09 March 2005	Wednesday	27 Muharram 1426

KARACHI, March 8: A journal of basic and applied sciences was launched by a forum of Karachi University (KU) at a ceremony on the campus on Tuesday.

The research journal in English, whose chief editor is Dr Rafeeq Alam Khan, a senior teacher of the Pharmacology department of KU, would be published twice a year, containing original papers, reviews and notes in all the fields of basic and applied sciences.

Speaking as chief guest at the inaugural ceremony, Dr Anwarul Haq, Chairman, Pakistan Council for Science and Industrial Research (PCSIR), appreciated the efforts by the KU teachers and said that the research works at the KU had increased significantly during the recent years.

He said that PCSIR was ready to benefit from the scientific findings of the researches of national importance, which were carried out at HEJ research institute and some other departments of the university, while it had got resources for getting those patented and utilized for commercial and industrial purposes.

In his presidential remarks, the vice-chancellor of the university, Dr Pirzada Qasim, said that time had come that university should not feel complacent over its large enrolment and faculty but it should now provide a base for more qualitative research.

You can join the mainstream of sciences and development activities only when you are ready to find means for your researchers, scholars and intellectuals, he added. He hoped that the journal in question would be published as per the planned frequency, maintaining all norms and standards of research publications and would not serve the purpose of limited individuals or group of scientists of the university.

The dean of the science faculty, Dr Mohammad Qaiser, dean of the Pharmacy faculty, Dr Najma Sultana, the acting director of the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, Dr M Iqbal Chaudhary, editor of the journal, Mohammad Zaheer Khan also spoke on the occasion.

The journal contains seven papers by the university teachers and research students, which were according to Dr Rafiq Alam , were also evaluated for scientific content, technical importance by two independent reviewers of international repute.

In one of the papers on "effect of atypical Anxiolytic drug on stress induced behaviour" it was said that many pathological conditions may be developed in stress such as hyperglycemias, decease activity (due to muscular fatigue) due to low supply of Adenosine Tri Phosphate. Down regulation of many metabolic pathways may be successfully managed by atypical anxiolytic Buspirone, which is non-sedative and non-addictive.

In another paper the pattern of intellectual development was discussed and scientists tried to formulate a differential model, which justified the mentality of a person at every stage of the age.

A paper on "adverse effects of some selected agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals in aquatic environment with reference to amphibians and fish" said that a number of aquatic species were being exposed to small amount of everything from Prozac to perfume to birth control pills that made their way into rivers and streams. Some antidepressant drugs cause development problems in fish, and metamorphosis delays in frogs, the paper included.

Another group of scientists after their works on fluoride content in drinking water suggested that a great emphasis should be given to monitor the occurrence of fluorosis in the northern areas of Pakistan.