A Dip into the White Continent
Panorama
Ethnolinguistic Identity
Mind Over Matter
Graduation Ceremony Held in Two Phases
News Update
Useful Chemicals
from Omani Plants
Department of Public
Relations and Information
Sultan Qaboos University
Issue 204
View Point
Towards Seismic Risk Mitigation
Earthquakes are among the most dangerous natural phenomena since
they are hazardous and cause a lot of damage to people, society, and
engineering structures. The Sultanate’s unique geo-tectonic location on
the edge of the Arabian plate, surrounded by major faults from the South,
East and North-Eastern borders, has made it historically exposed to
earthquake activity resulting from pressures on the plate or its borders.
Khamis Rajab Al Busaidi
Editorial Supervision
Humaid Al Adwani
Editor -in-chief
M.K. Santhosh
Senior Editor
Younis Al Harrasi
Editor & Translator
Anisa Al Jabri
Design & Layout
Rashad Al Wahaibi
& Photography Dept., CET
Photography
Considerable efforts have been made for assessing seismic hazard in the
Sultanate. It has been established that a major fault exists in the Gulf
of Oman (offshore Muscat). Recently, earth movements have occurred
in Jabal Salak, Jabal Khubayb, Musandam and Batinah coastal plains.
The available geological, geophysical and historical data suggest a low
to moderate level of seismicity or greater could occur. Therefore, the
possibility of an earthquake in the Sultanate could never be ruled out.
The Earthquake Monitoring Centre at SQU operates the Omani seismic
network which includes thirteen stations, located in different sites across
the Sultanate, which transmit around the clock seismic information, via
satellites, to the centre’s premises. Currently, to fulfil its obligations to the
community, the Centre, in collaboration with the Supreme Committee for
Town Planning and the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water
Resources, is carrying out a research project on seismic hazard assessment
in the Sultanate and offering advice on the protection of existing and
future structures.
The Centre has started to utilise the input of international earthquake
monitoring stations to improve the protection of remote vulnerable
earthquake sites. Of late, SQU has joined hands with UAE National
Centre for Meteorology & Seismology to reduce the risk of earthquakes
and related disasters. The MoU signed in this regard would pave way
for the two institutions to promote cooperation and joint activities
in seismology. The plan of SQU and the UAE Centre for creating a
common data of seismic activities in the Oman and UAE territories and
surrounding areas is a welcoming step considering the assessment that
Oman and UAE have the potential for occurrence of earthquakes.
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
20 December 2010
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Fax: +968 24413 391
Website: www.squ.edu.om
HM stresses
importance of science
News Update
Graduation Ceremony: 2601
Students Receive Degrees
The 21st Graduation Ceremony of SQU was held in two
phases under the patronage of HE Sayyid Badr bin Saud
Al Busaidy, Minister Responsible for Defence Affairs, at the
university’s open theatre. In the first phase of the ceremony
held on 6 December, 1,200 students from the humanities
colleges namely Arts and Social Sciences, Education and
Law, received their degrees.
His Majesty the Sultan opened on Saturday 18,
December 2010 the Sultan Qaboos University’s
Cultural Centre. This multipurpose building was
constructed using the generous grant bestowed
by His Majesty to the university. The Cultural Centre
complex accommodates a big multipurpose hall,
Oman Studies Centre with a second auditorium
(Al Fahm Hall) capable of seating 200 people and
a number of specialist libraries. The Centre also
have the main library with over 600,000 titles that
accommodate 2,000 visitors at a time. It is the
largest library in Oman, offering services to the
general public.
During the opening ceremony of the Cultural
Centre, His Majesty addressed a paternal speech
to the students, saying, “We seek to invigorate
your efforts to make a valuable addition to this
field. Whatever progress made by hard workers is
still nothing compared to the vast sea of science.”
A useful science is the right springboard for
acquiring knowledge, expertise and skills
that enable present and future generations
to contribute positively to the service of their
homeland and their society and meet the needs
of development in a guided manner.
His Majesty the Sultan affirmed that, based on this
conviction, education has been accorded his full
attention: Government institutions that take care
of different aspects of education and scientific
research have been built; the private sector has
been encouraged, motivated and provided with
suitable facilities and financial means, as well as
moral support so that it can actively participate in
achieving the best world class educational levels
for Oman’s young generation.
His Majesty pointed out that special significance
was attached to each level in the march of education
from the early stages till the postgraduate studies
stage, including scholarships abroad, cultural
and scientific programmes and activities meant
to enhance students capacities and promote
their talents so that they could demonstrate
their efficiency. His Majesty said, “Few days ago,
this University witnessed the graduation of the
21st batch of Bachelors degree holders and the
graduation of the 15th batch of Masters degree
holders.”
From 1982 to 1986, the vast campus of the
university was under construction. In 1986, it
was inaugurated and received its first intake
of students. The University now has nine
colleges covering many science and humanities
disciplines.
The chief guest presented certificates to 540 students
from the College of Arts and Social Sciences which came
first in terms of number of students, 512 bachelors and 28
masters. Then, from the College of Education 527 students,
477 bachelors and 50 masters, received their degrees while
the number of students graduated from the College of Law
was 133 including 105 bachelor and 28 masters students.
Students from science colleges received degrees during
the second phase of the graduation ceremony held on
December 12. Certificates were presented to 334 graduates
from the College of Commerce and Economics, 53 students
from the College of Nursing, 120 graduates from the College
of Medicine and Health Sciences, 309 students from the
College of Science 309, 181 students from the College of
Agricultural and Marine Sciences, and 404 students from the
College of Engineering.
H.E.Dr Ali bin Saud al Bimani, SQU Vice-Chancellor, in his
address congratulated the graduates and urged them to
shoulder the national responsibility by using the knowledge
they have acquired in different fields of education. He
highlighted the significant role played by SQU and the
progress it has achieved at the regional and international
levels. He mentioned that the university has started
implementing the comprehensive foundation program that
covers English, Information Technology and Mathematics for
first year students to provide them with the basic skills and
knowledge before they begin studying their specialisations.
ICAMMM 2010 Concludes
The opening ceremony of the International Conference on Applied Mechanics,
Materials and Manufacturing (ICAMMM 2010), hosted by the Department of
Mechanical & Industrial Engineering of the College of Engineering at SQU
was held recently under the patronage of HE Dr. Mohammed bin Hamad Al
Rumhi, Minister of Oil and Gas.
Dr. Ali Al Harthy, Dean of the College of Science at SQU, who delivered
the welcome address in the opening ceremony, said that the title of the
conference covers very important broad areas. “As we all know, civilisation
has evolved when man exploited the properties of different materials for his
benefit and comfort. Scientists and engineers will continue research in these
subjects and the future will certainly depend on how well we understand
and exploit materials. The world is now competing to determine the better
technologies in manufacturing and developing industrial material and may
be the nation that wins competition will lead the global economy. The need
of the hour is to train our human resources at our universities to equip them
for this competition”, Dr. Al Harthy said.
Dr. Ashraf Shikdar, Chair of the conference organising committee and Head of
the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering at SQU said that one
should not forget the important role of materials and mechanics in critical
applications such as enhanced oil recovery, eco-house, renewable energy,
which have direct applications in Oman. Six keynote papers and around 150
technical papers by researchers and practitioners from over 40 countries
were presented in the conference.
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Insight
Useful Chemicals
from Omani Plants
Many biologically active compounds called secondary metabolites can
be obtained from plants. There are more than 400,000 of them. Most of
these secondary metabolites such as terpenes, alkaloids, flavonoids, have
important functions in plant interactions with other organisms. One such
type of interactions is the interaction between plants and their pathogens
which is complex and may be very specific to a given combination of plant
and pathogen.
Some plants are known to be able to defend themselves by the accumulation
of newly synthesized antifungal compounds called phytoalexins. These
are induced low molecular weight secondary metabolites that are
now recognized as an important response of plants to infection. The
accumulation of phytoalexins in plants can be induced by microbes, the
most effective of which are fungi and by nematodes, and insects. Also
abiotic stresses such as freezing, treatment with salts of heavy metals or
ultraviolet light are known to evoke phytoalexin response.
The major biological properties attributed to phytoalexins are antifungal
and antimicrobial against a range of organisms. These properties of
phytoalexins suggest a possible role of phytoalexins in plant disease
resistance. The search for the use of environmental friendly agrochemicals
from natural sources have inspired many investigators to suggest stressing
plants to produce higher levels of phytoalexins as their natural defense
mechanisms to reduce the use of environmental harmful fungicides and
other pesticides.
In addition, phytoalexins may contribute to the potential medicinal values
of the plants since a number of them have been associated with many
health-promoting activities such as anti-oxidant activity, anti-cancer
activities, anti-inflammation activity and cholesterol lowering ability.
Recently, USDA-ARS researchers are proposing the creation of a new area
within functional food research; phytoalexin-enriched foods; that utilizes
induced plant compounds or phytoalexins created during the pre- or postharvest period. These phytoalexin-enriched functional foods would benefit
the consumer by providing «health enhanced» food choices and would
also benefit many underutilized crops that may produce phytoalexins
that may not have been considered beneficial health-promoting foods. It
is now believed that phytoalexin production is a universal phenomenon
in the plant kingdom, however, of the several hundred thousand plant
species around the globe, only a small proportion of flowering plants have
been investigated for their phytoalexin production leaving the majority of
these yet to be examined.
The Phytochemistry Group in the Department of Biology at SQU, is
investigating plants from Oman which have not been studied before for
their ability to produce phytoalexins. We search for bioactive compounds
synthesized by plants after treatment of their leaves with various agents
such as chemicals, fungi or irradiation with UV light. We are especially
interested in endemic plants that have medicinal and economic values.
Among the investigated species is Dodonaea viscosa which belongs to the
family Sapindaceae. D. viscosa is a common species found in scrub and
woodlands of the southern and western mountains of Arabia, throughout
Baluchistan and on impoverished soils on the foothills of the Himalayas.
It is a shrub that has shiny green leaves and green to yellow flowers. Its
fruits have 3 or 4 rounded wings containing 3 seeds, which are produced
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in late summer. D. viscosa is used for treatment of rheumatism, skin
infections, diarrhea, stomachaches, and pains of hepatic or spleen origin,
and uterine colic. It is also used as an antipyretic in skin rashes and for
the treatment of sore throat; the leaves are apparently effective in the
treatment of toothache. We have detected one compound, Amyrin, as a
phytoalexin from this species. a- amyrin and b-amyrin have been reported
as antibacterial compounds and described as having antiinflammatory
and analgesic properties and possesses a central sedative as well as an
antidepressant and antihyperglycemic activity.
To this point no studies have been reported on phytoalexins production
in Frankincense trees of the genus Boswellia and even in its family
(Burseraceae). For this reason we have found it worthwhile studying
Boswellia sacra ( Luban), a tree indigenous to the Dhofar region of the
Sultanate of Oman. The gum-resin of the genus Boswellia especially
B. serrata (salai guggal, Indian olibanum) has been traditionally used
in the indian medicine as anti-inflammatory agent for the treatment of
inflammatory disorders such as arthritis, asthma and colitis ulcerosa. The
main active components of Boswellia sacra were found to be Boswellic
acids. These have been indicated in apoptosis of cancer cells, particularly
brain tumors and cells affected by leukemia or colon cancer are also
thought to decrease the symptoms of asthma. In our lab we were able
to identify two phytoalexins produced by the leaves of Boswellia sacra
following induction by copper chloride; these were Plumericin and
alpha, Irone. Plumericin is known to have molluscicidal, cytotoxic and
antibacterial activity.
We have also looked at phytoalexin induction in Datura metel, which
belongs to the family Solanaceae. D. metel is one species of this family that
appears to have antimicrobial activity against many microorganisms such
as Rhizoctonia solani, Xanthomonas oryzae and Aspergillus sp. We have
identified two compounds as phytoalexins in this species; these have only
been detected following irradiation of leaves with UV light. We have also
identified a number of other constitutive antifungal compounds in Datura
metel. One of the most interesting compounds we found was resveratrol.
Resveratrol has been reported to be distributed among unrelated families,
such as Leguminoseae, Moraceae, Gramineae, Liliaceae and Vitaceae. This
is the first record of resveratrol being detected in Solanaceae. Production
of resveratrol in plants occurs as a defense response to exterior stress
such as treatments to various biotic and abiotic factors. Resveratrol, is
a stilbene phenolic compound known to possess antioxidant activity. It
has been shown to provide cancer chemopreventive activity and lowering
the incidence of coronary heart disease. For this reason this compound is
currently attracting the attention of many researchers in the field and has
been the focus of many studies aimed at understanding its full range of
health beneficial effects.
Other interesting plants that were investigated for phytoalexin production
in our lab include Azadirachta indica (neem), Lawsonia inermis (henna),
Ocimum basilicum (sweet basil, rayhan), Nerium oleander (haban),
Salvadora persica (toothbrush tree), Monotheca buxifolia from Jabal
Akhdar (but) and Capparis spinosa.
(This article is prepared by the Phytochemistry Group in the Department
of Biology of the College of Science at SQU)
Mind Over Matter
Ethnolinguistic
Identity
Vitality of Indigenous and Immigrant Minorities
By: Prof. Itesh Sachdev
“Persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities…
have the right to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practice their own
religion, and to use their own language in private and in public, freely and
without interference or any form of discrimination“ (Article 2:1, United
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic,
Religious and Linguistic Minorities, 1992)
The last few decades has seen an exponential increase in movement and
exchange of people, ideas, money, food and so on, around the world.
This has quite radically increased the complexity and make-up of
modern societies such that there is greater than ever diversity in terms
of ethnicities, cultures, languages and religions, especially in modern
urban centres. For instance, there are now more than 300 languages
spoken by pupils in the schools of London (UK). Languages, accents,
dialects and other linguistic variations not only provide important cues
for the categorization of speakers on the socio-cultural map but can also
emerge as the most salient dimensions of group identity. The main aim
of this paper is to examine the relationship between language and group
identity amongst indigenous and immigrant minorities. Two questions
are of specific interest: (i) How do group identities relate to language(s)
use and attitudes? This is discussed with some published data from
indigenous language speakers in Canada. (ii) How does minority
language identity relate to identification with religion, culture, nation
and the dominant language(s) in different contexts? This question was
explored using data from Punjabi speakers of Sikh origin in India, UK
and Canada.
(i) Identity and Language(s) use and attitudes in Canada and Bolivia
Names speak who we are and who we do not wish to be…. Some days I just
don’t know anymore. I have grown hyperconscious of the labels available to
nuance human identity in terms of gender, ethnicity, class, educational access,
educational attainment, gender preference, religious practice or other variables.
Some days I worry that I don’t pay enough attention to the (dis)empowerment
encoded within the woven text of the terms…
Group identity is a complex matter and how members of a group self-label
or are labelled by others varies considerably. The original inhabitants of
Canada specifically, and North America generally, have been referred
to by a variety of identity labels including “Indigenous”, “Indian”,
“Native-American”, “American-Indian”, “Aboriginal”, “Status Indian”,
“First Nations” etc.
Similar variation amongst indigenous group
identification and labelling exists in Bolivia too: “Aymara”, “Quechua”;
“indigena”, “Indio”, etc. Group labels, when chosen and/or accepted,
represent core symbols of culture and express meaningful identities.
Moreover, identity may be formed, experienced and communicated
through such labels. Given the strong relationship between identity
and language, a study of the association of identity labels with the
use of, and attitudes towards, specific languages showed, as expected,
that indigenous identities (as “Cree”/“Haida”/ “Aymara”) were most
frequently and positively associated with indigenous language use
and attitudes, and least frequently and/or negatively associated with
colonial (Spanish, English) language use and attitudes. Moreover,
almost mirror-like, colonially imposed identities (as “Indian” or
“indio” ) tended to be negatively associated with indigenous language
use and positively associated with colonial language use. Overall, the
findings of this small-scale study reinforced the important notion of
the link between group identity and language. It was argued that the
state apparatus in both Bolivia and Canada, had, in the main, failed to
address the juridical status of indigenous languages and cultures, and
the rights of indigenous peoples to define their own educational policy,
materials and curricular development according to their own criteria.
It is also important to emphasize that language education needs to be
considered within the broader context of empowerment in indigenous,
and minority, education. Bolivia recently elected an indigenous leader
who promises broader empowerment and self-determination, while
the Canadian government has in the last decade or so been involved in
various measures to redress previous injustices and inequalities.
(ii) Minority language identity: the contributions of culture, religion,
nation and powerful language(s)
“To any Punjabi out there, whether you are Hindu, Muslim or Sikh. If you
speak Hindi or Urdu instead of Punjabi, you are a serious disgrace to your
culture…”
The maintenance of minority language identities is complex and bound
closely to ingroup cultures, religions, nations, and other, especially
dominant, languages. This notion was explored in the reporting of
data amongst adolescent Punjabi speaking Sikhs living in India (Delhi,
Amritsar), UK (London) and Canada.
The findings showed that,
first, in accordance with previous studies, Punjabi Sikh identities are
remarkably resilient and are able, in large measure, to withstand the
crossing of regional and national boundaries. Second in all contexts
investigated, cultural/regional identities were consistently predictive
of language identities, reinforcing the widely recognised view that
language and cultural are intricately intertwined.
Third, religious and national identities of Punjabi Sikhs contributed
differentially to language identities depending on the vitality contexts
in which they live. In higher vitality contexts (in India), religious
and national identities were positively related to language identities.
However, in low ingroup vitality contexts (UK and Canada), national
identities were subtractively related to Punjabi language identity, while
religious identities were unrelated in these contexts. It may be argued
that Punjabi language identities in India have a better chance given
that the Punjabi language is enshrined in the Indian Constitution, and
importantly, because multilingualism is the norm in India. However,
pressures for linguistic assimilation are likely to be great where Punjabi
is not the medium of education.
In conclusion, the association between language and identity is a
dynamic and multifaceted one, albeit varying primarily as a function
of the power relations between groups. The languages of indigenous
and immigrant groups continue to be symbolic and instrumental,
an important aspect of their self-concepts needing to be nurtured at
both individual and societal levels. National and regional policies
that valorise their languages are crucial in the maintenance of their
identities.
(The author is professor of Language and Communication and director
of SOAS-UCL Centre of Excellence for ‘Languages of the Wider World’
at the School of Oriental & African Studies in the University of London,
UK)
20 December 2010
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News Round Up
Nursing Students Present
Internship Feedback
The College of Nursing recently organized the ‘Internship Feedback
Presentation’ for its fourth batch of baccalaureate mursing students under
the patronage of Dr. Said Ali Al-Yahya’ee, Deputy Vice Chancellor for
Academic Affairs & Community Service. A total of 43 nursing graduates
underwent the internship program for the yearr 2010. The internship
program is a 6 months program with 4 months of posting in SQUHospital
and 2 months of (optional) clinical experience in internationally acclaimed
hospitals in other countries. The international hospitals chosen were
Garden Groove Hospital, USA., Jordan University Hospital, Jordan.,
Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, India., and Global Hospital, Chennai, India.
The program started with a welcome address by Prof. Bazdawi Bin
Mohammed Al-Riyami, Dean, College of Nursing who also summarized
the internship program as a comprehensive professional experience aimed
at enhancement of self development and sensitization to diverse cultures.
Dr. Raghda Shukri, Expert, College of Nursing and Leader of Internship
Committee, listed the accomplishments of the Internship program since
2007.
Is’haq Al Ma’mari, who reported on the internship experience at Sultan
Qaboos University Hospital, stated that practicing as an intern provided
them a deep insight into the functional standards of each unit and an
opportunity to practice comprehensive nursing care with progressive
independence. The visit to United States of America was briefed by Zeinab
Nasser Sulaiman Al Azri, who described the multifaceted practice arenas
and advanced practice systems at Garden Groove Hospital, USA. Faisal
Mohammed Saif Al Rashdi spoke on the experience at Jordan University,
where the focus of Internship was to practice in critical care units, training
in advanced courses and educational visits to various health care delivery
systems at Jordan.
College of Commerce Holds
Marketing Exhibition
The Marketing Club, a subgroup of the Business Society, a student
organization functioning at the College of Commerce & Economics
organized a marketing exhibition titled ‘Marketing Revolution’ at the
college premises. The event was held under the patronage of HH Sayyid
Faisal bin Turki Al Said, CEO of the Brand Oman Management Unit.
Marketing Revolution exhibition is one of the activities of the Marketing
Club which offers a variety of social and professional opportunities for
students. Dr. Maha Al Balushi, Assistant Professor in the Department
of Marketing of the College of Commerce & Economics and Supervisor
of the Marketing Club said that the group helps students educate
themselves about a broad range of marketing issues, gain access to
experts in the field, and apply their marketing skills in the corporate
world. The exhibition provided opportunity for the group members
to learn about the marketing industry, develop valuable contacts, and
interact with marketing companies.
The students came up with different stalls to disseminate information
on latest trends in marketing of all kinds including the traditional,
contemporary and future trends. The group members were briefing
the visitors about the history of marketing, Omani products marketing,
e-marketing, social marketing, service marketing, international
marketing, and so on.
A special corner titled “Chocolate Fever” was also organised with the
participation of a number chocolate companies located in Oman. This
initiative gave the students a chance to join with the entrepreneurs in
selling their products. Dr. Maha Al Balushi said that the main aim of
organising this corner was provide hands on training for students in
selling products to different types of customers. “It was helpful in giving
exposure to students on dealing with customers and using different
marketing strategies to sell a product”,she said.
LC Social Committee
Celebrates National Day
The Language Centre Social Committee organized 40th National Day
Celebrations recently. The program included a variety of cultural
activities and performances and a lot of other activities such as live
making of traditional Omani handicrafts, live making of traditional
Omani food, traditional Omani games, traditional dances, recitations of
Omani poems, and a buffet of Omani cuisine.
The Language Centre Social Committee is a standing committee that
consists of a group of volunteer teachers at the Language Centre. It was
established in 2008. The purpose of the Social Committee is to build a
cohesive Language Centre community through social events that foster a
sense of community and networking. It aims to build a stronger sense of
camaraderie with all LC teachers and staff through various social events.
By holding social events within and beyond academic environment, it
is building upon the foundation of a Language Centre family. All social
events allow social interaction with peers, faculty and staff to generate
more awareness of the Language Centre endeavours.
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The Committee plans and implements social and outreach events that
cater to the needs and interests of the teachers and contribute to building
a sense of community at the LC as well as building a connection with the
larger social community. The mission of the Committee is to foster a sense
of community in the LC and enhance the social environment for its staff.
The Committee strives to fulfill this mission by organizing activities and
events that focus on socialization, appreciation, recognition, wellness
and philanthropy.
Panorama
A Dip into the White Continent
Prof. N. Sundararajan
Antarctica, the continent of superlatives is the coldest, windiest, highest
and driest encapsulating the South Pole of the Earth. It is the fifth-largest
continent after Asia, Africa, North America, and South America. About
98% of Antarctica is covered by ice, which averages more than 2 kilometres
in thickness. The thickness can be 8 to 10 kilometres in the mountains.
There are no permanent human residents, but anywhere from 1,000 to
5,000 people reside throughout the year at the research stations scattered
across the continent. Only cold-adapted plants and animals survive there,
including penguins, seals, polar skua , many types of algae and other
microorganisms.
Prof. Narasimman Sundararajan, currently Associate Professor in the
Department of Earth Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University was lucky
enough to be part of the 14th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica
during 1994-95 while he was an academic in the Osmania University ,
India. The mission of scientists exploring the ice-continent is to conduct
studies on atmospheric, biological, geological etc features of Antarctica.
Dr. Sundarajajan was selected to the exploration team on the basis of a
research proposal that was submitted to the Ministry of Earth Sciences
that controls the Indian Antarctic Program. The research proposal was
about investigating the response of very low frequency electromagnetic
radiation in and around Schirmacher Oasis, a 25 km long ice-free plateau in
Antarctica. (Polar Science, 2010). In addition, correlative studies of physical
properties of various in situ rock samples from Schirmacher region with
those of southern India was also carried out.
Besides project proposal, one has to be medically fit and therefore Dr.
Sundararajan had to undergo stringent medical examinations that lasted for
two days to be selected as a member of the summer team to Antarctica. In all
around 70 members drawn from Air Force, Army, Navy and scientists from
different disciplines were in their team consisting 50 percent for summer
team and the other half for winter team. The winter team spends nearly
15 months in the ice-continent where as the summer team returns after 4
months.
Commenting on his experience in Antarctica, Dr. Sundararajan said that it
was unique. “Our team was transported from India to the Antarctica by a
charted Norwegian icebreaker ship called Polar Bird. After three weeks
of journey from the Indian port of Goa on December 17, 1994 , the ship
docked off-shore the white continent on 10th December, 1994.
The ship also carried two naval helicopters along with other amenities.
Aircraft are both a mainstay and a lifeline in Antarctica, serving not only as
transport, but also carrying almost everything needed to maintain human
life in the world’s most unforgiving terrain. The defence personnel/ forces
who took care of logistics support and other basic services. From the ship
that docked off shore the white continent, we were transported to the Indian
base Maitri station by the helicopters. The station has modern facilities to
carry out research in various disciplines. It has a capacity to accommodate
around 30 people for winter”.
Dr. Sundararajan reminisced that special care was taken by scientists living
in the wooden huts built outside the research station. “In Antarctica, the
oxygen that you get is the purest form of it. A single spark of fire can destroy
the whole station within no time”, he said. Surprisingly, the dry conditions
in Antarctica mean that fire is a real risk, and a reserve supply of water must
also be kept for fire-fighting purposes. Generators were used to air-condition
the research base. Military personnel has kept vigil every second near the
generators to make sure that there is uninterrupted supply of power to keep
the research station premises sufficiently heat.
“Along with shelter and warmth, having enough to eat and drink is the most
important requirement for anyone working in Antarctica. Special efforts
were made to ensure that plentiful supplies of wholesome and, where
possible, fresh foods were provided. Because it never rains in Antarctica,
drinking water must be brought from the home country along with other
necessary items. Sewage is filtered and then piped into the sea where it
disperses and decomposes. Body waste is collected, incinerated and brought
back to the ship for disposal in the sea as the very low temperature in the
continent never allows decomposition of any biodegradable substances”,
Dr. Sundararajan added. “During our stay, we used to wear two thick pairs
of socks made of wool under the heavy leather shoes to avoid the problem
of frost bite and ice burn, which is common among Antarctica explorers.
Two specially designed spectacles were used simultaneously to protect the
eyes from the ultraviolet rays from the Sun, which looked much closer than
from other parts of the world!”
Antarctica is well known for its ferocious winds (unique type called
blizzards) and blinding storms. Its reputation as the windiest and least
hospitable continent on earth is well-deserved. Blizzards and life-threatening
wind-chill temperatures are an ever-present danger. Dr. Sundararajan said
that travel and outdoor activities become virtually impossible during the
Antarctic winter season. “The wind chill experience is more painful than
needles piercing into the body. Even inside the living huts, we used to have
coats with two mattresses, six layers of blanket clothing and sleeping bags
during the sleeping hours. Sleeping hours is not night hours because the
sun is visible for a continuous 24 hours during summer”.
The scientific part of his Antarctic expedition was also thrilling for Dr.
Sundararajan. As is known that Orwin mountainous area (around 200km
from the Maitrai Station) radiate abnormal level of gamma rays, two
scientists from the Indian team including Dr. Sundararajan went to the area
by helicopters and recorded radiation pattern through under slung from
the helicopters with ropes while the choppers were in air. They found that
the gamma radiation in the atmosphere was five to six times more than the
normal values elsewhere.
20 December 2010 P7
Straight Talk
Horizon: In your perspective, what are the qualities of a good research
paper? What makes it different from a general essay?
Dr. Micikhailidis: A good research paper is something that is wellstructured and that follows certain rules. A research paper is peer reviewed
by referees who work in the same field. A good research paper that appears
in a professional journal is often open to debates and discussions. A research
paper is the ultimate way of communication within a profession. In other
words, it is the most filtered way of communicating information from within a
small group to the whole profession worldwide.
Horizon: What are the qualities of a good research paper?
Dr. Micikhailidis: It is difficult to define a good research paper. Essentially,
in clinical research, we are looking at a paper that may create a milestone by
presenting something very new and something that is of interest to other
people involved in the same profession and relevant to clinical practice. A
good research paper should open doors to a new horizon or something that
is useful in the future.
Horizon: How would you explain the major steps involved in writing a good
research paper?
Dr. Micikhailidis: The first and most important thing is that the researcher
should plan his study very carefully. If you plan badly, however effort you pay
in writing, you may spoil the whole paper. The investigator should be careful
about the message that he is planning to convey. Adequate numbers should
be shown as statistics. If you don’t plan the work carefully, it can spoil the
whole thing. Planning has to be done carefully and data interpretation has
to be done with maximum attention. The presentation should be done well
in the context of literature. A good research paper is the one that is read by
many people working in the same field and placed in the context of the whole
profession or field of study.
Horizon: What are the most common errors found in student research
papers?
Dr. Micikhailidis: Students make a lot of errors. In student papers,
most often the statistics are wrong. Students often make claims that are not
substantiated by the results and sometimes they don’t make claims that are
actually substantiated by the results. They may miss the opportunity to say
something which is very clear, something very important or new. However,
errors are common among the less experienced. People learn by experience.
The best strategy for juniors and students is collaborating with experienced
people in the projects. This will help them a lot.
Horizon: You did not mention the issue of plagiarism in your lecture. How
can we get rid of this evil?
Dr. Micikhailidis: Plagiarism comes up from time to time. In a system where
people are pressurised to write papers, and produce research, things end up
by copying other’s works and in doing things that should not have been done.
The issue of plagiarism have become much common in the modern era. If you
detect one instance of plagiarism, you probably miss a thousand. What we
see is only tip of an iceberg. Plagiarism can creep in two ways: unintentionally
and knowingly. For example, in some cases, researchers may show the same
table twice without mentioning that the table has been used before. The same
group of patients may be used for two studies without mentioning this fact.
This indicates lack of experience on the part of the researchers. This is not an
example of malevolence. But how we can differentiate between unintentional
plagiarism and malevolent plagiarism? It is difficult to get rid of plagiarism
which exists in the field of research writing just like thieves or robbers exist in
societies. Imposing punishment on plagiarism may help to some extent.
Horizon: How would you summarise your lecture on writing and publishing
research papers?
Dr. Micikhailidis: I started dong research and writing papers long time
ago. In the beginnings there was very little teaching. I had to learn more or less
from the job to develop style and concepts. Today, things have changed. For
students and researchers, the task of writing papers has become much easier
with the advancement in information and communication technologies. My
lecture was a kind of distillation of decades of my experience.
Dr. Dimitri P.
Mikhailidis
Dr. Micikhailidis is the Academic Head of the Department
of Clinical Chemistry at Royal Free Hospital in London. He
recently gave a lecture on writing and publishing scientific
papers at the College of Medicine & Health Sciences at
SQU. He is editor-in-chief of several journals including
Current Medical Research and Opinion, Current Vascular
Pharmacology and Expert Opinion on Therapeutic
Targets. Excerpts from Dr. Micikhailidis’s conversation
with Horizon: