Al Buraimi Research Articles

Vision-Related Quality of Life Among Diabetic Retinopathy Patients in a Hospital-Based Population in the Sultanate of Oman.

The global prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) among individuals with diabetes is 22.27%. This highlights the likelihood of developing burden of retinopathy within the at risk population and can have a detrimental impact on an individual's quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study is to assess the vision-related QoL in individuals with (DR) in a hospital-based population in the Al-Buraimi governorate, Sultanate of Oman. The study was conducted in the Ophthalmology Outpatient Department of Al Buraimi Hospital and Polyclinic. This study enrolled 218 patients (114 males, 104 females) diagnosed with DR. The NEI-VFQ-25 questionnaire was adopted in this study. The patients were classified into different groups according to their type of diabetes and other relevant demographic information. A total of 218 patients responded to the NEI-VFQ-25 questionnaire. The mean age of the participants was 57.49 ± 12.3 years, 52.3% were male, and 47.7% were female. The overall QoL score was 41.53± 20.8. Patients aged more than 75 years had the lowest QoL scores compared with the other age groups (p = 0.02). The results showed that the duration of diabetes had no significant impact on the overall QoL scores (p = 0.06). A higher QoL score was observed among patients with type II diabetes mellitus (DM) than with type I diabetes mellitus (p = 0.01). Patients diagnosed with proliferative DR (PDR) had a significantly lower QoL score than those diagnosed at other stages (p < 0.001). The QoL of the population with DR is negatively affected by various factors, including demographics, disease severity, and in patients with DM type II. It is important to consider these factors to enhance QoL in patients with DR. Regular evaluation of an individual's QoL is beneficial for both physicians and healthcare teams.

Comparative analysis of heavy metal content of unregulated facial whitening creams and branded facial whitening creams

The present study was conducted to evaluate potential health risks of Omani cosmetics considering the dangers and adverse effects on health caused by unregulated and unlabelled cosmetic products. Therefore, this current study is to examine the toxic heavy metals of unregulated facial whitening creams that are available in the Omani market and compare them with branded facial whitening creams. A total twenty-two samples were purchased from the Souqs/markets of all eleven governorates of Oman and their heavy metals content was determined by using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The sample was digested by using ultra wave microwave at 180 °C. The percentage of heavy metals present in the unregulated whitening creams were compared with the heavy metals content of two randomly selected and branded whitening creams. The results showed that most of the unregulated samples contain significant amount of chromium, cooper and lead. In comparison, the branded face creams contained only the permissible amount of the heavy metals tested. The maximum arsenic content was found in a sample collected from Al Batinah South region (1.74 ppm). The maximum cadmium content was found in a sample collected from Al Wusta region (2.02 ppm). The maximum cobalt and chromium content were found in the samples collected from Al Buraimi region (0.10 ppm) and Dhofar region (8.04 ppm) respectively. In conclusion, unregulated face creams are not safe for human consumption because they contain significant levels of heavy metals that exceed the permissible limits.

Obesity and lifestyle behaviours among in-school children in Oman.

Many countries are experiencing an increasing prevalence of childhood obesity and this needs to be carefully addressed. To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity and the sociodemographic factors and lifestyle risk behaviours associated with obesity among in-school children in Al Buraimi Governorate, Oman. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 714 male and female in-school children aged 6-17 years in 14 government schools in Al Buraimi Governorate, Oman, from April to July 2019. Data were collected on the sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle of the students using a self-administered questionnaire. The students' height, weight and waist circumference were also measured. The BMI-for-age growth charts cutoff reference standards of the WHO were used to determine weight category. Central obesity was assessed by calculating the waist-to-height ratio, and the waist-toheight ratio cutoff of 0.50 was used to identify central obesity in both boys and girls. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 21, involving both descriptive and inferential statistics. A total of 714 students were included. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 12.3% and 16.3% respectively, and 21.4% of the students had central obesity. Lifestyle risk behaviours were significantly associated with student's age, sex and mother's education (P < 0.05). Predictors of obesity were: unhealthy eating habits (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 5.20; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.50-10.70), sedentary screen-based activities (AOR = 1.54; 95% CI: 1.05-2.26), inadequate night-time sleep duration (AOR = 0.60; 95% CI: 0.34-1.00), sibling obesity (AOR = 2.24; 95% CI: 1.55-3.25), paternal obesity (AOR = 1.66; 95% CI: 1.10-2.50) and maternal obesity (AOR = 1.64; 95% CI: 1.10-2.45). There is a need for effective health promotion programmes targeting in-school children in Oman, as well as regular monitoring of lifestyle behaviours associated with overweight and obesity among the younger populations. Larger studies are needed to understand the predictors of overweight and obesity among in-school children in Oman and to design relevant school-based interventions to prevent obesity among young Omanis.

Correlation of Viral Load With the Biochemical and Hematological Profiles of COVID-19 Patients in Al Buraimi Hospital, Sultanate of Oman: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Rapid identification of COVID-19 is crucial during the pandemic for the treatment and management of patients. Thus, early diagnosis of the disease using laboratory parameters can help in the rapid management of infected patients. This study aimed to investigate the correlation of viral load with hematological and biochemical parameters. This will ultimately help physicians to better understand the dynamics of this novel virus and aid in the management of patients. Methodology Laboratory confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 was performed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at the Al-Buraimi Hospital Laboratory Department using oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal swabs. Positive cases were collected from July 2020 to January 2021 to be enrolled in this study. Results In this study, 264 confirmed positive patients were included initially and divided into three groups according to their cycle threshold (Ct) values obtained by PCR. Out of the total 264 patients, 174 (65.9%) were male, while 90 (34.1%) were female. However, the final sample was only 253 patients who met the inclusion criteria. With regard to Ct values, the study population was divided into the following three groups: Group 1 with Ct values of 9-20 (n = 87; 34.4%), group 2 with Ct values of 21-30 (n = 122; 47.8%), and group 3 with Ct values of 31-42 (n = 44; 17.4%). Conclusions We found that the proportion of male patients infected with COVID-19 was higher compared to females.In addition, the highest incidence was among patients in the age group of 51-70 years.The ferritin and alanine transaminase levels were highest in the initial stage of the infection (group 1) and decreased at the recovery stage. However, neutrophil, lymphocyte, alkaline phosphatase, and C-reactive protein showed an increasing trend from high viral load groups to low viral load groups. The values of the rest of the parameters, such as albumin, total bilirubin, lactate dehydrogenase, and D-dimer, were slightly higher in the initial stage of the infection but the decreasing trend was low; therefore, they were not considered helpful in predicting the disease severity reflected by their Ct value in the three different groups.

Detection of Imported Measles Outbreak (Clusters) in Al-Buraimi Governorate during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Series Study

During the first wave of pandemic in 2020, the initial prodromal symptoms of COVID-19 were similar to vaccine preventable diseases like Measles apart from typical rash and probability of missing such cases during COVID-19 will lead to local spread of cases. The most significant risk lies in children below five years, especially unvaccinated expatriate children who contribute to imported cases of measles from highly endemic countries.&#x0D; &#x0D; After initial confirmation of 3 cases in April 2020, this outbreak was epidemiologically investigated in Al Buraimi Governorate, Oman, which included data on clinical symptoms, exposure information, travel history, immunization, and history of contact with others. Among the positive cases, 75% were girls; 6 were Afghani nationals and 2 were Pakistani nationals. However, most cases were reported between Afghani nationals 6 (75%) due to their low vaccination status. Genotyping B3 was isolated, and the virus traced back to Pakistan as the country of origin.&#x0D; &#x0D; In 2019, the Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella (RVC), has declared Oman as a measles and rubella-free nation. The rationale of this study is to have a clear understanding of the events that led to the importation of genotype B3 measles outbreak in Al Buraimi Governorate, Oman, during initial phase of first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020 which highlighted the existence of vigilant surveillance system of the country. &#x0D; &#x0D; The field investigation was done to confirm an outbreak and to prevent transmission by isolating the cases and vaccinating the unvaccinated children and lastly to make critical recommendations that should be applied to prevent similar outbreaks in the future.

An Imported Measles Outbreak in Al Buraimi Governorate, Oman, in April 2020

Background On April 16, 2020, the communicable disease department of Al Buraimi Governorate, Oman, was notified about 3 cases of measles. On laboratory confirmation of measles on April 19, 2020, further field investigation was conducted. Oman has had few cases of measles since 1995; however, Al Buraimi Governorate has had imported cases of measles in recent years. Objective We conducted this study to investigate the epidemiology of imported cases of measles in Al Buraimi, Oman, in April 2020. Methods This case series retrospectively reported measles cases. Epidemiological investigation began by meeting the families of the affected children. The data obtained included clinical symptoms, exposure information, travel history, immunization, and history of contact with others. Results Among the positive cases of measles, 75% were in girls and 25% were in boys. In addition, 6 patients were Afghani nationals and 2 were Pakistani nationals. A detailed investigation that included virus isolation and genotyping identified the B3 genotype in all measles cases and traced the virus to Pakistan as the country of origin. Despite Pakistan being the place of origin of the virus, most cases of measles (75%) were reported in Afghani nationals because of low vaccination coverage. We also found that most of the children affected were 10 to 19 years old (75%). All children who did not have vaccination records or were unvaccinated, regardless of whether they had contracted the virus, were given the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine. This was done to prevent future outbreaks and to increase measles vaccination coverage. Conclusions This study demonstrated that the greatest challenge in eliminating measles in Oman is imported cases among non-Omani expatriates and unvaccinated children. It should therefore be a priority to vaccinate all expatriate children. Only when everyone is vaccinated in Oman can the goal of creating a measles-free country be realized.

Women's Knowledge of Cervical Cancer: A cross-sectional study in Al Buraimi Governorate, Oman.

ObjectivesThis study aimed to assess knowledge of cervical cancer and its prevention among Omani women aged 20–65 years.MethodsThis cross-sectional study took place across eight primary healthcare institutions in Al Buraimi Governorate, Oman, between November 2018 and February 2019. It was carried out on the basis of a predesigned, validated and self-administered questionnaire containing 55 questions.ResultsData from 791 completed questionnaires were included in the final analysis, which represents a response rate of 79.1%. The results indicated that 86.7% of surveyed women had previously heard of cervical cancer and 13.0% expected this disease to affect them in the future. The results also showed that women were less aware of the association between the human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer (24.7%). The participants considered the HPV infection and initiation of sexual intercourse below 17 years of age as the lowest risks associated with cervical cancer. Moreover, 63.8% of the participants were unaware of the availability of a vaccination ‘against HPV-related cervical cancer’ and many respondents were unaware of a Pap test. Those women aged over 30 years, married and with a high level of education were more likely to be aware of cervical cancer.ConclusionGenerally, there was inadequate knowledge and awareness of cervical cancer among women aged 20–65 years. Young women aged 20–30 years showed relatively lesser knowledge of cervical cancer as compared to their older counterparts. Thus, concerted efforts are needed to promote such awareness among women in Oman.

Assessment of global warming in Al Buraimi, sultanate of Oman based on statistical analysis of NASA POWER data over 39 years, and testing the reliability of NASA POWER against meteorological measurements

We performed a number of statistical analysis methods on the historical data for the air temperature at 2 m above the ground and its range, as reported by the database of NASA known as POWER, which stands for Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources. The point of analysis is the University of Buraimi, located in Al Buraimi Governate, in the Northwest of the Sultanate of Oman, near its border with United Arab Emirates (UAE). The data is in the form of a value per day, for every day in the year. The data analyzed span the period from January 3rd, 1981 (earliest day available) to December 31st, 2019 (latest end-of-year available).The statistical analysis methods include: simple linear regression, F-test: two-sample for variances, analysis of variance (ANOVA): single factor, and t-test: two-sample assuming equal variances (pooled).The results show that the mean of the local 2-meter air temperature is increasing at a rate of about 0.039 °C per year, starting from an estimated value of 27.4 °C in 1980.For the standard deviation of the 2-meter air temperature, and the mean and standard deviation of its range; although a linear regression analysis suggests a decline over time, the regression coefficient is not significant. On the other hand, the analysis of variance for the 9 years 1981, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2019 suggests existence of statistical difference among them collectively, for the 2-meter air temperature and its range.In the second part of this work, NASA POWER data for the air temperature at 2 m above the ground, the atmospheric pressure, the relative humidity at 2 m above the ground, and the daily precipitation were compared with recorded sensor measurements at Manah meteorological station, located in Al Dakhiliyah Governate, in the Northeast of the Sultanate of Oman over all days of years 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2016. The statistical analysis and visual inspection suggest that NASA POWER data are reliable for the 2-meter air temperature, while showing about 2.1 kPa constant shift (underestimation) for the atmospheric pressure. The data show mild inaccuracy for the 2-meter relative humidity, but are largely unreliable for the precipitation, with significantly exaggerated values compared to real recordings.

Development and Validation of Questionnaire to Assess Knowledge about Cervical Cancer among Women Aged 20 to 65 years in Oman.

Objective: This study aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire to assess awareness of cervical cancer, its risk factors, and methods of prevention among Arabic-speaking women aged 20 years and over. Methods: The study took place at primary healthcare institutions, Al Buraimi Governorate, Oman, between November 2018 to February 2019. In phase I, seventy items concerning cervical cancer and its prevention were generated through a literature review. In phase 2, the questionnaire was validated through calculating the content validity index (CVI) for both item level (I-CVI) and the scale level (S-CVI), in this phase a shortened English questionnaire of 55 items was formed, then rigorously translated to the Arabic language in phase III. The questionnaire was tested for reliability in two stages: A pilot and a large field test in phase IV. Results: A total of 55 out of 70 items formed the final version of the questionnaire. The final instrument had an S-CVI/Ave of 0.92. The questionnaire called the Knowledge in Cervical Cancer and Prevention Methods 55-items (KCCPM-55). The Cronbach alpha coefficient was 0.940 for the whole questionnaire, and ranged between 0.57 to 0.93 for each of the domains. Test-retest reliability was examined in a subsample of the total participants sample (r = 0.769, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The KCCPM-55 has been successfully developed in the Arabic language and found to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the level of knowledge about cervical cancer and prevention methods among women aged 20 to 65 years in Oman.

The level of school principals' practice of educational leadership in the Sultanate of Oman: مستوى ممارسة مديري المدارس بسلطنة عمان للقيادة التربوية

The study aimed to identify school principals' level of practicing educational leadership in the Sultanate of Oman. It also aimed to analyses differences in this level depending on the gender and the educational governorate. To achieve the purposes of the study and answer its questions, a descriptive approach was used, in addition to the Scale of the Educational Leadership Ability of Mohamed Mounir Morsi. This scale aims to measure the educational leadership ability with its main components that are confirmed by educational administration learners and researchers, namely: (objectivity, use of authority, flexibility, understanding others, and knowledge of principles of communication). The sample of the study consisted of (336) principals (male and female) from the various governorates of the Sultanate. And the research arrived at the following results: the level of school principal's educational leadership practice in the Sultanate of Oman is average as the arithmetical average of school principals' responses for their educational leadership practice level is 0.6. Regarding the level of school principals' practice of educational leadership dimensions, the level of their capabilities in understanding others and educational leadership objectivity id high. As for the level of school principals using the dimensions of the use of authority, knowledge of communication principles and flexibility came at an intermediate level. The results also showed that there are not substantial differences in the level of school principals employing educational leadership dimensions representing in using power, flexibility and understanding others depending on the gender. The results pointed out that there are no statistical differences between all the educational leadership dimensions, depending on the educational governorate except the use of authority who's its results were in favor of school principals in Al Buraimi educational governorate. Based on the results, a number of recommendations and suggestions were presented to improve the level of school principals' practice of educational leadership in the Sultanate of Oman. One of the major recommendations is caring about school principals' educational leadership skills training in particular the skills in which the results showed that the level of school principals' practice is average. These skills are using power, flexibility and knowing communication principles

Mobile Application System Supported BUC Students Services and Learning

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Smartphones and applications are one of the most used things in learning and management systems. They make everyone connected with society, and those who feel sorry for it, especially college students are always looking for things that benefit them at a university. In this research, there is a need to apply a new application for student education service with an easy way of managing data and generate progression on reports feedback in his or her university life. We conducted a survey with the students of Al Buraimi University College and we reached a positive result that helps in the work. Smartphones have become pervasive and sales of all categories have many functions, in search (application of mobile-based devices in education design) to talk about applications in smart devices that serve education and take their information for management purpose and ease of use and follow them in any way. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Linguistic Landscape as a Pedagogical Tool in Teaching and Learning English in Oman

English language learning does not only happen within the four corners of the classroom, but it may occur even within the learner‟s immediate community. Learning English can be enhanced through various resources like the available linguistic landscape. According to Landry and Bourhis (1997, p. 25) the term linguistic landscape (LL) is defined as the language of public road signs, advertising billboards, street names, place names, commercial shop signs, and public signs on government buildings combines to form the LL of a given territory, region, or urban agglomeration. As such, it contributes to an additional languagelearning tool for language learners. It is, therefore, the focus of this study to examine the use of the linguistic landscape as a pedagogical resource in teaching and learning English. This study examines explicitly the shop names and signage in Oman. To carry on the study, fifty (50) shop names and signage in Al Buraimi, Oman were collected and analyzed. The findings of the study reveal that the linguistic landscape does not only provide awareness about the English language, but it also enhances the learners‟ English language skills. This study supports the notion that exposing learners to the linguistic landscape provides awareness of the languages used in public signs, which indicate or give evidence of what languages are locally relevant (Kasanga, 2012). This study offers new insights on how classroom activities can be extended to the streets of the learners‟ community.

Do knowledge acquisition and knowledge sharing really affect e-learning adoption? An empirical study

Studying the factors that affect the e-learning adoption is not a new research topic. Nevertheless, exploring the effect of knowledge acquisition and knowledge sharing on e-learning adoption is a relatively new research trend that has not been featured in the existing literature. Thus, this study was conducted to build a new model by extending the technology acceptance model (TAM) with knowledge acquisition and knowledge sharing to examine the e-learning adoption. A total of 403 students enrolled at Al Buraimi University College (BUC) in Oman was surveyed. Using the Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate the proposed model, the results suggested that knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use have significant direct effects on the students’ behavioral intention to adopt e-learning systems. The findings also suggested that knowledge acquisition and knowledge sharing have a significant positive influence on perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. The evidence from these results provides holistic insights which could assist the policy-makers and educators to better understand the factors affecting the adoption of e-learning systems. The implications for theory and practice, limitations, and future work are also discussed.

An Innovative Approach of Applying Knowledge Management in M-Learning Application Development

The development of mobile learning (m-learning) applications is not a new research topic. However, the development of m-learning applications from the perspective of knowledge management (KM) processes is a new research trend that has never been tackled in the existing literature. The main objective of this study is to develop an m-learning application that enables KM processes (acquisition, sharing, application, and protection) to evaluate the students' perceptions and acceptance towards its usage. A pilot study was conducted in two different universities in two developing countries, namely Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) in Malaysia and Al Buraimi University College (BUC) in Oman. A questionnaire survey is used to collect data from 51 IT undergraduate students. The findings provided empirical evidence that the developed m-learning application has raised the students' acceptance towards the application and enhanced their intent to use such applications in the future.

Impact of policies vis‐à‐vis small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on economic development of the border city of Al Buraimi in Oman

AbstractSince the industrial revolutions in Europe and the USA, the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been considered as the backbone of the economies. Apart from being blessed with huge reserves of natural resources, Oman enjoys certain location‐related advantages. Furthermore, it is also one of the key members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). All these factors open new doors and strongly pave the way for new ventures to be launched particularly in the small and medium enterprises sector of the economy. This study aims to highlight the role of small and medium enterprises in the economic development of the Al‐Buraimi Governorate in Oman. It also examines the effectiveness of economic policies vis‐à‐vis SMEs success stories. It also highlights the role of the investment environment for the SME sector in Al‐Buraimi. A randomly selected sample of 57 SMEs stockholders is used to obtain an understanding of the impact of the economic policies for SME sector on the economy in the Al‐Buraimi Governorate. The results show that the ownership structure can be a factor for survival in SMEs. As the manufacturing and household businesses make up the largest portion of the SME sector in Oman, the government policies may promulgate other businesses in the service sector like trade, tourism, logistics, etc. The stringent regulations and complicated administrative procedures being the major reported factors, the policy‐makers may focus more upon such challenges for accelerating the development and contribution of SME sector in the regional economic development. This study enriches the literature and proves helpful for Omani policy‐makers.

Implementation of marketing concept and organizational culture in SMEs in Al Buraimi – Oman

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of relationship between implementation process of marketing concepts and the culture at the small- to medium-sized enterprise (SME) level of the Omani economy. The marketing culture and behavior provide a comprehensive insight into the implementation process of marketing concepts in SME sector in Oman. This paper seeks to explore the marketing culture of the firm’s members and to what extent they can support or create barriers to the successful implementation of the marketing concept in Al Buraimi region – Oman.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative approach was used to explore the impact of organizational culture on the implementation of marketing concepts on SMEs; to achieve the objective of this study, the paper based on a sample of 240 of SME sector in Al Buraimi. Simple Random Sampling was used for the sample distribution. The IBM analysis program Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used to process the data sets.FindingsThe findings of this study support the argument about the positive relationship between the implementation of marketing concepts and organizational culture. In the Omani context, organizational culture is related to the whole society’s culture, which has changed over recent years due to changes in lifestyle and consumer behavior. All of this affects the SME sector and its ability to create new ideas for the marketing process.Originality/valueThe paper finds that there is a logic and structure to the culture and the implementation process of marketing concepts. It helps to identify the impact of the culture of the SME on the implementation of marketing in the SME sector on the Omani economy in light of the new orientation on the part of decision makers in terms of increasing the importance of non-oil activities.

The hinders of speaking Arabic language in a good command through 11 th and 12 th grades students opinions, at Malik bin Anas School for Basic Education in Al Buraimi Governorate, Sultanate of Oman: معوقات التحدث باللغة العربية الفصحى لطلاب الحادي عشر والثاني عشر بمدرسة مالك بن أنس للتعليم الأساسي في محافظة البريمي بسلطنة عمان من وجهة نظر الطلاب أنفسهم

This study aims to revealing the obstacles facing 11th and 12th graders in speaking Standard Arabic in Malik bin Anas School for Basic Education, Governorate of Al Buraimi. The researchers set up a questionnaire made up of 17 elements which fall into two sections. The first is concerned with the inside-school obstacles, the second with the outside-school obstacles. The researchers carried out their study on an elected sample of students from the school and answered the following questions: 1- According to 11th and 12th graders, what are the obstacles facing them in speaking Standard Arabic? 2- Do the sample-students’ assessment of the different obstacles in speaking Standard Arabic differ in accordance to their gender and competence? In conclusion, the study recommends that teachers and school administrative stuff alike should converse in Standard Arabic amongst themselves and with students as well. Furthermore, it urges a continuous encouragement for students to take part in literary competitions (such as debates and presentations) held by the Ministry of Education and the implementation of further research in the field.

Rapid HIV Testing in Al Buraimi Governorate Sultanate of Oman: A Cross Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Due to one of the highest HIV prevalent province in Oman, Voluntary Counselling Testing (VCT) services were integrated in health system of Al Buraimi Governorate, Oman since December 2014.&#x0D; &#x0D; AIM &amp;amp; OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to analyze the situation on HIV rapid testing in Al Buraimi Governorate with objective to identify client&amp;rsquo;s risk factor among common age group and gender. &#x0D; &#x0D; METHODOLOGY: Cross sectional retrospective study was conducted in Al Buraimi Governorate, Oman among 1412 registered adult VCT clients, unbooked pregnant women with no documented HIV status at the time of delivery or abortion at Buraimi Hospital and clients during outreach community awareness activities on HIV. Retrospective analysis was performed for 3 years from December 2014 to December 2017 on parameters like Age, gender, nationality, risk factors, outcome and place of testing (Hospital and Outreach) using standard national client information form. Descriptive statistics was applied in Microsoft excel and SPSS version 24. Clients&amp;rsquo; personal information and confidentiality of the record was maintained during entire study period with approval from regional research and ethical review committee. &#x0D; &#x0D; RESULTS: Of 1412 clients for Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs), 990 (70.1%) were females and 422 (29.9%) were males with mean age 27.13&amp;plusmn;7.02. Majority, 806 (57.1%) RDTs were in outreach followed by 470 (33.3%) and 136 (9.6%) at Maternity ward and Couselling Clinic respectively. Clients included 1294 (91.6%) Omani nationals and 118 (8.4%) non-Omani nationals. The risky behavior was found to be 126 (9%) among clients with heterosexual contributes 65 (4.6%). Among all risk factors, male clients contributed 124 (8.7%) with common age group 26-35 years 56 (3.9%). &#x0D; &#x0D; CONCLUSION: RDTs were utilized mainly during outreach activities that highlight the need of promoting VCT facilities in the clinical setting as services are available 24/7 through hotline. This baseline study would facilitate to develop plan for client&amp;rsquo;s risk reduction.

Identifying the Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated With Uncontrolled Diabetes (Type 2) in Al Buraimi Governorate, Sultanate of Oman

BACKGROUND: People with poorly controlled diabetes are likely to have shortened life, diabetes related complications and also reduced quality of life. WHO-EMRO region is considered to be the highest prevalence region accounted 43 million people. Among GCC countries, Oman has reported increased number of cases in recent years. &#x0D; &#x0D; OBJECTIVE: To identify the prevalence and risk factors associated with uncontrolled diabetes (Type 2) in a diabetic setting of Al Buraimi Polyclinic, AL Buraimi Governorate, Oman.&#x0D; &#x0D; METHODOLOGY: This Cross sectional retrospective study was conducted in diabetic clinic of Al Buraimi Polyclinic of primary health care, Al Buraimi Governorate Oman between January-April 2015. This study enrolled all diabetic patients type 2 (N=1164) who were registered during the period 2010-2014 in the polyclinic. Data was retrieved from the electronic diabetic register and patient&amp;rsquo;s electronic records in a diabetic setting at Al Buraimi Polyclinic. Descriptive statistics were applied to analyze the data. Differences between the groups were analyzed by using Chi-square test in SPSS 16 with p value &amp;le; 0.05 significance level.&#x0D; &#x0D; RESULTS: Prevalence of Uncontrolled Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 was found to be 623 (54%) among 1164 registered patients. 1108 (95%) were Omani nationals and 56 (5%) were non-Omani nationals with mean age 51&amp;plusmn;12 and male predominance 632 (54%) with higher significance (p-value=0.009). A significant association was found between treatment and glycemic control (p-value = 0.000) with 926 (80%) were on oral hypoglycemic agents. Moreover, HbA1c was significantly associated with total cholesterol, Low density lipoprotein and Triglyceride with (p-value=0 .000). 629 (54%). Diabetic patients were having family history as a common risk factor.&#x0D; &#x0D; CONCLUSION: Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus with prevalence &amp;gt;50% implies an alarming challenge to health care system. An intervention should be focused on patient&amp;rsquo;s education, emphasizing on life modification strategies. Furthermore, multidisciplinary approach is needed for the effective care of diabetes in primary health care.

Modern Recharge in a Transboundary Groundwater Basin Deduced from Hydrochemical and Isotopic Investigations: Al Buraimi, Oman

Groundwater samples (54) collected from different geological units (alluvium, Tertiary, ophiolite, and Hawasina) located in the transboundary groundwater basin in north Oman at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) borders were analyzed for general hydrochemistry and water isotopes, and subsets thereof were analyzed for 14C and 3H and 87Sr/86Sr. The chemical composition, percentage of modern carbon (pmc), δ2H, δ18O, and 87Sr/86Sr of the groundwater in the study area progressively change from the recharge zone in the elevated area of the North Oman Mountains (NOM) to the flat plains at the UAE borders. While the water-rock interaction is the dominant process controlling the groundwater chemistry, evaporation and groundwater mixing affect the hydrochemistry at the UAE borders. Therefore, groundwater evolves from carbonate-dominant in the NOM into sodium chloride-dominant close to the UAE borders. It is also evident that groundwater lateral recharge from the ophiolites into the alluvium retains the chemical affinity of the ophiolites. Groundwater dating (high pmc), homogeneous 87Sr/86Sr ratios, and enriched δ2H and δ18O demonstrate the presence of modern recharge in the shallow zones of the ophiolites and alluvium. However, deep zones and areas at the UAE border contain older groundwater form during cooler and wetter climatic conditions as supported by the depleted δ2H and δ18O and lower 87Sr/86Sr ratios and pmc. Furthermore, the data clearly showed that modern groundwater mixes with older groundwater along the flow path from the NOM into the UAE border. Modern recharge occurs as lateral recharge from NOM and direct recharge in the plain area. The current findings support future development of aflaj system along NOM slopes and shallow wells in the plain areas.