Predictors of glucose control in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes: Results of a cross-sectional study in Khartoum, Sudan

© 2018 Zainab Taha, Zeinab Eltoum, Sidiga Washi. BACKGROUND: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a rapidly growing problem in Sudan as well as other African countries. Children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes have previously been found to have poor glycemic control. Strict glycemic control reduces the incidence and progression of chronic complications. AIM: This study aimed to identify the factors associated with glycemic control among children and adolescents. METHODS: The study was a health-centre based descriptive cross-sectional study. Data on socioeconomic, demographic, disease history, and diabetes-specific variables was obtained. Glycemic control was assessed by measuring glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1C). Linear regression analysis was done to determine factors associated with glycemic control. RESULTS: One hundred Sudanese children with T1DM aged from (1-18) years were recruited for the study (63 % females). Most of the study children (80%) had high random blood glucose levels. Less than half (40%) suffered from the presence of glucose in their urine and one-quarter of them have urine ketones. Also, Glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level of the study children showed that more than three-quarters (76%) had poor glycemic control. It was found that there is no relationship between nutritional status and glycemic control. However, there is a relationship between socioeconomic status and glycemic control (P = 0.025) CONCLUSION: To improve metabolic control, more frequent BGM should be encouraged among children and adolescents with T1DM. Emphasis needs to be put on providing families with children with diabetes with the medical, financial and social support for better control of their diabetes

Environmental certification in a service organization : a case study of SLU

In recent years several organizations in Sweden and worldwide are faced with massive practical challenges of transforming today’s organizations into environmentally sustainable organization. Consequently, they have or are implementing Environmental Management Systems (EMS). The most common model used by many organizations implementing an EMS is ISO 14001. In this context, this study investigated and described the perceived challenges, driving forces and opportunities in an environmental certification process for an organization in the public science sector according to ISO 14001 as models for EMS. One particular university has been analysed; the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SLU) as example of a service organization. In 2009, the Dean of SLU took a formal decision that the entire SLU environmental activities shall be certified according to ISO 14001 standard. Accordingly, this project aims to describe the motivations and challenges in the certification process, and point to the benifits that are expected from certification. To obtain information and deeper insight into the EMS of the university, a qualitative method with case studies used to study the work with EMS in the SLU`s departments. The empirical material was collected within semi-structured interviews. Theories and previous studies have been used as guidance to the analysis method as well, the methodology of plan–do –check–act (PDCA) used as method of evaluating sustainable development. The analysis showed that the main drivers at SLU to get the ISO 14001 certification is to create better EMS, meeting legislative requirements, directives from SLU`s headmaster, to be a trustworthy authority, and to be listed in the Environmental Protection Agency ranking list. Moreover, environmental certification consist of many challenges for the study units such as no engagement in the organization, EMS process consists of many detail and needs too much work, difficulty to understand the structure, and have documentation problems. Major advantages about the SLU’s EMS are: increased efficiency and reduced costs, systematic control over documents, measures and taking care of environmental impact, integrated environmental work in the normal routines, and contribute to a sustainable development Finally, recommendations on the essential findings that play an important role in the future of ISO 14001 in a service organization are presented

Electronic accounting Applications using Cloud Computing technology

Todays’ electronic accounting have become dependent on the information technologies and communication (IcTs) to support processes, business, functions and financial activities technology acts as a major requisite.One of these technologies is acloud computing which has changed the ways we exchange financial information and presentation of this interpreted and analyzed financial data to the end user or the client. cloud computing has a great role in mounting the heights on which e_accounting, cloud computing has helped the facades of business functions particularly e_accounting in achieving flexibility and efficiency like never before. The electronic accounting has again played its role in giving new dimensions to these business functions via the Cloud Computing. E_accounting applications going to move from the desktop into the cloud computing, wheree_accounting applications and accounting books are hosted on a “cloud” consisting of thousands of computers and servers this can gain many benefits for e_accounting application also faces many problems

Mango i Sudan : marknadsföring och export

Mango is one of the essential horticultural crops in Sudan. It has economic signifycance being cultivated almost around the year in different parts of the country. It has a regional and international demand due to its palatable and adored taste with great nutritive value. It has a great chance for new markets abroad. The thesis deals with Sudanese mango production and the obstacles facing its marketing abroad. In this study I see that, for example, the portion of Sudanese mango exported to the Saudi market decreased despite its favourable price. The question is: Why? The aim of this study is to illustrate the export of mango, the problems, and to analyze the result to indicate the obstacles. The analysis is based on a theoretical perspective which focuses on marketing strategies for marketing mix. The SWOT-analysis is used to find out the competitiveness of the Sudanese mango fruit in international markets, in terms of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The method used for the study is qualitative. The sources are interviews and documentations, personal interviews with open questions have been an important part of the analysis. The results showed that the strengths of Sudanese mango are due to many factors like: production around the year, lower price in Saudi market compared to other competitors, high quality of crop with great nutritive and healthy value. On the other hand, the basic weaknesses of mango are that it is a highly perishable commodity and lacks in the pre-, and post-harvesting technology, as well as in the marketing channels. As a conclusion, the study shows that the problems of mango marketing occur during the whole process (production, marketing channels, price and foreign market). Besides, there is a poor existing strategy. But the situation will be more positive by doing improvement in all this process and developing the marketing strategy.Mango är en av de viktigaste hortikulturella grödorna i Sudan. Den stora ekonomiska betydelsen beror bl a på att den kan odlas nästan året runt i olika delar av landet. Mango efterfrågas såväl regionalt som internationellt p g a sin goda smak och sitt höga nutritionsvärde, vilket borde betyda att det finns en potential för utländska marknader. Denna rapport behandlar sudanesisk mangoproduktion och de hinder som finns för dess utländska marknadslansering. I studien framkom, bland annat, att den exporterade volymen av sudanesisk mango till den saudiarabiska marknaden minskat trots en konkurrenskraftig prisnivå. Frågan är varför det är så? Målet med studien är att analysera mangoexporten, de problem som finns i denna, samt att komma fram till hur de nuvarande hindren kan överkommas. Analysen baseras på det teoretsika perspektivet som fokuserar på marknadsföringsstrategier för att härigenom nå olika sk ”marketing-mix”-lösningar. För att dra slutsatser angående konkurresnskraften hos sudanesisk mango används en SWOT-analys, d v s dess styrkor, svegheter, möjligheter och hot. Metoden som används är kvalitativ, där intervjuer med öppna frågor och skriftliga källor använts. Studiens resultat är bl a att sudanesisk mango har styrkor såsom året-runt-odling, lägre pris på sudanesisk mango på den saudiska marknaden jämfört med andra konkurrenter, en högkvalitativ produkt med mycket bra nutritions- och hälsovärde. Några svagheter, å andra sidan, är att mango är en färskvara, samt att pre- och postskördsteknologi saknas, såväl som marknadsföringskanaler. Slutsatsen blir att problemen för marknadsföringen av mango återfinns genom hela kedjan (d v s produktion, marknadsföringskanaler, pris och på de utländska marknaderna). Till dessa kommer att det inte finns någon genomtämkt strategi. Om kedjan utvecklas och en marknadsföringsstrategi utvecklas kommer situationen att förbättras

Genistein chemoprevention of prostate cancer in TRAMP mice

Epidemiological studies suggest an inverse association between soy intake and prostate cancer risk. Genistein, the predominant phytoestrogen in soy food, has been proposed as a potential chemopreventive agent due to its anti-estrogen and tyrosine kinase inhibitory effects. To determine the most effective period for genistein chemoprevention, the Transgenic adenocarcinoma mouse prostate (TRAMP) model was used. The treatments were 250 mg genistein/kg AIN-76A diet 1) prepubertally only, 2) in adulthood only or 3) through out life. Controls received AIN-76A diet. By 28 weeks of age, 100% TRAMP mice fed control diet developed prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) or adenocarcinomas with 6%, 16%, 44% and 34% developing high grade PIN, well differentiated, moderately differentiated and poorly differentiated prostatic adenocarcinomas, respectively. Prepubertal only (1–35 days postpartum) and adult only genistein treatments (12 – 28 weeks) resulted in 6% and 29% decreases in poorly-differentiated cancerous lesions compared with controls, respectively. The most significant effect was seen in the TRAMP mice exposed to genistein throughout life (1–28 weeks) with a 50% decrease in poorly-differentiated cancerous lesions. In a separate experiment in castrated TRAMP mice, dietary genistein suppressed the development of advanced prostate cancer by 35% compared with controls. Of the tumors that developed in castrated TRAMP mice, 100% were poorly-differentiated in contrast to the 37% of noncastrated TRAMP mice that developed poorly-differentiated tumors. ICI 182,780 (ICI), genistein and estrogen down-regulated androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α) and progesterone receptor (PR) in the prostates of C57BL/6 mice, and act independently of ER. Our data obtained in intact and castrated transgenic mice suggest that genistein may be a promising chemopreventive agent against androgen-dependent and independent prostate cancers

Pattern of Endoscopic Findings of Upper Gastrointestinal Tract in Omdurman Teaching Hospital, Sudan

Background: The pattern of endoscopic findings of upper gastrointestinal tract (UGT) including gastro esophageal reflux (GERD), peptic ulcer diseases (PU), and upper gastrointestinal malignancies was not studied recently in Sudan.Objectives: The aim of this study is to know the pattern of endoscopic findings of upper gastrointestinal tract.Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study which was conducted during the period from March to September 2013, at endoscopy unit in Omdurman Teaching Hospital. All patients referred for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were included in the study.Results: A total of 390 subjects was enrolled in the study.56.4% were females; the male to female ratio was 1.3:1, their ages ranged from 11 to 80 years old with a mean age of 50.2 years. The most common endoscopic findings in the study group was Gastritis 54.9% followed by esophagitis 42%, peptic ulcer diseases 21%, esophageal varices 13.8% and upper gastrointestinal tumors (esophageal and gastric) 13.2 %. Normal findings were found in 3% of all patients in the study group.Conclusion: Upper gastrointestinal disorders are more common in Sudan compared to other countries. Esophageal varices and upper gastrointestinal malignancies are increasing compared to previous studies. Further studies are required to characterize abnormalities of upper gastrointestinal tract.Key words: Upper gastro-intestinal endoscopy, Gastritis, Esophagitis, Peptic ulcer, Sudan