Rustaq College of Education

This study aimed to investigate the validity and reliability of the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (mEAT-10) and determine the cutoff point for abnormal swallowing. This prospective convenience sampling study was conducted at a tertiary center between December 2019 and May 2022. The mEAT-10 was produced following rigorous forward and backward translations. One hundred and thirty-eight participants, including 70 healthy volunteers and 68 patients with dysphagia, were recruited to complete the test-retest mEAT-10 assessment and the 3-ounce water test. The mEAT-10 was repeated within four weeks via telephone interviews or clinic visits. Patients in the dysphagia group underwent flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). The FEES results were evaluated independently by four different raters to determine the reliability of the penetration-aspiration score (PAS) scoring, which categorizes them into safe and unsafe swallowing for data analysis. Internal consistency and test-retest agreement were assessed using Cronbach alpha and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The mEAT-10 comparison between the normal and dysphagia groups was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test. The association between PAS and mEAT-10, gag reflex,3-ounce water test and the other risk factors were evaluated using chi-square and Fisher exact test, with univariable and multivariable logistic regression. The mEAT-10 test-retest showed a Cronbach alpha of >0.90 and an ICC of >0.85. The mEAT-10 cutoff score indicating abnormal swallowing is seven, with sensitivity and specificity of 0.82 and 0.54, respectively. In univariable analysis, higher mEAT-10 scores (≥7), absence of gag reflex, and failure of the 3-ounce water test were all significantly associated with unsafe swallowing (PAS ≥3). In multivariable logistic regression, however, failure of the 3-ounce water test was the only independent predictor of unsafe swallowing (PAS ≥3; adjusted odds ratio 4.24, 95% confidence interval 1.53-11.77; p=0.006). mEAT-10 is a reliable tool for screening and assessing patients with dysphagia. A cutoff score of 7 or more indicates abnormal swallowing and maybe associated with unsafe swallowing (PAS ≥3).

Background: Antibiotic overuse in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) is a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance and adverse neonatal outcomes. This study aims to evaluate baseline antibiotic utilization (AU), identify factors influencing variability, and assess the impact of neonatal characteristics and sepsis incidence. Methods: A multicenter retrospective analysis examined AU in seven NICUs from 2019 to 2023, involving 25,532 neonatal admissions during national antibiotic stewardship program implementation. Data encompassed neonatal clinical parameters, sepsis incidence, and AU metrics, including days of therapy (DOT) per 1000 patient-days. Statistical analyses included correlation assessments and multivariate regression to identify determinants of antibiotic use. Results: Overall, 43.8% of neonates received antimicrobials, with individual NICUs ranging from 24% to 73% (p < 0.001). Antimicrobial-exposed neonates had a mean gestational age of 35.1 weeks [SD ± 4.4] and a mean birth weight of 2360 g [SD ± 970]. Antimicrobial-exposed neonates were generally more premature [35.1 (±4.4) weeks vs. 37.5 (±2.5) weeks (p < 0.001)] and had lower mean birth weight [2360 g (±971) vs. 2817 g (±686) (p < 0.001)] compared to those not exposed to antimicrobials. Total antimicrobial days varied markedly (8761 to 37,683 days), with DOT per 1000 patient-days ranging from 322 to 1031. Antimicrobial use for culture-negative sepsis varied widely among centers, from 23% to 73%. Antimicrobial-exposed neonates had higher all-cause mortality compared to those who did not [(7.5% vs. 3.2%), (p < 0.001)]. Multivariate analysis revealed individual NICU practice patterns remained significant predictors after adjusting for neonatal characteristics. Conclusions: Neonatal antimicrobial use varied significantly among NICUs, driven primarily by institutional practices rather than neonatal demographics. These findings provide nationally representative baseline data to inform neonatal antimicrobial stewardship interventions and offer transferable lessons for other countries seeking to optimize antibiotic use in NICUs amid rising global antimicrobial resistance.

This paper highlights the importance of effective performance appraisal and advocates a particular model for both universities and the workplace beyond. This study aims to determine whether academicians in Omani higher education associate collaboration, hybridity, empowerment and motivation with Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) systems. It also aims to explore how this association is or is not enacted. Quantitative data were elicited from an e-questionnaire administered to 103 academicians in three campuses at a university to ascertain if they positively correlate with the four variables. Five of these respondents participated in follow-up semi-structured interviews, providing qualitative data to further illuminate these findings. It was found that collaboration and hybridity significantly correlate with OKRs according to academicians. Motivation moderately correlates, while empowerment does not significantly correlate with OKRs. It is important to delve further into the theme of motivation and empowerment with OKRs. More quantitative studies are needed to determine whether the same results occur in other HEIs. More qualitative studies are required to understand why participants answered in this way. This study can be informative to managers, leaders and professionals when using OKRs or evaluating its potential use. Few studies have been carried out in HEIs in Oman or indeed globally. The study is useful to draw attention to the four variables highlighted extensively in the literature, especially ‘empowerment’ which did not significantly correlate.

In this study, ecofriendly un-doped (0%), 5%, and 9% Mn-doped iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using sugarcane juice as reducing agents. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the high purity and crystalline nature of the undoped and Mn-doped iron oxide nanoparticles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to investigate the surface functional groups involved during the reducing and capping process. The internal structure of the particles was examined using high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The particles exhibited semi-spherical shapes, with mean particle size of 9.3, 9.5 and 13.5nm for the 0, 5 and 9% Mn-doped samples, respectively. The magnetic properties of the nanoparticles were measured by studying the magnetic field dependence of magnetization at 300K and 2K up to 4 T. The samples displayed hysteretic behavior characteristic of ferromagnetic materials at 2K and typical superparamagnetic features at 300K. The magnetic heating properties under AC magnetic fields were investigated to assess the feasibility of the synthesized NPs for magnetic hyperthermia application. The specific absorption rate (SAR) values of the iron oxide nanoparticles increased with the Mn-doping level. The results suggest that the green synthesis of un-doped and Mn-doped iron oxide nanoparticles holds promising potential for magnetic hyperthermia treatment.

This study uses a quantitative methodology, employing a structured questionnaire, to examine the effectiveness of courses offered by Rustaq College of Education in enhancing students' future skills. The study focuses on pre-service teachers' perceptions within the context of the Omani Future Skills Paradigm Framework. A total of 128 students from different disciplines (English, Mathematics, Science) participated in the study survey. The study results show that these courses play a critical role in developing essential competencies, particularly in embracing diversity and open-mindedness in both academic and professional environments. The study also identifies areas for improvement, including the need for ongoing development, the use of non-traditional problem-solving strategies, the presentation of diverse perspectives, and clearer problem articulation. The study findings reveal differences in responses based on factors such as students' major, gender, and academic year. Conducted during the fall 2023 semester, this study provides insights that could improve teacher education by prioritizing future skills and informing professional development programs for teachers.

The transition of young patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) from pediatric to adult-centered healthcare presents a significant challenge, particularly in regions like Oman, where transfer occurs as early as 14 years old. Although both pediatric and adult patients require multidisciplinary management, key differences in disease characteristics, vaccination needs, growth considerations, and treatment approaches necessitate a carefully structured transition process. Effective communication between pediatric and adult gastroenterologists is crucial for ensuring optimal management for these young patients. This mini-review explores the complexities involved in transitioning young patients with IBD to adult healthcare services.

This paper draws on the researcher’s PhD research and thesis, which investigated Omani engineering students’ in-class learning-related barriers in an Omani English-medium engineering programme. An interpretive qualitative design was used to examine students’ EMI in-class-related challenges and difficulties. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to collect the main data of the study. Twelve engineering students, eight engineering teachers and five EAP instructors. Subsequent classroom observations of four EAP and four engineering workshops yielded field notes to provide further context. Data were analysed thematically. Findings pointed to salient classroom-related problems in EMI varied in their nature; some related to reading, writing and speaking skills, as well as spontaneous classroom discussions and oral tasks. These challenges varied from one specific engineering discipline to another due to the conceptual and epistemological differences between them. Additionally, the study identified the most significant obstacles including insufficient previous learning, the inadequacy of pre-sessional and in-sessional course resources, limited interaction between EAP instructors and subject tutors, and inadequate teacher development opportunities in EMI offered to subject tutors. The original study showed that various measures can be taken to improve EMI. Whilst findings resonate with other studies of EMI classrooms across the globe, this study provides a unique contribution by considering specific case of Omani engineering programmes. Conclusions were drawn and recommendations are now made for EMI policy, teacher collaboration and teacher development.

In this paper, by extending some Lp-norm inequalities to similar inequalities for Orlicz space (LΦ-norm), we provide equivalent conditions for composition operators to have the shadowing property on the Orlicz space LΦ(μ). Additionally, we show that for composition operators on Orlicz spaces, the concepts of generalized hyperbolicity and the shadowing property are equivalent. These results extend similar findings on Lp-spaces to Orlicz spaces.

Although many studies have focused on the degenerative changes of the ulnohumeral and radiohumeral joints in osteoarthritis (OA) of the elbow, the proximal radioulnar joint (PRUJ), which facilitates the pronation and supination motions of the forearm, has not been comprehensively evaluated. To assess the prevalence of PRUJ OA in patients diagnosed with OA of the elbow using computed tomography (CT) images and to establish an association between the CT findings and clinical manifestations. Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Between 2010 and 2022, a total of 85 consecutive patients who were scheduled to undergo osteocapsular arthroplasty for OA of the elbow and had undergone preoperative CT imaging were included in the study. As a control group, 85 patients who underwent CT scans of the elbow for reasons other than OA of the elbow were selected and matched to patients in the OA group. CT findings of OA in the PRUJ, including osteophytes, joint space narrowing, subchondral cysts, and loose bodies, were evaluated. Inter- and intraobserver agreement analyses for CT findings were performed. The relationship between the CT findings of OA in the PRUJ and OA of the elbow classification systems (Broberg-Morrey, Hasting-Rettig, and Kwak) as well as clinical manifestations (range of motion [ROM], Mayo Elbow Performance Score, and visual analog scale for pain) were evaluated. Patients in the OA group showed osteophytes in the radial notch (81.2%), osteophytes in the radial head (45.9%), joint space narrowing (54.1%), loose bodies (25.9%), and subchondral cysts (23.5%) involving the PRUJ. Both the interobserver (κ = 0.866) and intraobserver agreements (κ = 0.933) for CT findings of PRUJ OA were almost perfect. The CT findings of PRUJ OA were associated with the severity of OA of the elbow in Cochran-Armitage Trend analysis (with Brogberg-Morray, r = -2.624, P = .011; with Hasting-Rettig, r = -3.421, P = .002; with Kwak, r = -2.266, P = .032). The presence of radial notch osteophytes restricted ROM in the flexion-extension arc and pronation-supination arc (P = .009 and P < .001, respectively). PRUJ OA could be identified using CT imaging and showed radial notch osteophytes, joint space narrowing, loose bodies within the joint space, and subchondral cysts. PRUJ OA was related to overall OA of the elbow and may contribute to reduced ROM in the elbow joint. Therefore, preoperative evaluation of PRUJ OA can aid in the surgical planning of osteocapsular arthroplasty for OA of the elbow.