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Members of research ethics committees (RECs) face a number of ethical challenges when reviewing genomic research. These include issues regarding the content and type of consent, the return of individual research results, mechanisms of sharing specimens and health data, and appropriate community engagement efforts. This article presents the findings from a survey that sought to investigate the opinions and attitudes of REC members from four Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa (Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, and Jordan) toward these ethical issues. Our findings suggest that efforts are required to better familiarize REC members with the requirements for ethical biobank research. Additionally, we recommend that further research is undertaken with REC members regarding the main items that should be present in the Material Transfer Agreements/Data Transfer Agreements in their corresponding countries and the type of consent that should be used in genomic research.

The study aims at investigating the difficulties encountered by English centers teachers of multileveled classes in teaching reading comprehension, and suggests some suitable strategies that can alleviate the problems. To run the study, thirty-four language center teachers from Khartoum State are the sample of the study. A questionnaire, supported by classroom observation, was the collecting data tool. The quantitative method matches this type of research. The findings of the study reveal that the difficulties encountered by multileveled classes teachers attributed to the students' limited vocabulary, poor background knowledge, annoying reading materials, lack of teachers' training, and adverse selection of suitable strategies. The findings of this study are of high value for syllables designers as well as multileveled classes teachers. Teachers have to adopt adequate strategies, choosing attractive reading materials, and they should be equipped with the required training.

Middle East Region is home to more than 400 million people, representing 5% of world population, and boasts a workforce of 103 million scattered across 22 countries (Lord, 2016). Sixty five percent of the populations are young aged 25 or under, which puts growing stress on educational, health and social systems. Over the last decade, most Middle East countries put into action many reforms for women's rights and sensitivity toward gender issues. Currently, almost all Middle East countries have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Many nations in the Region shown strong commitment to uplift education and make them accessible to all eligible women. There was also substantial increase in the allocation of funds for education in nearly all Middle East nations. For a balanced national development, women are needed in the various areas where their functions are most suitable. In principle, there are equal opportunities for both genders but social perception and prejudice determine which types of employment are particularly suitable for women or men. Several renowned Middle Eastern women are Physicians, Chemist, Physicist, Engineers, Doctors, Judges, Lawyers, Journalist, Poets, Novelist and even Legislatives (Islam, 2017).

The study aims at analyzing errors made by Sudan University of Science and Technology students' at faculty of Sciences-Chemistry Department in employing passive voice in writing lab reports. The study focuses precisely on identifying the types of errors occurred in using passive voice and the reasons behind these errors. Descriptive qualitative method is adopted and applied to obtain and process the gathered data. To run this study and to collect reliable data, thirty chemical students are chosen randomly as the subject of the study. Samples of the students' lab reports are collected and analyzed. The collected data is analyzed according to the Dulay et al. (1982) Surface Strategy Taxonomy model. Teachers' questionnaire is also used to find out the sources of the students' errors from the teachers' point of view. The findings of the study reveals that the majority of the students' errors are categorized as omission and misinformation whereas additions and misordering errors are fewer and unconsidered. According to the teachers, these errors are attributed to the interference of the mother tongue, lack of knowledge and carelessness of the students.

The overarching aim of this study was to investigate EFL students' challenges in English-medium business programmes from the perspectives of both students and content teachers. English medium instruction (EMI) has been increasingly used in business study programmes in higher education institutions in English as second/foreign language (ESL/EFL) contexts around the world. Consequently, there has been a growing body of research reporting the experiences of both EMI teachers and students utilizing EMI, particularly in European contexts. However, there is little attention given to EMI in the Middle East and the North and sub-Saharan African contexts. This paper duly reports findings from a large study of students' experiences on an EMI Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme in Sudan. A qualitative ethnographically-oriented methodology was adopted involving three methods of data collection namely, interviews, classroom observations and collection and analysis of some documentary data. Twenty-one MBA students and ten subject teachers took part in the investigation. Results showed that students experienced a range of challenges which were reportedly perceived to have impacted on students' academic performance and experiences on the programme negatively. Pedagogical implications for both EMI business education and English for academic purposes (EAP) are presented and discussed.

Background: A complete blood count (CBC) analysis is one of the most common conventional blood tests that physicians frequently prescribe. The objective: of this study was to determine the reference intervals (RIs) of CBC parameters in the population of healthy adults living in the western Sudan region. Methods: A cross-sectional study of healthy people residing in the western area of Sudan was carried out. We assessed the CBC RIs in samples taken from 153 individuals using an automated haematology analyser (Sysmex KX-21) and a modified Box–Cox transformation procedure to transform the data into a Gaussian distribution after eliminating outliers using the Dixon method. IBM SPSS Statistics version 25 was used to analyse the data, and t tests were employed to examine variations in the mean CBC parameters according to sex and age. P was considered significant at ≤ 0.05. Results: Beyond all the other measured values, the only CBC parameters that significantly differed between the sexes were haemoglobin (HGB) and white blood cell (WBC) counts. Women were found to experience more WBC counts than men did. However, they have less HGB RIs.The male participants in our study exhibited lower WBC count RIs, a significantly lower limit, and a greater upper limit of platelet RIs than did the individuals from other nations. Conclusions: Compared with males, females had higher platelet and WBC counts and lower HGB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oral health education programs have long been considered an essential part of oral health policies. This is important for reducing the risk of oral diseases through health enhancement and voluntary behavioral changes due to learning opportunities. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of school-based oral health education program on oral health in school children in Sudan. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted at four governmental schools in Khartoum, Sudan, between August 2018, and March 2022. A total of 423 school children were randomly allocated into the control (n = 211) and study (n = 212) groups. An adapted questionnaire was administered to students before and after the intervention to assess their knowledge and practice of oral health. The study group participated in oral health education activities. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 21. Results: The findings revealed that the mean knowledge at the pre-educational program was 9.3066 (SD = 3.91078) and the mean knowledge after the educational program was 21.2736 (SD = 2.13982). The scores indicated that the school children had significantly higher knowledge and practice scores after the oral health education program. Conclusion: The study concluded that education program on oral health improved students' oral health knowledge and practices. Imposing theoretical and practical lessons on oral and dental health in school curricula can motivate students to maintain oral health care, and this improves oral health status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Sudan, resistance to benzimidazoles has been reported recently in cattle and goats from South Darfur. Herein, ivermectin efficacy against gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) was evaluated in sheep and goats in three study areas in South Darfur. The faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) was used to evaluate the efficacy of ivermectin in sheep and goats naturally infected with GINs in the region of Bulbul (goats: n = 106), Kass (goats: n = 40) and Nyala (Domaia (sheep: n = 47, goats: n = 77) and the University farm (goats: n = 52)), using different treatment plans, and the efficacy was evaluated 12 days after treatment. Ivermectin efficacy was also evaluated in goats experimentally infected using local Haemonchus contortus isolates from Kass and Nyala. Nematodes surviving ivermectin treatment in goats in Bulbul and Nyala were harvested and larvae used to infect worm-free male sheep (n = 6, ≤6 months old). Infected sheep were dosed subcutaneously with ivermectin every eight days with increasing doses from 0.2 mg/kg to 1.6 mg/kg bodyweight (bw). Reduced ivermectin efficacy was identified in sheep and goats in the four study locations. Using a paired statistic, the efficacy of a therapeutic dose in sheep was 75.6% (90% upper credible limit (UCrL): 77.5%), while twice the recommended dose led to a reduction of 92.6% (90% UCrL: 93.3%). In goats, the FECRs of a therapeutic dose were 72.9–95.3% (90% UCrL range: 73.6–95.7%) in Bulbul, Nyala Domaia, Nyala University farm and Kass. Twice the dose recommended for goats in Bulbul revealed a 90% UCrL of 87.6%. All post-treatment faecal cultures contained only Haemonchus spp. larvae. The experimental infection trials in sheep and goats supported our findings from field trials and calculated upper 90% CrL of below 98.9%. For the first time highly ivermectin resistant H. contortus populations have been identified in sheep and goats in Sudan, and resistance was experimentally confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management of water resources and the related disposal of wastewater are essential for human existence and the advancement of contemporary society. Collecting and managing wastewater has a significant effect on local and global economies as well as the environment. Innovation in the field of the environment is of utmost importance in reducing the environmental impacts on systems and in making them more sustainable economically, environmentally and socially. Decentralization is considered an appropriate solution to sustainability problems in liquid waste management programs because it focuses on treating liquid waste on-site, recycling it locally, and taking advantage of the local resources available in domestic wastewater. This research analyzes the needs, appropriate technical methods, and support for water management through decentralized systems. Three considerations will be used to support the choice of a decentralized wastewater treatment system in the Khartoum Locality: $106,000,000. According to the BioWin results, the effectiveness of each alternative household wastewater treatment was comparable. Software such as MapInfo, GPS Area Calculator, BioWin, and GIS was used to reach the targets. Additionally, the results revealed that the decentralized wastewater treatment method, considering its costs, land requirements, and slope effects on the environment, is preferable to centralized wastewater treatment systems. These results serve as a guide for choosing the best wastewater treatment option to increase access to safe sanitation and to integrate decentralized wastewater management to upgrade and improve the environment in the Khartoum Locality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The need for blood during a surgical procedure is greater than what blood banks are able to provide. There is an excessive amount of blood being ordered for elective surgeries, surpassing the actual requirements. Only 30% of the cross matched blood is actually used in these surgeries. The accuracy of estimating the transfusion needs before a surgical procedure can be determined by looking at the cross match to transfusion ratio and the transfusion index. "These indicators play a crucial role in developing the maximum surgical blood ordering schedule; in this study, these indicators were tested." Aim of study: Is to determine the efficiency of blood ordering and transfusion practices for patients undergoing elective surgeries. Methods: This study is a prospective cross-sectional hospital-based study done at Omdurman Teaching Hospital-Sudan. Conducted for the duration of 6 months period from July to December 2019.The study participants were patients who underwent elective surgical procedures in general surgery and Urology departments as total coverage sample over a period of study duration. Ethical clearance obtained from ethical committee of Sudan Medical Specialization Board. Results: Two hundreds seven patients included in this study, the amount of blood units requested were 443-unit, cross matching for 98.6% (n 437) of units were done. Only 100 unit were Transfused (22,8%). The calculated CT ratio was 4.4, transfusion index was 1.6 and transfusion probability was 29.9%. Conclusion: Transfusion probability and transfusion index of the present study were optimal but comparatively higher than the standard guidelines as most of the cross matched blood was not utilized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Career selection and decision to pursue a medical career is a multi factorial process. It is influenced by the personal capabilities and the available resources as well as the social, educational, economical and cultural factors. Sudan is one of the African countries with a high number of medical colleges and an increasing number of Sudanese students are joining the medical colleges each year. Aim and objectives: The aims of the present study were to study and compare the motives and reasons for joining a medical college and pursuing a medical career, among the newly admitted Sudanese medical students. Methods: A cross sectional survey was implemented, in eight medical colleges (four private and four public colleges) in Khartoum. A semi structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the subjects to investigate and compare the reasons and motives for choosing a medical career. Results: 1556 students responded to the questionnaire (86%). 50.9% of them were admitted on private account; and 63.7% students were from public colleges; and 61.8% were female. The highest ranked reason for choosing a medical career was the altruistic reason (78.1%) and the lowest reason was the personal ambition (17.9%). 71.2% of the students were influenced by the family to joining a medical college. 11.9% of the students joined the medical colleges against their desire. There were differences between the publicly admitted and privately admitted students. Discussion: The reasons and motives of the Sudanese medical students, for selecting a medical career, are comparable to other international studies.

Background: Continuous therapeutic care with good medication adherence is the cornerstone of management of all chronic diseases including diabetes. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of clinical pharmacist intervention on the medication adherence in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial conducted at a diabetes clinic located at Omdurman Military Hospital, Sudan. Individuals with T2DM attending the diabetes clinic within 1 year were selected. The sample size was 364 participants (182 control and 182 interventional group). We used a pre-structured standardized questionnaire and checklist to collect the data. Data were analyzed by using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) (version 28). Results: Majority, 76.4% (n = 278) were females, and they consisted of 80.8% (n = 147) of the interventional group and 72% of the controls. The mean age of the interventional group was 54.5 (±10) years; 31.9% (n = 58) of the interventional group had diabetes for 6–10 years, compared with 26.4% (n = 48) of the control group. Among the control group, the mean adherence score was 6.8 (±1.7) at baseline and it was 6.7 (±1.6) at the end of the study (p < 0.001), while in the interventional group, the mean adherence score was 6.8 (±1.7) at baseline and it was 7.4 (±1.5) at the end of the study (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Adherence score among the intervention group was increased significantly from baseline to the end of the study when compared to the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was conducted to achieve the following objectives: to examine motivation to learn English language among students of faculty of arts, Islamic University-Sudan, to find out if there were significant statistical differences on motivation scores related to both student level and age. To pursue these objectives, the researcher used the descriptive method and a simple random sample consisted of (40) male students was selected. The scale for measuring motivation was administered, the collected data were analyzed by using the following statistical tests on (SPSS): T-test for one sample, One-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation coefficient. The results indicated that: motivation scores were higher among students, no significant differences were found on motivation attributed to class level, and there was no correlation between motivation and age. At the end of this research, some recommendations and suggestions for future studies were presented.

Background: Pain is globally prevalent, affecting quality of life and driving most people to seek medical care. Nurses are essential for pain assessment and treatment. Adequate nursing awareness, attitudes, and skills are vital for optimal management. This study investigates nurses' awareness and practice toward pain assessment and management as the fifth vital sign in Sudan. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional, hospital-based study. Convenience sampling was performed to collect information from nurses working at four government hospitals using a self-administered questionnaire 24 November 2020 and 18 April 2021. The study utilized descriptive and inferential statistics for data analysis. Results: A total of 393 registered nurses participated in this study. Most (66.7%) were women, 46.6% were aged 20-25 years, and 69.2% had a bachelor degree. More than half of the nurses had low awareness of pain assessment (51.7%) and management practices (53.7%). A weak positive correlation was observed between awareness and practice (r = 0.280, P = 0.000). Women nurses showed a higher awareness (204.80, P = 0.048). Nurses with a high level of education showed higher awareness (249.32, P = 0.031) and higher practice (272.00, P = 0.029). Nurses working in the critical care unit performed significantly better than others (234.61, P = 0.001). Conclusion: There is a low level of awareness regarding pain assessment and management practices. This study suggests the need for more research and training programs, especially for nurses with low educational levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anti-retroviral therapy-related adverse drug events are accounted as a main cause of anti-retroviral therapy non-adherence. In Sudan, pharmacovigilance studies are relatively rare and obstructed by the problem of under-reporting. It is a well-defined issue worldwide and is highly reported in developing countries. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of adverse events associated with anti-retroviral therapy among adult patients with immunodeficiency virus at Omdurman Voluntary Counselling and Testing and Anti-retroviral Therapy Center. Methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted through direct interviews with 429 patients at the selected center using the Adverse Drug Events (ADEs) reporting form. The collected data were analyzed by The Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Results: More than half (55.5%) of the participants experienced adverse events, with 48.7% having experienced them at the beginning of treatment. Central nervous system manifestations were the most common adverse events. By using the Naranjo scale, most adverse events showed a "probable" relationship to anti-retroviral medicines. Based on the chi-square test, medication regimen was significantly associated with the presence of ADEs (namely abdominal pain and jaundice) (p values = 0.03 and 0.001), respectively. Conclusion: This study clearly stated that ART-related ADEs are common among Sudanese PLHIV and with central nervous system being the main adverse events. More pharmacovigilance studies and efforts by healthcare providers should be applied targeting ART-related ADEs under-reporting in Sudanese healthcare facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Arts & Social Sciences (JASS) is the property of Sultan Qaboos University 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.)

Copyright of Assiut Veterinary Medical Journal is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) 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.)

Copyright of Assiut Veterinary Medical Journal is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) 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.)

The situation in Sudan have deteriorated since the ongoing war outbreak in April 2023. This article sheds light on the pharmacological status in Sudan in terms of shortage of supply, rising demands, and regulatory issues. The ongoing civil war has acutely impacted the dilapidated pharmaceutical status of Sudan, patients have suffered from the paucity of medical services forcing an out-of-control rise in underreported morbidity and mortality. To mitigate this uprising issue, an increase in stakeholder communication is crucial to deal with this national threat and establish a system for reporting the shortage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Population mortality is an important metric that sums information from different public health risk factors into a single indicator of health. However, the impact of COVID-19 on population mortality in low-income and crisis-affected countries like Sudan remains difficult to measure. Using a community-led approach, we estimated excess mortality during the COVID-19 epidemic in two Sudanese communities. Methods: Three sets of key informants in two study locations, identified by community-based research teams, were administered a standardised questionnaire to list all known decedents from January 2017 to February 2021. Based on key variables, we linked the records before analysing the data using a capture-recapture statistical technique that models the overlap among lists to estimate the true number of deaths. Results: We estimated that deaths per day were 5.5 times higher between March 2020 and February 2021 compared to the pre-pandemic period in East Gezira, while in El Obeid City, the rate was 1.6 times higher. Conclusion: This study suggests that using a community-led capture-recapture methodology to measure excess mortality is a feasible approach in Sudan and similar settings. Deploying similar community-led estimation methodologies should be considered wherever crises and weak health infrastructure prevent an accurate and timely real-time understanding of epidemics' mortality impact in real-time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

English for Specific Purposes is an obligatory subject for the first two levels at the Sudanese Universities. It is taught as a university requirement. Accordingly, the students obsess on how to pass the examination, not to achieve any development in the language field. Even the teachers concentrate on the content rather than the skills, which the students ought to gain. This paper addresses the issue of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It defines ESP with brief glimpse of its history and it attempts to highlight the line of demarcation of ESP and AEP. Moreover, it will endeavor the objectives of core course of ESP at the tertiary level in Sudanese Universities. Furthermore, how we should mobilize all the efforts to overcome the difficulties to promote the students competency in English language in their very field of specialization. As technology has created change in all aspects of society, it is also changing our expectations of what students must learn in order to function effectively. We should exploit the modern technologies effectively to radically change from teacher-centered approach to student-centered approach in teaching ESP. Consequently, the availability of computer and its utilization in different fields of specialization will be very facilitative and motivating for at least the contemporary generation.

Neonatal diabetes (ND) is a rare subtype of diabetes occurring in the first 6 months of life. High incidence has been reported among populations with high rates of consanguineous marriage. However, there is paucity of reported data from sub-Saharan African countries. We report the incidence, genotype, and phenotype of ND in a large cohort from Sudan and compare these findings to regional and international data. All infants with onset of diabetes in the first 6 months of life, attending one of the only two tertiary pediatric diabetes centers in Sudan, Gaafar Ibn Auf Pediatric Tertiary Hospital and Sudan Childhood Diabetes Center, during the period of January 2006 to December 2022 were included. Medical records were reviewed for demographic and clinical information. Genetic testing was performed for 48 patients by the Exeter Genomics laboratory in the UK and for one patient by the University of Cambridge, Metabolic Research Laboratories, UK. The estimated incidence was 4.8 per 100,000 live births. Forty-nine ND patients from 45 unrelated families were identified, and a genetic diagnosis was confirmed in 37 patients (75.5%) from 33 unrelated families. Consanguinity was reported in 34 families (75.6%). The commonest genetic cause for permanent neonatal diabetes was EIF2AK3 recessive variants causing Wolcott–Rallison syndrome (18.92%). Pathogenic variants in two recently identified genes, ZNF808 and NARS2, were found in three patients each (8.11%). Activating variants in KCNJ11 and ABCC8 were identified in four (10.81%) and two (5.41%) patients, respectively. Apart from hyperglycemia, the commonest clinical presentations included dehydration, failure to thrive, and diabetic ketoacidosis. ND in Sudan has a different pattern of etiologies compared to Western and Asian populations yet similar to some Arab countries with EIF2AK3 mutations being the commonest cause. Pathogenic variants in recently identified genes reflect the impact of genome sequencing on increasing the rate of genetic diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rock–Eval Pyrolysis, vitrinite reflectance and 1D basin modelling were used at four well locations within the Rawat Central sub-basin to model the burial and thermal history, which involves temperature changes over time, to understand the processes of hydrocarbon generation and expulsion. The accuracy of the model was ensured by calibrating it using vitrinite reflectance data. The TOC/Rock–Eval data reveal that the dominant kerogen type in Galhak source rock is a mature type-II and type-III kerogen. Very few samples show a highly pyrolyzate-yielding early to peak mature (0.6–0.82%Ro) type-I kerogen, ranging from a good source class to an excellent source capable of generating oil in Wateesh-1 and Rawat C-1 wells. In contrast, low pyrolyzate-yielding kerogen type, type-II/III, was indicated in Shawa-1, Mugud-1 and Rawat SE-1 wells, capable of generating oil and gas and type-IV which is completely inert. The Ro% gradient for Wateesh-1 and Rawat C-1 wells revealed that the oil window in Wateesh-1 and Rawat-1 wells start at depths around (1800 m) and (2160 m), respectively. Lower, Middle Galhak and Galhak shale entered the oil window during the Eocene (46–58 Ma) at the deeper locations (Wateesh-1), while generation started during the Oligocene (32.16–30.04 Ma). Expulsion starts during the Late Oligocene (⁓26 Ma). In contrast, towards the basins' margin (Shawa-1 and Mugud-1), Lower, Middle Galhak and Galhak shale reached the oil window in Oligocene–Miocene (32–6.49 Ma), and the generation starts late during the Oligocene-Pliocene (30.71–4.34 Ma). The broad age range observed in the wells can be attributed to their location on the flank of the basin, where achieving optimal depth necessitates an extended maturation period. Generation (TR > 10%) in Melut was only initiated in Wateesh-1 and Shawa-1 during (Miocene-Pliocene), while Adar has not reached the generation stage. Most of the HC was generated from the lower Galhak source rock in the depocenter which is not penetrated by the study wells. This can be attributed to the increase in maturity with depth in Lower Galhak compared with the shallower mid-Galhak and Galhak Shale source rock layers, which generated less quantities even though they have higher values of TOC%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrition plays a critical and crucial role in addressing neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and their complications, as they often contribute to malnutrition, which can worsen the impact of these conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the nutritional status of mycetoma patients, which has not been explored previously. This descriptive cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted at the Mycetoma Research Center (MRC), University of Khartoum, Sudan. The study included 179 confirmed mycetoma patients and an equal number of age- and sex-matched normal controls. The nutritional status of the mycetoma patients was assessed and compared with that of the control group. The majority of the patients were young adults with varying educational levels, predominantly from Central Sudan. The foot was the most commonly affected part; most patients had lesions more than 10 cm in diameter. The Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated for both study groups, revealing that 43.5% of the patients and 53.6% of controls had a normal BMI. Furthermore, 36% of patients were underweight, contrasting with only 11% in the control group. Correlation analyses indicated no significant associations between BMI and age groups, educational levels, daily meals, food quantity, and appetite in the study population (p > 0.05). Similarly, no significant differences were observed in BMI concerning disease duration and affected sites (p = 0.0577). The Kruskal-Wallis test did not reveal significant differences in BMI means among the groups. The study revealed that most participants consumed three meals daily, and the control group showed a more robust appetite and consumed more food than the patient group (p = 0.005). Nevertheless, there were no significant differences in the consumption of different food types between the patient and control groups and among different BMI categories (p = 0.025 and 0.040, respectively). Author summary: Mycetoma primarily affects low-income people in limited-resource communities in tropical and subtropical regions. The affected mycetoma are of low socioeconomic and health education status, and their localities' health and medical facilities are frequently inadequate. Hence, they present with massive, complicated disease; thus, the treatment outcome is suboptimal. Mycetoma has many disabilities and psychosocial effects, which may affect the patient nutritional status. Furthermore, most of the mycetoma epidemiological risk factors are indistinct and unclear. With this background, this study was conducted to determine the effect of the disease on the patients' nutritional status and to determine if nutrition has a role in mycetoma susceptibility. The study included 179 patients with confirmed mycetoma and age and sex-matched 179 controls from their communities. The mean patients' height was 160±14.31cm, and for the control was 166.78±10.97 cm. The patients' body weight mean was 56.09±17.67kg; for the control, it was 67.53±16.41kg, and no statistically significant differences existed. The body mass index showed a higher percentage of underweight individuals in the patients group, which was statistically significant. No significant correlations existed between the study population BMI groups and their demographic characteristics. There were many similarities between the studied patients and the control regarding the dietary habits and diet intake. More in-depth studies are needed to determine the causal and effect relationship between mycetoma and the affected population. Nutritional support and education, while encouraging intake of therapeutic/functional locally available food items, should be fundamental in the different mycetoma management activities and measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a major noncommunicable disease worldwide, and its prevalence is rapidly increasing. The Finish score helps in the prediction of the risk of future diabetes development, as well as in the identification of undiagnosed diabetes. The current study was conducted to identify people at risk of developing type II diabetes mellitus in River Nile State, Sudan. Methods: This cross-sectional community-based study was conducted in River Nile state between 2019 October and 2020 March. Data were collected using a questionnaire that included the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score variables from 400 participants after an informed consent. Chi-square test was used to test the associations, with the P-value considered significant when <0.05. Results: The majority of participants (257 [64.3%]) were <45 years old, and 229 (57.3%) were male. The risk of type II diabetes mellitus was found to be low in 187 (46.8%) people and high in 213 (53.2%). Moreover, 128 (32%) had a body mass index (BMI) between 25and 30 kg/m², while 46 (11.5%) had >30 kg/m² . Waist circumference of <94 cm was found in 147 (36.8%) males, while only 63 females (15.8%) had a waist circumference <80 cm. Age, gender, BMI, daily activity, history of hypertension, history of hyperglycemia, and family history of diabetes were all significantly associated with the risk of developing diabetes mellitus (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The Finnish Diabetes Risk Score was found to be useful in facilitating wider access to the risk of type II diabetes among the study population. More than half of the study population were at risk of developing diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: e-Health is defined as "the use, in the health sector, of digital data— transmitted, stored and retrieved electronically—for clinical, educational and administrative purposes, both at the local site and at a distance". In Primary health care (PHC), the role of e-Health in promoting PHC systems defines its need to achieve the PHC aims. This literary work aims to study the readiness of managers and healthcare workers for e-Health at Khartoum state PHC centers. Methods: This was a facility-based cross-sectional study that took place between February and August 2022. A sample size of 327 was calculated, and multistage cluster sampling was used. A validated questionnaire was used, and the generated data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Variables were described as n (%) and mean ± SD. Non-parametric tests and Spearman's correlation were used to investigate the association of readiness scores with different categorical and numerical variables, respectively. A standard multiple regression model was used to model the associations. Results: A total of 262 forms were completed. The overall readiness percentages were low for both managers (52.8%) and healthcare workers (55.3%). Factors associated with e-Health readiness included occupation, doctors' level of expertise, PHC center, and PHC center type. Conclusions: This study reports low levels of e-Health readiness as reflected by managers and HCWs in Khartoum State PHC. Project planners need to be aware of the obstacles and threats faced by e-Health initiatives if they are not carefully planned, executed, and monitored. Special attention must be given to addressing health inequities and inequalities to ensure that these projects will contribute to fostering accessibility to health services and narrowing the digital divide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The present study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of physicians in Sudan regarding depression. Methods: A cross‐sectional study was conducted among physicians who practiced at public and private health facilities in Sudan in December of 2022. An online Google form questionnaire was administered that included knowledge, practice, and sociodemographic sections of the depression attitude questionnaire. The link to the questionnaire was sent to a convenience sample of physicians through a variety of methods including social media. Results: A total of 407 physicians completed the questionnaire. The majority (81.1%) had no formal training on mental health after graduation. A total of 43.0% reported difficulties in differentiating between unhappiness and clinical depression, although 48.6% indicated that they could differentiate between chemical and psychological causes for depression. Half (50.4%) did not feel comfortable dealing with depressed patients. Nearly 70% indicated that psychotherapy was a better option for treating these patients than antidepressants, but only 45.7% had any mental health services at their health facility. Physicians with prior mental health training (both pre‐ and postgraduate training) were more likely to provide treatment options for depressed patients. Conclusions: This study indicates a moderate knowledge among physicians about depression, but also significant concern regarding poor attitudes and practices held toward the treatment of depression, and a lack of training. These findings highlight the urgent need for the training of physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of depression in Sudan. Graphical Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cooperative education is recognized as a pedagogical approach that fosters positive learning experiences by engaging small groups of students collaboratively in tasks, facilitating interaction, information exchange, and mastery of the subject matter. This study investigates the impact of cooperative education on academic achievement in the chemistry course for first-year female secondary school students in Sudan. Method: The hypotheses were tested with data from 60 female students, divided into control and experimental groups. Pre and post-tests were administered using a descriptive approach. Findings: The findings indicate that students exposed to cooperative education achieved higher grades, enhancing their overall learning and teaching experiences. Implications for Research and Practice: The study recommends the incorporation of innovative teaching methods, particularly cooperative education, to cultivate creativity and enhance understanding, absorption, and enthusiasm for scientific content among female students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With students becoming more involved in the internet and social networking sites, they become more prone to their consequences. This study focuses on measuring the social networking intensity and the fear of missing out among the medical students of University of Khartoum, then examining the association between them. Methods: Facility-based, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at Faculty of Medicine, Khartoum University between January and March 2021. A total of 333 students were selected by simple random sampling. Data was collected from the participants using a structured self-administered questionnaire that involved the social networking intensity (SNI) scale and fear of missing out (FOMO) scale. The data was analyzed by the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software version 26. Results: Moderate positive correlation between social networking intensity and fear of missing out was found (p-value < 0.01). Of the total participants; 51 participants (15.4%) experienced low SNI and low FOMO. Another 78 participants (23.6%) had moderate SNI and moderate FOMO and only 16 Participants (4.8%) showed high SNI and high FOMO. There were no significant differences in SNI or FOMO scores among the different socio-demographic variables, except for the SNI score which was positively correlated to the monthly income. Conclusion: An association between SNI and FOMO was found. SNI was not affected by socio-demographic factors except for the monthly income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: ABO blood group glycol-conjugate expression may influence human susceptibility to infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii. This study aimed to assess the relationship between blood group phenotypes as risk factors for toxoplasmosis and to correlate the prevalence of the disease with other risk factors.Materials and Methods: A total of two-hundred serum samples were collected from pregnant women referred for routine rotary examination in Rabak Teaching Hospital, White Nile State, Sudan, and examined for the parasite Toxoplasma gondii using the latex agglutination test.Results: The overall prevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women (IgG positivity for T. gondii in the absence of IgM) was 41% (82/200). A higher prevalence of the infection was detected in women with blood group type AB 5 (55.6%) among the females in the AB blood group and the lowest in those with blood group type B 11 (35.5%). Those with a history of direct contact with cats reported the possibility of eating undercooked meat and soil-related potential risk factors (working in a garden with bare hands, eating unwashed vegetables and fresh fruits, poor handling of food) recorded 70 (82.4%), 59 (65.6%), 58 (77.3%), 73 (55.7%) and 70 (73.7%) of positive cases, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference between Toxoplasma gondii infection and these risk factors.Conclusion: The study concluded that the ABO blood group system was not related to the absence or presence of anti-T. gondii antibodies in pregnant women in the study area. Contact with cat feces, raw meat consumption, and farming were identified as possible important risk factors for T. gondii infection within the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper was conducted to determine the hydrological and morphometric characteristics of the Wad Ramli region, Sudan. The Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was obtained and then processed within the ArcGIS 10.8 program. Hydrological analysis tools were used to determine the hydrological characteristics, and then the quantitative analysis was done to deduce the morphological characteristics. The water flow direction, water streams, stream orders, order 4 watershed, and all water basins were obtained. The best location for the dam's water storage was determined. It was found that the water is flowing normally, the basin is asymmetrical, and the area has low terrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surgical separation of conjoined twins remains one of the most unique and rewarding experiences in the field of pediatric surgery, bearing in mind that this decision is their best chance of survival. These are the first reported cases of successfully separating omphalopagus conjoined twins by the liver in Sudan. After an emergency cesarean section, 62-day-old term-conjoined twins were referred to our pediatric surgery center. Examination revealed well-appearing twins fused from the xiphoid to the umbilicus; imaging confirmed a fused liver with a separate portal and caval structures, necessitating surgical separation and closure, which was done successfully on subsequent hours with well tolerance and recovery discharged on day 21. The second case involved 21-day-old term-conjoined female twins who were fused from the xiphoid to the umbilicus and shared the same cord, as well as complete fusion of the liver with separate other vital organs. They were successfully separated and recovered well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife is in decline across Africa, particularly in the Sudan-Sahel savanna. An important but little-studied area on the eastern reaches of this biome is Dinder National Park in Sudan. In March 2021, we conducted a distance sampling survey in its ~ 3000 km2 core area around the main Gelego camp, walking a total of 56 line transects over a cumulative distance of 273 km. We calculated the densities of those species with over 20 independent detections using the best-performing model. The most abundant wild species recorded were the olive baboon (25.0 ind/km2) and common warthog (7.3 ind/km2), while the bohor reedbuck (2.1 ind/km2) and oribi (1.9 ind/km2) were the most abundant ungulates. Our survey confirmed the illegal presence of large cattle herds inside Dinder (10.7 ind/km2). The substantial ungulate densities in the core area support regionally important populations of large carnivores, making this one of the best functioning ecosystems in the region. When compared to historical unpublished data from the waterhole and road counts, we detected a declining trend in wildlife numbers over the past 5 decades. We call for improved wildlife monitoring and conservation actions to protect this important ecosystem and for increased efforts to extend effective protection beyond the core area of Dinder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Malaria during pregnancy is a priority area for malaria research and control as pregnant women represent a high risk group for severe malaria, and the presentation of malaria during pregnancy varies according to the level of transmission in the area; so the aim of this study is to determine the prevalence rates of malaria parasite among pregnant women attending to Saudi Kassala Teaching hospital in Kassala state, 2022. Methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out in Saudi Kassala Teaching hospital in Kassala State. This study involved one hundred and eighty-five blood samples collected from pregnant women who was then examined by using blood films and ICT for malaria, and the data were collected by a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 21. Results. The prevalence of malaria among pregnant women was 2.2% (95% CI: 0.006–0.054). There was no significant difference among the different age groups with respect to the prevalence of malaria (P value = 0.483). The prevalence of malaria in rural residency was 2.2%, and this was significantly more common than the urban residency (P value = 0.021). When compared across the gestational trimesters, there was no significant difference between them (P value = 0.518). The number of gravidity is not related to malaria infection (P value = 0.737). The presence of symptom compliant of malaria during pregnancy does not suggest the presence of malaria (P value = 0.152). No difference was found between the different educational levels with respect to the prevalence of malaria (P value = 0.362). The result showed that there was 1 (0.5%) negative result in ICT which was positive in blood film for malaria (BFFM) and there were 3 (1.6%) positive malaria parasites by both methods in all 185 samples with statistically insignificant differences (P = 0.703). Conclusion. Plasmodium falciparum was only species detected in this study. Malaria among pregnant women was more prevalent in rural areas. However, other factors such as age, gestational age, gravidity, and educational level do not affect the prevalence of malaria in pregnant women. The presence of symptomatic compliant of malaria during pregnancy does not suggest the presence of malaria. The use of ICT or BFFM has similar diagnostic outcome for malaria in pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We determined the average glandular dose (AGD) from the craniocaudally (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO) views of 496 breasts (247 women) at eight clinics in Sudan. The incident air kerma from the X-ray tube output values and the typical patient-specific breast exposure factors were measured. The AGD values were inferred from the measured incident air kerma and breast-specific dose-conversion coefficients. The AGD per CC and MLO projection and per woman ranged from 0.56 to 2.89 mGy (average: 1.36), 0.48 to 2.08 mGy (average: 1.19), and 2.08 to 9.94 mGy (average: 5.10). The proposed national diagnostic reference levels (mGy) for digital mammography are 1.8 and 1.6 mGy for CC and MLO projection, respectively. Establishing the proposed diagnostic reference levels is an essential step in ensuring patient protection from radiation and will help promote dose optimization for X-ray mammography at the national level and beyond. These results provide important baseline data that can be used to formulate national diagnostic reference levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Antibiotics play an important role in decreasing morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, inappropriate use of them by patients or healthcare professionals contributes to their resistance rendering them less efficacious. Community pharmacists (CPs) have a significant part in reducing antibiotic resistance. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the dispensing of antibiotics without prescription in community pharmacies with an emphasis on cefixime dispensing.Methods: A cross-sectional, simulated patient (SP) study was conducted in the Khartoum locality. A total of 238 community pharmacies were randomly chosen using simple random sampling. One scenario of uncomplicated urinary tract infection was designed, and six female pharmacy students who were trained to act as SPs presented the scenario. Descriptive statistics were applied to report the study outcomes.Results: In the 238 pharmacy visits, at least one antibiotic was dispensed without a prescription in 69.3% of the simulated visits. Among the dispensed antibiotics, ciprofloxacin was the most dispensed antibiotic followed by cefixime representing 51.5% and 41.8%, respectively, of total dispensed antibiotics. Cefixime was dispensed as a first choice by CPs in 29% of the visits, and in the rest of the visits, only 37.3% of CPs refused to dispense cefixime after SP demand.Conclusion: The findings revealed a high rate of antibiotics dispensing without prescription by CPs in Khartoum state, and cefixime was obtained with ease before and after the patient's demand. Urgent corrective actions such as imposing strict regulations, monitoring pharmacists' practice, and endorsing educational programs for pharmacists are needed to prevent inappropriate antibiotic dispensing practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the article is to identify the role of trends in cost systems such as activity-based costing systems) ABC (and target cost (TC) to improve competitive advantage for the Sudanese industrial sector. This can help accountants in accuracy when measuring and calculating production and goods. Also, they assist companies in determining the price considering the allowable costs. The practical value of this scientific research lies in three folds. First, the findings will contribute to shedding light on the experience of using some modern cost systems in Giad industrial group companies - in Sudan. Second, they inform officials about the evaluation of these systems and the extent of benefits from them in improving the competitive advantage. Third, the study fills in the gap lack of studies that deal with this topic in the Sudanese setting. The study’s findings indicate the existence of a role for ABC in overhead cost allocation, more accurate product cost, and cost control improvement. This leads to improving advantage competitive in Sudanese industrial companies. Also, it was discovered that the existence of a role for target cost in designing the required product characteristics, and selling price is an essential guide to cost management. This leads to improving advantage competitive in Sudanese industrial companies. The study recommends a need to increase the awareness of managers of different departments of the importance of the information provided by modern cost systems. Also, attention to applying a total quality cost system for continuous improvement and reducing total cost is needed in companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Access to essential medicines is a critical component of universal health coverage. However, the availability of essential medicines in Sudan isn't well studied. As well, most Sudanese people lack health insurance, making out-of-pocket spending the primary source of drug financing. Therefore, the affordability of medicines in Sudan is questionable, with only 30% of the total population being covered by a public health service or public health insurance. We undertook this study to assess the availability and prices of essential medicines in public-sector health facilities in Khartoum state. Moreover, this study aims at assessing patients' perceived affordability of essential medicines, and accommodation and acceptability of the public facility. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out at 30 primary healthcare facilities' drug dispensaries across three districts in Khartoum state. Within each Centre's dispensary unit, a standardized checklist evaluated the availability and affordability of 21 essential medicines selected from Sudan's national essential medicines list and assessed their storage conditions. Furthermore, 630 patients were selected from all dispensary units for an exit interview that assessed their perceived accessibility, acceptability, accommodation, and affordability of essential medicines. Data were collected through the Kobo toolbox and analyzed using SPSS version 26. Results: Participants' ratings of accessibility, affordability, accommodation, and acceptability were 3.7/5, 1.5/4, 5/6, and 5.4/6, respectively, with a 26.7% full access and weak correlation between some of the indices. The overall availability of adults and pediatric medicines was 36.8% 6.7%, respectively. Cost of a single course of treatment for 10 and 16 drugs out of the 19 drugs consumed exceeds the daily wage of insured and uninsured patients, with a median price ratio of 16.4 and 62.8, respectively. Moreover, the dispensary area conditions were found to be of good quality, yet the storerooms were not functioning in 40% of the outlets. Conclusion: Patients had limited access to their needed drugs due to high prices and physical unavailability, and primary healthcare capacities are not meeting the demands of citizens. The outcomes for the patients' access variables (accessibility, accommodation, acceptance, and affordability) are comparable to those in countries with low incomes. Ensuring access to free medicines is likely to improve patients' satisfaction with healthcare services and reduce private expenditure on medicines, which is a long-term, sustainable way towards universal health coverage in Sudan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing armed conflict in Sudan has resulted in a deepening humanitarian crisis with significant implications for the country's health system, threatening its collapse. This article examines the destruction, disruption, and disastrous consequences inflicted upon Sudan's health system. The conflict has led to the severe compromise of healthcare facilities, with only one-third of hospitals in conflict zones operational. Artillery attacks, forced militarization, power outages, and shortages of medical supplies and personnel have further crippled the health system. The exodus of health workers and escalating violence have exacerbated the crisis. Disrupted service delivery has resulted in the interruption of essential health services, including obstetric care, emergency services, and dialysis. Financial losses to the health system are estimated at $700 million, impacting an already underfunded sector. We identify that in addition to restoration of peace and mobilization of urgent aid, immediate prioritization of the reconstruction of the health system is crucial to mitigate the long-term consequences of the war. Rebuilding a resilient health system is sine qua non for Sudan's progress towards universal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adherence to therapy is one of the basic predilections to successfully treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Unfortunately, predictors of medication adherence are not well-known in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Sudan. Objective: To assess the medication adherence in the patients treated for COPD in ALSha'ab Teaching Hospital. Methods: An observational, hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted on a sample of COPD outpatients. The following information was obtained: adherence to COPD therapy (Morisky Medication Adherence Scale - 4 items), age, gender, smoking status, treatment regimen for COPD, and COPD medication costs per month paid by the patients. Data was analyzed by using SPSS version 21.0. Results: Among 100 COPD patients, 73 (73%) were males, and (47%) belonged to the age group 40-60 years. Regarding adherence, 47 (47%) reported as medium adherent, 38 (38%) as low adherents, and 15 (15%) patients as high adherent. High Adherence to COPD therapy was associated with older age (27%), married (16.5%), literate (23.3%), drugs with less frequent dosing (50%), oral medications (75%), aware of the inhaler usage (22.7%), a smaller number of drugs (41.4%), and affordable drugs (28.8%). Conclusion: The level of adherence to COPD therapy is low. Understanding factors associated with medication adherence could help enhance health outcomes in COPD. Non-adherence was associated with middle age, unmarried patients, number of respiratory drugs and daily COPD drug doses, Low knowledge and increased difficulties in inhaler technique, and non-affordability of drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study attempts to identify the impact of effective implementation on construction projects in Sudan achievement of their objectives, to identify the obstacles that face their implementation in the time and at the cost specified, to find out the various factors that should be taken into account when establishing these projects and to highlight the scientific methods of managing major construction projects in Sudan in order to reach management methods that help controlling projects positively and contributes to achieving their objectives effectively. The study adopted the historical approach, the deductive approach, and the analytical descriptive approach. The study aimed to determine the defects in major construction project implementation, to investigate their causes and to clarify scientific solutions to them. The most important hypotheses of the study: There is a statistically significant relationship between the effectiveness of project implementation and the achievement of their objectives. The study concluded with several findings, the most important: The frequent modifications during the implementation led to increasing the project cost. The study recommended the following: Attention should be given to project implementation planning, including the social and economical feasibility study and the adoption of scientific methods to ensure the project's success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Sudan, the HIV testing rates during pregnancy remain low. Limitations in scaling and uptake of PMTCT services are linked to several factors within the healthcare system, including the motivation of healthcare providers. This article describes how a health facility-based health promotion intervention plan was developed, implemented, and evaluated to increase the uptake of PMTCT services using the Intervention Mapping approach. Individual-level and environmental determinants were previously identified and included in the intervention plan. Some factors that impacted the intention of women to test for HIV during pregnancy include level of knowledge on MTCT, who offers the HIV test, the fear and tension experienced when thinking about HIV/AIDS, the non-confidentiality of the HIV test results, and self-efficacy. This provides insights into how to develop, implement, and evaluate a facility-based health promotion intervention. The pre-assessment was critical in shaping the intervention and making it relevant and evidence based. The Intervention Mapping approach that was applied facilitated the systematic design of the intervention and supported guiding the implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization is more aggravating than ever before and techniques are needed to mitigate this problem; understanding salinity-fertilizer relationship is of considerable economic importance for promoting crop growth and productivity in saline soil. A pot experiment was done in a greenhouse to determine whether the N could alleviate the negative effect of different salts compositions on the growth, and physiological attributes of the two most used Sudan sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) cultivars (Wadahmed and Tabat). The plant was subjected to the salt stress at 0, 0.3419 M NaCl, and 0.1408 M Na2SO4, and four levels of N application 0, 4, 8, and 12 g N kg-1 soil, designated as N0, N1, N2, and N3, respectively. Results showed that Na2SO4 was reduced plant height, leaf area index, number of leaves, dry weight (DW), chlorophyll a, total chlorophyll content, and increased soluble protein content, activities of peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities by 16.4%, 29.7%, 61.5%, 28.7%, 39.6%, 12.7%, 99.7%, 34.3%, 51.8%, respectively, when compared with the non-saline treatment. The Na2SO4 salt had a more harmful effect than NaCl. This study revealed that N fertilizer was successful for alleviating the adverse impacts of both types of salt. In this study, 12 g N kg-1 soil was most effective on most of the measured parameters of two sorghum cultivars. These findings demonstrated that the N soil amendment application could alleviate the harmful impact of salinity. 'Wadahmed' was more tolerant to salinity stress than 'Tabat' during the boot stage of sorghum plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) can involve almost any organ of the body. In the central nervous system (CNS), it can cause Pott's disease, meningitis, tuberculoma, abscess, or other manifestations. Tuberculosis is rampant in the developing world and has become a significant public health menace with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) dissemination. This study aimed to determine the frequency of neurological manifestations of tuberculosis among adult Sudanese patients. Methodology: A hospital‐based cross‐sectional study carried out in the period from September to December 2020 at multineurological centers and hospitals in Khartoum State, including Ibrahim Malik Teaching Hospital, Alshaab Teaching Hospital, Bashier, Abu Anga, Omdurman Teaching Hospitals, included adult patients diagnosed with tuberculosis‐associated neurological manifestations. The data were collected by predesigned questionnaire, and then analyzed by computer using SPSS‐version 25. Results: A total of 43 patients were evaluated, male patients were 24 (55.8%) and female patients were 19 (44.2%). About 31 (72.1%) of the participants had extra‐pulmonary TB and 12 (27.9%) had pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB. The neurological manifestations of tuberculosis include Pott's disease in 29 (67.4%) patients (with thoracic spine most affected part), tuberculoma was second‐most, occurring in 8 (18.7%) patients (with a single lesion in most of the patients), whereas tuberculous meningitis was found in 6 (13.9%). Clinical presentation was headache in 14 (32.6%) patients, convulsions in 10 (23.3%), loss of consciousness in 9 (20.9%), hemiparesis in 7 (16.3%) patients, and paraparesis in 23 (53.5%). Cranial nerve affected in 5 (11.6%) patients. All patients received antituberculosis medication and steroids, and 10 (23.2%) received anticonvulsants. Conclusions: Neurological tuberculosis should be ruled out in any young male from an endemic area who exhibits abnormalities in motor, sensory, special sense, or higher mental function. To avoid potentially fatal complications, diagnoses and treatments should be initiated as soon as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Sydenham's chorea (SC) is the most common form of acquired chorea in childhood, it is considered a neurological complication of streptococcal pharyngitis. In this study, we aimed to determine the clinical pattern, association of Sydenham's chorea with other manifestations of acute rheumatic fever, and the laboratory findings of Sydenham's chorea among Sudanese patients. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study involving fifty patients of various ages diagnosed with Sydenham's chorea and followed up at The National Center for Neurological Sciences from January 2017 to November 2019. Data were obtained after patients' consent through personal interviews or personal review of patients' records via a structured questionnaire composed of demographic data, symptoms, co-morbid illness, risk factors, physical examination, and related investigations. Results: About 50 patient was enrolled in this study with a median age of 13.7 years. Females were (n=35) (70%) and (30%) (n=15) s were males. Generalized chorea was seen in 33 (66%) and hemichorea in 17 (34%) patients. Weakness (38%) and hypotonia (46%) were common, such as behavior change (44%), dysarthria (70%), gait change (18%), and deterioration of handwriting (12%). Arthritis occurred in (36%), carditis in 30 (60%), both arthritis and carditis in 18 (36%), and pure chorea in 14 (28%). Erythema marginatum and subcutaneous nodules were not observed in our patients. Only 13 patients (26%) gave a history of pharyngitis. Conclusion: Sydenham chorea is more common in young female Sudanese, with a familial predominance and a tendency towards mitral valve disease. All pediatric Patients with chorea should be screened for Sydenham's chorea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Leishmaniasis is an endemic disease in Sudan that caused by Leishmania spp. Several studies suggest neurological manifestations in visceral leishmaniasis, such as burning sensation, and weakness. This study was aimed to assess the frequency of the neurological manifestations in Visceral Leishmaniasis. Methods: This is a descriptive, prospective cohort study, was conducted in The Tropical Teaching Hospital - Khartoum for one-year duration. A pretested questionnaire contained the study variables were conducted, nerve conduction Study (NCS) and laboratory tests were done. SPSS v 26.0 was used to analyze the data. Results: Forty four percent of total patients (22/50) were symptomatic. Peripheral neuropathy was elicited in 60% (30/50), Numbness has been the most common feature 56.6% (17/30), and Weakness 26.6% (8/30) all were Axonal damage. Sensorimotor neuropathy was exhibited in 70% (21/30), pure motor neuropathy in 26.7% (8/30). Polyneuropathy was encountered in 46.6% (14/30), poly-radiculopathy in 20% (6/30) along with 23.3% (7/30) as mononeuropathy. Conclusions: peripheral neuropathy was developed in patients with visceral leishmaniasis, frequent occurrence of subclinical neurological manifestations is higher than reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of Sudanese sugar manufacturing waste on the communities surrounding the industries. The study employed a cross-sectional survey in which 311 respondents living in factory areas. The selected sugar industries included Kenana, Guneid, Halfa, Sinnar, Assalaya, and White Nile. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 19. Descriptive statistics, nonparametric statistics, and logistic regression were employed. The results showed that wastewater discharge has a significant (P < 0.05) effect on community health. Respondents indicated that the waste creates an ideal environment for parasites to reproduce, off-odors to develop, and ultimately contamination of water. A multinomial logistic regression model showed that wastewater (i.e., off-odors and mosquitoes) have significant (P 0.05) influences on causing health risks (i.e., malaria) to people living around sugar factories. The study also revealed that the lack of sugar industry wastewater management has significantly affected crop and animal production. The suspended particles and bagasse fly were significant (P 0.05) in causing eye and respiratory system diseases in the region. Health services provided by the industries significantly (P = 0.05) impacted community satisfaction. In this regard, the study designed a framework for enhanced handling the industrial waste to be adopted by the Sudanese sugar industry decision-makers. A framework was developed to reduce the impact of waste to the lowest possible level by improving management strategies sufficiently to minimize its impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccination during pregnancy has been proven as an effective preventative measure to reduce the incidence of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. This study aimed to assess the determinants of TT vaccine uptake among pregnant women at two public maternity specialized hospitals in Sudan. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at two public hospitals, Omdurman Maternity Hospital and Al Saudi Hospital in Omdurman, Khartoum State, in Sudan from February to April 2020. Logistic regression analysis was carried out to identify factors associated with receiving three or more doses of the TT vaccine among pregnant women, presented as odds ratios, with p-values < 0.05 considered significant (at a 95% confidence interval). The study recruited 350 pregnant women, with 313 participants included in the analysis. This study found that only 40% of the pregnant women had received three doses or more of the TT vaccine. Pregnant women who attended Al Saudi Hospital were less likely to be vaccinated with the recommended dose of the TT vaccine in districts at high risk (received ≥3 doses) compared to those who attended Omdurman Hospital [OR = 0.49 (95% C.I. 0.29–0.82), p-value < 0.05]. Furthermore, the number of children at home was a significant predictor of the mothers' immunization status as those with five children or more were ten times more likely to be vaccinated with three doses or more [OR = 10.54 (95% C.I. 4.30–25.86), p-value < 0.05]. We conclude that this low rate of TT vaccine uptake found in this study among pregnant women increases the number of newborn babies susceptible to contracting neonatal tetanus. The findings of this study should be considered in the development of communication strategies targeting and prioritizing at-risk groups to increase TT vaccine uptake among pregnant women in Sudan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traumatic cerebral contusion is a major global health concern due to its association with poor clinical prognosis. The aim of this study is to determine the risk factors and clinical presentation of traumatic cerebral contusion in Sudan. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional observational hospital-based study was conducted in 90 patients with traumatic cerebral hemorrhagic contusion admitted to the National Center for Neurological Sciences (NCNS) over a period of six months. Results: The results show that most patients were male, age 25 to 44 years, 75.6% from rural areas, and 67.8 % from Afro-Asiatic linguistic affiliated tribes. The most common cause of traumatic brain hemorrhagic contusion was road traffic accidents (RTA) 68.9%, followed by assault 24.4%, and fall 6.7%. About 60% of the patients suffered a frontal lobe injury while 14.4% of the patients had multiple injury sites. Brain edema was observed in 22.2% of the patients. According to the Glasgow Coma Scale, 11.1% suffered severe, 30% moderate and 58.9% mild brain injury. Death rate was 8.9%. Conclusion: In conclusion, male gender, age 25-44 years, rural residents and victims of RTA were the most common characteristics observed in patients with traumatic hemorrhagic brain contusion in Sudan. The study also observed that brain edema and anatomical site of hemorrhage were not associated with death while male gender and GCS were. Traumatic cerebral hemorrhagic contusion is a major public health issue in Sudan carrying significant socioeconomic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The medical profession is one of the most highly respected and desired professions among students worldwide, most likely because it provides opportunities for both a financially and socially rewarding career. However, while it has been quite established that factors such as self-interest, family pressure, friend pressure, and socioeconomic status do influence the choice of medicine among students worldwide, the exact reasons for an individual to join a medical school may actually vary worldwide. The aim of this study was to comprehensively explore factors influencing medical students to opt in/out medical careers in Sudan. Methods: An institutional based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at University of Khartoum in the year 2022 with a random sample of 330 students that was obtained from the medical students at the The University of Khartoum, Faculty of Medicine using stratified random sampling. Results: Self-interest was the most common factor influencing opting in (choosing) medical profession (70.6%) (n = 233), followed by getting a very high score in high-school that qualifies into the faculty (55.5%) (n = 183). Regarding the factors affecting medical students' choices, parental pressure was the main factor (37.0%) (n = 122), followed by other relatives' pressure (12.4%) (n = 41), and 4.2% (n = 14) chose Peer pressure. 59.7% (n = 197) of the participants stated that they were not affected by any of these factors. Most of the participants felt that the general perception of the medical profession by society is that it is prestigious and has good career opportunities, only 5.8% (n = 19) believed that it is "Not appreciated at all" by the society. A statistically significant association was found between the type of admission & parent pressure (p value 0.01). out of 330 participants, (56.1%) (n = 185) have opted out i.e. lost their interest or regretted their choice of medical career. Academic difficulties was the most common factor causing students to opt-out of the medical career (37%) (n = 122) followed by Multiple suspensions of education (35.2%) (n = 116), Current political & security conflicts in Sudan (29.7%) (n = 98), Poor quality of education (24.8%). The proportion of students having regrets for the medical profession was significantly higher among females. Over one third of the participants reported having depressive symptoms more than half days of the week. No statically significant correlation was established between the academic level and having these depressive symptoms and no statistically significant correlation was established between the decision to opt-out and the academic level (class) of the individuals (P = 0.105). Conclusions: Over half of Sudanese medical students at the University of Khartoum have already lost their interest or regretted their choice of medical career choice. Whether these future doctor chose to drop out or continue their path in the medical career suggests that they are more prone to serious hardships in their future careers. A careful comprehensive approach should further explore and try to offer solutions for problems like "Academic difficulties", "multiple suspension of education", and "poor quality of education" for they were the most common factors that caused medical students to opt out of the medical career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]