Concentrations of Calcium in premature Gray hair and Black hair in Sudanese male subjects in Khartoum state

في هذه الدراسة والتي أريت في منطقة الخرطوم بحري تم قياس تركيز الكالسيوم في الشعر الاسود والشائب والمأخوذ من نفس الشخص للأعمار أقل من 30 سنة مع استخدام اشخاص آخرين كمجموعة ضبط. حيث تم استخدم جهاز الامتصاص الذري لقياس تركيز الكالسيوم وقيمت النتائج من خلال التحليل الإحصائي وقد كشفت تلك النتائج عن ارتفاع نسبة الكالسيوم في الشعرات البيضاء عن الشعرات السوداء و أظهرت تركيزات الكالسيوم فروق معنوية بين نوعي الشعر (p <0.05) . و لم يتم الكشف عن امراض العظام المتعلقة بالكالسيوم مثل هشاشة العظام

Sedimentary Iron Ore Deposits and Associated Manganese in Shendi –Atbara Basin, River Nile State, Sudan.

تقع منطقة الدراسة في الجزء الشرقي لولاية نهر النيل شمال السودان بين خطي طول “20 - 17 16⁰40’0“Nو خطي عرض . 34⁰10’0“ -33⁰30`0“Eالتكوين الجيولوجي لمنطقة الدراسة يتكون من صخور الأساس التي يعود عمرها لفترة ماقبل الكامبري والحجر الرملي النوبي ذو العمر الكريتاسي الأعلي و صوان الهودي ذو العمر الأولوجيوسيني والرسوبيات الحديثة. تهدف هذه الدراسة الي دراسة السلوك الجيولوجي والجيوكيميائي والظروف الجيوكيميائية التي تتحكم في ترسيب خامات الحديد الرسوبي وخامات المنجنيز الرسوبي المصاحب له. لتحقيق هذه الأهداف أستخدم الآتي: العمل الحقلي, التخريط المعملي, الإستشعار عن بعد بالإضافة الي نظم المعلومات الجغرافية والتحليل الجيوكيميائي والشرائح الرقيقة والشرائح المصقولة. أهم نتائج هذه الدراسة الآتي: بناءاً على الملاحظات الحقلية فإن خامات الحديد والمنجنيز الرسوبية تتواجد في ثلاثة أشكال رئيسية هي خامات الحديد العقدي وأحجار الحديد والحديد المتحزم. دراسة المقاطع الرسوبية الرأسية أشارت الي أن خامات الحديد والمنجنيز تتوضع في ثلاثة أشكال رئيسية في التتابع الطبقي هي : شكل الغطاء, شكل طبقات وشكل طبقات بينية. الدراسة البتروجرافية لخامات الحديد في العينات المأخوذة تضمنت دراسة أنسجة وبنيات الخامات لمعرفة تاريخ نشأة الخام. الأنواع الرئيسية من الأنسجة والبنيات في العينات المدروسة هي: الأنواع البطروخية ,الأنواع الحبيبية ,الأنواع الرقائقية والأنواع المتحزمة. بناء على النتائج أعلاه فإن خامات الحديد والمنجنيز المصاحب تكونت عن طريق الترسيب الكيميائي أثناء التجوية الكيميائية للمناطق المحيطة وهذا يعني انها ترسب في بيئة قارية بحيرية. الدراسة الجيوكيميائية للعينات المدروسة تضمنت التحليل الكيميائي , تحليل العناصر الشحيحة وتحليل الأكاسيد الرئيسية. محتوي أكسيد الحديد في منطقة الدراسة يتراوح بين % 79.52في منطقة قوز الحاج الي % 2.49في منطقة النقعة بمتوسط % . 47.04محتوي المنجنيز في منطقة الدراسة يتراوح بين 11659.7 ppmفي منطقة النقعة 1الي 216 ppmفي منطقة النقعة 3بمتوسط . 2985.35 ppmكل هذه النتائج أستخدمت لإنشاء خرائط تساوي التراكيز لرواسب خامات الحديد والمنجنيز وتوزيعها في منطقة الد ا رسة واحتمالياتها للأعمال المنجمية المستقبلي

Factors Associated with Adverse Events Related to Topical Whitening Products Used among College Female Students in Sudan

This study aimed to explore the factors associated with adverse events related to topical whitening products used and to explore the reasons for using topical whitening products among female students in Sudan. A cross-sectional study was conducted from September to October 2023 in Sudan. The Medicine and Pharmacy programs were purposively selected as the study area. The total sample size was 208 participants. The self-administered questionnaire was constructed with a total of seventeen questions. For data analysis, we performed descriptive statistics analysis, bivariate analysis with simple logistic regression, and multivariable analysis with binary logistic regression presenting with adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and  95% confidence interval (95% CI). The results imply that students with middle household income were 93% less likely to get adverse events compared to those students with low household income with p-value = 0.030 (AOR: 0.07, 95% CI: 0.06 ,0.77). Students who have tested the topical whitening products before using them were 99.9% less likely to get adverse events compared to those who do not test, with p-value = &lt;0.001 (AOR: 0.001, 95% CI: 0.001,0.00). Students who shared whitening products with family/friends were 89% less likely to get adverse events than those who do not share with p-value = 0.009 (AOR: 0.11, 95% CI: 0.021, 0.57). Furthermore, students who used whitening products with added water or other agents to whitening products were 95% less likely to get adverse events compared to those who did not use with p-value = 0.038 (AOR: 0.05, 95% CI:0.02, 0.84). The top two reasons respondents for using topical whitening products were acne (26.9%) and for beautification (24.5%). The study suggested the local government and health sectors should educate and raise the awareness of the safety of whitening products use among female students.Keywords: Adverse events, female students, Sudan, Whitening topical product

Vision-based detection and tracking of moving target in video surveillance

In this paper a real-time detection and tracking of moving targets is presented. The scheme involved four phases. Phase one: Object segmentation which used to identify the foreground objects from the background by using background subtraction based on temporal differencing and a rolling-average background model. Phase two: Object recognition used to identify the foreground objects that should be tracked by using simple blob detection. Phase three: Object representation which takes the outcome from phase two. It computes the representation of each recognized object to be tracked. Phase 4: Object tracking that used Kalman filter. The results show that the tracking system is capable of target shape recovery and therefore it can successfully track targets with varying distance from camera or while the camera is zoomin

Knowledge, attitude and practice of hepatitis (B) among healthcare workers in relation to their vaccination status in Khartoum, Sudan, 2015: a cross-sectional study

Background: Hepatitis B is a serious chronic infection of the liver and caused by hepatitis B virus. It is an endemic disease in Sudan. Healthcare workers are occupationally more prone to acquire the disease. Evaluation of their knowledge, attitude and practice and their vaccination status, are very important in the control of the disease. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practiceof healthcare workers towards hepatitis B and their vaccination status. Materials and Methods: In total, 372 healthcare workers were enrolled in the study, which was conducted at 10 public hospitals in Khartoum state during July-August 2015. After taking written informed consent from the Khartoum State Research Department, self-administrated questionnaires were distributed to the healthcareworkers. The KAP score was the sum of the three categories, which is 32 points, and the mean was then obtained. Results: The study revealed that the respondents’ mean scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) were 18.4, 2.14 and 2.49, respectively. The study also showed that doctors have the highest KAP score in comparison with other occupations. Doctors are the least occupational category that uses gloves when dealing with patient’s blood. The KAP score was found higher among vaccinated healthcare workers 27.4% in comparison to unvaccinated ones, That yield to a significant the association between KAP score and vac-cination status (p-value0.007).Conclusions: This study concluded that, there is a positive association between the level of vaccination among Health care workers and their Knowledge, attitude and practice of hepatitis B virus. Further studies would be recommended on larger population

Optimisation and validation of a custom-designed perfusion bioreactor for bone tissue engineering: Flow assessment and optimal culture environmental conditions

Various perfusion bioreactor systems have been designed to improve cell culture with three-dimensional porous scaffolds, and there is some evidence that fluid force improves the osteogenic commitment of the progenitors. However, because of the unique design concept and operational configuration, the experimental setups of perfusion bioreactor systems are not always compatible. To reconcile results from different systems, the thorough optimisation and validation of the experimental configuration are required in each system. In this study, optimal experimental conditions for a perfusion bioreactor were explored in 3 steps. First, an in silico modelling was performed using a scaffold geometry obtained by microCT and an expedient geometry parameterised with porosity and permeability to assess the accuracy of calculated fluid shear stress and computational time. Then, environmental factors for cell culture were optimised, including the volume of the medium, bubble suppression, and medium evaporation. Further, by combining the findings, it was possible to determine the optimal flow rate at which cell growth was supported but osteogenic differentiation was triggered. Here, we demonstrated that fluid shear stress, ranging from nearly 0 to 15 mPa, was sufficient to induce osteogenesis, but cell growth was severely impacted by the volume of perfused medium, the presence of air bubbles, and medium evaporation, all of which are common concerns in perfusion bioreactor systems. This study emphasises the necessity of optimisation of experimental variables, which may often be underreported or overlooked, and indicates steps which can be taken to address issues common to perfusion bioreactors for bone tissue engineering.publishedVersio

Understanding of how the properties of medical grade lactide based copolymer scaffolds influence adipose tissue regeneration: Sterilization and a systematic in vitro assessment

Aliphatic polyesters are the synthetic polymers most commonly used in the development of resorbable medical implants/devices. Various three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds have been fabricated from these polymers and used in adipose tissue engineering. However, their systematic evaluation altogether lacks, which makes it difficult to select a suitable degradable polymer to design 3D resorbable implants and/or devices able to effectively mimic the properties of adipose tissue. Additionally, the impact of sterilization methods on the medical devices, if any, must be taken into account. We evaluate and compare five different medical-grade resorbable polyesters with l-lactide content ranging from 50 to 100 mol% and exhibiting different physiochemical properties depending on the comonomer (d-lactide, ε-caprolactone, glycolide, and trimethylene carbonate). The salt-leaching technique was used to prepare 3D microporous scaffolds. A comprehensive assessment of physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of the scaffolds was carried out in PBS at 37 °C. The cell-material interactions and the ability of the scaffolds to promote adipogenesis of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells were assessed in vitro. The diverse physical and mechanical properties of the scaffolds, due to the different composition of the copolymers, influenced human adipose tissue-derived stem cells proliferation and differentiation. Scaffolds made from polymers which were above their glass transition temperature and with low degree of crystallinity showed better proliferation and adipogenic differentiation of stem cells. The effect of sterilization techniques (electron beam and ethylene oxide) on the polymer properties was also evaluated. Results showed that scaffolds sterilized with the ethylene oxide method better retained their physical and chemical properties. Overall, the presented research provides (i) a detailed understanding to select a degradable polymer that has relevant properties to augment adipose tissue regeneration and can be further used to fabricate medical devices/implants; (ii) directions to prefer a sterilization method that does not change polymer properties.publishedVersio

Delivery of VEGFA in bone marrow stromal cells seeded in copolymer scaffold enhances angiogenesis, but is inadequate for osteogenesis as compared with the dual delivery of VEGFA and BMP2 in a subcutaneous mouse model

Background: In bone tissue engineering (BTE), extensive research into vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA)-mediated angiogenesis has yielded inconsistent results. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence on angio- and osteogenesis of adenoviral-mediated delivery of VEGFA alone or in combination with bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) in bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) seeded onto a recently developed poly(LLA-co-CL) scaffold. Methods: Human BMSC were engineered to express VEGFA alone or in combination with BMP2 and seeded onto poly(LLA-co-CL) scaffolds. Changes in angiogenic and osteogenic gene and protein levels were examined by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), PCR array, and alkaline phosphatase assay. An in vivo subcutaneous mouse model was used to investigate the effect on angio- and osteogenesis of VEGFA alone or in combination with BMP2, using microcomputed tomography (μCT), histology, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence. Results: Combined delivery of a lower ratio (1:3) of VEGFA and BMP2 (ad-BMP2 + VEGFA) led to upregulation of osteogenic and angiogenic genes in vitro at 3 and 14 days, compared with mono-delivery of VEGFA (ad-VEGFA) and other controls. In vivo, in a subcutaneous mouse model, both ad-VEGFA and ad-BMP2 + VEGFA scaffold explants exhibited increased angiogenesis at 2 weeks. Enhanced angiogenesis was largely related to the recruitment and differentiation of mouse progenitor cells to the endothelial lineage and, to a lesser extent, to endothelial differentiation of the implanted BMSC. μCT and histological analyses revealed enhanced de novo bone formation only in the ad-BMP2 + VEGFA group, corresponding at the molecular level to the upregulation of genes related to osteogenesis, such as ALPL, RUNX2, and SPP1. Conclusions: Although BMSC expressing VEGFA alone or in combination with BMP2 significantly induced angiogenesis, VEGFA alone failed to demonstrate osteogenic activity both in vitro and in vivo. These results not only call into question the use of VEGFA alone in bone regeneration, but also highlight the importance in BTE of appropriately formulated combined delivery of VEGFA and BMP2.publishedVersio

Knowledge and attitudes towards cervical cancer prevention among women in Khartoum state, Sudan

Background: Cervical cancer is considered the third leading cause of death among women worldwide, and human papillomavirus was identified as a major causative agent for developing cervical cancer. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes towards cervical cancer prevention among women in Khartoum state, Sudan. Design: A community-based cross-sectional study implemented in Khartoum state, Sudan, from 1 August 2020 to 1 September 2020. Methods: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional community-based study using an electronic questionnaire for data collection. Descriptive statistics, frequency, mean, and percentage were computed. Results: The study included 716 female participants with a mean age of 27.6 + 8.7 years. 580 (81.0%) and 229 (32.0%) had heard about cervical cancer and Pap test, respectively. cervical cancer was assumed related to alcohol consumption 109 (15.2%), giving birth to many children 51 (7.1%), ageing 118 (16.5%), and having many sexual partners 335 (46.8%). In addition, 300 (41.9%) attributed cervical cancer to having human papillomavirus infection, 256 (35.6%) to the prolonged use of contraceptives, and 162 (22.6%) to smoking. Knowledge about the best time to be vaccinated against human papillomavirus, 110 (15.4%) stated it is better after marriage. Regression models to predict the effectors on participants’ knowledge and attitudes showed a low standard deviation of the estimates with higher values of the adjusted R2 [R: 0.041, 0.017, and 0.006; std: 1.527, 0.417, and 0.426]. This indicates the combined influence of occupation, educational level, family income, and marital status on the participant’s knowledge and attitude levels. Conclusion: This study revealed that the participant’s knowledge and attitudes levels are mainly driven by their occupation, educational level, family income, and marital status altogether. This underscores the need for a countrywide community engagement campaign through health education and raising awareness sessions, and massive social media to sensitize the community and healthcare providers about the risk of cervical cancer and the available prevention and control measures.</p

Knowledge and attitudes towards cervical cancer prevention among women in Khartoum state, Sudan

Background: Cervical cancer is considered the third leading cause of death among women worldwide, and human papillomavirus was identified as a major causative agent for developing cervical cancer. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes towards cervical cancer prevention among women in Khartoum state, Sudan. Design: A community-based cross-sectional study implemented in Khartoum state, Sudan, from 1 August 2020 to 1 September 2020. Methods: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional community-based study using an electronic questionnaire for data collection. Descriptive statistics, frequency, mean, and percentage were computed. Results: The study included 716 female participants with a mean age of 27.6 + 8.7 years. 580 (81.0%) and 229 (32.0%) had heard about cervical cancer and Pap test, respectively. cervical cancer was assumed related to alcohol consumption 109 (15.2%), giving birth to many children 51 (7.1%), ageing 118 (16.5%), and having many sexual partners 335 (46.8%). In addition, 300 (41.9%) attributed cervical cancer to having human papillomavirus infection, 256 (35.6%) to the prolonged use of contraceptives, and 162 (22.6%) to smoking. Knowledge about the best time to be vaccinated against human papillomavirus, 110 (15.4%) stated it is better after marriage. Regression models to predict the effectors on participants’ knowledge and attitudes showed a low standard deviation of the estimates with higher values of the adjusted R2 [R: 0.041, 0.017, and 0.006; std: 1.527, 0.417, and 0.426]. This indicates the combined influence of occupation, educational level, family income, and marital status on the participant’s knowledge and attitude levels. Conclusion: This study revealed that the participant’s knowledge and attitudes levels are mainly driven by their occupation, educational level, family income, and marital status altogether. This underscores the need for a countrywide community engagement campaign through health education and raising awareness sessions, and massive social media to sensitize the community and healthcare providers about the risk of cervical cancer and the available prevention and control measures.</p