Latest news with #NationalResearchAward
Times of Oman
18-03-2025
- Health
- Times of Oman
Omani research project applies new technique for banana quality control
Muscat: The 'Banana fruit bruise detection using fractal dimension based image processing' is among the winning innovative research projects at the 11th National Research Award organised by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. Dr. Mai Khalfan Salim Al Dairi, Research Assistant at Sultan Qaboos University, won in the Information and Communication Technologies field in the Young Researcher's category. Discussing her research project, Dr. Mai Al Dairi stated that bananas are susceptible to mechanical damage due to bruising caused by improper handling and it gets spoiled due to improper storage conditions. The research team applied a simulated drop impact test and evaluated the mechanical damage magnitude by fractal dimension using a machine vision system to characterise the bruise intensity and quality of bananas as affected by different impact energies and storage temperatures. Dr. Mai Al Dairi said that to evaluate the bruise area, the fractal dimension, browning index, grayscale value, and total colour difference were determined after 48 hours of impact by image processing. Besides, conventional analyses of bruise area, bruise size, and bruising susceptibility were also performed. The effect of drop heights, ball weights, and storage temperatures on the main quality parameters (weight, firmness, colour, sugar content, and acidity) was studied. According to Dr. Mai Al Dairi, the results indicated that fractal dimension analysis provides high accuracy in describing bruises in bananas, opening up new avenues for improving quality control during transportation and storage. The study identified a quality problem, showing that storing damaged bananas at improper temperatures can worsen the situation, leading to weight loss, reduced firmness, and significant changes in sugar and acidity, ultimately making the fruit less appealing to consumers. Through this study, Dr. Mai Al Dairi recommended using modern technologies such as applying fractal analysis to accurately assess the size of bruises and the severity of damage and utilising machine vision technologies to improve banana quality control throughout the supply chain; and choosing appropriate storage temperatures such as storing bananas at optimal temperatures that limit the aggravation of damage and maintain their nutritional and visual quality. She maintained that these efforts contribute to providing a better product to consumers and reducing economic losses for farmers and traders. This research project was published in the journal Food Chemistry with an impact factor of 8.5. The research team consisted of Dr. Mai Al Dairi, Dr. Pankaj B. Pathare, Prof. Rashid Abdullah Al Yahyai, Dr. Hemanatha Jayasuriya, and Dr. Zahir Humaid Al Attabi. Regarding her win, Dr. Mai Al Dairi stated that 'Winning the National Research Award has been a profound recognition of my dedication to addressing one of the real-world challenges through research. It symbolises not only personal achievement but also the impact of myself and our Postharvest and Value Addition Research Team work on advancing knowledge and contributing to sustainable agricultural practices. This award also serves as a motivation to further my commitment to meaningful research that benefits both local and global communities, inspiring others to pursue excellence in their fields.'
Observer
11-03-2025
- Science
- Observer
Teacher wins national award for innovation management
STAFF REPORTER Muscat, March 11 The 11th National Research Award (NRA), organised by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MoHERI), celebrated some of the brightest and innovative minds in Oman. 'Challenges Facing Innovation Management in Omani Higher Education Institutions from the Point of View of Innovative Students' by principal investigator Marhouna bint Hamed al Maqbaliyah, a teacher at the Ministry of Education and a PhD student of Sultan Qaboos University, won the award in the Young Researcher's category. She said the study is aimed to identify the major challenges confronting innovation management in higher education institution. Her research team conducted interviews with 30 students who had previously participated in competitions or received research funding from the MoHERI. To ensure a comprehensive perspective, the study considered diversity in terms of years of participation and the stages achieved by the student teams or company. As for the main findings of the study, results revealed several intertwined challenges facing innovation management, and issues emerging in one stage often extend to the subsequent stages highlighting the importance of planning from the outset. She elaborated that the challenges of the first stage focused on innovative ideas exploration, team formation and suitable supervisor selection. The second stage's challenges were an extension of the first phase and included personal challenges, policies and regulations, human and financial resources, logistics support, coordination among entities, incubator, knowledge and data access, and challenges related to decision-makers. In the third stage, the challenges included a lack of follow-up after competitions, entities' readiness limitation to adopt innovations, and human resources challenges as well as market and societal challenges. She proposed several recommendations, including giving more attention to innovation management through pre-planning for the three stages and developing specific policies for innovative students to facilitate their work during the three phases. The research project was published in the Educational Studies journal of the University of Jordan. The research team consisted of Prof Aisha bint Salim al Harthiyah, Dr Khalaf bin Marhoon al Abri and Prof Said bin Sulaiman al Dhafri. Marhouna al Maqbali mentioned that 'winning the National Research Award serves as a motivation to continue completing the whole research project and an incentive for conducting further research projects that contribute, even in a small way, to serving the country. Moreover, the success of this project highlights the voice of innovative students, whom I hope will receive greater attention from stakeholders, as they are the future and promising hope of the Sultanate of Oman.'
Times of Oman
03-03-2025
- Science
- Times of Oman
Winning research project enhances reservoir water quality in Oman
Muscat: Among the many various innovative research projects in the 11th National Research Award organised by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, 'A Robust Decision-Making Framework to Improve Reservoir Water Quality Using Optimised Selective Withdrawal Strategies' by principal investigator Dr. Mohammad Reza Nikoo, Associate Professor at the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), was awarded in the Environmental and Biological Resources field in the PhD category. Dr. Mohammad Nikoo mentioned that in arid locations such as the Sultanate of Oman, improving the quality of water released from reservoirs is a challenge. This study, focused on Wadi Dayqah Dam, aimed to develop reliable operational guidelines for releasing water that meets downstream quality and quantity requirements. Dr. Mohammad and his research team aimed to improve reservoir water quality, identify vulnerable outlets and optimal release strategies, and enhance resilience to climate change impacts. Using a combination of multi-objective optimisation (NSGA-II), the CE-QUAL-W2 model, and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), the research team simulated and optimised water withdrawal strategies. A Robust Decision-Making (RDM) framework identified vulnerable outlets and water release ratios under various climate change scenarios. The findings of the study revealed that activating multiple reservoir outlets reduces pollutant concentration and improves water quality. Also, water released from low and mid-level outlets is more vulnerable to pollutants compared to surface outlets, and a strategic release of smaller volumes from lower outlets and larger volumes from upper outlets enhances operational stability and robustness. Through this study, Dr. Mohammad recommended adopting flexible and optimised water release strategies under changing climate conditions to ensure reliable water delivery. The study was published in the Journal of Hydrology in 2024 with an impact factor of 6.4. The research team consist of Dr. Mohammad Reza Nikoo, Ms. Nafiseh Bahrami, Prof. Kaveh Madani, Dr. Ghazi Al Rawas, Dr. Sadegh Vanda, and Prof. Rouzbeh Nazari. Regarding his win, Dr. Mohammad Nikoo stated that 'winning the National Research Award is a significant honour that highlights the relevance and impact of our research. It inspires me and my team to continue working on innovative solutions that address critical water and environmental management challenges. It is also a recognition of our collective efforts and encourages us to contribute further to science and society.'
