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This paper investigates the quantum chromodynamics ghost model of dark energy in the framework of f(R,T2)theory. The investigation centers on the non-interacting ghost dark energy model in a Friedmann–Robertson–Walker universe. Various cosmic parameters such as the Hubble parameter, equation of state and deceleration parameter are computed to examine the implications of the ghost dark energy model. Further, it is discovered that the equation of state parameter of ghost dark energy traverses the phantom regime. The stability analysis of this model is conducted using the squared sound speed. This study serves to reconstruct the model of gravity by incorporating dark matter and the ghost dark energy model. Special emphasis is placed on the scenario where the function is defined as f(R,T2)=f1(R)+f2(T2). In this context, our attention is focused on a specific model that allows for the use of the standard continuity equation in this modified theory. The conclusion drawn is that the reconstructed ghost dark energy model in the framework of f(R,T2)gravity exhibit phantom or quintessence eras of the cosmos, describing the accelerated expansion of the universe. This exploration sheds light on the complex interplay between quantum chromodynamics, dark energy and modified theories of gravity, offering valuable insights into the dynamics of the cosmos at large scales.

Background: Antrochoanal polyps (ACPs) are pathologically benign nasal swellings. The maxillary sinus is the commonest reported origin. The polyps are usually unilateral and often exit through the progressively widened maxillary sinus ostium to occupy the choana and may reach the nasopharynx. It is a disease of adolescents and young adults who often present with progressive unilateral nasal obstruction. Encountering bilateral antrochoanal polyps is very rare. Case presentation: We report a forty years old male who had progressive bilateral nasal obstruction for 8 years associated with hyposmia and intermittent facial pain and headaches. A nasal mass could be seen on anterior rhinoscopy on both sides, more prominent on the left. Endoscopy revealed bilateral masses hanging down the choanae. Computerized tomography scan of the nose and paranasal sinuses demonstrated bilateral nasal polypi and widening of the maxillary sinus ostia. During endoscopic surgical excision of the lesions, polypi were found to dilate the ostia of both maxillary sinuses. The polypi had antral, nasal, and choanal parts typical of antrochoanal polypi on both sides. The histopathology showed the inflammatory nature characteristic of antrochoanal polyp. Postoperatively, the patient’s symptoms resolved dramatically, and he is on continuous regular scheduled follow-up. Conclusion: Bilateral antrochoanal polyps can present with nasal obstruction and can be misdiagnosed as sinusitis; radiological and endoscopic features are useful to reach specific diagnosis; what is special about our presentation is that it is an addition to the literature of a rare disease (bilateral ACPs), and we are reporting it in an older age rather than the common younger age of presentation in the literature reports, which is an addition to the demographic data.

Background: Sinonasal masses are not an uncommon spectrum of diseases. They are frequently encountered in Sudan, sometimes with variability in modalities across the country. The objective of this study is to document the pattern of sinonasal masses in Sudanese patients and to highlight the knowledge of the modalities, clinical presentations, and management. As a consequence, this will raise awareness especially of the general practitioners and family physicians and hence the community locally and regionally. Early diagnosis and appropriate management can reduce the rate of recurrence, fatal complications, and hence morbidity and mortality. Methods: This is a prospective descriptive, comparative hospital-based study conducted from January 2020 to January 2021. All patients with sinonasal masses, who came to Khartoum ENT Teaching Hospital seeking medical advice during the above-mentioned period were included in the study provided they satisfy the inclusion criteria. Enrollment was optional with the right to withdraw at any time. Consent was verbal with the reassurance about the aspect of confidentiality, privacy, and consent of the data. Ethical clearance was obtained from the ethical committee (EDC) SMSB and from the research committee of Khartoum teaching hospital. Analysis was done using a computer and the statistical package of social sciences SPSS V.25 Results: A total number of 244 patients were studied. The age group of 21–40 years was the most encountered with the disease (42.6%). Two hundred three patients (83%) had a non-neoplastic disease, (9%) benign neoplastic lesions, and (8%) malignant neoplastic lesions. The non-neoplastic group was dominated by nasal polyposis of which the fungal were the most common (50%). Among benign neoplastic lesions, pyogenic granuloma ranked first (24%). Among malignant neoplastic lesions, squamous cell carcinoma dominated the epithelial origin lesions (71%) and Rhabdomyosarcoma dominated the connective tissue cell types (50%). Nasal obstruction is the most common complaint (94.7%) followed by nasal discharge (64.8%) then anosmia (53.3%). Endoscopic surgery was done in (84.4%) of patients, combined approach endoscopic and open surgery in (5.3%) while open surgery alone was done in 2.5%. Radiation and chemotherapy were used in 2% each, while chemo-radiation was used in (2.5%). The rest of the cases (1.3%) were managed by surgery followed by chemoradiation. Conclusion: Patients with sinonasal masses in Sudan especially the age group 21–40 years must be seen in specialized Otolaryngology clinics to pick, diagnose and treat significant diseases in an early stage. Radiology and histopathology are a must in sinonasal swellings to diagnose malignant diseases at an early stage. Nasosinus fungal polyposis being the commonest in non-neoplastic lesions, the commonest among all sinonasal masses added together, and a known reported endemic disease in the country must receive special consideration and investigation for early diagnosis and treatment.

High-power lasers can produce high-energy gamma rays, charged particles, and neutrons and induce various types of nuclear reactions. In Extreme Light Infrastructure Nuclear Physics (ELI-NP), Romania, high-power lasers are entering a new realm of 10 PW peak power, capable of obtaining a focused intensity of 1023Wcm–2. Such an intense laser pulse will be used for studies relevant to nuclear physics, high-field physics, and quantum electrodynamics, or the combination of laser gamma experiments. Here, we describe how a laser is used to drive high-energy photons and accelerate electrons and protons. These particles can be used for secondary interactions in nuclear physics. Laser-driven nuclear physics can be a source of nuclear isomers for applications in medicine and astrophysics.

Background: Acute sinusitis is not an uncommon disease that manifests with inflammation of the mucosal lining of the paranasal sinuses. It has varied etiologies including viral, bacterial, fungal, and allergic. Anatomical variations, trauma, auto-immunity, diabetes mellitus, and dental procedures are predisposing factors. With the wide variation in the etiological factors, the management could be tricky. This study is quite relevant with the advent of the relentlessly persisting COVID-19 pandemic which affects the upper respiratory tract as well. Methods: This is a descriptive hospital-based prospective study conducted at the Khartoum ENT Teaching Hospital, Ibnsina Teaching Hospital, Omdurman Military Hospital, and Omdurman Teaching Hospital in Khartoum State in the period from March 2020 to February 2021. The study included all patients 18 years and older diagnosed with acute sinusitis. The data was collected by a well-structured questionnaire designed to meet the objectives of the study and analyzed using SPSS 20. Any COVID-19 suspect is excluded from the study. Results: The total number of patients was 109; of them, 59 (54.1%) were females and 50 (45.9%) were males, and the female to male ratio was 1.18:1. One hundred seven (98.2%) patients received medical treatment and two patients (1.8%) did take the medications. Eighty-one patients (74.3%) were cured with medical treatment and only 28 patients (25.7%) needed surgical intervention. The age group from 25 to 40 years old was the most affected, accounting for 68 patients (62.4%), and the above 60 years old (3.7%) was the least affected group. Conclusion: Acute sinusitis is not an uncommon disease, if addressed properly and timely is medically treatable in most cases apart from complicated cases. This study shows that the active working ages (25-40) were the most affected. Few patients needed surgery (FESS). Negligence could result in complications. Diseases like COVID-19 affect the upper respiratory tract, and there is a similarity in symptoms, and in the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic nowadays, differentiation is of paramount importance.

Background: Stapedotomy is being performed endoscopically for otosclerosis in Sudan since 2011 with increasing number of patients. This prospective hospital-based study from Nov 2016 to Nov 2020 states the clinic-demographic features of otosclerosis; it describes this surgical technique and hearing outcome following endoscopic stapedotomy. Results: Total number included in the study was 91 patients. Females were 48, and males were 43 with a female to male ratio of 1.1:1. Age ranged from 19 years to 52 with a mean age of 30.6± 7 SD years. The main symptom was decreased hearing in all patients (100%); in 82 patients (90%), it was bilateral, followed by tinnitus in 80 patients (88%) while two patients (2.2%) had vertigo. Family history was stated by 2 patients (2.2%) only. Audiological assessment by pure tone audiogram (PTA) for each ear (total of 182) revealed that conductive hearing loss (CHL) is the commonest type of hearing loss in 148 ears (81.3%), mixed type in 30 ears (16.5%), while 4 ears (2.2%) were normal. Conclusions: Endoscopic stapedotomy is a safe and effective procedure with a steep learning curve and a satisfactory hearing outcome. The air bone gap (ABG) gain was comparable to international studies.

We examined the measurement and the diagnostic value of cerebrospinal fluid interleukin-6 (CSF IL-6) in meningitis. The cytokine was measured by bioassay (B9 hybridoma cell line) and by immunoassay (in-house radioimmunoassay). We compared the diagnostic value of CSF IL-6 determination with that of other biochemical markers of meningitis.Although there was significant correlation between bioactive and immunoactive IL-6 (r= 0·724, P< 0·001), results were frequently different with biological/immunological ratios ranging from 0·2 to 24·3 (mean 4·6). Gel permeation chromatography suggested that the discrepancy in biological and immunological activities was not due to molecular heterogeneity, but may be explained by the presence of a synergistic factor. Interleukin-6 concentration was markedly elevated in CSF from most patients with bacterial meningitis compared to patients with viral meningitis and those without evidence of infection. However, low IL-6 levels by radioimmunoassay did not exclude bacterial meningitis (sensitivity 86%). CSF total protein and CSF glucose were significantly different between all three groups, but there was no significant difference in lactate concentration between virally infected and normal CSF, both of which had lower lactate concentrations than those in bacterial infection.CSF IL-6 measurement had greater sensitivity, specificity and predictive value than these other biochemical markers, and hence a rapid assay for IL-6 in CSF may contribute to the early diagnosis of bacterial infection.

Alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol (a-T, ß-T, ?-T and s-T) were determined in peanut (Arachis hypogaeaL.) cultivars Florunner, Sunrunner, Southern Runner, AT-127, GK-7, NC-7, NC-9 and GK-3. There were significant differences in tocopherol content among runner- and virginia-type peanut cultivars, and these differences were affected by the degree of maturation. a-T decreased with maturation for all of the cultivars except Florunner. ?-T increased with maturation for GK-7, NC-9 and GK-3 but decreased for Florunner. For the mature nuts, Florunner and NC-9 had the highest levels of a-T while GK-3 and Southern Runner had the lowest levels. GK-7 and Sunrunner had the highest levels of ?-T, while the lowest levels were in Florunner and GK-3.

Abstract: Alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol (α-T, β-T, γ-T and σ-T) were determined in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) cultivars Florunner, Sunrunner, Southern Runner, AT-127, GK-7, NC-7, NC-9 and GK-3. There were significant differences in tocopherol content among runner- and virginia-type peanut cultivars, and these differences were affected by the degree of maturation. α-T decreased with maturation for all of the cultivars except Florunner. γ-T increased with maturation for GK-7, NC-9 and GK-3 but decreased for Florunner. For the mature nuts, Florunner and NC-9 had the highest levels of α-T while GK-3 and Southern Runner had the lowest levels. GK-7 and Sunrunner had the highest levels of γ-T, while the lowest levels were in Florunner and GK-3.

This is a continuation part of our investigation in which the second order nonlinear rational difference equation xn+1=(a+ßxn+?xn-1)/(A+Bxn+Cxn-1), n=0,1,2,…, where the parameters A=0 and B, C, a, ß, ? are positive real numbers and the initial conditions x-1, x0 are nonnegative real numbers such that A+Bx0+Cx-1>0, is considered. The first part handled the global asymptotic stability of the hyperbolic equilibrium solution of the equation. Our concentration in this part is on the global asymptotic stability of the nonhyperbolic equilibrium solution of the equation.

Our goal in this paper is to investigate the global asymptotic stability of the hyperbolic equilibrium solution of the second order rational difference equation xn+1=a+ßxn+?xn-1/A+Bxn+Cxn-1, n=0,1,2,…, where the parameters A=0 and B, C, a, ß, ? are positive real numbers and the initial conditions x-1, x0 are nonnegative real numbers such that A+Bx0+Cx-1>0. In particular, we solve Conjecture 5.201.1 proposed by Camouzis and Ladas in their book (2008) which appeared previously in Conjecture 11.4.2 in Kulenovic and Ladas monograph (2002).

Circulating levels and role of IL-6, IL-1ra, TNFsr-II and CRP in patients with heatstroke is not fully known. This study correlated levels of these mediators with outcome in 26 patients. In survivors (n=20), IL-6 concentration declined on cooling, whereas in non-survivors levels continued to increase at 6 h following admission before declining. Admission TNFsr-II concentrations in survivors were significantly lower than non-survivors and levels continued to rise in both groups. IL-1ra levels were markedly elevated in both groups. Changes in cytokine levels were not influenced by renal function. Elevated C-reactive protein levels were observed for both groups and remained so despite cooling, furthermore, there was no correlation with alanine aminotransferase levels. The study demonstrated the elevation of the above mediators and suggested a role in the pathogenesis of heatstroke. Markedly elevated levels or those that remained elevated despite cooling were associated with mortality.

Study objective – The aim of the study was to determine whether the deleterious effects of anaesthesia on cardiac muscle function were due to disturbance of protein synthesis. Comparative investigations were made on anaerobic and aerobic skeletal muscles, and plasma insulin and growth hormone levels were also measured to see if these were mediating factors. Design – Rats were subjected to acute methoxy-fluorane anaesthesia for 10 min. At the end of the study they were killed and plasma growth hormone and insulin were measured. Rates of cardiac and skeletal muscle protein synthesis were also determined with a flooding dose of L[4-3H]phenylalanine. Experimental material – Muscle samples were obtained from male Sprague-Dawley rats, weight 191-222 g. Measurements and main results – Anaesthesia reduced the fractional rate of myocardial mixed protein synthesis and synthesis relative to RNA (p<0.05). The anaesthesia induced decrease in the synthesis rates of cardiac contractile proteins (p<0.05) was greater than the decrease in the non-contractile protein fractions (p>0.05). Soleus (aerobic, Type I) and plantaris (anaerobic, Type II) muscle rates of protein synthesis were unaltered in response to anaesthesia (p>0.05). Plasma insulin concentrations increased in response to acute anaesthesia (p<0.05), but the insulin effect was depressed by the flooding dose of phenylalanine (p<0.05). Plasma growth hormone levels were not altered in response to anaesthesia (p>0.05). Thus, the changes in cardiac protein synthesis could not be ascribed to these hormones. Conclusions – Synthesis of cardiac contractile proteins is selectively sensitive to the effects of acute anaesthesia even in the presence of high plasma insulin concentrations. The fall in cardiac protein synthesis may be a result of the negative inotropic effects of general anaesthesia.

Heat Stroke (HS) is frequently fatal illness that usually occurs episodically as clusters of patients presenting to the emergency room. We have studied 26 patients with HS incurred during the religious pilgrimage to Makkah at (0, 6, 12, 24 hr) and found that the level of IL-Ira, TNF SR II and IL-6 are elevated. It appears such elevation are required for and are part of acute phase response and recovery. However markedly elevated cytokines are associated with mortality. We also found the precursors to the hormone calcitonin: Procalcitonin are greatly increased in patients with this condition. Although serum levels are high upon admission (3.4±1.0 ng/ml vs 0.17±0.04 ng/ml for a febrile emergency room control (P=0.012), even higher levels occured at 6 hours 25.1±6.4 ng/ml, (P<0.0001). Among the 6 patients who died 4 of them had levels indistinguishable from control subjects, the other 2 patients who had high levels, had additional medical complications. Chi-square analysis of categorized Pro CT revealed a significant positive correlation between Pro CT and survival. Our study shows that the level of IL-Ira, TNF SR II and IL-6 are increased in HS and associated with mortality and also it may suggest that the hyperprocalcitoninemia may be related to the post-injury cytokine cascade. The mechanism by which hyperprocalcitoninemic response is elicited in surviving HS patients, but fail to occur in most of those who do not survive requires further study.