Developing Low Temperature Glazes for Omani Clay Artworks: Laboratory Investigation to Reduce Costs by Using Frits

The role of using frits in developing glazes for ceramics has increasingly received attention across a number of industrial ceramics fields in recent years. Over the past decade, the link between using frits for developing ceramics glazes and the reduction of financial costs has been at the center of much attention. Determining the impact of using frits in the local ceramics industry in Oman is important for the future study of this creative field. Using imported ready-made glazes, despite their long commercial success, is associated with a number of problems, including a shortage of suppliers, high costs, and logistical difficulties. Consequently, there is an urgent need to address the importance of developing glazes locally to help establish some workable solutions for the aforementioned problems. To date, no research studies have investigated using local Omani earthenware clays to make glazes by combining them with commercial frits using empirical laboratory methodologies. By developing low temperature chemical glaze recipes, the main aim of this study is to explore the possibilities of using Omani earthenware clays (OECs) and frits to create glazes that are suitable for local Omani ceramic works.

Exploring fracture risk factors among Omani women: Implications for risk assessment

Osteoporosis is common among postmenopausal women, giving rise to morbidity and diminishing the quality of life. There is lack of information about the risk factors of Osteoporosis among local Omani women. The aim was to explore the risk factors of Osteoporosis among Omani women using a Modified Fracture Risk Assessment Tool. This is an exploratory research design using a simple random sampling. A pilot study was conducted among 35 local Omani women from the Muscat region, who completed the validated and reliable Modified Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (MFRAT). Bone Mineral Density (BMD) was measured among 11 women at moderate-high risk based on MFRAT. The data was analyzed using inferential statistics. Fourteen Omani women were at moderate-high risk for Osteoporotic fracture due to factors related premenopausal, Vitamin D deficiency, increased parity, increased lactation period and sedentary lifestyle. Among these five women had low BMD and required early intervention and support. Determinants of Osteoporosis can be assessed among premenopausal Omani women with a specific risk assessment tool. There is a need to construct a culturally sensitive risk assessment tool for Omani women for early screening and detection of Osteoporosis. Nurses can identify, provide intervention and education for Omani women at-risk of fracture.

Combined effect of <i>CYP2C9</i>and <i>VKORC1</i>polymorphisms on warfarin maintenance dose in Omani patients

Excepting host genetic factors, other influences on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behavior of warfarin are subject to variations during the treatment despite attempts to stabilize the INR. In 214 Omani patients on warfarin therapy, we evaluated the extent of influence of known genetic predictors of warfarin dose variability, namely CYP2C9, CYP4F2 and VKORC1 gene polymorphisms in a genetically heterogeneous patient population. When patients were stratified according to their daily warfarin maintenance dose (to maintain INR between 2 and 3) into “low dose” (sensitive), “medium dose” (intermediate) and “high dose” (resistance) groups, overall, seven patients with three or four mutant alleles fell in the sensitive group and consequently 25% (7 out of 28) of at risk patients for over anticoagulation can be recognized by prospective pharmacogenetic testing in this patient population. Pre-prescription genotyping of these loci prior to therapy initiation will therefore benefit a small fraction of this population.

Omani Arabic：More than a Dialect

This paper surveys several linguistic aspects of the varieties of the Omani Arabic dialect (OA). It starts with a discussion of the sociolinguistic situation in Oman and the factors that shaped it, as well as discussing the OA varieties and the languages spoken in the country. This is followed by a presentation of the OA consonant and vowel phonemes and their allophones. The paper also presents phonological aspects such as syllable structure and word stress as well as examples of processes like assimilation and emphasis spreading. Then, it presents the OA personal, demonstrative, possessive, and interrogative pronouns, as well as morphological issues such as subject agreement affixes, verbal forms,passive formation, and pluralization patterns. Next, it presents syntactic patterns including word order, negation, question formation, and relative clauses. Besides the survey, the paper provides examples that reveal similarity between some OA dialects and those of the pre-Islamic era, as evidenced by some of the documented and approved readings of the Holy Qur?an. There is also discussion of some cases of grammaticalization and pronominal copulas.

NAT2 polymorphism in Omani gastric cancer patients-risk predisposition and clinicopathological associations

AIM: To study whether N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) genotypes and phenotypes are associated with increased risk factor for gastric cancer in Omani patients and to study the clinico-pathological correlations and the prognostic signifi cance of NAT2.METHODS: Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood of 100 gastric cancer patients and 100 control subjects. NAT2 genotyping was performed using DNA sequencing. The prognostic significance of NAT2 and other clinicopathological features was assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses.RESULTS: We observed no significant association between NAT2 genotypes and phenotypes and gastric cancer risk. The NAT2 phenotype polymorphisms and gastric cancer risk predisposition were not modified by concomitant H pylori infection and smoking. There was no significant association between NAT2 and clinicopathological features, and NAT2 had no independent prognostic signifi cance.CONCLUSION: In the current study, NAT2 genotypes and phenotypes are not associated with gastric cancer risk predisposition. Moreover NAT2 phenotypes had no clinicopathological associations or prognostic signif icance.

Chemical composition of essential oils and in vitro antioxidant activity of fresh and dry leaves crude extracts of medicinal plant of Lactuca Sativa L.native to sultanate of Oman

Objective:To isolate and analyse the chemical composition in the essential oils and free radical scavenging activity of different crude extracts from the fresh and dry leaves of vegetable plants of Lactuca sativa L.(L.sativa).Methods:The essential oils and volatile chemical constituents were isolated from the fresh and dry leaves of L.sativa(lettuce)grown in Sultanate of Oman by hydro distillation method.The antioxidant activity of the crude extracts was carried out by well established free radical scavenging activity(DPPH)method.Results:About 20 chemical compounds of different concentration representing 83.07%and 79.88%respectively were isolated and identified by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy in the essential oils isolated from the fresh and dry leaves asα-pinene(5.11%and 4.05%).γ-cymene(2.07%and 1.92%),thymol(11.55%and 10.73%),durenol(52.00%and 49.79%),α-terpinene(1.66%and 1.34%),thymol acetate(0.99%and 0.67%),caryophyllene(2.11%and 1.98%),spathulenol(3.09%and 2.98%).camphene(4.11%and3.65%),limonene(1.28%and 1.11%)representing these major chemical compounds.However,some other minor chemical constituents were also isolated and identified from the essential oil of lettuce including p-pinene,α-terpinolene,linalool,4-terpineol,α-terpineol,o-methylthymol,L-alloaromadendrene and viridiflorene.Conclusions:The chemical consliluents in the essential oils from the locally grown lettuce were identified in the following classes or groups of chemical compounds such as monoterpenes,sesquiterpenes volatile organic compounds and their oxygenated hydrocarbons.Therefore,the essential oils and the crude extracts from Omani vegetable species of lettuce are active candidates which would be used as antioxidant,antifungal or antimicrobial agents in new drugs preparation for therapy of infectious diseases.

伊朗法尔斯省Poshtband地区植物的生活型和地理分布(英文)

在Postband地区(27°58′4″-28°2′16″N,53°17′34″-53°22′30″E),辨别植物种、植物多样性、生活型及地中海气候、Irano-Torunian和撒哈拉-新店相关植物种。2008年6月至2006年12月间,调查和辨认了29个科,69个属,总计95个种。就物种频度而言,菊科和禾本科是重要的科。按照Raunkiaer's生活型谱系统和利用■2检测,生活型谱表明,年生植物、地面芽植物、高位芽植物、地上芽植物和陷芽植物分别占据全部植物种的47%、31%、12%、7%和3%。在地理分布上,Irano-Torunia地区,拥有最高的频度的29%的物种。结果表明,一年生植物比生活型基准群谱高;高位芽植物比生活型基准群谱低,这与在干旱地区的研究数据相一致。图1表4参50。

Relationship between vegetation types, soil and topography in southern forests of Iran

For sustainable forest management, understanding the ecological factors that determine vegetation composition are important. Here, the relation between the vegetation composition and environmental factors(elevation, aspect, slope, CaCO3, K, P, C, N, C/N, bulk density,soil porosity, saturation moisture content, EC, pH, sand, silt and clay) was investigated in the Khonj forests, Fars Province, Iran. Characteristic land units, each 200 m2, were chosen for sampling to analyze species composition, soil characteristics and topographic factors. The floristic data were classified using a two-way indicator species analysis(TWINSPAN). Means were then compared using an ANOVA and Duncan multiple range test to detect any variations between groups. Also, the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin index and Bartlett test were used to measure sampling adequacy. The four vegetation groups identified comprised the species Achillea wilhelmsii, Tanacetum parthenium,Convolvulus spinosus, Capparis spinosa. A detrended canonical correspondence analysis(DCCA) ordination diagram clearly illustrated the relationship between vegetation and environmental factors. According to the results,group 1 with A. wilhelmsii as the indicator species has a positive relation with slope and elevation. T. parthenium was the indicator species of group 2, that appears in areas with high silt and low bulk density and sand. The results showed that group 3 with Convolvulus spinosus as the indicator species was distributed in soils with high bulk density, low silt and pH as well. Group 4 with C. spinosa as the indicator species occurs in sandy soils and low slopes.Using DCCA, we determined the relationship between species and environmental factors more accurately. Results of this study can be used to restore vegetation or maintain species composition in ecological sensitive areas.

Spatial Assessment of Water Quantity Stress in Sultanate of Oman Provinces: A GIS Based Analysis of Water Resources Variability

Water quantity planning and management require understanding of spatial variations of water catchment availability. Several environmental indicators are associated with water quantity such as flood occurrence, drought severity, seasonal supply and groundwater stress. Analyzing water stress at national geographic scale is crucial to detect and explore geographic shortage of water resources at national scale. In this study, Geographical Information Systems (GIS) techniques were employed to analyze the spatial variations of water scarcity across Sultanate of Oman provinces. For this main objective, various spatial and attribute datasets were prepared. Many variables were selected based on their importance and correlation with water quantity. GIS overlay function then was used to produce maps for each water indicator. This was followed by employing raster zonal statistics to aggregate the values of each catchment area within each province. The findings of this analysis indicated that significant spatial variation was found among Omani provinces in terms of water quantity stress and its determinants. The most important factors affecting the water quantity stress were drought severity and flood occurrence. Furthermore, physical risk of water quantity was higher in Mascut and Dhofar provinces while it was moderate in Al-Batinah, A’Dakhiliyah and Al-Wusta. Lower risk of water quantity was observed in A’Sharqiyah, Masandam, and A’Dhahriah provinces. Thus, in order to mitigate the impacts of water scarcity on agriculture, cultivation and domestic usages, policy makers in water sector should include spatial strategies for water resource maintain and allocation.