Fourth-generation SM imprints in B -> K^*l^+l^- decays with polarized K^*

The implication of the fourth-generation quarks in the B -> K^*l^+l^- (l=mu,tau) decays, when K^* meson is longitudinally or transversely polarized, is presented. In this context, the dependence of the branching ratio with polarized K^* and the helicity fractions (f_{L,T}) of K^* meson are studied. It is observed that the polarized branching ratios as well as helicity fractions are sensitive to the NP parameters, especially when the final state leptons are tauons. Hence the measurements of these observables at LHC can serve as a good tool to investigate the indirect searches of new physics beyond the Standard Model.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, V2: some of the graphs are modified according to the new data from recent experiments. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1107.569

A proposal for testing Quantum Gravity in the lab

Attempts to formulate a quantum theory of gravitation are collectively known as {\it quantum gravity}. Various approaches to quantum gravity such as string theory and loop quantum gravity, as well as black hole physics and doubly special relativity theories predict a minimum measurable length, or a maximum observable momentum, and related modifications of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle to a so-called generalized uncertainty principle (GUP). We have proposed a GUP consistent with string theory, black hole physics and doubly special relativity theories and have showed that this modifies all quantum mechanical Hamiltonians. When applied to an elementary particle, it suggests that the space that confines it must be quantized, and in fact that all measurable lengths are quantized in units of a fundamental length (which can be the Planck length). On the one hand, this may signal the breakdown of the spacetime continuum picture near that scale, and on the other hand, it can predict an upper bound on the quantum gravity parameter in the GUP, from current observations. Furthermore, such fundamental discreteness of space may have observable consequences at length scales much larger than the Planck scale. Because this influences all the quantum Hamiltonians in an universal way, it predicts quantum gravity corrections to various quantum phenomena. Therefore, in the present work we compute these corrections to the Lamb shift, simple harmonic oscillator, Landau levels, and the tunneling current in a scanning tunneling microscope.Comment: v1: 10 pages, REVTeX 4, no figures; v2: minor typos corrected and a reference added. arXiv admin note: has substantial overlap with arXiv:0906.5396 , published in a different journa

Malaria Parasitemia during delivery

Objectives:  The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of plasmodium falciparum infection in parturient women in Central Sudan where malaria transmission is mesoendemic. The purpose of this paper is to find out the prevalenceof malaria parasitemia and the risk of anemia among parturient women and to suggest appropriate strategies to lower their prevalence rates. Methods:  This prospective study was conducted at Medani Teaching Hospital, Sudan a tertiary regional referral center, during the period January 1997 through to December 1997. All cases were admitted during labor to the delivery room and were clinically suspected to have malaria. History, examination and investigations were carried out on all patients. Results: The total number of patients enrolled in this study was 550, amounting to 14.9% of all women (N=3,687) who delivered during the study period. The prevalence of malaria parasitemia was 58.9% (N=550) while prevalence of anemia (defined as hemoglobulin   ….9.0 g/dl) was 24.1% the mean hemoglobuin levels in patients with positive and negative malaria parasitemia was 9.72+ 1.62 and 9.85+ 1.60 g/dl. Statistically the difference in the mean hemoglobulin level was not significant, t=0.879, A significant negative correlation between parasite count in maternal blood and hemoglobulin level of the mother, was observed, where r=0.121 (P=0.032). out of 17 (3.3%) patients who had used chloroquine tablets for prophylaxis, 11patients still had positive parasitemia. Although there was a higher parasite count in those 11 patients, statistically the difference was not significance where P< 0.0

The Blockade Imposed on Qatar from the Perspective of International Treaties and Resulting Responsibilities

 لا شك أن صدور القرار المفاجئ لمجموعة الدول الأربع، السعودية والإمارات والبحرين ومصر، بمقاطعة دولة قطر وفرض نوعٍ من الحصار البري والبحري والجوي والدبلوماسي عليها، أثار قضايا عدّة تتعلّق بالعلاقات الدَّوليَّة وعلاقات الجوار والأعراف والتقاليد، وترتب عليه انتهاك الكثير من حقوق دولة قطر، الاقتصَاديَّة والاِجتمَاعيَّة والأمنية والسياسية وغيرها، أقرتها المواثيق الدولية والإقليمية. أوضحت الدراسة أن حالة دولة قطر تُعد حصارًا وليس مقاطعة طبقًا لدلالات الحصار في اللغة والفقه الدولي، وأن دول الحصار افتقرت إلى المرجعيات الدولية خاصة فيما تضمنه الفصل السابع من ميثاق منظمة الأمم المتحدة الذي أعطى مجلس الأمن وحده دون غيره سلطة إصدار أي قرار من هذا النوع بموجب المادة 41؛ يأمر فيه باتخاذ التدابير المناسبة ضدّ الدولة أو الدول المعتدية أو المهدّدة للسلم والأمن الدوليين، وبـوقف الصلات الاقتصَاديَّة والمواصلات الحديدية والبحرية والجوية والبريدية والبرقية واللاسلكية وغيرها من وسائل المواصلات وقفًا جزئيًّا أو كليًّا، وبقطع العلاقات الدبلوماسية. من ثم فإن حصار الدول الأربع لدولة قطر ينتهك ويخالف تمامًا قواعد القانون الدولي وكافة المواثيق الدولية وخاصة مواثيق الشرعة الدولية لحقوق الإنسان والمواثيق الدولية المعنية بمكافحة الإرهاب، كذلك المواثيق الإقليمية ومنها ميثاقا جامعة الدول العربية ومجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية الذي يضم في عضويته أربع دول خليجية منها ثلاث دول تقوم بالحصار؛ هي السعودية والإمارات والبحرين، والرابعة هي دولة قطر التي يقع عليها الحصار. على هذا الأساس توافرت شروط المسؤولية الدولية تجاه دول الحصار نتيجة ما أحدثه سلوكها غير المشروع من وقوع أضرار كبيرة على دولة قطر، وهو الأمر الذي يجيز للأخيرة تحريك المسؤولية الدولية تجاه دول الحصار، والحصول على التعويض المناسب لما وقع على الدولة ومؤسساتها ومواطنيها والمقيمين عليها من أضرار جسام.No doubt that the surprising and sudden decision taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Kingdom of Bahrain, and Egypt to boycott and impose a land, sea, air and diplomatic blockade on Qatar raises many issues relating to international relations, neighborhood relationships, and customs and traditions. The blockade imposed on Qatar resulted in many violations of the country’s economic, social, security and political rights, which are guaranteed by the international and regional treaties. This study demonstrates that the case of Qatar is a real blockade and not a boycott according to the definition of the term “blockade” from the linguistic and international jurisprudence perspectives. It shows that the blockading countries are lacking international references, mainly the Article 7 of the Charter of the United Nations that provides the Security Council solely the authority of taking such a decision according to the Article 41, ordering to take the necessary measures against the aggressing state(s) or those threatening the international peace and security. The Council may order the suspension of economic, rail transportation, maritime, air, postal, communication and telecommunication relations, partially or totally, or the suspension of diplomatic relations with such countries. Therefore, the blockade imposed on Qatar by the four countries is a clear violation of the international law and treaties, especially those relating to human rights and combatting terrorism. It also violates the regional treaties such as the Charter of the League of Arab States and the GCC, which includes three states imposing the blockade, namely KSA, UAE and Bahrain, and the fourth state, Qatar, which is the victim of the blockade. In this regard, the international responsibility of the blockading states is obvious because of the damaging effects of their act on the State of Qatar, which provides Qatar the right to set up a case of international responsibility against these countries and claim compensation due to the huge damage caused by the blockade on its institutions, citizens, and residents

Comparison of magnetized and normal water on yield and yield components of banana and hydraulic performance of drip irrigation system

     An experiment was conducted at the Horticultural Research Centre Farm of the Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC), Wad Medani, Sudan during seasons 2010 through 2012 to evaluate effects of magnetic water technology on yield, and yield components of banana cv. Albeily and hydraulics of drip irrigation system. Two types of irrigation water were used: magnetic water and normal water. The plot of each type of irrigation water consisted of 4 banana plants. The two treatments were replicated 5 times. The results revealed that applying magnetic water increased plant height and girth of banana and attained fewer days from planting to flowering and from flowering to harvest compared to normal water. Bunch weight and number of hands per bunch were also higher for magnetic water.  Magnetic water improved the hydraulic performance of drip irrigation system compared to normal water.        اجريت هذه الدراسة بمزرعة مركز بحوث البساتين، هيئة البحوث الزراعية، واد مدني السودان في الفترة من 2010 وحتي 2012 لتقييم أثر تقنية مغنطة المياه على الانتاجية  ومكونات انتاجية الموز والاداء الهيدرولوكي للري بالتنقيط صنف البيلي. استخدم نوعين من مياه الري مياه ممغنطة ومياه عادية. الوحدة في كل نوع من مياه الري ضمت اربع نباتات والمعاملتين تم تكرارها خمس مرات. اظهرت النتائج ان المياه الممغنطة ادت الي زياده في طول وسمك الساق الكاذبة للموز وكذلك الي تقليل الايام من الزراعة الي الازهار ومن الازهار الي الحصاد. كما اظهرت النتائج ان وزن السبيطة وعدد الكفوف في السبيطة كان اعلي تحت المياه الممغنطة. أدت مغنطة مياه الري الي تحسين الاداء الهيدرولوكي لنظام الري بالتنقيط مقارنة مع المياه العادية.  &nbsp

Epidemics of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Sudan between 2010 and 2020

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a zoonotic arboviral disease that poses a great threat to global health in the Old World, and it is endemic in Europe, Asia, and Africa, including Sudan. In this retrospective study, we reviewed previous epidemiological reports about the major epidemics of CCHF throughout Sudan between 2010 and 2020. During these epidemics, the infection of humans with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), the causative agent of CCHF, was diagnosed using qRT-PCR. We have identified 88 cases of CCHF, including 13 fatalities reported during five epidemics that occurred in 2010, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2020. The two epidemics in 2010 and 2011 were by far the largest, with 51 and 27 cases reported, respectively. The majority of cases (78%) were reported in the endemic region of Kordofan. Here, we document that the first emergence of CCHFV in the Darfur region, West Sudan, occurred in 2010. We were not able to investigate outbreak dynamics through phylogenetic analysis due to the limited diagnostic capacity and the lack of sequencing services in the country. These findings call for establishing a genomic-based integrated One Health surveillance and response system for the early preparedness, prevention, and control of CCHF in the country

RANKL and OPG Serum Levels in Acute Coronary Syndrome

Background: Numerous inflammatory mediators seem to play a pathogenic role in coronary artery disease, promoting atherogenesis and plaque destabilization, leading to thrombus formation with development of this disease. The effects of the RANKL/OPG system, like modulation of cell survival and inflammation, make it an elect mediator in the progression of atherosclerotic lesions. Objectives: To estimate the role of RANKL and OPG and their relative ratio (RANKL\OPG) in pathogenesis of acute coronary syndrome. Subjects and Methods: Sixty patients with acute coronary syndrome were enrolled in this study, those patients were divided into two groups: 31 patients were with unstable angina (UA) and 29 patients were with myocardial infarction (MI), the latter group also subdivided into [18 with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and 11 with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI)], their ages range from 25-83 years. Twenty apparently healthy volunteers their ages and sexes were matched with the patients were also participated in the study. ELISA was carried out for estimation the serum levels of RANKL and OPG in the studied groups. Results: There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in median of serum levels of RANKL between patients and control. In addition the comparison among the three groups of patients (NSTEM1, STEM1 and UA) showed no significant differences (p>0.05) in RANKL level. Whereas the OPG level was significantly higher (p<0.001) in patients than that in healthy control, and there was significant increase in median serum level of OPG in the three patients groups as compared to control. On the other hand, there were no significant differences (p>0.05) in median serum levels of OPG among patients groups. The ratio of RANKL / OPG was significantly increase (P<0.001) in healthy control as compared to patients. The median of RANKL / OPG ratios in NSTEM1, STEM1 and UA patients groups were significantly lower (P<0.001) when compared to the ratio in healthy control. In contrast there were no significant differences in ratio among patients groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: These findings indicated that there was high significant elevation in serum level of OPG in acute coronary syndrome, so, it enforce the clinical utility of OPG in atherosclerosis and suggested that RANKL/OPG ratio could be a biomarker for acute coronary syndrome. Keywords: Acute coronary syndrome, RANKL, OPG