Effect of Reinforcing Steel on Ultrasonic Waves when Measuring Compressive Strength of the Concrete

In this study, the relationship between the direction of reinforcing steel and the velocity of wave pulses using ultrasound was studied. The first model represents the slab with (50 x 50 x 15) cm dimensions, the number of models was 4, the reinforcing steel distribution in one direction, diameter (12, 16 mm) and spacing (10, 15) cm. The second model is cubes of dimensions (15 × 15 × 15 cm) and their number 20, and measuring pulse speed in concrete models in a vertical and parallel direction with reinforcing steel. In addition, through the results obtained from the test and the rate of readings was two to each model age (7, 28) days respectively. The effect of reinforcing steel more when it was parallel to the direction of the flow of the wave. And, by increasing the diameter of the reinforcing steel, and when the spacing between the bars reduced. The results obtained from the examination were the increase in the readings for 7 days. The direct method, parallel with the reinforcing steel, for the diameter of 12 mm with spacing (10, 15), readers are (6.5%, 5.3%). When the diameter of 16 mm and for 28 days (7.8%, 5.5%), Also (12) mm and distance (10.15), the results (7%, 6.1%), as well as diameter 16 mm (8.1%, 6.3%) compared to the vertical direction

Corona virus 2019 like illness and public adherence to preventive measures, Sudan 2020

Introduction: In December 2019, a novel corona virus disease was identified and was responsible for the new cases of respiratory tract infections in Wuhan, China. This virus was responsible for the pandemic with more than 84 million cases and 1.82 million deaths worldwide. In Sudan till now the reported cases exceed 23,000 with 1.400 deaths. This study aims to determine the prevalence of COVID_19 suspected cases, health seeking behavior and public adherence to protective measures. Methods: Descriptive community based cross sectional study, conducted in Khartoum state 2020. 3499 respondents with diverse socio-demographic backgrounds were finally enrolled in the study. Data was collected through Manitoba Corona Virus 2019 screening form which distributed through online anonymous Google forms. Data was entered and analyzed by Statistical Package of Social Sciences version 23. Results: The study revealed that 26.5% of the respondents were clinically suspected. with headache or fatigability being the most common symptom followed by pharyngitis and then dry cough.  Asthma and chronic respiratory disease as the commonest comorbidities. Wearing facial masks and regular hand washing were found to be the most used protective measures with only 39.4% implicates social distancing in their daily life. Health seeking behavior was significantly different among suspected respondents the majority tend to use antibiotics than to isolate themselves or undergo testing. Conclusion: COVID_19 suspected cases were prevalent among Sudanese population, screening capacity has to be increased with more strong policies for implications of personal protective measures in the daily life.   &nbsp

Calculating of adjusted geoid undulation based on EGM08 and mean sea level for different regions in Iraq

In last decades Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) or as known Global Positioning System (GPS) technique is considered a revolutionary technique in the field of geodetic survey in comparison with traditional techniques (level, theodolite and total station). The height obtained from GNSS technique is ellipsoid height and to have a physical meaning in a surveying or engineering application it must be transformed to orthometric height. Therefore, a geoid model has to be used to do this transformation process. In Iraq there is no specific geoid that can be used in order to get proper orthometric height. This research aims to calculate adjusted geoid undulation based on Earth Gravitational Model 2008 (EGM08) through observation of Iraqi official vertical network using GNSS technique. Different regions in Iraq have been chosen to perform this research. The result of this research can assist a lot to enhance the accuracy of elevations obtained from GNSS and support the establishment of Iraq geoid

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Quality of life of cerebral palsy patients and their caregivers: A cross sectional study in a rehabilitation center Khartoum-Sudan (2014 – 2015)

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is group of disorders characterized by long-term disabilities that affect the quality of life (QoL) of both patients and those caring for them. Objective: The objective of this study was to measure the QoL of CP patients and their caregivers and determine the factors affecting both of them. Methods: This was a cross-sectional facility-based study. 65 caregivers of children with CP aged 4–18 years completed a self-structured questionnaire. Descriptives of the samples were displayed, and logistic regression was used in the analysis. Results: The scores of overall QoL of both children and caregivers were low, however, variations were observed among different domains. Both health-related and sociodemographic factors were found to affect the QoL of children and caregivers. The increase in the degree of disability and presence of complications decreased the children QoL while the availability of health insurance improved it. Whereas the QoL of the caregiver was affected by his/her occupation, the degree of child disability did not affect it. Conclusions: This study showed that many feasible changes can be adopted to improve the QoL of CP patients and their caregivers

Molecular Bases of β-Thalassemia in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia

β-thalassemia is a group of heterogeneous recessive disorders common in many parts of the world. Al-Qatif and Al-Hassa oases in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia are regions known for high frequency of these disorders. Using two molecular methods, based on multiplexing-amplification refractory system and reverse hybridization principles, the spectrum of β-thalassemia in the region was studied. Sixty-nine subjects with known β-thalassemia disease and volunteers with high hemoglobin A2(HbA2) and low mean corpuscular volume (MCV) were included in this study. Ten mutations were detected in 91% of the subjects under study. Six of these mutations had previously been observed while the other four mutations are reported here for the first time. In addition, four of the mutations accounted for 76.8% of the subjects studied. IVSII-1 (G > A), IVSI-5 (G > A), and codon 39 (C > T) mutations were found to be the most frequent. However, the frequencies of different mutations reported here are slightly different from those reported earlier. A number of these mutations were also found in the neighboring countries, which can be explained in terms of gene flow