Journal of Natural Science Review

Understanding Adverse Drug Effects and The Clinical Pharmacist's Role in Their Management

Farid Ahmad Tanin — 2024-12-30

Pharmacological interventions are the cornerstone of modern medical treatment, designed to address specific diseases, alleviate symptoms, and improve patients' quality of life. However, misconceptions persist regarding drug effects, such as the belief that all pharmacological effects are beneficial and that all side effects are adverse. Clinical Pharmacists (CPs) play a crucial role in managing drug-related problems, but their contributions remain underrecognized in Afghanistan. This study aims to address these misconceptions and emphasize the role of CPs in managing adverse drug effects (ADEs). A comprehensive literature review was conducted to explore the categorization of drug effects and the role of CPs in ADE management. The findings reveal that pharmacological effects are not always the intended effects, and side effects are not always adverse. CPs are vital in identifying risk factors such as polypharmacy and specific drug characteristics, establishing therapeutic goals, and mitigating ADEs. In conclusion, drug ineffectiveness and lack of efficacy should be categorized as ADEs, and side effects that contribute to therapeutic outcomes should not be deemed adverse. Integrating CPs more effectively into healthcare systems is essential to optimize medication management, ensure safer treatments, and enhance patient outcomes.

Prevalence of Common Diseases in Kabul City Broiler Chicken Farms through the Evaluation of Macroscopic Pathological Changes

Mohammad Sangary — 2024-12-30

The poultry industry is a vital segment of the nation's livestock sector, ensuring food security and bolstering economic stability. However, the persistent occurrence of diseases presents a significant challenge, jeopardizing poultry's health and productivity and causing substantial financial losses for farmers. These challenges threaten not only farmers' livelihoods but also the industry's overall sustainability. This cross-sectional study, conducted between August and mid-October 2023, aimed to assess the prevalence of significant poultry diseases to inform effective prevention and mitigation strategies. Findings revealed chronic respiratory disease as the most prevalent condition, affecting 22% of the surveyed chickens, followed by ascites and intestinal inflammation (16% each), infectious bronchitis (12%), infectious bursal disease (10%), and coccidiosis (8%). Identifying common disease strains through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing is recommended to address these challenges. These insights should guide the development of targeted vaccines, enabling the industry to manage disease outbreaks better and ensure long-term sustainability.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Cryptosporidiosis in Cattle in Lashkargah City, Helmand Province of Afghanistan

Assadullah Samadi — 2024-12-30

Cryptosporidiosis is a parasitic zoonotic disease that affects humans and animals and is caused by the protozoa Cryptosporidium spp. This was a descriptive study to determine the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts and its associated risk factors in cattle in Lashkargah City, Helmand province of Afghanistan. One hundred and fifty-seven cattle were selected randomly from the 37 areas of 8 districts of Lashkargah. To confirm the presence of Cryptosporidium spp., a modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique was applied to visualize the oocysts of the protozoa in fecal samples. A pre-designed questionnaire was used to collect additional information regarding demographic, hygienic conditions, and water sources of the animal and human population in the area. From the 157 studied cattle, the oocysts of Cryptosporidium spp. were detected in 3 samples (1.9%). At the same time, 56.1% of the studied villages were near the running water, and in 4.5% of cases, animal waste materials or residues ended up in the water sources. In brief, considering the husbandry practices, farm hygienic conditions, and water sources in the study area, there is a very likely higher prevalence of Cryptosporidium in Helmand province. High-scale province-wide researches are required to determine the incidence and prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in animal and human populations.

Analysis of Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources in Harirod-Murghab River Basin

Asadullah Rahmatzai — 2024-12-30

Climate change represents one of the paramount challenges confronting humanity today. The profound impacts of phenomena such as changes in precipitation patterns, global warming, polar ice melt, floods, and the onset of untimely and extreme temperatures worldwide have instilled a sense of urgency and concern. This critical issue has been placed at the forefront of climate change. To understand the ramifications of climate change on water resources within the Harirud-Marghab River basin, an analysis of average precipitation and temperature variations (including minimum, maximum, and average values) across different time frames (annual, monthly, seasonal, and during wet and dry seasons) has been conducted using data from hydrometeorological stations in the catchment area from 1979 to 2022. the non-parametric Mann-Kendall and PCI methods were chosen as the analytical tools. The findings reveal a notable decline in annual rainfall within the Harirud-Marghab River basin, with a pronounced reduction during the winter, the basin's primary water season. Conversely, an increase in seasonal rainfall has been observed in summer and autumn. Overall, rainfall in this river basin tends to be intense, occurring on limited days throughout the year. Furthermore, a significant rise in the annual average temperature has been documented, alongside fluctuations and changes in water flow across most stations within the basin. Consequently, the surface water resources of the Harirud-Marghab River basin have experienced a substantial decrease, amounting to approximately 29% of its capacity, equivalent to a reduction of 0.98 billion cubic meters of water.

Impacts of Climate-smart Agriculture on Crop Production: A Review

Mohammad Sadiq Salihi — 2024-12-30

Climate change(CC) factors worldwide have negatively impacted crop production. Temperature, precipitation, and greenhouse gas emissions have influenced soil fertility, irrigation resources, plant physiology, and metabolic activities in crops. Afghanistan has also encountered climate change factors, such as drought, that decreased crop production. A technologically sophisticated solution to the problems facing agriculture due to CC is called Climate-smart Agriculture (CSA). Crop rotation, crop residue management, and soil and water conservation are called Climate-smart Agriculture Practices (CSAP). It is reported that CSAP increased water use efficiency and total water storage by 9–68% and 1–13%, respectively. Furthermore, implementation of CSAP increased wheat yield by 30-45%. Although the adaptability of CSA has been investigated, little is known about the impacts of CSA on crop production. Thus, it is necessary to describe the impacts of CC on crop production and investigate widely. The review was stated to provide some understanding and recommendations on earlier studies on the topic. The review's objective is to determine the optimal CSAP that decreases the adverse effects of CC on crop production. Researchers, consultants to farmers, and policymakers can benefit from synthesizing all this information as it may help provide favorable plans to boost crop production by selecting and using relevant CSAP.

Analysis of Export Potential and Trade Direction of Afghanistan Figs in Global Market

Mohammad Ismail Hashime — 2024-12-30

The expansion of Afghanistan's share in the global market is critical for the country's development, particularly given its chronic trade deficit. Although Afghanistan is renowned for producing and exporting high-quality fruits, especially figs, it has not fully utilized its export potential. Based on secondary data from ITC and FAOSTAT, this study analyzed the export performance of Afghan figs from 2000 to 2019. An exponential growth function, the Cuddy-Della-Valle instability Index, Revealed Comparative Advantage indices and Markov chain analysis was employed. The results showed that fig exports grew positively with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.20%, exhibiting low instability. Afghanistan demonstrated significant export potential and maintained a strong and consistent comparative advantage in exporting figs, particularly to Pakistan, followed by India and the UAE. In 2019, the total export potential for Afghan figs was estimated at US$ 211.00 million, compared to an actual export value of US$ 91.60 million. The largest untapped export potential was identified in India, followed by the USA and Canada. While Afghanistan has retained its market share in some regions, it risks losing its share in others. The study recommends reorienting production and marketing systems to address these challenges and align them with global market demands. Additionally, progressive export promotion strategies should be implemented to diversify export destinations and minimize market risks.

Balance Sheet (Kg/Ha) As Influenced by Treatment Combination of TurfVigor, Agriplex, and Fertilizer Levels

Gul Ahmad Zahiryan — 2024-12-30

An investigation on the effect of TurfVigor (microbial fertilizer) and Agriplex (chelated liquid nutrient) along with fertilizer levels on palak, yield, and quality of palak was conducted at the Horticultural Research Station University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, in 2018. This research aims to determine the minimum consumption of nutrients in palak through the soil using a solution of low-consumption elements. Foliar application of TurfVigor at (1%) has increased the leaf area per plant of palak (358.89 Sq.m), and TurfVigor (2%) has increased the total chlorophyll content (0.94mg/g), total dry weight per plant (0.32g) and yield per plot (3.48kg) in the third harvest. The number of leaves per plant and leaf area index were significantly higher (5.98 and 1.39) in the 75 percent recommended dose of fertilizer application. The better performance of these fertilizers could be attributed to producing a maximum number of leaves, dry weight, and total chlorophyll content with a 100 percent fertilizer dose, a spray of 2 percent TurfVigor, and 0.65 percent Agriplex.

A Review on Troubleshooting Effective Factors in Raw Milk Off-Flavor Production: Its Control, Reduction, and Elimination Methods

Mohammad Zaher Sakha — 2024-12-30

Milk, a vital product derived from mammalian mammary glands, is essential for newborn nourishment and widely consumed as a food source. However, various internal and external factors can negatively impact milk’s quality, particularly its odor and flavor, which can limit its marketability and cause significant economic losses for farmers. The olfactory sense, being much more sensitive than the sense of taste, plays a key role in the perception of milk’s freshness. This review aims to evaluate the factors contributing to off-flavors and odors in raw milk and the methods for controlling, reducing, and eliminating these undesirable characteristics. Through the examination of published literature, preventive strategies and treatment options are explored, including heating, vapor treatment, Vitamin E supplementation, food additives, and flavoring agents. Additionally, proper management of nutrition, mastitis, and other influencing factors are discussed as effective ways to prevent off-flavors. By addressing these challenges, the economic situation of farmers can be improved, leading to enhanced milk quality, greater consumer acceptance, and increased profitability in the dairy sector.

Optimization and Characterization of Niosomal Transdermal Patch of Lornoxicam

Azimullah Wafa — 2024-12-30

Lornoxicam has a low solubility; therefore, its oral use is restricted due to its adverse effects on the gastric system. Hence, we intend to design a niosomal transdermal patch of Lornoxicam to improve clinical efficacy and enhance its absorption and penetration through the skin by applying surfactants. Surfactants generally improve the solubility and penetration of the active ingredients. The niosome vesicles are prepared by using the rotary film evaporation technique. The result showed that the percentage entrapment efficacy of unsonicated niosome vesicles was 70.13 ±0.2% and sonicated 72.39 ±0.02% of the optimized formulation. The sonicator apparatus reduced the size of vesicles; hence, the entrapment efficacy of sonicated formulations is greater than that of unsonicated formulations. The in vitro release of optimized niosomal patches formulations (TPF1- TPF2-TPF3) was performed for 6 hours across the egg membrane, where results showed that the maximum release of TPF1 formulation due to less thickness (121 ±1.53 μm) was 90.86%.

Identifying Afghanistan’s Extraordinary Natural Sites for Ecotourism: A Review of Ideal Ecosystems

Lutfullah Safi — 2024-12-30

Ecotourism is a type of nature-based tourism that supports conserving the natural environment. Afghanistan, at the crossroads of Central, West, and South Asia, is a beautiful and diverse nation that could be the best place for ecotourism. Afghanistan's unique geography and rich history make it an ideal ecotourism destination. The study aimed to understand potential ecotourism sites in Afghanistan and the environmental and economic impacts of ecotourism activities. Afghanistan's major ecotourism sites include biodiversity reserves, wildlife, rangelands, forests, lakes, wetlands, tourism sites, valleys, natural caves, deserts, natural springs, and cultural sites. Additionally, food tourism and medicinal plants play a significant role in ecotourism development. The Lonely Planet travel book highlights Afghanistan's appeal as "vastly appealing" due to its former popularity for hiking and nature sightseeing. In the 1970s, Afghanistan attracted over 100,000 tourists annually. Post-Soviet invasion, it experienced a decline. The Ministry of Information and Culture is supporting the growth of foreign tourism in Afghanistan, which rose from 691 visitors in 2021 to 2,300 in 2022. Sustainable ecotourism in Afghanistan demands effective management and planning to overcome misconceptions and bureaucratic obstacles. Afghanistan's ecotourism sites, like the Minaret of Jam, face threats from natural disasters and climate change, including landslides, earthquakes, and heavy snow, exacerbated by climate change. Afghanistan's ecotourism industry, despite its remote location, requires conservation and management, requiring collaboration among private, public, host community, and international organizations for sustainable development.