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Higher education institutions have opted for online teaching due to COVID-19 Pandemic as delivering classes online was the only available option to continue their teaching and learning activities. Higher education institutions were found to be more dynamic during their utilization of electronic platforms in delivering their activities and due to the unclarity of COVID, it seems that online teaching and learning will remain a crucial part of higher education due to its flexibility, accessibility, and convenience. However, to determine whether online teaching is the best choice for higher education institutions, it's imperative to shed some light on the challenges and limitations of teaching online to enable institutions in Oman to decide on the future of their teaching and learning activities. Therefore, this study intends to examine the limitations and challenges of online teaching in Oman. The study data was collected by employing a questionnaire survey and distributed to all higher education institutions in Oman. We have received responses from a total of 25 higher education institutions that have participated in the study of which 12 are private universities representing 48%, 9 are public private colleges accounting for 36%, and 4 are university colleges accounting for 16%. The study revealed that the challenges faced by HEIs were student participation and active involvement, evaluation of performance, absenteeism, and insufficient knowledge of the use of online tools, and technologies both by instructors and students. Some of the limitations identified in using technological tools for teaching and learning were the efficiency of internet connectivity which disrupts the teaching engagement, restricted access to some of the technological tools, ineffective ways to gauge academic integrity, and inability to exhibit the capabilities and skills of learners. © 2023 by the authors.
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By the use of current communication technologies, educational institutions are able to transmit classroom lectures and pedagogical guidelines to students at a distance. Students in Oman and Jordan have ceased attending colleges and schools as a precautionary step to achieve social separation in view of the present conditions surrounding the spread of the Coronavirus, which has swept the whole world. According to defence orders issued by the Jordanian cabinet, law majors are taught in Jordanian public and private universities, 20 universities in which studies have shifted from face education to e-learning during the second semester of the 2019-2020 academic year. The theories of pandemics have existed in Islamic jurisprudence since ancient times, and Maliki jurists have devoted specialized books to it to discuss this issue. However, the Coronavirus pandemic is not the first or the last till the end of the world. The usage of e-learning, a modern method of education, is quickly expanding across a range of contexts. The electronic delivery of integrated programmes is now commonplace in universities and colleges, and even at some research universities and institutes. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous quarantine measures have been implemented, and regular schooling has been put on hold. This has shifted the emphasis heavily towards online education. The study's objectives are to provide an assessment of students' perceptions of their e-learning experiences in law programmes at universities in Jordan and Oman, as well as pros and cons of e-learning from students' perspectives and suggestions for improving e-learning at universities and academic institutions. © 2023 Otjivanda Presse.Essen. All rights reserved.
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The Omani banking industry still lags behind in keeping up with the full adoption of e-banking technologies in delivering its services. Nevertheless, this might have changed to some extent with the spread of the Corona Virus (COVID-19) which forced financial institutions around the world to temporary close most of their branches and operate mostly on an online basis. The purpose of the study is to investigate customers' perception of E-Banking Adoption in the Omani context during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the focus is on determining the aspects that would potentially increase the acceptance and usage of E-banking services from the customer's perspective. A questionnaire was developed with the purpose of collecting data from total sample of 200 banks' customers in Oman. In terms of data analysis, linear regression and t-tests were used. The results indicated that bank customers in Oman have a high willingness to use E-banking services. On the other hand, the findings revealed that perceived ease of use, uncertainty, facilitating conditions and self-efficacy has a significant effect on E-banking adoption and hence are have the potential to increase the adoption of E-banking services in Oman. The study contributes significantly to the behavioural and innovation adoption theories. In addition, it contributes in developing policies and setting improvement measures in the banking industry. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.
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Background: The One Health concept (OHC) seeks to improve the health of plants, animals, and humans because improving animal and plant health will increase the capacity for improving human health. Many risks such as plant and animal biotechnology applications have the potential to generate new diseases that can be transmitted to humans. In this way, the health of humans, animals, and plants is interrelated and depends on one another. However, it has been difficult to apply the OHC in some countries, such as those in the Middle East. The absence of financial support in the region is a major hindrance to applying this concept in the region. The application of the OHC requires the support of specialists who can advocate the government for support in launching OHC-related projects. Here, we discuss the OHC in the context of antimicrobial resistance, zoonotic diseases, and biosafety/biosecurity, which are important public health issues. Furthermore, we describe the current status of the OHC in the Middle East and recent research conducted related to this concept. There has been recent international solidarity in the application of the OHC to reduce risks that threaten the health of organisms. Several countries jointly launched the Global Health Security Agenda in 2014 with the aim of realizing a world that is free of infectious disease-related health risks. However, no previous review articles have examined the applications of the OHC in the Middle East region. This article discusses the OHC in terms of its needs and current applications in the Middle East. Methodology: The following keywords were used in the search: "One Health," "Middle East," "medicinal plants," "viruses," "rabies," "MERS," and "antimicrobial resistance." Related papers were obtained by searching for these keywords using available search engines, such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and Google search, as well as international organization websites. Conclusion(s): The concept of One Health is relatively new and has not been applied in most countries, possibly because the value of this concept for improving human health is not well understood. The key principle defining this concept and its importance is the interdependency of plants, animals, and human health. By applying the OHC, humans can benefit from healthy plants and animals by enhancing their growing conditions, medications, and environments. This would in turn improve general human health by allowing the safe extraction of therapeutics and food resources.Copyright © 2023
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Objectives: To study the role of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in the treatment of COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
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INTRODUCTION: The environmental impact of hospitals and healthcare providers practices is substantial, although often unnoticed and infrequently tracked. A green and healthy hospital is one that promotes public health by continuously monitoring and reducing its environmental impact. METHODS: We adopted a descriptive case study design with a multi-dimensional evaluation and monitoring of carbon emission equivalence (CO2e) using two examples from a tertiary care hospital practice in Oman. One example (1) was related to inhalation anaesthetic gases (IAG) consumption and the second example (2) was related to estimation of telemedicine clinics (TMCs) CO2e travel-related savings. RESULTS: The cumulative consumption of three different (1) IAG over three years (2019, 2020, 2021) was generated with estimated CO2e for each year for sevoflurane, isoflurane and desflurane. Desflurane had the lowest consumption with a yearly cumulative consumption of 6000 mL, 1500 mL, and 3000 mL for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021. The (2) TMCs during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic travel related CO2e savings were in the range of 12.65-3483.1 tonnes. In the second year of launching this service it doubled to a range of 24-6610.5 tonnes of CO2e savings. CONCLUSION: A green and healthy hospital approach of tracking and monitoring environmental impact of healthcare providers practices is critical for health planning and management of the environmental policy. This case study illustrated the importance of closely tracking hospital-based practices from an environmental perspective towards a green hospital approach.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected public health system and surveillance of other communicable diseases across the globe. The lockdown, travel constraints and COVID phobia turned down the number of people with illness visiting to the clinics or hospitals. Besides this, the heavy workload of SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis has led to the reduction in differential diagnosis of other diseases. Consequently, it added to the underlying burden of many diseases which remained under-diagnosed. Amidst the pandemic, the rise of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases was observed worldwide and reported to the World Health Organization i.e., Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (2022, Iraq;2021 India), Nipah virus (2021, India), Zika virus (2021, India), and H5N1 influenza (2021, India), Monkeypox (2022, multicountry outbreak), Ebola virus disease (2022, DRC, Uganda;2021, DRC, Guinea;2020, DRC), Marburg (2022, Ghana;2021, Guinea), Yellow fever (2022, Uganda, Kenya, West and Central Africa;2021, Ghana, Venezuela, Nigeria;2020, Senegal, Guinea, Nigeria, Gabon;2020, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda), Dengue (2022, Nepal, Pakistan, Sao Tome, Temor-Leste;2021, Pakistan), Middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (2022, Oman, Qatar;2021, Saudi Arabia, UAE;2020, Saudi Arabia, UAE), Rift valley fever (2021, Kenya;2020, Mauritania), wild poliovirus type 1 (2022, Mozambique), Lassa fever (2022, Guinea, Togo, Nigeria;2020, Nigeria), Avian Influenza (H3N8) (2022, China), Avian Influenza (H5N1) (2022, USA), H10N3 influenza (2021, China), Hepatitis E virus (2022, Sudan), Measles (2022, Malawi, Afghanistan;2020, Burundi, Mexico), Mayaro virus disease (2020, French Guiana), Oropouche virus disease (2020, French Guiana). All these diseases were associated with high morbidity and burdened the public health system during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this critical public health menace, majority of the laboratory workforce was mobilized to the SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. This has limited the surveillance efforts that likely led to under diagnosis and under-detection of many infectious pathogens. Lockdowns and travel limitations also put a hold on human and animal surveillance studies to assess the prevalence of these zoonotic viruses. In addition, lack of supplies and laboratory personnel and an overburdened workforce negatively impacted differential diagnosis of the diseases. This is especially critical given the common symptoms between COVID-19 and other pathogens causing respiratory illnesses. Additionally, the vaccination programs against various vaccine preventable diseases were also hampered which might have added to the disease burden. Despite these challenges, the world is better prepared to detect and respond to emerging/re-emerging pathogens. India now has more than 3000 COVID-19 diagnostic laboratories and an enhanced hospital infrastructure. In addition, mobile BSL-3 facilities are being validated for onsite sampling and testing in remote areas during outbreak situations and surveillance activities. This will undoubtedly be valuable as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves as well as during future outbreaks and epidemics. In conclusion, an increase in the emergence and re-emergence of viruses demonstrates that other infectious diseases have been neglected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lessons learned from the infrastructure strengthening, collaborations with multiple stakeholders, increased laboratory and manufacturing capacity, large-scale COVID-19 surveillance, extensive network for laboratory diagnosis, and intervention strategies can be implemented to provide quick, concerted responses against the future threats associated with other zoonotic pathogens.
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This article reviews the recent trends of Oman's electricity sector before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The impacts of the pandemic on the Main Interconnected System (MIS) of Oman were analyzed using hourly load data. The analysis shows that the MIS demand declined as a result of the decrease in economic activities during the lockdown. In addition, the MIS demand experienced temporal and geographical variations: the former is demonstrated by a shift in peak demand hours, while the latter is represented by a reduction in Muscat's urban areas' load compared with those of other areas. © 2023,Journal of Engineering Research. All Rights Reserved.
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This study reports Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) leaders' response to COVID-19, issues that concern them during online education, and future actions based on their experience in Spring 2020. One hundred forty leaders from different HEIs in the Sultanate of Oman participated in an online survey. Leaders reported that protecting staff and students' health, maintaining academic integrity in online assessment, and achieving high-quality online teaching and learning were at the top of their concerns. Leaders believed in the importance of online education;therefore, they are ready to invest more in it by providing better resources, enhancing the instructional technology infrastructure, providing more training for the faculty, and investing in new online learning resources. Furthermore, the results revealed that leaders from the private HEIs would plan to reduce the financial effects of the pandemic more than their counterparts by cutting the workforce, reducing salary, applying for institutional loans, and requesting additional support from the government. © Common Ground Research Networks, Azzah Al-Maskari, Thuraya Al-Riyami, Habiba Al-Mughairi, Siraj Kunjumuhammed, All Rights Reserved.
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The objective of this research is to consider the self-reported environmental attitudes and behaviours of Omani students and identify the factors that determine them. This research aims to explore the current environmental education curriculum in Oman. Specifically, this research is designed to identify school-related factors that might influence Omani students' self-reported environmental attitudes and behaviours. An explanatory sequential mixed method research design is adopted to gather information from primary and secondary sources. A questionnaire of 53 items was designed and tested on 212 students from four secondary schools in Oman, and then 25 semi-structured interviews were conducted with students, teachers and heads from the same four secondary schools. The data generated from the questionnaires were analysed using two methods: descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. The data generated from the interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. The major findings of this research indicate that the environmental curriculum appears to be a moderate contributor to environmental attitudes and behaviours, whereas environmental knowledge appears to be a positive contributor to environmental attitudes and behaviours. Overall, this study suggests that including environmental education in schools improves students' environmental attitudes and behaviours. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Research in Geographical & Environmental Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
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BACKGROUND AND AIM: Women in Oman and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are usually diagnosed with BC at a younger age and more advanced stage, with poor five-year survival. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of breast cancer (BC) related educational programs among female Omani adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six female-only public schools were randomly selected from three governorates of Oman and assigned to the control or interventional group. An Arabic version of the Breast Cancer Awareness Measure questionnaire was used to evaluate students attending grades 10 and 11 at baseline (T0) and after 4 weeks (T1). After T0, the intervention group participated in a one-hour BC education program involving group discussions, a slideshow presentation, leaflets, and online access to program materials and videos. Non-parametric tests were used to compare scores between intervention and control groups and within each group across time (T0 vs. T1). RESULTS: A total of 1106 students participated, of which 547 (49.5%) and 559 (50.5%) were allocated to the control and intervention groups, respectively. Recognition of BC risk factors (Z = 18.67; p < 0.001) and symptoms (Z = 20.01; p < 0.001) increased significantly in the intervention group between T0 and T1 and compared to the control group at T1 (U = 27.27; p < 0.001, and U = 25.75; p < 0.001, respectively). Anticipated time to seeking medical help (Z = 18.67; p < 0.001) and barriers to help-seeking (Z = 7.91; p < 0.001) decreased significantly between T0 and T1 in the intervention group and compared to the control group at T1 (U = 15.78; p < 0.001, and U = 3.44; p = 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: The program increased knowledge of BC risk factors and symptoms and promoted early medical help-seeking among Omani female adolescents. Healthcare strategic planners and policy-makers in Oman and low- and middle-income countries should consider incorporating cancer education programs in the national school curriculum to minimize delays in BC diagnosis and improve the survival rate.
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Breast Neoplasms , Humans , Female , Adolescent , Breast Neoplasms/diagnosis , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Students , Health Education , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Based on experience with other viral respiratory illnesses, patients with cystic fibrosis were believed to have worse prognosis when infected with COVID-19. We report a case of a 14-year-old female with cystic fibrosis who developed COVID-19 with short-term evolution and made a good recovery with no known major long-term sequelae.
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The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance of healthcare staff and as a result, there is renewed interest in the management of healthcare staff. One concept which can perform a central role in managing healthcare staff is psychological ownership which is investigated in the current study. The study is based on three literature gaps including foci of psychological ownership, its measurement level, and the process approach of understanding antecedents of psychological ownership. Based on these literature gaps, the objectives of the study were to measure the effects of the work environment on nursing staff collective-psychological ownership and test the mediating role of self-efficacy. Data was collected through a survey from nursing teams from selected private hospitals in the Sultanate of Oman. The result indicates that work environment dimensions have a significant influence on nursing staff collective-psychological ownership. Additionally, we found support for self-efficacy as a mediator in this relationship.
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The present study aimed to identify students' perceptions about electronic assessment and their relationships to learning styles and academic self-efficacy. The sample of the study consisted of 342 male and female students enrolled in the baccalaureate programs at Sultan Qaboos University for the second semester of the academic year 2019/2020. To achieve the goals of the study, three instruments were used after establishing their validity and reliability: Students' Perceptions about Electronic Assessment Questionnaire, Academic Self-Efficacy Beliefs Scale, and Preferred Learning Styles Scale. The results of the study showed that students had a neutral perception about electronic assessment and medium level of academic self-efficacy. Also, the results showed that the most preferred learning styles for students were in order: the participatory, competitive, and independent;whereas the least preferred learning styles for students were in order: the cooperative, dependent, and avoidant. Further, the results showed a mediating effect of academic self-efficacy in the relationship between some of the students' preferred learning styles and perceptions about electronic assessment, as well as a direct positive effect of the cooperative learning style on the perception of electronic assessment. The study came out with a set of recommendations and suggestions to enhance students' perceptions of electronic assessment. © 2022, An-Najah National University. All rights reserved.
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PurposeThis study aims to explore supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic in the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector in Oman. This study analyzes the impact on selected supply chain drivers – facilities, inventory, transportation and sourcing. It further intends to explore whether the supply chain challenges faced by the SME sector in Oman impact their overall performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study follows the quantitative technique of structural equation modeling to examine the proposed hypotheses. Data were collected electronically from SME managers/owners/entrepreneurs. All items were adopted and measured using a five-point Likert scale. One hundred and four complete and usable responses were received and considered.FindingsThe data was analyzed using SPSS and PLS statistical software. The model has been supported empirically, and the results showed a significant relationship between supply chain drivers and SMEs' overall performance in Oman, except for supply chain inventory. The results have demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the SMEs' supply chain drivers in Oman and, consequently, their overall performance.Practical implicationsThe results of this research can drive the development and implementation of a supply chain management strategy. This research will help policymakers induce the performance of SMEs affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It would further enhance strategic sourcing and supplier performance considering the developed practices associated with the resource-based view.Originality/valueThe originality of the current study lies in its ability to empirically test two models within the Omani SMEs context while considering the supply chain drivers as a single variable or dividing it into four separate independent variables. This study would provide a preview for scholars for such empirical investigation and serve as a reference for policymakers and practitioners to maintain a management system of crises that may protect the SME supply chain drivers.
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The six Gulf monarchies—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates (UAE)—are more politically stable than their peers in the Middle East and North Africa. Explanations for governance resilience range from repression to neopatrimonial and instrumental legitimacy, hydrocarbon-based rentierism, and permissive regional and international environments. This paper considers, in view of the proliferation and uptake of renewable energy in the Gulf, how governance resilience may be affected as a result of changes in state-society relations during the energy transition away from a fossil-fuel-based energy system. It offers a qualitative analysis of the impact of renewable energy deployment in the Gulf, supported by a rich array of secondary literature and data. It also offers a deep, if brief, dive to highlight intra-regional nuances. The authors conclude that in the short term, renewable energy deployment has a very modest impact given its limited share of power generation. In the longer term, even assuming that stated ambitions for renewable energy are fulfilled, no negative impact on monarchial resilience is expected thanks to gains in legitimacy and revenue streams, as well as purposeful alignment with an external environment supportive of renewable power in developing countries.
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PurposeThis study aims to examine the commonalities and contrasts in the tourism objectives and strategies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, thereby revealing the foundations and pillars underlying the strategic initiatives implemented.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory study applied the resource-based view (RBV) lens to the country level. A comparative analysis of the tourism strategy in each GCC country was undertaken to determine commonalities and contrasts between the different strategies and to classify them into clusters. In the next stage, in-depth interviews were carried out to validate the findings.FindingsFour distinct clusters were identified in this paper: lifestyle glamor, emerging giant, sports-induced country branding and eco-friendly regional-based strategies.Practical implicationsThe findings and cluster classification are pertinent to policymakers and industry marketers in crafting tourism development plans.Originality/valueThis study analyzed the economic diversification strategies adopted by GCC countries as new entrants in the tourism sector and classified them into four clusters.
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Purpose: Telepsychiatry, a subset of telemedicine, has been increasingly studied to meet the growing demands for psychiatric care. The utility of telepsychiatry is relevant now more than ever as the world endures the COVID-19 global pandemic. This paper describes the prior state and the changes that the COVID-19 outbreak brought to telepsychiatry in a selected group of Arab countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Patients and Methods: We invited twelve early-career psychiatrists from different Arab nations to share information related to telepsychiatry in their respective countries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The information was collected using a semi-structured guide. This was complemented by a search for relevant articles in five search engines using terms such as "COVID-19," "telepsychiatry," and "Arab world". Results: Before the pandemic, digital mental health services were provided in several Arab countries, mainly through hotlines and messaging services. The COVID-19 pandemic has marked a major shift in digital psychiatric services in the Arab MENA world, through the transformation of many clinics and some hospitals into digital mental health systems. Many non-governmental organizations also started remote initiatives for psychological support and psychiatric counseling. Three main barriers of patient-related, healthcare-related, and system-related hurdles of using telepsychiatry emanated from the analysis. Conclusion: The use of digital mental health services varies between different Arab countries. Even though some nations have laws that regulate the provision of such services, most struggle with multifactorial barriers. As affordable and attainable solutions cannot only rely on training and recruiting more psychiatrists, telepsychiatry would help meet the exceeding demands in the Arab world, particularly after the COVID-19 outbreak. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
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Cross-contamination within a dental clinic can occur when the disinfection and sterilisation protocols are not impeccably followed. Aerosol plays an important role in the transmission of COVID-19. These facts essentiate the need to educate patients on cross-infection control procedures, for which assessing their knowledge attitude and practice is essential. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using the Microsoft platform among patients attending Oman Dental College using an internally validated e-questionnaire containing 17 closed-ended questions. Statistical analysis of the collected data was performed using SPSS 19.0 software. Tables were generated using Microsoft Word and Excel. The means of different variables across groups were compared using ANOVA and independent t-tests. In the case of continuous measurements, we presented the mean and standard deviation. Categorical measurements were presented as numbers and percentages. Statistical significance was determined using 5% level. A total of 387 responses were analysed, which showcased that 78.6% were familiar with the COVID-19 protocol issued by the Ministry of Health Oman. However, only 59.12% exhibited ideal knowledge. In all, 36.4% displayed optimal practice characteristics and 86.8% of the population felt safe (at varying degrees) attending a dental clinic during the pandemic. Gender, nationality, occupation, age and educational qualification were the variables that significantly influenced the knowledge, attitude and practice of dental patients. Based on the results, it is evident that the patients have a good understanding of both preventive and cross-infection control protocols to be followed during the COVID-19 Pandemic, but there are still a few areas to be addressed to enhance patient awareness.Copyright © 2023, Codon Publications. All rights reserved.
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PurposeTourism in the Middle East is distinct and diverse, as are its associated challenges. The purpose of this paper is to examine the various opportunities and constraints facing the Middle East region in developing and promoting its tourism.Design/methodology/approachContent analysis of the current literature was conducted, and industry white papers and government portals were consulted to identify the historical relevance, current proceedings and future scope of tourism in the Middle East.FindingsGiven the diverse attractions, history, heritage and cuisine, the scope and potential to develop tourism in the Middle East region is enormous. However, political turmoil in the past and its stereotypical image emerged as the major constraints. Acknowledging the significance of the tourism sector, the governments of the region are trying hard to improve international arrivals and revenues.Originality/valueDespite a steep growth in international arrivals, tourism in the Middle East has not been adequately addressed in academia. This paper highlights the region's tourism-related background, issues and constraints, thus, addressing a critical gap in the literature.