Pricing of Sorghum Irrigation Water: A Comparison between Gravity, Spate and Rain-fed Irrigations in Sudan

There is global consensus to use scientific approaches to value all natural resources including water resources. Valuation of water is one way of making users more aware of its value. The aims of this paper is to determine the value of water used in agriculture under gravity system in Gezira Scheme and spate irrigation systems in Gash Delta Agricultural Corporation in Sudan. CROPWAT model was used to determine the volume of water supplied for irrigation. Net revenue was calculated to determine the output from agriculture. The main results show that the net values of water are $0.005/m3 and$ 0.001/m3 under gravity and spate irrigation systems respectively. The value of water used in gravity irrigation system is greater than water used in spate irrigation system. These findings will help into setting real value and cost of water in agriculture as the major consumptive sector and hence will help policy makers in developing decisions on agricultural water

Tracking Water Quality from Source to Home: A showed Case of El Gorashi Locality, Gezira State, Sudan

Water quality is recognized one of the greatest challenges to human life because water may become unsafe at any point between collection and consumption.  This study was conducted in Elgorashi locality, Gezira State Sudan to investigate water sources physically and biologically. A number of 70 water samples were taken from various sources which include; irrigation canals, Haffir, Haffir Exit Basin (HEB), Slow Sand Filters (SSF), Clean Water Basin (CLB), homes taps and homes storage containers. The samples were collected from Elgorashi city, Galoka, Geneda, Maatoug and Hillat Babiker villages.  The results were compared to WHO risk category. Statistical results revealed that physically, 86% of water sources were suitable for human consumption. Biological analysis showed 73% of water sources were polluted with bacteria. It has been found that (19/70) 27.14% of all water sources were safe, (28/70) 40% at low-risk, (14/70) 20% at intermediate risk and (9/70) 12.86% were at high risk. A long the water supply network, the main water sources of irrigation canals and Haffirs were unsafe. At home level, 70% of taps water were classified under low risk category and 55% of storage containers showed high risk sources. These results indicate leakage at the water distribution network. The study recommends immediate disinfection intervention at all sources to protect community from illness associated with poor water quality. جودة الماء تعتبر من اهم التحديات لصحة الانسان  لان الماء قد يتعرض للتلوث في اي موقع  بين المصدر والمستهلك.  في هذا البحث تم اختبار نوعية الماء الطبيعية والبيولوجية في مدينة القرشي – ولاية الجزيرة في السودان.  تم  جمع 70 عينة ماء من مصادر  مختلفة شملت  قنوات الري والحفائر واحواض تجميع ماء الحفير واحواض تنقية الماء وحنفيات المنازل وادوات حفظ الماء المنزلية. تم جمع العينات من مدينة القرشي وابوقوتة وقرية جنيدا ومعتوق وحلة بابكر. تمت مقارنة النتائج مع مقاييس منظمة الصحة العالمية. اظهرت  نتائج التحليل الطبيعى ان 86% من المصادر تحتوي على ماء صالح لاستخدام الانسان. التحليل البكتيرى للماء اظهر ان 73% من المصادر ملوثة بالبكتريا. وجد ان نسبة 27.14% من  جملة المصادر تحتوي على ماء نظيف و 40% من المصادر تحتوي على ماء ذو خطورة منخفضة و 20% من المصادر تحتوى على ماء ذو خطورة متوسطة و12.86% من المصادر مياهها عالية الخطورة. على طول شبكة توزيع الماء تعتبر قنوات الري والحفائر مصادر ذات  ماء غير امن. 70% من حنفيات المنازل تحتوي على ماء ذو خطورة منخفضة و 55% من اواني حقظ الماء المنزلية تعتبر مياهها عالية الخطورة. دلت النتائج على وجود كسورات في خطوط توزيع الماء واوصت الدراسة على تطهير كل المصادر لحماية المجتمع من الامراض المرتبطة بالماء. &nbsp

Adverse pregnancy outcomes in sickle cell trait: a prospective cohort study evaluating clinical and haematological parameters in postpartum mothers and newborns

Background: Sickle cell trait (SCT) is a congenital condition caused by the inheritance of a single allele of the abnormal haemoglobin beta gene, HbS. Carriers of SCT are generally asymptomatic, and they do not manifest the clinical and haematological abnormalities of sickle cell anaemia (SCA). However, there is evidence that they display some symptoms in stressful situations. Pregnancy is a stressful physiological event, and it is not clear if SCT adversely affects pregnancy outcomes, particularly in those from developing countries where people regularly suffer from nutritional insufficiency. Objective: This study aims to investigate pregnancy outcomes in Sudanese women with SCT. Subjects and methods: Pregnant women with (HbAS, n=34) and without (HbAA, n=60) SCT were recruited during their first trimester at El Obeid Hospital, Kordofan, Western Sudan. Following appropriate ethical approval and informed consent from the participants, detailed anthropometric, clinical, haematological, obstetric, and birth outcome data were registered. In addition, blood samples were collected at enrolment and at delivery. Results: At enrolment in the first trimester, the SCT group did not manifest SCA symptoms, and there was no difference in the haematological parameters between the SCT and control groups. However, at delivery, the women with SCT, compared with the control group, had lower levels of hemoglobin (Hb, p=0.000), packed cell volume (PCV, p=0.000), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH, p=0.002) and neutrophil counts (p=0.045) and higher mean corpuscular volume (MCV, p=0.000) and platelet counts (p=0.000). Similarly, at delivery, the babies of SCT women had lower birth weight (p=0.000), lower Hb (p=0.045), PCV (p=0.000), MCH (p=0.000), and higher neutrophil (p=0.004) and platelet counts (p=0.000) than the babies of the healthy control group. Additionally, there were more miscarriages, stillbirths, and admissions to the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) in the SCT group. Conclusions: The study revealed that SCT is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including maternal and neonatal anaemia, low birth weight, and increased risk of stillbirth, miscarriage, and admission to SCBU. Therefore, pregnant women with SCT should be given appropriate pre-conceptual advice and multidisciplinary antenatal and postnatal care

Rare case of chemotherapy-refractory metastatic vaginal squamous cell carcinoma with complete response to concurrent pembrolizumab and radiotherapy- case report and literature review

Primary vaginal cancer is a rare malignancy with a lack of international guidelines and supporting clinical trial evidence to guide decision making. Historical results have shown poor outcomes with chemotherapy for stage IVB vaginal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The evolving role of checkpoint inhibitors in rare gynaecological cancers prompted us to investigate the role of pembrolizumab in this setting. The efficacy of pembrolizumab in vaginal SCC has never been investigated in any clinical trial. There is established data to support the use of concurrent chemoradiotherapy in gynaecological cancers, however, the data for concurrent use of immunotherapy and radiotherapy is still lacking but is the subject of several clinical trials. We herein present the first reported case of chemotherapy refractory vaginal SCC with complete response to pembrolizumab and concurrent pelvic radiotherapy. We also present wall-eyed bilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia (WEBINO) as a rare but new immune related adverse event

Association of respiratory symptoms and lung function with occupation in the multinational Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been associated with exposures in the workplace. We aimed to assess the association of respiratory symptoms and lung function with occupation in the Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study. Methods We analysed cross-sectional data from 28 823 adults (≥40 years) in 34 countries. We considered 11 occupations and grouped them by likelihood of exposure to organic dusts, inorganic dusts and fumes. The association of chronic cough, chronic phlegm, wheeze, dyspnoea, forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/FVC with occupation was assessed, per study site, using multivariable regression. These estimates were then meta-analysed. Sensitivity analyses explored differences between sexes and gross national income. Results Overall, working in settings with potentially high exposure to dusts or fumes was associated with respiratory symptoms but not lung function differences. The most common occupation was farming. Compared to people not working in any of the 11 considered occupations, those who were farmers for ≥20 years were more likely to have chronic cough (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.19–1.94), wheeze (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.16–1.63) and dyspnoea (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.53–2.20), but not lower FVC (β=0.02 L, 95% CI −0.02–0.06 L) or lower FEV1/FVC (β=0.04%, 95% CI −0.49–0.58%). Some findings differed by sex and gross national income. Conclusion At a population level, the occupational exposures considered in this study do not appear to be major determinants of differences in lung function, although they are associated with more respiratory symptoms. Because not all work settings were included in this study, respiratory surveillance should still be encouraged among high-risk dusty and fume job workers, especially in low- and middle-income countries.publishedVersio

Cohort Profile: Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study

The Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease (BOLD) study was established to assess the prevalence of chronic airflow obstruction, a key characteristic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and its risk factors in adults (≥40 years) from general populations across the world. The baseline study was conducted between 2003 and 2016, in 41 sites across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, the Caribbean and Oceania, and collected high-quality pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry from 28 828 participants. The follow-up study was conducted between 2019 and 2021, in 18 sites across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. At baseline, there were in these sites 12 502 participants with high-quality spirometry. A total of 6452 were followed up, with 5936 completing the study core questionnaire. Of these, 4044 also provided high-quality pre- and post-bronchodilator spirometry. On both occasions, the core questionnaire covered information on respiratory symptoms, doctor diagnoses, health care use, medication use and ealth status, as well as potential risk factors. Information on occupation, environmental exposures and diet was also collected

Drug resistant tuberculosis in Saudi Arabia: an analysis of surveillance data 2014–2015

Abstract Background There is limited data that investigates the national rates of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) in Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to estimate the rates of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB), and monoresistance (MR) in Saudi Arabia. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted on all TB cases reported to the National TB Control and Prevention Program (NTCPP) registry at the Saudi Ministry of Health between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015. A total of 2098 TB patients with positive TB cultures were included in the study. Subgroup analyses and multivariate binary logistic regression models were performed with IBM SPSS 23.0. Results Of the total TB cases, 4.4% (95% CI: 3.59%–5.40%) were found to have MDR-TB. The rates of MR were 3.8% (95% CI: 2.99%–4.67%) for ethambutol, 5.4% (95% CI: 4.50%–6.49%) for pyrazinamide, 10.2% (95% CI: 5.89%–11.52%) for isoniazid, 11% (95% CI: 9.70%–12.43%) for streptomycin, and 5.9% (95% CI: 4.90%–6.96%) for rifampicin. The high rates of MDR and RR-TB were found among the younger age group, female gender, and those who had a previous history of TB. We also discovered that renal failure tends to increase the risk of rifampicin resistance. Conclusions National TB data in Saudi Arabia shows that the rate of MDR-TB was similar to the global rate reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is a relatively high rate as compared to Western countries. The proportion of MDR/RR-TB patients tends to be higher in the younger age group, female gender, and in patients with a previous history of TB treatment. Effective strategies for prevention of all multi-drug-resistant TB cases are warranted

Liver abscesses in dromedary camels: Pathological characteristics and aerobic bacterial aetiology

Abstract The study was carried out at Nyala abattoirs, South Darfur State, Sudan during a period from 2009 to 2011. Slaughtered camels (822) were examined for pathological changes of liver abscesses and identification of the involved aerobic bacteria. Grossly, a total of 111 (13.5%) liver abscesses were recorded in different camel ages; 90 (81.1%) were less than seven years old and 21 (18.9%) were more than seven years old. Histopathology of sectioned tissues revealed necrotic abscesses with infiltration of inflammatory cells, hydropic degeneration with swelling of hepatocytes comprising the sinusoid and different size of vacuoles in the hepatic cells. Proliferation of bile ducts with fibrous tissue and infiltration of inflammatory cells was also recorded. Investigation of bacteria revealed 90 aerobic isolates; they were identified to 52 (57.8%) gram positive cocci, 20 (22.2%) gram positive rods and 18 (20.0%) gram negative rods. Staphylococcus spp. (41.1%), Corynebacterium spp. (17.9%) and Streptococcus spp. (13.3%) were the most frequently identified bacteria involved in liver abscesses of camels in the region. Further studies are required to assess the pathogenicity of bacterial isolates from camel livers. This is particularly important from a public health perspective, since some people of Sudan are known to consume raw camel liver

Childhood Steroid Sensitive Nephrotic Syndrome: Characteristics and Predictors of Relapses; A Study at A Single CENTER in Khartoum

Background: Childhood steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) usually has a favorable outcome in spite of its relapsing course. The objective of the authors was to study the demographic and clinical characteristics, outcome and risk factors for relapses in children with SSNS at a single center in Khartoum, Sudan. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional, facility-based study, the authors retrospectively reviewed all the records of children with SSNS, followed at the Pediatric Renal Unit, Soba University Hospital, Khartoum between 2001 and 2014. SSRNS was defined as the remission of proteinuria within 4–6 weeks of corticosteroids. Relapse is therecurrence of proteinuria after remission; frequent if ≥ 2 within initial six months or ≥ 4 within one year, and steroid dependence if 2 during therapy or within 14 days after stopping it. Results: 330 children (males 220; 66.7%) with SSNS were studied with a mean age of 5.2 ± 3.5 years of whom 42.4% aged 1–5 years. At the presentation, hypertension was detected in 31.8% and hematuria in 19.1%. Serum cholesterol was elevated in all patients (mean 347.34 ± 117.87 mg/dl) and serum creatinine in 7.27% (mean 1.4 ± 0.35 mg/dl). Renal histology showed mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (MesPGN) in 57.5%, minimal change disease (MCD) in 35.5%, and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and IgM nephropathy in 3.5% each. During the course of the illness, 10.3% achieved long-term remission, 89.7% relapsed— of whom 52.3% had frequent relapsing/steroid-dependent (FR/SD) course and 37.7% had infrequent relapses. Risk of frequent relapses were age of onset and low/moderate socioeconomic status (P = 0.015 and 0.019, respectively). Infectionswere recorded in 71.8%, but not significantly associated with the risk of frequent relapses (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The majority children with SSNS at this single center in Khartoum had a relapsing course with the majority being FR or SD. Predictors of frequent relapses were young age at onset and low socioeconomic status