield at the regional level.Here,we investigate the relationship of standardized cotton yield variability with the variability of climate factors using a 15-yr moving window.The piecewise regression was fitted to obtain the trend-shifting point of climate factors.The results show that precipitation has experienced an overall decreasing trend of–0.64 mm/yr during the study period,with opposing trends of–1.39 mm/yr and 1.52 mm/yr before and after the trend-shifting point,respectively.We found that cotton yield variability increased at a rate of 0.17%/yr,and this trend was highly correlated with the variability of climate factors.The multiple regression analysis explains that climate variability is a dominant factor and controlled 81%of the cotton production in the study area from 1990 to 2019,while it controlled 73%of the production from 1990 to 2002 and 84%from 2002 to 2019.These findings reveal that climate factors affact the distinct spatial pattern of changes in cotton yield variability at the tehsil level.展开更多
This study investigates and analyses empirically the impact of Foreign Direct Investment(FDI)inflows on the exports for a panel series of five large-scale manufacturing industries of Pakistan during the period 2000-20...This study investigates and analyses empirically the impact of Foreign Direct Investment(FDI)inflows on the exports for a panel series of five large-scale manufacturing industries of Pakistan during the period 2000-2020.For this purpose,we establish export production function as based on endogenous growth theory in which role of FDI is considered as additional determinant of export.The Pedroni residual-based co-integration test and Error Correction Model(ECM)are applied for the long and short-run relationships.Pedroni residual based approach highlighted that human capitals,domestic capitals,foreign direct investments,exports,and domestic sales are co-integrated in the long run.According to results of ECM,coefficient of FDI appears to have statistical significant impact on exports and has a positive sign in the long run.Whereas,FDI does not contribute to export growth in the short run but it takes time to influence the growth patterns of the sector.On the basis of theoretical notion of endogenous growth theory,long-run coefficient of FDI may be interpreted as evidence in favour of the hypotheses that FDI has an impact on exports via export development.Thus,it can be concluded that“FDI-based endogenous growth theory”is valid in the case of Pakistan.展开更多
The escalating human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)outbreaks in Pakistan are a matter of concern for both general population and health care settings[1].The first case of HIV was reported in 1987.Since then,0.2 million p...The escalating human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)outbreaks in Pakistan are a matter of concern for both general population and health care settings[1].The first case of HIV was reported in 1987.Since then,0.2 million people are living with HIV,63202 know their positive status,and 40652 patients are acquiring health assistance from 78 anti-retroviral therapy centers[2,3].According to reports,the cases of HIV/AIDS escalated to 75%within a decade since 2013,with merely 4500 in Pakistan[1,2].展开更多
BACKGROUND Behavioral activation therapy(BA)is as effective as cognitive behavior therapy(CBT)in treating depression and can be delivered by practitioners with much less psychological training,making it particularly s...BACKGROUND Behavioral activation therapy(BA)is as effective as cognitive behavior therapy(CBT)in treating depression and can be delivered by practitioners with much less psychological training,making it particularly suitable for low resource settings.BA that is culturally adapted for Muslims(BA-M)is a culturally adapted form of BA that has been found acceptable and feasible for Muslims with depression in the United Kingdom and Turkey;however,this is the first time that its efficacy has been determined through a definitive randomized controlled trial.AIM To compare the effectiveness of BA-M with CBT for Muslim patients with depression in Pakistan.METHODS One hundred and eight patients were randomized 1:1 to treatment arms in a parallel-group randomized controlled trial in hospital or community sites in Lahore,Pakistan.Recruitment followed self-referral or referrals from clinicians,consultants or relevant professionals at each site.Four measures were recorded by blinded assessors:The patient health questionnaire-9(PHQ-9);the BA for depression scale short form(BADS-SF);symptom checklist-revised and the World Health Organization Quality-of-Life Brief Scale.All measures were recorded at baseline and post treatment;PHQ-9 and BADS-SF were also recorded at each session and at three month follow up.The primary analysis was to regress the PHQ-9 score after therapy upon the PHQ-9 score before therapy(baseline)and the type of therapy given,that is,analysis of covariance.In addition,analysis using PHQ-9 scores collected at each therapy session was employed in a 2-level regression model.RESULTS Patients in the BA-M arm experienced greater improvement in PHQ-9 score of 1.95 units compared to the CBT arm after adjusting for baseline values(P=0.006)The key reason behind this improvement was that patients were retained in therapy longer under BA-M,in which patients were retained for an average 0.75 sessions more than CBT patients(P=0.013).Patients also showed significant differences on physical(P<0.001),psychological(P=0.004)and social(P=0.047)domains of Quality of Life(QoL)at post treatment level,indicating an increased QoL in the BA-M group as compared to the treatment as usual group.Some baseline differences were noted in both groups for BA scores and two domains of QoL scale:Physical and environment,which might have influenced the results,though the BA-M group showed more improvement at completion of therapy.CONCLUSION Results proved the efficacy of BA-M in reducing symptoms for depressed patients in Pakistan,indicating BA-M is a promising treatment modality for depression in future,particularly in low resource settings.展开更多
Indus basin hosts many significant mineral deposits like gypsum and cement raw materials, gemstones, iron, coal, marble, dimension and construction stones, petroleum and water resources, world class pink salt and othe...Indus basin hosts many significant mineral deposits like gypsum and cement raw materials, gemstones, iron, coal, marble, dimension and construction stones, petroleum and water resources, world class pink salt and other many minerals in different regions which need further exploitation and development. The construction of new water dams in different regions are vital (for availability of cheap electricity), because of available barren and fertile lands and wastage of water as flood. Further the installation of more cement industries in different regions of Indus Basin especially in middle Indus (Sulaiman Range where gypsum, clays and limestones can be available via belt) can increase export to receive more foreign exchange and make local cement cheap for the sustainable development of Pakistan. 31 stratigraphic sequential sections at different sections of Indus basins are presented to know the variation and local stratigraphy. Further here three new titanosaur taxa are being described. Saraikimasoom is based on snout;Gspsaurus, (Maojandino), Nicksaurus and Khanazeem are based on cranial, vertebral and appendicular elements;Balochisaurus, Marisaurus, Pakisaurus, and 3 new genera and species Imrankhanhero zilefatmi, Qaikshaheen masoomniazi and Ikqaumishan smqureshi based on vertebral and appendicular elements;and Sulaimanisaurus and Khetranisaurus based on only caudal vertebrae. Although Pakistani Titanosaurians seem to be proliferated found from one horizon of Vitakri Formation just below the K-Pg boundary they have a wide range of diagnostic features and key elements among titanosaurs which can be used for comparison and phylogenetic analyses with broad updated character data set of titanosaurs.展开更多
From the perspective of the development of ancient Gandhara civilization,the exhibition shows the visitors the artistic charm of Gandhara culture and its influence.Among them,30 artifacts from the Palace Museum witnes...From the perspective of the development of ancient Gandhara civilization,the exhibition shows the visitors the artistic charm of Gandhara culture and its influence.Among them,30 artifacts from the Palace Museum witness the long history of cultural and artistic exchanges between China and Pakistan.展开更多
Heritage Impact Assessments(HIAs)are progressively needed to investigate potential impacts and outcomes of development on the Outstanding Universal Value(OUV)of world heritage properties.However,many key stakeholders ...Heritage Impact Assessments(HIAs)are progressively needed to investigate potential impacts and outcomes of development on the Outstanding Universal Value(OUV)of world heritage properties.However,many key stakeholders involved in implementing the World Heritage Convention lack the management system,methodological tools,and guidelines to conduct effective impact assessments in areas without these resources.The paper explores the successful utilization of the Heritage Impact Assessment(HIA)tool to address concerns raised by UNESCO and civil society.This occurred when the Punjab government initiated the Orange Line Metro Train Project(OLMT)near the World Heritage Shalimar Garden and other historic monuments in Lahore.The project aimed to meet the daily transportation needs of around 2.5 million commuters.展开更多
Pakistan is a typical English-speaking country in south Asia. However, the data of Pakistan English is extremely rare. If one wants to grasp the English features in south Asia and try to find the similarities among di...Pakistan is a typical English-speaking country in south Asia. However, the data of Pakistan English is extremely rare. If one wants to grasp the English features in south Asia and try to find the similarities among different languages, he should know something about Pakistani English.In this paper, the background information about Pakistan will be mentioned as well as the English situation in this country,including English education, English problems, pronunciation features, and Pakistani literature.展开更多
Prior to the collision and accretion of the Kohistan arc terrane during the late Cretaceous and the Indian plate after the early Eocene, the southern margin of Asia along the Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Lhasa block terr...Prior to the collision and accretion of the Kohistan arc terrane during the late Cretaceous and the Indian plate after the early Eocene, the southern margin of Asia along the Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Lhasa block terranes was an active Andean\|type continental margin. In south Tibet this margin was dominated by the calc\|alkaline Ladakh—Gangdese granite batholith, associated andesitic volcanic rocks and continental red\|beds. In contrast, the southern Karakoram exposes deep crustal metamorphic rocks and crustal melt leucogranites. New U\|Pb age dating from the Hunza valley and Baltoro glacier region has revealed four spatially and temporally distinct metamorphic episodes. M1 sillimanite grade metamorphism in Hunza was a late Cretaceous event, probably caused by the accretion of the Kohistan arc to Asia. M2 was the major kyanite and sillimanite grade event during late Eocene—Oligocene crustal thickening and shortening, following India\|Asia collision. Numerous melting events resulted in the formation of crustal melt granites throughout the last 50Ma with multiple generations of dykes and very large scale crustal melting along the Baltoro monzogranite\|leucogranite ba tholith during the late Oligocene—early Miocene. M3 metamorphism was a high\| T , low\| p contact thermal metamorphism around the Baltoro granite. In Hunza, younger staurolite grade metamorphism has been dated by U\|Pb monazites at 16Ma, with the Sumayar leucogranite intruded at 9 5Ma cross\|cutting the metamorphic isograds. In the Baltoro region the youngest metamorphism, M4, is the sillimanite grade Dassu gneiss core complex dated by U\|Pb on monazites as late Miocene—Pliocene (5 4±0 25)Ma with Precambrian protolith zircon cores (1855±11)Ma. Numerous gem\|bearing pegmatite dykes cross\|cut these rocks and are thought to have been intruded within the last 2～3Ma. Structural mapping, combined with U\|Pb geochronology shows that major metamorphic events can be both long\|lasting (up to 20Ma) and very restrictive, both in time and space.展开更多
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) has emerged as an economically important crop in Pakistan due to its significant share in vegetable oil production. The plant metabolic processes require protein to increase the vegeta...Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) has emerged as an economically important crop in Pakistan due to its significant share in vegetable oil production. The plant metabolic processes require protein to increase the vegetative, reproductive growth and yield of the crop. The protein is wholly dependent upon the amount of nitrogen fertilization available for plant use. A two-year field study was conducted in 2008 and 2009. The objective was to determine the effect of different nitrogen (N) levels (N1 = 0 kg·ha–1, N2 = 60 kg·ha–1, N3 = 120 kg·ha–1, N4 = 180 kg·ha–1 and N5 = 240 kg·ha–1) on three sunflower hybrids (Hysun-33, Hysun-38 and Poineer-64A93) in agro-climatic conditions of Gujranwala, a sub-humid region in the centre of the Punjab province of Pakistan. A randomized complete block design split plot experiment was set-up with cultivars in the main plots and N levels in the subplots. Results showed that Hysun-38 gave maximum TDM (15815 kg·ha–1) and maximum grain yield (3389 kg·ha–1), while minimum TDM (14640 kg·ha–1) and grain yield (3125 kg·ha–1) was observed in Hysun-33. Among different N rates evaluated, N4 gave maximum TDM (17890 kg·ha–1) and grain yield (3809 kg·ha–1) compared to the other N rates. The maximum oil content (46.2%) was observed in Hysun-38 without application of N fertilizer (N1), while the minimum oil content (40.6%) was observed from N5 treatment. In conclusion, the application of 180 kg·ha–1 N to Hysun-38 provided the best combination for good yield in sunflower crop under the prevailing sub-humid conditions of Pakistan.展开更多
There are a number of structures and structural styles found in extensional tectonic settings of the world,and it is a big challenge to study the evolution of these structures. Evolution of structures formed in extens...There are a number of structures and structural styles found in extensional tectonic settings of the world,and it is a big challenge to study the evolution of these structures. Evolution of structures formed in extensional tectonic settings have been studied by researchers on different extensional basins of the world. Southern Sindh Monocline lies on the western corner of Indian Plate and the tectonic history of Indian plate has also experienced different extensional episodes, and its journey rifted from Gondwanaland to its final welding to Asia. The aim of this study is to figure out the evolution of structures in the subsurface of Southern Sindh Monocline, Pakistan using the seismic data interpretation and flattening of horizons approach. Structures within the subsurface of Southern Sindh Monocline have been characterized by different tectonic episodes of Indian plate while rifting from Gondwanaland, rifting from other plates at different geological times and to its collision with the Asia. Basic structures within study area are classified into nine types while the structural styles have been classified into six types as horst and grabens, dominos, crotch, synthetic and antithetic, negative and flashlight structural style. The structures within the study area revealed evidence for three major structural episodes which can be characterized as Episode 1: Structures associated with rifting of Indian plate from Gondwanaland during Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, Episode 2: Modification and reactivation of previous structures while Madagascar rifted from Indian Plate during the Middle Cretaceous and during Episode 3: Inversion and reactivation of structures occurred when Indian Plate collided with Asia during Early Eocene.展开更多
New metamorphic petrology and geochronology from the Loe Sar dome in the Swat region of northern Pakistan place refined constraints on the pressure, temperature and timing of metamorphism and deformation in that part ...New metamorphic petrology and geochronology from the Loe Sar dome in the Swat region of northern Pakistan place refined constraints on the pressure, temperature and timing of metamorphism and deformation in that part of the Himalayan orogen. Thermodynamic modelling and monazite petrochronology indicate that metamorphism in the area followed a prograde evolution from ～525 ± 25 ℃and 6 士 0.5 kbar to ～610 ± 25 ℃ and 9 士 0.5 kbar, between ca. 39 Ma and 28 Ma. Partitioning of heavy rare earth elements between garnet rims and 30-28 Ma monazite are interpreted to indicate coeval crystallization at peak conditions. Microtextural relationships indicate that garnet rim growth post-dated the development of the main foliation in the area. The regional foliation is folded about large-scale N-S trending fold axes and overprinting E-W trending folds to form km-scale domal culminations. The textural relationships observed indicate that final dome development must be younger than the 30-28 Ma monazite that grew with garnet rims post-regional foliation development, but pre-doming-related deformation. This new timing constraint helps resolve discrepancy between previous interpretations,which have alternately suggested that N-S trending regional folds must be either pre-or post-early Oligocene. Finally, when combined with existing hornblende and white mica cooling ages, these new data indicate that the study area was exhumed rapidly following peak metamorphism.展开更多
Theropods, mesoeucrocodiles and pterosaurs (along with titanosaurian sauropods) are found in two overbank flood deposited mottled muds/shale units (alternated by meandering river deposited sandstone unit) of the lates...Theropods, mesoeucrocodiles and pterosaurs (along with titanosaurian sauropods) are found in two overbank flood deposited mottled muds/shale units (alternated by meandering river deposited sandstone unit) of the latest Maastrichtian (67 - 66 Ma) Vitakri Formation, Barkhan District, Balochistan, Pakistan. These vertebrates coexisted under the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary line of control and became extinct as mass extinction. Previously these taxa lack the detail description but here theropods, mesoeucrocodiles and pterosaur from Pakistan are being described well with large photographs which provide better understanding of fauna from Pakistan and comparison with coeval taxa from Indo-Pakistan subcontinent. These fauna with associated cranial and postcranial skeletons are significant for Gondwanan paleobiogeography and phylogenetic studies.展开更多
Pakistan is ranked 9th in terms of flood-affected countries worldwide.In the summer of 2010,the northern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa received more than 312 mm of rain in a 56 hour period.This resulted in over 1 600...Pakistan is ranked 9th in terms of flood-affected countries worldwide.In the summer of 2010,the northern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa received more than 312 mm of rain in a 56 hour period.This resulted in over 1 600 deaths across the region.In addition,over 14 million people were directly affected by this record-breaking deluge.Flood affected regions serve as ideal breeding grounds for pathogens,leading to the spread of diseases.The poor standards of hygiene in camps set up for individuals displaced by the floods also contribute to this.It is essential that those involved in relief efforts are aware of the epidemiology of diseases that have historically seen a sudden upsurge after natural disasters.Keeping this in mind,we conducted a simple review of literature.An extensive literature search was conducted using the PubMed data base and online search engines.Articles published in the last 20 years were considered along with some historical articles where a background was required.Seven major diseases were identified to increase substantially in the aftermath of natural disasters.They were then classified into acute and sub-acute settings.Diarrhea,skin&eye infections and leptospirosis were identified in the acute setting while malaria,leishmaniasis,respiratory infections and hepatitis were identified in the sub-acute setting.展开更多
Dengue virus syndrome is an emerging global health challenge which is endemic in tropical countries like Pakistan.In recent years dengue incidences have increased considerably in different areas of Pakistan with more ...Dengue virus syndrome is an emerging global health challenge which is endemic in tropical countries like Pakistan.In recent years dengue incidences have increased considerably in different areas of Pakistan with more sever impacts on urban and peri-urban populations.This review is an effort to highlight the changing epidemiology of dengue fever,role of Government of Pakistan in disease management and control using preventive and community based approaches in the region.Moreover,there is an emphasis on application of Wolbachia as novel,inexpeasive and environmentally benign candidate for control and eradication of dengue transmitting vectors.展开更多
文摘Digital health innovations such as online webinars,websites,blogs,and health apps have been associated with increased sexual and reproductive health(SRH)among the general population.Many studies have been conducted in developed countries in the West;however,little research has been conducted in low-income countries,especially in Pakistan.The socioeconomic instability and the government's lack of awareness and knowledge have resulted in no regulations being placed to incorporate telehealth in medicine.The healthcare departments must take into consideration the lifechanging impact of telehealth and the barriers that prevent it in becoming known,to reduce the incidence of unsafe abortions and sexual health practices that prove to be a stigma in society.
文摘Discoveries of many coal seams at depths by drilling carried by Geological Survey of Pakistan in Sor Range and Harnai Gochina, extended the coal seams at depth which is challenge for mine owners to exploit feasibly. Bed to bed gypsum samplings (and their chemical analyses) of huge gypsum deposits from Sulaiman foldbelt is a base for industrialist and also planers to develop cement and gypsum industries to increase export and foreign exchange for the development of area and Pakistan. Low and high grade sedimentary iron deposits, silica sand and uranium host rocks and their extensions in Sulaiman and Kirthar foldbelts are presented. Anomalies of a few base metals arise as a result of geochemical exploration carried at part of Loralai District of Balochistan. Theropod dinosaurs were frequent in India, while Poripuchian titanosaurs (Sauropoda, Dinosauria) were frequent in Pakistan. Besides some ichnotaxa, many bone taxa such as 1 titanosauriform, 14 titanosaurian sauropod (including one new titanosaur), and 3 theropod dinosaurs are established from Pakistan. Among these 12 titanosaur species and 3 theropod species are named in about 10 km<sup>2</sup> area of Vitakri dome and 2 titanosaur species are named in about a few hundred square meter area of Mari Bohri (Kachi Bohri) which is about 10 km westward from Vitakri dome. Pakistan is a unique country which discoverd 14 diversified titanosaurs in a short area and also in a short period (67 - 66 million years ago/Ma). About 400 bones found from a few meter thick upper part of upper shale horizon of latest Maastrichtian Vitakri Formation which is base for titanosaur taxa. Cranial material is in low fraction (but include significant diverse snouts), caudal vertebrae are prominent, the cervicals, dorsals and sacrals have significant numbers, forelimb and hind limb bones have balanced fraction. Humeri, femora and tibiae are most common. To know the position of Pakistani titanosaurs among titanosaurs and sauropods, there is a need to extend list of characters for phylogenetic analyses. This broad feature list should include main characters of titanosaurs from Pakistan and also from global world.
文摘Saraikistan (South Punjab and surrounding) area of Pakistan is located in the central Pakistan. This area represents Triassic-Jurassic to Recent sedimentary marine and terrestrial strata. Most of the Mesozoic and Early Cenozoic are represented by marine strata with rare terrestrial deposits, while the Late Cenozoic is represented by continental fluvial deposits. This area hosts significant mineral deposits and their development can play a significant role in the development of Saraikistan region and ultimately for Pakistan. The data of recently discovered biotas from Cambrian to Miocene age are tabulated for quick view. Mesozoic biotas show a prominent paleobiogeographic link with Gondwana and Cenozoic show Eurasian. Phylogeny and hypodigm of Poripuchian titanosaurs from India and Pakistan are hinted at here.
文摘The current study extends the previous literature by exploring the effects of a newly discovered driver,i.e.,import taxes(as a proxy for commercial policies),on the consumption-based carbon emissions(CCO2e)for 1990Q1-2017Q4.For empirical analysis,several tests and methods,including Augmented Dickey–Fuller unit root test,Zivot–Andrews unit root test,asymmetric cointegration bound testing approach,non-linear ARDL,Wald-test,Granger causality test and wavelet quantile correlation(WQC)method are utilized.Furthermore,NARDL technique estimates reveal that contractionary commercial policy enhances the environmental quality by disrupting the detrimental effects of CCO2e.However,expansionary commercial policy escalates the environmental pollution by boosting the carbon emissions.Also,the exports and the renewable energy improve the ecological quality;however,GDP deteriorates the atmospheric quality by increasing the CCO2e.Besides,WQC method and the trivariate Granger causality test are deployed to confirm the robustness of the results.Based on the findings,some crucial policies are also recommended for sustainable and green development in Pakistan.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.U22A20603)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDA20030301)。
文摘The eastern road section of the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC)traverses the challenging terrain of northern Pakistan,where frequent landslides pose a significant threat to socioeconomic development and infrastructure.However,the insufficient data on landslide hazards presents a substantial challenge to practical mitigation efforts.Therefore,we conducted an extensive study to gain insight into landslide assessment along the Mansehra-Muzaffarabad-Mirpur and Mangla(MMMM)Expressway.This study involved preparing a landslide inventory,analyzing landslide causative factors,and developing landslide susceptibility models(LSMs)using published data,remote sensing interpretations,field excursions and integrated predictive techniques.We first used Pearson's correlation coefficient(PCC),variable importance factors(VIF),and information gain ratio(IGR)to evaluate multicollinearity among the selected landslide causative factors(LCFs).Then,the topographic roughness index(TRI)with VIF>5 and PCC>0.7 was considered a redundant factor and thus removed before the data modeling.Finally,we adopted multiple machine-learning methods to analyze landslide susceptibility.The results indicate that the landslide inventory contains 1,776 events,of which 674 were classified based on geometrical and lithological configurations.The IGR results show that the rainfall,lithology,PGA,drainage density,slope,and distance to fault are the most effective LCFs.The AUC values for random forest(RF)(0.901),extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost)(0.884),and K-nearest neighbor(KNN)(0.872)remained higher than evidential belief function(EBF)(0.833),weight of evidence(WoE)(0.820),and certainty factor(CF)(0.810),respectively.The RF model outperformed all other models in terms of prediction.However,these models are accurate but newer in the area;thus,susceptible zones were verified with comprehensive field investigations.The northern and central regions accounted for the high and very high susceptibility classes in the final landslide susceptibility mapping(LSM)compared to the southern areas.
基金Under the auspices of National Key Research and Development Program of China (No.2017YFA0604403-3,2016YFA0602301)the Joint Fund of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.U19A2023)。
文摘Cotton is a revenue source for cotton-producing countries;as the second-largest crop in Pakistan,it significantly contributes to its economy.Over the past few decades,cotton productivity has become unstable in Pakistan,and climate change is one of the main factors that impact cotton yield.Due to climate change,it becomes very important to understand the change trend and its impact on cotton yield at the regional level.Here,we investigate the relationship of standardized cotton yield variability with the variability of climate factors using a 15-yr moving window.The piecewise regression was fitted to obtain the trend-shifting point of climate factors.The results show that precipitation has experienced an overall decreasing trend of–0.64 mm/yr during the study period,with opposing trends of–1.39 mm/yr and 1.52 mm/yr before and after the trend-shifting point,respectively.We found that cotton yield variability increased at a rate of 0.17%/yr,and this trend was highly correlated with the variability of climate factors.The multiple regression analysis explains that climate variability is a dominant factor and controlled 81%of the cotton production in the study area from 1990 to 2019,while it controlled 73%of the production from 1990 to 2002 and 84%from 2002 to 2019.These findings reveal that climate factors affact the distinct spatial pattern of changes in cotton yield variability at the tehsil level.
文摘This study investigates and analyses empirically the impact of Foreign Direct Investment(FDI)inflows on the exports for a panel series of five large-scale manufacturing industries of Pakistan during the period 2000-2020.For this purpose,we establish export production function as based on endogenous growth theory in which role of FDI is considered as additional determinant of export.The Pedroni residual-based co-integration test and Error Correction Model(ECM)are applied for the long and short-run relationships.Pedroni residual based approach highlighted that human capitals,domestic capitals,foreign direct investments,exports,and domestic sales are co-integrated in the long run.According to results of ECM,coefficient of FDI appears to have statistical significant impact on exports and has a positive sign in the long run.Whereas,FDI does not contribute to export growth in the short run but it takes time to influence the growth patterns of the sector.On the basis of theoretical notion of endogenous growth theory,long-run coefficient of FDI may be interpreted as evidence in favour of the hypotheses that FDI has an impact on exports via export development.Thus,it can be concluded that“FDI-based endogenous growth theory”is valid in the case of Pakistan.
文摘The escalating human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)outbreaks in Pakistan are a matter of concern for both general population and health care settings[1].The first case of HIV was reported in 1987.Since then,0.2 million people are living with HIV,63202 know their positive status,and 40652 patients are acquiring health assistance from 78 anti-retroviral therapy centers[2,3].According to reports,the cases of HIV/AIDS escalated to 75%within a decade since 2013,with merely 4500 in Pakistan[1,2].
文摘BACKGROUND Behavioral activation therapy(BA)is as effective as cognitive behavior therapy(CBT)in treating depression and can be delivered by practitioners with much less psychological training,making it particularly suitable for low resource settings.BA that is culturally adapted for Muslims(BA-M)is a culturally adapted form of BA that has been found acceptable and feasible for Muslims with depression in the United Kingdom and Turkey;however,this is the first time that its efficacy has been determined through a definitive randomized controlled trial.AIM To compare the effectiveness of BA-M with CBT for Muslim patients with depression in Pakistan.METHODS One hundred and eight patients were randomized 1:1 to treatment arms in a parallel-group randomized controlled trial in hospital or community sites in Lahore,Pakistan.Recruitment followed self-referral or referrals from clinicians,consultants or relevant professionals at each site.Four measures were recorded by blinded assessors:The patient health questionnaire-9(PHQ-9);the BA for depression scale short form(BADS-SF);symptom checklist-revised and the World Health Organization Quality-of-Life Brief Scale.All measures were recorded at baseline and post treatment;PHQ-9 and BADS-SF were also recorded at each session and at three month follow up.The primary analysis was to regress the PHQ-9 score after therapy upon the PHQ-9 score before therapy(baseline)and the type of therapy given,that is,analysis of covariance.In addition,analysis using PHQ-9 scores collected at each therapy session was employed in a 2-level regression model.RESULTS Patients in the BA-M arm experienced greater improvement in PHQ-9 score of 1.95 units compared to the CBT arm after adjusting for baseline values(P=0.006)The key reason behind this improvement was that patients were retained in therapy longer under BA-M,in which patients were retained for an average 0.75 sessions more than CBT patients(P=0.013).Patients also showed significant differences on physical(P<0.001),psychological(P=0.004)and social(P=0.047)domains of Quality of Life(QoL)at post treatment level,indicating an increased QoL in the BA-M group as compared to the treatment as usual group.Some baseline differences were noted in both groups for BA scores and two domains of QoL scale:Physical and environment,which might have influenced the results,though the BA-M group showed more improvement at completion of therapy.CONCLUSION Results proved the efficacy of BA-M in reducing symptoms for depressed patients in Pakistan,indicating BA-M is a promising treatment modality for depression in future,particularly in low resource settings.
文摘Indus basin hosts many significant mineral deposits like gypsum and cement raw materials, gemstones, iron, coal, marble, dimension and construction stones, petroleum and water resources, world class pink salt and other many minerals in different regions which need further exploitation and development. The construction of new water dams in different regions are vital (for availability of cheap electricity), because of available barren and fertile lands and wastage of water as flood. Further the installation of more cement industries in different regions of Indus Basin especially in middle Indus (Sulaiman Range where gypsum, clays and limestones can be available via belt) can increase export to receive more foreign exchange and make local cement cheap for the sustainable development of Pakistan. 31 stratigraphic sequential sections at different sections of Indus basins are presented to know the variation and local stratigraphy. Further here three new titanosaur taxa are being described. Saraikimasoom is based on snout;Gspsaurus, (Maojandino), Nicksaurus and Khanazeem are based on cranial, vertebral and appendicular elements;Balochisaurus, Marisaurus, Pakisaurus, and 3 new genera and species Imrankhanhero zilefatmi, Qaikshaheen masoomniazi and Ikqaumishan smqureshi based on vertebral and appendicular elements;and Sulaimanisaurus and Khetranisaurus based on only caudal vertebrae. Although Pakistani Titanosaurians seem to be proliferated found from one horizon of Vitakri Formation just below the K-Pg boundary they have a wide range of diagnostic features and key elements among titanosaurs which can be used for comparison and phylogenetic analyses with broad updated character data set of titanosaurs.
文摘From the perspective of the development of ancient Gandhara civilization,the exhibition shows the visitors the artistic charm of Gandhara culture and its influence.Among them,30 artifacts from the Palace Museum witness the long history of cultural and artistic exchanges between China and Pakistan.
文摘Heritage Impact Assessments(HIAs)are progressively needed to investigate potential impacts and outcomes of development on the Outstanding Universal Value(OUV)of world heritage properties.However,many key stakeholders involved in implementing the World Heritage Convention lack the management system,methodological tools,and guidelines to conduct effective impact assessments in areas without these resources.The paper explores the successful utilization of the Heritage Impact Assessment(HIA)tool to address concerns raised by UNESCO and civil society.This occurred when the Punjab government initiated the Orange Line Metro Train Project(OLMT)near the World Heritage Shalimar Garden and other historic monuments in Lahore.The project aimed to meet the daily transportation needs of around 2.5 million commuters.
文摘Pakistan is a typical English-speaking country in south Asia. However, the data of Pakistan English is extremely rare. If one wants to grasp the English features in south Asia and try to find the similarities among different languages, he should know something about Pakistani English.In this paper, the background information about Pakistan will be mentioned as well as the English situation in this country,including English education, English problems, pronunciation features, and Pakistani literature.
文摘Prior to the collision and accretion of the Kohistan arc terrane during the late Cretaceous and the Indian plate after the early Eocene, the southern margin of Asia along the Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Lhasa block terranes was an active Andean\|type continental margin. In south Tibet this margin was dominated by the calc\|alkaline Ladakh—Gangdese granite batholith, associated andesitic volcanic rocks and continental red\|beds. In contrast, the southern Karakoram exposes deep crustal metamorphic rocks and crustal melt leucogranites. New U\|Pb age dating from the Hunza valley and Baltoro glacier region has revealed four spatially and temporally distinct metamorphic episodes. M1 sillimanite grade metamorphism in Hunza was a late Cretaceous event, probably caused by the accretion of the Kohistan arc to Asia. M2 was the major kyanite and sillimanite grade event during late Eocene—Oligocene crustal thickening and shortening, following India\|Asia collision. Numerous melting events resulted in the formation of crustal melt granites throughout the last 50Ma with multiple generations of dykes and very large scale crustal melting along the Baltoro monzogranite\|leucogranite ba tholith during the late Oligocene—early Miocene. M3 metamorphism was a high\| T , low\| p contact thermal metamorphism around the Baltoro granite. In Hunza, younger staurolite grade metamorphism has been dated by U\|Pb monazites at 16Ma, with the Sumayar leucogranite intruded at 9 5Ma cross\|cutting the metamorphic isograds. In the Baltoro region the youngest metamorphism, M4, is the sillimanite grade Dassu gneiss core complex dated by U\|Pb on monazites as late Miocene—Pliocene (5 4±0 25)Ma with Precambrian protolith zircon cores (1855±11)Ma. Numerous gem\|bearing pegmatite dykes cross\|cut these rocks and are thought to have been intruded within the last 2～3Ma. Structural mapping, combined with U\|Pb geochronology shows that major metamorphic events can be both long\|lasting (up to 20Ma) and very restrictive, both in time and space.
文摘Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) has emerged as an economically important crop in Pakistan due to its significant share in vegetable oil production. The plant metabolic processes require protein to increase the vegetative, reproductive growth and yield of the crop. The protein is wholly dependent upon the amount of nitrogen fertilization available for plant use. A two-year field study was conducted in 2008 and 2009. The objective was to determine the effect of different nitrogen (N) levels (N1 = 0 kg·ha–1, N2 = 60 kg·ha–1, N3 = 120 kg·ha–1, N4 = 180 kg·ha–1 and N5 = 240 kg·ha–1) on three sunflower hybrids (Hysun-33, Hysun-38 and Poineer-64A93) in agro-climatic conditions of Gujranwala, a sub-humid region in the centre of the Punjab province of Pakistan. A randomized complete block design split plot experiment was set-up with cultivars in the main plots and N levels in the subplots. Results showed that Hysun-38 gave maximum TDM (15815 kg·ha–1) and maximum grain yield (3389 kg·ha–1), while minimum TDM (14640 kg·ha–1) and grain yield (3125 kg·ha–1) was observed in Hysun-33. Among different N rates evaluated, N4 gave maximum TDM (17890 kg·ha–1) and grain yield (3809 kg·ha–1) compared to the other N rates. The maximum oil content (46.2%) was observed in Hysun-38 without application of N fertilizer (N1), while the minimum oil content (40.6%) was observed from N5 treatment. In conclusion, the application of 180 kg·ha–1 N to Hysun-38 provided the best combination for good yield in sunflower crop under the prevailing sub-humid conditions of Pakistan.
文摘There are a number of structures and structural styles found in extensional tectonic settings of the world,and it is a big challenge to study the evolution of these structures. Evolution of structures formed in extensional tectonic settings have been studied by researchers on different extensional basins of the world. Southern Sindh Monocline lies on the western corner of Indian Plate and the tectonic history of Indian plate has also experienced different extensional episodes, and its journey rifted from Gondwanaland to its final welding to Asia. The aim of this study is to figure out the evolution of structures in the subsurface of Southern Sindh Monocline, Pakistan using the seismic data interpretation and flattening of horizons approach. Structures within the subsurface of Southern Sindh Monocline have been characterized by different tectonic episodes of Indian plate while rifting from Gondwanaland, rifting from other plates at different geological times and to its collision with the Asia. Basic structures within study area are classified into nine types while the structural styles have been classified into six types as horst and grabens, dominos, crotch, synthetic and antithetic, negative and flashlight structural style. The structures within the study area revealed evidence for three major structural episodes which can be characterized as Episode 1: Structures associated with rifting of Indian plate from Gondwanaland during Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, Episode 2: Modification and reactivation of previous structures while Madagascar rifted from Indian Plate during the Middle Cretaceous and during Episode 3: Inversion and reactivation of structures occurred when Indian Plate collided with Asia during Early Eocene.
基金supported by a Higher Education Commission of Pakistan Post-Doctoral Scholarship to A. Ali, NSERC Discovery Grant and Canada Foundation for Innovation grants to K. Larson, and NSF grant NSF-EAR-1119380 to J. Cottle. D. Arkinstall is thanked for his assistance in the FiLTER
文摘New metamorphic petrology and geochronology from the Loe Sar dome in the Swat region of northern Pakistan place refined constraints on the pressure, temperature and timing of metamorphism and deformation in that part of the Himalayan orogen. Thermodynamic modelling and monazite petrochronology indicate that metamorphism in the area followed a prograde evolution from ～525 ± 25 ℃and 6 士 0.5 kbar to ～610 ± 25 ℃ and 9 士 0.5 kbar, between ca. 39 Ma and 28 Ma. Partitioning of heavy rare earth elements between garnet rims and 30-28 Ma monazite are interpreted to indicate coeval crystallization at peak conditions. Microtextural relationships indicate that garnet rim growth post-dated the development of the main foliation in the area. The regional foliation is folded about large-scale N-S trending fold axes and overprinting E-W trending folds to form km-scale domal culminations. The textural relationships observed indicate that final dome development must be younger than the 30-28 Ma monazite that grew with garnet rims post-regional foliation development, but pre-doming-related deformation. This new timing constraint helps resolve discrepancy between previous interpretations,which have alternately suggested that N-S trending regional folds must be either pre-or post-early Oligocene. Finally, when combined with existing hornblende and white mica cooling ages, these new data indicate that the study area was exhumed rapidly following peak metamorphism.
文摘Theropods, mesoeucrocodiles and pterosaurs (along with titanosaurian sauropods) are found in two overbank flood deposited mottled muds/shale units (alternated by meandering river deposited sandstone unit) of the latest Maastrichtian (67 - 66 Ma) Vitakri Formation, Barkhan District, Balochistan, Pakistan. These vertebrates coexisted under the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary line of control and became extinct as mass extinction. Previously these taxa lack the detail description but here theropods, mesoeucrocodiles and pterosaur from Pakistan are being described well with large photographs which provide better understanding of fauna from Pakistan and comparison with coeval taxa from Indo-Pakistan subcontinent. These fauna with associated cranial and postcranial skeletons are significant for Gondwanan paleobiogeography and phylogenetic studies.
文摘Pakistan is ranked 9th in terms of flood-affected countries worldwide.In the summer of 2010,the northern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa received more than 312 mm of rain in a 56 hour period.This resulted in over 1 600 deaths across the region.In addition,over 14 million people were directly affected by this record-breaking deluge.Flood affected regions serve as ideal breeding grounds for pathogens,leading to the spread of diseases.The poor standards of hygiene in camps set up for individuals displaced by the floods also contribute to this.It is essential that those involved in relief efforts are aware of the epidemiology of diseases that have historically seen a sudden upsurge after natural disasters.Keeping this in mind,we conducted a simple review of literature.An extensive literature search was conducted using the PubMed data base and online search engines.Articles published in the last 20 years were considered along with some historical articles where a background was required.Seven major diseases were identified to increase substantially in the aftermath of natural disasters.They were then classified into acute and sub-acute settings.Diarrhea,skin&eye infections and leptospirosis were identified in the acute setting while malaria,leishmaniasis,respiratory infections and hepatitis were identified in the sub-acute setting.
文摘Dengue virus syndrome is an emerging global health challenge which is endemic in tropical countries like Pakistan.In recent years dengue incidences have increased considerably in different areas of Pakistan with more sever impacts on urban and peri-urban populations.This review is an effort to highlight the changing epidemiology of dengue fever,role of Government of Pakistan in disease management and control using preventive and community based approaches in the region.Moreover,there is an emphasis on application of Wolbachia as novel,inexpeasive and environmentally benign candidate for control and eradication of dengue transmitting vectors.
