The University of Khartoum (U of K) (Arabic: جامعة الخرطوم) is a public university located in Khartoum, Sudan. It is the largest and oldest university in Sudan. UofK was founded as Gordon Memorial College in 1902 and established in 1956 when Sudan gained independence. Since that date, the University of Khartoum has been recognized as a top university and a high-ranked academic institution in Sudan and Africa.It features several institutes, academic units and research centers including Mycetoma Research Center, Soba University Hospital, Saad Abualila Hospital, Dr. Salma Dialysis centre, Institute of Endemic Diseases, Institute for Studies and Promotion of Animal Exports, Institute of African and Asian Studies, Institute of Prof. Abdalla ElTayeb for Arabic Language, Development Studies and Research Institute, The Materials and Nanotechnology Research Center and U of K publishing house. The Sudan Library, a section of the university's library, serves as the national library of Sudan. It is also characterized by freedom of expression, and a number of revolutions have ignited from it to bring down unjust governments.
Burnout is an escalating global occupational health challenge, requiring valid and reliable assessment tools. This study validates the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) for assessing burnout among Sudanese workers in the education, healthcare, and banking sectors, where burnout prevalence is high. Utilizing the 19-item CBI, translated into Arabic, the study measured burnout across three dimensions: Personal Burnout (PB), Work-related Burnout (WB), and Client-related Burnout (CB). A total of 1068 participants were surveyed, including 438 teachers (41%), 326 healthcare workers (30.5%), and 304 bank employees (28.5%). Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses confirmed the construct validity of the CBI, while concurrent validity was supported through moderate to high correlations with the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) domains, except for a weak correlation between Depersonalization and PB/WB. Reliability was established through discriminant validity, all of which were satisfactory across the three groups. The study resulted in two final versions of the CBI: a 17-item version for healthcare workers and a 19-item version for teachers and bank employees. Both versions are available in Arabic, and stakeholders are recommended to use the CBI tailored to each sector's specific psychometric properties. This tailored approach ensures accurate measurement of burnout, aiding psychologists, therapists, and policymakers in addressing and mitigating burnout effectively within each professional group.
Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal malignancies globally. In Africa, the burden is poorly characterized due to fragmented data and limited resources. This scoping review aimed to map published data on pancreatic cancer across the continent, identify reporting gaps, and highlight implications for research and policy. A systematic search was conducted across PubMed, OVID Medline, CINAHL, ERIC, and Scopus for articles published between January 1995 and June 2025. Inclusion criteria focused on clinical data, treatment modalities, and survival outcomes of pancreatic cancer in African populations. Twenty studies spanning 1995–2023,representing 26,850 patients, were identified. Research output was geographically uneven, concentrated in South Africa, Egypt, Morocco. The weighted mean age at diagnosis was 59.2 years. Primary symptoms included Jaundice, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Advanced-stage presentation dominated, with stage III–IV accounting for > 70
Background: Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS) is characterized by persistent visual disturbances such as visual static, afterimages, photophobia, and impaired night vision. Despite growing global recognition, data from Middle Eastern populations remains limited, particularly on prevalence, symptomatology, and awareness. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of VSS, evaluate symptom patterns, assess awareness, and identify associated factors among adults in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey using convenience sampling through social media was conducted among Saudi adults (>= 18 years). The questionnaire collected demographic data, VSS symptoms, awareness, comorbidities (migraine, tinnitus, anxiety, depression), lifestyle factors, family history, and impact on daily life. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact test (p<0.05). Results: Of 343 respondents, 3.8% met symptom-based criteria for VSS, aligning with international prevalence (2%-5%). Awareness was low (12.8%), mainly via media rather than healthcare providers. Common symptoms were afterimages (32.7%) and photophobia (30.6%). Significant comorbidities included migraine (17.5%), anxiety (20.4%), tinnitus (11.1%), and depression (5%). Extended screen time and low physical activity were common lifestyle factors. Additionally, 16.3% reported a family history of visual disturbances and 8% noted stress exacerbation. Conclusion: This study highlights the prevalence, poor awareness, and symptom burden of VSS in Saudi Arabia. Findings underscore the need for targeted education and further research to improve clinical recognition and patient care.
This study aimed to evaluate the quality of life (QoL) across multiple domains in Sudanese children with type 1 diabetes, examining the influence of sociodemographic and clinical factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in two major paediatric tertiary hospitals in Khartoum, Sudan. All eligible children aged 5–18 years who attended the clinics during the study period were recruited in structured, face-to-face interviews. The Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Generic Core Scale was used to assess QoL. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and group comparisons, t-test, ANOVA and Jonckheere-Terpstra test were used with significance set at p < 0.05. A total of 138 children were enrolled; 63.8
Many models have been introduced to describe the tensile behavior of concrete, yet most of them treat the pre-cracking and post-cracking phases separately or rely on multiple functions to capture the full response. This study presents a novel C1-continuous differentiable single-function stress-strain model that simultaneously represents both the pre-cracking regime and the post-cracking softening phase. The formulation fulfills the fundamental tensile properties of concrete, ensuring a physically consistent description across different concrete types including normal-weight concrete, lightweight concrete, foamed concrete, and mortar. Results show good agreement with experimental data, with high accuracy achieved for variations in aggregate size, strength grade, and concrete type. In addition, the model can serve as a fitting tool while preserving these fundamental tensile properties, enabling the direct extraction of concrete tensile parameters from experimental data. The proposed approach offers a versatile and physically grounded framework for representing tensile behavior across a wide range of cementitious materials, with practical utility for both experimental interpretation and numerical modeling.
