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Copyright of HOW: A Colombian Journal for Teachers of English is the property of Asociacion Colombiana de Profesores de Ingles and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper explored the current status of the University of Khartoum institutional repository (Khartoumspace) and attempted to answer questions pertaining to the contents of the repository and how they are organized, its staff and workflow, and how data is managed within the repository in addition to deposit and access policies adopted, and copyright and support issues. The study adopted a descriptive approach and used the case study method. Data collection tools included a semi-structured interview, document analysis, and observation. The study found that graduate theses and dissertations constitute the largest collection in the repository and that there is a high degree of institutional support for the repository. The paper also revealed that a mandatory deposit policy has been introduced by the University of Khartoum administration to enrich the repository with staff publications, but there is a need for more advocacy and awareness raising programmes targeting the University academic community, and like other institutional repositories in Africa, the Khartoumspace faces a number of challenges that might hinder its development which need to be addressed by the University administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the role played by Sudanese universities represented by the University of Khartoum in building the knowledge society in Sudan. This objective was achieved by studying the availability of the necessary elements for knowledge dissemination and knowledge production at the University. The study employed the case study method to describe the current situation at the University of Khartoum. The study also employed the SWOT analysis as a tool and method to determine the points of Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats that affect the ability of the University whether negatively or positively in fulfilling its role of building the knowledge society. A number of techniques were used for the purpose of data collection including literature review, document analysis and a structured interview with a purposive sample of the university of Khartoum faculty members. The study revealed a number of strength and weakness points as well as the opportunities and threats that affect the university's role in building the knowledge society in Sudan. In light of the study findings, a number of recommendations were suggested including the introduction of a university strategy for scientific research and the motivation of faculty members, both morally and financially, so they could contribute positively to building the knowledge society in Sudan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 25-year-old university student from the White Nile State in Central Sudan with right knee eumycetoma caused by Madurella mycetomatis who was taken to the Mycetoma Research Centre (MRC) at the University of Khartoum in Khartoum, Sudan. The article discusses mycetoma characteristics, causes, and treatment.

This study investigates the existing library and information services, facilities and support available for the visually-impaired and blind students at the University of Khartoum in Sudan. It also highlighted the specific difficulties faced by these students in satisfying their information needs. The study sample consisted of 20 subjects out of a total population of 45 visually-impaired and blind students, constituting 44.44% of the study population. Literature review was also used to collect data about some aspects of the study topic, such as the different types of technologies available for enabling the visually-impaired and blind to benefit from library services. The study revealed that the services and facilities available at the University of Khartoum are inadequate. A number of recommendations that are expected to improve the situation are suggested, including the need of the visually impaired and blind students for more training on using the available assistive technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigated and analyzed the University of Khartoum Library System in terms of the operations and functions carried out in the three core sections of the library i.e. the Acquisitions, the Cataloguing and classification, and the Reader Services (Circulation) Sections. The purpose of the study was that the analysis would be used later as the basis for determining the specific functional requirements of a computer-based Integrated Library Management System (ILMS). The author employed a number of techniques for the purpose of gathering information about the existing library system, including interviews, document analysis, and literature review. The study used the Structured Systems Analysis Methodology (SSA) in analyzing the existing library system. This method necessitated the decomposition of the system into smaller functional subsystems. The study finally documented the results of the University of Khartoum Library System analysis by Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is still challenging and difficult to treat patients with eumycetoma; the current treatment has many side effects and has proven to be expensive and characterized by high recurrence rate, hence the poor patients' treatment compliance. Most of the patients are of low socio-economic status, have many financial constraints and hence, many of them rely on alternative and herbal medicine for the treatment of their disease. With this background, the current study was conducted to determine the prevalence of herbal medicine usage among patients with eumycetoma. This cross-sectional, observational, questionnaire-based study was conducted at the Mycetoma Research Center, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan. A convenience cohort of 311 patients with confirmed eumycetoma was invited to participate in the study after informed consent. The study showed that 42.4% of the study population used herbal medicine for the treatment of eumycetoma at some stage of their illness. The commonly used herbs were Moringa oleifera, Acacia nilotica, Citrullus colocynthis and Cuminum cyminum. Most of the patients claimed no benefits from the herbal treatment. Ninety one patients (29.3%) had encountered complications with herbal treatment. The high prevalence of herbal treatment encountered in the study can be explained by the patients' dissatisfaction with the current medical therapeutic modalities. To reduce the high prevalence of herbal medicine usage, governmental control and health policies are mandatory; likewise, native healers need to be educated in that. Moringa oleifera was the commonly used herb in this study and many reports claimed medicinal properties of this tree; hence, further in-depth studies to determine the active ingredients in the different parts of the tree and its effect are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Complete cure of mycetoma is difficult to achieve and recurrence is common. The study objective was to determine the predictors of cure, amputation and follow-up dropout among the studied individuals with mycetoma. This prospective study included 1544 patients with confirmed mycetoma, of whom 1242 had eumycetoma and 302 actinomycetoma. They were treated and followed up regularly. Data were collected and analysed using logistic regression models to determine the predictors. In the eumycetoma group, longer treatment duration (OR=1.9; 95% CI 1.2–3.1) and absence of history of disease recurrence (OR=24.2; 95% CI 7.7–76.3) were significant predictors of increased odds of cure from mycetoma. A lesion size of 5–10cm (OR=0.5; 95% CI 0.3–0.8) or >10cm (OR=0.7; 95% CI 0.4–1.0) and combined medical treatment and surgery (OR=0.004; 95% CI 0.001–0.011) were each significant predictors of reduced odds of cure. Follow-up dropout among this group was high (54%). Large lesions (5–10cm, OR=0.5, 95% CI 0.4–0.7; >10cm, OR=0.6; 95% CI 0.5–0.9), amputations (OR=0.3; 95% CI 0.1–0.6) and longer treatment duration (OR=0.5; 95% CI 0.4–0.7) were significant predictors of reduced odds of follow-up dropout. In the actinomycetoma group, medical treatment was the only significant predictor of cure. Follow-up dropout among this group was also high (55.6%). Long treatment duration was a significant predictor of reduced odds of dropout (OR=0.5; 95% CI 0.3–0.8). There is a great demand for effective and efficient mycetoma treatment. Counselling and health education of patients is badly needed to encourage early reporting and treatment to reduce mycetoma''s medical, social and economic impacts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the quality of root canal treatment performed by undergraduate dental students at the University of Khartoum. Assessment was by examination of periapical radiographs of completed endodontically treated teeth, performed by undergraduate dental students. A total of 166 postoperative periapical radiographs compromising 265 roots were included. The quality of endodontic treatment was examined in relation to the length of the root filling in relation to the radiographic apex, the density of the obturation according to presence of voids and the taper of root canal fillings. Adequate length of the root filling was found in 34.7% of the maxillary teeth and in 10.9% of mandibular teeth in this study. Adequate density was found in 38.87% of maxillary and 16.98% of mandibular teeth and appropriate taper was found in 40% of maxillary and 16.6% of mandibular teeth. Overall 24.2% in all evaluated teeth were found to have a root filling of an acceptable quality. This result may be because of insufficient preclinical endodontic training of the students' operators or because of the introduction of students to endodontic clinical practice late in their program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At an early stage in his career William Twining went to teach in Africa, going first to Khartoum and then Dar es Salaam. In both places he participated in lively debates about the future of legal education, and the experience encouraged him to take forward adventurous interdisciplinary work. On his return to the United Kingdom this background strengthened his commitment to avoid all forms of parochialism in legal thought and instead to develop global perspectives on law. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

- On October 7, 2008, asteroid 2008 TC3 impacted Earth and fragmented at 37 km altitude above the Nubian Desert in northern Sudan. The area surrounding the asteroid's approach path was searched, resulting in the first recovery of meteorites from an asteroid observed in space. This was also the first recovery of remains from a fragile 'cometary' PE = IIIa/b type fireball. In subsequent searches, over 600 mostly small 0.2-379 g meteorites (named 'Almahata Sitta') with a total mass 10.7 kg were recovered from a 30 × 7 km area. Meteorites fell along the track at 1.3 kg km−1, nearly independent of mass between 1 and 400 g, with a total fallen mass of 39 ± 6 kg. The strewn field was shifted nearly 1.8 km south from the calculated approach path. The influence of winds on the distribution of the meteorites, and on the motion of the dust train, is investigated. The majority of meteorites are ureilites with densities around 2.8 g cm−3, some of an anomalous (porous, high in carbon) polymict ureilite variety with densities as low as 1.5 g cm−3. In addition, an estimated 20-30% (in mass) of recovered meteorites were ordinary, enstatite, and carbonaceous chondrites. Their fresh look and matching distribution of fragments in the strewn field imply that they were part of 2008 TC3. For that reason, they are all referred to as 'Almahata Sitta.' No ureilite meteorites were found that still held foreign clasts, suggesting that the asteroid's clasts were only loosely bound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A recent study has shown that treatment of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) with the standard dose of 15 mg/kg/day of paromomycin sulphate (PM) for 21 days was not efficacious in patients in Sudan. We therefore decided to test the efficacy of paramomycin for a longer treatment duration (15 mg/kg/day for 28 days) and at the higher dose of 20 mg/kg/day for 21 days. Methods: This randomized, open-label, dose-finding, phase II study assessed the two above high-dose PM treatment regimens. Patients with clinical features and positive bone-marrow aspirates for VL were enrolled. All patients received their assigned courses of PM intramuscularly and adverse events were monitored. Parasite clearance in bone-marrow aspirates was tested by microscopy at end of treatment (EOT, primary efficacy endpoint), 3 months (in patients who were not clinically well) and 6 months after EOT (secondary efficacy endpoint). Pharmacokinetic data were obtained from a subset of patients weighing over 30 kg. Findings: 42 patients (21 per group) aged between 4 and 60 years were enrolled. At EOT, 85% of patients (95% confidence interval [CI]: 63.7% to 97.0%) in the 20 mg/kg/day group and 90% of patients (95% CI: 69.6% to 98.8%) in the 15 mg/kg/day group had parasite clearance. Six months after treatment, efficacy was 80.0% (95% CI: 56.3% to 94.3%) and 81.0% (95% CI: 58.1% to 94.6%) in the 20 mg/kg/day and 15 mg/kg/day groups, respectively. There were no serious adverse events. Pharmacokinetic profiles suggested a difference between the two doses, although numbers of patients recruited were too few to make it significant (n = 3 and n = 6 in the 20 mg/kg/day and 15 mg/kg/day groups, respectively). Conclusion: Data suggest that both high dose regimens were more efficacious than the standard 15 mg/kg/day PM for 21 days and could be further evaluated in phase III studies in East Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

- On October 7, 2008, asteroid 2008 TC3 impacted Earth and fragmented at 37 km altitude above the Nubian Desert in northern Sudan. The area surrounding the asteroid's approach path was searched, resulting in the first recovery of meteorites from an asteroid observed in space. This was also the first recovery of remains from a fragile 'cometary' PE = IIIa/b type fireball. In subsequent searches, over 600 mostly small 0.2-379 g meteorites (named 'Almahata Sitta') with a total mass 10.7 kg were recovered from a 30 × 7 km area. Meteorites fell along the track at 1.3 kg km−1, nearly independent of mass between 1 and 400 g, with a total fallen mass of 39 ± 6 kg. The strewn field was shifted nearly 1.8 km south from the calculated approach path. The influence of winds on the distribution of the meteorites, and on the motion of the dust train, is investigated. The majority of meteorites are ureilites with densities around 2.8 g cm−3, some of an anomalous (porous, high in carbon) polymict ureilite variety with densities as low as 1.5 g cm−3. In addition, an estimated 20-30% (in mass) of recovered meteorites were ordinary, enstatite, and carbonaceous chondrites. Their fresh look and matching distribution of fragments in the strewn field imply that they were part of 2008 TC3. For that reason, they are all referred to as 'Almahata Sitta.' No ureilite meteorites were found that still held foreign clasts, suggesting that the asteroid's clasts were only loosely bound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate postoperative pain after root canal treatment at the Department of Conservative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Khartoum, Sudan. Methods: Two hundred thirty-four patients were included in this study; age range was 18–62 years. Conventional endodontic treatment was carried out in the included teeth by the undergraduate dental students in a single visit or multiple visits. The chemomechanical preparation of root canals was done by a modified double-flared technique with combination of hand instruments. Postoperative pain was recorded by each patient by using visual analogue scale in well-defined categories at 2 time intervals, 12 hours and 24 hours. Results: Data were analyzed with the χ2 test. The overall incidence of postoperative pain was 9.0% after 12 hours and 24 hours. Postoperative pain developed in 15.9% of the patients with history of preoperative pain, whereas 7.1% had postoperative pain among those without history of preoperative pain. There was no significant difference in postoperative pain between single-visit and multiple-visit root canal treatment (RCT). Conclusions: Within the limitations of the present study there was a low incidence of postoperative pain after conventional RCT. No significant difference exists in postoperative pain after single-visit or multiple-visit RCT. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Two pearl millet cultivars: Composite Population III, obtained from the Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum and Baladi, obtained from El Obeid Research Station, were used in this study. Investigation showed that Composite Population III is of higher tannin, total polyphenols and phytic acid and lower in in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD), which was found to be 60.5%. The two cultivars were naturally fermented for 36 h at room temperature (30±2 °C) and pH, moisture content, protein, tannin, total polyphenols, phytic acid content and IVPD were determined at 4-h intervals. Fermentation was found to cause a significant reduction in total polyphenols and phytic acid content for the two cultivars. Fermentation for 36 h at room temperature was found to cause no changes in tannin content of fermented dough for the two millet cultivars. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article focuses on the linguistic resources of the students who were part of the University of Khartoum's Study Habits Research Project in the context of university life and to consider the relationship between Arabic and English language proficiency and academic performance. In 1977 there were approximately 650 members of the teaching staff and 6500 students. The official medium of instruction in the university was English. In the school, the usual academic style was one that demanded rote learning to a great extent. That by the fourth or fifth year students still had difficulties learning in and producing good English, however, appears to be borne out by external examiners' reports of 1976. The Arabicization program in the secondary schools led many, while recognizing the educational and national merits of the plan at the same time to fear a fall in the standards of English among the majority of students entering the university. One possible consequence of this unpreparedness of many students for the English-medium university was that they learned to tolerate a high degree of noncomprehension in their lectures, tutorials and reading. The English and Arabic reading tests were administered to subjects in the University Examination Hall.

The article focuses on the Department of Business Administration at the University of Khartoum in Sudan. The department is active in the Institute of Economic and Social Research, which is sponsored by the Economic Commission for Africa. The university library and three phases in the business department's development are mentioned, as well as socioeconomic factors that limit students' academic ability. A teaching syllabus for a social studies course on work and its organization, subjects required for a degree in business administration, and the principles governing the academic policy in the university's business department are also mentioned.

This article discusses the development of a Department of Business Administration in the University of Khartoum, Sudan. The author feels that the Department of Business Administration needs two principal links with the developing economy - ensuring the prosecution of operational research proper among the university staff and the development of industrial engineering. The department's objective in Africa is to study the detailed problems of site operations, including supervision and day to day control. The author notes that several of the developmental problems in Africa can only be understood and treated by those who are familiar with the African culture.

The authors discuss the study of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in mycetoma patients at the Mycetoma Research Centre and the Institute of Endemic Diseases at the University of Khartoum in Khartoum, Sudan. The treatment of eumycetoma through surgery and prolonged antifungal therapy is discussed. The authors also note the high concentrations of interleukin-10 (IL-10) in patients with mycetoma.

The article focuses on the close contacts between the geography departments of University of Khartoum in Khartoum, Sudan, and of University College of Wales in Swansea, Wales. These contacts date back to the 1950s and in 1977 these links were formalised in an agreement to run for three years. The broad aims of the agreement were exchange of teaching staff, facilities to be provided for research students, a joint research project on desertification in the Saharan fringe in the west of the Nile and the encouragement of undergraduate links. The visits of Swansea's academic staff to Khartoum increased the number of specialist courses that can be offered by a small department with heavy teaching commitments. Staff from Khartoum have found that a visit to Swansea provides access to good library and research facilities. The author spent seven weeks teaching climatologic and statistics in Khartoum in January-February 1978. He gained through teaching students who were so obviously anxious to learn, despite the fact that they were being instructed in their second language.

The Sudan Research Unit was established as an inter-disciplinary unit in the Faculty of Arts of the University of Khartoum in July 1964. Its objectives were specified broadly as the promotion of research in the human and social sciences concerning the Sudan, assisting research on projects which need co-ordination of different disciplines, training research workers, and sponsoring publication reports on their progress and results. The Sudan Research Unit also maintains contact with other centres of Sudanese studies and with centres of African studies in general. It is not at present giving any Sudanese courses, although it plans to do so in future. The Unit now organises a fortnightly postgraduate seminar on African studies, dealing with subjects of general interest. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]