Association of gene variants with susceptibility to type 2 diabetes among Omanis

AIM:To investigate the association of 10 known common gene variants with susceptibility to type 2diabetes mellitus(T2D)among Omanis.METHODS:Using case-control design,a total of992 diabetic patients and 294 normoglycemic Omani Arabs were genotyped,by an allelic discrimination assay-by-design TaqMan method on fast real time polymerase chain reaction system,for the following gene variants:KCNJ11(rs5219),TCF7L2(rs7903146),CDKAL1(rs10946398),CDKN2A/B(rs10811661),FTO(rs9939609 and rs8050136),IGF2BP2(rs4402960),SLC30A8(rs13266634)CAPN10(rs3792267)and HHEX(rs1111875).T2D patients were recruited from the Diabetes Clinic(n=243)and inpatients(n=749)at Sultan Qaboos Univesity Hospital(SQUH),Muscat,Oman.Adult control participants(n=294)were volunteers from the community and from those visiting Family Medicine Clinic at SQU,for regular medical checkup.The difficulty in recruiting Omani participants with no family history of diabetes was the main reason behind the small number of control participants in this study.Almost all volunteers questioned had a relativewith diabetes mellitus.Inspite of the small number of normoglycemic controls in this study,this sample was sufficient for detection of genes and loci for common alleles influencing T2D with an odds ratio of≥1.3reaching at least 80%power.Data was collected from June 2010 to February 2012.RESULTS:Using binary logistic regression analysis,four gene variants showed significant association with T2D risk:KCNJ11(rs5219,P=5.8×10^(-6),OR=1.74),TCF7L2(rs7903146,P=0.001,OR=1.46),CDKAL1(rs10946398,P=0.002,OR=1.44)and CDKN2A/B(rs10811661,P=0.020,OR=1.40).The fixation index analysis of these four gene variants indicated significant genetic differentiation between diabetics and controls{[KCNJ11(rs5219),P<0.001],[TCF7L2(rs7903146),P<0.001],[CDKAL1(rs10946398),P<0.05],[CDKN2A/B(rs10811661),P<0.05]}.The highest genotype variation%between diabetics and controls was found at KCNJ11(2.07%)and TCF7L2(1.62%).This study was not able to detect an association of T2D risk with gene variants of IGF2BP2(rs4402960),SLC30A8(rs13266634),CAPN10(rs3792267)and HHEX(rs1111875).Moreover,no association was found between FTO gene variants(rs9939609 and rs8050136)and T2D risk.However,T2D risk was found to be significantly associated with obesity(P=0.002,OR=2.22);and with the Waist-to-Hip ratio(n=532,P=1.9×10^(-7),OR=2.4),[among males(n=234,P=1.2×10^(-4),OR=2.0)and females(n=298,P=0.001,OR=6.3)].CONCLUSION:Results confirmed the association of KCNJ11(rs5219),TCF7L2(rs7903146),CDKAL1(rs10946398)and CDKN2A/B(rs10811661)gene variants with susceptibility to T2D among Omani Arabs.

Masirah-the other Oman ophiolite:A better analogue for mid-ocean ridge processes?

Oman has two ophiolites-the better known late Cretaceous northern Oman(or Semail)ophiolite and the lesser known and smaller,Jurassic Masirah ophiolite located on the eastern coast of the country adjacent to the Indian Ocean.A number of geological,geochronological and geochemical lines of evidence strongly suggest that the northern Oman ophiolite did not form at a mid-ocean ridge but rather in a supra-subduction zone setting by fast spreading during subduction initiation.In contrast the Masirah ophiolite is structurally part of a series of ophiolite nappes which are rooted in the Indian Ocean floor.There are significant geochemical differences between the Masirah and northern Oman ophiolites and none of the supra-subduction features typical of the northern Oman ophiolite are found at Masirah.Geochemically Masirah is MORB,although in detail it contains both enriched and depleted MORB reflecting a complex source for the lavas and dykes.The enrichment of this source predates the formation of the ophiolite.The condensed crustal section on Masirah(ca.2 km)contains a very thin gabbro sequence and is thought to reflect its genesis from a cool mantle source associated with the early stages of sea-floor spreading during the early separation of eastern and western Gondwana.These data suggest that the Masirah ophiolite is a suitable analogue for an ophiolite created at a mid-ocean ridge,whereas the northern Oman ophiolite is not.The stratigraphic history of the Masirah ophiolite shows that it remained a part of the oceanic crust for ca.80 Ma.The chemical variability and enrichment of the Masirah lavas is similar to that found elsewhere in Indian Ocean basalts and may simply reflect a similar provenance rather than a feature fundamental to the formation of the ophiolite.

Diabetes self-management (DSM) in Omani with type-2 diabetes

Objective:The aim of this study was to assess the status of diabetes self-management(DSM)among Omanis with type-2 diabetes and its relationship with glycemic control and demographic variables.Methods:A correlational descriptive design using questionnaire was conducted with a convenience sample of 266 Omani patients with type-2 diabetes to collect the data.Results:The findings indicated that DSM among the study subject is sub-optimal.Only 1%of them were regular on SMBG;9.5%of them exercise regularly;and 18%of them maintain healthy diet practices.No significant relationship between DSM and glycemic control(p>0.05)was found.DSM was found to be associated with age,gender,level of education,and duration of diabetes.Examining the differences between two regions in Oman(Muscat&Aldhakiliyah)indicated that participants from Muscat differ only in practicing SMBG.Conclusion:Results indicated that many Omani patients with type-2 diabetes do not perform DSM consistently.Practice implications:The findings of this study set the stage to develop teaching strategies that will improve DSM and subsequently improve diabetes management in patient with type-2 diabetes in Oman.

Self-reported sleep quality and depression in post myocardial infarction patients attending cardiology outpatient clinics in Oman

Objective: This study aimed to examine the sleep quality and prevalence of depression in post myocardial infarction patients attending cardiology outpatient clinics of selected hospitals in Oman.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used to collect data from patients (n 180) who were at least 4 weeks post myocardial infarction diagnosis and receiving follow-up care in the outpatient clinic.The Arabic version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 were used to assess sleep quality and depressive symptoms,respectively.Results: The sample mean age was 62.0 ± 11.3 years.Poor sleep quality affected 61.1% of the participants.The significant predictors of poor sleep quality were gender (P ≤ 0.05),body mass index (P ≤ 0.05),and self-reported regular exercise (P ≤ 0.01).The most impacted domains of sleep quality were sleep latency,sleep duration,and sleep disturbances.The prevalence of major depression was low (5%) and the rate of re-infarction was 27.2%.The prevalence of minimal to mild major depression with a potential of transitioning into major depression overtime was very high.Self-reported regular exercise (P ≤ 0.01) was the only significant predictor of depressive symptoms.Conclusion: The sleep quality of post myocardial infarction patients was poor and the prevalence of depression was low.There was no significant relationship between sleep quality or depression with reinfarction.

Climate Change Awareness and Perception amongst the Inhabitants of Muscat Governorate, Oman

Public awareness and knowledge on climate change constitute essential background to deal with climate change and related problems. Alongside this background, this study assesses the awareness and quality of knowledge regarding climate change in Muscat governorate, Oman. A survey of 350 randomly sampled respondents was conducted using a standard questionnaire. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. This questionnaire was administered to respondents who were evenly distributed among the six divisions (Wilayat) of Muscat governorate in Oman while descriptive statistics were the main analysis techniques. Results have revealed that public awareness is fairly high despite some limitations on the knowledge on the causes and prevention of climate change. Regression analysis finds that gender, years of education, and income are significant factors that determine the level of awareness. Climate change is an area that is in need of publicity to help the public make informed decisions in its adaptation and mitigation. Results further indicate that most of the respondents have fair general knowledge about the subject.

Impact of petroleum and non-petroleum indices on financial development in Oman

This study analyzes the impact of petroleum and non-petroleum indices on the financial development of the Sultanate of Oman from 1978 to 2017.To this end,it uses the petroleum proxy of oil rents(%of gross domestic product,GDP)and the non-petroleum proxy of industry(including construction)value added(%of GDP);agriculture,forestry,and fishing value added(%of GDP);and services value added(%of GDP)to determine the effect on financial development,measured by the amount of domestic credit extended to the private sector by banks(%of GDP).It applies an autoregressive distributed lag(ARDL)model.The long-term equation illustrates that the agriculture and industry GDPs have a negative and significant relationship with domestic credit in Oman.However,the oil and service sector GDPs promote financial development.The short-term equation illustrates that the oil,agricultural,and service sectors have positive and significant effects on domestic credit.The conclusion is that the economy of Oman is still in the first phase of economic diversification.Accordingly,the government should use oil revenues to develop various non-oil industrial sectors.This would enhance the country’s competitiveness in the global economy and positively contribute to improving the liquidity of the banking sector for stimulating credit at the macroeconomic level.

Study the Role of Maritime Energy Management in Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), in particular, Goal 7, in Oman Maritime Community

Sustainability is a concept for achieving integration and balance in development to preserve and use resources properly by providing new solutions to overcome structural,social and economic misconceptions to prevent further degradation and waste of natural resources and create a better future for human societies.Sustainable development can be defined as a strategy for the correct use of resources,by modifying and redefining consumption patterns and avoiding one-sided development approaches.Therefore,sustainable development is defined as a long-term and unlimited solution for aligning different concepts(social,economic,and environmental),seemingly independent but related and influencing each other.This paper examines the challenges and capacities of the Oman Maritime Community and Maritime Energy Management's role in terms of sustainable development.To analyze this issue,the role of key players in Oman's maritime industry,such as the Oman Fisheries Company and the Oman Shipping Company,has been studied with the five main indicators of sustainable development goals,including people,the planet,peace,welfare,and partnership.

Hydrological and economic feasibility of mitigating a stressed coastal aquifer using managed aquifer recharge: a case study of Jamma aquifer, Oman

This study explored the hydrological and economic feasibility of managed aquifer recharge(MAR) using tertiary treated wastewater(TWW) to mitigate salinity in the coastal aquifer of Jamma, Oman. A steady-state groundwater flow and transport model, using MODFLOW software, was developed and calibrated. Different managerial scenarios were simulated and the results reveal that the Jamma aquifer will be further deteriorated in the next 20 a if it remains unmanaged. The groundwater table will decline further by more than 3 m on average; and the iso-concentration salinity line of 1500 mg/L will advance 2.7 km inland, which will severely affect the farming activities in the area. However, MAR using TWW when integrated with the management of groundwater abstraction(e.g., using modern irrigation systems to reduce the abstraction rate) becomes hydrologically feasible to augment the aquifer storage and control seawater intrusion, and hence improves the farming activities. The results indicate that:(1) injecting TWW in the vicinity of irrigation wells(Scenario A2);(2) investing in smart water meters and online control of pumping from the wells to reduce the abstraction rate by 25%(Scenario B); and(3) a combination of both(Scenario B2) are feasible scenarios with positive net present values. Recharge in upstream areas is found not economically feasible because of the very high investment cost of the installation of pipes to transport the TWW over a distance of 12.5 km. Because of securing funds are challenging, Scenario B would be the best option and the second-best option is Scenario A2. Scenario B2 has the lowest net benefit investment ratio and is very attractive because it entails integrated demand and supply management of groundwater. It is required to reduce pumping and to invest in injecting TWW to improve groundwater quality in the vicinity of irrigation wells and to form a hydrological barrier to control seawater intrusion in the long run.

High levels of Zinc-α-2-Glycoprotein among Omani AIDS patients on combined antiretroviral therapy

Objective:To investigate the levels of zinc-α-2-glycoprotein(ZAG) among Omani AIDS patients receiving combined antiretroviral therapy(cART).Methods:A total of 80 Omani AIDS patients(45 males and 33 females),average age of 36 vears.who were receiving cART at the Saltan Qaboos University Hospital(SQUH).Muscat,Oman,were tested for the levels of ZAG.In addition,SO healthy blood donors(46 males and 34 females),average age of 26 years,attending the SOUH Blood Bank,were tested in parallel as a control group.Measurement of the ZAG levels was performed using a competitive enzyme—linked immunosorbent assay and in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.Results:The ZAG levels were found to he significantly higher among AIDS patients compared to the healthy individuals(P=0.033).A total of 56(70%) of the AIDS patients were found to have higher levels of ZAG and 16(20%) AIDS patients were found to have high ZAG levels,which are significantly(P>0.031) associated with weight loss.Conclusions:ZAG levels are high among Omani AIDS patients on cART and this necessitales the measurement of ZAG on routine basis,as it is associated with weight loss.

Isolation, distribution and evaluation of cytotoxic and antioxidant activity of cultivable actinobacteria from the Oman Sea sediments

Screening bioactive natural products from bacteria is a determinative step in the drug discovery programs. The present study aim to isolate actinobacteria from the Oman Sea sediments for determining the effects of different culture media and treatments on the yield of the isolation process, and measure the DPPH radical scavenging and Artemia cytotoxic activity of culture extracts of the actinobacterial isolates. A total of 290 actinobacterial isolates were collected from 14 sediment samples. Heat treatment(40.68%) and M4 medium(29.31%) exhibited the maximum isolation rates of actinobacteria. Streptomyces isolates were dominantly distributed in all of the investigated stations according to 16 S rRNA gene sequencing. The distribution pattern of Streptomyces followed a depth-dependent frequency trend, whereas the members of rare genera including Micromonospora, Nocardia Actinoplanes, Nocardiopsis, Saccharopolyspora and Crossiella were distributed in deeper stations. Approximately,25% of the examined isolates could scavenge 90% of 10^–4 mol/L DPPH solutions at 1 250 μg/mL final concentration of their ethyl acetate culture extracts. Furthermore, the most potent extracts could scavenge DPPH radicals with IC50 ranges from 356.8 to 566.4 μg/mL. Brine shrimp cytotoxicity tests showed that 38.88% of the examined culture extracts exhibited LC50 lower than 1 000 μg/mL against the Artemia cells. Moreover, the most potent culture extracts exhibited LC50 range from 335.4 to 534.4 μg/mL. Phylogenetic analysis by 16 S rRNA gene sequence revealed that the OS 005, OS 263 and OS 157 closely related to Streptomyces djakartensis, Streptomyces olivaceus and Nocardiopsis dassonvillei respectively. These results suggested the widespread distribution of the antioxidant and cytotoxic producing actinobacteria in the Oman Sea sediments, which could be considered as promising candidates for the discovery of microbial bioactive compounds.

Peperites Associated Pillow Lavas within Ophiolites and New Insight to Tectonic Setting: Comparative Study between Oman and West Junggar of China

Peperites are generated by magma intruding and mingling with wet unconsolidated or poorly consolidated sediments.Late Paleozoic peperites have been identified in the Darbut and Baijiantan ophiolitic belts at West Junggar,NW China.The peperites form successions up to 500 m thick interbedded with basaltic lava(sometimes pillow lava)and sedimentary rocks(i.e.limestones).The peperites are described and interpreted as resulting from basaltic lava bulldozed into wet,unconsolidated sediments at their basal contacts.The peperitebearing units are generally undeformed,occurring in continuous stratigraphic sections distributed regionally over a distance of 100 km on either side of the Darbut and Baijiantan ophiolitic belts,in contrast to the highly deformed slices of ophiolite.They demonstrate that the Darbut and Baijiantan ophiolitic belts should not be interpreted as significant plate boundaries and represent the underlying ocean crust uplifted along tectonic lineaments within a continuous shallow remnant ocean basin.Jordan et al.(2008)reported an occurrence of peperite in the Oman—United Arab Emirates(UAE)border region.In this border area the field relations of the pillow lavas surrounded by limestone with deformed bedding and peperite boundaries between the pillows and the limestone are consistent with the pillow lavas forming directly within carbonate sediments.The pillow lavas in Oman-UAE border area likely have formed as intrusions into water-saturated carbonate sediments deposited along the edges of seamounts.Based on the comparative study on the peperites associated pillow lavas within ophiolites between West Junggar and Oman,this paper proposes that the ophiolites with peperites associated pillow lavas surrounded by limestone were not formed in a typical ocean basin,but a shallow remnant ocean basin.

Utilization of low quality water of mountain reservoirs: a case study from Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Oman

Al Jabal al Akhdar(Green Mountain) in arid northern Oman has freshwater resources that had supported small communities for hundreds of years. Jabal Akhdar receives more rainfall(300-400 mm) when compared to the desert plains. In the last few years, this region had undergone enormous changes due to rapid development. The resident and transient populations have increased and their activities exert severe stress on the water resources. There are 24 retention reservoirs in the area, but most are eutrophic and the nutrient loading is due to input of animal fecal matter via surface run-off. As expected, these waters contaminated with coliform bacteria and some have pathogenic Escherichia coli. Drinking water needs of all the villages met by groundwater extraction. Because of poor quality, the surface water in the reservoirs is under-utilized. A low-cost lowmaintenance treatment system designed, constructed and operated in one village to clean the reservoir water for non-drinking human use. The treatment unit improved the water quality parameters. A survey among the adult male population of the village showed their eagerness to adopt this system and use the treated reservoir water for uses other than agriculture. Establishment of these treatment units in other villages should reduce the pressures on groundwater extraction.

Textural Insights on Significance of Ophiolitic Chromitites, with Special Reference to Oman

Based on the textural and crystallographic study of four chromitite sites in the Oman ophiolite, we show that chromite crystallized in situ at Moho transition zone, where exposed as podiform chromitite deposits. Crystallization operated either by crystal fractionation in a mini-magma chamber(Tuf dyke), or more commonly by meltrock reaction of a hydrated Cr-rich melt and enclosing dunite. Oxidizing conditions at Moho level triggered the crystallization of chromite at the expense of the corroded olivine network. High-temperature mantle flow(1100-1200 ℃), recorded in the joined reacting olivine aggregates, constrains the timing of chromitite formation. Models of genesis of chromitite deposits must account for a hydrous component initiating partial melting of refractory peridotite, and the revealed occurrence of ultra-high-pressure cratonic phases included in some chromite crystals of some ophiolitic chromitites.

Physico-Chemical and Microbial Quality of Locally Composted and Imported Green Waste Composts in Oman

In this work the physical, chemical and microbial properties of four locally composted green waste composts (GWCs) namely Almukhasib, Growers, Plantex, and Super along with four imported GWC (Florabella, Mikskaar, Potgrond, and Shamrock) were studied to evaluate the quality of these composts with the acceptable standards. All composts showed normal physical properties, except the bad smell from sulfur reducing bacteria in Almukhasib, light brown color Plantex and one viable weed seed in Shamrock compost. The germination indexes of the composts comparable to the standard (90%) were 100% for Mikskaar, followed by Shamrock (92%), Florabella (97), Potgrond (95%), Plantex (98%), Growers (77%), and 5% for both Super and Almukhasib. The physical and chemical properties vary considerably as follows: pH 3 - 10.5, 5.1 - 6.5 (standard 5 - 8), electrical conductivity (EC) 0.4 - 10.2 mS·cm-1, 0.8 - 1.8 mS·cm-1(standard 0.0 - 4.0 mS·cm-1), moisture content (MC%) 29% - 43.7%, 64% - 74% (standard 35% - 60%) and water holding capacity (WHC%) 92% - 200% and 400% - 800% for the locally produced and imported composts, respectively. Wide ranges in the chemical properties were expressed as ammonia concentration 512.4 - 1640.1 mg·kg-1, 459.4 - 656.5 mg·kg-1(standard -1), organic matter 17% - 67.6%, and 53.3% - 66.2% (standard 35%) for the locally composted and imported composts, respectively. The concentrations of the heavy metals (Zn, Ni, Pb, Hg, As, Cd, and Cr) were lower than the recommended levels. The average of the bacterial colony forming unit per gram of locally produced and imported composts ranged between 260 - 1740 CFU/g and 330 - 2870 CFU/g, whereas the fungal CFU were 10 - 2800 CFU/g and 27 - 1800 CFU/g, respectively. The most probable number (MPN) for coliform bacteria was 43 - 1100 CFU/g for locally produced composts, and 23 - 480 CFU/g for the imported composts. Therefore, these composts can not be used directly without effective treatment as substrate for plant growth, soil amendment and as biofertilizer.

Low-frequency variations in primary production in the Oman upwelling zone associated with monsoon winds

Thirteen-year satellite-derived data are used to investigate the temporal variability of net primary production （NPP） in the Oman upwelling zone and its potential forcing mechanisms. The NPP in the Oman upwelling zone is characterized by an abnormal decrease during E1 Nifio events. Such an NPP decrease may be related to E1 Nifio-driven anomalous summertime weak wind. During the summer following E1 Nifio, the anomalous northeasterly wind forced by southwest Indian Ocean warming weakens the southwest monsoon and warms the Arabian Sea. The abnormal wind weakens the coastal Ekman transport, offshore Ekman pumping and horizontal advection, resulting in reduced upward nutrient supply to the euphotic zone. A slightly declining trend in NPP after 2000 associated with a gradual decrease in surface monsoon winds is discussed.

Magmatic Processes at the Oman Ophiolite Paleoridge–Perspectives on the Role of Water

The Oman ophiolite is regarded as best proxy for accreted oceanic crust from typical fast-spreading ridge systems on land. However, the Oman ophiolite is influenced by initial subduction zone initiation, and the nature of the details of the subduction zone setting is still under controversial debate. While a first magmatic phase shows features of magmatic accretion very similar to those known from the East Pacific Rise, except that the primary melts were slightly water-enriched, a second type of magmatism is characterized by an apparent subductionzone related imprint, producing rocks like FAB basalts and boninites in the upper crust, as well as cross-cutting gabbronorites and wehrlites in the deeper crust. In this paper, we apply diverse experimental studies in wet tholeiitic and peridotitic systems performed at lower pressures(100 to 500 MPa) in the experimental lab of the University Hannover, in order to constrain the details of the magmatic processes proceeded at the Oman ophiolite paleoridge during the Cretaceous, with special focus on the influence of water on the phase stabilities and phase relations. The experiments were performed in vertically oriented internally heated pressure vessels(IHPV)(see Berndt et al., 2002;Fig. 1). This facility uses as pressure medium mixtures of Ar and H2 in order to adjust the required fH2 in the vessel, enabling us to control the redox conditions. The fH2 prevailing in the IHPV at high P and T was measured with a Shaw-membrane made of platinum. The overall variation in fO2 in all experimental series was in the range between ~FMQ-1 and ~FMQ+3.2, thus covering the range of oxygen fugacities prevailing in natural MORB magmas(Bezos and Humler, 2005). For understanding the magmatic processes during the Oman ophiolite paleoridge accretion, transects through the lower(GT1) and middle(GT2) crust have been drilled in the frame of ICDP(International Continental Scientific Drilling Program). Drill sites have been selected in the Wadi Tayin massif, which is known that the influence of magmatic phase 2 characterized by subduction-related primary melts is minimal. Details and progress obtained in the Oman Drilling Project(OmanDP) can be found here:(https://www.omandrilling.ac.uk/). Regarding the first magmatic phase of the processes at the Oman ophiolite paleoridge, a characteristic observation made during the description of the drilled cores GT1(lower crust) and GT2(midcurst) was that quite often layers in the layered gabbro series occur which show the presence of clinopyroxene joining olivine instead of plagioclase(under near liquidus conditions). In terms of lithologies this could be interpreted as presence of wehrlitic crystal mushes as early cumulates instead of troctolitic, which are the typical ones for primary magmatism at typical fastspreading ridges. This situation could be experimentally simulated by adding a moderate to high water activity to primitive MORB at pressures ≥ 200 MPa, resulting in a shift of the clinopyroxene-in curve to higher temperatures above the plagioclase-in curve(Feig et al. 2006;see Fig. 2). Regarding the second, late-stage magmatic phase, the formation of typical Oman high-Ca-boninites could be experimentally simulated by water-saturated partial melting of Oman harzburgite at 200 MPa and relatively low temperatures between 1100 and 1200℃. Depleted gabbronorites crosscutting layered gabbros of phase 1 magmatism can be regarded as cumulates formed in these boninitic melts. Late wehrlites crosscutting layered gabbro could be produced by accumulation of olivine and clinopyroxene at temperatures between 1040 and 1080℃ in a hydrous gabbroic system at pressures > 100 MPa with bulk water content of 2–3 wt%.

Application of Geo-Processing Model for a Quantitative Assessment of Coastal Exposure and Sensitivity to Sea Level Rise in the Sultanate of Oman

The Sultanate of Oman has a long coastline extending for about 3165 km including a number of bays and islands. Oman’s coastline borders the Arabian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Most of this coastline is soft and low laying shore subject to the dynamics of sediment transport and the landward retreat of the shoreline, caused by anthropogenic factors and sea level rise associated with climate change. This paper aims to assess the vulnerability of the entire Omani coastal zone to the expected sea level rise and storm surge. Methodology is based on applying Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) to identify clusters of high vulnerability areas according to their sensitivity and dynamic nature and increased risk resulted from seal level rise, erosion and extreme weather events. The coastal line of the governorates of Al Batinah, Muscat and Al-Wusta has scored highly due to possessing similar physical attributes. Based on that assessment a coastal vulnerability database utilizing GIS was created to help stakeholders involved in the coastal management to make better decisions.

Options for Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Strategies for Road Transportation in Oman

Oman is a fast developing country where about 76% of registered vehicles as of 2014 were private cars with approximately one private car per household. The growth of automobile is faster than the growth of human population. From 2000-2009, Omani population has increased by 2% per annum while automobile usage in the country has increased by 4.3%. The leadership of Sultanate of Oman has pledged to cut down greenhouse (GHG) emissions by 2% as a commitment to United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Due to very limited public transportation system, traffic congestion and emission from vehicles are high during working days since majority of individuals uses private vehicles as only means of transport. This paper seeks to combine mitigation measures adopted in selected Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and UNFCCC to suggest cost-effective measures suitable in reducing GHG emissions from road transportation sector in Oman. These measures will specifically reduce vehicular emissions during working days where car occupancy rates are very low in an economically sustainable way.

A qualitative study of the Omani physicians’ lived experience with truth disclosure to cancer patient

Objectives: The purpose of this phenomenological Qualitative Study is to gain an in depth understanding of the nature and meaning of the experiences of physicians in relation to truth disclosure and ethics of veracity when diagnosing cancer. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological study using semi-structured interviews was conducted at Sultan Qaboos university hospital (SQUH), l to explore the Omani Physicians’ lived experiences with truth disclosure in patients who were diagnosed with cancer. The target population for this study is Omani physicians working in SQUH. The total of four participants was involved in this study. Results: Three essential themes were generated through the analysis of the participants’ descriptions of their perceptions and lived experiences as the following with their subthemes: the first theme is the clinical aspect of the experiences with three subthemes: 1) The ethical aspect and the physician’s attitude;2) The strategy of breaking bad news;3) Training and breaking bad news. The second theme is Cultural diversity with three subthemes: 1) Relatives preference;2) The patient education;3) The hospital setting. The third theme is the emotional aspect of the experiences with five subthemes: 1) Emotional sadness;2) Personal grief;3) Other emotions;4) The positive emotions;5) Control of the emotions. Conclusion: This study recommends: to build up appropriate measures and guidelines on the subject of truth telling and medical ethics, and to provide more training for the health care providers in the context of breaking bad news. In addition to add to the curriculum of medical colleges the basic ethical principles relevant to medical practice. Finally, to establish medical social work departments in SQUH, and other healthcare institutions in Oman.

A Comparative Study between the Jordanian and Omani Digital Crimes Law

The nature of crime has dramatically changed after the revolution of the new digital era. It is no longer based on violence but on the criminal computer abilities and technical expertise. This paper presents a comprehensive comparison between the Jordanian digital law 2015 and the Omani information technology digital crime law 2010. The results of this study indicate that the Jordanian Digital law requires some enhancements in order to cope with the trends of the ever-changing nature of the digital crimes.