Genetic variation in the FMO2 gene: evolution & functional consequences

PhDFlavin-containing monooxygenase 2 (FMO2) is involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics, including therapeutic drugs. FMO2 exists in two forms: a functional and a non-functional form. The functional allele is found only in Africa and individuals of recent African origin. The aims of the project were to determine the frequency of functional FMO2 in Africa and obtain insights into the evolutionary history of the FMO2 gene. Six hundred and eighty nine samples from nine African population groups were genotyped for six high-frequency SNPs, and the genetic diversity within FMO2 was characterized by sequencing 3.44 kb of genomic DNA, encompassing the entire coding sequence and some flanking intronic sequences in 48 African individuals. Haplotypes were inferred using Phase and the relationship between mutations was revealed using reduced-median and median-joining Network. Test statistics were used to determine whether the genetic variation is compatible with neutral evolution. Genotyping indicated that deleterious SNPs occur mostly on a non-functional allele and that the frequencies of three were significantly different (P<0.05) among populations. Resequencing identified 32 variants. Genetree was used to estimate the time to the most recent common ancestral sequence (~0.928 million years) and the ages of some of the mutations. Results indicate that the frequency of full-length 23238C alleles is relatively uniform across sub-Saharan Africa. Interestingly, this is not the case for the inferred potentially functional 23238C alleles, which frequency differed significantly (P<0.05) across sub-Saharan Africa. iv The results also provide evidence that the frequency of functional FMO2 in east and west-Africa is high (≥0.54), which has important implications for therapy with drugs that are substrates for FMO2. A Ka/Ks > 1, and low nucleotide sequence diversity of intronic regions of 23238C alleles indicate a possible selective sweep.King Saud university of Riyadh Saudi Arabia

Real-time Event Detection Using Self-Evolving Contextual Analysis (SECA) Approach

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Towards a Transparent and an Environmental-Friendly Approach for Short Text Topic Detection : A Comparison of Methods for Performance, Transparency, and Carbon Footprint

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New Insight into the Influence of Rhamnolipid Bio-Surfactant on the Carbonate Rock/Water/Oil Interaction at Elevated Temperature

Tertiary recovery is directly dependent on the alteration in wettability and interfacial tension (IFT), hence releasing the trapped oil from rock pore spaces. Bio-surfactant water flooding to mobilise residual oil in reservoirs is a new and developing prospect that can be used more often in future due to its environmentally friendly nature and economic advantages. In this work, the impact of rhamnolipids as water soluble bio-surfactant solutions on the interfacial activities of saline water and the wettability of carbonate rock are studied at elevated temperature. The effectiveness of the bio-surfactant as a rock wettability modifier is analysed in the presence of different salinities, in particular SO42&#8722; ions. The reason for the focus on SO42&#8722; is its high affinity towards calcite surfaces, and hence its ability to intervene strongly on bio-surfactant performance. To achieve the objectives of this study, the oil-wet calcite samples at elevated temperature were put through a washing process that included bio-surfactant solutions in seawater at various concentrations of sodium sulphate ions, where the measurement of the contact angles of each sample after treatment and the IFT between the oil model and the washing solutions were taken. The obtained results illustrated that bio-surfactants (rhamnolipids) with incremental concentrations of SO42&#8722; ions in sea water (up to three times higher than the original ion concentration) can lower the IFT, and assessed changing the rocks towards greater water-wettability. This study reveals that the alteration of SO42&#8722; ions had a greater impact on the wettability alteration, whereas rhamnolipids were better at reducing the IFT between the oil phase and the aqueous phase. This study also looked at temperatures of 50 &#176;C and 70 &#176;C, which demonstrated undesired influences on the wettability and IFT. Bio-surfactants at high temperature showed less interfacial activity, thus indicating that rhamnolipids are not active at high temperatures, while the addition of SO42&#8722; shows a continuous decrease in the contact angle and IFT measurements at high temperature

PRODUCTION OF HANDMADE PAPERS FROM SUGAR CANE BAGASSE AND BANANA FIBERS IN OMAN

Solid waste is one of the biggest problem of civil society. In this project, agriculture waste from bagasse and banana fibers have been used to produce handmade paper. These fibers were collected, dried under the sun and passed through water vat to remove dust.  Next, it is cooked with 10% caustic solution in pressure cooker and then blended in mixer for different timing. Diluted solution of Clorox was used for discoloration and purification of pulp.Three types of papers were made from ready pulp. First type was by made by using raw material only, second type by addition of 2% of CaCO3 and 2% of starch. And the third types by addition of 5% of both additives.  These papers were dried and then ironed for straightening.GSM, pH, Thickness, Bulk, and Moisture Content were calculated for all types of papers. It was found that papers from bagasse fibers are heavy and suitable for heavy and rough usage. While paper from banana fibers are useful for soft usage like tissues, wipes, tracing paper etc. This project is ecofriendly as it used agricultural waste and only little electricity was used

Investigating Omani Novice Teachers’ Perceptions of their Professional Dispositions

يشكل التكوين القيمي للمعلم والمرتبط بأخلاقيات المهنة أحد العناصر الأساسية التي توجه ممارساته المهنية بشكل فاعل، من هنا هدفت هذه الدراسة للكشف عن درجة امتلاك المعلم المبتدئ في مدارس التعليم العام بسلطنة عمان لقيم مهنة التعليم وكذلك قياس مدى تأثير متغيرات النوع الاجتماعي، وعدد سنوات الخبرة في امتلاكهم لهذه القيم. تم استخدام المنهج الوصفي وجمع البيانات من خلال إعداد استبانة مكونة من 60 فقرة موزعة على خمسة محاور هي: القيم المهنية في العمل، القيم المرتبطة بسمات الشخصية، قيم الاتجاه نحو المهنة، قيم التعاون والقيادة، وقيم التعلم المستمر. تم التحقق من الاتساق الداخلي للأداة وبلغت قيمة كرونباخ-الفا 0.95. أظهرت نتائج الدراسة أن درجة امتلاك المعلم المبتدئ للقيم المهنية لمحور القيم المهنية في العمل حصلت على أعلى متوسط حسابي بلغ 4.59 تلاه في المرتبة الثانية محور القيم المرتبطة بسمات الشخصية، بمتوسط حسابي بلغ 4.48 وثم في المرتبة الثالثة محور الاتجاه نحو مهنة التعليم، بمتوسط حسابي بلغ 4.30، وثم محور قيم التعاون والقيادة بمتوسط حسابي بلغ 4.18 فيما جاء في المرتبة الأخيرة محور قيم التعلم المستمر، بمتوسط حسابي بلغ 4.07 وبلغ المتوسط الحسابي العام للمقياس ككل 4.32، وبدرجة عالية جداً في امتلاك المعلم المبتدئ لقيم المهنة. كما أظهرت نتائج الدراسة عن عدم وجود فروق ذات دلالة احصائية عند مستوى α=0.05 بين استجابات أفراد عينة الدراسة تعزى الى متغيرات النوع، وعدد سنوات الخبرة، وقد توصلت الدراسة إلى منظومة قيمية بلغت عدد القيم المتضمنة فيها 32 قيمة مهنية يمتلكها المعلم المبتدىء، وبناءً عليه تقدمت الدراسة بمجموعة من التوصيات.The present study investigated the perceptions of novice Omani teachers of the kind of professional dispositions they have in the job and the influence of two variables, namely gender and teaching experience on these perceptions. The study employed a descriptive research design and used a five level Likert scale questionnaire that assessed the level of possession of the investigated dispositions as perceived by the participants. The questionnaire consisted of five categories of dispositions: Professional values at work, dispositions associated with personality characteristics and traits, dispositions related to cooperation and leadership, dispositions related to continuous and life-long learning and attitudes towards the teaching profession. Reliability of the questionnaire was found to be (0.95) using Cronbach Alpha. Results showed that novice teachers’ evaluation of their dispositions was “very high”. Professional values at work received the highest mean (4.59), followed by dispositions associated with personality characteristics (4.48) and then attitudes towards the teaching profession. Dispositions related to cooperation and leadership, and dispositions related to continuous and life-long learning were rated as “high” with mean values of (4.18) and (4.07) respectively. Findings also showed that there were no significant differences between the participants in their perceptions attributed to gender and teaching experience. Accordingly, the study suggested number of recommendations

Short Text Classification using Contextual Analysis

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The importance of teachers in integrating ICT into science teaching in intermediate schools in Saudi Arabia: a mixed methods study

Curriculum reform is central to the aspirations of many developing countries as they strive to deliver a quality education to their citizens. In Saudi Arabia, with its remarkable achievement of a high literacy rate in a few decades, the next step is bringing its resources to bear on providing a quality education so that Saudis may take their places in the global labour force. This study concerns the integration of information and communications technologies (ICT) into the science curriculum of intermediate schools for boys and girls in the educational district of Jeddah, and the training and development requirements of science teachers in this regard. A mixed methodology was employed to obtain qualitative data from six policymakers within the Ministry of Education in Riyadh and Jeddah, and quantitative data from a questionnaire for which 311 replies were received from intermediate schools’ science teachers in Jeddah. The findings confirm those reported in the literature that inefficient central project management and inadequate resources influence the integration of ICT in the science curriculum. Further, qualitative and quantitative findings confirm that teachers’ access to training is affected by time constraints, ineffective ICT course material, and in the specialised case of an Islamic country, inadequate access of women teachers to external training. However, this study does not support the majority of researchers which finds teachers’ negative attitude to ICT. Whilst the policy makers interviewed in this study perceived the teachers as having a negative attitude toward ICT integration in the science curriculum, quantitative data from the teachers pointed to a high interest (90 per cent) in ICT integration, and their willingness to pursue further professional development in the effective use of ICT in the intermediate science curriculum

The Social Importance and Continuity of Falaj Use in Northern Oman

Oman has an arid climate with an annual average rainfall less than 100 mm. Agriculture production in Oman is almost fully dependent on irrigation in which more than one third of irrigation water is supplied by aflāj. Prior to the 1970s, falaj (singular of aflāj) systems were the backbone of agriculture in the northern parts of Oman. There are three types of falaj in Oman: ghailī, da'ūdī and cainī. Among these three types, only the da'ūdī falaj is similar to the qanat irrigation systems of Iran. Aflāj are conduits dug in the ground to convey water by gravity from one place to another; there are more than 4,000 aflāj in the Sultanate of Oman, of which 3,017 are active. Many aflāj in Oman were built over 1,500 years ago and some of them may date back over 2,500 years. There was a major period of construction during the Yacāriba Dynasty, by Imam Sultan bin Saif Al Yarubi between 1,060 and 1,070 Hijri (1,650- 1,660 AD). However, several aflāj were constructed only 150 years ago. The falaj systems are still focal to agricultural communities in Oman as they represent 36% of the total water consumed in the agricultural sector and 38% of the total available fresh water. Because of their historical and cultural importance, five representative falaj systems, together with associated structures such as defensive towers, mosques sundials and buildings for water auctions, have recently been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Sustainability was the way of life of our ancestors: because falaj systems use gravity flow, water use never exceeded water supply. The Sultanate's traditional methods of water management provide important lessons for the future. Using water fairly in times of plenty and times of scarcity is one of these lessons. Matching water use to water availability, a fundamental characteristic of the falaj system, is an essential element in planning water management in Oman's climatic conditions.The Iranian National Committee on Irrigation and Drainage (IRNCID); The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID); The International Network on Participatory Irrigation Management (INPIM

Equating General Education Diploma Results of Physics Examination in the Sultanate of Oman Using Item Response Theory

هدفت الدراسة معادلة درجات امتحان دبلوم التعليم العام لمادة الفيزياء في سلطنة عمان باستخدام نظرية الاستجابة للمفردة، اشتملت عينة الدراسة جميع الطلبة الذين اجتازوا امتحان مادة الفيزياء للعامين الدراسيين (2014/2015م) و(2015/2016م) والبالغ عددهم 18966 و17175 على التوالي، وتمثلت أداة الدراسة في صورتين، حيث احتوت الصورة الأولى على 40 مفردة، و36 مفردة للصورة الثانية. وبعد ما تم التحقق من افتراضات نظرية الاستجابة للمفردة في البيانات تم تقدير معالم المفردات وقدرات المفحوصين حسب النموذج اللوجستي ثنائي المعلم، ومن ثم استخدمت طريقة المعادلة بالدرجات الحقيقية، حيث أظهرت نتائج المعادلة تقارب المتوسطات الحسابية للدرجات الحقيقية للصورة المرجعية والدرجات المعادلة للصورة الجديدة، وتم التحقق من دقة المعادلة بطريقة Bias)).The study aimed to equate General Education Diploma results of physics exam in the Sultanate of Oman using Item Response Theory (IRT) and setting them in a common scale. The study sample included all of the General Education Diploma students both male and female who passed the physics exam in the academic years 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 with atotal sample of (17175 &amp; 18966) respectively. Two different copies of physics exam were used for the purpose of the study. The first one consisted of 40 items and the other was 36 items. The data was analyzed by Multilog 7.03 program, to estimate the parameters of the items and the abilities of examinees and to check the IRT hypotheses. Moreover, the method of True Score Equation was used. The Results showed that there are no statistically significant differences between the means of the true scores of the criteria exam and the results, which were equated to the new exam. The equation accuracy was checked by Equating Bias metho