26
EDUCATION
SATURday, NOVEMBER 13, 2010
Preserving and enhancing
Oman’s water resources
A joint project with
SQU’s College of
Agricultural and Marine
Sciences, will be on
the improvement of
water productivity
and exploitation
using agriculture in
controlled environment
by modifying structural
changes and crop
rotation which result
from seasonal effects
in Oman
The Water Research
Centre identifies
and prioritises water
study, provides data
for researchers, and
co-operates with
local, regional and
international bodies
to effect the optimal
exploitation of available
water resources and
discover new ones too
T
he Water Research Centre
(WRC) at SQU is an important
and effective centre for studying the scientific processes related to
finding and developing mechanisms
for improving Oman's water sector.
It also co-ordinates and focuses research efforts aimed at developing
and rationalising Oman's water resources, protecting them from pollution, and highlighting SQU's role
in this matter. The WRC identifies
and prioritises water study, provides
data for researchers, and co-operates
with local, regional and international
bodies to effect the optimal exploitation of available water resources and
discover new ones too. It also offers
research services, consultancies, and
analysis through SQU's facilities.
Since its inception in June 2002,
the WRC has carried out a number of
activities and workshops on water is-
The Water Research Centre seeks to identify water research priorities and place them within
SQU’s research programmes.
sues with the participation of many
a considerable number of water experts both from the public and private
sectors. It has also co-operated with
regional and international centres to
exchange expertise and experiences
in the field. This has resulted in a
number of joint workshops between
these centres and the WRC.
Objectives
The WRC endeavours to achieve a
number of objectives, which include
identifying water research priorities
and placing them within SQU's research programmes; also activating
co-operation between SQU researchers and those from local, regional and
international institutions. It further
provides the databases needed by
researchers, raises funds for water
study, and provides training opportunities for SQU students with both
local and international bodies. It also
organizes conferences and workshops
to activate SQU's role in this field.
Projects
The WRC supervises a number
of research projects and submits
new proposals to carry out projects.
Currently, it is pursuing a major
project on integrative water management in the civil areas of Muscat Governorate.
A future joint project with SQU's
College of Agricultural and Marine
Sciences, will be on the improvement
of water productivity and exploitation
using ACE (agriculture in controlled
environment) by modifying structural
changes and crop rotation which result from seasonal effects in Oman.
The WRC has also submitted a
research proposal, yet to be approved,
for transforming Salalah into Oman's
main fruit and vegetable basket. Pres-
S
A serological examination
of parziquantel used in the
treatment of intestinal bilharzia
in Dhofar Governorate. The
study aims to discover the
genetic diversity of the
Mansoni Bilharzia parasite
c h istosomiasis
or (Bilharzia) is a disease caused by parasitic
worms which attack both humans and animals. In their developmental stage the worms
live in the body of a snail
which acts as their host until
they mature. They are found in
hot and tropical countries, with
the disease they cause prevalent in most areas, especially
those which contain large agricultural projects that depend
on continuous irrigation.
The disease is found in
more than 70 countries, and
the number of infected people
worldwide is estimated at 300
millions. It was known in ancient times in the Nile Valley,
and in 1910 fossilised eggs
of these parasitic worms were
found in Egyptian mummies
belonging to the Twentieth Dynasty(1250-1000 BC).
Recently, cases of Bilharzia were identified in small
numbers of school children in
Dhofar Governorate where the
disease had not appeared for
nearly ten years and had been
very rare before that.
As a consequence, Professor M Idris, Head of the Microbiology and Immunology De-
Cesar’s activities on environmental research
T
he Centre for Environmental Studies and
Research (Cesar) organises a number of
activities The Cesar is currently organising a
number of environment-related activities to
consolidate its scientific work in the service of
the environment. The most important of these
are an International Conference on Migrating
Birds, which will be held in March 2011,
and the third joint symposium with JCCP on
'Environmental Challenges and Mitigation
Approaches for Sustainable Development in
the Oil and Gas Industry.'
The centre will also organise a fourth symposium on environmental problems in the
Arab world entitled 'Facing the Challenge of
Sustainable Development'. Finally, it will participate during University Day in May 2011
and in the International Day for the Environment in June 2011. The Cesar is the oldest
research centre at SQU and will celebrate its
tenth anniversary this year.
D
r Laoutha bint Khalfan al Subhi, of the Department
of Food Science and Nutrition, at the College of
Agricultural and Marine Sciences, is currently working on
completing a study to design a comprehensive awareness
programme for type 2 diabetics among adults concerning
dietary habits and physical activity programmes. It also
aims to bring patients' attention to the importance of
metabolic control parameters, such as lipid panel and body
measurements, HbA1c, and sugar management.
ently, the WRC is researching the effect of irrigation water on seed germination, growth rate, crop yield and
metallic residues in cucumber.
International Co-operation
During the Fall semester of 2010,
the WRC hosted two students from
the USA and Holland to conduct water research related to the Sultanate as
part of their postgraduate studies.
Community Service
The WRC plays an important social role in increasing public concern
about water preservation and rationalisation. In this regard, it has held
an awareness raising symposium for
students as part of the celebrations of
the annual International Water Day
which occurs on March 22. The WRC
has also provided consulting services
to the Haya Water Company and to
Petrogas.
Treatment of intestinal
bilharzia in Dhofar
Schistosome parasite
Integrated awareness
programme for
diabetics
Schistosomiasis is a disease caused by parasitic worms which attack both humans and animals.
partment at SQU's College of egg excretors, seropositives sion of Bilharzia infection in
Medicine embarked on a study and seronegatives at four Dhofar. However, such epidewhich examined the efficacy of schools with a low level of in- miological investigations need
praziquantel which was used fection(36/519) and from four to be conducted annually in
to treat the Dhofari infected others which were Bilharzia order to detect any future
school-children .
free (0/281). Stool samples schistosomes infection in the
Objectives
were then examined by Kato- snails.
The study also proved that
The main objective of this Kats (5 smears). Using the
research was to support and Indirect Haemaggulutination there was no indication of newenhance efforts by Omani's Assay (IHA) all sero-positives ly-acquired infections between
of the Ministry of Health to and all egg positives were February 2006 and May 2007,
control and possibly eliminate treated with praziquantel and and that the complete drop of
Bilharzia from Dhofar. It also all stool and sera samples from Bilharzia antibodies in praziqaimed to address the question the entire study population antel treated children would
not occur even a year later.
of the drop of antibody titres in were collected.
Recommendations
patients taking a full dosage of Mechanisms of Implementation
1. The building of toilets
praziquantel without the risk of
The four sera samples from
re-infection.
each individual were screened and the provision of drinking
Other aims of the study in- at the University of Heidel- water in falajs, at water sites
cluded the investigation of the berg with Elisa, using a crude and tourist spots to reduce waparasite's genetic diversity and soluble antigen of S mansoni ter contamination.
2. The need for vigilance
the factors behind the preva- worms, a crude soluble antilence of the disease in Dhofar. gen of S mansoni eggs and a and surveys, like those conCases were diagnosed by purified S mansoni antigen. ducted on the school children
parasitological and serological The study proved that the Bi- in order to identify and treat
tests and changes in the anti- omphalaria snails were free of Dhofar's nomads as well as
expatriates who come from
body levels were examined af- infection.
The examination was con- schisto-endemic areas and who
ter patients took praziquantel.
To meet these objectives ducted by trained technicians. may be responsible for the rewell-defined sera and stool This indicates that currently surgence of schistosomiais in
samples were collected from there is no active transmis- Dhofar.
Evidence shows that the prevalence of diabetes and diabetes-related complications, such as disease of the retina
and kidney failure, are on the rise in Oman. Lack of knowledge and misconceptions pertaining to diabetes symptoms
and complications have been documented among Omani
adults with Type 2 diabetes.
Knowledge of diet and physical activity has yet to be
explored. Despite international recommendations from
Who and IDF to include lifestyle management (diet and
physical activity) as an essential component for diabetes
health care, such education has not kept up with the alarming increase in the number of diabetes cases in Oman.
Moreover, the absence of such diabetes education explains the prevalence of diabetes complications among
Omani adults. The primary objectives of this study are:
(a) to design, to implement and to investigate the effect
of a comprehensive diet and physical activity education
programme for adults with Type 2 diabetes on knowledge
and metabolic control parameters;
(b) to determine factors predicting diabetes management among patients based on Health Belief Model.
Oman-India symposium
‘Civilisation and Prospects’
I
n an initiative arranged by the Omani Studies Centre
(OSC) in co-operation with several governmental
bodies, the Office for External Co-operation is organising a
symposium on Oman and India to be held at SQU next year
between February 27 and March 1.
The symposium will deal with different themes in the
fields of history, culture, literature, arts and other human
sciences. It is hoped that the symposium will strengthen
the existing deep-rooted ties between the two countries,
especially as Oman, under the prosperous reign of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, is seeking to enhance this relationship
based on a scientific and serious academic vision.
The symposium aims to shed light on present and past
ties between the two countries in the fields of, science, economics and culture. It also seeks to highlight Indian and
Omani contributions to human knowledge and to enrich
libraries in Oman, India and around the world with new research and ideas on the symposium themes which include
the following: geographical location and shared history,
educational, social, cultural, and economic ties.