Investigating the Generic Features of the Sudanese Judicial Precedents

This study aims at investigating the Sudanese criminal and civil judicial precedents so as to gain a better understanding of the communicative purposes of each subgenre and the variation in demands across the two subgenres using genre analysis. It adopted the mixed approach, using Maxqda application, to investigate the generic features, the moves, the sub-moves; as well as how problems are solved and decisions arrived at. The investigation shows that the law practitioners should know the intrinsic nature of these judicial precedents by examining their generic features, concepts, functions and approaches. Also, the analysis of the typical generic moves and sub-moves clearly reveals that the judicial precedents across the two subgenres have some overlapping generic structures at all levels.  Most of the judicial precedents in the corpus seem to have the typical generic move structures. The analysis of the specific generic move structures reveals slight generic differences of judicial precedents. Finally, there are still evidences of slight variation across the two subgenres at sub-move level

Metric aspects of reconnaissance frame photography

No abstract available

What does Item Analysis Tell Us? Factors affecting the reliability of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Introduction: Item analysis is a very important part of the examination cycle, as it can be used to judge the difficulty and discrimination of test items as well as their reliability. Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the relation between reliability and other components of the item analysis of Multiple Choice Question (MCQs).   Methodology: The item analysis of 38 modules conducted at the Faculty of Medicine-Jazan University in the academic year 2010-2011 were further analyzed descriptively and correlation were made between the reliability co-efficient (KR-20) and other elements of the item analysis such as the difficulty and discrimination indices Results: All the items have five options, the percentage of nonfunctioning options is between 27.6% and 70% across items. The facility index is < 35% is found in 18.3% of the items and facility index of > 90% is a maximum of 75%. All exams have items with a discrimination index <19% . There is a positive correlation among the KR-20, number of items and the percentage of items with discrimination index >60% and negative correlation with percentage of the nonfunctioning options, percentage of items with facility index <35%, percentage of items with facility index >90% and percentage of items with discrimination index <19%. Further analysis of the modules in each phase (Introductory, organ system and clinical) and qualitative analysis of the items are needed. &nbsp

OPTIMIZATION OF FPGA-BASED PROCESSOR ARCHITECTURE FOR SOBEL EDGE DETECTION OPERATOR

This dissertation introduces an optimized processor architecture for Sobel edge detection operator on field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The processor is optimized by the use of several optimization techniques that aim to increase the processor throughput and reduce the processor logic utilization and memory usage. FPGAs offer high levels of parallelism which is exploited by the processor to implement the parallel process of edge detection in order to increase the processor throughput and reduce the logic utilization. To achieve this, the proposed processor consists of several Sobel instances that are able to produce multiple output pixels in parallel. This parallelism enables data reuse within the processor block. Moreover, the processor gains performance with a factor equal to the number of instances contained in the processor block. The processor that consists of one row of Sobel instances exploits data reuse within one image line in the calculations of the horizontal gradient. Data reuse within one and multiple image lines is enabled by using a processor with multiple rows of Sobel instances which allow the reuse of both the horizontal and vertical gradients. By the application of the optimization techniques, the proposed Sobel processor is able to meet real-time performance constraints due to its high throughput even with a considerably low clock frequency. In addition, logic utilization of the processor is low compared to other Sobel processors when implemented on ALTERA Cyclone II DE2-70

Improvement of the Medical Education Situation in Sudan: Collegectomy is Not the Only Management Option

Sudan witnessed an increase in the number of colleges of medicine after the higher education revolution in the early 1990s. Many authors writing about medical education, both in Sudan and across the world, have described a negative correlation between the increased number of medical colleges and the quality of education provided by those colleges. Many educational leaders in Sudan are calling for action to deal with the issues arising from this great expansion of medical colleges, with opinions varying from collegectomies (closure of the colleges) to merging colleges. Several strategies have been implemented in Canada, Iran, the Philippines and South Africa to deal with similar situations. These have included college support such as funding or technical support, changing the colleges’ educational strategies, modifying the curriculum, integrating (rather than merging) colleges, and collegectomies. This paper outlines possible actions to be taken in response to the expansion of medical colleges in the Sudanese context. It explores the international experience with the situation in an attempt to augment the discussion with options that may help to improve medical education.  Keywords: collegectomy, medical education, Sudan, social accountabilit

THE STUDY OF THE STRIPPING PROPERTIES OF BITUMINOUS MIXTURES CONTAINING DIFFERENT AGGREGATE TYPES

This report present an experimental study to establish the properties of stripping in the bituminous mixtures by using different types of aggregates. Two types of aggregate were used with varying chemical and moisture sensitivity characteristics. Stripping is considered as a common issue that is caused from water exposure to the highway pavement that might lead to different issues such as fatigue and traffic damages. Such issues will lead to full repair of the damaged area, which is very costly, therefore a correct material selection is vital to obtain a good quality of highway pavement that is more resistant to stripping

Assessment of Sudanese sunflower hybrids for yield, yield components and stability

Development of local sunflower hybrids with superior yields and stable across different environments is the main objective in our breeding program. For this purpose, ten local Sudanese sunflower hybrids designated as SFH32, SFH36, SFH37, SFH310, SFH313, SFH314, SFH341, SFH345, SFH302, and SFH325 were evaluated against Hysun-33 for yield potential and its components at Sennar, Wad Medani, Rahad, New Halfa and Suki. The experiment over all irrigated environments was laid out in RCBD with three replicates during the winter season of 2008. There was considerable variation for yield and its components among hybrids and locations. Genotype-environment interactions through different parameters and the performance of six traits of hybrids were studied. The six traits were plant height (cm), number of seeds per head, percentage of empty seeds,    100-seed weight (g),seed yield (kg ha-1) and oil yield (kg ha-1).Significant differences were observed for hybrids (G), locations (E) and G xE interaction for these six traits. Stability analysis after Eberhart and Russell’s model suggested that the hybrids used in this study were all, more or less, responsive to environmental changes. Most of the hybrids performed better in E4 (New Halfa). Stability analysis identified SFH37 and SFH310 as stable hybrids for plant height, SFH345 and SFH302 were identified as stable for number of seeds per head, whereas, Hysun-33, SFH310 and SFH341 were found stable for low percentage of empty seeds and heavy seed weight, respectively. Three hybrids; SFH310, SFH313 and SFH341 performed better than Hysun-33 and other hybrids across five environments and were considered as most stable hybrids for seed and oil yields. In contrast, hybrids such as SFH32 and SFH37 with regression coefficients greater than one were regarded as sensitive to environmental changes for seed and oil yields. The hybrid SFH310 was identified as stable hybrid for various yield components. The three promising local hybrids were released in June 2009 for commercial production and the local seed production of the hybrid SFH310 (Bohooth-1) was adopted by some seed producers in the country. تطوير هجن محلية من محصول زهرة الشمس ذات إنتاجية عالية وثابته  فى مختلف البيئات ، يعتبر من أهم أهداف برنامج التربية. أجريت هذه التجربة للتقييم عشرة هجن محلية بالرموز SFH32، SFH36 ، SFH37، SFH310، SFH313، SFH314، SFH341، SFH345، SFH3302، و25SFH3 واختبارها مع الشاهد Hysun-33 فى خمسة بيئات مروية هى سنار ، واد مدني، الرهد، حلفا الجديدة، والسوكي لمعرفة مقدرتها الإنتاجية الكامنة. أستخدم تصميم القطاعات العشوائية الكاملة بثلاثة مكررات لتنفيذ التجربة فى كل موقع خلال الموسم الشتوي 2008/2009. أوضحت النتائج وجود فروقات كبيرة فى الإنتاجية و مكوناتها بين الهجن والمواقع. كما أوضح تفاعل الطرز الوراثية مع البيئة ((genotype x environment interactions وجود فروقات معنوية عالية لسته صفات تمت دراستها وهى أطوال النباتات (سنتمترات) وعدد البذور بالقرص والنسبة المئوية للبذور الفارغة ووزن المائة بذرة (جرامات) وإنتاجية البذور(كيلوجرامات/هكتار) وإنتاجية الزيت (كيلوجرامات/هكتار).أوضح تحليل ثبات الإنتاجية  stability analysis بإســـــــتخدام نموذج Eberhart and Russell’s model بان جميع الهجن لها استجابات متباينة مع المتغيرات البيئية فى المواقع الخمسة وكان أفضل الأداء فى حلفا الجديدة (.(E4 كما أوضح التحليل بان الهجينين SFH37  و SFH310 هما من الهجن المستقرة و الثابتة الأداء لصفة أطوال النباتات و الهجينين SFH345  و SFH302 لصفة عدد البذور بالقرص ، بينما الهجن Hysun-33  ، SFH310، وSFH341 لصفتي النسبة المنخفضة من البذور الفارغة والوزن المرتفع للمائة بذرة علي التوالي. أوضحت الدراسة ان ثلاثة هجن محلية  (SFH310، SFH313 و SFH341) وخاصة الهجين SFH310 ، لها مقدرة إنتاجية عالية من البذور والزيت وثبات الإنتاجية فى البيئات الخمسة مقارنة مع الشاهد Hysun-33 وباقي الهجن ، بينما هجن اخرى مثل الهجينين SFH32  وSFH37  تعتبر حساسة للتغيرات البيئة فى إنتاجيتها من البذور والزيت. تم التعرف على الهجين SFH310 بأنه أكثر ثباتاً للإنتاجية ومكوناتها. الهجن السودانية الثلاثة الواعدة تمت إجازتها في يونيو 2009 للإنتاج التجاري والأنتاج المحلي لبذور الهجين SFH310 (بحوث-1= Bohooth-1) تم تبنيه من بعض منتجي البذور فى السودان. &nbsp

Numerical and Experimental Investigations of Dam and Levee Failure

Both numerical and experimental investigations are conducted to study the failure of earthen dams and levees. Boussinesq equations describing one-dimensional unsteady flow including non-hydrostatic pressure distribution are solved numerically along with Exner equation for the sediment mass conservation to include the effects of the streamline curvature on the failure of non-cohesive earthen embankments. In addition, the effects of the steep bottom slope on the flow variables during the failure are studied by solving the Saint- Venant equations modified for steep bed slope along with the Exner equation to simulate non-cohesive earthen embankment failure due to overtopping. The Boussinesq equations are solved by using the two-four finite-difference scheme which is second order accurate in time and fourth order accurate in space, while the modified Saint-Venant equations are solved by using the MacCormack finite-difference scheme which is second order accurate in time and space. The performance of three sediment transport formulae, namely Ashida and Michiue, Meyer-Peter and Müller, and Modified Meyer-Peter and Müller for steep slope is compared. The comparison of the numerical results with the experimental results shows that: (1) The improvement in the prediction of the breach evolution and the downstream hydrograph by including the Boussinesq terms is minimal; (2) The predicted results by using the modified Saint-Venant equations are slightly better than those calculated by using the classical Saint-Venant equations; (3) Ashida and Michiue transport equation overestimates the erosion rate which results in an overestimation of peak discharge but predicts the time to peak fairly well; (4) Meyer-Peter and Müller and Modified Meyer-Peter and Müller equations give almost the same results for the top elevation of the eroded dam and the water surface levels, and the peak value and time to peak of the downstream hydrograph. A number of non-dimensional equations are presented to relate different model variables to the peak discharge of the downstream hydrograph. A sensitivity analysis of different model parameters to determine the most dominant factor affecting the peak downstream discharge indicates that the most dominant factor affecting the peak discharge is the upstream reservoir volume, while the sediment grain size shows very little effect on the peak discharge. The lateral outflow through a levee breach may be computed as an outflow over a broad-crested side weir. The lateral outflow has been computed previously by assuming the flow in the main channel to be one-dimensional, and most of the equations for computing the outflow are based on the local flow variables near the breach. These are unknown and difficult to measure during a flood. In this study, a numerical model is developed to solve the two-dimensional, shallow water equations using MacCormack finite-difference scheme. The model is applied to a breach in a rectangular channel. A comparison of the numerical results with the experimental measurements shows satisfactory agreement. Different cases are simulated by varying the breach width, the bottom level of the breach, and the discharge in the main channel. Comparison between the breach outflows obtained using the numerical model with the results of a simple one-dimensional approach indicates that the breach outflows are overestimated by the latter. A new discharge correction factor is introduced for the lateral breach outflow predicted using the simple one-dimensional approach. The correction factor is a function of the submergence ratio of the breach, breach width, and inlet Froude number. An accurate prediction of the evolution of the breach resulting from overtopping of a non-cohesive earthen levee is important for flood mitigation studies. Laboratory experiments are conducted with various inlet discharges, and downstream water depths. The breach shape is recorded using a sliding rods technique. A sequence of discrete mass failure of the sides of the breach due to slope instability is observed during the failure process. A simple geostatic failure mechanism is suggested to calculate the lateral sediment load due to the mass failure. This mechanism is implemented in a two-dimensional numerical model which solves the shallow water equations along with the sediment mass conservation. In order to assess the effect of the lateral sediment load resulting from slope instability on the failure process, the predicted breach shape evolution and breach hydrograph with and without the slope failure mechanism are compared with the experimental results. The predicted breach shape is improved by adding the lateral sediment inflow due to slope instability especially in terms of the maximum depth of erosion. Also, the peak discharge of the breach hydrograph is captured more accurately by adding the slope failure mechanism

Adherence of Sudanese Coronary Artery Disease Patients to Secondary Prevention Medications at Elshaab Teaching Hospital, Sudan

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD), worldwide, is the most common type of heart disease. Adherence to the evidence-based medications for secondary prevention is associated with further improvement in the outcomes.Objectives: To identify level of adherence towards secondary prevention medications among Sudanese ischemic heart disease patients.Materials and Methods: This is a cross sectional hospital-based study, performed in the period from August 2012 through January 2013.Audit of Adherence of Sudanese Cardiac Patients to Secondary Prevention of Ischemic Heart Disease at Elshaab Teaching Hospital Khartoum, Sudan was done using a questionnaire for assessment.Results: A total of 210 patients were included in this study. Their mean (±SD) age was 60.8(±12.3) years. Of them, 190 patients have high risk factors and 167 were on regular follow up. 195(92.9%)patients were on ACEI/ARBs and Aspirin. 116(55.2%) were on clopidogrel and 203 (96.7%) on statin.Conclusion: 140(66.7%) patients were strictly adherent to medications, 21(10%) partially adherent and 49(23.3%) were totally not adherent. Lack of adherence was mainly due to poverty and high cost of medications.Key words: Adherence, coronary artery disease, secondary prevention, evidence-based medications, Sudan