Travel, Literature, Spirit: A Personal Meditation

Reading for Pleasure (Essay Review

David Malouf at Eighty

An appreciation of David Malouf and his work, presented at the David Malouf Symposium, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney, on 31 May 2013

The Expense of Spirit in Postmodern Times: Between Nihilism and Belief

William Blake's wife used to complain that she saw little of Mr. Blake's company because he was always in Paradise. No doubt, he was among Spiritual Causes. But this is not a current complaint - indeed, many nowadays would find the complaint quaint, if not downright silly. Why is that? The question engages the plight, the expense, of spirit in postmodern times. But how give that informing question direction and shape? The essay proceeds in four stages as its argument threads between two epigraphs, the space between nihilism and belief, narrower than a needle's eye. It first recalls briefly the history of spirit in an earlier age; then it seeks to give spirit pragmatic definition in our own; next, it considers (in two sections) the forms, uses, trials of spirit at present; after which, it confronts the issue of nihilism, that icy absence of belief which sometimes masks faith. I conclude by facing not faith but its exorbitant demands, its death grip, its dying grip, on our lives

Epidemiology of antibiotic resistance in culture-positive hospitalized patients in selected hospitals in Khartoum, Sudan

Objective: To study the prevelence of antibiotic resistance and the prevalent bacterial isolates in hospitalized patients in Khartoum hospitals. Materials & Methods: A cross-sectional prevalence study was carried out during the period of April–November 2015 in Khartoum; 226 bacterial cultures were included. Identification of isolates using standard biochemical tests and antibiotic susceptibilities were determined using disc diffusion method. Results were interpreted according to the standards of the British society of antimicrobial chemotherapy. Results: Eight bacterial species were isolated: Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas spp., Escherichia coli, Proteus spp., and Acinetobacter spp. S. aureus was the most prevalent, the majority of which were resistant to methicillin/oxacillin (MRSA). Cultures in our study were mainly from urine (36.7%), blood samples (37.2%), and wound cultures (19%). More than 90% of the tested isolates were resistant to cefuroxime; 54% and 73.8% of Gram-positive and Gram-negative isolates, respectively, were resistant to ceftazidime. Furthermore, there was a high meropenem resistance among Gram-negative isolates tested. Multi-resistant Acinetobacter spp. as well as vancomycin-resistant S. aureus was isolated. Gram-negative isolates showed good susceptibilities to aminoglycosides as well as ciprofloxacin. However, the high resistance rate to these antibiotics was observed in Gram-positive isolates in these hospitals. Conclusion: Methicillin-resistant S. aureus was the most prevalent organism. Gramnegative isolates showed good susceptibilities to aminoglycosides and ciprofloxacin. There were high resistance rates to cefuroxime, ceftazidime, and meropenem. Five vancomycin-resistant S. aureus were identified

Heavy Metals Pollution and Trend in the River Nile System

Due to large amount of sewage of increased population, excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture, rapid development of chemical and petrochemical industries and mining activities around the River Nile and its tributaries White Nile and Blue Nile, chemical water quality of those Niles are expected to be deteriorated. River Nile and its tributaries are among the main Khartoum state drinking water supply resources. The main aim of this study is to assess the concentration of heavy metals (in terms of lead Pb, cadmium Cd and chromium Cr) in the River Nile, White Nile and Blue Nile and compare the results of water analysis with the WHO guideline values. And then investigate the trend of heavy metals (in terms of lead and cadmium) in the White and Blue Niles. Three composites samples were collected from River Nile, White Nile and Blue Nile and examined using ICP by applying SOP- CIL-SP-02 test method to evaluate the concentration of heavy metals. Also a comparison study with previously obtained results was carried out. Heavy metals concentration in the River Nile, White Nile and Blue Nile in terms of cadmium, and chromium were found to be within the level according to WHO guidelines for drinking water, but for lead it was in the marginal level. However when comparing the concentrations obtained in this study with those in two previous studies, it was revealed that there is a regular built up of heavy metals concentration in the River Nile tributaries; White Nile and Blue Nile.

Utility of urinary calcium/creatinine ratio in evaluation of urinary stone formers: a Sudanese case control study

Background: Hypercalciuria is a common cause of urinary stone formation in both children and adults; one of the components of the comprehensive evaluation of stone formers is to measure 24 hours urinary calcium, which is a complicated method especially in children, therefore some physicians depend on calcium creatinine ratio instead of it. The objective of this study was to assess the utility of calcium/creatinine ratio as an evaluation tool for hypercalciuria in urinary stone formers.Methods: This was a case control study in which forty patients of urinary stone formers along with fifteen healthy controls group were enrolled; after fulfilling specific inclusion and exclusion criteria a questionnaire was filled, then an early morning urinary samples were collected for calcium and creatinine measurement to calculate the calcium creatinine ratio.Results: The results showed significantly higher mean value of calcium/creatinine ratio in the stone formers group compared with controls one. Also there were statistically insignificant differences in the urinary calcium between the two groups. Moreover this study showed higher mean values of both calcium and calcium/creatinine ratio in recurrent stone formers when compared with first time stone former.Conclusions: This study concluded that calcium/creatinine ratio is a useful and easier method for the initial evaluation of stone formers