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Introduction: Data collection using paper-based questionnaires can be time consuming and return errors affect data accuracy, completeness, and information quality in health surveys. We compared smartphone and paper-based data collection systems in the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study in rural Sudan. Methods: This exploratory pilot study was designed to run in parallel with the cross-sectional household survey. The Open Data Kit was used to programme questionnaires in Arabic into smartphones. We included 100 study participants (83% women; median age = 41.5 ± 16.4 years) from the BOLD study from 3 rural villages in East-Gezira and Kamleen localities of Gezira state, Sudan. Questionnaire data were collected using smartphone and paper-based technologies simultaneously. We used Kappa statistics and inter-rater class coefficient to test agreement between the two methods. Results: Symptoms reported included cough (24%), phlegm (15%), wheezing (17%), and shortness of breath (18%). One in five were or had been cigarette smokers. The two data collection methods varied between perfect to slight agreement across the 204 variables evaluated (Kappa varied between 1.00 and 0.02 and inter-rater coefficient between 1.00 and -0.12). Errors were most commonly seen with paper questionnaires (83% of errors seen) vs smartphones (17% of errors seen) administered questionnaires with questions with complex skip-patterns being a major source of errors in paper questionnaires. Automated checks and validations in smartphone-administered questionnaires avoided skip-pattern related errors. Incomplete and inconsistent records were more likely seen on paper questionnaires. Conclusion: Compared to paper-based data collection, smartphone technology worked well for data collection in the study, which was conducted in a challenging rural environment in Sudan. This approach provided timely, quality data with fewer errors and inconsistencies compared to paper-based data collection. We recommend this method for future BOLD studies and other population-based studies in similar settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to explore and resolve the worse situation of motivation which is too often missing in Sudanese secondary students' classrooms and without it success in learning EFL is improbable. In order to solve this problem, the paper is conducted in some secondary schools of the Gezira State making use of three tools: the previous studies, the direct observations and the guided interviews in order to obtain valuable information. Then, the study comes out with the fact that, the bad situation of motivation in EFL Classrooms of secondary schools is due to many factors of which are: teachers and their training, schools, families and the lack of developing programmes which maintain students' interest. Then, the reasons for this worse situation of motivation in EFL Classrooms of secondary schools are discussed and the remedies are recommended as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Natural Sciences, Life & Applied Sciences is the property of Arab Journal of Sciences & Research Publishing (AJSRP) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: The analysis undertaken in this paper applies a multimarket model to simulate two policy measures based on the assumption that the government of Sudan would pursue two policies on the Gezira scheme the biggest irrigated scheme in Africa in attempts to achieve food self-sufficiency from wheat (major food crop), or to improve the foreign exchange earnings from cotton (major cash crop) through expanding their portions of cultivated land. The paper investigates the implications of each scenario on crops output, food self-sufficiency indicators and tenants’ welfare. Findings show that, the food security scenario raises self-sufficiency from wheat by 40% and reduces it for sorghum by 4%. However, it reduces the welfare level as the earnings from exports and revenues from tariffs decline. The foreign earning scenario on the other hand, improves the overall foreign earnings and enhances farmers’ welfare. Nonetheless, the study suggests that none of the two policies would achieve both objectives alone, hence it is recommended that, both policies are to be considered in a policy package that considers as well other related components. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper analyses the changing patterns of infection with Schistosoma mansoni and S. haematobium in the Gezira Irrigation Scheme, Sudan. Taking a historical perspective, it shows the way in which factors such as ecology, biology, social and economic variables and politics have shaped patterns of infection, and how different kinds of strategies have been developed to control schistosomal infection over time. Wider political and economic issues at both national and international levels have shaped these strategies, influencing the prevalence and intensity of schistosomal infection at a local level. By highlighting the inter-play between the above-mentioned factors, the article reflects on the wisdom of prioritizing community-directed mass drug administration for the control of schistosomiasis in Gezira and elsewhere. The review demonstrates that not all efforts to control schistosomiasis are sustainable. A comprehensive control strategy involving political commitment, community participation and socioeconomic development is important for sustainable control of schistosomal infection. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Information on irrigation indicators is needed to improve irrigation management. The objective of this paper is to assess the irrigation performance of the Gezira Scheme, Sudan. Data on climatic elements, irrigation water supply and crop yield for the period 1961-2010 integrated with remote sensing data from 2000 to 2014 are used. Crop evapotranspirations (ETc) are determined by FAO 56 reference evapotranspiration (ETo) with derived crop coefficients (kc) and the actual evapotranspiration (ETa) is estimated using FAO 33. Irrigation efficiency indicators, Relative Irrigation Supply (RIS) and Relative Water Supply (RWS), are calculated. Potential rainwater supply to crop is tested based on Moisture Availability Index (MAI) and Ratio of Moisture Availability (RMA). Furthermore, Water Use Efficiency (WUE) is used to assess the water productivity. For the spatial drought assessment, a modified Vegetation Condition Index (MVCI) derived from remotely-sensed data is used. The results of RIS and RWS show respectively that the irrigation efficiency has decreased since 1993/1994 from 1.40 and 1.70 to 2.23 and 2.60, respectively. MAI for cotton and sorghum presents moderate deficit values (0.4 to 0.68) in July and August. RMA has an average value of 0.67, 0.49 and 0.46 in July for cotton, groundnut and sorghum, respectively, indicating a promising rainfall contribution to irrigation. The Gezira Scheme achieves low WUE in comparison to many irrigation schemes of the globe. Based on the MVCI analysis, the northern part of the scheme experiences characteristic drought during the summer crop season whereas irrigation water is abundantly available during the winter. In conclusion, the overall water availability is higher than the demand; most likely the rain is not considered in irrigation scheduling. Low productivity is mainly due to poor distribution and irrigation mismanagement. Rain and drained irrigation water harvesting could be addressed in the scheme for balancing the demand and supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, the variance and the expected income–variance risk analysis concepts are used to identify risk sources and attitudes among the Gezira Scheme tenants. Moreover, the study aimed at identifying which crop combination under risk consideration is closer to tenants’ preference. The results showed that sorghum has a high yield variance followed by cotton, wheat, and groundnut. Cotton has the highest output price variance and cost variance than the other crops produced in the scheme. Main risk sources of wheat are output prices, input prices and yield. Although sorghum is riskier in terms of its own variance of gross margins, it remains attractive to the tenants. This is because its gross margins are negatively covariate with the cotton resulting in a more stable total aggregate gross margin. Comparing the results of quadratic risk programming with crop combinations from the tenants point of view scenario, the fourth scenario (with target income of US $994) is the closest crop combination to the tenants’ preference and the tenants in the Gezira Scheme behave in a risk aversion way. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper reports a study of the LifeStraw™ in El-Masraf camp within Gezira State, Sudan. A total of 647 eligible subjects participated in the study. Two week incidence of diarrhoeal rates were estimated by a community survey some four months before and again four months after provision of the LifeStraw™. In addition counts were kept of people attending at the community clinic with diarrhoea. Compliance rates were good with 86.5% of people saying they always used it and only 3.7% saying they had never used it. In a before implementation survey 15.3% of participants reported diarrhoea in the previous 2 weeks compared with only 2.3% in a survey after implementation. Similarly 58 people presented to the clinic as a new case of diarrhoea in the four months before compared with only six in the four months after implementation. When compared with diarrhoeal attendances at the regional hospital, this was a statistically significant decline in attendances ( p < 0.0001). The LifeStraw™ is likely to find a role as an adjunct to water quality interventions aimed at the home. However, more research is needed to assess the long-term impact and uptake of these devices before their definitive value can be assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Financial, Accounting & Managerial Studies is the property of Journal of Financial, Accounting & Managerial Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background Malaria vector control in Sudan relies mainly on indoor residual spraying (IRS) and the use of long lasting insecticide treated bed nets (LLINs). Monitoring insecticide resistance in the main Sudanese malaria vector, Anopheles arabiensis, is essential for planning and implementing an effective vector control program in this country. Methods WHO susceptibility tests were used to monitor resistance to insecticides from all four WHOapproved classes of insecticide at four sentinel sites in Gezira state over a three year period. Insecticide resistance mechanisms were studied using PCR and microarray analyses. Results WHO susceptibility tests showed that Anopheles arabiensis from all sites were fully susceptible to bendiocarb and fenitrothion for the duration of the study (2008-2011). However, resistance to DDT and pyrethroids was detected at three sites, with strong seasonal variations evident at all sites. The 1014 F kdr allele was significantly associated with resistance to pyrethroids and DDT (P < 0.001) with extremely high effects sizes (OR > 7 in allelic tests). The 1014S allele was not detected in any of the populations tested. Microarray analysis of the permethrin-resistant population of An. arabiensis from Wad Medani identified a number of metabolic genes that were significantly over-transcribed in the field-collected resistant samples when compared to the susceptible Sudanese An. arabiensis Dongola strain. These included CYP6M2 and CYP6P3, two genes previously implicated in pyrethroid resistance in Anopheles gambiae s.s, and the epsilon-class glutathione-S-transferase, GSTe4. Conclusions These data suggest that both target-site mechanisms and metabolic mechanisms play an important role in conferring pyrethroid resistance in An. arabiensis from Sudan. Identification in An. arabiensis of candidate loci that have been implicated in the resistance phenotype in An. gambiae requires further investigation to confirm the role of these genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study on rural poultry production, management and health was conducted at six randomly selected villages in the south district of Gezira state in central Sudan. Hundred rural farmers were interviewed using a set of questionnaire. A scavenging system is commonly practiced by the farmers in all villages. Females contributed significantly the highest percentage of the farmers, with 64% versus 46% (males). The farmers prefer local breeds (77% of farmers). The majority of the farmers who rare local breeds are illiterate or with merely primary education (43/77), and they also do not use proper housing or feeding the chickens, vaccination against diseases, and with no use of medication and are not willing to vaccinate. Moreover, they also do not provide water, and even if they do, it is usually dirty as they do not clean it. Meanwhile, the farmers who keep cross breeds are mainly secondary school or university graduates (13/23). This particular group provide a better managerial aspect in constructing a poultry house that provides poultry rations or household withdrawal plus grains or poultry ration. In addition, they are also vaccinated against Newcastle disease, use medication against external and internal parasites, provide feeders and drinkers and clean them periodically. The highest flock size (more than 70 chicken including young chicks) was found to be owned by more literate farmers who keep cross breeds as compared to the local breed kept by illiterate fanners (13/23 and 3/23 cross breeds were kept by more literate and illiterate farmers, respectively). The farmers keep local breeds mainly for self sustain (eggs and meat) and others keep cross breeds for income and mainly egg production. Hatchability percentage is slightly high in local breeds compared to cross breeds and is preferred during winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Ottoman sources for the Funj sultanate that ruled the Gezira and Nile Valley regions of the modern Sudan. It also aims to elucidate the relationship between the Ottoman empire and the Funj sultanate. In the first part of the article, the sixteenth-century Ottoman sources, largely documents from the Ottoman archives in Istanbul, are translated and analysed. In the second part, two seventeenth-century Ottoman accounts of the Funj are examined: that by the famous Ottoman traveller Evliya Çelebi, and that by the geographer Abu Bekr el-Dimaşki. The text of the relevant passage from Dimaşki's work is provided alongside a translation. The article also examines evidence for religious links between the Ottomans and the Funj. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Retinoblastoma (RB) is a rare and unique cancer that affects the eyes of very young children. There are few reports on RB in Sudan. Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective study of data from patients diagnosed with retinoblastoma between January 1999 and December 2009 at the National Cancer Institute in Gezira (NCI-Gezira). Results: Of the 519 cases of childhood cancer treated at NCI-Gezira during the study period, 25 (4.8%) were retinoblastoma. Of these 25 patients with retinoblastoma, there were 13 boys and 19 cases were unilateral. The median age at diagnosis was 36 months (range, 8--60 months). The disease was localized in 9 patients, regional in 5 patients, and metastatic in 11 patients. The most frequent symptoms were enlarged eye (n == 14) and leukocoria (n == 8). Nine patients (36%) have been lost to follow-up; 9 were alive at last follow-up (7 in remission, 2 progressed); and 7 have died (5 from disease and 2 from unrelated causes). Twenty-two eyes were enucleated in 16 patients (6 bilateral and 10 unilateral). Pathologic examination of the enucleated eyes could only be completed in 11 patients. Diagnostic imaging in the form of computerized tomography scans or ultrasonography of the brain and orbit was done for 10 patients (40%). Conclusions: Although these findings are not surprising, and similar to reports from other developing countries, we hope our work will provide a foundation for strategies to improve outcome for retinoblastoma in our center such as proper training, public awareness, team approach, and twinning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Home care of under-five children is one of the most important interventions in the control of diarrheal diseases. It has a significant impact in reducing childhood mortality and morbidity. Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of health education on home care of under- five children with diarrheal disease. Materials and Methods: This is a quasi- experimental study, held in Al Maki neighborhood, which is located in Greater Wad Medani locality, Gezira State, Central Sudan. The study targeted a random sample of 118 mothers who have at least one child under- five years of age with diarrhea needing home management. The study was conducted in three phases. Phase one was a base line survey for the mothers. Intervention phase including different health education approaches, home visits, group sessions and distribution of mother cards through community volunteers and researchers. Post intervention survey using the same pre-intervention questionnaire, and observation of mothers managing their children. Results: Results showed that knowledge of mothers about definition of diarrhea, its danger, when to seek medical help and the three rules of home management which was found to be 35,28,13 and 29% improved significantly after intervention to 91, 94,92 and 93% respectively with a very high significant level. Recommendations: We recommended that volunteers are effective health education provider especially on household based intervention. Health services should support the community based interventions to reinforce the knowledge and practices of mother towards the sick children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the fatty acid, tocopherol, sterol and total phenolic compounds of Salvadora percica seeds as well as the potential antioxidant activity of the leaves, bark and seedcake extracts. Two samples of S. persica seed collected from Kordofan (sandy soil) and Gezira (heavy clay soil) states in Sudan were used. The predominant fatty acids were 14:0, 16:0 and 18:1 representing 45.50, 35.12 and 10.20% for Kordofan and 45.20, 34.49 and 10.66% for Gezira samples. Gamma-tocopherol was the predominant tocopherol in both samples representing 61.3 and 61.7% of the total tocopherols, respectively, followed by α-tocopherol at 21.1 and 20.2%, respectively. Total sterol content was 3399.6 and 3385.3 mg/kg for Kordofan and Gezira samples, respectively. Beta-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol and Δ5-avenasterol were predominant. The content of total phenolic compounds was determined in S. persica bark (SPB), S. persica leaves (SPL), and S. persica seedcake (SPC) extracts of each sample according to the Folin–Ciocalteau method as 111.70, 132.60, and 66.10 mg GAE/g extract for the Kordofan sample. They were found to be 105.90, 129.10 and 62.90 mg GAE/g extract in the Gezira sample, respectively. The two samples were significantly ( P < 0.05) different in total phenolic content with SPL as the highest in both samples. The methanolic extracts of SPL, SPB, and SPC in both samples were markedly effective in inhibiting the oxidation of linoleic acid and subsequent bleaching of β-carotene in comparison with the control. But they were less effective than butylated hydroxyanisole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to estimate the determinants of labour supply and demand in irrigated agriculture with reference to the Gezira scheme. Two samples, one comprising the farmers and the other the agricultural workers, were randomly selected through a field survey during the 2003/2004 season. A log-linear model of multiple regressions was fitted to the data. The results indicated that labour demand and supply depend mostly on variables related to the household characteristics and economic and non-economic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a desertified source area of drifting sand encroaching on parts of the Gezira Irrigation Scheme in Central Sudan, sand settlement by trees was envisaged. Establishment, survival and growth of Acacia tortilis, Leptadenia pyrotechnica, Prosopis juliflora, Salvadora persica and Panicum turgidum were investigated. Comparisons were made of the sums of final survivors in the replicates for each treatment as well as by an ANOVA analysis on the survival trends over time within the measuring periods. In a first experiment Acacia had better final survival but statistically comparable survival means with Prosopis over the year. This was due to higher deaths at later growth stages in Prosopis. Unprotected soil had some rain water run-on, while protection was not very effective, but irrigation generally was, particularly at later stages of growth. Establishing trees without irrigation appeared virtually impossible in a second experiment. Continuous drip irrigation under protection was very effective, but run-on water again influenced the protection issue. Leptadenia suffered from root hairs blocking water tubes. The higher survival rates of Acacia may be attributed to a capability of this species to grow on blown out eroded sites, on alkali soil. Differences in variation of soil conditions with depth on a small scale could explain growth contrasts in Acacia and Prosopis. An ANOVA on physical and chemical properties did not show such differences for Leptadenia, where soil properties causing a saturated zone possibly caused growth difference in a third experiment. Therefore irrigated unprotected Leptadenia with only weekly water topping-up did now better than protected trees. Leptadenia did much better in final surviving than Acacia, summed up for all conditions, and this was confirmed in the ANOVA results for throughout the year. Conclusions on design consequences for revegetation of such a completely desertified environment are drawn from the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colonial efforts to develop irrigation in African colonies aimed to improve the colonies' productive capacity. The resulting systems, including Gezira (British Sudan), Office du Niger (French Sudan) and the French systems in Northern Africa, have many characteristics of an imposed factory-based production regime. A factory resemblance is reflected in the mathematical layout of the systems when possible: canals are straight and plots are square. This approach coincides with the general European opinion that Africa had no history; Africa (with the exception of Egypt) was perceived as an empty continent. In the African colonies, economic opportunities were obviously an important element of the discourse. It was ideologies of creating new social and geographical landscapes, however, bringing order in the wildness by filling the empty African landscape with modern irrigation facilities, that were dominating the colonial irrigation discourses and practices in African colonies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the case of water management in Gezira scheme. In Gezira scheme it is the tenant farmers who have been the innovators, and the administrators of the scheme who have been slow to adopt the innovation. The reasons for this reluctance to respond are identified as the outcome of structural and political factors, rather than of any innate conservatism on the part of the officials. The reasons for the farmer's decision to innovate are shown to be the result of their appreciation of the financial constraints upon them within the context of the scheme, and the Sudan more generally. With the exception of a few of the people settled near the rivers, who had traditionally used irrigation, the majority of Sudanese who were settled on the Scheme from its inception, were nomadic and seminomadic pastoralists. One lesson, which might be learned from this experience is that in large-scale agricultural projects where, for technical reasons, direction has to come from the top, organizational mechanisms should be designed which allow for the eventual feedback to the center of experience gained at the field level by the farmers as they gain in confidence and expertise.

Investigates the use of water by cotton crops in Gezira, Sudan. Characteristics of the soil; Effects of seasonal and diurnal patterns of reflection by water, bare soil and various crops; Mean values for the reflection coefficient over bare soil.

Aim: This is a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence and risk factors for transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the Gezira state of central Sudan prior to the introduction of blood screening and vaccination against HBV. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out on the population of Um Zukra village in Gezira state of Central Sudan. The village was surveyed on five consecutive days in Dec 2000. Epidemiological characteristics were recorded and participants were interviewed for risk factors of viral hepatitis. Blood samples were then collected and tested for HBsAg and HBcAb. Results: A total of 404 subjects were screened with a mean age of 35 years; 54.9% were females, HBsAg and HBcAb were reactive in 6.9% and 47.5% of the studied population, respectively. Exposure to HBV increased with increasing age. The only significant risk factor for transmission of infection was a history of parenteral antischistosomal therapy. Conclusion: This study shows that prevalence of HBV infection is high in the studied population and it is hoped that introduction of blood screening and vaccination against HBV would decrease the carrier pool in the next few years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]