Relationships Among Live Body Weight and Some Body Measurements in Sudanese Kenana Bulls

Abstract. The phenotypic relationship between live body weight (kg) and body measurements (cm) for Sudanese bulls is explored. In this research, data from one visit survey were used to estimate the relationships between live body weight and some body measurements of Sudanese Kenana bulls. General linear model analysis with multivariate ANOVA when all physical variables were response and animal live body weight groups (kg) as independent, and simple linear Pearson's correlation were formed between live body weight (Bwt), Heart girth (HG), Heart girth at hump (HTH), Body length (Bl) and Abdominal girth (ABG). The results revealed the best linear correlation between body weight and measurements was heart girth at hump (0.65, 0.66 and 0.73) respectively, for live body weight groups. The obtained linear correlation coefficients were relatively highly accurate indicators of live body weight. This suggests that live body weight could be estimated accurately by body measurements in Sudanese Kenana Bulls. Keywords: live body weight, body measurements, correlation, Kenana bulls, Sudan Abstrak. Dikaji hubungan fenotipik antara bobot badan hidup (kg) dengan beberapa ukuran tubuh (cm) pada sapi Sudan. Data diperoleh dari survei untuk menduga hubungan antara bobot badan hidup dengan beberapa ukuran tubuh sapi Kenana Sudan jantan. General Linier Model (GLM) dengan anova multivariat diterapkan pada semua peubah fisik sebagai respon dan kelompok bobot badan hidup ternak (kg) sebagai peubah bebas. Analisis korelasi linier Pearson digunakan untuk bobot hidup tubuh (BWT), lingkar dada (HG), lingkar dada pada punuk (HTH), panjang tubuh (Bl) dan lingkar perut (ABG). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan hubungan linear terbaik antara bobot badan dengan lingkar dada pada punuk masing-masing 0,65, 0,66 dan 0,73 berturut-turut pada kelompok bobot badan.  Koefisien korelasi linear yang diperoleh menunjukkan indikator yang relatif akurat dari bobot badan hidup. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa bobot badan hidup dapat diduga secara akurat dengan ukuran tubuh pada sapi jantan Kenana Sudan.Kata kunci: bobot hidup badan, ukuran tubuh, korelasi, sapi Kenana, Sudan AM Musa et al/Animal Production 14(3):187-191, September 201

Relationships Among Live Body Weight and Some Body Measurements in Sudanese Kenana Bulls

Abstract. The phenotypic relationship between live body weight (kg) and body measurements (cm) for Sudanese bulls is explored. In this research, data from one visit survey were used to estimate the relationships between live body weight and some body measurements of Sudanese Kenana bulls. General linear model analysis with multivariate ANOVA when all physical variables were response and animal live body weight groups (kg) as independent, and simple linear Pearson's correlation were formed between live body weight (Bwt), Heart girth (HG), Heart girth at hump (HTH), Body length (Bl) and Abdominal girth (ABG). The results revealed the best linear correlation between body weight and measurements was heart girth at hump (0.65, 0.66 and 0.73) respectively, for live body weight groups. The obtained linear correlation coefficients were relatively highly accurate indicators of live body weight. This suggests that live body weight could be estimated accurately by body measurements in Sudanese Kenana Bulls. Keywords: live body weight, body measurements, correlation, Kenana bulls, Sudan Abstrak. Dikaji hubungan fenotipik antara bobot badan hidup (kg) dengan beberapa ukuran tubuh (cm) pada sapi Sudan. Data diperoleh dari survei untuk menduga hubungan antara bobot badan hidup dengan beberapa ukuran tubuh sapi Kenana Sudan jantan. General Linier Model (GLM) dengan anova multivariat diterapkan pada semua peubah fisik sebagai respon dan kelompok bobot badan hidup ternak (kg) sebagai peubah bebas. Analisis korelasi linier Pearson digunakan untuk bobot hidup tubuh (BWT), lingkar dada (HG), lingkar dada pada punuk (HTH), panjang tubuh (Bl) dan lingkar perut (ABG). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan hubungan linear terbaik antara bobot badan dengan lingkar dada pada punuk masing-masing 0,65, 0,66 dan 0,73 berturut-turut pada kelompok bobot badan.  Koefisien korelasi linear yang diperoleh menunjukkan indikator yang relatif akurat dari bobot badan hidup. Hal ini menunjukkan bahwa bobot badan hidup dapat diduga secara akurat dengan ukuran tubuh pada sapi jantan Kenana Sudan.Kata kunci: bobot hidup badan, ukuran tubuh, korelasi, sapi Kenana, Sudan AM Musa et al/Animal Production 14(3):187-191, September 201

Relationships Among Live Body Weight and Some Body Measurements in Sudanese Kenana Bulls

. The phenotypic relationship between live body weight (kg) and body measurements (cm) for Sudanese bulls is explored. In this research, data from one visit survey were used to estimate the relationships between live body weight and some body measurements of Sudanese Kenana bulls. General linear model analysis with multivariate ANOVA when all physical variables were response and animal live body weight groups (kg) as independent, and simple linear Pearson\u27s correlation were formed between live body weight (Bwt), Heart girth (HG), Heart girth at hump (HTH), Body length (Bl) and Abdominal girth (ABG). The results revealed the best linear correlation between body weight and measurements was heart girth at hump (0.65, 0.66 and 0.73) respectively, for live body weight groups. The obtained linear correlation coefficients were relatively highly accurate indicators of live body weight. This suggests that live body weight could be estimated accurately by body measurements in Sudanese Kenana Bulls

Cure of post Kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis with paromomycin/sodium stibogluconate combination: a proof of concept

Background: Post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is  a  recognized  dermatologic  complication  of  successfully  treated  visceral  leishmaniasis  (VL). PKDL lesions are suspected to be important reservoirs for VL transmission in Sudan. Prolonged treatment schedules, feeling of general well-being and the social stigmata of PKDL prevent most patients seeking treatment. The mainstay of treatment is cardiotoxic sodium stibogluconate (SSG) for 60-120 days. Recently, liposomal amphotericin B (Ambisome®) and immunochemotherapy gave promising results. Ambisome® is expensive and difficult to prepare under field conditions. Paromomycin/SSG combination has been shown to be safe, efficacious and can save time in VL treatment. This study aims to prove that Paromomycin/SSG combination can cure and reduce PKDL treatment duration.Methods:We are reporting nine cases of patients with PKDL lesions of ≥6 months duration who were diagnosed by clinical signs, histopathological/immunohistochemical and PCR.Results: Patients’ mean age was 11.7 ± 4.3 years. A third of the patients (3/9; 33.3%) who failed previous SSG treatment of 2-3 months duration responded completely to 40 days of paromomycin/SSG combination. The majority of patients (5/9; 55.6%) responded completely to 30 days of the combination. One patient (1/9; 11.1%) relapsed following 30 days paromomycin/SSG combination.Conclusion:It was concluded that paromomycin/SSG combination for 30 days is time-saving, safe and efficacious for PKDL treatment.

Sudanese Medical Students and Scientific Research

Background: Most of developing countries face problems in assessment of their public health practices. Gain of this knowledge is orchestrated by  research. Medical students can play an essential role in improving public database.Objective: to explore knowledge, attitude and skills of medical students in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Omdurman Islamic University (OIU) towards research.Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional, institution-based study. A total of 442 students, equally from each batch participated in the study. Equal numbers of male andfemale were considered to eliminate gender and seniority bias. Structured pretested questionnaire was used for data collection. Data collected were fed to Statistical Package for Social Sciences(SPSS) version 15. Means, standard deviation and correlations were done where appropriate. Statistical  significance was taken at P =0.05.Results: The mean knowledge score was 37% and attitude was positive in 77.1% of the students. Only 18.3% had attended research methodology workshop. The rate of internet navigation is directly proportional to the social class. Only 14.7% knew the engines used for finding medical literature.Conclusion: The low knowledge score is due to lack of application of research in the academic curriculum; however, the students have a fairly positive attitude. The knowledge is expected to improve with the intended policy to include practical research in the curriculum.Key Words: Public health, academic curriculum, Suda

Human papillomavirus vaccine introduction in low-income and middle-income countries: guidance on the use of cost-effectiveness models

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that the cost effectiveness of introducing human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is considered before such a strategy is implemented. However, developing countries often lack the technical capacity to perform and interpret results of economic appraisals of vaccines. To provide information about the feasibility of using such models in a developing country setting, we evaluated models of HPV vaccination in terms of their capacity, requirements, limitations and comparability. METHODS: A literature review identified six HPV vaccination models suitable for low-income and middle-income country use and representative of the literature in terms of provenance and model structure. Each model was adapted by its developers using standardised data sets representative of two hypothetical developing countries (a low-income country with no screening and a middle-income country with limited screening). Model predictions before and after vaccination of adolescent girls were compared in terms of HPV prevalence and cervical cancer incidence, as was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of vaccination under different scenarios. RESULTS: None of the models perfectly reproduced the standardised data set provided to the model developers. However, they agreed that large decreases in type 16/18 HPV prevalence and cervical cancer incidence are likely to occur following vaccination. Apart from the Thai model (in which vaccine and non-vaccine HPV types were combined), vaccine-type HPV prevalence dropped by 75% to 100%, and vaccine-type cervical cancer incidence dropped by 80% to 100% across the models (averaging over age groups). The most influential factors affecting cost effectiveness were the discount rate, duration of vaccine protection, vaccine price and HPV prevalence. Demographic change, access to treatment and data resolution were found to be key issues to consider for models in developing countries. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated the usefulness of considering results from several models and sets of modelling assumptions in decision making. Modelling groups were prepared to share their models and expertise to work with stakeholders in developing countries. Please see related article: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/9/55

Population Genetics of Trypanosoma evansi from Camel in the Sudan

Genetic variation of microsatellite loci is a widely used method for the analysis of population genetic structure of microorganisms. We have investigated genetic variation at 15 microsatellite loci of T. evansi isolated from camels in Sudan and Kenya to evaluate the genetic information partitioned within and between individuals and between sites. We detected a strong signal of isolation by distance across the area sampled. The results also indicate that either, and as expected, T. evansi is purely clonal and structured in small units at very local scales and that there are numerous allelic dropouts in the data, or that this species often sexually recombines without the need of the “normal” definitive host, the tsetse fly or as the recurrent immigration from sexually recombined T. brucei brucei. Though the first hypothesis is the most likely, discriminating between these two incompatible hypotheses will require further studies at much localized scales

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

The state of HRM in the Middle East:Challenges and future research agenda

Based on a robust structured literature analysis, this paper highlights the key developments in the field of human resource management (HRM) in the Middle East. Utilizing the institutional perspective, the analysis contributes to the literature on HRM in the Middle East by focusing on four key themes. First, it highlights the topical need to analyze the context-specific nature of HRM in the region. Second, via the adoption of a systematic review, it highlights state of development in HRM in the research analysis set-up. Third, the analysis also helps to reveal the challenges facing the HRM function in the Middle East. Fourth, it presents an agenda for future research in the form of research directions. While doing the above, it revisits the notions of “universalistic” and “best practice” HRM (convergence) versus “best-fit” or context distinctive (divergence) and also alternate models/diffusion of HRM (crossvergence) in the Middle Eastern context. The analysis, based on the framework of cross-national HRM comparisons, helps to make both theoretical and practical implications