National Journal of Biological Sciences

SEAWEED SELECTION: EXPLORING BEST TYPE FOR BIOPLASTIC PRODUCTION

Tanveer Majeed — 2023-12-31

Extensive research has been conducted on
biodegradable materials due to the growing
worldwide concern about plastic pollution
and the hunt for sustainable alternatives.
Because of their environmentally beneficial
qualities, bioplastics made from seaweed
have become one of these alternatives' most
promising solutions. The unique
characteristics of seaweed-derived alginate
aid in the creation of biodegradable polymers
with prospective uses in a range of sectors.
The article looks at several types of
bioplastics, such as those made of cellulose,
polylactic acid, starch, and
polyhydroxyalkanoates. Even though these
bioplastics have made significant progress,
alginate-based bioplastics highlight their
enormous potential as a substitute for
conventional plastics. Their adaptable
qualities—such as excellent biodegradability,
tunable mechanical strength, flexibility,
environmental friendliness, and
renewability—make them ideal for a variety
of uses, including 3D printing, packaging,
and agricultural applications. The
performance and scalability of alginate-based
bioplastics might be further improved by the
current research and development in this
area.

Distinguishing Iron Deficiency Anemia from Anemia of Chronic Disease Using Hematological Measures

Wahid Ullah — 2023-12-31

Anemia is a serious public health concern in
today’s world which is particularly affecting
young children, pregnant women,
menstruating adolescent girls and women.
The two most common causes of anemia are
iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and anemia of
chronic disease (ACD), often known as
anemia of inflammation. This study aim was
to assess the levels of certain hematological
parameters, including Hemoglobin
Estimation, Mean Corpuscular Volume
(MCV), Serum Ferritin, Serum TIBC,
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate and C -
reactive protein to clearly differentiate
between iron deficiency anemia and anemia
of chronic disease. The study was conducted
in Department of Medical Lab Technology,
Riphah International University, Islamabad
from September 01, 2023 to January 01,
2024. A total of 109 samples with 59 of iron
deficiency anemia patients and 50 patients of
Anemia of chronic disease were assessed for
differentiation be these two diseases. The
significant level was selected with p-value
less than 0.05. Hemoglobin estimation,
TIBC, and ESR were significant in our
investigation as their p-values were less than
0.05. Hence, it concluded that Hemoglobin
estimation, total Iron Binding Capacity and
Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate were
Hematological parameters that distinguished
between Iron Deficiency Anemia and
Anemia of Chronic Disease.

AN OUTBREAK OF CUTANEOUS LEISHMANIASIS IN THE LOCAL POPULATION OF DIR UPPER, PAKISTAN

Naseer Ullah — 2023-12-31

Leishmaniasis is an infectious disease caused
by intracellular parasitic protozoans
belonging to a genus of flagellate protozoa
called Leishmania. More than 25 species of
the genus Leishmania are present worldwide
in which several species are pathogenic to
humans. In many cases, cutaneous infection
is formed but some species cause
subcutaneous or deeper tissues and visceral
infection. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a skin
disease caused by Leishmania topica. This
disease is transmitted by sandflies. The
disease is endemic along the entire Western
border of Pakistan. During the present
research, the samples were collected from
infected people in different areas of Dir
Upper. A total of 548 samples were
collected among which 346 (63%) were
positive cases. In the infected people, 297
(86%) were from the local population and 59
(14%) from Afghan refugees. A total of 235
(68%) males and 111(32%) females were
affected. The high prevalence rate (48.5%)
was noticed in the age of 11-20 years old
people. The prevalence rate between the age
of 0-10 was 29.1%. The low prevalence rate
(13.6%) was noticed in the people over 30
years. Mostly one lesion was noticed in
affected people (69%). The patients with
two lesions were 22%. The numbers of
affected persons with more than two active
lesions were little in number i. e. 8.3%. Most
of the lesions were reported on the face
(36.1%). The second affected part of the
body noticed in the study was hand (26.5%).
Most of the lesions were dry (81%). It is
concluded that a high prevalence rate was
observed. People’s awareness is very
necessary.

SUNFLOWER GROWTH AND YIELD IN RESPONSE TO COMBINED APPLICATION OF FARMYARD MANURE AND INORGANIC FERTILIZERS (NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS)

Asif Ali Kaleri — 2024-04-25

The research was conducted in 2022 in the
Agronomy Student's Experiment Farm at
Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam. It
used a complete block design with
randomization. The main goal was to
evaluate how much adding different amounts
of FYM and nitrogen-phosphorus affected
the growth and seed production ability of
sunflowers. The research had five different
FYM options and nitrogen-phosphorus
levels. The HO-1 variety was given these
treatments. The assigned treatments were as
follows: T1 = control (no FYM, 0 kg/ha
nitrogen and 0 kg/ha phosphorus); T2 =
adding a small amount of farmyard manure
plus some extra nutrients in the form of
nitrogen at a rate of 30kg per hectare, along
with an additional quantity of 15 kg per
hectare. The best results were seen in T5 (5
tons of farm FYM + fertilizers, with 120 kg
per hectare of nitrogen and 50 kg per hectare
of phosphorus). This method resulted in the
most plants on a square meter (9.11), the
tallest plant growth at about 248.8 cm high;
T5 was closely followed with good results (a
lot of FYM plus 120 kg per hectare nitrogen
and 50 kg phosphorus). The research
indicates that the optimal combination for
enhancing sunflower growth and yield
includes applying 120 kg ha-1 of nitrogen, 50
kg ha-1 of phosphorus, and incorporating 5
tons of FYM

A MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF NEW SUID REMAINS OF GENUS PROPOTAMOCHOERUS FROM THE SIWALIK BEDS OF DISTRICT JHELUM, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Amir Nadeem — 2024-09-27

Dental remains of Propotamochoerus (Mammalia, Suidae) have been recently discovered and documented in the Middle Siwalik beds near Hasnot, a region in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The Jhelum district serves as the location where the fossils in question were found. A single tooth was extracted from the individual's left second maxillary molar, and this tooth is the component that is being discussed. The suids that belonged to the genus Propotamochoerus ranged in size from very small to quite enormous. An upper second molar on the left side is the focus of the investigation that is now being carried out because it provides insightful information regarding the essential dental traits of this particular genus. A detailed morphometric analysis of the tooth shows its relevant placement in the given genus. This particular tooth that was unearthed has the potential to contribute to the existing body of knowledge concerning the species that have been documented from the Siwaliks of Pakistan.