University of Balochistan

In the rapidly evolving world of e-commerce, procurement decisions shape more than just profit margins—they influence labor conditions, environmental footprints, and societal values. This chapter explores how e-commerce platforms can move from transactional procurement to purposeful sourcing, guided by sustainability principles. It unpacks the complexities of embedding ethical considerations into globalized, tech-driven supply chains and highlights how data transparency, supplier accountability, and stakeholder collaboration are reshaping procurement models. Drawing on emerging best practices and industry examples, it outlines a pragmatic yet aspirational framework for responsible sourcing that aligns with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. By reframing procurement as a lever for positive impact, this chapter calls for a mindset shift—one that sees sustainability not as a constraint, but as a competitive advantage and moral imperative.

Background: Ambient particulate air pollution is a major environmental determinant of acute respiratory morbidity, particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions such as Punjab, Pakistan, where recurrent smog episodes coincide with increased healthcare demand. However, locally derived, hospital-based estimates quantifying short-term pollution-related emergency respiratory burden remain limited. Objective: To evaluate the association between short-term ambient air pollutant exposure, particularly PM₂.₅, and daily emergency department (ED) respiratory visits in an urban tertiary-care setting. Methods: A hospital-based ecological time-series study was conducted from 1 January to 31 December 2023. All ED visits with a primary respiratory diagnosis were included. Daily ambient pollutant concentrations (PM₂.₅, PM₁₀, NO₂, SO₂, O₃, CO) were obtained from official monitoring stations and linked to daily respiratory visit counts. Associations were estimated using negative binomial regression models adjusted for temperature, humidity, day of week, and seasonal trends, with evaluation of lag structures (0–3 days) and short moving averages. Results: A total of 1,680 respiratory ED visits were recorded (mean 26.5/day). Each 10 µg/m³ increase in same-day PM₂.₅ was associated with a 3.2% increase in daily respiratory visits (IRR 1.032; 95% CI 1.018–1.046; p < 0.001), with stronger effects observed for the 3-day moving average (IRR 1.041; 95% CI 1.022–1.061). Associations were more pronounced for asthma (IRR 1.048) and COPD exacerbations (IRR 1.039) than for pneumonia/LRTI. Conclusion: Short-term increases in ambient PM₂.₅ are significantly associated with heightened emergency respiratory demand, supporting integration of air-quality surveillance into hospital preparedness and urban pollution-control strategies.

The integration of biochar, compost, and other organic amendments in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cultivation addresses key challenges in modern intensive production systems, including soil degradation, nutrient depletion, reduced microbial diversity, and vulnerability to abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity. This comprehensive review synthesizes recent evidence demonstrating that biochar produced via pyrolysis of diverse feedstocks (rice husk, wheat straw, cow bone, poultry litter) fundamentally enhances soil physicochemical and biological properties. Key improvements include reduced bulk density, increased porosity and water retention, elevated cation exchange capacity (CEC), pH buffering in acidic soils, enhanced nutrient retention (nitrogen and phosphorus), and stimulated microbial biomass, enzyme activities (urease, phosphatase), and beneficial microbial communities (Pseudomonas, Bacteroidetes) that suppress soil-borne pathogens like bacterial wilt. When combined with composts (vermicompost, farmyard manure, poultry litter), these amendments exhibit synergistic effects, further boosting aggregate stability, nutrient cycling, and resilience to environmental stressors. In tomato crops, such strategies promote seedling vigor, vegetative growth, reproductive parameters (e.g., fruits per plant, fruit weight), and overall yield increases ranging from 13.7% to 33.2% (or higher in integrated systems), alongside improved fruit quality metrics such as total soluble solids, vitamin C, lycopene, firmness, and extended shelf life (notably via Ca/P-enriched cow bone biochar). These benefits are modulated by factors including biochar production conditions (feedstock, pyrolysis temperature), application rates (optimal often 10–20 t/ha or 1–2 kg/m²), soil texture/initial properties, and integration with inorganic fertilizers. Economic assessments indicate

The SDG4 quality education is recognized as a critical indicator toward the SDGs. The leading indicator of Sustainable Development Goal 4 is the quality of education. This goal can be achieved through a quality system. The main objective of this study was to examine the progress in achieving the SDGs in Pakistan. A qualitative research design was employed. A hermeneutic-phenomenological approach was used. Sixteen participants were purposively selected for data collection. These participants were directly involved in implementing SDG 4 in educational institutions. Semi-structured interviews were used as the data collection tool. Responses were recorded and transcribed. Initially, data analysis was conducted using a thematic approach. The findings of this study highlight the slow to moderate progress in achieving SDG 4 in Pakistan. Several gaps remain in key areas, including policy implementation, teacher training, curriculum integration, and assessment. The study highlights significant challenges and barriers to implementing SDG 4 in Pakistan. These include the lack of an appropriate policy framework, financial constraints, inadequate teacher training, and incomplete data monitoring. The article presents recommendations to enhance policy alignment, curriculum change, teacher development, and assessment to promote an inclusive and sustainable education sector in Pakistan. The results highlight slow-to-moderate improvements in access and attainment indicators. and a sustainable educational system in Pakistan.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive, irreversible airflow limitation disorder representing a leading global cause of morbidity and mortality, for which physiotherapy-based airway clearance constitutes a critical management component. Objective: To compare the effects of the active cycle of breathing technique (ACBT) and high-frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) on pulmonary function, exercise capacity, dyspnea severity, and composite BODE index scores in adult patients with stage 3–4 COPD. Methods: A parallel-group randomized clinical trial was conducted at the Pulmonary Department of DHQ Hospital Narowal over six months. Forty-two participants meeting GOLD stage 3–4 criteria were consecutively recruited and randomly allocated to ACBT with routine chest physiotherapy (Group A; n = 21) or HFCWO via pneumatic vest system (Group B; n = 21). Both groups received three sessions per week over four weeks (12 total sessions). Outcome measures included FEV₁ % predicted, six-minute walk distance (6MWD), mMRC dyspnea score, BMI, and composite BODE index, assessed at baseline and week four. Within-group comparisons used paired-samples t-tests and between-group comparisons used independent-samples t-tests (SPSS v25; α = 0.05). Results: HFCWO produced a significantly greater improvement in FEV₁ % predicted compared with ACBT (67.79 ± 12.73% vs 53.89 ± 9.30%; mean difference: 13.90 percentage points; Cohen's d = 1.25; p < 0.001) and in 6MWD (409.47 ± 108.25 m vs 346.47 ± 45.01 m; d = 0.76; p = 0.025). Both groups achieved significant within-group BODE index improvements (ACBT: Δ = +2.32, p = 0.048; HFCWO: Δ = +2.41, p = 0.050). No significant between-group difference was observed for mMRC dyspnea score (p = 0.247) or BMI (p = 0.124). Conclusion: Both ACBT and HFCWO significantly improve functional outcomes in stage 3–4 COPD; however, HFCWO demonstrates superior efficacy in spirometric and exercise capacity domains, supporting its preferential use in advanced obstructive disease where effort-dependent techniques are limited by disease severity.

The present study was conducted to investigate the conditions of community organizations before and after re-strengthening in district Bagh, AJ&K. A total of 89 respondents were randomly selected while one union council(Islam Nagar) was selected purposively out of which three villages i.e. Bhount, Karl Maldayalan and Karl Abbasi were also selected purposively. Study indicates that majority of the respondents were female. Most of the respondents joined COs in 2003 while all COs were re-strengthened in 2005. About 70% respondents stated that old COs had partial achievements of objectives while 92% attended the trainings arranged by AJKCDP. Savings increased after re-strengthening of COs. Similarly, 78% respondents were facilitated with the credit programme of AJKCDP. Majority of the sampled respondents utilized credit on livestock. Similarly, majority of the respondents were of the view that after re-strengthening the conditions like agriculture, income generating opportunities, skill development, self-help, and empowerment were much improved as compared to old COs. It is concluded that AJKCDP has brought positive change in livelihood development of rural people. Moreover, at village level local people are always facing many problems in credit provision and are more dependent on livestock and agriculture for their survival. Provision of services from the government sector is very poor. People are not aware to utilize their natural resources well. Therefore, it is highly recommended that institutional approach should be adopted which is very productive to help each other and to make contact with other government and non-government organizations. It is also recommended that an attempt should be made to maintain self-sustainability and motivating the people to work by themselves for improving their socio-economic condition in future. Trainings should be enhanced so that they become better source of income generating activities.

Organizational cynicism, lack of drive, and social interactions were studied in relation to job satisfaction and mild emotional stability. Structured questionnaires from Quetta were utilized for quantitative personnel in Baluchistan schools, hospitals, banks, and universities. This study utilized a quantitative research design, Pearson correlation, and mediation analysis to explore the relationship between variables. Organizational cynicism and job urgency were strongly and negatively related to job satisfaction, underlining the negative impact of endophenotypes such as negative attitude and lack of motivation. However, social interactions positively influenced job satisfaction, verifying the notion that social interactions in the workplace impact satisfaction. Cynicism was mitigated by emotional stability, preventing an unhappy and disillusioned workforce. The results underscore the need to improve organizational support, procedural justice, and meaningfulness to mitigate cynicism. Facilitating social interactions, particularly in the workplace, can increase enjoyment and productivity. This study informs managers and stakeholders on how to improve employee happiness and retain them.