Effect of production systems on the performance of dairy cows in the Gezira State, Sudan

      This study was conducted in the Gezira State, Sudan, with the objectives of investigating and comparing the  effect of production  systems  on age  at first calving, calving interval, milk yield, herd structure, mortality and growth rate in traditional animal production and organized dairy farms. Six out of eight localities were included in the study. From each locality, 5 herds, each of traditional animal production and organized dairy farms were selected. This survey was carried out  using questionnaire involving 40 farmers (including the surveyed farms) from each locality. Means and standard deviations for each studied parameter were calculated using SPSS. The result revealed greater differences in the studied parameters between the two systems of production. Feed had a great influence on animal performance. It could be recommended that, for improving the traditional farm performance, efforts should be payed  to upgrade animal genetics through selection from highly producing local cows and introduction of foreign breeds. Feeding improvement in both terms of quality and quantity is also needed. اجريت هذه الدراسة  بولاية الجزيرة بغرض التعرف ومقارنة أثر نظم الانتاج المختلفة علي العمر عند اول ولادة والفترة بين الولدتين وانتاج اللبن وتركيب القطيع والنفوق ومعدل النمو في كل من قطاع الانتاج الحيواني التقليدي ومزارع الالبان المنتظمة . شملت الدراسة ستة من ثمانية محليات. اختير من كل محلية 5 قطعان من كل من قطاع الانتاج الحيواني التقليدي ومزاع الالبان المنتظمة. دعم المسح باستبيان شمل 40 مزارع من كل محلية. حسبت المتوسطات والانحرافات المعيارية لكل عنصر من عناصر الدراسة وذلك باستخدام نظام الحزم الاحصائية للعلوم الاجتماعية (  (SPSS  كشفت الدراسة عن فروقات معنوية بين العناصر المدروسة في كل من النظاميين واكدت ان الغذاء له اثر كبير علي اداء الحيوان وكذلك العناصر الأخرى خاصة الوراثية قد يكون لها اثر علي الاداء. من اجل تحسين مزارع الانتاج الحيواني التقليدي توصي الدراسة تبذل مجهودات لرفع الكفاءة الوراثية للحيوان  من خلال الاختيار من الابقار المحلية العالية  الانتاج وادخال السلالات الاجنبية . أيضاً يجب رفع مستوي الغذاء من الناحية الكمية والنوعية.               &nbsp

Prosumer Nanogrids: A Cybersecurity Assessment

Nanogrids are customer deployments that can generate and inject electricity into the power grid. These deployments are based on behind-the-meter renewable energy resources and are labeled as “prosumer setups”, allowing customers to not only consume electricity, but also produce it. A residential nanogrid is comprised of a physical layer that is a household-scale electric power system, and a cyber layer that is used by manufacturers and/or grid operators to remotely monitor and control the nanogrid. With the increased penetration of renewable energy resources, nanogrids are at the forefront of a paradigm shift in the operational landscape and their correct operation is vital to the electric power grid. In this paper, we perform a cybersecurity assessment of a state-of-the art residential nanogrid deployment. For this purpose, we deployed a real-world experimental nanogrid setup that is based on photovoltaic (PV) generation. We analyzed the security and the resiliency of this system at both the cyber and physical layers. While we noticed improvements in the cybersecurity measures employed in the current nanogrid compared to previous generations, there are still major concerns. Our experiments show that these concerns range from exploiting well-known protocols, such as Secure Shell (SSH) and Domain Name Service (DNS), to the leakage of confidential information, and major shortcomings in the software updating mechanism. While the compromise of multiple nanogrids can have a negative effect on the entire power grid, we focus our analysis on individual households and have determined through Simulink-based simulations the economic loss of a compromised deployment.National Science Foundation under Grant 1850406

Hantavirus Brno loanvirus is highly specific to the common noctule bat (Nyctalus noctula) and widespread in Central Europe.

Bat-associated hantaviruses have been detected in Asia, Africa and Europe. Recently, a novel hantavirus (Brno loanvirus, BRNV) was identified in common noctule bats (Nyctalus noctula) in the Czech Republic, but nothing is known about its geographical range and prevalence. The objective of this study was to evaluate the distribution and host specificity of BRNV by testing bats from neighbouring countries Germany, Austria and Poland. One thousand forty-seven bats representing 21 species from Germany, 464 bats representing 18 species from Austria and 77 bats representing 12 species from Poland were screened by L segment broad-spectrum nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or by BRNV-specific real-time RT-PCR. Three common noctules from Germany, one common noctule from Austria and three common noctules from Poland were positive in the hantavirus RNA screening. Conventional RT-PCR and primer walking resulted in the amplification of partial L segment and (almost) complete S and M segment coding sequences for samples from Germany and partial L segment sequences for samples from Poland. Phylogenetic analysis of these nucleotide sequences showed highest similarity to BRNV from Czech Republic. The exclusive detection of BRNV in common noctules from different countries suggests high host specificity. The RNA detection rate in common noctules ranged between 1 of 207 (0.5%; Austria), 3 of 245 (1.2%; Germany) and 3 of 20 (15%; Poland). In conclusion, this study demonstrates a broader distribution of BRNV in common noctules in Central Europe, but at low to moderate prevalence. Additional studies are needed to prove the zoonotic potential of this hantavirus and evaluate its transmission within bat populations

Treatment-Based Strategy for the Management of Post-Kala-Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis Patients in the Sudan

Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a dermatosis that affects more than 50% of successfully treated visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients in Sudan. PKDL is considered an important reservoir for the parasite and its treatment may help in the control of VL. Currently, treatment is mainly with sodium stibogluconate (SSG), an expensive and fairly toxic drug and without universally in treatment protocols used. A literature review, a consensus of a panel of experts, and unpublished data formed the basis for the development of guidelines for the treatment of PKDL in the Sudan. Six treatment modalities were evaluated. Experts were asked to justify their choices based on their experience regarding of drug safety, efficacy, availability, and cost. The consensus was defined by assigning a categorical rank (first line, second line, third line) to each option. Regarding the use of AmBisome the presence of the drug in the skin was confirmed in smears from PKDL lesions. Recommendations: AmBisome at 2.5 mg/kg/day/20 days or SSG at 20 mg/kg/day/40 days plus four/weekly intradermal injection of alum-precipitated autoclave L. major vaccine are suggested as first-and second-treatment options for PKDL in the Sudan, respectively. SSG at 20 mg/Kg/day/60 or more days can be used if other options are not available

Evidence for long‐term prevalence of cucumber vein yellowing virus in Sudan and genetic variation of the virus in Sudan and the Mediterranean Basin

Cucumber vein yellowing virus (CVYV) is emerging throughout the Mediterranean Basin, where it causes important damages on cucumber and melon crops. It has been suggested that CVYV originated from the Middle East and has spread only recently to other areas. In this work, an isolate from Sudan was characterized and surveys performed in that country between 1992 and 2012 revealed a long‐term presence of CVYV with a high molecular variability, showing that the virus has long been endemic in Sub‐Saharan Africa. Comparison of the full‐length sequences of 11 CVYV isolates from different geographic origins revealed recombination events in CVYV populations from the Mediterranean Basin and the Middle East, and evidence for different selection pressures along the genome. These results shed a new light on the evolution of CVYV

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