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Remittances inflow plays a significant role in promoting the economic welfare of a country; it has a multidimensional effect on the economy and links with the carbon emissions. This study examines the possible asymmetric transmissions from remittances to carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) in China using time series data from 1980 to 2014. The Non-linear NARDL method is employed to check the longrun asymmetric relationship between remittances inflow and carbon emissions. The findings show that a positive shock in remittances causes an increase in CO2 emissions, while a negative shock in remittances causes a decrease in CO2 emissions. The results support the existence of an asymmetric cointegrating relationship between remittances and CO2 emissions in both short run and the long run. The NARDL dynamic multiplier graph assumes that positive remittances shocks are highe compared to the negative remittances shocks. It suggests that policymakers in China should consider remittances as a policy instrument especially designing strategies and policies related to sustainable environmental quality in the long run.

The tribal belt of the Hindu Kush mountains is famous for its unique culture, ethnography, wild food plants, food systems, and traditional knowledge. People in this region gather wild plants and plant parts using them directly or in traditional cuisine, or sell them in local markets. However, there is a huge lack of documentation of the food system, particularly that related to wild food plants (WFP). In the current study, we focus on the uses and contributions of WFPs in the traditional tribal food system of the Hindu Kush valleys along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border. Ethnobotanical data were gathered through questionnaire surveys of 84 informants, including 69 men and 15 women, belonging to 21 different villages of the chosen area. In tribal societies men and women rarely mix and thus very few women took part in the surveys. We documented 63 WFP species belonging to 34 botanical families, of which 27 were used as vegetables, 24 as fruits, six in different kinds of chutneys (starters), and six as fresh food species. Fruits were the most used part (41%), followed by leaves (24%), aerial parts (24%), seeds (7%), stems (3%), and young inflorescences (1%). The reported uses of Carthamus oxyacantha, Pinus roxburghii seeds, and Marsilea quadrifolia leaves are novel for the gastronomy of Pakistan. The results reveal that WFPs provide a significant contribution to local food systems and play a role in addressing human nutritional needs, which are usually not met through farming practices. The tribal peoples of the Hindu Kush use WFPs for their nutritional value, but also as a cultural practice—an inseparable component of the tribal community’s lifestyle. This important traditional knowledge about the gathering and consumption of WFPs, however, is eroding at an alarming rate among younger generations due to the introduction of fast-food, modernization, and globalization. Therefore, appropriate strategies are imperative not only to safeguard traditional plants and food knowledge and practices, as well as the cultural heritage attached to them, but also to foster food security and thus public healthcare via local wild foods in the region.

Purpose The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had profound economic effects, putting women entrepreneurs at considerable risk of losing income and sales growth as a result. This study aims to examine whether the COVID-19 pandemic is a blessing or a curse for women entrepreneurs in Pakistan’s informal sector. The influence of business type, family support and other socio-economic factors on the sales volume of women’s businesses is examined. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 400 women entrepreneurs using a survey questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to investigate the relationships between perceived sales volume and socio-economic as well as demographic factors of women entrepreneurs. Findings Findings for RQ1 revealed that the pandemic was a blessing for cloth and cosmetic entrepreneurs, but a curse for those women selling dairy products. Results for RQ2 showed that age, homeownership, household size, family support and type of business were significant predictors of sales. Furthermore, women entrepreneurs were greatly influenced by their family’s desires and decisions, such that women entrepreneurs who received support from families and relatives reported higher sales than those who did not receive such support. Practical implications The results may assist policymakers in designing supportive programs to encourage women’s informal entrepreneurial activities. Creating entrepreneurial ecosystems may provide support for women entrepreneurs beyond family support. The findings provide a better understanding of women’s business effectiveness during COVID-19 pandemic. It reveals the resilience of women entrepreneurs in the face of cultural, economic and institutional constraints encountered during the pandemic. Originality/value This study is unique because it focuses on the impact of the pandemic at the household level rather than examining broad macroeconomic scenarios. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt to explore the informal, home-based business sector of women entrepreneurs in Pakistan during the pandemic.

Purpose This study aims to compare capital structure determinants' effect on the leverage levels of Shariah-compliant (SC) and noncompliant (NC) firms in Pakistan. This study also estimates and compares the capital structure adjustment speed for both firm types. Design/methodology/approach Based on the Karachi Meezan Index screening criterion, a balanced panel of 117 SC and 68 NC firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange from 2008 to 2018 was constituted. This study used the generalized method of moments to identify the significant determinants of capital structure and estimate the speed of adjustment. In addition, the F-test was used to check whether the effect of the determinants on the leverage is same for SC and non-SC firms. Findings The authors found that different determinants affect both firm types' leverage levels (book and market) differently. The authors also found that the adjustment speed of SC firms toward their target leverage ratio is slower than their NC peers. Lastly, significant variation was observed in the results under different screening criteria. Research limitations/implications This study fills the literature gap by providing a comprehensive comparison of the capital structure decisions of the SC and non-SC firms. Because this study is limited to Pakistan, generalizability would be an issue. Practical implications This study will guide the management of SC and non-SC firms about which factors are reliably important in choosing their capital structure. The findings also call for bringing harmony in the different Shariah screening criteria being in practice. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first comparative study that identifies the significant capital structure determinants for SC and NC firms and investigates their effect on the leverage of both firm types. By testing joint hypotheses of same relationship, this study seeks to determine if, because of Shariah restrictions, the capital structure determinants of SC firms are similar to NC firms or they exhibit different behavior. The authors also repeat their analysis using other prominent screening criteria to assess the consistency of their results.

Background Mazri palm ( Nannorrhops ritchiana (Griff) Aitch.) is a member of the family Arecaceae, native to Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. In Pakistan, it is used since long time for various purposes. This species plays a significant cultural and economic role in the daily lives of many rural areas in Pakistan and adjacent countries. However, the handcrafted products made up of this palm are often mainly known by specific local communities rather than by a broader range of people. Methods Eighty-six structured and semi-structured interviews were conducted from Mazri growing areas, villages, and markets of urban centers during the fieldwork that was conducted in diverse regions of Pakistan. Interviewees included 27 Mazri farmers, 17 locals retaining Traditional Knowledge in handcrafting Mazri palm (12 were men and 5 were women), 23 handicrafts experts (21 were men and 2 were women), and 19 sellers. The age of the informants ranged from 14 to 83 years. Study participants shared detailed information about various traditional utilizations of the Mazri palm. Results Mature leaves of Mazri palm are used to produce mats, baskets, hand fans, hats, cages, hot pots, salt pots, brooms, etc. in the sudy area. Hot pots, salt pots, mats, baskets, and ropes represent highly used items. The mats are used for various purposes like drying grains, performing prayers, sitting, and sleeping. As a whole, 39 different kinds of handcrafted products from the leaves were found. Our findings revealed also that other parts of the plant, ie. petioles, fruits, and bark, have been used, although more rarely, by the locals. The palm uses differ accordingly to the different cultural areas of Pakisitan, thus demonstrating that local cultural heritage significantly informs Traditional Knowledge and practices related to the use of Mazri palm. The findings suggest also that this plant represents a crucial resource for the livelihood of the local communities in dry areas of the western borders of Pakistan, starting right from the coastal areas of Baluchistan up to District Bajaur in the North, where other farming activities there are difficult due to drought conditions. Conclusions Traditional Knowledge about the sustainable utilization of Mazri palm is eroded in Pakistan among the younger generations due to rapid globalization and industrialization processes and appropriate strategies for revitalizing this heritage in a sustainable way should be urgently fostered.

Graveyards or sacred groves are often places of natural vegetation protected by spiritual believers because of their sacred beliefs and indigenous culture. A study of graveyards was conducted to determine their role in species conservation, community formation, and associated indicators and species composition using multivariate statistical approaches. It was hypothesized that variations in the age of graveyards would give rise to diverse plant communities under the impact of various edaphic and climatic factors. Quantitative ecological techniques were applied to determine various phytosociological attributes. All the data were put in MS Excel for analysis in PCORD and CANOCO softwares for cluster analysis (CA), two-way cluster analysis (TWCA), indicator species analysis and canonical correspondence analysis. CA and TWCA through Sorenson distance measurements identified five major graveyard plant communities: (1) Ficus – Bougainvillea – Chenopodium ; (2) Acacia – Datura – Convolvulus ; (3) Ziziphus – Vitex – Abutilon ; (4) Acacia – Lantana – Salsola ; and (5) Melia – Rhazya – Peganum . Species such as Capparis decidua , Herniaria hirsuta , Salvadora oliedes and Populus euphratica were only present inside graveyards rather than outside and advocate the role of graveyards in species conservation. The impact of different environmental and climatic variables plus the age of the graveyards were also assessed for comparison of plant communities and their respective indicator species. The results indicate that higher chlorine concentration, age of graveyards, low soil electrical conductivity, lower anthropogenic activities, higher nitrogen, calcium and magnesium concentrations in the soil, and sandy soils were the strong environmental variables playing a significant role in the formation of graveyard plant communities, their associated indicators and species distribution patterns. These results could further be utilized to evaluate the role of edaphic and climatic factors, indicator species and conservation management practices at a greater scale.

Chitosan is a biodegradable and biocompatible natural polymer that has been extensively explored in recent decades. The Food and Drug Administration has approved chitosan for wound treatment and nutritional use. Furthermore, chitosan has paved the way for advancements in different biomedical applications including as a nanocarrier and tissue-engineering scaffold. Its antibacterial, antioxidant, and haemostatic properties make it an excellent option for wound dressings. Because of its hydrophilic nature, chitosan is an ideal starting material for biocompatible and biodegradable hydrogels. To suit specific application demands, chitosan can be combined with fillers, such as hydroxyapatite, to modify the mechanical characteristics of pH-sensitive hydrogels. Furthermore, the cationic characteristics of chitosan have made it a popular choice for gene delivery and cancer therapy. Thus, the use of chitosan nanoparticles in developing novel drug delivery systems has received special attention. This review aims to provide an overview of chitosan-based nanoparticles, focusing on their versatile properties and different applications in biomedical sciences and engineering.

This study uses the gravity model to estimate the effects of food safety regulations implemented by the partner countries on agri‐food exports of China. Annual bilateral trade data are compiled for major agrifood export items of China like apples, kidney beans, garlic, mandarins and orange, meat of swine, and tea. The panel data are estimated using both the fixed‐ and random‐effect models. Results of the study show that all the standard gravity‐type variables carry signs according to prior expectations and economic theory. The study concludes that food safety regulations have no effect on exports of all the selected commodities except meat of swine.

Several studies investigate the various aspects of tobacco at the processing and cigarette manufacturing levels, but the profitability, supply response, and input demand of tobacco farms in Pakistan remain unknown. Our study fills this gap by examining farm-level profitability, input demand, and output supply using survey data of 140 tobacco farms by employing a profit function approach. The results show that tobacco production is not very lucrative at the farm level and farmers are responsive to changes in market prices for the inputs and output. The price of tobacco is the most important determinant of the output supply and demand for inputs, and farmers' response to increasing tobacco prices is positive but inelastic in the study area. The use of variable inputs such as fertilizers, labor, mechanical power, pesticides, and farmyard manure is important in resource allocation decisions in tobacco production. As a result, a price increase for green tobacco leaves would significantly increase the demand for farm inputs such as fertilizers, labor, mechanical power, pesticides, and farmyard manure. Tobacco production is negatively affected by the increasing input prices in the study area. Among the fixed factors, land area has a significant impact on tobacco productivity in the province. The present study is the first to quantify the farm-level input demand and output supply; therefore, based on the findings, the increasing tobacco production requires higher output prices and reasonable input prices.