Assessment of Marine Coastal Water Pollution from Karachi Harbour Pakistan

In Pakistan, marine pollution is a major problem that is caused by the waste from industrial, municipal, agronomy, and oil leak sources. The pollutant loads along with the coastline areas near Karachi is received from terrestrial contaminants including discharges from Karachi Harbour located on the estuary of the Lyari river. Karachi generates 472 Million Gallon per Day (MGD) of wastewater out of which only 55 MGD is treated and the rest is discharged in the sea. The prevailing sewage treatment plants are functioning at reduced capacity due to the insufficient transmission capacity of interceptors. Water sampling was carried out from the Lyari River and five different selected coastal point around Karachi harbour for physicochemical parameters and selected heavy metals. Results show that the Karachi Harbour area is noticeably polluted, whereas; the coastal environment in the vicinity of Karachi is also under the stress of pollution. High COD and BOD5 values were noticed at the Lyari river samples and the sampling locations close to the Lyari river outfall area. The Pb, Cd, Ni, and Hg heavy metals that pollute marine water are found. This situation is due to the discharge of mixed effluents of industrial and domestic wastes as well as dredging, cargo handling, dumping of ship waste and other coastal activities. The highest value of pollution observed at Karachi Harbour which is near Lyari river mouth, where the domestic and industrial effluents with organic and inorganic wastes have a greater influence on the water quality and the marine environment. At present, there is no effective controlling mechanism for industries to treat their waste, nor has any investigation to assess increasing marine pollution been carried out. As a result, there is an adverse impact on fish habitat and mangroves, corrosion of cargo ships, naval vessels and the residents living in the coastal area. Therefore, the government agencies and industrial sectors should work together to avert marine pollution and attain total environmental sustainability

Assessment of Rice Husk Biomass Potential for Power Generation in Pakistan

Rice husk is one of the utmost obtainable feedstock for renewable energy production and can contribute to resolving energy scarcity and environmental problems. Appropriate knowledge of the rice husk's physiochemical properties is essential for the approach of thermochemical conversion systems. The present study delivers data on proximate and ultimate analysis and heating values of rice husk collected from different regions of Sindh, Pakistan. Moisture content was found low ranging between 12.76% to 13.50% (Mean 12.98%), higher volatile matter in the range of 55.77% to 62.88% (Mean 61.19%) and ash particles of 14.50% to 16.48% (Mean 15.20%). The lower concentrations of nitrogen, 0.37% to 1.31%, (Mean 0.70%) and sulfur, 0.02% to 0.19%, (Mean 0.11%) environmentally deal with more appropriate fuel properties. The heating value of rice husk ranges varied from 5,276.33 to 6,237.13 Btu/lb (Mean 5,859.87 Btu/lb). The significant values of the rice husk samples indicated that the locally available renewable resources can be transformed into an extensive amount of energy products at a small level from active conversion techniques. Therefore, rice husk can be deliberated as appropriate fuel for energy generation and can be considered as an environmentally friendly and economically feasible fuel that helps to decline harmful pollutions

Ambient Air Quality Assessment in Karachi, Sindh Pakistan

Pakistan’s urban air pollution is amongst the utmost severity in the world that causes acute damage to the economy and human health. This study was designed for the assessment of ambient air quality in different areas of Karachi. The data were collected as pre-monsoon and post-monsoon season from main industrial zones of Karachi, S.I.T.E area, North Karachi industrial area, Korangi industrial area and Landhi industrial area in the year of 2017-2019. These zones are also a blend of industrial, residential, commercial and heavy traffic zones with dense populations. Ambient air data were collected for different pollutants like Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) and Particulate Matters (TSPM, PM10 and PM2.5). It is observed that in pre-monsoon, there is quite high intensity of particulate matter (TSPM, PM10 & PM2.5) present in the air, whereas CO and NO2 values found in all four zones are moderate in the air samples as prescribed by Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) standards. It is observed specifically in Landhi, S.I.T.E Area and Korangi industrial area which are more prone to the exposure of these pollutants. In post-monsoon, the intensity of particulate matters (TSPM, PM10 & PM2.5), CO and NO2 values in all four zones are less to moderate than the values of pre-monsoon due to the seasonal effects. Study data shows that three major zones; Landhi, Korangi and S.I.T.E. industrial areas are at a high exposure to gases and other toxic elements. North Karachi is at the least risk because of having a small scale of industries present. The PM10 & PM2.5 levels average about 2 - 3-fold greater than the SEPA standards. High levels of ambient air pollutants cause severe health problems and chronic diseases on human health. Therefore the implementation of rules and regulations regarding ambient air pollutants should be more rigorous

Role of contrast enhanced computed tomography in assessing cervical lymph node metastases in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan in detecting cervical nodal metastasis in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.Methods: The retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. and comprised records from January 1, 2015, to October 31, 2016, of patients diagnosed with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma and who underwent surgical resection of primary tumour along with neck dissection after having a contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of head and neck. Diagnostic accuracy of the scans was calculated using final histopathology as the gold standard. All scans were reviewed by a consultant radiologist. Data was analysed using SPSS 23.Results: Of the 100 patients whose records were reviewed, 70(70%) were female, 55(55%) had buccal and 32(32%) had tongue cancer.. The scans had sensitivity 83%, specificity 61.7%, positive predictive value 70.9%, negative predictive value 76.3% and overall diagnostic accuracy 73%.Conclusions: Computed tomography scan was found to be a useful tool for preoperative staging of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma. However, due to low specificity and negative predictive value, elective neck dissection should still be done in a negative scan for cervical lymph node metastases

Followership moderation between the relationship of transactional leadership style and employees reactions towards organizational change

The purpose of the present study is to analyze the relationship between transactional leadership style and factors of employees’ reactions towards organizational change in the telecommunication companies of Pakistan. Furthermore, to understand the importance of followership this study has also incorporated followership as a moderating variable. Quantitative methodology is applied to investigate the underline relationships. The Pearson correlation results have identified that transactional leadership is positively related to all three factors (frequency of change, trust in management, and employees’ participation) of employees’ reactions towards change. The moderation results further clarify that followership significantly moderates the relationship between transactional leadership style, frequency of change and employees participation. However, there is no moderation effect found between transactional leadership style and trust in management.Celem niniejszego badania jest analiza związku między stylem przywództwa transakcyjnego a czynnikami reakcji pracowników na zmiany organizacyjne w przedsiębiorstwach telekomunikacyjnych w Pakistanie. Ponadto, aby zrozumieć znaczenie podążania za przywódcą, zostało ono włączone jako zmienna moderująca. W celu zbadania istniejących zależności, zastosowana została metodologia ilościowa. Wyniki korelacji Pearsona wykazały, że przywództwo transakcyjne jest pozytywnie powiązane ze wszystkimi trzema czynnikami (częstością zmian, zaufaniem do zarządzania i udziałem pracowników) reakcji pracowników na zmiany. Uzyskane wyniki pozwoliły stwierdzić, że wyniki moderacji dodatkowo wyjaśniły, że podążanie za przywódcą znacząco moderowało związek pomiędzy stylem przywództwa transakcyjnego, częstotliwością zmian a udziałem pracowników. Jednak nie znaleziono efektu powiązania pomiędzy stylem przywództwa transakcyjnego a zaufaniem do zarządzania

Otorhinolaryngology consultations in a multidisciplinary hospital - their effects on residents training on floor

Objective: To determine all types and severity of Otolaryngology consultation requests at our tertiary care center and spectral records of problems related to otorhinolaryngology come across initially by residents which will help in re-shaping residency programmes and enhance patient related care. Methodology: All otorhinolaryngology consultation received over a three-month period were recorded prospectively. Information collected for each encounter included the time, date, reason for consult at primary service and admission with final ENT diagnosis, any surgical or non-surgical intervention, and basic patient demographics. Results: A total of 127 consults for inpatients were reviewed from April 2020 to June 2020. Out of total, 84 (66.1%) patients were male and 43 (33.8%) were females. Adult patient consultations amounted to 87(68.5%) while 18(14.1%) were in the age range of 6-18 years. Only 4(3.1%) consultations were raised for neonatal patients. Routine consultation were had for 64(50.3%) while 45(35.4%) patients were reviewed as an emergency. Operative interventions were required by 43(33.8%) among which tracheostomy was the most common operative procedure performed in 26(20.7%) patients. If we broadly classified ENT consultations, 40 (31.4%) were of problems related to head and neck region while 38 (29.9%) were related to the laryngology sub-specialty. Most common consultation was for airway assessment in 26(20.7%) patients followed by otorrhoea, in 15 (11.8%) patients. Conclusions: In inpatients, upper airway assessment, aural discharge and epistaxis were the most frequent complaints for seeking ENT review. This study should prove to be beneficial in forming a curriculum of educational programme for junior residents