Acute Urinary Tract Infections in Children in Khartoum State: Pathogens, Antimicrobial Susceptibility and Associated Risk Factors

Introduction: Adequate treatment of acute urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children depends on knowledge of the local pattern of causative pathogens and associated risk factors. We explored these patterns and risk factors in a group of Sudanese children who attended the emergency department of Gaafar Ibn Auf Pediatric Hospital in Khartoum, Sudan, with symptoms of acute UTI. Methods: Urine culture and sensitivity testing was performed for symptomatic children who had positive urine dipstick tests for nitrates and leuckocyte esterase. Results: Acute UTI was confirmed in 100 children, 74% of them were below 5-years of age and 35% were infants. The male-female ratio of affected children was 2.1:1 among infants, and 1:1.2 among older children. Uncircumcision and infancy were significantly more prevalent among children confirmed to have UTI compared to children with non-signifiacnt bacteruria. E. coli was the most commonly isolated pathogen (60%). Mean susceptibility of all isolates was high to gentamicin (96%), ciprofloxacin (94%), ceftriaxone (90%), and cefixime (85%). Mean susceptibility was moderate to cefuroxime (75%), nalidixic acid (74%), and nitrofurantoin (70%), and low to cephelexin (51%), cotrimoxazole (26%), amoxicillin-clavulanate (19%) and ampicillin (14%). Ultrasound scan was feasible in 89 children with confirmed UTI, revealing renal stones in six children (6.7%). Micturating cysto-urethrogram (MCUG) was indicated for 28 children but was feasible for only 15 children, revealing low-grade vesico-ureteric reflux (VUR) in five of them. Conclusion: E. coli was the commonest causative organism of acute UTI in our setting. Isolated pathogens were highly resistant to conventional empiric therapy. Male uncircumcision was significantly associated with UTI among the study patients. Keywords: Acute Urinary Tract Infections, Children, Pathogens, Antimicrobial susceptibility, Suda

Minimally Invasive Surgery: Can We See Inside the Future

The substantial developments in surgery, over the last century with the advent of antiseptic substance, anesthetic agents, antibiotics, surgical nutrition, and organ transplantation, haven’t  changed neither the basic surgical tools nor the surgical techniques. Minimally invasive surgery (MIS), was first proposed by Wickham in 1986 because of the radical changes in the treatment of kidney stones between 1979 and 1983. This new concept of (MIS) has revolutionized the management of surgical disorders in a very short period of time.  It has moved the focus of surgery towards reducing the morbidity without compromising on the quality of healthcare(1). (MIS) is getting in more and more in all fields of surgery, laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery are no exception(2). It basically entailed entering the body cavities or lumina through the skin or through a natural orifice incurring the least damage to those organs or structures. . Collectively called minimal access surgery it has developed so much to the extent of being impossible to halt or withdraw it back. Recently computerized designing of laparoscopic instrument is introduced and microprocessor controlled safety features are added.  MIS has proved a boom for patients over the last 25 years. It has significantly reduced  hospital stay, grossly reduced the  patients’ recovery time, and greatly improved the cosmetic consequences of operations with less pain and  less strain of the organism. Despite the improvement in outcomes with laparoscopy, the technique still has some limitations.  Apart from grand cost and training needs, there is definite loss of tactile perception and of course the surgeon’s eyesight is limited by the two dimensional view(3)

Propagation of Grapefruit (Citrus Paradisi Macf) by Shoot Tip Micrografting

This study was conducted to develop an in vitro technique for micrografting of grapefruit on sour orange rootstock during August, 2001 to May, 2002. The best in vitro germination of rootstock seed was obtained when both seed coats (hard and soft) were removed before in vitro culturing on a nutrient medium. The success of micrografting was affected by the age of rootstock seedling, light incubation conditions, source and method of placement of meristem tips and concentration of sucrose in the nutrient medium. High frequency of successful micrografts was obtained when the rootstock seedlings were germinated under darkness till the age of two weeks and then incubated in the same condition for two to three weeks after grafting. Plants grown in the greenhouse were the best source for meristem tips. Placement of scion on an inverted T incision at the point of decapitation was found to be the most suitable method of micrografting. The frequency of successful micro. grafts improved significantly when Murashige and Skoog medium was supplemented with 7.5% sucrose compared with normal sucrose concentration (3%).. INTRODUCTIO

Mainstreaming Islamic Religious Education and Secular Education in Schools as Per the Kenyan Basic Education Act 2013

This paper is an attempt to harmonize the local Quranic schools, the Islamic schools (Madarasa) and the secular schools in Kenya. The article is based on existing literature review, the author’s personal experiences and opinions. It is felt that a change be made to integrate the three-parallel curricula. The curriculum of the Quranic and the Arabic schools can be accommodated into the secular curriculum to give time for the pupils for rest or play or do their homework adequately. The current system makes the child run from one school to another. This starts at the age of six and continues until the child completes primary school. This is strenuous for the child. It is hoped that the integrated approach will alleviate this problem. The child needs to be given a chance to interact with his \ her environment so that he \ she can react to it. It should be concerned with the intellectual, emotional, physical and social growth of the child. Keywords: Quranic Schools, integrated curriculum, secular education, colonial administration DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-27-10 Publication date:September 30th 201

Effect of irrigation interval, sowing method and farmyard manure on growth and seed yield of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) in the desert plain soils of northern Sudan

   This study was conducted at the National Institute of Desert Studies (NIDS) Research Farm, on the desert plain soils of the New Hamdab Agricultural Scheme, New Hamdab, Northern State, Sudan, during the winter seasons of 2008/09 and 2009/10. The objectives of the study were to determine the effect of irrigation intervals, sowing methods and farmyard manure on the growth and yield of improved Selaim cultivar of faba bean in a desert environment, and to develop a suitable technical package for these arid areas. A split-split plot design was used with four replicates. The irrigation intervals of 7, 10 and 13 days were assigned to the main plots, the two sowing methods on flat and ridges were assigned to the sub plots while the farmyard manure (FYM) with two rates of 0 and 10 t/ha was assigned to the sub-sub plots. Irrigation intervals had significant effects on number of days to 80% maturity, number of pods/plant, number of seeds/pod, biological yield and seed yield. Sowing methods significantly affected plant population, number of days to 80% maturity and biological yield. On the other hand, FYM application led to significant differences in the number of seeds/pod and number of pods/plant. However, the effects of these factors on the harvest index, 100 seed weight and time to 50% flowering were not significant. The results showed that the best seed yield (3.29 and 2.13 t/ha) was obtained when the irrigation interval was seven days with sowing on flat surface and with the application of 10 t/ha of FYM. This package resulted in the tallest plants, highest number of pods per plant, highest number of seeds per pod and highest seed yield.    تمت زراعة الفول المصري صنف سليم المحسن تحت ظروف المناخ الجاف في تربة السهل الصحراوي بشمال السودان في الموسم الشتوي 2008/2009 و2009/2010 بمزرعة المعهد القومي لدراسات الصحراء بمشروع الحامداب الجديدة الزراعي ، الذي يقع علي خطي عرض″11  ′55 °17 و″11  ′58  °17 ش وخطي طول ″08 ′06 °31 و″31 ′13 °31 ق. أجريت هذه الدراسة لتقويم اثر فترات الري وطرق الزراعة والسماد البلدي علي نمو وإنتاجية الفول المصري في تربة السهل الصحراوي. نظمت المعاملات إحصائيا باستخدام تصميم القطع المنشقة المنشقة بأربعة مكررات حيث وضعت فترات الري (7- 10- 13  يوم) في القطع الرئيسية و طريقة الزراعة  ( ارض مسطحة و سرابات) في القطع الثانوية  ومستويا السماد البلدي   (صفر و10 طن /للهكتار) في القطع تحت الثانوية. تم حساب المحتوي الرطوبي للتربة ومؤشرات النمو ومكونات الإنتاجية  وإنتاجية الحبوب والإنتاج الحيوي ودليل الحصاد.  أظهرت نتائج التحليل الإحصائي وجود فروق معنوية  لأثر الري علي عدد الأيام حتى 80% نضوج ولعدد القرون في النبات والإنتاج الحيوي وإنتاجية الحبوب، أما طرق الزراعة فأثرت معنويا في الكثافة النباتية وعدد الأيام  ل80% نضوج والإنتاج الحيوي ، بينما الأثر المعنوي لاستخدام  السماد البلدي كان في عدد الحبوب في القرن وعدد القرون في النبات. أوضحت النتائج أيضا عدم وجود فروق معنوية لفترة الإزهار حتى 50% ودليل الحصاد ووزن المائة حبة. أوضحت الدراسة أن الري كل سبعة أيام وزراعة المحصول على ارض مسطحة وإضافة  عشرة طن من السماد البلدي للهكتار هي الأفضل في زراعة الفول المصري في أراضى السهل الصحراوية حيث أدت إلي أفضل طول للنبات وأعلي عدد للقرون في النبات وللحبوب في القرن وبالتالي اعلي إنتاجية للحبوب بلغت 3.29 و2.13طن/ هكتار في الموسمين علي التوالي. عليه يوصى باستخدام هذه الحزمة لزراعة الفول فى اراضى السهل الصحراوى

Effect of cytokinins and auxins on micropropagation of shoot tip and nodal explants of two cultivars of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L) Lam)

     In vitro propagation of two selected cultivars of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L) Larn), Baladi White (BW) and Nigerian (N) were investigated using shoot tips and nodal explants during the period March, 1997 to July, 1998. Shoot regeneration from both cultivars was best on Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium without plant growth regulators. Morphogenetic response varied with the different types of explants and genotypes of sweet potato. Shoot morphogenesis from the sweet potato cv. BW was better than that from cv. N. Shoot tip explant was better for in vitro propagation of sweet potato cv. N. , while nodal cuttings were. better for cv. BW. The shoot regeneration rate induced on benzylaminopurine (BAP) was higher than that on kinetin. BAP in combination with naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) resulted in shoot and root morphogenesis from nodal explants of the sweet potato cv. N. The best shoot length was found on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) supplemented with NAA at both 0.25 and 1.0 mg/l combined with 0.5 mg/l BAP

The effect of water deprivation on the pharmacokinetics of antipyrine and sulphadimidine following intravenous administration in Nubian goats

The effect of water deprivation on the pharmacokinetic parameters of antipyrine and sulphadimidine in the Nubian goat was studied. Water deprivation, to a level of dehydration at which the animals lost an average of 7.5% body weight, resulted in a significant reduction in antipyrine clearance (p < 0.05), and a consequently increased AUC value (p < 0.05). No effect was observed on the distribution parameters of the drug. In dehydrated animals which had lost an average of 10% or 12.5% of their body weight owing to water deprivation, significant changes were found in the distribution and elimination pharmacokinetic parameters of antipyrine and sulphadimidine. The volume of distribution was significantly decreased, resulting n elevated plasma levels for the two drags compared to normally watered animals. Significant decreases in clearance and subsequent prolongation of the elimination half-lives were observed during these periods of water deprivation. These changes in the disposition kinetics of the two drugs may be attributed to the loss of total body water and extracellular fluids and changes in the liver and kidney functions taking place during dehydration

EFFECTS OF TEST PARAMETERS ON THE PRODUCTION OF HEXAGONAL BORON NITRIDE BY DCRN METHOD

conference paper at FunGlass School - part

Modelling and Simulation of Dissolution/Reprecipitation Technique for Low-Density Polyethene Using Solvent/Non-Solvent System

The global production and consumption of plastics have continued to increase. Plastics degrade slowly, causing persistent environmental pollution Developed waste plastic recycling methods are discussed in this report, with a focus on the dissolution/reprecipitation technique to restore low-density polyethene (LDPE) wastes. Aspen HYSYS is used to simulate the recycling of waste LDPE. Turpentine/petroleum ether (TURP/PetE) is chosen as solvent/non-solvent with fractions proved efficient through laboratory experiments. PetE is selected to be the non-solvent used for the precipitation of pure LDPE. The feedstock is assumed to be LDPE products containing additives such as dye. The simulation model developed estimated a pure LDPE precipitate recovery with a composition of 99% LDPE with a flowrate of 1024 tonnes per year. In addition, Aspen HYSYS could approximate a rough cost estimate that includes utility cost, installation cost and other factors. Technical challenges were eliminated, and several assumptions were taken into consideration to be able to simulate the process