bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Motion Perception: Interactive Video and Spatial Awareness
Authors: Nell Breyer
Published: June 2017

Interactive video art is increasingly woven into urban public places around the world. A dominant argument about this growing form of public art is that it offers potential for new social, political and physical engagement with public space. However, there is little consensus or even analysis of just how such engagement is taking place. The exposition is an attempt to specify what drives the ‘physical engagement’ in this genre of work. It develops the argument that movement-centric and body-centric visualizations provide multi-modal movement representations, and that these can direct spatial attention through immersive and particularized experience. With reference to examples, the exposition concludes that interactive video art can offer a chronotopic experience in which space is understood through the time it takes to move the body.
Doha
Authors: Miriam Ewers
Published: June 2017

During 2011-2012, I joined Virginia Commonwealth University’s Art and Design School in Qatar, a small country diplomatically and culturally important in bridging eastern and western cultures. There, my daily interactions with students naturally stimulated many questions of how a visual culture can lay the groundwork for better understanding between people of different nationalities. If asked to be mediators or interpreters or agents of culture in our globalized context, what would these young artists seek to convey? In turn, what narratives could I draw forth to contribute to a fuller understanding of those living and working in Qatar? I decided to pursue answers to my conundrum in conjunction with my students.
staats-theater
Authors: Daniel Kötter  , Constanze Fischbeck
Published: June 2017

‘staats-theater: Lagos/Teheran/Berlin’ is a modular art and research project initiated by Berlin based video artists Daniel Kötter and Constanze Fischbeck in collaboration with performers and architects from Lagos, Tehran, and Berlin, as well as the collective Hunter & Gatherer (Manuel Shvartzberg and Fabian Faltin). The project undertakes an exemplary investigation of the state-representational and socio-political conditions of theatre and the opposing informal potential of performativity in three capital cities: Lagos (Nigeria), Tehran (Iran) and Berlin (Germany).
Norm inequalities for elementary operators and other inner product type integral transformers with the spectra contained in the unit disc
Authors: Jocic Danko , Milosevic Stefan , Djuric Vladimir
Published: June 2017

If {At}t?? and {Bt}t?? are weakly*-measurable families of bounded Hilbert space
operators such that transformers X ??? At*XAtd?(t) and X ??? Bt*XBtd?(t)
on B(H) have their spectra contained in the unit disc, then for all
bounded operators X ||?AX?B|| ? ||X-?? At* XBtd?(t)||, (1)
where ?A def= s-limr?1(I + ??,n=1 r2n ??...??|At1...Atn|2d?n(t1,...,tn)-1/2 and ?B by analogy.
If additionally ??,n=1 ??n |A*t1...A*tn|2d?n(t1,...,tn) and ?,n=1 ??n|B*t1...B*tn|2d?n(t1,...,tn) both represent bounded
operators, then for all p,q,s > 1 such that 1/q + 1/s = 2/p and for all
Schatten p trace class operators X ||?1-1q,A X ?1-1s,B|| ? ||?-1/q,A*(X-?? At* XBtd?(t))?-1/s,B*||p.(2)
If at least one of those families consists of bounded
commuting normal operators, then (1) holds for all unitarily invariant
Q-norms. Applications to the shift operators are also given.
Additive difference scheme for two-dimensional fractional in time diffusion equation
Authors: Hodzic-Ivanovic Sandra , Jovanovic Bosko
Published: June 2017

An additive finite-difference scheme for numerical approximation of
initial-boundary value problem for two-dimensional fractional in time
diffusion equation is proposed. Its stability is investigated and a
convergence rate estimate is obtained.
Some properties of functions related to completely monotonic functions
Authors: Guo Senlin
Published: June 2017

In this article, we present some properties of classes of functions which are
related to completely monotonic or logarithmically completely monotonic
functions.
Left-right fredholm and left-right browder linear relations
Authors: Álvarez T. , Fakhfakh Fatma , Mnif Maher
Published: June 2017

In this paper we introduce the notions of left (resp. right) Fredholm and
left (resp. right) Browder linear relations. We construct a Kato-type
decomposition of such linear relations. The results are then applied to give
another decomposition of a left (resp. right) Browder linear relation T in a
Banach space as an operator-like sum T = A + B, where A is an injective left
(resp. a surjective right) Fredholm linear relation and B is a bounded
finite rank operator with certain properties of commutativity. The converse
results remain valid with certain conditions of commutativity. As a
consequence, we infer the characterization of left (resp. right) Browder
spectrum under finite rank operator.
Lagrange’s theorem, convex functions and Gauss map
Authors: Mateljevic Miodrag , Albijanic Miloljub
Published: June 2017

As one of the main results we prove that if f has Lagrange unique property
then f is strictly convex or concave (we do not assume continuity of the
derivative), Theorem 2.1. We give two different proofs of Theorem 2.1 (one
mainly using Lagrange theorem and the other using Darboux theorem). In
addition, we give a few characterizations of strictly convex curves, in
Theorem 3.5. As an application of it, we give characterization of strictly
convex planar curves, which have only tangents at every point, by injective
of the Gauss map. Also without the differentiability hypothesis we get the
characterization of strictly convex or concave functions by two points
property, Theorem 4.2.
Drawing graph joins in the plane with restrictions on crossings
Authors: Czap Július , Sugerek Peter
Published: June 2017

A graph is called 1-planar if it can be drawn in the plane so that each of
its edges is crossed by at most one other edge. In 2014, Zhang showed that
the set of all 1-planar graphs can be decomposed into three classes C0,C1
and C2 with respect to the types of crossings. He proved that every n-vertex
1-planar graph of class C1 has a C1-drawing with at most 3/5n-6/5
crossings. Consequently, every n-vertex 1-planar graph of class C1 has at
most 18/5n ? 36/5 edges. In this paper we prove a stronger result. We show
that every C1-drawing of a 1-planar graph has at most 3/5n ? 6/5 crossings.
Next we present a construction of n-vertex 1-planar graphs of class C1 with
18/5n ? 36/5 edges. Finally, we present the decomposition of 1-planar join
products.
C-normal topological property
Authors: AlZahrani Samirah , Kalantan Lutfi
Published: June 2017

A topological space X is called C-normal if there exist a normal space Y and
a bijective function f : X ? Y such that the restriction f _ C : C ? f
(C) is a homeomorphism for each compact subspace C ? X. We investigate this
property and present some examples to illustrate the relationships between
C-normality and other weaker kinds of normality.
On perfect and quasiperfect dominations in graphs
Authors: Cáceres José , Hernando Carmen , Mora Mercè , Pelayo Ignacio , Puertas María
Published: June 2017

Asubset S ? V in a graph G=(V,E) is a k-quasiperfect dominating set (for k
? 1) if every vertex not in S is adjacent to at least one and at most k
vertices in S. The cardinality of a minimum k-quasiperfect dominating set in
G is denoted by 1k(G). Those sets were first introduced by Chellali et al.
(2013) as a generalization of the perfect domination concept and allow us to
construct a decreasing chain of quasiperfect dominating numbers
n ? ?11(G) ? ?12(G) ?...? ?1?(G) = ?(G) in order to indicate how far is G from being
perfectly dominated. In this paper we study properties, existence and
realization of graphs for which the chain is short, that is, ?12(G) = ?(G).
Among them, one can find cographs, claw-free graphs and graphs with extremal
values of ?(G).
Approximation properties of Szász type operators involving Charlier polynomials
Authors: Arı Didem
Published: June 2017

In this paper, we give some approximation properties of Sz?sz type operators
involving Charlier polynomials in the polynomial weighted space and we give
the quantitative Voronovskaya-type asymptotic formula.
Duality for a class of nonsmooth multiobjective programming problems using convexificators
Authors: Jayswal Anurag , Kummari Krishna , Singh Vivek
Published: June 2017

As duality is an important and interesting feature of optimization problems,
in this paper, we continue the effort of Long and Huang [X. J. Long, N. J.
Huang, Optimality conditions for efficiency on nonsmooth multiobjective
programming problems, Taiwanese J. Math., 18 (2014) 687-699] to discuss
duality results of two types of dual models for a nonsmooth multiobjective
programming problem using convexificators.
Fuzzy covering location problems with different aggregation operators
Authors: Drakulic Darko , Takaci Aleksandar , Maric Miroslav
Published: June 2017

Covering location problems is well-known and very important class of
combinatorial optimization problems. Standard models for covering location
problems cannot encompass real-life problems, because real-life problems
contain some degree of uncertainty. The use of fuzzy sets in modeling
covering location problems allows the implementation of these conditions.
Depending on the type of problems, it is necessary to use different
aggregation operators in calculating solution?s quality. The aim of this
study is introducing of fuzzy sets with different corresponding conorms in
modeling most known types of covering location problems.
NATO’s global partners: Awarded cooperativeness
Authors: Vukovic Nebojsa
Published: June 2017

The paper analyses the characteristics and evolution of cooperation between
NATO and the countries which are neither situated in the Euro-Atlantic area
nor are they involved in the Alliance?s multilateral programmes. The author
focuses on the contribution of Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea
to the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, and how this operation has gradually
built their cooperation with the NATO. Those countries had initially been
defined in NATO?s official documents as the contact countries, only to be
subsequently named in 2008 as they are known today - the partners across the
globe, or simply global partners. Mongolia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq
now are the global partners of NATO as well. The departing point of
discussion in this paper is the thesis that the ISAF mission may be
considered as the cradle of the Alliance?s new concept of global
partnership. The author sorts all NATO?s global partners in two main
categories: the ?real? and ?fictitious?. The real global partners are
countries that really contribute to the NATO?s missions, such as Japan,
Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Mongolia. The fictitious global
partners are those states that are actually the test area for NATO missions
- Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as Pakistan, which has acquired the status
of a partner due to its vital strategic position to the realisation of the
Alliance?s mission in Afghanistan. The author concludes that the ?real?
global partners are not viable for membership to NATO at this moment, but in
the case of the strained relations between the United States and China the
option of full membership cannot be excluded.
Protection of environment in armed conflicts: From progress to regress
Authors: Paunovic Nikola
Published: June 2017

The paper deals with the issue of environmental protection in armed
conflicts. The article starts from the solutions contained in the Convention
on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental
Modification Techniques (ENMOD Convention) and the Protocol I to the Geneva
Conventions, which, for the first time, explicitly contained provisions on
the protection of environment in armed conflicts. Then the author focuses on
the content of Article 8 of the Rome Statute and gives a brief overview of
theoretical statements of prominent authors. Comparing the solutions of
Protocol I and Rome Statute, the author starts from the hypothesis that the
solution of the Rome Statute represent a step backwards in the protection of
the environment in armed conflicts in relation to the solutions of Protocol
I. In addition to critical consideration of the aforementioned provisions of
the Rome Statute, the author points out the differences in the
standardization of ecological war crimes in the Rome Statute and the Serbian
Criminal Code. After reviewing the normative solutions, the author presents
the selected examples of environmental protection in armed conflicts in
practice. The results of the research, by application of the legal dogmatic
method, shows that there are many problems that hinder the implementation of
relevant provisions of the instruments of environmental protection in armed
conflicts in practice. Therefore, the aim of the author is, starting from
the problems in this area, to offer de lege ferenda proposals for the
amendment of existing solutions.
Enhancing nuclear power plant safety via on-site mental fatigue management
Authors: Tsai Ming-Kuan
Published: June 2017

Nuclear incidents and accidents have occurred at various nuclear power
plants. Since some of these incidents and accidents caused by human errors
might be preventable, numerous researchers argue that fatigue management
for on-site workers is the key, especially for mental fatigue. Thus, this
study proposes an approach consisting of two mechanisms. A fatigue monitor
could identify the mentally fatigued workers by detecting their
brain wave rhythms through a brain-computer interface. For such workers, a
fatigue alert would awaken them. If the status of the mentally fatigued
workers becomes worse, based on a positioning technique (i.e., wireless
networks), this mechanism would alert the nearby workers and managers to
deal with this condition. The test results indicate that the proposed
approach enhanced the capacity to examine the mentally fatigued workers,
ensured the accuracy in locating these workers, and avoided possible
nuclear incidents. This study is a useful reference for similar
applications in the nuclear industry.
Emission activity of the Be star 60 Cygni
Authors: Sejnová K. , Votruba V.
Published: June 2017

In this paper we present results of spectroscopic analysis of the H? line
profile of the Be star 60 Cygni. We present time evolution of the equivalent
width of the H? line profiles during years 1992 - 2016 and V=R variation
during years 1995 - 2016. We analyzed data from Ond?ejov Observatory and
from BeSS Database. The circumstellar disk of the star was present twice
during years 1992 - 2016 and the second cycle shows stronger emission
activity. We found out that the formation of the disk takes longer time than
the disk extinction (the extinction is much steeper than the formation) and
that there is no evident period of changes in the V=R variation.
Språkanvändning och språkval bland finsk-norska ungdomar i Osloområdet
Authors: Lieri Kristiina
Published: June 2017

I artikeln studeras vilket språk (finska eller norska) de sex utvalda ungdomarna i åldern 17–22 år använder i tre olika domäner (hemdomänen, fritidsdomänen och massmediebruket) och hur språkvalet har förändrats under de åtta åren som var mellan de två olika undersökningstillfällena. Det belyses också faktorer som kan tänkas påverka dessa ungdomars språkval. Materialet består av intervjuer och enkät. Studiens ansats är sociolingvistisk.Resultaten i denna undersökning bevisar norskans dominerande ställning i de undersökta ungdomarnas språkval. Undantag är hemdomänen där informanterna också talar finska. Det har skett en del förändringar i språkvalet, först och främst i hemdomänen. Språkvalet förklaras bäst av faktorerna socialt nätverk och förändring av språklig identitet. Resultaten visar vidare att några ungdomar är mer aktivt tvåspråkiga än de andra.
Identification, Geographical Distribution and Hosts of Subterranean Termites in the United Arab Emirates Arid Ecosystem
Authors: Kaakeh W.
Published: June 2017

Six termite species, belonging to five genera and three families (Hodotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae and Termitidae) were identified in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Termite species recorded were the harvester termites Anacanthotermes ochraceus (Burmeister) and Anacanthotermes ubachi (Navas), the sand termite Psammotermes hypostoma (Desneux) and the small waxy termites Microcerotermes diversus (Silvestri), Heterotermes aethiopicus (Sjostedt), and Microtermes najdensis (Harris). Except for a previous record of H. aethiopicus, the other five species were recorded for the first time in the UAE. All species were subterranean in habitat and reach wood sources through earthen gallery systems. Termites were available in areas with varied conditions of climate, vegetation and soil types. Termites showed host preference for dead, living, or decaying plant materials and non-cellulose materials. The dominant termite species recorded was A. ochraceus, followed by P. hypostoma and M. diversus. The distributions of the six termite species varied in each of the seven Emirates. All species were present in the two largest Emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Financing the Urban Water Sector in the United States of America, with Possible Implementation in the Sultanate of Oman
Authors: Nakshbendi Ghiyath
Published: June 2017

The world has been experiencing a change in water and sewage infrastructure ownership and management. At one end, the public sector in developing countries has been moving towards engaging the private sector in the management and operation of water and sewage sectors. In the United States, the trend is catching up, even though there has been a mixed experience in the involvement of the private sector. While most urban facilities are owned by the public entities of the concerned urban centers, striking up a balanced involvement of both sectors is gradually taking shape. The paper focuses on financing urban water and sewage sectors in selected areas of the United States. An attempt is made to assess the viability and suitability of utilizing some of these methods in the Sultanate of Oman. The distribution system in the Sultanate of Oman is managed by the public sector; like in other countries, the private sector is getting involved on a gradual basis. There is more reliance on the private sector to manage the water sector worldwide. Can this happen in the Sultanate of Oman? The method will rely on analysis of the available data and the researcher’s work experience in the financial sector.
Temporary Water Markets in Oman
Authors: Zekri Slim , Kotagama Hemesiri , Boughanmi Houcine
Published: June 2017

Market vis-à-vis command and control approaches have been widely adopted in natural resource and environmental management since the 1980s. Adoption of markets in managing irrigation water resources is also emerging. It has been argued that markets are ineffective in managing the demand for irrigation water due to very low price elasticity. Most studies have been based on mathematical models simulating water markets and not on observed prices and quantities in real water markets since such data are rarely available. In Oman, perhaps in response to the extreme scarcity of water, elaborate water demand management institutions emulating markets have evolved and have been used for centuries. Water entitlements are leased based on prices through a community auction. The traded quantities of water and related prices have been recorded. This study uses this unique data set to estimate the elasticity of irrigation water. A log function on quantity and price of irrigation water is used with dummy variables on time and type of irrigation system. The price elasticity varies from -0.10 to -0.28, depending on the specifications of the econometric model. These estimates are higher than most estimates reported in past studies, indicating the efficacy of the indigenous market-based irrigation water management institution adopted in Oman.
Length and Weight Relationships for 31 Species of Fishes Caught by Trawl Off the Arabian Sea Coast of Oman
Authors: Human Brett A. , Al-Busaidi Haithem
Published: June 2017

Length and weight measurement for 31f ish species encountered in the Arabian Sea , o f f t h e Oma n Coast, were collected by demersal trawling during March 2007 and March 2008. A total of 3,261 specimens were measured for total length, or fork length, where appropriate, and green weight. Several commonly caught commercial species undergo onboard processing (dressing) prior to packaging, and dressed weight to green weight regressions and conversion factors were calculated for 12 of these species. The relationships obtained in this study were compared with those of other  studies for the same fish species. These data are fundamental to understanding the biological parameters of fishes, and can be applied to fisheries stock assessment and management models.
Effects of Hypoxia on the Behaviour, Mortality and Plasma Electrolyte Concentrations of Goldlined Seabream, Rhabdosargus sarba
Authors: Al-Gheilani Hamed M. , Waring Colin , Al-Kindi Abdulaziz , Amer Shehla
Published: June 2017

The behaviour, mortality rates and plasma electrolyte concentrations of goldlined seabream Rhabdosargus sarba challenged with low dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions was studied in an experimental setup, comprising a control (7.9 ml/l DO) and two hypoxic (2 ml/l and 1 ml/l DO) treatments. Increased ventilation rates and decreased swimming activity were observed in hypoxic treatments, but some fish exhibited strenuous avoidance actions. No mortalities were observed after 3 h, 6 h, or 24 h, but 50% of males and 18% of females died in the 48 h treatment at 1 ml/l DO. The mean size of surviving fish (305± 32.1 g total weight) was significantly smaller than those that died (425 ± 33.1 g). The plasma concentrations of Na+, Cl- and Mg2+ did not vary significantly relative to treatment, exposure time, fish size and gender, or interactions among treatment, time and gender. Ca2+ concentrations increased significantly after 48 h at 1 ml/l, but this result may be artificial because of the small sample size. The results suggest that R. sarba is comparatively tolerant of the low oxygen or hypoxic conditions that often occur in the coastal waters of Oman, where seasonal upwellings and  high primary productivity have in the past caused mass mortalities of demersal fishes.
Hematophagous Flies in Dhofar (Sultanate of Oman): A Limiting Factor and a Potential Pathogenic Vector
Authors: Tigani ElMahi Ali
Published: June 2017

In Dhofar, pastoralists take certain precautionary measures against hematophagous flies: Haematobia minuta Bezzi, Musca crassirostris Stein and Forcipomyia (lasiohelea) whitcombei Boorman. Through their feeding on domesticated animals, these flies impede pasturing in certain areas during the rainy season (Khareef); hence they act as a limiting ecological factor and a custodian of the flora. The possibility that these flies could be potential pathogenic vectors has not been investigated in Oman, although in other parts of the world they are recognized as carriers of disease agents. The paper draws attention to this issue in Dhofar.
Damage Cost of Drying of Aflaj in the Sultanate of Oman
Authors: Zekri1 Slim , Fouzai Ayoub , Naifer Ali , Helmi Tariq
Published: June 2017

Life style changes, population and economic growth, and lack of institutional innovations are causing noticeable damage to the rural communities living in and around Aflaj. The Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources (MRMWR) reported more than 1,000 dried-up Aflaj out of 4,112 in 1996. This paper presents an estimation of the damage caused to the rural communities due to Aflaj dry-up. The production function method and the cost based method are used to estimate the direct losses incurred by farmers and the local communities. These are related to (1) losses in marketed agricultural products, (2) increase in domestic water expenditures per household and (3) capital losses related to changes in house and land values. The study considered 33 dried-up Aflaj among the 1029 monitored by the MRMWR. Our results show that on average each family in the dried-up Falaj has lost an income equivalent of O.R 320 per month. This highlights the importance of Aflaj as an income generator in the remote rural areas. Live Aflaj provide fresh vegetables and healthy food as well as drinking water to the rural population without the need for governmental intervention. The contribution of the supporting wells, whenever provided by the MRMWR, is estimated at O.R 1,478 per family per year. On average the annual financial loss per family due to dry-up is estimated at O.R 3,301 per year. The total damage cost of dried-up Aflaj, at the Sultanate level, is estimated at more than O.R 59 million per year.
Composition, Quality and Health Aspects of the Dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) and Bactrian (Camelus bacterianus) Camel Meats: A Review
Authors: Kadim Isam T. , Mahgoub Osman , Al-Marzooqi Waleed , Khalaf Samera K. , Raiymbek Gulzhan
Published: June 2017

The dromedary and bactrian camels are good sources of high quality protein especially in areas where the climate adversely affects the survival of other livestock. The camel has unique physiological characteristics, including a great tolerance to high and low temperatures, solar radiation, water scarcity, rough topography and poor vegetation. Camels are mostly produced under traditional systems on poor levels of nutrition and are mostly slaughtered at old ages after completing a career in work, racing or milk production. In general, camel carcasses contain about 57% muscle, 26% bone and 17% fat with fore-quarters (cranial to rib 13) significantly heavier than the hind halves. Camel lean meat contains about 78% water, 19% protein, 3% fat, and 1.2% ash with a small amount of intramuscular fat, which renders it a healthy food for growing human populations. The amino acid and mineral contents of camel meat are often higher than other meat animals, probably due to lower intramuscular fat levels. Camel meat has been processed into burgers, patties, sausages and shawarma to add value. Future research efforts need to focus on exploiting the potential of the camel as a source of meat through multidisciplinary research into efficient production systems and improved meat technology and marketing.
Optimizing Production of Heat Stressed Broilers
Authors: Teeter R. G.
Published: June 2017

Broiler chickens are highly susceptible to heat stress during the time at which their growth rates ought to be highest. In order to overcome the deleterious effect of heat stress, consideration has to be given to ways in which the heat production of the bird and its ability to dissipate heat are brought into balance whilst still permitting the birds to eat and grow rapidly. Methods for adjusting this balance include changes in the micro environment of the birds, alterations to heat output by variations in the timing, quantity and quality of food and enabling the bird to maximize its use of fluids for evaporative cooling.
A Computer Model for the Hydraulic Analysis of Open Channel Cross Sections
Authors: Shayya W. H. , Mohtar R. H. , Baasiri M. S
Published: June 2017

Irrigation and hydraulic engineers are often faced with the difficulty of tedious trial solutions of the Manning equation to determine the various geometric elements of open channels. This paper addresses the development of a computer model for the design of the most commonly used channel-sections. The developed model is intended as an educational tool. It may be applied to the hydraulic design of trapezoidal , rectangular, triangular, parabolic, round-concered rectangular, and circular cross sections. Two procedures were utilized for the solution of the encountered implicit equations; the Newton-Raphson and the Regula-Falsi methods.  In order to initiate the solution process , these methods require one and two initial guesses, respectively. Tge result revealed that the Regula-Flasi method required more iterations to coverage to the solution compared to the Newton-Raphson method, irrespective of the nearness of the initial guess to the actual solution. The average number of iterations for the Regula-Falsi method was approximately three times that of the Newton-Raphson method.
Microfouling on biocidal and non-biocidal antifouling coatings
Authors: Muthukrishnan Thirumahal , Dobretsov Sergey
Published: June 2017

Although antifouling marine paints have been used to prevent biofouling, not much is known about their effectiveness in preventing attachment of microorganisms. The current study aims at estimating the abundance of bacteria within biofilms developed on various commercial antifouling coatings in Marina Bandar Rowdha and Marina Shangri La, Oman. Coatings tested included Pettit #1863 and #1792, West Marine #11046620, #5566252 and #10175206, Hempel Hard Racing #76484, Hempel Olympic #86950, Hempasil X3 and International YBA920. All coatings were applied on clean plastic slides. Slides without any coating were used as controls. Microbial biofilms were harvested after 2, 7 and 14 days of biofouling. Bacterial density was estimated using epifluorescence microscopy. There was a significant difference between the various treatments (coatings and control) after 2, 7 and 14 days of biofouling. Although there were significant differences between both locations after 2 and 14 days of biofouling, no significant difference was observed after 7 days of biofouling at both locations. At Shangri La, the lowest bacterial density was found on International YBA920, Pettit #1792 and Hempasil X3 after 2 days, 7 days and 14 days respectively in comparison to the control treatments. However at Bandar Rowdha, International YBA920 showed the lowest bacterial density after 2 days while West Marine #10175206 showed the lowest bacterial density after both 7 days and 14 days of biofouling in comparison to the control treatment. The differential performance of tested antifouling coatings may be attributed to several factors including varying environmental conditions, difference in microfouling communities, time of exposure and physical and chemical properties of antifouling coating.
Culture conditions affect the nutritional value of the copepod Acartia tonsa
Authors: Malzahn Arne M. , Aberle-Malzahn Nicole , Schoo Katherina , Boersma Maarten
Published: June 2017

Live feed are still necessary for the rearing of larval stages of several fish species, especially marine ones. Compared to Artemia, copepods are of superior quality. This is based on a suite of traits like size, movement, and nutritional value. Copepods are for example usually high in protein and fatty acids. Essential fatty acid profiles reflect to a large degree the fatty acid supply, which provides the opportunity to manipulate fatty acid profiles of, amongst others, copepods. By manipulating nutrient supply of the algae Rhodomonas salina we were able to double essential fatty acid concentrations in naupliar and copepodit life stages of the copepod Acartia tonsa. However, this lead to growth depression rather than to increased growth rates in a series of consumer species, including larval fish. The reason for the growth depression is likely to be mineral deficiencies occurring along with the nutrient manipulation of the algae.
Marine biotechnology: Emerging opportunities and future perspectives
Authors: Goddard Stephen
Published: June 2017

The rapid growth of genetic, cellular and molecular technologies is enabling scientists to explore and develop marine resources for widespread applications in the food, medical, pharmaceutical, environmental and energy industries. Marine biotechnology products and services were estimated at 2.8 billion euros in 2010, with a cumulative annual growth rate of 4-5% (Marine Board-European Science Foundation, 2010) The Sultanate of Oman occupies a strategic geographical position and has a coastline in excess of 3000km, with the Arabian Sea located to the south and the Sea of Oman and Arabian Gulf to the north. These oceans have rich biodiversity and potential resources which we are only beginning to explore. Based on its marine resources, coupled with a rapidly-growing educational and research infrastructure, the Sultanate of Oman is well positioned to take advantage of the commercial opportunities presented by marine biotechnology. In recognition of potential development an international symposium was organized by the Center of Excellence in Marine Biotechnology, Sultan Qaboos University. One hundred and forty eight delegates attended the meeting, representing 15 countries. In planning the symposium three major themes were identified viz. Marine Biofouling and its Prevention, Fisheries and Aquaculture Biotechnology and Marine Biodiversity and Natural Products. The topics were selected on the basis of current and planned research activity in Oman and elsewhere in the GCC region. Three keynote addresses were presented, 23 oral presentations made and a poster exhibition held. A final session reviewed national and regional issues and the delegates agreed formally on a number of future actions. Full details of the symposium and the results and analysis of a post-symposium survey on the future development of marine biotechnology are given in Goddard et al. (2015).The symposium was supported logistically and financially by Sultan Qaboos University, The Research Council, and the
Nutrient Uptake by Wheat and Weed Under Different Fertilizer Application Methods and Competition Periods
Authors: Tanveer A. , Ahmad S. , Hussain A. , Ahmad R.
Published: June 2017

A field experiment was conducted to estimate nutrient losses by Phalaris minor Retz, in wheat under different fertilizer application methods and competition periods. The study consisted of a Side-placement and a broadcast incorporate method of fertilizer application, and competition periods of O, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 wk after emergence (WAE) and full season competition. Nitrogen, P, K, uptake by Phalaris minor Retz,  was 11.33,  1.20 and 8.34 kg.ha-1 respectively, using the broadcast incorporate method whereas full season competition resulted in a maximum uptake of 28.41 kg.ha-1,  N and 3.13 kg.ha-1 P by Phalaris minor Retz. Potassium uptake by Phalaris minor Retz, reached a maximum (17.45 kg.ha -1) at 8 wk competition. Nitrogen, P,  and K concentrations in wheat were higher in Side-placement than in the broadcast incorporate method of fertilizer application. Wheat under zero competition showed higher N, P, and K concentrations than that of the different competition periods.
Local and Regional Spatial Analysis of Plant Virus Disease Epidemics with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Geostatistics
Authors: R. Nelson M. , Orum T. V.
Published: June 2017

Recent advances in personal computer hardware and the rapid development of spatial analysis software that is user-friendly on PC's has provided remarkable new tools for the analysts of plant diseases, particularly ecologically complex virus diseases. Due to the complexity of the disease cycle of the animal-vectored plant virus, these diseases present the most interesting challenges for the application of spatial analysis technology. While traditional quantitative analysis of plant diseases concentrated on within-field spatial analysis, often involving rather arcane mathematical descriptions of pattern, the new spatial analysis tools are most useful at the dimension where many disease epidemics occur, the regional level. The output of many of the programs used in spatial analysis is a highly visual picture of a disease epidemic which has a strong intuitive appeal to managers of agricultural enterprises. Applications by us, thus far, have included tomato, pepper and cotton virus diseases in Arizona. Mexico, California and Pakistan. In addition, this technology has been applied by us to Phytophthora infestans in potato and tomato. Aspergillus flavus in cotton, and regional insect problems of tomato and cotton.
Steinernematids and Heterorhabditids as Biological Control Agents for Red Palm Weevil (Rhynchophorus Ferrugineus Oliv.)
Authors: Hanounik S. B.
Published: June 2017

Chemical insecticides have long, been considered as the primary method or insect control, but their use has been associated with suppression of non-target species, emergence of resistant strains, contamination of food crops and water. These concerns enhanced the enforcement of strict governmental regulations which limited the use of such chemicals and stimulated the search for alternative biological control methods. Entomopathogenic nematodes in the families Steinernematidae and Heterorhabditidae received a considerable attention. These nematodes seek and rapidly kill a wide range of insects, including the red palm weevil. They are safe to plants and mammals, exempt from registration requirements, easy to apply by sprayers or drip irrigation systems and compatible with many chemicals. Application of genetically enhanced strains of Steinemematids and Heterorhahditids to larvae of red palm weevils resulted in 95 – 100% mortalities in the laboratory and 50% in the field. Additional work is needed to improve virulence, mass production technologies, tolerance to adverse conditions, formulations, and release strategies of entomopathogenic nematodes before they can be commercialized as biological control agents for red palm weevils and other cryptic insects attacking aerial plant parts in the region.
A Technique to assess the Longevity of the Pheromone (Ferrolure) used in Trapping the Date Red Palm Weevil Rhynchophorous ferrugineus Oliv.
Authors: Faleiro J.R. , Al-Shuaibi M.A. , Abraham V.A. , Prem Kumar T.
Published: June 2017

The use of the aggregation pheromone, Ferrugineol (4-Methyl-5-Nonanol) has become an important component of the integrated Pest Management strategy currently adopted to trap the red palm weevil Rhynchophorous ferrugineus oliv., a pest which infects date palm Phoenix dactylifera L. throughout the Middle East. At present two formulations of the pheromone, Ferrolure and Ferrolure+ are widely used. In order to maintain the continuity and efficiency of the trapping system, it is essential to have a constant release of the pheromone into the environment and replace exhausted lures with fresh stocks. ldentification of exhausted lures becomes difficult, especially when the pheromone trapping program is undertaken on a Iarge scale. The present study aimed to develop an easy method to assess the field longevity of the lure, to find out the difference in longevity of lures during winter and summer and to assess the release of the chemical, when the trap is exposed to direct sunlight or is set under shade. This investigation, besides developing a handy scoring technique to assess the status of the pheromone lures, revealed that (i) the lures were exhausted faster in summer as compared to winter (ii) longer field longevity of the pheromone could be obtained by setting traps under the shade (iii) both Ferrolure and Ferrolure+ released the same quantity of the chemical into the environment under shaded conditions, but when traps had to be exposed to sunlight, Ferrolure+ lasted longer than Ferrolure.
Food Import Demand: Meat, Dairy Products, Eggs and Live Animals in Oman
Authors: Chomo G.V. , AI-Marshudi A.S. , AI-Jabri O.S.
Published: June 2017

To develop effective food import policies, it is necessary to understand the responsiveness of consumers to factors affecting import demand. These factors include consumer response to changes in import prices and income. In this study the authors develop economic models of import demand for three main product groups in Oman: meats, dairy and eggs, and live animals. These product groups have been identified as major sources of protein for the Omani population. In addition, these products have a history of domestic production and potential for reducing dependence on food imports. The results indicate that the estimated price elasticity of demand for meat products is elastic, which implies that an increase in price Will result in a decrease in revenues for meat import businesses However, the estimated price elasticity for imported dairy and egg products is inelastic. This implies that an increase in import price will result in an increase in revenues for dairy and egg import businesses. The estimated income elasticities for meat products and dairy and egg products were found to be less than one, suggesting that they are normal goods. A one percent increase in per capita incomes Will result in a less than one percent increase in demand for imported meat, dairy, and egg products These results have economic implications for growth and development of businesses in these important food import sectors.
Isolation and Characterization of Fusarium moniliforme var. subglutinans from Malformed Mango
Authors: Akhtar K.P. , Asif M. , Khan M.A. , Jaskani M.J. , Khan I.A.
Published: June 2017

Mango malformation occurs in most mango growing regions of the world. Floral and vegetative malformation have been reported. There is general agreement that the fungal pathogen Fusarium moniliforme var. subglutinans or Fusarium subglutinans is the causal agent. Healthy and malformed samples of both floral and vegetative tissues were collected from different varieties of mango grown in several locations to verify the association of F.moniliforme with mango malformation disease in Pakistan. The fungus was isolated and cultured. Frequency of fungal association with the disease ranged between 90- 94%, There was less recovery of fungus from asymptomatic tissue (12- 15%). There was no difference among the commercial mango varieties in the level of susceptibility to this disease. However, seedling germplasm and land races showing resistance to mango malformation were identified. The in vitro growth characters of the fungus were determined on different culture media, at varying temperatures, light and pH conditions. Mycelial growth on potato dextrose agar was better than nine other media tested. At pH 7.00, the ideal temperature for growth was between 25-30° C. Normally, the malformation is not controlled by fungicide application. The in vitro sensitivity of fungus to six fungicides at three concentrations was determined to seek potential means of chemical control.
Microflora and Physical-Chemical Characteristics of Omani Laban
Authors: Guizani N. , Al-Ramadani K.
Published: June 2017

Fifteen samples of Laban made at home in three Omani regions were subjected to physical-chemical and microbiological analysis. Laban had an average titratable acidity, pH, fat, protein and total solids of 1.12%, 3.98, 1.I2%, 2. 11% and 6.29%, respectively. The microbial flora of traditional Omani laban was found to be predominantly mesophilic lactococci. and homofemenentative lactobacili. The mean Lactococci and lactobacilli counts were 1.3 x 10 8 and 2.4 x 10 6/ml respectively. The main microbial types involved in the manufacture of Omani laban were Lactoeoccus lactis ssp lactis. Lacrococcus locus ssp locus biov. Diacetylactis, Lactococcus lactis ssp, Cremoris. and Lactobacillus plantarum. Leuconostoc species were present in low proportion compared to other lactic acid bacteria. All Laban samples contained high yeast numbers and were highly contaminated with coliforms, and fecal coliforms.
Leaching Potential of Some Omani Soils: Soil Column and Drip Irrigation Studies
Authors: Ahmed M. , AI-Rawahy S.A. , AI-Kalbani M.S. , AI-Handaly J.K.
Published: June 2017

This paper reports the findings from leaching experiments conducted on some Omani soils. Seven samples from two locations in the Batinah coastal area of Oman were analyzed. Repacked soil columns of up to 30 cm in length were used in laboratory experiments to estimate the amount of water required for adequate leaching of salts from the soil profile. Two methods of leaching: continuous ponding and intermittent ponding were investigated. Results show that most of the salt (50-90%) is removed from the soil profile by the application of water equal in amount to the depth of soil to be leached. The results also show that intermittent ponding method of leaching is more efficient than the continuous ponding method of leaching if initial salinity level is high. Soil samples were also collected to find out the salinity status under drip irrigation. It clearly demonstrates that drip irrigation is very effective in removing salts from soil near the emitters although there is a marked accumulation of salts on the soil surface between emitters.
Water and Salt Distribution in Saline-Sodic Soil as Affected by Peatmoss and Gel-Forming Conditioner
Authors: Abdel Rahman H.A. , Ibrahim A.M.
Published: June 2017

Soil amendments are used to improve the water and nutrient holding capacity of coarse textured soils, and alleviate problems of infiltration and percolation in fine textured soils. The effects of a gel-forming absorbent copolymer and peatmoss as soil amendments, on intermittent evaporation, moisture distribution, and salt redistribution through saline-sodic fine textured soil columns, were investigated. Two water qualities (3,600 and 560 uS/cm), two intervals of water applications (5 and 10 days) and two application rates (3 and 6 mm d-1) were used in the study. The results indicated that after a threshold period which was longer for the lower rate of water application, the cumulative evaporation (E) increased with the decrease in irrigation interval and the type of soil amendments added in the order of control, peatmoss, and the absorbent copolymer. The absorbent copolymer conserved 30% more water than the untreated soils. In accordance with previous findings, E was found to be a linear function of the square root of time (i.e., E = c/t 0.5), where c under the experimental conditions was largely determined by the amount of water applied per irrigation and the type of soil amendment added. Salt and soil water distributions were governed by the amount of water conserved. Within the profile, peatmoss was significantly effective in leaching salts. The quantity of water applied at a time, rather than the cumulative amount, seemed to affect water conservation; whereas the cumulative amount of water applied during the span of study significantly affected EC and SAR re-distributions. The water quality had no significant effect on either evaporation or salt re-distribution under the experimental condition.
Date Fiber as a Constituent of Broiler Starter Diets
Authors: AI-Marzooki W. , AI-Halhali A. , AI-Maqbaly R. , Ritchie A. , Annamalai K. , Forsberg N.E.
Published: June 2017

In Oman, efforts are underway to find alternative sources of fwd to support domestic livestock. The date industry thrives in Oman and one of its by-products is date fiber, a by-product of date syrup production. Although the product contains some free sugars, an evaluation of its potential in broiler diets has never been undertaken. Therefore, we conducted an experiment to investigate the value of date fiber in broiler chick diets. The experimental diets consisted of four graded levels of date fiber: 0, 15, 30 and 45 % in a broiler-starter ration replacing corn as an energy source. The diets were isonitrogenous. There were five replicates for each of the four diets and each replicate contained six broiler chicks. As date fiber percent increased in the dietary treatment, there were linear reductions in body weight gain, calculated apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) content, and apparent protein digestibility (P < 0.05). Poor feed utilization (i .e., reduced feed efficiency) was observed in birds fed date fiber diets compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The poor performance of birds fed date fiber may be attributed to protein and energy limitations. We conclude that date fiber has no value in growing broiler diets. However, it may have utility in diets where a stable body weight is desirable.