Direct Extraction and Assessment of Genomic DNA of Mycetoma Fungi from Black-grains Specimen

Background: Direct isolation of genomic DNA of mycetoma fungi from black-grains achieve rapid diagnosis and may overcome culture disadvantages. Objectives: This study aimed to isolate and assess the DNA of mycetoma fungi using black-grains and to apply amplification of ITS region and nucleotide sequences. Methods: CTAB method was followed by manual homogenization alternatively to liquid nitrogen and glass beads disruption to obtain the genomic DNA. Results: Yielded DNA concentrations vary from 1.50 to 47.97 μg/ml (mean 10.09 μg/ml) while the optimum DNA purity recorded with 75.8% of specimens (n=69/91).Successful amplification of ITS region was done using pan-fungal primers (ITS4/5) with 90.1 (n=82/91)percentage. Species nucleotide sequences were detected with 67 (94.4%) amplicons from a total of 71.Conclusion: The study recommended using of black-grain specimens for DNA extraction of mycetoma fungi parallel with culture to insure rabid diagnosis and identification

Liquid-Liquid Successive Fractionation of Stem Bark Alcoholic Extract from Acacia polyacantha: GC-MS Analysis and Antibacterial Activities.

Antimicrobial resistance is considered as one of the top problematic issues facing world health system. Fortunately, medicinal plants, considered as ongoing source of antimicrobial agents can resolve this health problem Acacia polyacantha tree (AL-Kakamout) is widely available in Sudan. It is one of the main sources of Gum Arabic and used traditionally for treating many bacterial diseases. This study aimed to analyze the fractions of hydro-ethanol extract of A. polyacantha stem bark obtained by liquid-liquid successive fractionation by GC-MS method and to determine the antibacterial activity of these fractions against two standard bacterial strains of Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) and Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeroginosa (ATCC 27853) by well diffusion technique. The powdered A. polyacantha stem bark was extracted by cold maceration using 70% Ethanol and successively fractionated to produce petroleum ether, butanol and aqueous fraction. The butanol fraction in which Cyclolanostanol acetate (28.29%), Dopamine, N,N-dimethyl-, dimethyl ether (21.94%), were dominating, was the most active against both bacterial strains. Petroleum ether fraction which is rich in Lupeol, trifluoroacetate (37.64%) and stigmasterol (13.05%) triterpenoids was found to be more active against P. aeroginosa and with less activity against S.aureus. While the remaining aqueous fraction where hordenine alkaloid (47.21%) and 3-O-Methyl-d-glucose (%30.46) were dominant components showed no activity against S.aureus and with low activity against P. aeroginosa. In conclusion, A.polyacantha bark extract fractions are rich in phytochemical compounds having antibacterial activity and highly recommended to be further investigated as potential antibacterial agents

Responses to melatonin of 2 breeds of dairy ewes in early lactation under autumn photoperiod conditions

A total of 72 dairy ewes of 2 breeds (MN, Manchega, 72.4 ± 1.9 kg of body weight, n = 36; LC, Lacaune, 77.7 ± 2.3 kg of body weight; n = 36) were used to evaluate the lactational effects of melatonin implants in early lactation and under the short-day photoperiod conditions of autumn (experiment was centered on the winter solstice). Ewes lambed in autumn and were penned indoors in 12 balanced groups of 6 ewes by breed, body weight, age, and number of lambs, and randomly assigned to a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial design (treatment × breed × replicate). Ewes suckled their lambs for 28 d. Treatments were (1) melatonin (MEL), which received 1 subcutaneous implant of melatonin (18 mg/ewe) in the ear base at 35 ± 1 d (1 wk after lamb weaning), and (2) control, which did not receive any treatment. Ewes were fed ad libitum a total mixed ration (forage:concentrate, 60:40) and machine milked twice daily. Daily milk yield was automatically recorded from d 29 to 105 of lactation and sampled every 2 wk for composition. Jugular blood was sampled for plasma hormone analyses at 30, 50, 80, 110, and 124 d of lactation. Body reserves were assessed every 2 wk. Feed intake was measured by pen during 3 separated periods after the start of the treatments (wk 2 to 3, wk 6 to 7, and wk 10 to 11). Feed intake, and milk yield and composition varied by breed, but no MEL effects were detected on dry matter intake, milk yield, milk composition, or fat and protein standardized milk in either breed. As a result of the unique composition of the implants and the variable body weights of the ewes, the MEL treatment dose (on average, 0.24 mg/kg of body weight) was 6.8% greater in the MN (lighter) than in the LC (heavier) ewes. Plasmatic melatonin markedly increased in the MEL-treated ewes (on average, 111%), but despite the amount of MEL used, the MN responded greatly compared with the LC ewes (150 vs. 63%, respectively). No differences in basal plasmatic melatonin were detected between breeds (6.4 ± 1.1 pg/mL, on average), indicating the greater responsiveness to the implants of the lighter MN ewes. Plasmatic prolactin tended to decrease in the MEL-treated ewes (−35%, on average), but the effect was significant only in the MN ewes (−54%), in agreement with their greater response to MEL. No effects of MEL treatment were detected on plasmatic IGF-I in either breed. Moreover, body reserves did not vary by effect of MEL treatment or breed throughout the experiment. In conclusion, the use of exogenous melatonin as MEL implants, together with the endogenous melatonin naturally produced under short-day photoperiod conditions, had no effects on the early-lactation performances of dairy sheep, despite their breed and level of production

Sero-molecular Epidemiology of Hepatitis E Virus in Blood Donors, Gezira State, Sudan: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a hepatotropic pathogen that causes significant morbidity and mortality in humans. It is an important causative agent of viral hepatitis outbreaks. This study investigates the serological and molecular prevalence of HEV in blood donors attending the Central Blood Bank in Wad Medani City in Gezira State, Sudan. Methods: The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive design. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data concerning demographic information and risk factors associated with HEV transmission. All enrolled participants (N = 300) were screened for HEV IgG antibodies using commercial ELISA kits, then strong positive samples (N = 84) were selected and rescreened for HEV IgM and HEV RNA by RT PCR. SPSS version 24.0 was used for analysis. Results: Out of 300 male participants, 36.3% (109/300) were positive for HEV IgG. However, only one participant was IgM positive, while the HEV RNA was negative. The highest prevalence rates of the virus were 42 (44.6%) among the age group of 31–40 years, 20 (48.8%) in those who consumed food from outside, 13 (50%) in three to four multiple blood donations, and 5 (62.5%) in those who consumed water from the river source. A significant association of HEV IgG prevalence concerning the occupation of the participants being students or farmers was detected using univariate and multivariate analysis (P-value = 0.007). Conclusion: High prevalence of HEV IgG was demonstrated among the healthy blood donors in this study. Given the possibility of HEV transmission by transfusion from donors to recipients, we recommend that routine screening for HEV should be adopted by blood banks in Sudan

SUCCESSFUL TWO PREGNANCIES IN ACHONDROPLASIC MOTHER, A CASE REPORT

The word achondroplasia is derived from Greek and means "without cartilage formation," although individuals with achondroplasia do have cartilage. In genetics, dominance describes the effects of the different versions of a particular gene on the phenotype of an organism. Many animals (including humans) and plants have two copies of each gene in their genome, one inherited from each parent

RAK CERVIKSA U TRUDNOĆI: PRIKAZ BOLESNICE

The case of 29 years old pregnant III-para at 38 weeks of gestational age is presented. The patient was admitted complaining of vague abdominal pain. By speculum examination the large cervix with reddish ulcerative cervical canal was established and punch biopsy performed. The pathohistological diagnosis was well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. No local metastases or lymph node or other signs of cancer spreading were present (stage 1a). The CS was done, born vital newborn of 2 kg weight, proceeded to total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingoophorectomy. The pathohistological finding was: Stromal invasion of 3 mm in depth and 6 mm in lateral spread (FIGO stage 1a1). Postoperative period was uneventfull, the patient was reffered to Institute of Nuclear Medicine for further management, where she received only 2 cycles of radiation and chemotherapy and thereafter stopped the treatement. Two years later the patient presented very ill and passed because of uremia.Prikazana je bolesnica dobi 29 godina, III-para, s oko 38 tjedana trudnoće. Primljena je zbog nejasnih boli u donjem trbuhu. Pregledom u spekulima nađen je krupni cerviks s ulceracijom u cervikalnom kanalu. Pod anestezijom je učinjena biopsija cerviksa i dobivena patohistološka dijagnoza: dobro diferencirani karcinom pločastih stanica. Nije bilo lokalnih metastaza, širenja u limfne čvorove ili drugih znakova širenja raka (stupanj 1a). Učinjen je carski rez i nastav¬ljena totalna histerektomija s obostranom salpingooforektomijom. Patohistološki nalaz je bio: stomalna invazija 3 mm u dubinu i postranična zahvaćenost 6 mm (FIGO stupanj 1a1). Postoperativni je tijek bio uredan, bolesnica je upućena u Zavod za nuklearnu medicinu radi zračenja i kemoterapije. Primila je samo dva ciklusa terapije i tada napustila liječenje. Nakon dvije godine pacijentica se pojavila vrlo bolesna, umrla je od uremije

Evaluation of the Efficiency of N-terminal Pro-B-type Natriuretic Peptide for Diagnosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background: Cardiac diseases are one of the major causes of death worldwide with increasing incidence rate per year, particularly in developing countries such as Sudan owing to urbanization and changing lifestyle. Myocardial infarction is a consequence of the imbalance between the heart blood supply and the required heart cell; this disorder leads to necrosis of myocardium and may cause death. It could be diagnosed by at least two of the following criteria: chest pain, electrocardiography (ECG) elevation, and levels on cardiac biomarkers. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).  Methods: This analytical case–control hospital-based study was conducted on a total of 70 individuals, of which 40 participants were suspected of or diagnosed with AMI, while 30 healthy subjects  were included as a control group. Three ml of venous blood were collected in lithium heparin containers. Troponin I (TnI) as a cardiac biomarker was measured by TOSOH AIA-360, while the NTproBNP level was detected using I-Chroma II. Personal and clinical data were collected directly from each participant using a predesigned questionnaire. Results: A significant increase in the TnI level (mean: 13.13 ± 18.9 ng/ml) and NTproBNP (mean: 5756.5 ± 8378.2 pg/mL) in AMI patients were detected when compared with control mean (0.02 ± 0.00 ng/ml and 57.8 ± 42.32 pg/mL, respectively). Conclusions: NTproBNP gave a high sensitivity (87.5%), specificity (100%), positive predictive value (100%), and negative predictive value (85.7%) in the diagnosis of AMI when compared with another cardiac biomarker such as TnI. Keywords: acute myocardial infarction, NTproBNP, troponin I, Medani Heart Center, Suda

Helping Mothers Survive Bleeding after Birth Training Join project between University of Gezira, Jhpiego- affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, Sudanese American Medical Association (SAMA), Sudanese Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society

Abstract:The post partum haemorrhage (PPH) Project of Sudan should consider facilitation of implementation of a more comprehensive and innovative program to address prevention, identification and management of PPH with the goal of improving the quality of care and health outcomes related to PPH.The Master Trainer Course was held at the University of Gezira (U of G) followed by Champion courses and Clinical Mentor orientation sessions in 5 hospitals (4 rural and 1 urban). There are additional 5 hospitals in Gezira state where providers have yet to receive the Champions course. The additional courses are planned in March and April of 2016. 23 Master Trainers were mentored in help mother survive (HMS). The PPH Project Director based at UofG and additional 2 more trainers were introduced to the principles of HMS training and the low dose high frequency (LDHF) approach was adopted. 155 providers participated in a bleeding after birth (BAB) Champions Course. 106 of the participants were village midwives who received selected updates around child birth to address gaps identified during the opening role play. Updates included being patient during second stage of labour, no pulling of fetus, delivering babies to mothers, abdomen/skin to skin, drying the baby immediately, changing the wet cloth and covering the baby with dry cloth while on mothers’ abdomen, not to hold babies upside down, not to separate babies from mothers after cutting the cord. No cord milking, evacuation of birth canal in the name of “cleaning” it, no routine episiotomy or pulling the placenta without counter pressure and few others.34 providers from 5 hospitals (4 rural and 1 urban) were oriented as clinical mentors. They will conduct peer mentorship at respective hospitals as well as the downward type of mentorship to midwives at health centers and village midwives from respective community neighborhoo

Global overview of the management of acute cholecystitis during the COVID-19 pandemic (CHOLECOVID study)

There was no funding support for this study. Disclosure. The authors declare no conflict of interest.Peer reviewedPublisher PD