Feasibility of growing Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) at Jabal Al-Akhdar, Sultanate of Oman

Oman is one of the top nine countries in the world with highest prevalence of diabetes. There is therefore more awareness among the people to take necessary precautions to preserve their health by reducing their sugar consumption and replacing it with low calorie sweeteners. Stevia is a natural herbal sweetener that is safe and does not have the neurological or renal side effects associated with some of the artificial sweeteners. A feasibility study to grow Stevia was undertaken after obtaining the seeds that were initially planted in greenhouse to study their growth habits under controlled conditions. The plants were then transferred to the field in Jabal Al-Akhdar at an elevation of 1079 m above sea level where temperatures were appropriate for Stevia growth in summer since it was within its tolerant temperature range. Two types of Stevia plants were transferred to JA for the three months field study; those that originated directly from seeds and those from transplant cuttings. Drip irrigation system with timer was installed with two laterals each having six emitters spaced 60 cm apart and each supplying 2 liters of water per day. Moderate fertilizer NPK was applied. Five out of six plants in each of the two plots grew very well to the end of the season. Some insects were attracted by the sweetness of the leaves but proper measures were taken to prevent damage. Results show that it is feasible to grow Stevia in JA in summer

Thirty-Day Mortality in COVID-19 Positive Patients With Hip Fractures: A Case-Series and Literature Review

Introduction: The novel coronavirus has spread rapidly around the world with particularly high mortality in the elderly. Care and nursing homes have become the sites of greatest concentration of cases. We intended to review 30-day mortality of COVID-19 patients with hip fractures. This is relevant given the disease impact in this age group.Methods: Medline and Embase databases were searched for relevant studies linked to mortality and morbidity in COVID-19 patients who have undergone non-elective hip surgeries using the keywords "COVID-19"OR "SARS-cov-2"OR "Coronavirus Infections"; AND "Surgery"OR "Hip"OR "Fracture"OR "Orthopedics." We included all patients with hip fractures, but excluded pathological fractures and other non-traumatic hip pathologies. Four-hundred and eighty-one articles were identified for screening, in addition to an unpublished case-series of 67 patients that have 3 cases turned positive for COVID 19, yielding a total of 50patients for the final review.Results: The study included 4 articles published until May 9th 2020 and a case-series: 26(52%) patients were females; the median age was 86years; hypertension(53.6%), diabetes mellitus type II(28.6%), and coronary artery heart disease(25%) were the most common comorbidities; 34(68%) patients had intertrochanteric hip fracture and 16(32%) patients had femoral neck fractures; 22(59.5%) patients underwent cephalomedullary nail fixation, 12(32.4%) patients had hemiarthroplasty, and for 3(8.1%) patients, the type of surgery was not documented; 20(40%) patients died(12patients died before the surgery and 8died after surgery at a median time of 3days), 29(76.3%) patients had an unremarkable course throughout hospitalization and were discharged including 1(2.6%) patient managed non-operatively, and 1(2.6%) patient was admitted to the ICU after the surgery but eventually discharged.Conclusion: COVID-19 infected elderly patients have a higher 30-days mortality rate compared to non-COVID-19 infected cases. Further studies are warranted to look at the morbidity and mortality rates in COVID-19 positive patients with hip fractures and to investigate how these outcomes can be improved.Level of evidence: Level IV

درجة توافر معايير التفكير القائم على المفاهيم في كتب التربية الإسلامية بسلطنة عمان

The study aimed at revealing the degree of availability of standards of concept-based thinking in Islamic education books in the post-basic education stage for the eleventh and twelfth grades. the researchers prepared a note card that consisted of (41) criteria distributed on five axes (conceptual content construction, conceptual lens, learning skills and thinking skills, forming generalizations, learning experiences and performance evaluation). and after processing and analyzing the results, the results of the study revealed the availability of concept-based thinking standards in Islamic education books in varying degrees and percentages. the performance evaluation axis came on the first rank with a percentage of (61%), while the axis of generalizations building came in the last rank with a percentage of (9.5). The study also showed that there are no statistically significant differences due to the availability of criteria concept-based thinking is attributed to the classroom, and considering these results, researchers recommended the necessity of adopting curricula design according to concept-based thinking, and training curriculum developers and teachers on .i

Exploring the process of digital artifact adoption in entrepreneurship education

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonEntrepreneurship education (EE) has become an important subject that many higher education institutions (HEIs) are currently offering it to their learners. Furthermore, the use of digital technology in teaching EE has been among the recently discussed topics, and the use of digital artifacts (DA) in teaching entrepreneurship has been studied. However, existing literature lacks a theoretical framework that identifies the different factors that facilitate and/or impede the process of adoption of DA in EE. The process of technology adoption in EE remains understudied. This study investigates the process of how adoption of DA unfolds in EE, in Oman. Applying grounded theory approach, the study explores the facilitating and the impeding factors to technology adoption, and the strategies to overcome the impeding factors. Data collection was achieved through semi-structured interviews with 30 entrepreneurship educators from different Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Oman. The findings demonstrate that learners’ positive attitude, embracing the available different technologies, educators’ positive role, and management support are the main facilitating factors to DA adoption. However, the main impediment factors include the following: first, the learners’ background and mentality, and their focus on grades and marks over acquiring learners. Second, educators’ teaching style, their incompetency in teaching the subject, and their high teaching load. Third, the absence of management awareness, understanding, and support, and the lack of entrepreneurial culture among the institution. Effective technology adoption involves the active engagement of various stakeholders, including learners, educators, and management. However, the educators play a predominant role in technology adoption and in improving teaching approaches. This research contributes by developing a framework illustrating the process of how DA adoption in EE unfolds overtime

Influence of teachers motivational perceptions, motivational strategies, efficacy and beliefs in students’ academic achievement at Oman Public Schools

Motivation is an essential factor which affects students’ participation and engagement in their classwork and academic achievement and grades. The main purpose of this research is to identify the level of teacher motivational perception, motivational strategy, self-efficacy, general beliefs and students’ academic achievements. Specifically, it is focused on investigating; i) the relationship between teacher motivational strategy, self-efficacy, general beliefs and students’ academic achievements. ii) The differences of motivational perception, motivational strategy, motivational strategy, self-efficacy and general beliefs based on genders, class level teach and teaching experiences. The study was based on the quantitative method in nature with a correlational survey design using questionnaires of Teacher Motivational Perception (TMP) and Teacher Motivational Strategies (MS) by Hardre’ (2008). A pilot study have been conducted on 30 teachers which indicates the scores of Cronbach's Alpha (α=.74) of TMP and (α=.86) of MS. The study sample comprised of 135 Welayate Sumail, Al Dakhelia Governorate teachers, who taught the 11th and 12th class level in 9 of the secondary public schools. Overall, there were 64 male and 71 female teachers that taught essential subjects with five years of minimum teaching experience. The results showed that there was a moderate teachers’ motivational perception (M=3.29, SD=.327), high level of motivational strategies (M=4.38, SD=.974), high level of teachers’ self-efficacy (M=4.10, SD=.548), high level of general beliefs (M=4.22, SD=.545) and moderate level of students’ academic achievements (M=66.29, SD=7.11). In addition, there is a positive and significant relationship between teachers' motivational strategies and students’ academic achievements (11th; r=.285 p0.05) in teaching experiences. Meanwhile, there were no differences of teacher motivational strategies based on gender (t=1.35, p=.133), class level (F=.103, p=.902) and teaching experiences (F=.681, p=.954). The study showed different levels of perceptions and beliefs but agreed on the importance of studying motivation from the perspective of reasons, strategies, self-efficacy and beliefs and how it was correlated to student academic achievements. The findings of this study may serve as a platform for school authorities, administrators and policymakers in developing students’ motivation and motivational strategies that can be used in classrooms practices at Oman Public school

Feasibility of growing Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) at Jabal Al-Akhdar, Sultanate of Oman

Oman is one of the top nine countries in the world with highest prevalence of diabetes. There is therefore more awareness among the people to take necessary precautions to preserve their health by reducing their sugar consumption and replacing it with low calorie sweeteners. Stevia is a natural herbal sweetener that is safe and does not have the neurological or renal side effects associated with some of the artificial sweeteners. A feasibility study to grow Stevia was undertaken after obtaining the seeds that were initially planted in greenhouse to study their growth habits under controlled conditions. The plants were then transferred to the field in Jabal Al-Akhdar at an elevation of 1079 m above sea level where temperatures were appropriate for Stevia growth in summer since it was within its tolerant temperature range. Two types of Stevia plants were transferred to JA for the three months field study; those that originated directly from seeds and those from transplant cuttings. Drip irrigation system with timer was installed with two laterals each having six emitters spaced 60 cm apart and each supplying 2 liters of water per day. Moderate fertilizer NPK was applied. Five out of six plants in each of the two plots grew very well to the end of the season. Some insects were attracted by the sweetness of the leaves but proper measures were taken to prevent damage. Results show that it is feasible to grow Stevia in JA in summer

Relationship between teachers' motivational strategies, self-efficacy and beliefs on students' academic achievement at Oman public schools

The aims of the study is to determine the relationship between teachers’ motivational strategies, self-efficacy, general beliefs and students’ academic achievements. The study sample comprised of 135 teachers from eight secondary public schools in Oman. Drawing on the findings from a correlational survey design study, the paper identified that there were high level of teachers’ motivational strategies, high level of teachers’ self-efficacy, high level of teachers’ general beliefs and moderate level of students’ academic achievements. In addition, there is a positive significant relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy and students’ academic achievements and a positive significant relationship between teachers’ general beliefs and students’ academic achievements. However, there was no significant relationship between teachers' transient beliefs and students’ academic achievements. When teachers adopt the view of students’ motivation as stable and malleable, and adopt a helplessness response, it negatively predicts a supportive environment and better academic achievements. This is undoubtedly the most difficult attitude of the teachers to change, but it holds perhaps the most potential for dramatic improvement in students’ motivation. The findings of this study may serve as a platform for school authorities, administrators and policymakers to develop teachers’ motivational strategies that can be practised in Oman public schools

Teachers' motivational perceptions and students' academic achievement at Oman public schools

Motivation is an essential factor which affects students’ participation and engagement in their classwork and academic achievement and grades. The main purpose of this research is to identify the level of teacher motivational perception and investigated the differences of motivational perception based on genders, grade level teach and teaching experiences. This study is a correlational survey design consisting questionnaires by Hardre’ (2008), Teacher Motivational Perception (TMP) to obtain data from the respondents. A pilot study have been conducted on 30 teachers which indicates the scores of Cronbach's Alpha for TMP (?=.74). The study sample comprised of 135 Welayate Sumail, Al Dakhelia Governorate teachers, who taught grade 11th and 12th.. Overall, there were 64 male and 71 female teachers who taught core subjects with five years of minimum teaching experience. Results showed that there was a moderate teachers’ motivational perception (M=3.29, SD=.327 and moderate level of students’ academic achievements (M=66.29, SD=7.11. There are significant differences in teacher motivational perception based on gender (t=1.137, p=.032) and class levels (F=3.928, p=.019) but no significant difference (x^2=2.008, p>0.05) in teaching experiences. The findings of this study may serve as a platform for school authorities, administrators and policymakers to develop students’ motivation and motivational strategies that can be practised in Oman public schools