Syed Jamil Hasan Kazmi

The present study was undertaken to investigate the extent of pollution load at Port Qasim coastal area, the second largest port in the country. The samples of sea water were collected from 23 locations, including the samples from Bundal Island situated in the Port Qasim area. Samples were analyzed for physico-chemical characteristics to determine the extent of pollution load. Samples were also analyzed for heavy metals including As, Cr, Cu, Cd, Pb and Ni. The investigation revealed that the Port Qasim Area is grossly polluted from inorganic and organic loads mainly coming from the nearby industrial setup. Extensively high organic load was found at the site receiving the wastewater from the Landhi Cattle colony. PQ-6 receives untreated wastewater from oil industries as exhibited by its high oil content. PQ-14 is receiving untreated industrial discharges from the nearby chemical industries and represents a very high pollution load. The sites closed to Bundal Island are relatively less polluted. The mangroves in the area are constantly under threat owing to the indiscriminate discharge of both domestic and industrial effluents. The concentration of DO although not on higher side but at least prevents the anoxic condition in the area. Out of all the heavy metals the concentration of Cr and Pb was exceptionally higher. The distribution of heavy metals demonstrated a typical diffusion pattern from the land to the sea. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis of the data showed the major gradients, similarities of localities and the variables of importance in terms of overall variability in the pollution characteristics. It is concluded that the level of pollution is increasing at an alarming rate, which is detrimental to the biodiversity of the coastal area.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has transformed the global view of education, including graduate and postgraduate education making the development of an alternative approach in times of social isolation an academic imperative. The present review aims to investigate the challenges experienced among undergraduate and postgraduate education and the strategies adopted to address these challenges during the pandemic. Method: The preferred reporting items for the systematic review and meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) were followed. The aim was to include journal articles published in the English language that discussed the influence of the pandemic on educational processes and applied innovative approaches as a solution to educational challenges. From January to August 2020, PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar were searched for articles, yielding 10,019 articles. Two groups of authors examined the retrieved articles separately to avoid any risk of bias. The title and abstract of the articles were used for scrutiny, followed by full-text screening based on the established inclusion and exclusion criteria. The facts and findings of the studies were also discussed based on per capita income, literacy rate, and Internet accessibility. Results: Thirty of the obtained articles were included in the study. The selected articles were from North and South/Latin America, Asia & Pacific, South Africa, and Europe regions. Nineteen of the selected articles dealt with undergraduate education, ten with postgraduate, and one with both groups. The affordability of digital devices and the availability of Internet services were the major challenges for low- and middle-income economies. The ZOOM platform has been adopted by more than 90% of the education systems. Conclusion: Means of communication, including visual media, digitized content, and other web-based platforms, have been recognized as efficient learning and training tools, but have not been fully accessible for mass application and use due to the lack of availability of resources, their cost, and insufficient training among the users. In light of this review, it is suggested that harmonized and collaborative efforts should be made to develop cost-effective and user-friendly tools to overcome the current challenges and prevent future educational crises. Systemic review registration: The review was not registered.

The spatial–temporal assessment of vector diseases is imperative to design effective action plans and establish preventive strategies. Therefore, such assessments have potential public health planning-related implications. In this context, we here propose an integrated spatial disease evaluation (I-SpaDE) framework. The I-SpaDE integrates various techniques such as the Kernel Density Estimation, the Optimized Hot Spot Analysis, space–time assessment and prediction, and the Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR). It makes it possible to systematically assess the disease concentrations, patterns/trends, clustering, prediction dynamics, and spatially varying relationships between disease and different associated factors. To demonstrate the applicability and effectiveness of the I-SpaDE, we apply it in the second largest city of Pakistan, namely Lahore, using Dengue Fever (DF) during 2007–2016 as an example vector disease. The most significant clustering is evident during the years 2007–2008, 2010–2011, 2013, and 2016. Mostly, the clusters are found within the city’s central functional area. The prediction analysis shows an inclination of DF distribution from less to more urbanized areas. The results from the GWR show that among various socio-ecological factors, the temperature is the most significantly associated with the DF followed by vegetation and built-up area. While the results are important to understand the DF situation in the study area and have useful implications for public health planning, the proposed framework is flexible, replicable, and robust to be utilized in other similar regions, particularly in developing countries in the tropics and sub-tropics.