SOL-GEL SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NIO NANOPARTICLES

In order to study the roles of the crystallite size of an active phase in a catalytic reaction it is of utmost importance to be able to synthesize pure phases of crystallite in the desired size range with a narrow size distribution. The method to produce a nano of Nickel oxide ( ) is described. Nanoparticles (NPs) of are prepared by thermal decomposition of freshly prepared nickel hydroxide by a sol gel route at 300°.This sample is characterized by Xray diffractometer (XRD) and UV–visible spectroscopy. The average crystalline space or the separation between atomic planes of () NPs is found to be about (2 - 5nm) and the average of particle size is (9- 19 nm). According to our X-ray and neutron diffraction data, all NiO powders are antiferromagnetically ordered at room temperature

ANTIBIOTIC SENSITIVITY PATTERN OF BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM THE ENVIRONMENT OF INTENSIVE CARE UNIT OF WAD MEDANI EMERGENCY HOSPITAL, GEZIRA STATE, SUDAN

Objective: The objective of the present study was primarily to identify the sources and types of bacterial contamination associated with hospital-acquired infections in the intensive care unit and to investigate the sensitivity pattern of isolated bacteria to prescribed antibiotics of Wad Medani Emergency Hospital, Gezira State, Sudan. Methods: A total of 50 swab samples were obtained from 14 different sites, including inanimate objects as well as nurses’ hands in the ICU. Identification of the bacterial isolates was performed utilizing Gram’s staining test and standard biochemical tests; likewise, the respective antimicrobial sensitivity was determined based on the guidelines recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Results: Showed the prevalence of Gram-positive isolates as Coagulase-negative staphylococci (30%), Staphylococcus aureus (20%), Bacillus spp (15%), and Streptococcus spp (4%). On the other hand, the Gram negative isolates were: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11%), \Kliebsiella pneumoniae (7%), Proteus mirabilis (5%), and Enterobacter spp.(5%). Floor, Monitors, Patients’ oxygen masks and infusion-stands as well as nurses’ hands, were the most contaminated sites. Staphylococci showed a reasonable sensitivity response to Gentamicin and Vancomycin and high resistance to Erythromycin and Co-trimoxazole; whereas Gram-negative isolates showed high resistance to first and second-generation Cephalosporins and demonstrated good sensitivity pattern to Gentamicin and Meropenem. Pseudomonas aeruginosa also showed reasonable sensitivity to Ciprofloxacin. Conclusion: Findings of the study demonstrated high bacterial contamination levels in ICU.&nbsp

Primary Tuberculosis of the Maxillary Sinus: A case report

Tuberculosis is up-to-date a leading cause of human suffering and loss of life. Although tuberculosis is a systemic disease, primary tuberculosis of the paranasal sinuses is rare. It should be kept in mind in any undiagnosed or atypical clinical infection or inflammation in this region. We present here a case of primary paranasal sinuses tuberculosis in an elderly Sudanese woman. Although Sudan is one of the highest three countries in the incidence of tuberculosis, this is the first case to be reported in Suda

Anatomical variations of nasal and paranasal sinuses among Sudanese patients undergoing CT scan evaluation at Antalya Diagnostic Center – Khartoum – Sudan, 2017

Introduction: The anatomical variations of the paranasal sinus are common among populations. These variations are asymptomatic most of the time, yet it may be associated with some inflammatory or allergic conditions. Knowledge of these anatomic variations helps in choosing the operative techniques, reducing the surgical complication rates and explains recurrence of disease. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and type of the anatomical variations of the paranasal sinus among adult Sudanese population by using CT scan. Patients and Method: This is a retrospective descriptive and health facility-based study, conducted at Antalya Diagnostic Center, Khartoum, during the period from July to September 2017. Included in the study all patients referred to the center for CT scan of the sinuses (n=151). A simple random technique was used for anatomical variations; with a sample size of 76 patients. Data collection sheet was used included demographic data and the anatomical variations. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 22. Results: The total number of patients diagnosed with variations was 76, which constituted of 50.3% of all patients included in the study. The age of patients ranged between 16 to 65 years, with a mean age of 36.46 (±11.12SD) years. The most frequent age groups were (16 to 25) and (26 to 35) years which constituted (52.63%) of the patients. Males were 34 (44.7%) and females were 42 (55.3%), with a male to female ratio 1:1.23. Relationship between age and gender with anatomical variants was found not statistically significant. Ninety variations were detected among the study sample. Nasal septal deviation was the commonest variation observed in (26.7%), followed by Concha bullosa in (20%), Onodi Cells in (11.1%), Agger nasi in  (10%), frontal sinus hypoplasia in  (10%) and other variations in ( 22.2%) of cases. Most of the variants were unilateral (81.6%) and were more on the left side in (46.1%) of cases. Conclusions and recommendations: the commonest variation was Nasal septal deviation, variations were common among the age group 16 to 35 years with slight female predominance. The study emphasizes the importance of CT scan for the detection of anatomical variations of the paranasal sinus in every patients planned for nasal or sinus surgery

Stochastic Time series analysis of Runoff data of the Blue Nile at Eldeim, Sudan

To improve the management of operation system for the Roseires reservoir it is necessary to know the hydrological system of the Blue Nile river, which is the main water source of the reservoir. In this work, a Modified Thomas Fiering model for generating and forecasting monthly flow is used. The methodological procedure is applied on the data obtained at the gauging station of Eldeim in Blue Nile, Sudan. The study uses the monthly flows data for years 1965 to 2009. After estimation the model parameters, the synthetic time series of monthly flows are simulated. The results revealed that the model maintained most of the basic statistical descriptive parameters of historical data. Also, the Modified Thomas Fiering model is applied to predict the values of the next fifty-five years, with excellent results that conserved most basic statistical characteristics of runoff historical series. The Modified Thomas Fiering model is able to realistically reconstruct and predict the annual data and shows promising statistical indices

Molecular detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its relationship to histopathological diagnosis in paraffin-embedded lymph node tissues

Background: Tuberculous lymphadenitis (TBL) is one of the most common forms of extra pulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) worldwide, with difficulty in its diagnosis. And since in the Sudan, the routinely used method for diagnosis is conventional histopathology, the aim of this study was to confirm the histopathological diagnosis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).Methods: In this study 718 lymph node (LN) biopsies were retrieved, of which 161 were diagnosed as TBL (histopathological evidences). PCR technique was performed for all 161 positive samples to detect the IS6110 sequence of M. tuberculosis as well as to obtain the sensitivity and specificity of morphological diagnosis.Results: Out of 161 specimens 135 (84%) were found to be positive with PCR, the remaining 26 (16%) were negative.Conclusions: Although PCR indicated high sensitivity it can’t be a substitute for conventional histopathology in the diagnosis of tuberculous lymphadenitis in tissue

Community Awareness and Perception Regarding Vaccination against COVID-19, Concerns about Side Effects in Gezira State, Sudan

Introduction: Vaccine hesitancy is undermining individual and community protection from vaccine-preventable diseases. This study aimed to investigate the level of awareness and perception of the COVID-19 vaccine and its determinants among people in Wad Madani City, Gezira State, as well as its known side effects. Methods and Results: This cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlative study included 400 participants (56.8% females and 43.2% males) who visited Wad Madani neighborhood COVID-19 centers during the data collection period (June 2022). The data was collected using a structured questionnaire based on prior published studies. Approximately 93.0% of the participants knew the importance of the COVID-19 vaccines, 84.8% knew about their effectiveness, and 83.8% knew that the vaccines help to reduce the risk of virus infection. However, only 58.0% were vaccinated against COVID-19. The results showed that 56.8% of the participants did not develop side effects. Among those who did, the most common side effects were headache and fever (10.2%), injection site pain (7.9%), myalgia (7.1%), and chills and swelling (5.6%). The results showed that 52.5% had negative perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccines. Urban residents were 2.17 times more likely to have a positive perception of the COVID-19 vaccine than rural residents (P=0.05). Furthermore, study participants with nuclear family type have shown a positive attitude toward the COVID-19 vaccines and were 2.32 times more likely to have had a positive attitude than participants with extended family (P=0.036). Moreover, participants not vaccinated were found to be less likely to have had a positive attitude toward the COVID-19 vaccine, when compared with vaccinated participants (P= 0.005). Conclusion: Although society is aware of the need for COVID-19 immunization, the community has a low positive perception toward COVID-19 vaccination. Similarly, people in rural areas are less aware of the significance of immunization. Local health officials must collaborate to address public fears about vaccinations through the media

Application of a multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 strategy for elimination of selection markers from transgenic plants

Selectable marker genes (SMGs) are essential for identifying transgenic plants but raise concerns regarding biosafety, regulatory compliance, and public acceptance. In this study, we used a CRISPR/Cas9-based strategy to eliminate the SMG from transgenic tobacco plants. Leaf discs from plants carrying DsRED (SMG) and aminoglycoside phosphotransferase (gene of interest, GOI) were re-transformed with a CRISPR vector containing four gRNAs designed to target both flanking regions of the SMG cassette. Approximately 20% of the regenerated shoots exhibited loss of red fluorescence, and PCR and sequencing analyses confirmed that about half of these carried a smaller amplicon, indicating a successful SMG excision efficiency of around 10%. Mutation analysis further revealed the presence of small indels at gRNA target sites, in addition to the deletion of SMG cassette. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis confirmed the absence of DsRED expression in SMG-deleted lines, while the Cas9 and GOI remained actively expressed. The SMG-free plants displayed normal growth, flowering, and seed production, indicating CRISPR marker excision had no adverse effects on plant development and fertility. In addition, Cas9-free, marker-free transgenic plants were recovered through segregation in T1 generation. This approach is adaptable to various transgenic plant species and provides a practical solution for generating marker-free transgenic crops, thereby enhancing their acceptance and commercialization

Laparoscopy in management of appendicitis in high-, middle-, and low-income countries: a multicenter, prospective, cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Appendicitis is the most common abdominal surgical emergency worldwide. Differences between high- and low-income settings in the availability of laparoscopic appendectomy, alternative management choices, and outcomes are poorly described. The aim was to identify variation in surgical management and outcomes of appendicitis within low-, middle-, and high-Human Development Index (HDI) countries worldwide. METHODS: This is a multicenter, international prospective cohort study. Consecutive sampling of patients undergoing emergency appendectomy over 6 months was conducted. Follow-up lasted 30 days. RESULTS: 4546 patients from 52 countries underwent appendectomy (2499 high-, 1540 middle-, and 507 low-HDI groups). Surgical site infection (SSI) rates were higher in low-HDI (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.33-4.99, p = 0.005) but not middle-HDI countries (OR 1.38, 95% CI 0.76-2.52, p = 0.291), compared with high-HDI countries after adjustment. A laparoscopic approach was common in high-HDI countries (1693/2499, 67.7%), but infrequent in low-HDI (41/507, 8.1%) and middle-HDI (132/1540, 8.6%) groups. After accounting for case-mix, laparoscopy was still associated with fewer overall complications (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.42-0.71, p < 0.001) and SSIs (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.14-0.33, p < 0.001). In propensity-score matched groups within low-/middle-HDI countries, laparoscopy was still associated with fewer overall complications (OR 0.23 95% CI 0.11-0.44) and SSI (OR 0.21 95% CI 0.09-0.45). CONCLUSION: A laparoscopic approach is associated with better outcomes and availability appears to differ by country HDI. Despite the profound clinical, operational, and financial barriers to its widespread introduction, laparoscopy could significantly improve outcomes for patients in low-resource environments. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02179112

Coexistence of HBsAg/Anti-HBs and HBeAg/Anti-HBe in Sudanese Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Seroconversion of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) to hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) is a recognized goal of HBV therapy. This dynamic transition responsible for the coexistence of HBsAg and anti-HBs is rarely detected in clinical cases. However, with vaccination and the use of various antiviral drugs, as well as the development of new medical technologies, recognizing the coexistence of HBsAg and anti-HBs has become more common. In addition, mutations in viral genomes, immune status, and human genetic factors may also contribute to such coexistence. The current study was designed to determine the prevalence of the coexistence of HBsAg and anti-HBs and HBeAg and anti-HBe in CHB patients in Sudan. Methods and Results: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in Khartoum state from November 2018 to January 2019. The study included 70 HBV-infected patients who were positive for HBsAg for more than six months. Blood samples were tested for HBsAg/Anti-HBs and HBeAg/Anti-HBe using Commercial ELISA Kits (Foresight, United Kingdom) and (PRECHEK, USA). Demographic data were collected using a structured questionnaire, and any antiviral agent and laboratory results were also recorded for each participant. The current study showed that one case (1.4%) was reactive for the coexistence of HBsAg/HBsAb and two cases (2.8%) for the coexistence of HBeAg/HBeAb. There was no statistical difference between the coexistence of HBsAg/HBsAb and HBeAg/HBeAb with age, gender, residence, and treatment status. Conclusion: Our study indicates that the frequencies of the coexistence of HBsAg/HBsAb and HBeAg/HBeAb among Sudanese patients with chronic HBV infection were low compared to previous studies in a different population