Effects of different levels of sugar beet roots based concentrates on the performance of Tagger male kids

    High meat demand in the Sudan enhanced improvement of goat meat production. Tagger is a promising meat breed due to good conformation and high meat quality. Nutrition is a main constraint for goat meat production. Sugar beet is introduced into the Gezira State with no information on effects of dried sugar beet roots (DSBR) based concentrates level on Tagger kids performance, carcass characteristics and meat composition. Twelve Tagger males of 6 months old were housed in individual pens, divided into 3 groups, each with 4 animals and allocated at random to the experimental diets. They were weighed weekly for 8 weeks with a two weeks preliminary period. They were fed groundnut haulm (GNH) ad lib. in two equal meals at 8.0 am and 4.0 pm and refusals were collected and weighed daily. The animals were fed different levels of DSBR based concentrates: 0 (control), 150g and 300g, in two equal parts before GNH meals. The concentrates contained 68% DSBR,15% groundnut cakes, 15% sunflower cakes, 1% salt and 1% oyster shell. Samples of feeds and refusals were stored for laboratory analysis.  Resultd showed that groundnut haulm (30% CP, 8.8% CF, 4.8% ash and 48.2% NFE) had better proximate analysis than refusals which generally improved with concentrates levels. Dried sugar beet had 12.9% CP, 11.0% CF and 59.25% NFE and the concentrates had 42.25% CP, 2.0% CF and 49.5% NFE. Overall mean BW generally increased with concentrates level (10.78, 10.9 and 12.19kg at 0, 150 and 300g, respectively), but  not significantly different. Overall mean daily feed intakes varied with concentrates level and were 1550.89, 1187.46 and 1545.67g at 0, 150 and 300g concentrates, respectively, and were significantly least in animals fed 150g concentrates. Weekly weight gain generally increased with concentrates level in all weeks and was highest in animals fed 150g concentrates with no significant effects for concentrates level. It was 0.55, 0.68 and 0.60 kg at 0, 150 and 300g concentrates, respectively. It is recommended to use DSBR based concentrates in fattening Tagger kids.     حفز ارتفاع الطلب  على اللحوم وأسعارها في السودان تحسين لحوم الماعز. تعتبر التقر سلالة واعدة لإنتاج اللحوم لجودة القوام ونوعية اللحم.  إلا أن التغذية من المعوقات الرئيسة لإنتاج لحوم الماعز.  أدخل بنجر السكر لولاية الجزيرة ولا تتوفر معلومات عن أثر مستوى جذر البنجر الجاف) ج ب ج (على أداء جديان التقر وصفات الذبيحة  وتركيب اللحم.  وضعت 12 من ذكور جديان التقر بعمر 6 أشهر في حظائر فردية  وقسمت الى 3 مجموعات بكل منها 4 حيوانات  ووزعت عشوائيا على أعلاف الدراسة. وزنت الحيوانات أسبوعيا لمدة 8 أسابيع منها أسبوعين فترة إعدادية. أعلفت الحيوانات تبن الفول السوداني )ت ف س) حسب الرغبة في وجبتين متساويتين عند الثامنة صباحا والرابعة مساء وجمع ووزن العلف المتبقي.  كما أعلفت الحيوانات مستويات مختلفة من عليقة مركزة ترتكز على )ج ب ج  (عند صفر( الشاهد), 150 و300جم في جزئين متساويين  قبل وجبتي ت ف س. احتوت العليقة المركزة على 68% ج ب ج و15%  امباز فول سوداني و15%  تبن زهرة الشمس و1% ملح و 1% صدف  حفظت عينات من  الأعلاف والعلف المتبقي للتحليل المعملي.  حُللت المعلومات إحصائيا باستخدام تحليل التباين واستخدم اختبار دنكن لفصل اختلافات المتوسطات. كان  ت ف س (  30% بروتين خام ، 8.85 ألياف خام، 4.8% رماد و 48.2% جزء خالي من النتروجين) أحسن في التحليل التقريبي من المتبق.والذي تحسنت نوعيته بارتفاع مستوى العليقة المركزة. كان تركيب  ج ب ج 12.95 % بروتين خام ، 11% الياف خام و 59.25% جزء خالي من النتروجين .وتركيب العليقة المركزة  42.25 % بروتين خام ، 2% ألياف خام و 49.5% جزء خالي من النتروجين .  زاد متوسط الوزن الكلى مع زيادة العليقة المركزة (10.78 ،  10.9 و 12.19عند صفر و 150 و 300 جم عليقة مركزة على التوالي بدون فروقات معنوية . (P>.05)  تباين متوسط المتناول من العلف تبعاً لمستوي المركزات وكان 1550.89 و 1187.46 و 1545.67 جم عند صفر و 150 و300 جم عليقة مركزة ، علي التوالي وكان أقل معنوياً للحيوانات التي غُذيت علي  150عليقة مركزة.  تباينت زيادة الوزن الأسبوعي بزيادة مستوي العليقة المركزة في كل الأسابيع وكانت الأعلى للحيوانات عند 150 جم بدون زيادة معنوية. وكانت 0.55 و0.68 و 0.60 كجم عند صفر و 150 و300 جم عليقة مركزة، علي التوالي. يوصي باستخدام علائق جذور بنجر السكر المجففة لتسمين جديان التقر

Malnutrition Has No Effect on the Timing of Human Tooth Formation

The effect of nutrition on the timing of human tooth formation is poorly understood. Delays and advancements in dental maturation have all been reported as well as no effect. We investigated the effect of severe malnutrition on the timing of human tooth formation in a large representative sample of North Sudanese children. The sample (1102 males, 1013 females) consisted of stratified randomly selected healthy individuals in Khartoum, Sudan, aged 2-22 years using a cross-sectional design following the STROBE statement. Nutritional status was defined using WHO criteria of height and weight. Body mass index Z-scores and height for age Z-scores of ≤-2 (cut-off) were used to identify the malnourished group (N = 474) while the normal was defined by Z-scores of ≥0 (N = 799). Clinical and radiographic examination of individuals, with known ages of birth was performed including height and weight measurements. Mandibular left permanent teeth were assessed using eight crown and seven root established tooth formation stages. Mean age at entry and mean age within tooth stages were calculated for each available tooth stage in each group and compared using a t-test. Results show the mean age at entry and mean age within tooth stages were not significantly different between groups affected by severe malnutrition and normal children (p>0.05). This remarkable finding was evident across the span of dental development. We demonstrate that there is little measurable effect of sustained malnutrition on the average timing of tooth formation. This noteworthy finding supports the notion that teeth have substantial biological stability and are insulated from extreme nutritional conditions compared to other maturing body systems

Effects of Ethrel Application and Packaging on Mango Fruit Quality

    Experiments were conducted at the National Institute for the Promotion  of Horticultural Exports, University of Gezira, Wad  Medani, Sudan, during May 1997 and 1998 to investigate the effects of Ethrel and polyethylene packaging on mango fruit quality. Mango fruit quality, Mango fruits were  harvested at the mature-green stage and treated with Ethrel or  left as control. Fruits were packed in either intact or perforated polyetlhylene packages or left unpacked. The experiments were set up in a completely randomized design with three replications. Ethrel treatment accelerated  the rate of fruit ripening as shown by an increase in total soluble solids, yellowing and a decrease in fruit firmness and starch content Fruits packed in intact polyethylene packages resulted in the  lowest weight loss, followed by those packed in perforated films, whereas unpacked fruits showed the highest weight loss and lowest quality manifested in shriveling and deterioratio

Recent acquisition of Helicobacter pylori by Baka Pygmies

Both anatomically modern humans and the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori originated in Africa, and both species have been associated for at least 100,000 years. Seven geographically distinct H. pylori populations exist, three of which are indigenous to Africa: hpAfrica1, hpAfrica2, and hpNEAfrica. The oldest and most divergent population, hpAfrica2, evolved within San hunter-gatherers, who represent one of the deepest branches of the human population tree. Anticipating the presence of ancient H. pylori lineages within all hunter-gatherer populations, we investigated the prevalence and population structure of H. pylori within Baka Pygmies in Cameroon. Gastric biopsies were obtained by esophagogastroduodenoscopy from 77 Baka from two geographically separated populations, and from 101 non-Baka individuals from neighboring agriculturalist populations, and subsequently cultured for H. pylori. Unexpectedly, Baka Pygmies showed a significantly lower H. pylori infection rate (20.8%) than non-Baka (80.2%). We generated multilocus haplotypes for each H. pylori isolate by DNA sequencing, but were not able to identify Baka-specific lineages, and most isolates in our sample were assigned to hpNEAfrica or hpAfrica1. The population hpNEAfrica, a marker for the expansion of the Nilo-Saharan language family, was divided into East African and Central West African subpopulations. Similarly, a new hpAfrica1 subpopulation, identified mainly among Cameroonians, supports eastern and western expansions of Bantu languages. An age-structured transmission model shows that the low H. pylori prevalence among Baka Pygmies is achievable within the timeframe of a few hundred years and suggests that demographic factors such as small population size and unusually low life expectancy can lead to the eradication of H. pylori from individual human populations. The Baka were thus either H. pylori-free or lost their ancient lineages during past demographic fluctuations. Using coalescent simulations and phylogenetic inference, we show that Baka almost certainly acquired their extant H. pylori through secondary contact with their agriculturalist neighbors

Butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae) from Abu Hashish fringing reefs, Port Sudan, Red Sea

Using Reef Check Programme butterflyfishes of Abu Hashish fringing reefs were recorded during 2003 and 2013. The results showed that the numbers of species declined from nine to seven. Chi square test revealed that the number of butterflyfishes significantly decreased (p<0.00001). This reduction was attributed to continuous construction and anthropogenic actives Keywords: Butterflyfishes, Abu Hashish, Port Suda

The Proximate Composition and the Nutritional Value of Some Sea Cucumber Species Inhabiting the Sudanese Red Sea

Some biochemical studies (protein, fat, moisture and ash) were done on three species of holothurians namely Holothuria scabra, Actinopyga echinites and Holothuria atra, which were collected from Abu Hashish and Kilo Tammania areas in Sudanese Red Sea. Statistical analysis showed that there was a significant difference (P<0.05) in moisture, ash and protein content of the air-dried and processed animals. However, a non-significant difference (p>0.05) in fat content is encountered. Differences in moisture and fat content of H. atra collected from the two sites are insignificant while the difference in protein and ash contents are significant. All the measured contents in A. echinites are assumed not to differ significantly between the two areas except in their fat content. Keywords: holothurians, sea cucumber, biochemical, Red Sea, Suda

Supportive and symptomatic management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

The main aims in the care of individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are to minimize morbidity and maximize quality of life. Although no cure exists for ALS, supportive and symptomatic care provided by a specialist multidisciplinary team can improve survival. The basis for supportive management is shifting from expert consensus guidelines towards an evidence-based approach, which encourages the use of effective treatments and could reduce the risk of harm caused by ineffective or unsafe interventions. For example, respiratory support using noninvasive ventilation has been demonstrated to improve survival and quality of life, whereas evidence supporting other respiratory interventions is insufficient. Increasing evidence implicates a causal role for metabolic dysfunction in ALS, suggesting that optimizing nutrition could improve quality of life and survival. The high incidence of cognitive dysfunction and its impact on prognosis is increasingly recognized, although evidence for effective treatments is lacking. A variety of strategies are used to manage the other physical and psychological symptoms, the majority of which have yet to be thoroughly evaluated. The need for specialist palliative care throughout the disease is increasingly recognized. This Review describes the current approaches to symptomatic and supportive care in ALS and outlines the current guidance and evidence for these strategies

Artesunate plus sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine for treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Sudan

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis and effective treatment with an appropriate drug form the main components of the World Health Organization's strategy to reduce malaria related mortality. The few available drugs might be safeguarded if combined with artesunate. The addition of artesunate to a standard antimalarial treatment substantially reduces treatment failure, recrudescence and gametocyte carriage. METHODS: During late 2004, the efficacy of artesunate (4 mg/kg. day, on days 0–2) plus sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (25 mg/kg, on day 0) for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria was investigated in four sentinel areas in Sudan, with different malaria transmission (Damazin, Kassala, Kosti, and Malakal). RESULTS: Two hundreds and sixty-nine patients completed the 28-day follow-up. On day one, 60 (22.3%) patients were febrile and 15 (5.5%) patients were parasitaemic. On day three, all the patients were afebrile and aparasitaemic. While two patients (0.7%, Kassala) showed late Clinical and Parasitological Failures, the rest (99.3%) of the patients demonstrated Adequate Clinical and Parasitological Response. A gametocytaemia were detected during the follow-up in one patient (0.37%, Kassala). Adverse drug effects were detected in 32 (11.9%) patients CONCLUSION: The study showed that AS plus SP is an effective, safe drug in the treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in Sudan