Contamination of soils with arsenic (As) represents a global environmental and health issue considering the entrance of toxic As in the human food chain. Although partially understood, addition of ...compost for the remediation of As-contaminated soils may result in distinct effects on plant growth and physiological attributes depending on compost-mediated potential mobility/sequestration of As in soils. This study explores the role of compost addition (C; 0, 1 and 2.5%) on morphological and gas exchange attributes and photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll contents) of maize plants under As stress (0, 40, 80, 120mgkg−1), as well as soil As immobilization/mobilization in a pot experiment, using two contrasting soils. Results revealed that, in Narwala (sandy loam) soil, the addition of compost decreased shoot As concentration of maize plants (p<0.05; 4.01–13.7mgkg−1 dry weight (DW)), notably at C2.5 treatment, with significant improvement in shoot dry biomass, gas exchange attributes and chlorophyll (a and b) contents, i.e., 1.33–1.82, 1.20–2.65 and 1.34–1.66 times higher, respectively, over C0 at all As levels. Contrastingly, in Shahkot (clay loam) soil, C2.5 treatment increased shoot As concentration (p<0.05; 7.02–17.3mgkg−1 DW), and as such reduced the shoot dry biomass, gas exchange attributes and chlorophyll contents, compared to the control – rather C1 treatment was more effective and exhibited positive effect than C2.5. Considerably, at C2.5 treatment, phosphate extractable (bioavailable) soil As concentration was also found to be greater in the (post-experiment) Shahkot soil than that of Narwala soil (0.40–3.82 vs. 0.19–1.51mgkg−1, respectively). This study advanced our understanding to resolve the complex compost-As interactions in As-contaminated soils, which are imperative to understand for developing the effective and soil-specific remediation strategies.
•Influence of compost (C) was explored on As uptake, morphological and physiological attributes of maize under As stress•In Narwala soil, (C2.5) treatment decreased shoot As and improved shoot dry biomass, and physiological attributes•In Shahkot soil, C2.5 treatment increased shoot As, thus reducing shoot dry biomass and physiological attributes•Compost-mediated soil As immobilization/mobilization and plant As uptake varied with compost level and soil type
Drawing on fieldwork with British Pakistani clients of a UK genetics service, this book explores the personal and social implications of a ‘genetic diagnosis’. Through case material and comparative ...discussion, the book identifies practical ethical dilemmas raised by new genetic knowledge and shows how, while being shaped by culture, these issues also cross-cut differences of culture, religion and ethnicity. The book also demonstrates how identifying a population-level elevated ‘risk’ of genetic disorders in an ethnic minority population can reinforce existing social divisions and cultural stereotypes. The book addresses questions about the relationship between genetic risk and clinical practice that will be relevant to health workers and policy makers.
This book identifies reforms that can help manage environmental priority problems associated with transports impacts on air quality, noise pollution, road safety, hazardous-materials transport, ...climate change, and urban sprawl. The policy options are contextualized in light of the Government of Pakistans 2011 Framework for Economic Growth and its strategic objectives. Appendixes A-D present additional background information, describe the economic and institutional analyses undergirding this report, and detail the reports methodology.This analytical work by a team of World Bank specialists focuses on: analyzing the policy and institutional adjustments required to address environmental, social, and poverty aspects of increased transportation efficiency in Pakistan; identifying policy options for the Government of Pakistan to better serve the population, to enhance social cohesion, and to foster equitable benefit sharing with low-income or other vulnerable groups; developing a broad participatory process to give a voice to stakeholders who could be affected by enhancements of freight transport productivity; and making robust recommendations to strengthen governance and the institutional capacity of agencies to manage the environmental, social, and poverty consequences of freight transportation infrastructure.
Protect Pakistan's otters Khan, Tauheed Ullah; Ahmad, Shahid
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science),
2024-May-03, Volume:
384, Issue:
6695
Journal Article
This assessment of the struggle for Pakistan's identity, from its birth in 1947 to the present day, provides a political and cultural understanding of the role and use of Islam in its evolution. The ...author, a Pakistani scholar, shows how Pakistan's viability as a state depends in large part on its ability to develop a new and progressive Islamic narrative.
The underlying goal of this book is to facilitate and stimulate sharing of information on these phenomena and to provide an interdisciplinary framework for bringing about improved environmental ...conditions in Sindh. The book offers methods to identify environmental and climate change priority problems; analyzes interventions to address such problems; establishes a social learning mechanism to continuously improve Sindh's responses and build resilience to climate variability and change; and provides opportunities for stakeholders to be involved in decisively tackling climate change and deteriorating environmental conditions.
The relationship between America and Pakistan is based on mutual incomprehension and always has been. Pakistanto American eyeshas gone from being a quirky irrelevance, to a stabilizing friend, to ...an essential military ally, to a seedbed of terror. Americato Pakistani eyeshas been a guarantee of security, a coldly distant scold, an enthusiastic military enabler, and is now a threat to national security and a source of humiliation. The countries are not merely at odds. Each believes it can play the otherwith sometimes absurd, sometimes tragic, results. The conventional narrative about the war in Afghanistan, for instance, has revolved around the Soviet invasion in 1979. But President Jimmy Carter signed the first authorization to help the Pakistani-backed mujahedeen covertly on July 3almost six months before the Soviets invaded. Americans were told, and like to believe, that what followed was Charlie Wilson's war of Afghani liberation, with which they remain embroiled to this day. It was not. It was General Zia-ul-Haq's vicious regional power play. Husain Haqqani has a unique insight into Pakistan, his homeland, and America, where he was ambassador and is now a professor at Boston University. His life has mapped the relationship of the two countries and he has found himself often close to the heart of it, sometimes in very confrontational circumstances, and this has allowed him to write the story of a misbegotten diplomatic love affair, here memorably laid bare.
Several major earthquakes have jolted Pakistan during the last 30 years, destroyed infrastructure and severe damage to the economy. Despite advancement in data sciences and its linkages with other ...domains, no such study has been conducted in Pakistan, which incorporates the application of machine learning techniques on ambient noise data. This study presents the application of machine learning techniques on the ambient noise data to establish the micro-zones within the urban settlements of northern Potwar region of Pakistan, based on the site response parameters and seismic vulnerability. The ambient noise data from 148 sites in the study area, are acquired, processed and interpreted. Different clustering techniques namely, K-mean, fuzzy c-means and hierarchical clustering have been applied to the interpreted ambient noise data set. Arc GIS maps of the study area have been developed by making use of the interpretation of the ambient noise data and the resulted clustering solutions. The results showed that the fundamental frequency f
0
ranges between 0.5 and 15 Hz, the H/V spectral amplification factor ranges between 0.8 and 5.9; the soft sediment thickness ranges from 1.6 to 316 m, whereas, the soil vulnerability index is observed between 0.1 and 63. These site response parameters indicated that the study area is moderate to highly vulnerable to site amplification, and any seismic event can lead to catastrophe within the study area. The clustering techniques also detected three groups from the interpretation of the ambient noise data set by separating the locations according to their vulnerability due to site amplification. The quality of cluster solutions was evaluated using cluster validity indexes and the results of these techniques were compared. These results present the similarities and dissimilarities among different sites and indicate the sites which are geographically distant but have very similar vulnerability characteristics or vice versa. The Arc GIS tool showed the spatial distribution of site response parameters and three zones were established as zone 1, zone 2 and zone 3 with low, intermediate and high values, respectively. The spatial distribution maps showed that the northeastern and northwestern parts of the study area are more vulnerable to site amplification.
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