Software Engineering: A fundamental Approach to Automate and Interface Medical Electronic Systems with Computers in Healthcare Systems

The cost for application software and propriatry standards (i.e. data structure and formats) required for storing  clinical datasets  from  electronic  device  cause  the  use  of  time-consuming  paper-based  documentation  and/or  the  transfer  of electronic  lab  records  manually  to  the  PC  database systems  in  Mother-Offspring  Malaria  Study  (MOMS)  Laboratory Unit located in Morogoro Regional Hospital, Tanzania. We have explored the ability to extract laboratory results from Haematology  analyzer  machine  for  easy  management, access  and  storage.  The  methodology  and  tools  used  during  the study includes; site survey and hands-on practice for requirement engineering, visual basic 6.0 for interface design and Microsoft  Access  for  relational  database  design.  The  study  has  developed  a  model  “COmpose-TRAansmit-COnvent-COmpose” convention (acronym COTRACOCO) to implements an open serial port interface that required only a driver class to execute the labs outputs for storage in database with at run-time with less programming knowledge. The study demonstrated that the COTRACOCO convention presented is general and may promote a new paradigm for establishing the robust serial port communication systems for any digital devic

The Serological Findings of Parvo virus B19 and Neopterin Detection among Sickle cell Disease Patients and Blood Doners in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Introduction. Parvovirus B19 (PV B19) is a small, non-enveloped, ss DNA virus with an icosahedral capsid having a size of 18–26 nm. PV B19 transmits through respiratory droplets, blood transfusion and nosocomial infections that have also been documented recently. The virus targets the actively dividing Erythroid Progenitor Cells (EPCs) that are found in the human bone marrow, fetal liver and human umbilical cord. Methods. The study was particularly conducted on Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) patients and focuses on the determination of parvovirus B19 among Bahraini population by relying on their clinical status. The serological study of PV B19 was performed using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique and includes 150 SCD patientsand 100 healthy blood donors in which both males and females were employed. The samples were taken from the emergency unit of Salmania Medical Complex (SMC) and Ibrahim Khalil Kano Center (IKKC). Results. Of the 150 SCD patients, 100 were with vaso-occlusive crisis(VOC) and 50 non-vaso-occlusive crisis (NVOC). The three groups showed significantly higher percentages of PV B19 IgG but the percentage in SCD was relatively high compared to the control group of age-matched healthy donors – 70% of the VOC patients, 76% of the NVOC cases and 57% of blood donors were found to be IgG sero-positive. Discussion and Conclusion. PV B19 is a pathogenic virus and sometimes considered as life-threatening specifically for those individuals who have SCD due to which a risk of transient aplastic crisis increases. This virus is only associated with those patients whohave some hematological disorders such as hemolytic anemia and erythro-cytopenia. An effective screening test must be performed in the future to reduce the risk of PV B19 infection. Keywords: Aplastic Crisis, Seroprevalence, Bahraini Population, Genotypes, Vasoocclusive crisis, Neopteri

Antibodies against Merozoite Surface Protein 1 and 2 in Sudanese children

Background: Malaria is a serious childhood disease causing high morbidity and mortality despite control measures. Immunological control against malaria was initiated early, and immunity acquired by children in endemic areas, which is age and exposure dependant, differs in different endemic settings. The objective of the study was to determine antibodies against Merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-I) and Merozoite surface protein-2 (MSP-2), and to determine their relation to the age of Sudanese children. Methodology: The study was descriptive, cross-sectional, conducted in Khartoum Children Emergency Hospital (KCEH). 150 children with positive blood films for P. falciparum malaria were classified according to age, and a blood sample was taken from each one, and tested for antibodies against MSP-I and MSP-2. Results: Antibodies to MSP-I and MSP-2 were 46% and 42% respectively. Sero-positivity and sero-negativity for both antigens were 26.6% and 42.7% respectively. Seropositivity to either MSP2 or MSP1antigen alone was present in 18.7% and 12% of patients respectively. High seropositivity (52.9%) was found in the age group 12-15 years of age. Conclusion: MSP-1 and MSP-2 antibodies in Sudanese children according to this study were age dependant, and findings were similar to what had been reported in some African countries.Key words: P. falciparum malaria, MSP-I, MSP-2

Effects of added phosphorus and zinc on yield and its components of corn

   Experiments were conducted for two seasons (2000/01 and 2001/02) to study the effects of added phosphorus and zinc fertilizers on yield and its components of corn(Zea mays L.) grown on Remaitab soil series, (fine, smectitic, isohyperthermic, Typic Haplusterts) at the Gezira Research Station Farm, Wad Medani, Sudan. Phosphorus was banded in the soil as triple superphosphate at three rates (0, 43 and 86 kg P2O5 ha-1). Zinc, as zinc sulphate, was also banded at three rates (0, 5 and 10 kg Zn ha-1). Nitrogen was broadcast as a basal dose in the form of urea at a recommended dose of 86 kg N ha-1. Experiments were arranged in a split-plot design with four replicates. The results indicated that applica-tion of both nutrients significantly (P<0.05) increased the number of cobs ha-1, the number and weight of grains/cob, 100 grain weight and grain yield. However, doubling the rate of P to 86 kg P2O5 ha-1 did not result in a significant difference over that of 43 kg P2O5 ha-1 for most parameters studied.  Application of both P rates (43 and 86 kg P2 O5 ha-1) each in combination with Zn rates (5 and 10 kg Zn ha-1) increased weight of grains per cob, 100 grain weight and grain yield as compared to other treatments. For attaining maximum yield, application of 43 kg P2O5 ha-1+ 10 kg Zn ha-1 banded in the soil at sowing is recommended, in addition to the recommended rate of nitrogen on the Remaitab soil series

Effects of phosphorus and zinc fertilizers on their contents in soil, plant and grains of corn

Experiments were conducted for two seasons 2000/01 and 2001/02 to study the effects of phosphorus and zinc fertilizers and their interactions on their soil extractable forms, their contents in corn (Zea mays L.) leaf tissue, and their grain uptake. The study was conducted on Remaitab soil series (fine, smectitic, isohyperthermic, typic Haplusterts) at the Gezira Research Station Farm, Agricultural Research Corporation, Wad Medani, Sudan. Phosphorus was applied as triple superphosphate at three rates (0, 43 and 86 kg P2O5 ha-1). Zinc was added to the soil as zinc sulphate (Zn SO4.7H2O) at three rates (0, 5 and 10 kg Zn ha-1).  The experiments were arranged in a split-plot design with four replicates. The main plots were assigned to phosphorus rates and .the sub plots were assigned to those of zinc. The treatments were completely randomized within each replicate. The results indicated that application of both nutrients significantly (P < 0.05) increased most of the parameters studied. Extractable soil Zn measured at 14 and at 70 days after sowing (DAS) and available soil P measured at 70 DAS were significantly reduced by the interaction of soil application of phosphorus and zinc fertilizers and both nutrients tended to reduce the concentration of each other in leaves especially when one of them was not added, and this was more pronounced in the cases of added P treatments on leaf tissue content of Zn. The results indicated that the major P-Zn interaction did not take place in the plant but in the soil where the availability of Zn was reduced by P and this was readily corrected by application of Zn. Application of both phosphorus rates in combination with zinc improved grain uptake of both nutrients, compare-ed to treatments receiving the same amounts of phosphorus but without zinc or treatments receiving no phosphorus with or without zinc applic-ation

Inappropriate use of antibiotics in the treatment of pharyngo-tonsilitis in children in Khartoum, Sudan

Background: Pharyngo-tonsillitis represents a major public health problem all over the world. Recent studies in Sudan have revealed alarming results reporting antibiotics over prescription in the management of acute tonsillitis.Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of Group A Beta hemolytic streptococci and document the appropriateness of using antibiotics in the treatment of acute tonsillo-pharyngitis in Jaafar Ibn Auf Pediatrics Hospital.Materials and Methods: A cross sectional hospital based study was conducted in the period January to August 2012 in Jaafar Ibn Auf Hospital, the largest tertiary pediatrics hospital in Sudan. The sample size was 100 including children aged 2-17 years and got antibiotics treatment for their current sore throat. A pharyngeal swab was collected at presentation from tonsils and posterior pharynx. Gram staining was done first, and then Group A Beta hemolytic streptococci were isolated and identified in the laboratory by their growth characteristics. All children included in the study were assessed clinically and subjected to a structural questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 19.Results: The estimated prevalence of Group A Beta hemolytic streptococci tonsillitis and/or pharyngitis was 22%, nevertheless the proportion of antibiotic prescription was 100%.Conclusion: Most children were treated inappropriately regarding the need for using antibiotics, the type of antibiotics used and the duration of management. As many studies suggested that increased using of antibiotics may be due to uncertainty of diagnosis, requesting scoring system or rapid diagnostic test can contribute to the reduction of the rate of antibiotics prescription.Keyword: Pharyngo-tonsillitis, inappropriate, children, antibiotics, Suda

Fabrication of Lateral Polysilicon Gap of Less than 50nm Using Conventional Lithography

We report a thermal oxidation process for the fabrication of nanogaps of less than 50 nmin dimension.Nanogaps of this dimension are necessary to eliminate contributions from double-layer capacitance in the dielectric detection of protein or nucleic acid. The method combines conventional photolithography and pattern-size reduction techniques. The gaps are fabricated on polysiliconcoated silicon substrate with gold electrodes. The dimensions of the structure are determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). An electrical characterization of the structures by dielectric analyzer (DA) shows an improved conductivity as well as enhanced permittivity and capacity with the reduction of gap size, suggesting its potential applications in the detection of biomolecule with very low level of power supply. Two chrome Masks are used to complete the work: the first Mask is for the nanogap pattern and the second one is for the electrodes. An improved resolution of pattern size is obtained by controlling the oxidation time. The method expected to enable fabrication of nanogaps with a wide ranging designs and dimensions on different substrates. It is a simple and cost-effective method and does not require complicated nanolithography process for fabricating desired nanogaps in a reproducible fashion

Value of systematic sampling in an mp-MRI targeted prostate biopsy strategy

The clinical utility of systematic prostate biopsy in addition to multi-parametric magnetic resonance imagining (mp-MRI) targeted biopsy pathways remains unclear. Despite radiological advancements in mp-MRI and utilisation of international standardised reporting systems (i.e., PI-RADS, LIKERT), undetected clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) on imaging persists. This has prevented the widespread adoption of an exclusively targeted biopsy approach. The current evidence on csPCa cancer detection rates in mp-MRI targeted alone and combined with a non-targeted systematic sampling is presented. Arguments for and against routine limited systematic sampling as an adjunct to an mp-MRI targeted biopsy are discussed. Our review will report the clinical utility of a combined sampling strategy on csPCa detection rate. The available evidence suggests that we are yet to reach a stage where non-targeted systematic prostate biopsy can be routinely omitted in mp-MRI targeted prostate biopsy pathways. Research should focus on improving the accuracy of mp-MRI, prostate biopsy techniques, and in identifying those men that will most benefit from a combined prostate biopsy. Such strategies may help future urologists reduce the burden of non-targeted cores in modern mp-MRI prostate biopsy pathways