Mapping and Modelling of Vegetation Changes in the Southern Gadarif Region, Sudan, Using Remote Sensing: Land-Use Impacts on Biophysical Processes

The study was conducted at the vicinity of the rural town of Doka in an area of about 55 x 40 km2. The aim of the study was to map and model the influences of the introduction of mechanized rain-fed agriculture and its rapid expansion on the natural vegetation in the southern Gadarif Region. To achieve these objectives the study utilized a series of techniques. Beside the intensive use of remote sensing imagery, interviews with key informants and farmers as well as detailed field surveys were carried out. Multi-temporal analyses of remote sensing imagery showed that during the seventies the average natural vegetation clearing rate increased most rapidly and then began to slow down. Farmers are aware that land degradation, in various forms, is taking place on their cultivated agricultural land. This is based on their perception and the interpretation of indicators such as weed infestation, reduced soil fertility and soil compaction. Continuous cropping, mono-cropping, rainfall shortage and the use of inferior seeds were the main reasons of land degradation indicated by the farmers. Abandonment of agricultural land to restore soil fertility is a common practice among farmers in the Gadarif Region. The study proved that the subsequent natural regeneration of plant species and the vegetation development on abandoned agricultural land are subject to the previous cultivation period and the duration of the fallow. The current regeneration capacity of the abandoned land may not be sufficient to reach full restoration of the previous vegetation climax except for some pockets which received more regenerative resources. Field surveys in conjunction with remotely sensed and topographic data have the potential to explain the restoration and rehabilitation patterns of degraded/abandoned agricultural land to a good extent. The findings of the study seem to be representative not only for the whole Gadarif Region or other areas in Sudan, but also for other regions in the Sahel Zone with similar problems and environmental and social conditions. One of the most practical conservation approaches is to let farmers play an active role in managing their abandoned land. Such management aims to allow for a certain level of use and benefits while maintaining the natural vegetation development on theses area in order to achieve maximal restoration. Although the study investigated the vegetation development in abandoned mechanized rainfed agricultural land, a full understanding of the path-way needs surveys that include more types of abandoned land and investigation of the effects of other local environmental factors (e.g. fire, grazing, distance from forests etc.) for more than one season

The Appropriateness of the Performance of Jordanian Chemical Industrial Companies for the Accounting Basics on Sustainable Development

This study aimed to evaluate the environmental, social and economic performance of Jordanian Chemical Industrial Companies, to show the appropriateness of that performance with the accounting on sustainable development. A questionnaire was designed to study the practical side, it was distributed to a study sample of (10) companies from Jordanian Companies of Chemical Industries listed on Amman Stock Exchange until 31/12/2013. The questionnaire was designed for the purpose of arbitration on a group of professors and experts in the fields of accounting, management, environment and industry, as well as in the practical field of study. The results of this study is that the commitment of departments of Jordanian Companies for Chemical Industries in applying sustainable development helps in measuring the financial and non-financial performance of the company, and that there is interest in the requirements of the improvement and development of performance and production that lead to profitability, maintain market share and achieve economic benefits for the environment and society. The recommendations is the need that Jordanian Companies for Chemical Industries have to pay more attention to disclose about the procedures of applying the principles of sustainable development to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of evaluating and monitoring the performance of the financial and non-financial management  periodically, and develop the capacities of the environment staff and technicians in the government departments concerned with the environment to assess the requirements of the surrounding community. Keywords: Financial and Non-Financial Performance, Environmental, Social and Economic Performance, Accounting for Sustainable Development

The fact that the educational supervisors in the Sultanate of Oman have known the evolutionary supervision style and the extent of their application from their point of view = واقع تعرّف المشرفين التربويين بسلطنة عمان لنمط الإشراف التطوري ومدى تطبيقهم من وجهة نظرهم

This study aimed to reveal the reality of educational supervisors in the Sultanate of Oman recognizing the evolutionary supervisory pattern and the extent of their application from their point of view, as well as revealing the impact of the study variables (gender, years of experience) in it, and the researcher used the descriptive approach, where a questionnaire was built to measure the educational supervisors' recognition in the Sultanate of Oman For the evolutionary supervision pattern and the extent of their application from the point of view of the supervisors themselves, the tool consisted of (21) paragraphs, distributed in two areas: the domain of the knowledge side (9) paragraphs, and the field of the applied side (12) paragraphs. The members of the study sample were randomly chosen. The study sample consisted of (285) supervisors and supervisors, who represent educational supervisors and educational supervisors in all educational directorates in the Sultanate of Oman. The results of the study showed that the reality of the educational supervisors' awareness (as a whole) in the Sultanate of Oman of the evolutionary supervision style from the point of view of the educational supervisors was (average). And the reality of the application of educational supervisors (as a whole) in the Sultanate of Oman to the evolutionary supervision style from the point of view of educational supervisors was (high). The results also showed that there were no statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α = 0.05) between the averages (as a whole) and their fields from the point of view of the educational supervisors due to the variable (gender). And the presence of statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α = 0.05) between the averages (as a whole) and their fields from the point of view of educational supervisors due to the variable (experience) and in favor of a group more than 15 years . ****************************************************************************** هدفت هذه الدراسة الكشف عن واقع تعرّف المشرفين التربوين بسلطنة عمان لنمط الإشرافي التطوري ومدى تطبيقهم من وجهة نظرهم، وكذلك الكشف عن أثر متغيرات الدراسة (الجنس، سنوات الخبرة) فيها، وقد استخدم الباحث المنهج الوصفي، حيث تم بناء إستبانة لقياس تعرّف المشرفين التربويين بسلطنة عمان لنمط الإشراف التطوري ومدى تطبيقهم من وجهة نظر المشرفين أنفسهم، وتكونت الأداة من ( 21 ) فقرة، موزعة على مجالين؛ هما: مجال الجانب المعرفي (9) فقرات، ومجال الجانب التطبيقي (12) فقرة. وقد تم اختيار أفراد عينة الدراسة بالطريقة العشوائية؛ بحيث تألفت عينة الدراسة من ( 285 ) مشرفاً ومشرفة وهم يمثلون المشرفين التربويين والمشرفات التربويات في جميع المديريات التعليمية بسلطنة عمان. وقد أظهرت نتائج الدراسة أن واقع تعرف المشرفين التربويين (ككل) بسلطنة عمان لنمط الإشراف التطوري من وجهة نظر المشرفين التربويين كان (متوسطاً). وواقع تطبيق المشرفين التربويين (ككل) بسلطنة عمان لنمط الإشراف التطوري من وجهة نظر المشرفين التربويين كان (مرتفعاً). كما أظهرت النتائج عدم وجود فروق دالة إحصائياً عند مستوى الدلالة (α = 0.05) بين المتوسطات (ككل) ومجاليها من وجهة نظر المشرفين التربويين تعزى لمتغير (الجنس). ووجود فروق دالة إحصائياً عند مستوى الدلالة (α = 0.05) بين المتوسطات (ككل) ومجاليها من وجهة نظر المشرفين التربويين تعزى لمتغير (الخبرة) ولصالح فئة أكثر من 15 سنة

Design and Simulation of a Nanoscale Threshold-Logic Multiplier

Multiplication is one of the most important operations in microprocessors and digital signal processing systems. Different multiplier architectures have been proposed in the literature. One of the most widely used architecture is the Wallace tree multiplier. This multiplier is known for its high speed. However, it occupies a large area. In this paper, we used Threshold Logic Gates instead of conventional logic gates to reduce the area. The multiplier was designed in 65nm CMOS technology, and achieved 28% reduction in the number of transistors compared to the one with conventional logic gates. It also achieved a lower power-delay-product

Exploitation of TerraSAR-X Data for Land use/Land Cover Analysis Using Object-Oriented Classification Approach in the African Sahel Area, Sudan.

Recently, object-oriented classification techniques based on image segmentation approaches are being studied using high-resolution satellite images to extract various thematic information. In this study different types of land use/land cover (LULC) types were analysed by employing object-oriented classification approach to dual TerraSAR-X images (HH and HV polarisation) at African Sahel. For that purpose, multi-resolution segmentation (MRS) of the Definiens software was used for creating the image objects. Using the feature space optimisation (FSO) tool the attributes of the TerraSAR-X image were optimised in order to obtain the best separability among classes for the LULC mapping. The backscattering coefficients (BSC) for some classes were observed to be different for HH and HV polarisations. The best separation distance of the tested spectral, shape and textural features showed different variations among the discriminated LULC classes. An overall accuracy of 84 % with a kappa value 0.82 was resulted from the classification scheme, while accuracy differences among the classes were kept minimal. Finally, the results highlighted the importance of a combine use of TerraSAR-X data and object-oriented classification approaches as a useful source of information and technique for LULC analysis in the African Sahel drylands

Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017

A double burden of malnutrition occurs when individuals, household members or communities experience both undernutrition and overweight. Here, we show geospatial estimates of overweight and wasting prevalence among children under 5 years of age in 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2000 to 2017 and aggregate these to policy-relevant administrative units. Wasting decreased overall across LMICs between 2000 and 2017, from 8.4% (62.3 (55.1–70.8) million) to 6.4% (58.3 (47.6–70.7) million), but is predicted to remain above the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target of <5% in over half of LMICs by 2025. Prevalence of overweight increased from 5.2% (30 (22.8–38.5) million) in 2000 to 6.0% (55.5 (44.8–67.9) million) children aged under 5 years in 2017. Areas most affected by double burden of malnutrition were located in Indonesia, Thailand, southeastern China, Botswana, Cameroon and central Nigeria. Our estimates provide a new perspective to researchers, policy makers and public health agencies in their efforts to address this global childhood syndemic

Breast cancer management pathways during the COVID-19 pandemic: outcomes from the UK ‘Alert Level 4’ phase of the B-MaP-C study

Abstract: Background: The B-MaP-C study aimed to determine alterations to breast cancer (BC) management during the peak transmission period of the UK COVID-19 pandemic and the potential impact of these treatment decisions. Methods: This was a national cohort study of patients with early BC undergoing multidisciplinary team (MDT)-guided treatment recommendations during the pandemic, designated ‘standard’ or ‘COVID-altered’, in the preoperative, operative and post-operative setting. Findings: Of 3776 patients (from 64 UK units) in the study, 2246 (59%) had ‘COVID-altered’ management. ‘Bridging’ endocrine therapy was used (n = 951) where theatre capacity was reduced. There was increasing access to COVID-19 low-risk theatres during the study period (59%). In line with national guidance, immediate breast reconstruction was avoided (n = 299). Where adjuvant chemotherapy was omitted (n = 81), the median benefit was only 3% (IQR 2–9%) using ‘NHS Predict’. There was the rapid adoption of new evidence-based hypofractionated radiotherapy (n = 781, from 46 units). Only 14 patients (1%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during their treatment journey. Conclusions: The majority of ‘COVID-altered’ management decisions were largely in line with pre-COVID evidence-based guidelines, implying that breast cancer survival outcomes are unlikely to be negatively impacted by the pandemic. However, in this study, the potential impact of delays to BC presentation or diagnosis remains unknown

Exploring the spatio-temporal processes of communal rangeland grabbing in Sudan

The persistent policy of successive Sudanese governments in favouring large-scale agricultural investments at the expense of traditional land use is creating material differences among significant groups of the population. A significant share of this type of investment falls within the territories of the communal rangelands of the country. The aim of this paper is to provide analytical insights of the geographical allocation and the temporal evolution of land grabbing on the expanses of communal land utilized by local inhabitants in Butana area in eastern Sudan. The study relies on multi-temporal Landsat satellite imagery (2000, 2005, 2009, and 2014), ground surveys, and key informant interviews. The results show that large-scale mechanized agriculture (LSMA) in Butana communal rangeland increased incrementally from 2.5% in 2000 to 17.6% in 2014. The starting location of the expansion of LSMA was in surrounding valleys. From the images, it is clear that land grabbing is converting the natural vegetation cover of Butana communal rangeland into spatially fragmented patches. Large-scale farmers (LSFs) involved in the process included wealthy pastoralists who own large numbers of livestock and absentee farmers who rely on hired representatives to manage their agricultural operations. Without a fundamental change in governmental policy, which currently turns a blind eye to the illegal activities of LSFs on communal rangeland, the gloomy scenario of land-based conflict may erupt in the eastern part of the country

Mapping and Modelling of Vegetation Changes in the Southern Gadarif Region, Sudan, Using Remote Sensing: Land-Use Impacts on Biophysical Processes

The study was conducted at the vicinity of the rural town of Doka in an area of about 55 x 40 km2. The aim of the study was to map and model the influences of the introduction of mechanized rain-fed agriculture and its rapid expansion on the natural vegetation in the southern Gadarif Region. To achieve these objectives the study utilized a series of techniques. Beside the intensive use of remote sensing imagery, interviews with key informants and farmers as well as detailed field surveys were carried out. Multi-temporal analyses of remote sensing imagery showed that during the seventies the average natural vegetation clearing rate increased most rapidly and then began to slow down. Farmers are aware that land degradation, in various forms, is taking place on their cultivated agricultural land. This is based on their perception and the interpretation of indicators such as weed infestation, reduced soil fertility and soil compaction. Continuous cropping, mono-cropping, rainfall shortage and the use of inferior seeds were the main reasons of land degradation indicated by the farmers. Abandonment of agricultural land to restore soil fertility is a common practice among farmers in the Gadarif Region. The study proved that the subsequent natural regeneration of plant species and the vegetation development on abandoned agricultural land are subject to the previous cultivation period and the duration of the fallow. The current regeneration capacity of the abandoned land may not be sufficient to reach full restoration of the previous vegetation climax except for some pockets which received more regenerative resources. Field surveys in conjunction with remotely sensed and topographic data have the potential to explain the restoration and rehabilitation patterns of degraded/abandoned agricultural land to a good extent. The findings of the study seem to be representative not only for the whole Gadarif Region or other areas in Sudan, but also for other regions in the Sahel Zone with similar problems and environmental and social conditions. One of the most practical conservation approaches is to let farmers play an active role in managing their abandoned land. Such management aims to allow for a certain level of use and benefits while maintaining the natural vegetation development on theses area in order to achieve maximal restoration. Although the study investigated the vegetation development in abandoned mechanized rainfed agricultural land, a full understanding of the path-way needs surveys that include more types of abandoned land and investigation of the effects of other local environmental factors (e.g. fire, grazing, distance from forests etc.) for more than one season