Naureen Aziz Qureshi

Chitin based polyurethanes using hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene, Part II: Morphological studies

Chitin-hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) based polyurethane (PU) was prepared and structure of the pre-designed PU was confirmed using FT-IR spectrometer. The FT-IR analysis confirmed that the crosslinking density increased with increasing the chitin contents in the final PU. During the detailed FT-IR study, it was observed that tri-functional character of chitin is responsible for the formation of network structure. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis also confirmed the cross-linked structure of the material. The amount of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen elements obtained from EDX-SEM microanalysis also supported the results. The resistance in solubility against the solvent also confirmed the crosslinking behavior of the prepared polyurethane.

On a new record of the genus Uca (Decapoda, Brachyura, Ocypodidae) found along the coast of Pakistan

This is the first record from Pakistan of Uca iranica Pretzmann, 1971, a species that occurs in mangrove areas. U. iranica now appears to be one of the frequently and abundantly distributed Uca species on the coast of Pakistan. This species was previously reported from the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. To date, four species of Uca known from Pakistan have been confirmed.