The challenge of the twenty-first century is to ensure food security under prevailing climate cha... more The challenge of the twenty-first century is to ensure food security under prevailing climate change, notably in developing countries such as Pakistan. Current farming practices are far less effective in increasing soil resilience as they tend to decline soil fertility and organic matter contents. Organic farming systems improve organic matter, water holding capacity, porosity, biodiversity and productivity. Agriculture is the dominant user of fresh water resources in Pakistan. Water holding capacity of soils is generally higher under organic farming than conventional farming. This chapter presents the impacts of climate change on food security in Pakistan. We also compare the performance of organic and conventional agriculture in developed countries.
Prehospital airway management (AM) is the first priority in the care of emergency and trauma vict... more Prehospital airway management (AM) is the first priority in the care of emergency and trauma victims as it has shown to improve survival in these patients. The aim of this study was to assess training and knowledge of ambulance staff and availability of AM equipment in ambulances of Karachi, Pakistan. This cross-sectional study was conducted from June through September 2014. Interviews were conducted with management of six ambulance service providers and 165 ambulance staff. Data from the management included availability of AM equipment in the ambulances, number and designation of staff sent for emergency calls, and AM training of staff. Ambulance staff were assessed for their awareness, knowledge, and training pertaining to AM. All the ambulance services (A through F) had basic equipment for AM but lacked qualified and trained staff. All services had solo drivers (98.3%) for emergency calls; however, Ambulance Service A also had doctors and paramedics. Only 35.7% (59/165) of ambula...
Global food security is at high risk due to depletion of natural resources and climate change. In... more Global food security is at high risk due to depletion of natural resources and climate change. In that context wheat has a pivotal position because wheat is a major cereal. Tremendous advances in wheat improvement had been made through above ground parts in recent years without considering roots as a plant part. Existing wheat varieties have small and inefficient root systems that need to be replaced with extensive and efficient root system. Better roots can improve utilization of water and nutrients, and, in turn, yields. Better roots can reduce nitrate leaching and P fixation in soil and can help combating environmental pollution issues. Wheat yield potential has almost become stagnant in developed countries and higher yield in developing countries cannot be achieved due to resource limitations. A solution would be to increase photosynthetic capacity and efficiency but to support plants with higher above ground biomass, an extensive and deep root system would be required. Research on roots and its application for enhancing wheat productivity offers enormous potential but this area has been neglected in the past.
Background Gynecological patients with serious underlying morbidities require admission into inte... more Background Gynecological patients with serious underlying morbidities require admission into intensive care units (ICUs) albeit being few in numbers. Objectives To review gynecological cases with non-pregnancyrelated illness, admitted to ICU with respect to diagnosis, associated risk factors, intervention required, aspects of management, and rate of mortality. Materials and methods Retrospective record view of gynecological patients admitted in the ICU from 2005 to 2014. Setting Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. Findings Twenty-six patients were admitted with complications secondary to gynecological indications. The most common reason was pulmonary edema (26.9%); sepsis was documented in 23.1% of all patients. Hemorrhagic shock was found in 11.5% gynecological ICU admissions, cardiogenic shock in 15.4%, and renal failure in 7.7%. Fourteen critically ill women with gynecological cancer were admitted to the ICU (ovarian cancer, n = 8; cervical cancer, n = 1; and endometrial cance...
The challenge of the twenty-first century is to ensure food security under prevailing climate cha... more The challenge of the twenty-first century is to ensure food security under prevailing climate change, notably in developing countries such as Pakistan. Current farming practices are far less effective in increasing soil resilience as they tend to decline soil fertility and organic matter contents. Organic farming systems improve organic matter, water holding capacity, porosity, biodiversity and productivity. Agriculture is the dominant user of fresh water resources in Pakistan. Water holding capacity of soils is generally higher under organic farming than conventional farming. This chapter presents the impacts of climate change on food security in Pakistan. We also compare the performance of organic and conventional agriculture in developed countries.
Prehospital airway management (AM) is the first priority in the care of emergency and trauma vict... more Prehospital airway management (AM) is the first priority in the care of emergency and trauma victims as it has shown to improve survival in these patients. The aim of this study was to assess training and knowledge of ambulance staff and availability of AM equipment in ambulances of Karachi, Pakistan. This cross-sectional study was conducted from June through September 2014. Interviews were conducted with management of six ambulance service providers and 165 ambulance staff. Data from the management included availability of AM equipment in the ambulances, number and designation of staff sent for emergency calls, and AM training of staff. Ambulance staff were assessed for their awareness, knowledge, and training pertaining to AM. All the ambulance services (A through F) had basic equipment for AM but lacked qualified and trained staff. All services had solo drivers (98.3%) for emergency calls; however, Ambulance Service A also had doctors and paramedics. Only 35.7% (59/165) of ambula...
Global food security is at high risk due to depletion of natural resources and climate change. In... more Global food security is at high risk due to depletion of natural resources and climate change. In that context wheat has a pivotal position because wheat is a major cereal. Tremendous advances in wheat improvement had been made through above ground parts in recent years without considering roots as a plant part. Existing wheat varieties have small and inefficient root systems that need to be replaced with extensive and efficient root system. Better roots can improve utilization of water and nutrients, and, in turn, yields. Better roots can reduce nitrate leaching and P fixation in soil and can help combating environmental pollution issues. Wheat yield potential has almost become stagnant in developed countries and higher yield in developing countries cannot be achieved due to resource limitations. A solution would be to increase photosynthetic capacity and efficiency but to support plants with higher above ground biomass, an extensive and deep root system would be required. Research on roots and its application for enhancing wheat productivity offers enormous potential but this area has been neglected in the past.
Background Gynecological patients with serious underlying morbidities require admission into inte... more Background Gynecological patients with serious underlying morbidities require admission into intensive care units (ICUs) albeit being few in numbers. Objectives To review gynecological cases with non-pregnancyrelated illness, admitted to ICU with respect to diagnosis, associated risk factors, intervention required, aspects of management, and rate of mortality. Materials and methods Retrospective record view of gynecological patients admitted in the ICU from 2005 to 2014. Setting Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. Findings Twenty-six patients were admitted with complications secondary to gynecological indications. The most common reason was pulmonary edema (26.9%); sepsis was documented in 23.1% of all patients. Hemorrhagic shock was found in 11.5% gynecological ICU admissions, cardiogenic shock in 15.4%, and renal failure in 7.7%. Fourteen critically ill women with gynecological cancer were admitted to the ICU (ovarian cancer, n = 8; cervical cancer, n = 1; and endometrial cance...
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