SQU Shines at Innovation Fair Panorama Experience with a Live Volcano Mind Over Matter SQU Students’ Annual Trip Begins News Update Preparing for Potential Tsunamis in Oman Department of Public Relations and Information Sultan Qaboos University Issue 218 View Point Critical Perspectives Increasing demands for greater accountability within higher education have prompted institutions to more closely examine their academic programs and practices to assess their quality, efficiency and impact on student learning outcomes. A continuous, systematic evaluation process for reviewing academic programs, and an assurance that results are being used towards program improvement are equally important for any institution that aspires to move forward in terms of quality in academic programs, research and internationalisation. Khamis Rajab Al Busaidi Editorial Supervision Humaid Al Adwani Editor -in-chief M.K. Santhosh Senior Editor Younis Al Harrasi Editor & Translator Ahlam Al Wahaibi Design & Layout Rashad Al Wahaibi & Photography Dept., CET Photography Review of academic programs should be a comprehensive process that enables academic units to engage in a thorough evaluation of the status, strengths and weaknesses of their degree programs; determine the extent to which departmental and institutional goals and objectives are aligned; and, make credible claims regarding educational outcomes. Through careful evaluation and feedback from faculty and other stakeholders, as well as in-depth analysis of quantitative and qualitative indicators of quality, institutions are able to gather essential information that can be used to inform the decision- making process and make modifications and improvements as necessary. SQU is committed to educational excellence and the enhancement of its academic programs. The primary purpose of review of academic and research programs is to promote and maintain high quality undergraduate and graduate programs and research that are effective, efficient and consistent with the mission and resources of the university. Recently, we got the opportunity to interact with a group of international experts who were entrusted with the task reviewing different departments of the College of Agricultural & Marine Sciences. All of them expressed satisfaction over the standards of the academic programs and the dedication and commitment shown by the faculty and technical staff. We hope that the results of the academic program review will provide evidence of the quality and strength of the undergraduate and graduate degree programs of this college and other colleges that go for external review process, and allow for decisions to be made regarding program development, enhancement and continuation. Horizon invites contributions from SQU members of staff and faculty. Contributions in the form of articles, news, travelogues, stories of unique and interesting experiences, encounters, etc., are welcome. Contributions may be edited for the sake of clarity and length. Please send your contributions to horizon@squ.edu.om preferably, as MSWord attachments. Authors will be suitably credited. Horizon is published three times a month by the Department of Public Relations and Information, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 50, P.C. 123, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. Phone: +968 24141045 E-mail: horizon@squ.edu.om 30 May 2011 P2 Fax: +968 24413 391 Website: www.squ.edu.om SQU Students’ Annual Trip Begins News Update CESAR to Celebrate Environment Day The 14th annual overseas trip of the students of Sultan Qaboos University, which are supported by the generous grant from His Majesty, commenced on Friday, 27 May 2011. This year, the male student batch is visiting Ireland and United Kingdom where as the female batch is touring different places in the Republics of Germany and Austria. The students are selected for annual student trips on the basis of their performance in academic and co-curricular spheres. The idea behind organizing student trip annually is to familiarise the students with the cultural and social aspects of different countries across the world. HE Dr. Ali bin Saud al Bimani, Vice Chancellor of SQU, hoped that the trips would benefit the participating students. He stressed that the trip is significant considering its cultural, educational, social and entertainment dimensions. The Vice Chancellor observed that the overseas trip would foster the spirit of responsibility among the students. “The role that international trips play in improving the self confidence levels of students cannot be ignored. The trips will also increase one’s sense of belonging to his/her homeland”. The Vice Chancellor advised the participating students to use this as an opportunity to learn new cultures and civilisation and to witness the progress and prosperity of the visiting nations. The entertainment aspect of the trips, he said, would pave way for the students to come back to their respective colleges with increased enthusiasm and dynamism. Dr. Al Bimani thanked His Majesty for his unrelenting care and attention given to his sons and daughters. The annual student trips are coordinated by the Deanship of Student Affairs. This year, the male batch, consisting of 36 students and four staff members, is led by Dr. Badr bin Hilal, Dean of Student Affairs, and the female batch consisting of the same number of students and staff, is headed by Dr. Zakia al Busaidi from the College of Medicine & Health Sciences. The Center for Environmental Studies & Research (CESAR) at Sultan Qaboos University is all set to organize World Environment Day 2011 on June 5 with a series of activities. World Environment Day is aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action. 2011 is the International Year of Forests (IYF) and the theme of this year’s celebration is “Forests: Nature at Your Service”. This year represents an opportunity for evolving our work on sustainable forestry to a higher plain. Forests cover one third of the earth’s land mass, performing vital functions and services around the world which make our planet alive with possibilities. In fact, 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods. They play a key role in our battle against climate change, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere while storing carbon dioxide. SQU is celebrating World Environment Day in association with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs. The activities will be held at Al Fahm Hall of SQU’s Cultural Center. In the opening Ceremony, after the opening remarks of Dr. Mushtaque Ahmed, Director of SQU CESAR, Dr. Annette Patzelt from Oman Botanical Garden, will deliver the keynote speech titled “Forests in Changing World” this will be followed by a short film on forests. The second session is earmarked for talks and deliberations on environmental issues. In this session, Prof. Faisal Taha, from the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture, UAE will deliver a talk on the impact of climate change and agriculture in the Arab world. Dr. Noreddine Ghaffour from King Abdullah University of Sciences and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia will talk about the environmental impact of desalination. The third session features presentations on environmental management. Dr. Vincent Kotwicki from Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research (KISR), Kuwait will give a presentation on climate change and water resources management. In addition to international experts, researchers from the Ministry and SQU will deliver several presentations during the sessions. According the CESAR sources, the latest issue of CESAR Newsletter, SQU Environmental Research Digest, and the Book of Abstracts of World Environment Day presentations will be released on the occasion. SQU Hosts Seminar on Reactive Power Control & Stability on equipment for reactive compensation and voltage control and purchase issues. Case studies pertaining to reactive power control in Real time and system stability issues were also presented. The Electrical & Computer Engineering Department in the College of Engineering at Sultan Qaboos University recently organized a seminar on “Reactive Power Control and Stability”. The event, held in association with Oman Society of Engineers, and IEEE Oman Section, was sponsored by Oman Electricity Transmission Company. The seminar addressed operational problems and the types of reactive power compensation equipment currently employed in both transmission and distribution systems in GCC countries. The highlight of the seminar was a presentation by Engr. John Bailey, who gave an overview of reactive power control in transmission and distribution networks and relevant sections of Oman transmission and distribution codes. He also elaborated A communiqué issued by the organisers of the seminar said that the domestic, commercial and industrial use of electricity will spread rapidly across the globe in the ensuing years. “Today, generating stations of varying types and size are installed and high voltage interconnected transmission systems are evident in most parts of the world. Grid systems must be robust enough to carry the power from generating stations to demand centres under all reasonable conditions. Extreme system operating conditions are more likely to occur in networks with long transmission lines or where such networks are rapidly expanding to meet ever increasing demand. For sound economic reasons system real power and reactive loading conditions tend to be much closer to limits than in the past; loss of transmission or generation in-feeds can more easily result in grid imbalance, causing power swings and voltage control problems”. At the end of the seminar sessions, Engr. Thani Al-Khusaibi, formally announced the launching of the Oman Chapter of IEEE Power & Energy Society. The IEEE Power & Energy Society (IEEE/PES) is a worldwide, nonprofit association of more than 24,000 individuals engaged in the electric power energy industry. 30 May 2011 P3 Insight By: Dr. B. Babu Madhavan Research Scientist SQU Remote Sensing and GIS Center & T. Yanuma, Y. Sumikawa, and T. Hatori, PASCO Corporation- Japan The tsunami in Indian Ocean generated after the Sumatra earthquake on 26 December 2004 provided wakeup call to the countries and people living near the coastal areas for advanced preparedness of tsunami related hazard. Accordingly, several scientists around the globe investigated this particular tsunami and proposed simulation and related activities. For the Pacific Ocean rim countries, beside their own warning centers, there is advanced and well equipped international tsunami warning center, explicitly, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) established in 1949. Besides, many countries, for example Japan, are equipped with up- to-date hazard maps, and warning & advisories services. Subsequent to the occurrence of the 2004 Indonesian tsunami, nations like India and Oman, as well as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), initiated setting up an Indian Ocean tsunami warning system. It is required that any tsunami mitigation by the Sultanate of Oman should focus on its eastern coastline. Given that the Oman is a coastal country, with the vast majority of its population and industry along its coasts, the importance of developing and maintaining a tsunami warning system should be evident, especially on the eastern coast. In conjunction with the tsunami warning system, sea floor earthquake monitoring program would also assist in detecting potential tsunami-generating events in the region. The geography and geomorphology of the Sea of Oman, especially its shallow depth and lack of historical tsunamis are interpreted to mean that a tsunami in the Sea of Oman is very unlikely. On the other hand, experts articulate that Oman cannot overlook tsunami threat. Studies show that the potential of the disaster knocking Oman’s eastern coast from the Makran subduction zone cannot be ruled out. Research work in Oman’s eastern coast near Qalhat and Sur on coastal evolution and ancient harbors found significant scientific evidence of the 1945 tsunami in Sur lagoon from shell deposits to raise possibility of tsunami striking Oman in future. Fractured shells deposits found in the area indicate the impact of tsunami or earthquake in the sea. Lastly, the public needs to be educated. In the past, this may have been difficult, but given the tremendous awareness raised by the 2004 Indonesian tsunami, the general public is far more likely to respond positively to the distribution of information by public signs at beaches seafronts or in the form of printed material. People who live in coastal settings should be given information on the risks of that environment. Tsunami Analysis Aid GIS System in Japan In Japan, several robust Tsunami Analysis Aid Systems have been created and existing for preparing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based tsunami hazard maps, which facilitate decision-making support to reduce tsunami damage. By using such systems, it is possible to create tsunami hazard map for planning disaster prevention or to plan the location and height of civil infrastructures, which prevents tsunami disaster. By predicting possible tsunami scale and potential inundation areas, it is possible to establish suitable measures for reducing the damage in tangible form and in an easy-to-understand fashion. Similar measures have been developed, improved, and the results are published to the public in Japan regularly. The procedure of compiling a hazard map comprises: (1) establishing digital terrain model, (2) selecting possible earthquake, (3) performing tsunami simulation (estimating inundation area), and (4) creating tsunami hazard maps. 30 May 2011 P4 Preparing for Potential Tsunamis in Oman Considerations in creating a hazard map for Oman Land topography and bathymetry data are essential; future possible tsunami-generating earthquakes should be examined based on the latest scientific achievements, not only past tsunami or earthquake data; social conditions data (population, building, land use, etc.) are needed to establish an evacuation plan. Contents to be included in Hazard map Inundation area to be used for identification of the vulnerable area or evacuation route, etc.; expected arrival time of tsunamis after the occurrence of the earthquakes; social information (such as schools, police stations, fire stations, medical centers, public facilities) for evacuation area, emergency countermeasures, etc. Publication, dissemination and education of hazard maps The hazard maps should be shared among all-stakeholders. People should understand that the hazard information on the hazard map is not an actual situation in future, but a possible estimation. Education to the people is essential to make people use hazard maps properly. Local leader on disaster management should be trained through “Training of Trainer” from central / local government to community levels. In order to establish the education frame work, a pilot project in a designated area could be considered to collect basic experiences and knowledge about how to implement “Training of Trainer” efficiently. The final goal is tsunami damage reduction. To accomplish the goal, tsunami hazard maps should be connected with proper action and implementation of tsunami measures. In Japan, sign boards based on tsunami hazard maps are erected all along the coastal regions where people live or frequently visit. Sign boards of evacuation routes, places for gathering (usually an elevated park or ground), tsunami height (maximum wave height based on past records), social information such as school, police station, fire station, medical centers, and public facilities can be noticed. Japanese people are perfectly educated on evacuation measures. Starting from primary schools to colleges, all the students and parents are educated about the hazard maps by specialists. All the news network channels in Japan are well equipped, have readyto-respond to hazards expertise by which alert the public with actual happenings. For example once a tremor is felt, within a few seconds people can watch flash news of the tremor with relevant maps showing epicenter, the magnitude of the tremor and warning for any hazard. If the situation is worrisome, Japanese people know what to do subsequently. They keep exceedingly calm and wait for the authorities instructions. All the shops will be ready to supply food (there will be always a very polite queue in front of food shops). Hospital, fire and safety officers are perfectly placed to deliver their services. Conversely, if the epicenter of tsunamigenic earthquake is in close proximity to the coastal line, there is insufficient time for mass-evacuation which has happened in the March 11, 2011 disaster. Several free to use maps derived from advanced satellite images of the latest Sendai tsunami have been posted at http://www.pasco.co.jp/disaster_ info/110311/. For the last 7 years, Dr. B. Babu Madhavan had been functioning in a variety of senior management roles at the rank of Director for the Tokyo based PASCO (world largest airsurvey corporation) and more recently as the President and CEO of its Indian operations. He has nearly 20 years’ experience in research suitable for Satellite and Airborne surveying industry. The author expresses his appreciation to Dr. Andy Kwarteng, Director-Remote Sensing and GIS, for supporting the publication of this article. Mind Over Matter Experience with a Live Volcano By: Dr. Sayyadul Arafin Department of Physics College of Science and devastating’ then ashfall that follows an eruption can perhaps be described as depressing and nuisance. Ash fall is a health hazard and inhaling volcanic ash can lead to many diseases linked to the respiratory system. Frequent ashfalls from the Montserrat volcano threatened the survival of the local ecosystem. Whenever we went out of the observatory, we carried one set of walkie-talkie with each group and a mask and head-gear for each individual. People were cautioned to filter the air they breathe with either a damp cloth or a face mask when facing an ash fall. Ashfall seemed to look like a ‘bizarre blizzard from hell!’ Some people left the island to settle down elsewhere not because of fear of volcanic eruption as such but the pain they had to go through in dealing with ashfalls especially when it concerned keeping the house and the households including food items for themselves and for their pets clean. The capital city, Plymouth was considered most vulnerable to the ravages of the volcano. The city was evacuated a few months after the phreatic explosion in July, 1995 and the residents were taken to temporary shelters established in schools and churches. The shelters with inadequate civic amenities were all over-crowded. While the volcano was in calm stage, I along with other colleagues of Seismic Research Unit tried to foster good relationships with the authorities and the communities by giving lectures to civic and school groups, and also the people living in the shelters. Montserrat is a small volcanic island in the Caribbean sea. The island is one of the last remaining colonies of the British Empire. The island measures about 16km long and 11km wide giving an area of 100 square km and a coastline of 40 km. The island remained relatively unknown to the outside world until July 18, 1995 when its Soufriere Hill volcano erupted spewing steam and ash in the sky. In the jargon of volcanology, this type of eruption is termed as ‘phreatic’(steam related) eruption. The Montserrat volcano is known as Soufriere volcano. Soufriere is a French word, which stands for sulphur. Montserrat lies on a destructive plate boundary where the North American plate is forced down or subducted under the Caribbean plate. As the American plate is forced down, pressure increases which triggers earthquakes and at the same time heat produced by friction melts the descending plate to form molten magma. The hot magma which is under high pressure tries to push up to the surface and when it succeeds will form a volcano like the one in Montserrat. The idea was to make media and the people aware of the volcanic phenomena in general and nature of possible volcanic hazards in particular. A well informed public is less likely to get panicked and more likely to act rationally in responding to governmental advisories and contingency measures in the event of a volcanic emergency. Most of the people in the shelters looked exhausted and scared. A sense of uncertainty gripped them all. It was very difficult for some people, especially old people, to have to go through the traumatic anguish when they saw the area they lived and loved had to be abandoned making them homeless. Many people found it difficult to live in a state of uncertainty that maligned their dignity. We tried to appease them by narrating positive sides of a volcano. Volcano not only brings forth destruction it also creates. There are about 500 active volcanoes worldwide affecting half a billion people living around them. Over time, ashfall can also lead to the creation of fertile soils suitable for supporting lush green vegetation like the ones found in the Caribbean regions. The volcanic activity in the Caribbean has created some of the ‘most beautiful paradise islands’ in the world and many islands in the region offer a diversity of landscapes in a small area which together attract millions of tourists each year. There was, at one point, a sense of mistrust and fury prevailing upon the people of Montserrat with regard to the management of the volcanic crisis by the politicians and the scientists working in the temporary Montserrat Volcano Observatory. This happened when almost simultaneously two exaggerated views on the safety of the public expressed by two scientists working independently were published in the British and American media. One report was on the danger of inhaling volcanic ash and the other about the unpredictable behavior of the Montserrat volcano. Soon after joining Seismic Research Unit (SRU) of the University of the West Indies, Trinidad in July 1995, I was assigned duties in Montserrat to assist in the monitoring of the volcano. I took this assignment as an opportunity to work with a live volcano and preferred to work with different monitoring teams such as Seismology, Electronic Distance Measurement (EDM), Microgravimetry, Geographical Positioning System(GPS) and Visual Observation. In the initial stages of the volcanic crisis, scientists from Seismic Research Unit to which I belonged, UK and USA were involved in the monitoring. As it became quite clear to the scientists that the nature of the restlessness of the volcano was indicating towards a big event, they informed the civil authorities of the worst-case scenario in which the dome of the volcano could collapse generating pyroclastic flows. Pyroclastic flows are a catastrophic eruption of a mixture of scorching dense gases and rocks that would roll down the slopes of a mountain at about 200 km per hour, incinerating and flattening everything in its path. Pyroclastic flows are perhaps the most destructive weapon in nature’s arsenal, capable of destroying cities in seconds. It was such a catastrophe that destroyed the Roman town of Pompeii in AD 79 and a similar one was in the waiting to show its power of destruction in Montserrat. The volcano became restless after the July 18, 1995 phreatic explosion. It was erupting since then frequently though not violently, mostly spewing steam and ash accompanied by rockfalls. If volcanic eruption is described by ‘spectacular (The second part of this article will be published in the next issue of Horizon) 30 May 2011 P5 News Round Up International Experts Satisfied Over CAMS’ Standards Prof. Sharon Smith Prof. Mary Harris Prof. Abdelfattah Nour Three international experts who were entrusted with the task of reviewing the academic programs and research in various departments of the College of Agricultural & Marine Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University expressed their satisfaction over the standards of the programs in the college. SQU has realised that external reviews of academic programs are a useful and valuable means of protecting quality in higher education as they can generate suggestions for program improvement that are both specific and practical. Mary Harris, Professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Colorado State University, who reviewed the Department of Food Science & Nutrition said that the exercise of reviewing the programs is in line with the mission of SQU to become a world class university. “We have been asked to review the programs, expertise and quality of research within the department. Improving the quality of programs in agriculture is important in ensuring food security. The extent of food security is not limited to access to adequate amount of food; the term involves adequate knowledge in nutrition to promote the health of the people”, she said. The nation needs well-qualified dietitans who could serve at both primary and tertiary care levels. Being the national university, SQU should take the responsibility of properly training professions in human dietetics. Mary observed that SQU is always open towards the realm of raising the quality of its academic programs. Sharon L. Smith, Professor in the Department of Marine Biology & Fisheries at the University of Miami, evaluated the programs and research in the Department of Marine Sciences & Fisheries. “Our mission was to evaluate the courses, looking at the curricula, quality of text books prescribed, exams given, student evaluation, so on”. Prof. Smith has been associated with this department since 2005 through a collaborative research that investigates the effect of climate change on the Indian Ocean. Being an ocean biologist, she is looking at the impact of climate change on biological production in the sea. As part of the evaluation process, Prof. Smith interviewed the faculty members, technical staff, and students in the Marine Sciences & Fisheries Department. “The department offers a lot courses which gives students more flexibility in picking up the courses they are interested. The overseas internship program introduced by the department offers students the opportunity to putting their skills into practice and facing real challenges, exposing them to different cultures and work environments”, Prof. Smith added. She lauded the faculty member’s successful efforts in striking a perfect balance between teaching and research in their tightly packed work schedule. Prof. Smith observed that Marine Sciences and Fisheries is very important for a country like Oman, considering its long coastline. “Considering introduction of new programs in Fisheries Oceanography, Meteorology and Physical Oceanography would be worthwhile to cater for the raising need of experts in these fields”, she added. Abdelfattah Y. M. Nour, Professor of Basic Medical Sciences in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences at the School of Veterinary Medicine in Purdue University, USA, reviewed the programs and research in the Department of Animal & Veterinary Sciences. He expressed satisfaction over the dedication of the faculty members and technical staff in the department and suggested the idea of setting up clinical lab for Veterinary Technology Graduates to receive more hands-on training in clinical skills. 30 May 2011 P6 SQU Team Discovers Bones of Elephant Ancestors in Oman The Omani Barytherium is the first one to be found in Oman and represent the oldest ancestors of elephant (Barytherium). It was found in Aidum area in Dhofar by the Ministry of Heritage and culture and brought to SQU for identification. A group of geologists from SQU (Prof. Dr. Sobhi Nasir, Dr. Abdulrahman Al Harthy, from SQU and Dr. Erick Seifert from the Stoony Brook University, USA) visited the area and found a large area of elephant bones as known as elephant grabs where they found and collected large quantities of bones to be identified. The group of researchers from SQU, Stony Brook and the Ministry of Heritage are still working on these bones and they are expecting new discoveries in the area. They said that this finding is extremely important as it give the first evidence of the oldest ancestor of elephant found in the world. The scientists named the new finding as Barytherium Omansi. Barytherium (meaning heavy beast) is a genus of an extinct family (Barytheriidae) of primitive proboscidean that lived during the late Eocene and early Oligocene in North Africa. The Barytheriidae were the first large size proboscideans to appear in the fossil records and were characterized by a strong sexual dimorphism. The only known species within this family is Barytherium grave, found at the beginning of the 20th century in the Fayum, Egypt. More complete specimens have been found since then, at Dor el Talha Libya. In some respects, these animals would have looked similar to a modern Asian Elephant, but with a more slender build. The most visible difference, however, would have been the tusks Barytherium had eight very short tusks, four each in the upper and lower jaws, which resembled those of a modern hippopotamus more than those of an elephant. The upper pairs were vertical, while the lower pairs projected forwards from the mouth horizontally. Together, these would have created a shearing action for cropping plants. Paleontologists know a lot more about Barytherium’s tusks, which tend to preserve better in the fossil record than soft tissue, than they do about its trunk. This prehistoric elephant had eight short, stubby tusks, four in its upper jaw and four in its lower jaw, but to date no one has unearthed any evidence for its proboscis (which may or may not have looked like that of a modern elephant). Bear in mind, though, that Barytherium wasn’t directly ancestral to modern elephants; rather, it represented an evolutionary side branch of mammals combining elephant-like and hippo-like characteristics. Panorama SQU Shines at Innovation Fair Dr. Haider Al Lawati Mustafa Barami SQU won the first and second places the best innovation projects exhibited at the first ever Innovation Fair (INFOM) organised by the Industrial Innovation Centre (IIC) in February this year at Grand Hyatt Muscat. The IIC aims at supporting industrial projects in the Sultanate and linking them with local, regional and international research centres in order to underline the importance of co-operation in developing industries, as well as to find sustainable means to spread the culture of innovation and activate it in the Omani industrial sectors. HH Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq al Said, Advisor to His Majesty, the Sultan, honoured the winners of the innovation contest held on the sidelines of the fair. Dr Haider bin Ahmed Al Lawati, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry of the College of Science at SQU won first place as he improvised a tool for chemical analysis, while Mustafa bin Salim Barami, a graduate from the same department won second place for his project on extracting paper from palm fronds. Dr. Haider’s Project using Lab on a Chip Technology A fast, economic and sensitive method has been developed for the analysis of a known antihistamine (cetrizine hydrochloride) in pharmaceutical formulations and in biological fluids using a novel microdevice that is based on a new technology known as Lab On a Chip (LOC). LOC are devices that process or manipulate small amount of fluids (106 to 10-18 liters) using channels with dimensions of tens to hundreds of micrometers (a micrometer is 10-3 millimeters). Because LOC devices uses very minute quantity of solvents (nanoliters) compared to the quantities used in the current methods; it reduces the chemical consumption by a factor of thousand to more than hundred thousand. You can imagine that the volume of one drop of a liquid is almost greater than ten thousand nanoliters. Therefore, this system leads to generation of extremely minute hazardous wastes and reduces the cost of analysis considerably. Additionally, these devices have many unique advantages afforded by the reduced dimensions compared to the standard analysis methods. This is due to the new capabilities in the control of concentrations of molecules in space and time, which leads to a high degree of control, higher purity and sensitivity, better selectivity and reduced analysis time. For instance an analysis that takes about an hour using the traditional methods will be performed in few minutes using LOC devices. Moreover, the technique offer opportunity to have a portable laboratory so you can take your laboratory -like taking your notebook- to the site of the analysis rather than bringing your sample to the laboratory. Using this technology a novel device was made that can analyze up to 180 samples per hour, consuming only micro-litters (1/100000 litter) quantities of reagents per analysis. Paper from Date Palm Leaves The project deals with using date palm leaves, which is generally avoided as a waste material, for producing paper pulp. Date palm population in the GCC countries is around 100 million which is capable of producing three million tonnes of palm leaves annually. “The process of paper making from palm leaves is techno-economically more acceptable. Applying this project in the GCC region can contribute to about one per cent of the world production of paper which is considered as a good share and it will be enough to supply about half of our local need of paper,” Mustafa said. Abandoning date palm leaves causes several environmental issues as decomposition of the leaves results in the emission of carbon dioxide and other unwanted gases into the atmosphere. The idea of Mustafa is to utilise this waste material for producing a useful thing such as paper products including printing paper, tissue paper, envelopes, paper bags and even cartons. Replacing plastic bags with paper bags helps reduce plastic pollution. Mustafa said that date palm leaf, a sustainable agri-residue is an excellent raw material for making pulp and paper of various grades due to the presence of cellulose content in it. “We have done laboratory tests producing different qualities of paper from date palms. Our plan is to do the economical study and scale it up to take it up for commercialisation. I would extent my thanks to Dr. Al Saeed Al Shafi of Chemistry Department who supervised me in this project,” he said. 30 May 2011 P7 Straight Talk Horizon: How would you underline the importance of sleep medicine as a medical speciality? Dr. Nabil: Sleep medicine is a subspecialty devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of sleep disturbances and disorders. Since 1960s, research has provided increasing knowledge and answered many questions about sleep-wake functioning. The rapidly evolving field has become a recognized medical subspecialty in some countries. Disorders and disturbances of sleep are widespread and can have significant consequences for affected individuals as well as economic and other consequences for society. The main objective of the National Symposium on Sleep Medicine was to increase the awareness of people, medical community and the policymakers in Oman on sleep disorders, especially Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) which affects 4 percent of males and 2 percent of females worldwide. In fact, we don’t have the exact figures of patients affected by this disease in Oman; however, the probability is to have a similar prevalence rate. Horizon: The symposium seems to have give much importance to OSA? Is this the most common sleep disorder? Dr. Nabil: Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder which is caused by several psychological and environmental factors such as alcohol addiction, anxiety, stress, etc. It can be classified as a psychosocial rather than a physiological or organic disorder. OSA is a condition in which pauses in breathing occur during sleep because the airway has become narrowed, blocked, or floppy. This disease has numerous medical and psycho-social consequences and direct impact of the well being of the patient. OSA is most often under-diagnosed and consumes a lot of health care resources. If the disease is diagnosed on time and treatment started, the burden on the health care system can be reduced by as much as 50 percent. OSA is also associated with economic and social consequences. Since the patients lack proper sleep during night, they are prone to daytime sleepiness and because of this, people with sleep apnea have an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents from driving while sleepy and industrial accidents from falling asleep on the job. Untreated obstructive sleep apnea may lead to, or worsen, cardiovascular disease, such as arrhythmias, heart failure, high blood pressure and stroke. Horizon: What are the causes of sleep apnea? Dr. Nabil: The etiology of this disease is not fully understood. Risk factors include male gender, obesity and narrow upper airways. Men are more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea than women before age 50. Among obese patients, 70% have obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea worsens in severity and prevalence with increasing obesity. Among patients with heart disease 30% to 50% have obstructive sleep apnea, and among patients with resistant hypertension qand polycystic ovearian disease 60-80% have obstructive sleep apnea. Horizon: Is OSA a hereditary disease? Dr. Nabil: A good hereditary component is there. If the first degree relatives of a person has OSA, there are 20 percent chances for him or her to inherit the disease. Age is one of the risk factors, hence this disease is more common among adults rather than children. Horizon: Do we have enough OSA treatment facilities in Oman? Dr. Nabil: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is probably the best, nonsurgical treatment for any level of obstructive sleep apnea. In finding a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, the primary goal is to hold the airway open so it does not collapse during sleep. CPAP uses air pressure to hold the tissues open during sleep. The CPAP machine is a little larger than a toaster. It is portable and can be taken on trips. One unit cost around RO 500 and can last up to five years. At present a patient has to wait for at least 6 months to get this treatment as sleep medicine units are available in one or two hospitals. The need of the hour is to expand the sleep medicine services in the hospitals. The CPAP machines are not funded by government due to lack of provisions in this regard. Now the Sleep Medicine units depend on financial support from non-governmental organizations to purchase the machines. Considering the psycho-social and economic consequences of this disease, it is high time the government implemented policies to expand the sleep medicine units in the health services sector. Dr. Nabil Al Lawati is a Senior Consultant in Respiratory & Sleep Medicine at the Royal Hospital in Muscat. He was one of the organizing committee members of the 2nd National Symposium on Sleep Medicine, organised by SQU Hospital and Oman Respiratory Society, held at SQU from 4th to 5th of May 2011. Horizon spoke to Dr. Nabil Al Lawati on different aspects of sleep medicine with special reference to the Sultanate of Oman. Dr. Nabil M. Al Lawati