Sindh Province Research Articles

Assessment of Chlorophyll Content in Leaves of Crops and Orchards Based on SPAD, Multispectral, and Hyperspectral Techniques

Strategic planning in developed and developing countries has significantly benefited from early assessment, identification and crop production monitoring. Remote sensing surveillance of crop health has brought significant benefits to farmers regarding early detection of latent issues, such as nutrient deficiencies or crop ailments, and taking remedial action. The study used geospatial techniques to monitor the orchards and crops of Halani in the Pakistani province of Sindh, using GeoEye and Landsat-8 satellite imagery. The absorbance of chlorophyll content in six fruit trees: mango (Mangifera indica L.), banana (Musa acuminata Colla), musambi (Citrus limetta Risso), kino (Citrus aurantium L.), lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck) and guava (Psidium guajava L.), as well as four crops: maise (Zea mays L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), cotton (Gossypium herbaceum L.), and sugarcane (Saccharum) were recorded spectrophotometrically using a Beckman Coulter DU-530 single cell module spectrophotometer at 648 nm and 665 nm (homogenised in 100% ethanol), and non-destructive chlorophyll using a SPAD-502 portable chlorophyll meter (Minolta Corporation, New Jersey, USA) showed a strong positive correlation. The results of chlorophyll absorbance showed the same trend in crops through satellite data and laboratory analysis. Chlorophyll content and NDVI showed a positive correlation. The R² value for rice and banana was 0.9925 and 0.9578, respectively, while the SPAD and chlorophyll R² for rice was 0.838 and 0.75 for banana. The overall results indicate high chlorophyll content in the leaves of orchards rather than crops. The study's outcomes show that satellite data are a potentially reliable and resourceful tool for early assessment of the reliability of agricultural monitoring. The health and growth of crops can be monitored with satellite data, which are ultimately used for yield prediction, consequently helping growers strategically harvest and market.

Evaluation of Oral Health Habits and Gingival Conditions after Covid-19 Lockdown

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on various aspects of health and healthcare practices, including oral health. With changes in daily routines and access to dental care services during lockdowns, there has been concern about the potential decline in oral hygiene and an increase in dental issues. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate oral health habits and the gingival condition of patients visiting a tertiary care dental hospital in the southern region of Sindh province after the COVID-19 lockdown. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Bibi Aseefa Dental College, Larkana, from January 20, 2021, to July 20, 2021. Ethical approval was obtained, and participants gave written informed consent. A total of 278 patients were sampled using a convenience sampling method. The inclusion criteria were patients of both genders, above the age of 7, with permanent teeth. Exclusion criteria included lack of consent and cases with jaw fractures or limited mouth opening. Data collection involved clinical examinations using a dental mirror and probe, and oral health practices were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 21. Results: The study comprised 57.2% male and 42.8% female participants, with a mean age of 30.67 ± 10.31 years. An 81% adherence to daily tooth brushing was noted, while only 9% of participants used dental floss. The use of medicated toothpaste was reported by 18% of the participants. The prevalence of gingivitis was found to be 48%, with a significant relationship between gender and gingivitis severity (p=0.009). Conclusion: Oral hygiene practices during the lockdown were found to be inadequate, with a substantial prevalence of gingivitis among the study population. The study emphasizes the need for improved oral hygiene practices, including regular brushing and flossing, and suggests public health initiatives to promote oral health awareness.

Estimation of regional and at-site quantiles of extreme winds under flood index procedure

Extreme winds are becoming more common among environmental events with the most catastrophic societal consequences. A regional frequency analysis of Daily Annual Maximum Wind Speed (DAMWS) is necessary not only for a comprehensive understanding of wind hazards but also for infrastructure design and safety, wind energy potential, disaster risk reduction, insurance and risk assessment in a particular region of study. This study investigated regional frequency analysis of DAMWS of Baluchistan and Sindh provinces of Pakistan. L-moments regionalization techniques along with flood index procedure were applied to DAMWS records of 21 stations from 1990 to 2019 across the study area. We intended to find the regional frequency distribution for maximum winds and predict the returns for extreme winds events in the future. Only one station namely Lasbella was found to be discordant. With the help of cluster analysis, the remaining 20 stations were further divided into two homogeneous. Heterogeneity measures validate that both regions are homogenous with allotted stations. Regional quantiles for both regions are estimated through best-fit probability distribution among Generalized Normal (GNO), Generalized Logistic (GLO), Pearson Type 3 (P3), Generalized Pareto (GPA), and Generalized Extreme Value (GEV). Robustness of GLO distribution compared to GEV distribution is assessed through Monte Carlo simulations of relative bias and relative root mean square error. Findings clearly show that GLO distribution is the best for regional modeling. Furthermore, with the help of index flood procedure we determined at-site quantiles of all stations for various return periods. These estimated quantiles are of valuable information for various sectors, including infrastructure, energy, disaster management, and climate resilience, leading to improved planning, development, and risk reduction in the face of wind-related hazards in Sindh and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan.

Investigating The Influence of Teacher Aggression on Student Academic Motivation in Province of Sindh, Pakistan

The present study aimed to explore the impact of teacher aggressive behaviors on student academic motivation in Sindh, one of the provinces in Pakistan. A descriptive survey research design was employed, utilizing a sample of 120 public school teachers (70 female and 50 male). Data was collected using a researcher-developed instrument called the "Teachers Aggressive Behavior Survey" (TABS). The research questions were answered using descriptive statistics, including means and standard deviations, and the hypothesis was tested using t-test statistics at a significance level of 0.05. The results indicated that teachers exhibit various forms of aggressive behaviors that negatively impact student participation in academic activities. It is recommended that school administrators take steps to raise awareness among teachers about the detrimental effects of aggressive behaviors on student academic motivation.

Visualizing Travel Accessibility in a Congested City Center: A GIS-Based Isochrone Model and Trip Rate Analysis Considering Sustainable Transportation Solutions

Urban settlements often deal with the massive transportation problems caused by mixed land-use development and improper travel services. This situation propels travel accessibility issues within urban centers. This research is intended to focus on the 3rd largest city of Pakistan’s Sindh province, i.e., Sukkur, where residents were found struggling to reach their desired destinations. The study area has naturally grown without planning guidelines, generating traffic congestion and haphazard land-use patterns. This research aims to measure accessibility within the city center using trip rate analysis and a GIS-based isochrone model (1-km radius). In total, 234 household trips were randomly considered according to Morgan’s sampling standards. The results revealed that scattered locations caused heavy traffic volumes without public transport facilities. The ratio of traveling by bike for shopping was recorded at 17.24%. Commuting by car; home-based, health, and shopping trips were ranked 1st (5.52%), 2nd (2.76%), and 3rd (1.38%), respectively. The isochrone-based maps were delineated to clarify the temporal accessibility features. Only three shopping activities were found to be accessible within 6 min. Most of the banks were found to be highly accessible. None of the health facilities were located within a 0–6 minute isochronal boundary. Two entertainment sites were accessible within 0–6 min. The residential neighborhoods were not close to the city center. Only three parks and six religious facilities were accessible within 6–12 min. The study findings clarified mixed land use activities accessed through multiple travel modes in the city center. Executing traffic management implications is a need of the time to induce sustainable transportation guidelines. Besides, the results may contribute to SDG 11.2, i.e., “affordable and sustainable transport systems” available for local commuters. The findings of this study are also relevant to evaluating the progress of some cities on SDG 11.2 regarding accessing feasible transportation services.

Modern technologies for agriculture: how far Pakistani farmers are from the developed world?

In order to accomplish the objective of the current study household data was collected from one district of Sindh province. Main aim of this study is to find out that which modern technologies are being used at various form level and suggest police measure for technical advancement. For this study a purposive sample selection method was adopted to select Hyderabad, because it was considered that farmers of this location might be more aware about modern technologies due to Sindh Agriculture University and Directorate General of Agriculture extension are situated in this district. Those institutes are organizing awareness seminars/training for farmers of the province. Diversified stakeholders are presenting this region, that is why, we selected the respondents from there. At the second stage, through stratified random sampling method 80 households were selected 50 small, 20 medium and 10 large based on proportion of population size in each category of small medium and large farmers. Stratification was made on the bases of small (farmers own land from 1 to 12 acres), medium (farmers own land from 13 to 25 acres) and large (farmers own land from 26 to 46 acres) farmers. Results revealed that the small farmers predominantly rely on farming for their livelihood. They have limited educational attainment, with the majority completing only primary education. While they exhibit a strong commitment to farming, their relatively small landholding of 3.9 acres and the prevalence of financial challenges, as indicated by total household expenditure exceeding income, suggest potential vulnerabilities. Medium farmers, strikes a balance between farming and education, with a more diverse educational background. With a larger landholding of 16 acres and stable income and expenditure patterns, this household appears to be in a relatively secure financial position. Large farmers exhibit the most favorable economic profile. With a more educated and experienced demographic, extensive land ownership, and strong financial stability, they are positioned for prosperity

DEVELOPMENT OF CONCEPTUAL MODEL- EFFECTIVE TEACHING QUALITY OF ACADEMICIANS TOWARDS MOOCS IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN

Introduction - IT experts and academicians adopted e-learning to expedite quality education. quality education has a necessity; therefore, higher education is getting a good job to partner with Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). MOOC is the virtual learning platform to reform education by adopting information and communication technology infrastructure that aimed to increase the opportunities for quality education. MOOCs can be used by skilled and professional academicians who deliver their knowledge and expertise for acquiring learners’ ability to read, write, technical skills, and critical thinking through digital transformation. Academicians who are teaching in MOOCs should have good skills in digital literacy, online pedagogy, and willingness to accept MOOCs initiatives in HEIs in Pakistan. Purpose/Problem - This research aims to examine the impact of the teaching quality of academicians towards the teaching quality design of MOOCs in higher education institutions, and also determine their behavioral intention towards the acceptance of MOOCs initiatives. This research study is focused on MOOCs platform usage and acceptance in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Methodology – Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model will be utilized to examine the hypothesis that influences academician intention towards accepting MOOCs. This study will be used a mixed-method approach to gather information. The Quantitative approach will be used to obtain the data collection for identifying the effects of independent and moderating variables on the dependent variable. SPSS and PLS-SEM 3 statistical tools will be used for data interpretation and analysis. The qualitative semi-structured approach will be used to gather more information about the area of the research survey by conducting interviews with MOOC administrators/developers, explanatory-sequencing approach should be used for more confirmation to validate and reliable the survey data collected. NVivo 12 will be used to analyze the unstructured text, audio, and video data; for interviews, focus groups, and journal articles. Outcome – In this research, MOOC platform has been intended to study and identify the effect of teaching quality of academicians towards MOOCs and their acceptance. The application of HEIs and MOOCs will prove to be the most promising integration for quality education in the year to come under one umbrella. Therefore, a unified MOOC can be recommended in the reflection of research investigations for successfully implementing MOOCs in Pakistan's higher education institutions.

Local Coal for Power Generation in Pakistan

PREFACE
 Coal contributes significantly to global energy supplies. In 2021, coal was the second-largest energy source consumed globally (Chart 1). Over the years, coal demand has increased substantially from 2.6 billion tons in 1980 to 5.5 billion tons in 2021 (Chart 2). Because of environmental concerns and the increasing trend towards renewables, its share declined in the United States and many European countries, decreasing global consumption in 2014 and onwards. But the trend reversed in 2020. It is because of the Russia-Ukraine war leading to the worldwide energy crisis that the demand for coal has increased.
 According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecast, coal demand is expected to exceed the previous coal demand record of 2014 in the next few years. The United States and many European countries are shifting back to coal as it is still one of the cheapest energy sources.
 The primary coal-consuming sector is electricity generation. High natural gas prices have increased reliance on coal for generating power. Coal consumption in electricity generation is expected to grow by more than 2%. If the gas prices continue to increase in 2023 or onwards, dependence on coal will remain, and demand will surge further. Besides gas prices, coal prospects will depend on the transition speed towards renewable energy sources.
 PAKISTAN COAL POTENTIAL
 Pakistan has 186 billion tons of coal reserves, primarily located in the province of Sindh (Chart 4). Only Thar desert (10,000 sq. km) contains the world’s 7th largest coal reserves of about 175 billion tons (Chart 5), equivalent to 50 billion tons of oil equivalent (more than Saudi Arabia and Iran’s oil reserves) and 2000 trillion cubic feet of gas (68 times more than Pakistan’s total gas reserves). Thar Block-II alone contains 2 billion tons of lignite reserves, of which 1.57 billion tons are exploitable. This Thar Block-II can produce 5,000MW of electricity for 50 years, while the total Thar reserves can sustain 100,000MW for over two centuries . Most of the coal in Pakistan is lignite (with more moisture content, up to 50%).

Barriers experienced by community midwives to provide basic emergency obstetric and newborn care in rural Pakistan

BackgroundConsidering the high maternal mortality rate, the government of Pakistan has deployed Community Midwives (CMWs) in rural areas of Pakistan. This relatively new cadre of community-based skilled birth attendants has previously reported to experience several challenges in providing maternal and child healthcare. However, what barriers they experience in providing basic emergency obstetric and newborn care needs to be further studied.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study conducted in twelve districts in Sindh province, Pakistan, with poor maternal and child health indicators. A total of 258 CMWs participated in this study and completed the questionnaire on a pretested, validated tool in their community-based stations. The trained data collectors completed the questionnaires from the respondents. The problems identified were categorized into three major issues: financial, and transport and security related; and were analyzed accordingly. Ethical approval was obtained from the institutional review board (IRB) of Health Services Academy (HSA) Islamabad, Pakistan.ResultsThe majority (90%) of 258 CMWs had formal training in maternal and neonatal care from the recognized institutions. Financial difficulties faced by CMWs were identified as the most frequent barriers and others were transport, security, and other issues. In univariate analysis, 38.1% and 61.9% of the community midwives who faced financial difficulties had completed a graduation or intermediate level of education, respectively (p = 0.006). Round-the-clock availability for emergencies was inversely associated with having financial difficulties, i.e., 71.4%, in contrast to 28.4% who had financial difficulties were available round-the-clock for emergency calls in their community clinics (p = 0.008). Formal training (p = 0.001), work experience (p = 0.015), longer duration of work (p = 0.003), and liaison with health workers and posting district (p = 0.001) had statistically significantly higher transport related issues. Security difficulties faced by CMWs and a set of correlates such as formal training (p = 0.019), working experience (p = 0.001), longer duration of work (p = 0.023), 24 h of availability on call (p = 0.004), liaison with traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in the community (p = 0.002), and district of posting (p = 0.001) were statistically significantly different. Other issues like working experience (p = < 0.001) and Liaison with TBAs in the community (p = < 0.001) were found statistically significant.ConclusionFinancial, transportation and security related barriers were commonly reported by community midwives in the delivery of basic emergency obstetric and newborn care in rural Pakistan.

EVALUATION OF SINDH GOAT BREEDS PERFORMANCES FOR BODY MEASUREMENTS, BODY WEIGHT, PRODUCTIVE AND REPRODUCTIVE TRAITS

Sindh province is harbor of maximum number of goat breeds in Pakistan. However, information is limited to basic on indigenous breeds of the province. Therefore, current study was designed to investigate body weight, body measurements, productive and reproductive performances of ten goat breeds. A survey was carried out in breeding tracts of Kamori, Tapri, Bugi-Tori, Pateri, Kachan, Jattan, Lohri, Chappar, Barri, and Thari. Data for 395 animals were collected and arranged according to age class, sex and breed while analyzed using Mixed Model by REML methodology in R program to investigate the effects of breed, sex and age on body measurements and body weight whereas data on productive and reproductive performance were analyzed using basic statistic tools in R program. Overall, breeds differed for live body weight, heart girth, body length, body height and chest length (P ≤ 0.05) except for pubic bone length (P ≤ 0.05). Kamori had the highest mean body weight of 67.58±1.41 Kg. There was a significant difference among age class for all the body measurement and body weight (P ≤ 0.05). The highest birth weight and weaning weight were observed in Pateri (2.90±0.11 Kg) and Kachan (16.0±0.50 Kg), respectively. Moreover, the highest weaning age was in Bugi-Tori (8.0±0.14 months) while highest milk yield was in Kamori (3.50±0.90 Kg per day). Minimum age at first heat was in Pateri (7.50±0.50 months) while maximum twining percentage at first kidding was in Chappar (25.0±1.25%). Tapri had lowest service period of 2.64±0.17 months. Kamori was found favorite animal as mutton breed for launching selection program for meat production. Key words: Sindh, goats, body weight, reproductive performance, productive performance

Estimating access to surgical care: A community centered national household survey from Pakistan.

Pakistan is a lower middle-income country in South Asia with a population of 225 million. No estimate for surgical care access exists for the country. We postulate the estimated access to surgical care is less than the minimum 80% to be achieved by 2030. We conducted a randomized, stratified two-stage cluster household survey. A sample of 770 households was selected using 2017 census frames from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Data was collected on choice of hospital and travel time to the chosen hospital for C-section, laparotomy, open fracture repair (OFR), and specialized surgery. Analysis was conducted using Stata 14. Access to all Bellwether surgeries (C-section, laparotomy, and open fracture repair) in Pakistan is estimated to be 74.8%. However, estimated access in rural areas and the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Sindh is far less than in urban areas and in Punjab and Islamabad. Estimated access to C-sections is more compared to OFR, laparotomy, and specialized surgery. Health system strengthening efforts should focus on improving surgical care access in rural areas and in Balochistan, KP, and Sindh. More focus is required on standardizing the availability and quality of surgical services in secondary-level hospitals.

Managing menstruation during natural disasters: menstruation hygiene management during "super floods" in Sindh province of Pakistan.

Menstruation is part of women's normal life, which requires basic hygienic practices. Managing hygiene can be affected by several factors and situations such as natural disasters. Focusing on 'super flooding' in Pakistan's Sindh Province, we pay attention to how this 'natural disaster' has affected hygienic practices of menstrual cycle of women. The study meticulously examines the dynamics of menstrual hygiene management, encompassing the nuanced encounters with feelings of shame and embarrassment among girls and women situated in flood camps, schools, and community shelters. It also intends to highlight women's challenge and embarrassment to participate in the distribution process of essential resources such as pads. The insights garnered from this study hold potential relevance for various stakeholders, including policymakers, healthcare practitioners, and researchers, offering a nuanced comprehension of the intersection of menstrual hygiene, climate change, and well-being of women.

‘Are we equal citizens?’: a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of language textbooks and minority faith learners’ insights in Pakistan

ABSTRACT Language textbooks are discourse-led documents that contain official knowledge and construct specific learner subjectivities. Official knowledge embodies a worldview that serves the interests of dominant social group. In Pakistan, studies suggest that textbooks in general tend to distort the historical facts in favour of the national narrative. Using six language textbooks (Sindhi, Urdu, and English) taught at government-run schools in Sindh province of Pakistan, this study aims to understand how language is used to construct “Muslim identity”. Moreover, the study also considers minority faith language learners’ perspectives in order to understand their experiences and reactions. The analysis is informed by Fairclough’s (2001, 2003) writings on critical discourse analysis (CDA). The findings reveal that Muslim identity is constructed through a variety of discourses related to Islam. Furthermore, minority faith language learners perceive language learning spaces to be ideologically motivated, promoting a dominant religious identity narrative while disregarding diversity. The study recommends that the process of textbooks design should consider minority faiths to a considerable extent in the interest of inclusive and a sustainable society. The study has implications for wider global contexts, including Asia Pacific where language textbooks promote biases based on religion, gender, ethnicity, and language.

First report of Eocene echinoids from the Sylhet Limestone, Mikir Hills of Assam, India: palaeontological, palaeogeography and palaeoenvironmental significance

This article reports two echinoid taxa viz. Ilarionia sindensis Duncan and Sladen (1884) and Porocidaris schmidelii Münster in Goldfus (1830) from the middle Eocene Sylhet Limestone of Mikir Hills, Assam. P. schmidelii is found from the Lutetian (middle Eocene) to the Priabonian (upper Eocene) in the following regions: NE of Spain, Biarritz (Southwestern France), Angoumé (Southern Aquitaine, France), Carinthia (Southern Austria), Venetian region of Italy Provence, Southern Alps of French, Istria (Croatia), Persian Gulf, Oman and Egypt. I. sindensis was first reported from the Eocene of Sindh province from the Khirthar Series (Pakistan) and Madagascar. It is also recorded from the Bartonian–Priabonian in the following regions: NE Spain, Biarritz in Southwestern France, Angoumé in Southern Aquitaine-France, Carinthia in Southern Austria, Italian region of Veneto, Provence and southern French Alps, Persian Gulf, Oman, Egypt and Istria. They are systematically described to know their stratigraphic, palaeoenvironment and palaeogeographic distribution. The material studied herein represents the first report from the middle Eocene of India, and it significantly expands the geographical extension of Eocene marine echinoids in the northeastern part of India.

Evaluating and Designing Active Citizenship Education for Youth Resilience to Preventing Violent Extremism at Public Sector General Universities of Sindh, Pakistan

Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) in Pakistan have experienced unprecedented on-campus violent extremism. Large-scale research led approach is needed to prevent homegrown violent extremism through transformative active citizenship education at HEIs in Pakistan taking into account that youth under the age of 30 constitutes 63% of the total population of Pakistan. As recognized repeatedly by the UN Security Council, violent extremism poses a significant threat to global peace and stability, with tremendous impact on social cohesion, eroding development progress and hindering future gains. This paper assesses the current state of citizenship education at Higher Education Institutes in Sindh province. The problem, however, is that many countries, including Pakistan, do not give citizenship education the importance it deserves, nor use approaches appropriate to the development of informed and participatory citizenship. (Dean, 2000; Kerr, McCarthy, and Smith 2002; Torney-Purta and Amadeo 1999). Citizenship active citizenship in youth is a social leadership program that promotes intercultural dialogue and social responsibility as key leadership competencies in the 21st century and results in community resilience. For this purpose, institutionalizing active citizenship for developing youth resilience to violent extremism warrants a massive radical reform of the education system to develop critical analysis skills among youth enabling them challenge violent extremist narratives. This is a preventive and initiative-taking strategy to develop active citizenship to be capitalized as glue for social inclusivity, integration and national cohesiveness in Pakistan. Active citizenship encompassing volunteering, democratic engagement, environmental sustainability, community development and reflective thinking is most likely to prevent vulnerability to recruitment of violent extremist organizations.

Unveiling The University Students’ Perspective on Social Media Networks - A Student-Centric Exploration

This exploratory research, by employing mixed method approach, intended to explore the understandings and perspectives regarding the way social media networks are being used by the university students. The main objective of research was to understand the university students’ perspective of SMNs and identify the patterns and purposes of social media usage by university students. One hundred and seventy students of two public sector universities in Sindh province participated in this research. Survey questionnaire was used as a major data collection tool. This questionnaire has twenty statements regarding social media usage and one open ended question related to problems associated with use of social media. Collected data was analyzed using demographic statistics, descriptive statistics, central tendency statistics and t-test. Thematic analysis and word clouds were used to analyze the open-ended question. From the analysis of data, it was found that use of social networking sites has positive as well negative influences on the academic performance, study habits and social interactions of the students. Many of the students (81%) believe that SMNs have brought improvement in their academic performance. It was also found that WhatsApp is the most preferred SMNs among university students. Another important finding was that on average 3-4 hours are daily spent on SMNs by the students. It was also found that faculty encourage the students to use SNS, however, percentage of teachers who do not encourage is also considerable. The study recommends that since internet and social media are accessible to a large population, particularly students, its usage may be planned in a responsible fashion particularly in educational institutes. It is also recommended that detailed guidelines to be developed by the concerned authorities for restricting social networking sites and other online sites during certain times for the students. To conclude, the findings of this research bring awareness regarding the good and bad impacts of this resource on students’ academic as well as personal habits.

Fluoride Contamination in Groundwater of Community Tube Wells, Source Distribution, Associated Health Risk Exposure, and Suitability Analysis for Drinking from Arid Zone

Fluoride (F−) pollution in potable groundwater (GW) is a serious environmental concern in Pakistan with substantial human health hazard reports. The research on F− pollution in GW resources in Sindh Province is still incomplete. To explore the realistic conditions, the present research aimed to investigate the GW quality of community tube wells concerning F− contamination in Tharparkar, Sindh, Pakistan. A total of 53 samples were collected and examined for F−, along with other physicochemical parameters. The F− values observed varied from 0.2–4.2 mg/L, with a mean value of 1.63 mg/L. Among the 53 samples, 46% had F− levels that were higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended limit (1.5 mg/L). The water type of the studied region was Ca-HCO3 type, which can be attributed to fresh recharged water. The interaction of rock–water contact controls the hydrochemistry of GW. The GW resources of the research zone were highly saturated with fluorite minerals. Human health risk calculation outcomes exposed that 21 samples showed high HQ values for children and 7 samples showed high values for adults in the research zone. Children are at high risk in the study area from drinking F−-contaminated GW. WQI results showed that 31 samples were not suitable for drinking.

Sea-Level Rise in Pakistan: Recommendations for Strengthening Evidence-Based Coastal Decision-Making

Pakistan is vulnerable to a range of climate hazards, including sea-level rise. The Indus Delta region, situated in the coastal Sindh province, is particularly at risk of sea-level rise due to low-lying land and fragile ecosystems. In this article, expertise is drawn together from the newly established Pakistan Sea-Level Working Group, consisting of policy experts, scientists, and practitioners, to provide recommendations for future research, investment, and coastal risk management. An assessment of the current scientific understanding of sea-level change and coastal climate risks in Pakistan highlights an urgent need to improve the availability and access to sea-level data and other coastal measurements. In addition, reflecting on the policy environment and the enablers needed to facilitate effective responses to future sea-level change, recommendations are made to integrate coastal climate services into the National Adaptation Plan and develop a National Framework for Climate Services. Such a framework, alongside collaboration, co-production, and capacity development, could help support required improvements in coastal observations and monitoring and continuously deliver useful, usable, and accessible sea-level information for use by practitioners and decision-makers.

Drought Priming and Subsequent Irrigation Water Regimes Enhanced Grain Yield and Water Productivity of Wheat Crop

The most important factor impacting wheat production is water stress that occurs during the reproductive growth stage. Therefore, the plant responses and water productivity as affected by drought priming were investigated during Rabi seasons 2021 and 2022. The field trials were conducted in the research field of the Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam. The Hamal-BNS wheat variety was subjected to differing irrigation water regime levels (40%, 50% and 60% of soil water holding capacity, SWHC) after being subjected to drought priming, irrigation water recovery (water closure period) and drought priming. There were six treatments: (1) DPP-40 (drought priming plants at 40% of SWHC), (2) DPP-50, (3) DPP-60, (4) CTP-40 (controlled treated plants at 40% of SWHC), (5) CTP-50 and (6) CTP-60. During the experiment period, soil moisture content was significantly affected by the different treatments at various growth stages of wheat. The results indicated that winter wheat pre-exposed to drought priming attained a stress imprint that improved the subsequent deficit water levels which occurred during the later plant growth stage as demonstrated by the progress of test weight, grain yield, plant level water use efficiency and irrigation water use efficiency as well as relative yield compared to CTP-50 (control treatment). Under the irrigation water regime levels during the post-anthesis period, primed wheat plants sustained grain yield and higher relative yield than wheat plants without priming due to the better irrigation water regime for drought-primed wheat plants. Similarly, primed wheat plants consumed 18.3% less irrigation water as compared to non-primed plants, which significantly increased plant level WUE and irrigation WUE and decreased dry biomass and root development of drought-primed wheat plants. Therefore, to conserve fresh water for other field crops and increase water productivity in the Sindh province, it is recommended that drought priming is used during the early growth period of wheat plants as a successful irrigation method.

Impact of Social Media Tools on Knowledge Sharing among Students of Jamshoro Education City

An effective and inclusive exchange of knowledge is an essential part of a successful and practice-oriented in higher educational institutions. This study examines the factors influencing knowledge sharing among Students of Jamshoro education city higher educational institutions of Sindh province in Pakistan. The study was cross sectional and quantitative in nature. The survey was conducted among Students of 3 public sector higher educational institutions in Jamshoro education city. The convenience sampling technique was used to collect data through questionnaire. The questionnaires consisting of two main parts were used to collect the data. The first part collected demographic data and the second section included questions about social networking factors. Questionnaire distributed and Google form was used for data collection which was emailed to 600 respondents, 470 were respondents and filled the questionnaire, and 450 were evaluable and useful for data analysis. Questionnaire was developed from literature. Smart-PLS 4.0 version was used for measurement model and structural model. Results show that Data sharing, information technology, apparent enjoyment, shared benefit, and Information technology positively influenced knowledge sharing among the students. However, the availability of technology did not affect knowledge sharing among Students. Findings suggest that universities should encourage students to share their knowledge by designing courses notes and exams that integrate data sharing and information technology to promote enjoyment and awareness of the mutual benefits of knowledge sharing.