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Aim The aim of the present study is to show how sodium nitrite alters the histology of submandibular salivary glands and livers of Albino rats, as well as how chlorogenic acid may have therapeutic benefits. Methods A sample size of thirty male Sprague Dawley Albino rats weighing between 100 and 150 g (5-6 weeks old) was randomly allocated into 3 equal groups. Group I: rats were used as controls and were given phosphate buffer solution, whereas Group II: rats were given an 80 mg/kg sodium nitrites (SN) daily dissolved in distilled water. The rats in Group III were given a daily dose of 80 mg/kg SN dissolved in distilled water and after 6 hours each rat received 50 mg/mL freshly prepared chlorogenic acid (CGA) every other day. For 12 weeks, all treatment modalities will be administered orally, every day. After the experiment, all rats were euthanized. Samples from salivary glands and livers were processed and stained with H&E and interleukin 6 (IL 6). Malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes were detected using an ELISA assay. Results Groups III had nearly comparable findings to Group I regarding histological pattern with normal submandibular glands and livers features. Group III salivary gland treated with CGA exhibited higher SOD levels (20.60±4.81 U/g) in comparison to the SN group, and lower MDA levels (111.58±28.28 nmol/mg) in comparison to the SN treated samples. In comparison to the SN group, CGA treatment significantly reduced MDA levels in liver samples (167.56±21.17 nmol/mg) and raised SOD (30.85±6.77 U/g). Conclusions Chlorogenic acid has a protective effect against salivary gland and liver toxicity induced by SN in rats. This was mediated via the anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties of CGA and the restoration of oxidant/antioxidant balance in rat salivary gland and liver.

Purpose The role of adjuvant chemotherapy in rectal cancer patients downstaged to ypT0-2 N0 after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT), and surgery is still debated. This study investigates the impact of adjuvant chemotherapy on survival outcomes in this patient population. Methods This retrospective study analyzed hospital records of rectal cancer cases from Shefa Al Orman Cancer Hospital between January 2016 and December 2020, focusing on patients downstaged to ypT0-2 N0 after neoadjuvant CRT and surgery. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether they received adjuvant chemotherapy. Baseline characteristics, DFS, and OS were compared, and survival factors were analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression. Results Eighty-five patients met the inclusion criteria; 55 received adjuvant chemotherapy, and 30 did not. The median age was 52, but those receiving adjuvant therapy were younger (47 vs. 60 years, P  = 0.006). No significant differences were observed in sex, tumor location, or pathology between groups. Although adjuvant chemotherapy showed a trend toward better 3-year DFS (89.5% vs. 81.9%, P  = 0.153) and OS (88.1% vs. 84.6%, P  = 0.654), these differences were not statistically significant. Univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed no significant effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on DFS or OS, nor were any other variables significantly associated with survival. Conclusion Adjuvant chemotherapy did not significantly improve DFS or OS in rectal cancer patients downstaged to ypT0-2 N0 following neoadjuvant CRT and surgery. Further studies are needed to define the role of adjuvant therapy in this group.

Agricultural foreign direct investment (AFDI) contributes to the long-term growth of developing countries. Sudan has rich agricultural resources with great potential for AFDI. However, so far, Sudan has not exploited this potential to attract investors from other countries, having less of a competitive advantage in agricultural production owing to local and international problems. In this study, we examined the effects of foreign investments of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries on agricultural exports in Sudan, in addition to other economic factors during 1990–2016 using the two-stage least squares (2SLS) model. The results showed that the investments of GCC countries in Sudan’s agricultural sector boosted agricultural exports. The exchange rate was found to be a key determinant factor of GCC countries deciding to invest in Sudan. We recommend that the Central Bank of Sudan encourage policies to stabilize the exchange rate to attract more agricultural investment from GCC countries.

In the present study, well-designed nanohybrids are used to act as effective dual-function adsorbents for removing both anions and heavy metals from natural water, at the same time. In this trend, Zn-Al LDHs and graphene oxide are applied to build up building blocks to produce a series of nanohybrids. These nanohybrids were characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermal analyses, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. These techniques confirmed that the prepared nanohybrids contained nanolayered structures with three–dimensional porous systems. These porous systems were identified by the nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms and water purification experiments. The obtained results indicated that these nanohybrids included suitable structures to act as dual function materials. The first function was achieved by removing more than 80% of both cadmium and lead from the natural water. The second function was accomplished by eliminating of 100% of hydrogen phosphate and bromide anions alongside with 80%–91% of sulfate, chloride, and fluoride anions. To conclude, these well-designed nanohybrids convert two-dimensional nanolayered structures to three-dimensional porous networks to work as dual-function materials for removing of heavy metals and different kinds of anions naturally found in the fresh tap water sample with no parameters optimization.

Background On April 15th, 2023, intense clashes involving heavy weapons and airstrikes occurred between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, leading to the displacement of almost 8.1 million people. The ongoing armed conflict in Sudan has led to a worsening humanitarian catastrophe, posing serious challenges to the country’s health-care system and even its collapse. Healthcare facilities have been severely affected, with barely one-third of hospitals operating in conflict zones. Hemodialysis patients are among the most affected by this war’s aftermath, which ranges from obvious dangers like violence-related injuries and deaths to more indirect effects like the suspension of access to preventive and curative medical care. Methods This was a descriptive cross-sectional multicenter health facility-based study aiming to study the impact of the April 15 war on hemodialysis patients in Sudan. The study was conducted in five centers in four different states in Sudan, including Gezira State, Red Sea State, River Nile State, and Kassala State. The study included 316 participants. Data was collected using structured interviews guided by a questionnaire. The questionnaire encompassed five primary domains: demographic data, healthcare access (Levesque’s Conceptual Framework of Access), physical implications, psychological impact (Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale and Patient health questionnaire), and quality of life (Kidney disease quality of life 36 scales). Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 was used for data analysis. Results This study involved 316 participants, with an average age of 47.14 and 63.9% being males. After the war, 74.7% reported being unemployed. 30.1% of participants had to flee their homes, and 18.7% had a renal ailment limiting their travel. Among the components of healthcare access affordability, it received the lowest score (5.6 out of 10). More than half of the participants were unable to maintain their regular hemodialysis sessions (56.9%) throughout the war, and 65.2% of the participants developed medical complications as a result. The GAD assessment showed 62.7% of participants had significant anxiety symptoms, while 40.5% had significant depression symptoms. Conclusion Hemodialysis patients’ suffering has increased as a result of the war. Hemodialysis patients experience severe mental health problems in addition to physiological problems, including depression and anxiety, as a result of internal displacement and their inability to continue regular hemodialysis sessions. The study advocates for the implementation of a permanent ceasefire in conflict zones to ensure the delivery of critical humanitarian medical aid, particularly hemodialysis care. The study encourages stronger advocacy for hemodialysis in war-torn areas as well as collaboration with international organizations to provide such specialized care. Finally, it encourages the use of telemedicine services as a backup plan to provide continuous hemodialysis consultation and care in the event of conflict disruptions.

The objectives of this thesis were: to develop a technology suitable for the construction of FRP and thin-walled piles; to investigate the performance characteristics of FRP self-consolidating concrete (SCC) composite piles; and to develop procedures for the design of tapered piles under different loading modes including axial, uplift and lateral loading. A toe driving mechanism was developed for the efficient installation of empty FRP shells and thin-walled piles. FRP empty shells, FRP-SCC composite piles with different taper angles ranging from 0.0° to 1.13°, and steel piles were installed in dense sand enclosed in a pressure chamber using both the toe-driving and the conventional head-driving. The results showed that toe driving could be used for efficient installation of FRP piles. Interface shear tests on small FRP samples and uplift load tests on large-scale model piles were conducted to evaluate the FRP/dense sand interface characteristics. The results showed that the interface friction for FRP piles compares favorably with that of conventional steel piles. The load transfer mechanism of tapered piles in compression was investigated and the results of twenty-six axial compressive pile load tests are presented. The model piles were tested at different confining pressures to represent pile segments at depths of 4.0 and 8.0 m. The load distribution along the pile shaft was measured and the results were compared with an analytical solution in terms of the taper coefficient Kt. The measured toe resistance of tapered and cylindrical piles was compared to available analytical solutions. A simple rational approach was proposed for the design of tapered piles in compression. The uplift performance of tapered piles was evaluated relative to that of straight-sided wall piles. The results showed that the uplift capacity of tapered piles is slightly higher than that of cylindrical piles having similar average diameter and length. The taper effect on the pile uplift performance was evaluated using the uplift taper coefficient. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Field surveys were conducted during the rainy season, 2008/2009, in the Gezira area, Central Sudan, to investigate variability within S.hermonthica populations with respect to morphological characters. Five locations; Hasaheisa, Abu-Haraz, Hag-Abdalla, Barakat and Wad-Rabia; were selected at random in S.hermonthica endemic areas. Host plants that were observed to be infested by the parasite were sorghum genotypes; Wad Ahmed, Gadam EL Hamam, Wad Akar and Abu-70. Variability among S.hermonthica populations was determined by counting number of Striga plants/m and measuring morphological characters including plant height, number of leaves, number of intemodes, capsules per plant and shoot dry weight. Flower characters including number of ribs per calyx, flower width, length of corolla tube, bracts width, colour of spike and colour at drying were also recorded. Data were collected and subjected to descriptive analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) and means were tested for significance using the Duncan's Multiple Range Test (P < 0.05). Data on flower characters were further compared with a recent taxonomic key. The results of the surveys revealed that, S. hermonthica was predominant on sorghum genotypes in the Gezira area. S. hermonthica populations collected from different locations in Gezira area showed significant differences in morphological characters. However, differences in flower shape, size and colour were often not significant. Average Striga height ranged from 44,6 to 53.3.6 cm, leaves production ranged from 41 to 64.5, number of intemodes ranged from 21.6 to 32.3 and density ranged from 9.1 to 35.6 plant/m2.Average of capsules per plant ranged from 39.1 to 63.3, seeds per parasite ranged from 27370 and 44310 to Striga shoot dry weight ranged from 1.25 to 2.20 g. The average of ribs per calyx ranged from 5.2 to 5.5, flower cross ranged from 1.6 to 1.9 cm, length of corolla tube ranged from 1.3 to 1.9 cm, width of bracts ranged from 2.1 to 2.6 cm and spikes had pink flowers that turn dark on drying. The variability in morphological and floral characters revealed by this study could be attributed to a multitude of variables including initial size of Striga seed bank, Striga species, strains or Variants, crop genotype, management and climatic and edaphic conditions including, population density, soil fertility and moisture status.