Noise Induced Hearing Loss among Khartoum International Airport Employees

Background: Noise-induced hearing loss [NIHL] was incriminated to be the second most common sensorineural hearing loss, after age-related hearing loss. Objective: This study aimed to investigate noise induced hearing loss among employees of Khartoum international air port. Material and Methods: The study population included sixty adult male employees selected randomly from noisy sections as exposed group. Employees with any middle ear problems, those who received recently drugs that affect hearing, those with congenital hearing problems, and those who were exposed to excessive noise elsewhere in the past were excluded. The control group consisted of forty employees selected randomly from non noisy working places matched for age and sex. Audiometric measurement was done to all participants and environmental noise level was measured by noise dosimeter and sound level meter. Results: The sound level recorded in the airport was greater than the accepted level. The results showed high incidence of NIHL among employees (55%), especially those in most noisy areas and who were not wearing suitable hearing protection devices. Discussion and Recommendations: These findings indicated that sound level in the airport exceeded the accepted level and the incidence of NIHL was high .The employees should wear appropriate hearing protection devices, and the hearing conservation program should be implemented. Keywords: sensorineural, environmental noise, industrial, occupational. Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences Vol. 3 (3) 2008: pp. 197-20

The Effect of Sugar Fortification with Vitamin A on Serum Retinol and Retinol Binding Protein of Khalwa Students at Risk of Vitamin A Deficiency

Background: Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a public health problem in Sudan Objectives: The aim of this study is to test the effect of sugar fortified with vitamin A on VA status of Khalwa students (informal education). Methods:Sixty Khalwa students age 6-11 years were included in the study. Each student consumed about 28g of the fortified sugar for thirty days. Blood samples were collected before breakfast, to measure serum retinol (SR) and retinol-binding protein (RBP) of children before and after consuming the fortified sugar. Data including socioeconomic status and dietary intake of VA rich food were obtained. Anthropometric measurements and clinical examinations to detect signs of VAD were performed. Results: Mean SR was 32.42 ±15.43ìg/dl and mean RBP was 20.96 ±14.32mg/l, which increased significantly to 49.08 ±12.2ìg/dl and 30.42±15.95mg/l respectively after consumption of the fortified sugar (P=0.000 for SR and

Investigation of association of Helicobacter pylori and simple nasal polyps

Objective: To investigate a possible contribution of Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori) in the etiopathogenesis of simple nasal polyps. Study Design: Prospective clinical trial. Methods: Twenty five patients with simple nasal polyps underwent nasal polypectomy were studied. Helicobacter pylori DNA was investigated for specimens removed from those patients by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: Helicobacter pylori DNA was detected in 2 (8%) of total 25 specimens. Conclusion: We could not find strong indicator that H. pylori played a role at the tissue level in the pathogenesis of nasal polyp. Keywords: Nasal polyp - Helicobacter pylori Polymerase chain reaction.Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences Vol. 3 (2) 2008: pp. 95-9

Transient post-exercise hyper-perspiration of forehead area

Information about sweating responses during exercise recovery is insufficient and mostly controversial. In the present study, particular attention is given to sweating behavior at forehead area immediately after exercise. Simultaneous changes of some underlying factors are also addressed. Eight healthy young males (27.4±0.8 years old) volunteered for the study. They performed a constant work rate exercise (60 rpm at 50% of individual work load for VO2 peak) for 30 min. Sweating from the forehead area was measured by the weight gain of a covered filter paper disk. Simultaneous variations in tympanic temperature, heart rate and mean arterial pressure were obtained. Plasma concentrations for sodium, vasopressin, adrenalin and noradrenalin were also determined. Sweating rate increased up to the first sample taken immediately after exercise cessation (P < 0.05). All other variables measured increased during exercise and with exception of noradrenalin, which was maintained high. Other variables, on the whole, decreased during recovery period. At exercise, off-transient coincident with overshoot in sweating rate, tympanic temperature, noradrenalin and vasopressin were subject to a non significant elevation. These results suggest that, sweating from forehead area is still subject to increase at exercise off-transient. The effects of relevant factors studied here are contradictory and could not justify the increase seen in sweating at off-transient. More studies are required to elucidate the causative factor(s).Key words: Exercise off-transient, recovery, sweating rate, forehead

Serum Levels of Selenium, Zinc, Copper and Magnesium in Asthmatic Patients: a Case Control Study.

Background: Free radicals have harmful effects on cells and tissues and are thought to be responsible for the pathogenesis of many diseases including bronchial asthma. Selenium (Se), Zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and magnesium (Mg) are trace elements required for the antioxidant enzymes and hence the optimal functions of the immune system. Changes in the levels of these elements may lead to a reduction in antioxidant activities in asthma. Objective: This study was conducted to determine serum levels of the trace elements Se, Zn, Cu, and Mg in asthmatic patients in order to evaluate the associations of these nutrients with asthma in adults Subjects and Methods: Serum Se, Zn, Cu, and Mg concentrations were measured in 100 asthmatic adult patients and 170 healthy control subjects matched for age and sex. The patients were recruited from asthma casualties, referred clinics and wards of Elshaab and Omdurman Teaching Hospital, Khartoum Sudan. Socio- demographic data and clinical history of all subjects were collected in questionnaires. Results: Serum Se and Cu levels were found to be significantly decreased in asthmatic patients compared to controls. Mean serum Se and Cu for patients were 65.8 5.5Ig/l (mean SD) and 0.711 0.37g/l respectively while that for controls were 78.2 7.5 Ig/l and 0.939 0.322g/l respectively (P value was < 0.001). On the other hand the mean serum Zn level was significantly higher in patients compared to controls (1.2 0.51g/l and 0.94 0.254g/l respectively) (P value wa

Determination of Gossypol in Hamid and Bt (Seeni 1) Cottonseed Oil using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

This study was conducted to determine the gossypol content in Bt cottonseed (Seeni-1) oil by using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy with an Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) element. The wavelengths used were selected by spiking refined, bleached deodorized palm oil (RBDPO) to gossypol concentrations of 0-5% and noting the regions of maximal absorbance. Absorbance values of the wavelength regions 3700-2400 &amp; 1900-750 cm−1 and a partial least squares (PLS) method were used to derive calibration models for Hamid cottonseed oil, Seeni-1 cottonseed oil, and gossypol-spiked RBDPO. The coefficients of determination (R2) for the calibration models were computed for the FTIR spectroscopy results against those found by using the wet chemical method AOCS method Ba 8–78. The R2 was 0.8916, 0.9581, and 0.9374 for Hamid cottonseed oil, Seeni-1 cottonseed oil, and gossypol-spiked RBDPO, respectively. The standard error (SE) of the calibration was 0.053, 0.078, and 0.062, respectively. The calibration models were validated using the cross-validation technique within the same set of oil samples. The results of FTIR spectroscopy as a useful technique determining gossypol content in crude cottonseed oil showed that there is a significant difference (p &lt;0.05) in the amount of gossypol content in Hamid and Bt Seeni-1 cottonseed oils

Anxiety Linked to COVID-19: A Systematic Review Comparing Anxiety Rates in Different Populations

The COVID-19 pandemic has incited a rise in anxiety, with uncertainty regarding the specific impacts and risk factors across multiple populations. A qualitative systematic review was conducted to investigate the prevalence and associations of anxiety in different sample populations in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Four databases were utilised in the search (Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO). The review period commenced in April 2021 and was finalised on 5 July 2021. A total of 3537 studies were identified of which 87 were included in the review (sample size: 755,180). Healthcare workers had the highest prevalence of anxiety (36%), followed by university students (34.7%), the general population (34%), teachers (27.2%), parents (23.3%), pregnant women (19.5%), and police (8.79%). Risk factors such as being female, having pre-existing mental conditions, lower socioeconomic status, increased exposure to infection, and being younger all contributed to worsened anxiety. The review included studies published before July 2021; due to the ongoing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, this may have excluded relevant papers. Restriction to only English papers and a sample size > 1000 may have also limited the range of papers included. These findings identify groups who are most vulnerable to developing anxiety in a pandemic and what specific risk factors are most common across multiple populations.</jats:p

Impact of Auto-evaluation Tests as Part of the Continuous Evaluation in Programming Courses

The continuous evaluation allows for the assessment of the progressive assimilation of concepts and the competences that must be achieved in a course. There are several ways to implement such contin uous evaluation system. We propose auto-evaluation tests as a valuable tool for the student to judge his level of knowledge. Furthermore, these tests are also used as a small part of the continuous evaluation process, encouraging students to learn the concepts seen in the course, as they have the feeling that the time dedicated to this study will have an assured reward, binge able to answer correctly the questions in the continuous evaluation exams. New technologies are a great aid to improve the auto evaluation experience both for the students and the teachers. In this research work we have compared the results obtained in courses where auto-evaluation tests were provided against courses where they were not provided, showing how the tests improve a set of quality metrics in the results of the courseMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad TIN2017-88209-C2-

Strain-dependent host transcriptional responses to toxoplasma infection are largely conserved in mammalian and avian hosts

Toxoplasma gondii has a remarkable ability to infect an enormous variety of mammalian and avian species. Given this, it is surprising that three strains (Types I/II/III) account for the majority of isolates from Europe/North America. The selective pressures that have driven the emergence of these particular strains, however, remain enigmatic. We hypothesized that strain selection might be partially driven by adaptation of strains for mammalian versus avian hosts. To test this, we examine in vitro, strain-dependent host responses in fibroblasts of a representative avian host, the chicken (Gallus gallus). Using gene expression profiling of infected chicken embryonic fibroblasts and pathway analysis to assess host response, we show here that chicken cells respond with distinct transcriptional profiles upon infection with Type II versus III strains that are reminiscent of profiles observed in mammalian cells. To identify the parasite drivers of these differences, chicken fibroblasts were infected with individual F1 progeny of a Type II x III cross and host gene expression was assessed for each by microarray. QTL mapping of transcriptional differences suggested, and deletion strains confirmed, that, as in mammalian cells, the polymorphic rhoptry kinase ROP16 is the major driver of strain-specific responses. We originally hypothesized that comparing avian versus mammalian host response might reveal an inversion in parasite strain-dependent phenotypes; specifically, for polymorphic effectors like ROP16, we hypothesized that the allele with most activity in mammalian cells might be less active in avian cells. Instead, we found that activity of ROP16 alleles appears to be conserved across host species; moreover, additional parasite loci that were previously mapped for strain-specific effects on mammalian response showed similar strain-specific effects in chicken cells. These results indicate that if different hosts select for different parasite genotypes, the selection operates downstream of the signaling occurring during the beginning of the host's immune response. © 2011 Ong et al