The research team, led by Zainab Al Kindi of the Department of Community and Mental Health Nursing, set out to address a persistent gap in nursing education. Global health challenges, including emerging infections, population mobility, climate-related health risks, noncommunicable diseases, and health inequities, increasingly shape day-to-day nursing practice. Yet evidence on whether structured, curriculum-embedded courses actually improve students’ perceived competency has remained limited, particularly in countries where global health education is still maturing within undergraduate nursing curricula.

To measure the effect, the researchers used a one-group pre-test–post-test design, one of the most direct ways to evaluate change within a cohort. Each of the eighty participating students completed a questionnaire before the course began and again after finishing it. The measurement instrument was a course-aligned adaptation informed by the Global Health Competencies for Nurses framework, covering seven distinct domains: global burden of disease, global health priorities, social and environmental determinants of health, professional practice, health equity and social justice, programme management, and economic, sociocultural, and political awareness.

The headline result was unambiguous. Overall perceived global health competency rose from a mean of 2.46 on the pre-test, with a standard deviation of 0.81, to a mean of 3.08 on the post-test, with a standard deviation of 0.44. That represents a mean increase of 0.62 points, with a 95 percent confidence interval of 0.40 to 0.84. The paired-samples t test yielded t(79) = 5.62 and p < .001, while the paired-samples effect size, Cohen’s dz, came in at 0.63, a medium-to-large effect by conventional standards. Notably, the drop in standard deviation from 0.81 to 0.44 suggests the course did not merely lift the average; it also narrowed the spread between students, bringing lower-scoring students closer to their peers.

The improvement was not confined to a single dimension of competency. Students showed significant gains across all seven domains of the adapted scale. The largest single improvement appeared in health equity and social justice, where the mean increased by 0.90 points, with a 95 percent confidence interval of 0.68 to 1.12, t(79) = 8.14, p < .001, and a Cohen’s dz of 0.91. An effect size approaching 1.0 in a paired design indicates that, for the average student, the shift in perceived understanding of equity and justice was substantial, not a marginal statistical artifact.

Why would equity and social justice show the steepest climb? The authors’ framework places these concepts at the heart of global health thinking, and they are often the least familiar territory for students entering nursing school. Concepts such as the social determinants of health, structural inequities, and the uneven distribution of disease burden across populations require a conceptual reframing that clinical training alone rarely provides. A dedicated course gives students the vocabulary, evidence base, and analytical tools to see health outcomes as products of social, economic, and political arrangements, not just individual biology or behavior. The data suggest that once that reframing occurs, students recognize it themselves in their self-assessed competency.

The study also uncovered an interesting baseline pattern. Students who had previously participated in global health activities, such as exchanges, volunteer work, or related extracurricular engagement, reported higher competency before the course even began. This aligns with a broader principle in competency development: prior exposure builds familiarity and confidence. However, by the post-test, competency scores did not differ significantly across participant characteristics. In other words, the course appears to have leveled the field, giving students without prior global health exposure the same measurable boost that brought them up to par with their more experienced classmates.

Methodologically, the one-group pre-test–post-test design has known limitations that the findings should be read against. Without a control group, it is impossible to fully rule out alternative explanations such as maturation, concurrent coursework, or test-retest effects. Self-reported perceived competency also measures confidence and self-assessment rather than directly observed skill. Nevertheless, the design is well suited to course evaluation, and the consistency of improvement across all seven domains, combined with conventional statistical rigor including confidence intervals and paired effect sizes, strengthens the case that the course itself drove the change. The study received ethical approval from the Research and Ethics Committee of the College of Nursing at Sultan Qaboos University and was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, with data collection handled by someone not involved in teaching or assessment to reduce pressure on students.

The implications extend beyond one university in Muscat. The authors argue that integrating global health education within undergraduate nursing curricula offers a scalable approach to preparing future nurses for equity-oriented, culturally responsive, and globally informed practice. Because the course was embedded in the existing curriculum rather than offered as an optional add-on, the model does not require students to find extra time or resources, making it attractive for nursing schools in low- and middle-income countries and beyond. As climate change alters disease patterns and populations grow more mobile, the demand for nurses who understand global health dynamics will only intensify.

There is also a broader policy dimension. The researchers note that strengthening perceived global health competency in nursing education may support progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to health and quality education. A workforce of nurses who grasp the global burden of disease, the economics of health systems, and the politics of health inequity is better positioned to deliver care that closes gaps rather than widening them. For a profession that makes up the largest share of the global health workforce, that shift in perspective, achieved in a single course, may prove to be one of the most cost-effective investments in health equity available to educators today.

Subject of Research: The effect of a structured global health course on perceived global health competency in undergraduate nursing students

Article Title: Enhancing perceived global health competency among undergraduate nursing students: a pre-test–post-test course evaluation

Article References: Kindi, Z. A., Yahyaei, A. A., Joseph, M., & Sabei, S. A. (2026). Enhancing perceived global health competency among undergraduate nursing students: a pre-test–post-test course evaluation. BMC Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-026-05412-2

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12912-026-05412-2

Keywords: global health competency, nursing education, undergraduate nursing students, curriculum evaluation, health equity, pre-test post-test study, social determinants of health, Sultan Qaboos University, BMC Nursing, nursing workforce, culturally responsive care, sustainable development goals

The research, published in the journal PLOS ONE on 18 September 2026, describes a hybrid antifouling material that combines two distinct strategies operating at different length scales. The team fabricated coatings of zinc oxide nanorods on three differently patterned polymer surfaces, labeled D1, D2, and D3 in the study. Each polymer substrate carried its own microscale texture, and the zinc oxide nanorods added a second, nanoscale layer of structure on top. This hierarchical architecture, in which micro- and nanostructured features coexist on a single surface, is central to the design philosophy. In nature, many organisms deter fouling not through chemical warfare alone but through precisely sculpted surface topographies, and the Omani team sought to mimic and enhance this principle with a functional semiconductor material known for its antimicrobial properties.

Zinc oxide has attracted considerable attention in materials science because it combines several useful characteristics in a single compound. It is a wide-bandgap semiconductor, it can be grown into elongated nanorod crystals with high surface area under relatively mild laboratory conditions, and it exhibits antibacterial activity through well-documented mechanisms. When zinc oxide nanostructures interact with water, they can release zinc ions, which are toxic to many microorganisms at sufficient concentrations. They can also generate reactive oxygen species, chemically aggressive molecules that damage cell membranes, proteins, and DNA. By growing dense forests of these nanorods directly onto textured polymer surfaces, the researchers created materials in which both the physical topography and the chemical activity of the coating could contribute to fouling resistance simultaneously.

To evaluate how well the hybrid surfaces performed, the team subjected them to laboratory tests under flow conditions, an important detail because real marine equipment rarely sits in stagnant water. Flow alters how microorganisms approach, contact, and adhere to surfaces, so testing under flowing conditions provides a more realistic assessment than simple static immersion. Two representative fouling organisms were chosen: the bacterium Escherichia coli, a widely used model organism in antibacterial testing, and Amphora sp., a marine diatom. Diatoms are single-celled algae with silica shells and are among the earliest and most problematic colonizers of submerged surfaces, forming slimy biofilms that pave the way for larger fouling organisms. The researchers also assessed the acute toxicity of the coated surfaces using larvae of the whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, a commercially important aquaculture species whose sensitivity makes it a useful indicator of environmental risk.

One of the most striking physical changes induced by the nanorod coating was a dramatic shift in wettability. The uncoated patterned polymer surfaces exhibited water contact angles of roughly 80 to 90 degrees, values typical of moderately wettable materials that water spreads across fairly readily. After the zinc oxide nanorods were applied, the contact angles climbed to approximately 150 to 165 degrees, placing the surfaces in the range considered highly water-repellent or superhydrophobic. At such angles, water droplets bead up and roll off easily, sitting atop the textured surface rather than wetting it. This behavior matters for antifouling because many marine organisms need a hydrated interface to attach successfully, and surfaces that resist wetting can present a formidable first barrier to colonization.

The biological results revealed a nuanced picture in which the underlying micropattern proved just as important as the coating itself. Bacterial attachment was reduced by 60.3 percent on the coated D1 surface, by 48.8 percent on coated D2, and by only 5.8 percent on coated D3. The diatom results followed a different pattern: coverage fell by 9.9 percent on coated D1 but by 72.9 percent on coated D2 and 71.8 percent on coated D3. In other words, the surface that best suppressed bacteria was not the one that best suppressed diatoms, and the surface with the weakest antibacterial effect still performed admirably against algal settlement. This divergence underscores a key insight of the study: antifouling performance is not a simple function of the coating material but emerges from the interplay between the nanorods and the specific geometry of the micropattern beneath them.

The researchers attributed the observed antifouling effects to a combination of mechanisms acting in concert. The release of zinc ions and the generation of reactive oxygen species provide direct chemical pressure against attached microorganisms. Surface wettability alters the initial interaction between organism and substrate, making adhesion energetically less favorable. Finally, the interaction between the microscale polymer patterns and the nanoscale zinc oxide structures shapes how cells encounter and contact the surface at the micrometer scale, influencing whether they can establish stable attachment. Because each mechanism operates differently against different organisms, the balance among them determines the overall antifouling profile of a given surface design, which helps explain why the three patterns produced such distinct results.

Toxicity findings added a further layer of complexity to the design question. The zinc oxide-coated D1 surface showed the best overall balance between antifouling performance and low toxicity toward shrimp larvae, making it the most environmentally promising of the three designs. The coated D3 surface, by contrast, combined lower antibacterial performance with greater larval toxicity, an unfavorable pairing that illustrates why simply applying an antimicrobial nanocoating is not sufficient. The geometry of the underlying pattern can amplify or dampen both the beneficial and the harmful effects of the nanomaterial. For any future application, the study suggests, engineers must treat the surface pattern and the coating as a single integrated design problem rather than optimizing them independently.

Durability is another critical consideration for any material intended for marine service, and here the study offered encouraging preliminary evidence. Microscopic examination conducted after the biological experiments showed that the zinc oxide nanorods remained structurally intact, indicating that the coatings withstood the laboratory testing period without significant physical degradation. Coatings that shed nanoparticles or crumble under flow would pose both a performance problem and an environmental one, releasing engineered material into the water column. The structural stability observed in this work suggests that the nanorods were well anchored to their polymer substrates, although the researchers were careful to note that their experiments were conducted under controlled laboratory conditions rather than in the open ocean.

The path from laboratory promise to practical deployment remains a long one, and the authors were explicit about the limitations of the current work. Long-term field trials and further ecotoxicological assessments will be required before these coatings can be considered for real marine or industrial use. Seawater is a far more chemically complex and biologically diverse environment than any laboratory assay, and months or years of exposure introduce degradation pressures, seasonal variation in fouling communities, and ecological interactions that short-term tests cannot capture. Nevertheless, the findings point toward a promising direction: combining zinc oxide nanorods with deliberately designed micropatterned surfaces could eventually support antifouling applications on ship surfaces, aquaculture nets, water-intake systems, and other equipment exposed to marine environments. If subsequent trials confirm the laboratory results, such materials could offer a route to fouling control that reduces reliance on toxic chemical leaching, aligning with the growing regulatory and environmental pressure to make antifouling technology safer for the oceans it operates in.

Subject of Research: Antifouling performance of zinc oxide nanorod coatings on micropatterned polymer surfaces against marine microorganisms

Article Title: Can nanostructured surfaces help keep marine equipment clean?

Article References: Can nanostructured surfaces help keep marine equipment clean?. (n.d.). Original publication

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: Not provided

Keywords: biofouling, zinc oxide nanorods, micropatterned polymers, antifouling coatings, marine science, Escherichia coli, Amphora diatom, superhydrophobic surfaces, reactive oxygen species, Litopenaeus vannamei, ecotoxicology, Sultan Qaboos University

The research team, comprising Badriya Al Mawali, Issam Ali and Alaa Ibrahim from the Physics Department at Sultan Qaboos University, together with Martin Köhler and Maike Ahlgrimm of Deutscher Wetterdienst, the German national weather service, and Sultan Al Yahyai of Code Academy in Muscat, built their investigation around controlled sensitivity experiments. Al Mawali also holds an affiliation with Oman’s Directorate General of Meteorology, a connection that underscores the practical motivation behind the work: understanding how regional weather models respond to environmental conditions is directly relevant to forecasting and hazard assessment in a country that sits at the edge of the cyclone-prone Arabian Sea.

At the heart of the study is the ICON numerical weather prediction model, a state-of-the-art forecasting system run here as a regional ensemble at a spatial resolution of 6.5 kilometers. Ensemble simulations are a cornerstone of modern cyclone research because they generate many slightly perturbed versions of the same forecast, allowing scientists to distinguish robust signals from noise. Rather than trying to predict Shaheen as it happened, the team ran a control simulation of the storm and then systematically modified individual ingredients of the environment: the temperature of the sea surface, the height of Oman’s terrain, and the roughness of the ocean surface as felt by the wind.

The most dramatic response came from the ocean. When the researchers raised sea surface temperature by 2 degrees Celsius, the simulated cyclone intensified and rainfall along the coast increased. This result follows directly from the physics of tropical cyclones, which are heat engines fueled by the flux of energy and moisture from warm water into the atmosphere. A warmer sea surface raises the enthalpy available to the storm, encouraging stronger convection, lower surface pressure and higher wind speeds, and in this case the model translated that extra energy into heavier precipitation concentrated along the coastal zone where the storm interacted with land.

Terrain, by contrast, acted less as an energy source and more as a steering and organizing influence. When the team reduced the height of Oman’s mountains, the simulated cyclone’s track shifted, and the terrain-enhanced rainfall that typically develops when moist winds are forced up over topography weakened over the mountainous interior. The changes rippled through the storm’s vertical structure as well: the low-level flow, the convergence of moisture flux that feeds convective bands, the mid-level ascent that drives cloud formation, and the upper-level divergence that vents air out of the storm’s core were all reorganized when the mountains were lowered. In other words, topography did not simply block the storm; it reshaped the three-dimensional circulation that determines how a cyclone behaves as it approaches land.

The third variable, sea-surface roughness, produced a comparatively muted response. Roughness describes the frictional drag that the ocean surface exerts on the wind, and physically based changes to this parameter altered the simulated cyclone’s intensity and precipitation structure only modestly. This hierarchy of effects is one of the study’s clearest takeaways: of the surface properties tested, temperature dominated the storm’s energy budget and the magnitude of coastal rainfall, while terrain height dominated the storm’s path, its vertical circulation and the geographical distribution of where rain fell. Roughness, though physically important, sat in the background of this particular case.

For Oman and the surrounding region, the distinction between these mechanisms carries real weight. Coastal rainfall magnitude and storm intensity are the quantities that matter most for wind damage and flash flooding along the shore, and those responded most strongly to sea surface temperature. Track and rainfall distribution, which determine which valleys, cities and wadis are actually hit, responded most strongly to terrain. A forecasting system that misrepresents either ingredient could therefore err in different directions: too-warm sea surfaces in a model might inflate the amount of rain a storm delivers, while poorly resolved mountains might misplace the heaviest precipitation or shift the landfall zone. The study suggests that evaluating both of these surface conditions is essential for trustworthy regional cyclone simulation.

The work also speaks to a broader question that looms over the Arabian Sea: what happens as ocean waters warm? The researchers are careful on this point. The 2-degree increase was used as a controlled test of the model’s sensitivity, not as a prediction of how future cyclones will behave. Because the experiments involve a single storm and idealized modifications of the environment, the results should be read as a diagnostic of how the ICON model responds to changed conditions, not as a forecast of a warmer future. That caveat matters, because the relationship between sea surface temperature and cyclone behavior in the real climate involves many competing factors, from atmospheric stability to wind shear, that a single-storm sensitivity study cannot capture.

Even so, the methodology offers a template for future work. By isolating one environmental variable at a time within an ensemble framework, the researchers could attribute specific changes in the simulated storm to specific causes, something that is nearly impossible to do with observations alone. The approach can be extended to other cyclones, other regions and other model configurations, building a picture of which surface conditions regional prediction systems handle well and where they need improvement. The authors suggest the findings may support further evaluation and refinement of regional cyclone simulations and contribute to assessments of heavy-rainfall and flood hazards, capabilities that are increasingly urgent as coastal populations in the Middle East grow and extreme weather draws closer scrutiny.

Tropical Cyclone Shaheen itself remains a benchmark event for the region. Its direct impact on northern Oman in October 2021 was unusual enough that it provides a valuable, well-observed case for testing how models represent cyclones in a basin where such storms are historically infrequent but potentially devastating. By dissecting that storm in the laboratory of a 6.5-kilometer ensemble model, the Sultan Qaboos University team and their collaborators have shown that the ocean’s warmth and the mountains’ height are not interchangeable pieces of the forecast puzzle. One sets the storm’s power and the volume of rain it can deliver to the coast; the other sets its course and the map of where that rain will fall. For forecasters, modelers and hazard planners alike, keeping both in sharp focus may be the key to anticipating the next time warm Arabian Sea waters send a cyclone toward Oman’s shores.

Subject of Research: Sensitivity of regional ensemble simulations of Tropical Cyclone Shaheen to sea surface temperature and terrain-height changes in Oman

Article Title: Could warmer waters bring heavier coastal rain? Insights from Cyclone Shaheen simulations

Article References: Could warmer waters bring heavier coastal rain? Insights from Cyclone Shaheen simulations. (n.d.). Original publication

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: Not provided

Keywords: Tropical Cyclone Shaheen, Oman, sea surface temperature, terrain height, ICON model, numerical weather prediction, ensemble simulation, coastal rainfall, Arabian Sea, Scientific Reports, Sultan Qaboos University, flood hazard

Sultan Qaboos University, a venerable institution that welcomes dozens of students with disabilities annually, has demonstrated a longstanding commitment by graduating over 170 students with disabilities in the past ten years. Through its specialized Students with Special Needs Affairs Section, SQU has strategically implemented a suite of logistical, psychological, and technical accommodations to mitigate challenges and facilitate seamless integration of these students into the broader campus community. The department’s holistic approach aims at ensuring equitable access and active participation across academic, social, and extracurricular domains.

The study harnessed data from a representative sample of 35 students exhibiting diverse disability profiles, encompassing physical, auditory, and visual impairments. Utilizing the standardized WHOQOL-BREF instrument allowed for a granular evaluation across four primary domains: physical health, psychological well-being, social relationships, and environmental context. Noteworthy is the elevated satisfaction reported in psychological, social, and environmental parameters, reflecting the university’s success in cultivating a supportive and adaptive atmosphere. Contrarily, the physical health domain — measuring facets such as pain, energy, and mobility — registered moderate satisfaction, signaling opportunities for enhanced health-focused interventions.

A pivotal revelation emerged when dissecting the quality of life scores by disability type. Students navigating physical disabilities consistently recorded higher overall quality of life indices compared to their visually and hearing-impaired peers. This stratification points towards differential accessibility and support challenges existing within sensory impairment contexts. It also underscores the complexity of designing universally adaptive measures that cater equitably to the heterogeneous needs of the disabled student populace.

Gender analysis within the study revealed no statistically meaningful disparities in quality of life measures between male and female participants, a finding that situates gender as a less significant variable in this particular domain. However, the stratification by disability type elicited statistically significant divergences within physical and psychological sub-domains. Specifically, students with mobility impairments surpassed others in these dimensions, suggesting that certain disability categories may benefit more substantially from the university’s existing support repertoire.

Dr. Al-Mamari’s team surmised that the overall elevated quality of life indices among students with disabilities at SQU could be attributed to the institution’s proactive strategies encouraging full inclusivity. These encompass infrastructural adaptations, psychological counseling, assistive technology provision, and social integration programs. This holistic model aligns with the growing global emphasis on inclusive education frameworks which prioritize not only academic success but also psychosocial well-being and environmental adaptability.

The research unearthed salient considerations for future enhancements. Foremost among these is the recommendation to broaden the spectrum of inclusive sports programs. Physical activity has been recognized as instrumental in improving physical health outcomes, social cohesion, and psychological resilience among disabled populations. Tailoring such programs to accommodate sensory impairments would address existing service gaps and promote equitable recreational engagement.

Additionally, the study advocates for an expansion in culturally and socially tailored activities designed specifically for students with sensory disabilities. These interventions could mitigate barriers that impede full participation and foster a richer, more diverse campus culture. Such measures have implications beyond mere participation, contributing significantly to identity affirmation, peer support networks, and overall quality of life improvements.

The authors emphasize the necessity for parallel studies across other universities, both regionally and internationally. Comparative data would enable a comprehensive mapping of challenges faced by students with disabilities in various academic milieus and inform the development of best practices. A broader corpus of evidence-based research is indispensable for policy advocacy, resource allocation, and the evolution of inclusive education paradigms.

Intriguingly, mental health indicators extracted from participant responses reflected relatively high well-being, a testament to the university’s psychological support infrastructure. Nonetheless, maintaining and enhancing mental health resources remains critical, given the unique stressors often encountered by students with disabilities, including social stigma, accessibility struggles, and potential academic pressures.

Technological advancements in assistive devices and software have undoubtedly contributed to increased autonomy and academic performance among students with disabilities at SQU. The university’s ongoing investment in such resources underscores its commitment to leveraging innovation in service provision. Future initiatives might explore integrating emerging technologies like AI-driven personalized learning aids or virtual reality environments to further democratize educational access.

In conclusion, the study by Dr. Al-Mamari and her team provides seminal evidence highlighting the generally positive quality of life among students with disabilities at Sultan Qaboos University. It simultaneously identifies pivotal areas for improvement, notably in physical health satisfaction and tailored programming for sensory impairments. These insights furnish university administrators, policymakers, and educators with actionable data that can inform and amplify efforts toward genuinely inclusive and enabling campus environments. The overarching message resonates with the global academic community’s endeavor to transform higher education into an equitable domain where all students can thrive irrespective of physical or sensory challenges.

Subject of Research: People

Article Title: Not provided

News Publication Date: Not provided

Web References: DOI link

Image Credits: Sultan Qaboos University, Oman

Keywords: Education, Environmental health, Social relationships