Healthy Eating in Ramadhan
Panorama
Can We Brand “Heritage”?
Mind Over Matter
SQU Participates in Education Exhibition
News Update
Is There Oil in
Southern Dhofar?
Department of Public
Relations and Information
Sultan Qaboos University
Issue 196
View Point
Umpteen Options
The long queue of students gathered at the venue of the just-concluded Higher
Education Exhibition said it all. The Higher Education Exhibition organised by
the Ministry of Higher Education was a genuine attempt to ease communication
between students and higher education institutions in the Sultanate. The effort
of the Ministry to provide an opportunity to introduce the services provided by
government and private institutions is laudable. The three day exhibition served
as the best platform for students as well as parents to choose the best programmes,
colleges and universities within the country.
Khamis Rajab Khamis
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
The exhibition highlighted vocational programs and vocational guidance. The
need of the hour is introduction of more programmes and more contribution to the
field of vocational guidance. The event helped the students to gather information
on programs, course structure, admission requirements and number of seats
available at different colleges and universities. In line with the government
educational institutions, the private sector plays a significant role in directing
students who are searching for training opportunities.
The special corner set up for disseminating information on career selection and
planning-the career guidance corner- helped the students who are enrolled in higher
education and are interested in training and employment. Yet another noteworthy
feature of the exhibition this year was the several lectures, and presentations
delivered by specialists in areas of education and vocational guidance.
The timing of the exhibition always coincides with the announcement of generaldiploma results. However, this year it began before the results were announced. In
fact, the exhibition was an opportunity for all the higher education institutions to
meet under one umbrella. There is no need for students who visited the exhibition
pavilions to visit each institution to know more about different programmes that
they provide. The Ministry of Higher Education made significant efforts to make
everything easier for students.
Almost all the higher education institutions in Oman including SQU were present
at the education exhibition. In short, the expo eased the way for students to know
more about universities and colleges that they are going to study in. The officials
of the Ministry of Higher Education who toiled to make this event a big success
really deserves kudos.
Photography
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 July 2010 P2
Fax: +968 24413 391
Website: www.squ.edu.om
SQU to Hold ‘ICAMMM
2010’ in December
News Update
SQU Participates in
Education Exhibition
Dr. Ashraf Shikdar
The Department of Mechanical and Industrial
Engineering at Sultan Qaboos University is gearing up
for organizing the International Conference on Applied
Mechanics, Materials, and Manufacturing (ICAMMM
2010) from 13 to 15 of December 2010. The conference
aims to provide a forum for academics, researchers and
practitioners to exchange ideas and recent developments
in the fields of Applied Mechanics, Materials, and
Manufacturing. The conference is also expected to
foster networking, collaboration and joint efforts among
the conference participants to advance the theory and
practice as well as to identify major trends in these
fields.
Under the subtitle Applied Mechanics, the conference
papers will cover Computational /Numerical Methods
in Applied Mechanics, Dynamics and Control of
Structures and Systems, Fluid Mechanics, Mechanical
Design, Biomechanics and Biomaterials, applications in
Oil and Gas, Tribology, and Micro & Nano-technology
Applications. The Materials subtitle will cover areas
including Applied Materials, Properties of Materials,
Methodology, and Materials Research. The subtitle
Manufacturing will encompass Analysis and Modelling,
Manufacturing Processes and Systems, Cleaner (Green)
Production, and Manufacturing Management.
Commenting on the preparations of the conference,
Dr. Ashraf Shikdar, Conference Chair and Head of the
Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
at SQU said his faculty is highly motivated and fully
enthusiastic to make this conference truly an international
conference that is going to bring together mechanical and
industrial engineering scholars from around the world.
“The six keynote speakers invited are among the best in
the world in these fields. So far we have accepted 289
abstracts from academics, researchers and practitioners
from 41 countries”, Dr. Shikdar added.
The organizing committee, including Dr. Ashraf
Shikdar, Dr. Jamil Abdo (Co-Chair), Dr. Zahid Qamar
and Dr. Ibrahim Garbie and Dr. Nabeel Al-Rawahi, is
now in the process of putting together the conference
program including plenary sessions and opening and
closing ceremonies. “We expect that this conference to
be one of the biggest conferences held in SQU, if not the
biggest ever”, the organisers said. They also revealed
that the academic and research papers selected for the
conference will be published in the following journals:
Materials and Manufacturing Processes (Taylor and
Francis), International Journal of Mechanics and
Materials in Design (Springer), and The Journal of
Engineering Research (Sultan Qaboos University).
Sultan Qaboos University actively participated in the Higher Education Institutions
Exhibition 2010 organised by the Ministry of Higher Education from July 13 to 15 at Oman
International Exhibition Centre. The three day event was held under the patronage of HE
Sayyid Salim Musalam Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of Administrative Development at the
Ministry of Civil Service. The exhibition was helpful for SQU in giving a further drift to its
efforts to enable communication between prospective students and the university.
The Public Relations & Information Department, the Deanship of Admission and
Registration and the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies of SQU represented the university at
the exhibition. The SQU pavilion disseminated information on various colleges functioning
under the university, fee structure for various postgraduate programs, duration of study in
bachelors and postgraduate programs, admission requirements for different programs, etc.
Bashir Al Riyami, Head of Publication and Press Section at SQU, who represented the
university at the exhibition pavilion said that a steady stream of eager young students, many
of them accompanied by their parents, kept coming with queries about higher education
options at SQU.
The exhibition was an opportunity for all the higher education institutions to meet under
one umbrella. The timing of the exhibition always coincides with the announcement of
general-diploma results. However, this year it began before the results were announced.
Humanities Research Centre
Begins its Activities
The Humanities Research Centre at SQU which was founded in 2004 in accordance with an
executive decree has begun its activities in this year. The vision of the Humanities Research
Centre is to take a provocative as well as supportive role in relation to existing humanities
studies in Oman. The Centre will provide methods to bridge the gap between the humanities
and social sciences, technological sciences, business theories and creative arts. HRC would
strive to be an internationally recognized centre of educational, social and business research
in the region. The mission of the Centre is to explore topics, problems and disciplines,
which stand in need of particular stimulus in Oman, and to conduct outstanding research in
SQU in areas of Social Sciences, Education and Business.
The centre will initiate surveys and conduct empirical research on social, educational
and business phenomena that accompanies the processes of change development and
modernization in contemporary Omani society, and build a national scientific dossier in the
social sciences for the benefit of future researchers. It will also undertake social research
programs requested by international, non-governmental and business organizations
and initiate evaluation studies of the practice and theory of management research and
administration, social programs and policies, with a view to assessing performance appraisal
and quality.
The Centre will also organize periodic workshops and seminars to improve research
and affiliated capabilities among relevant university faculty. Similar services can be
provided for personnel involved in the field of social services and the field of business
services as appropriate. This research centre will also attempt to strengthen collaborative
ventures between the university and outside partners especially by supporting and actively
encouraging inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary research and will undertake research
on behalf of governments, public and private sector agencies. Prof. Farouq Fawzi is the
Director of Humanities Research Centre.
30 July 2010 P3
Insight
IS THERE OIL
IN SOUTHERN
DHOFAR?
By: Dr. Osman Salad Hersi, Department of Earth Sciences, College of Science
The Arabian Peninsula (Gulf countries plus Yemen) is well known for its
superb hydrocarbon (oil & gas) exploration and production. The region
hosts over half of the world’s proven oil reserve and produced about
25% of the world’s total oil supply in 2009. These natural resources
are formed and commonly preserved in sedimentary rocks occurring in
sedimentary basins.
The southern part of the Governorate of Dhofar is underlain by different
types of rocks that span in age from Proterozoic (fewer than 545 million
years) to recent. The rock succession in the region includes metamorphic
and igneous rocks (forming the oldest basement rocks) and overlying
younger sedimentary sequence. The rock succession is well exposed
along the sea-facing cliffs of Dhofar Mountains (Jabal Qamar to the
west, Jabal Qara behind the City of Salalah and Jabal Samhan north
of Marbat). The economic value of these rocks is enormous and only
a small portion is currently under exploitation (mainly for construction
and gypsum industries). Disclosing the natural resources (such as,
minerals, petroleum, coal and aquifers), as well as “reading” and
interpreting the geologic inscriptions depicted in these rocks require
intensive studies that apply most recent technological and analytical
examinations and interpretations. Fieldwork and first-hand collection
of data from the rocks are prerequisite for any meaningful and reliable
understanding of the geologic and economic importance of these strata.
In pursuance of these academically and economically-driven objectives,
Sultan Qaboos University has launched a Strategic Research project
(SR/SCI/ETHS/0701) entrusted to researchers of the Department of
Earth Sciences, including Dr. Osman Salad Hersi, Dr. Abdulrahman AlHarthy, Dr. Iftikhar Ahmed Abbasi, Dr. Abdulrazak Al-Sayigh and Dr.
Ali Al-Lazki.
Of particular interest for this project is the Cretaceous succession in the
Governorate of Dhofar and its petroleum potential. Besides the academic
drive of the researchers, the rational behind this project is the fact that
the region preserves sedimentary rocks that are coeval (similar age) and
formed under geologic conditions similar to those producing oil and/or
gas in the nearby regions (e.g., Yemen and other parts of Oman). Besides
30 July 2010 P4
a few old geologic reports and maps of regional scale, a handful of wells
drilled in the region (mostly before 1970) and a regional geological map
by BRGM (French) under the auspices of the then Ministry of Petroleum
and Minerals, no geologic work has been done in the Cretaceous strata
of the region.
Despite daringly difficult accessibility to the study area, the SQU
geologists see it as a virgin land in terms of exploring its hydrocarbon
potentiality and academic achievements by documents and scientifically
sound publications on the geology of the region. The Cretaceous strata
are divided into formations (geologic units that contain recognizable
specific physical, chemical and biogenic characteristics collectively
called lithology). These formations include, from bottom to top, Qishn,
Kharfot, Dhalqut, Qitqowt, Samhan and Sharwayn formations.
In the quest of categorizing the petroleum system of an area, there are few
parameters that govern the existence of hydrocarbons and verification of
their presence is paramount for oil or gas accumulations in subsurface.
The questions to be answered positively in order to prove the existence
of a “healthy” petroleum system are: 1-Are there source rocks? 2-Were
the source rocks mature enough to generate oil and/or gas? 3-Did
migration from the source rock to the reservoir rock take place? 4- Are
there reservoir rocks that have good porosity and permeability so that
they could offer spaces for oil/gas accumulation after migrating from
the source rock? And 5-Was there a trapping mechanism that would seal
the hydrocarbons within the reservoirs and they could not escape into
the surface?
The project in Dhofar is seeking to get answers for these questions and
what we have found so far is very encouraging. Presence of excellent
reservoirs in different stratigraphic horizons along with structural and
stratigraphic trapping mechanisms are recognized. Laboratory and field
work to answer questions related to the source rocks, their maturation
and hydrocarbon expulsion is in progress. However, previous work done
in various parts of the sedimentary basin suggests potential presence of
matured source rocks.
Mind Over Matter
Can We Brand “Heritage”?
Countries possess distinct resources
that can be employed to market
themselves in a unique way.
Heritage inheritances represent
one of the distinct resources of a
country. The distinct resources allow
the country to create a competitive
edge in attracting investments,
tourism, and research scholars, to
name but a few. Heritage resources
inevitably fulfil these criteria and
thus attract many players to the
nation’s market. Heritage refers to
the tangible and intangible reservoir
of the society’s inheritance and
civilisation that includes customs,
rituals, culture, history, artwork,
and craftworks. However, heritage
has different connotations in
different countries. For instance, in
Australia and New Zealand heritage
is referred to the place and cultural
materials whereas in Canada to the
material culture, and geographic
and human environments, and in
China to the historical fixed physical
ruins. The heritage resources play
multiple roles in societies to fulfil
various purposes such as education,
research,
social,
commercial,
economic, tourism, nation identity,
and so on. The worldwide concerns
by general public, government, and
other organizational institutions
about heritage resources confirm its
status as a valuable resource that
needs to be well marketed to local
and international audiences.
of similar tourism marketing programs.
Since the heritage resource is a critical
asset of the country, it can represent a
brand for the country.
Branding is applicable to the context
of heritage and hence the branding
principles are useful to the heritage
industry for several reasons. Heritage
brands act as a differentiating tool
because they cannot be copied to other
countries since they have a first mover
advantage, as a summary construct
subsumed into the image of a country, as
a creative marketing platform to utilise
in country branding efforts, as a cultural
revival communicator to protect the
historical reservoirs, and as a heuristic
to facilitating a destination decision
making process.
All these qualify
heritage resources to become a valuable
sustainable country asset that enhances
the competitive value of the country in
the global sphere
The heritage brand is defined as the
indigenous and cultural asset or resource
of the country that provides a set of
values to its various stakeholders.
Examples of heritage brands include
world heritage sites such as Egyptian
Giza Pyramids and , national heritage
such as National Museum of Singapore
and Nizwa Castle of Oman, and local
heritage such as Scottish Kilt and Omani
Khanjar (Daggar). Research on heritage
brand represents an extended concept
By: Dr. Maha Al Balushi, Marketing Department,
in the marketing and branding field.
Some may argue that heritage resources
College of Commerce & Economics
are not conducive to branding but the
The notion of brand has been applied into many contexts, such as
relationship between heritage and branding is promising and hence demands
products, service, corporate, country, and city. Its application in the
attention. In particular, the heritage brands should be valuable in the eye of
field of heritage is limited. The last decade has been characterised
consumers and not imitatable in the eye of competitors in order to maintain its
by intense competition among countries to attract foreign investors,
branding character. Since the key driving forces for the reputation of a heritage
researchers, and tourists, which in turn has brought the notion of
resource is imbedded in its character, it reduces the extent to which other
country branding into the fore. One of the means towards branding a
countries may imitate. However, some may argue this thesis by stating that
country is through the effective utilization of its cultural and heritage
for example the Louvre Abu Dhabi is an imitation to the Louvre France. This
materials in its marketing program. Therefore, the heritage branding
is not true. In fact, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is a brokered deal with the French
endeavour is a strategy to revive the historical treasures of a society
Museums Agency and the French Ministry of Culture and Communications to
that will assist in differentiating the country’s equity. The distinct
adopt the name and borrow the artworks of Louvre in Paris. In other words, the
heritage resources allow the country to create a competitive edge in
Louvre Abu Dhabi is an extension of, and hence capitalizes on the reputation
attracting many players such as investors, tourists, and researcher. One
capital of the Louvre Paris. This means that the inherent drivers of heritage
of the essential roles of any brand, conceivably a successful brand, is
brand reputation represent sources of a country’s competitive advantage.
to offer a distinguishing feature and value that would be hard to copy.
Heritage-related studies claim that branding is applicable to heritage
Therefore, heritage brands create value for many players, such as citizens,
resources because the heritage industry is selling something for a
country, and policy makers responsible for the management of heritage
specific purpose. In fact, the heritage industry enjoys an abundance of
resources, for several reasons. Firstly, the heritage resources are characterized
unique items and ideas relevant to the subject of branding. In today’s
by their unique offerings that are everlastingly attached to them in consumer’s
tourism market characterized by abundance of relatively identical
mind. Nevertheless, further communication programs need to be invested to
tourism promotions for similar heritage resources of various countries,
realise a full potential of its value proposition. Secondly, the heritage resources
the challenge for policy makers and those who are responsible for the
are often and can potentially be fully integrated in a country’s identity creation
management of heritage resources is to create a sense of uniqueness.
programs. Lastly, the heritage resources are widely targeted towards the tourism
Therefore, the creation of unique images and brands represents the best
market and hence are receiving the attention of political authorities to manage
option for the success and survival of countries in the current clutter
their revitalisation, restoration, and conservation programs.
30 July 2010 P5
News Round Up
CSD Holds Training on
Store Keeping
SQU Students Visit
Spain, Scandinavia
Two batches of students selected from different colleges
at Sultan Qaboos University concluded their trips to Spain
and Scandinavia which lasted for two weeks from 4th to
17th of June 2010. The trip was organised by the Deanship
of Student Affairs at SQU with the support of His Majesty’s
fund earmarked for the annual student trip. The trip is meant
for honouring academically and distinctly preponderant
students and is aimed at familiarizing students with the great
universities in different countries and different civilizations
and cultures worldwide.
This year, the male batch consisting of 32 students, was
headed by Dr. Mohammed Al Masheiki, Dean of Student
Affairs and the female batch consisting of an equal number
of students was led by Dr. Humaira Suleiman Al Sulaimani,
Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the
College of Education. The male students visited Finland
and Sweden whereas the female group explored Spain.
At Madrid, Spain, the girl students explored the history,
monuments, characteristics and customs of the city and the
people. The trip familiarized them with the architecture of
old Madrid, the elegant squares, Oriente, Mayor Squares,
Puerta del Sol, Neptuno, Atocha, Alcala Gate and Street
the memorial Retiro Park, the Bullring. They also visited
different gardens and large avenues reaching the Santiago
Bernabéu Football Stadium. The female batch visited de
Museo de cera, a museum that recalls the history of Spain
and the world, through figures created by artists, since
1972. Their itinerary included visit to Prado Museum (the
largest art gallery in the world), the Royal Palace of Madrid,
Warner Bros Park, Toledo (a municipality located in central
Spain), Madrid Puerta de Atocha Train Station(the largest
railway station in Madrid), Seville, Valencia and Barcelona
among other places in Spain.
The male student batch started their Scandinavian trip by
arriving at Helsinki, Finland on June 4. They explored the
big beautiful Helsinki in the South Harbour, a lively yearround market in beautiful surroundings and the National
Museum of Helsinki. They also visited the Parliament
building and the Finland Hall. The next day they visited
Turku Castle and the River Aurajoki. The male batch also
visited Helsinki University and Helsinki Zoo.
On June 8, they left for Stockholm, Sweden, where they first
explored the town of Porvoo. The itinerary included visits
to the Town Hall, medieval cathedral and Main Square,
Stockholm Vasa National Museum, City Hall, and Skansen
Park. The tour included the viewpoint from Fjällgatan,
and the City Hall with its golden and blue walls where the
Nobel Prize celebrations are held each year. The batch was
fortunate enough to visit Falun, Sigtuna and Karlstad. They
visited the mining area of the Great Copper Mountain in
Falun that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. Other important places they visited include Stockholm
University, Gothenburg University and the Volvo Museum.
30 July 2010 P6
Center for Staff Development at SQU recently conducted a four-day training program on
store keeping skills which commenced on 11th July 2010 at the center’s seminar room.
The program provided the trainees with a good amount of knowledge and skills pertaining
to storekeeping. Dr. Munir Shaker, Deputy Dean of Oman College of Management and
Technology, was the chief resource person of the training course.
The program began with the fundamental concept of material management and storekeeping
systems, followed by the total quality management storekeeping standards. Lessons were
given on types of records and how they are used to organize and plan stores. The trainer
taught the trainees about advanced methods of organizing and monitoring stock.
The participants were trained on dealing with suppliers, compilation and processing of
data related to the stock, enhancing the purchase operation and reporting damage and other
coincidences. Other areas discussed on the training program included handling of materials,
stocking them, ordering point, international standards of stores management, specifying
the economical volume for purchase and the procurement policies and regulations. Finally,
preparing reports and data tables of stocks consumed, ordered, damaged, and remained
were discussed.
SQU Academic Authors Book on
Associative Dataflow Processing
Dr. Tariq Jamil , a faculty member
in the Department of Electrical
and Computer Engineering of the
College of Engineering at SQU
recently authored a book entitled
“Introduction to Associative
Dataflow Processing” published
in Germany. The book provides
a window into an alternative
model of computation called
associative dataflow which is
expected to usher in a new era of
computing in the years to come.
Today’s computer systems are based on control-flow model of computation which is beset
with limitations when exploiting parallelism. Data-flow model of computation, though
parallel in nature, is plagued with its own bottlenecks. Dr. Jamil’s book describes the
associative dataflow model in comparison with the control-flow and data- flow models of
today and then presents design of a processor which implements this model in hardware. The
design has been simulated and prototyped using commercially available software tools and
shows considerable improvement in performance compared to currently existing dataflow
machines.
It is hoped that this book will kindle renewed interest among computer science and
engineering students, practicing engineers, and computer architects to propose, improve,
and develop newer models of computation so as to reap maximum advantage from the recent
advances in the integrated circuit technology. The book has been published in April 2010 by
VDM Verlag (Germany) and consists of 140 pages.
Dr. Tariq Jamil joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in September
2000 as assistant professor and has since been involved in research in the areas of computer
architecture, parallel processing, and computer arithmetic. A past recipient of the IEEE
Computer Society/Upsilon Pi Epsilon (USA) Award for Academic Excellence and a
Distinguished Speaker of the society, he has been a pioneer researcher in proposing and
implementing a unique number system for representing and storing complex numbers in
today’s computer systems, and has recently been awarded with an Australian Patent on the
design of a “complex binary associative dataflow processor” incorporating this number
system into the parallel computing paradigm.
Panorama
Healthy Eating
in Ramadhan
Dr. Majeed Al Ani
The holy month of Ramadhan imparts purity to human souls and removes
the curtain hanging between man and the Almighty; at the same time
Ramadhan brings changes in work timings, in lifestyle and above all,
in one’s eating habits. During this holy month, people abstain from food
from dawn to dusk. Taking this into consideration, ‘Horizon’ approached
Dr. Majeed Al-Ani, Associate Professor of Clinical Nutrition in the
Department of Food Science & Nutrition at the College of Agricultural
& Marine Sciences to share with our readers, his advices on healthy food
habits to be followed during Ramadhan fasting.
The first point that Dr. Majeed pointed out was that fasting of Ramadhan
can improve a healthy experience but only if the correct diet (type and
quantity) and correct lifestyle during that month were followed. People
should not differ much from normal everyday lifestyle and diet during
fasting in Ramadhan and should contain foods from all food groups. At
the same time, the food pattern should be as simple as possible. Breaking
the day’s fast (Iftar) should be a meal but not a feast. The pre-dawn meal
(Suhoor) provides energy for the fasting hours, and thus should include
slowly digesting foods. Some people have the tendency to go for extra
amount of food containing high amounts of fatty foods and sweets in
Suhoor and Iftar that should never be entertained on health grounds.
Care has to be taken to maintain our normal weight and health during
Ramadhan too. However, people with obesity and overweight may avail
this as a divine opportunity to shed the extra weigh and stay healthy.
Normally, our body stores glucose mainly in the liver in the form of
glycogen as a source of energy to be used up during fasting. When these
stores are used later in the fast, glucose will run out. In this case, body
fat will become the major source of energy required, and hence leads to
weight reduction.
Simple daily diet simply means a balanced diet with adequate quantities
of nutrients and water supplied by the five groups of food which are
essential for overall human health. This includes grains & bread,
vegetables, fruits, milk & milk products, and meat & beans. Each of
these groups contains its own set of nutrients beneficial to human health.
They include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, mineral salts, water,
and fiber. If one group is left, it can cause malnutrition and subsequent
health problems. The amounts of food to be taken depend on gender, age,
and the nature of the individual’s physical activity performed and also on
the physiological factors.
Ramadhan involves long hours of fasting from dawn to dusk which calls
for eating slow digesting foods to keep the body intact during the fasting
hours. According to Dr. Majeed, among the different food items derived
every day from the five food groups, food items containing fiber such
as bran, cereals, whole wheat, grains and seeds, vegetables and fruit are
good for slow digestibility during Ramadhan. Foods contain complex
carbohydrates last longer in the digestive system and help release energy
slowly during the long hours of fasting. These are found in many foods
such as grains and seeds (e.g., wheat, barley, lentils, beans, whole meal
flour, and brown rice). It is better to avoid or restrict fast digesting food
items made of white flour and excessive amount of refined sugars such
as biscuits, cakes, halwa, baklava, etc. It is advisable to avoid drinks that
contain caffeine such as coffee and carbonated drinks, since caffeine is
a diuretic leading to faster water loss through urination. Intake of too
much tea might have similar effect. However, more fluids (such as water,
laban, and fruit juice) are recommended before and after fasting to avoid
any chances of dehydration to the body during fasting hours especially in
hot environment. He also favored eating dates as the first food item after
Iftar. It is a good source of energy and other nutrients. If we start with
dates and Milk products such as laban drink or yoghurt as are capable of
nourishing the brain cells and keeping us energetic, it will yield a feeling
of satiety and thus not eating too much immediately after breaking the
fast. To avoid excessive food intake, it is advisable then to take few
minutes break for prayer before resuming the iftar.
Foods that should be avoided as much as possible are those fried and
deep-fried items, high-sugar/high-fat foods, high-fat cooked foods, and
spicy foods with excessive oil. Healthy alternative foods are those baked
or grilled or boiled (e.g., fish, chicken, potatoes, chickpeas, whole grains,
etc.).
Dr. Majeed also advised people with chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes,
heart disease, renal disease, etc.) who are using medication that needs to
be taken regularly every day not to fast, but should seek medical advice
before they venture into or continue fasting. In diabetes, readapting type
and dosage of insulin (for those who are under insulin treatment) and
other drugs by their physician is necessary during Ramadhan, and thus
are not be advised to fast, unless kept under medical supervision if they
decide fasting. Diabetic people (both type 1 and type 2) should insure
consulting their physician prior to Ramadhan in order to discuss possible
changes in their lifestyle and drug regime toward a safe fast. Patients
who are not under control should avoid fasting.
Some people might experience headache during Ramadhan due to
dehydration, hunger, inadequate rest, or missing caffeine or nicotine.
Taking a balanced diet adequate in fluids, and if necessary taking some
painkillers such as aspirin might help overcome the development of such
disabling headache.
“Constipation might be a serious problem for some people during
Ramadhan. This could be taken care of by maintaining good hydration
along with taking healthy balanced diet containing high levels of fluids
and fiber, using foods containing bran, and consuming lots of fruit and
vegetables, along with good activity and exercise. This will keep a good
regular bowel motion”, Dr. Majeed said.
30 July 2010 P7
Straight Talk
Prof. Donald L. Suarez
Director, U.S. Salinity Laboratory, California
Prof. Donald L. Suarez is currently the Director of United
States Salinity Laboratory in California. He was one of the
keynote speakers for the “International Conference on Soils
and Groundwater Salinization in Arid Regions” held at SQU
early this year. The keynote speech was titled “Extent of
Global Salinization and Management Options for Sustainable
Crop Production”. Professor Suarez speaks about the global
issue of salinity and remedial actions.
Horizon: Could you please speak about your professional background?
Prof. Suarez: I have been working in salinity research for 37
years. My training is originally in water chemistry. My research interests are water quality criteria for irrigation, how plants respond to
salinity, and preparation of models predicting water and soil transport
and prediction of plant response under saline conditions.
Horizon: The issue of salinity is growing each year. Is this a common problem in the United States? What led you to take up salinity as
your research area?
Prof. Suarez: Salinity is not a common problem in the United
States. Hence the experiments at Salinity Laboratory are mainly done
in the laboratories. However, our institution is a national laboratory
dedicated to salinity research. When I finished my PhD, salinity
was an interesting topic for me to do further research. Hence I
joined the Salinity Laboratory in 1974 and since then I have been
focusing completely on this topic. The research mainly focuses on
management of salinity and water for irrigation.
Horizon: Groundwater and soil salinity is a major problem for
the Gulf countries. Being an expert, would you suggest any strategy for these countries in addressing this issue?
Prof. Suarez: When we talk about the issue of salinity, we
really have to focus on the quality of water used for irrigation. In
the Gulf countries water is a valuable commodity. Since there are
shortage of water and the problem of salinity in the region, we
should focus on maximum and efficient use of water resources. In
this region, this is highly important. In California, it is not actually
the same situation. However, I can say that we have diminishing
water supply for agriculture and we must also think about how
water can be used efficiently in the state.
Horizon: What is your view about the practice of developing
salt tolerant crops for agriculture in the region?
Prof. Suarez: There are a lot of strategies in dealing with
salinity problems. When it comes to developing salt tolerant crops,
we can pay attention to sensitive crops. Something should be done
to enhance the iron uptake of the plants through the root systems to
override the effects of salinity conditions to an extent. Changes can
be introduced in terms of breeding processes to make the sensitive
crops more tolerant to saline conditions. It is interesting to learn
that scientists are developing markers for salt tolerant crops.
Your keynote speech focused on the global extent of
salinization. What is the current situation?
Prof. Suarez: Salinity problem is increasing at a rapid rate
globally at the rate of 2 million hectares per year. 20 percent of the
irrigated soil in the world is salt-affected. The focus goes to arid
and semi arid regions where the crop needs are most critical because of the population growth. Salinity is predominantly affecting
developing nations although places like California are also facing
related problems to an extent. Most of the world’s salt affected
cultivated lands are in Africa and Asia where population densities
and economic conditions make the problems more severe. It is also
estimated that over 20 percent of the irrigated land in the United
States is salt affected.
Horizon:
Based on your presentation, could you summarize
the salinity management strategies in general?
Prof. Suarez: There is very limited potential for using
fresh water for increased development of irrigation in arid regions.
There will be significant decrease in fresh water sources due to
the current unsustainable extractions. New irrigation technologies, reuse of drainage water, use of treated municipal wastewater,
use of brackish water and reduced leaching for salinity control,
etc efficient strategies to be adopted for sustainable use of water
resources. Replacement of current simplified guidelines (such as
the guidelines of Food & Agricultural Organization) for leaching
requirements with more realistic computer models will enable better salinity management and use of resources. Opportunities also
exist for developing improved salt tolerance for varieties of salt
sensitive plant species.
Horizon: