Middle East Area Research Articles

Valmet adds filter fabric manufacturing in India

Finland's Valmet is investing in filter fabric manufacturing in Pune, India in order to better serve its customers and improve delivery times to the Asia Pacific and Middle East areas.

Aridity trends in the Middle East and adjacent areas

Available water resources in the Middle East, as one of the most water-scarce regions of the world, have undergone extra pressure due to climatic change, population growth, and economic development during the past decades. The objective of this study is to detect the trends and quantify the changes in aridity with respect to precipitation and potential evapotranspiration in 20 countries of the Middle East and the adjacent area. A pixel-wise trend analysis was conducted on precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, and the aridity index for 71 years from 1948 to 2018. Results showed a statistically significant (|Z| > 1.96) increase up to 106% in aridity (a downward trend in the aridity index) from December to September in most parts of the region. Aridity in October and November had a downward tendency in most parts of the study area. At an annual time scale, 62.5% of the detected trends in aridity were found to be upward (up to 96% increase) due to the combined effects of the decrease in precipitation and the increase in potential evapotranspiration. Annual aridity was found to be downward in 37.5% of the detected trends (up to 61% decrease). The highest and the lowest trends in aridity were found in the north of Sudan (96%) and eastern Arabia (− 61%).

Gambling problems among military personnel after deployment

Military and veteran populations may exhibit heightened vulnerability to gambling problems; however, there is scant relevant evidence outside the US, and few studies of transition periods, including return from operational deployment. The aim of this study was thus to highlight the extent, risk-factors, and implications of gambling problems among current members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) following deployment to the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO). It involved analyses of data from n = 1324 ADF personnel who deployed between 2010 and 2012, and completed surveys within four months of returning to Australia. The Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) identified Problem Gambling (PG: PGSI ≥5) and At-Risk Gambling (ARG: PGSI 1–4), alongside measures of Depression (PHQ-9), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PCL-C), alcohol use problems (AUDIT), distress (K10), and post-deployment stressors. Analyses indicated that 7.7% of personnel reported at least some gambling problems post-deployment, including 2.0% that were distinguished by PG, and 5.7% indicating ARG. These figures were comparable to conditions including probable depression and alcohol dependence, while levels of any gambling problems were high relative to harmful drinking. Higher levels were observed among personnel who were aged 18–24, reported 0–4 years of military service, served in the Army, and comprised Non-Commissioned Officers/Other Ranks. There were strong associations with gambling problems and various indicators of mental health and wellbeing, and self-reported post-deployment difficulties. The findings indicate that gambling problems are salient concerns for some Australian military personnel post-deployment, and highlight the need for increased recognition and responses to these problems.

Australian Veterans of the Middle East Conflicts 2001–2010: Select Reproductive Health Outcomes Part 2 — Prenatal, Fetal, and Neonatal Outcomes

Background: Following on from Part 1 of these companion articles, which described the maternal and paternal cohort of the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) Census Study, this manuscript aims to describe fetal and infant characteristics and outcomes from the self-report data, including live deliveries, stillbirths, all other pregnancy losses, and unknown outcomes. Methods: A descriptive analysis was performed on the clinical variables where data were reported. Descriptive statistics (means, frequencies, percentiles) were used to describe the occurrence of adverse gestational outcomes. Odds ratios were also calculated for perinatal outcomes. Infant characteristics and outcomes were evaluated using statistical analysis software IBM SPSS v26. Results: There were 15,417 pregnancies reported by respondents to the MEAO Census Study. Of these, 74% (11,367) resulted in a live delivery, 0.75% in a stillbirth, and 20% in another type of pregnancy loss (ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, termination). The unadjusted odds of an adverse perinatal outcome were higher in the MEAO Census population than in the general Australian population, notably stillbirth (OR = 3.11, 95% CI 2.56–3.80), perinatal death (OR = 3.80, 95% CI 3.26–4.44), and neonatal death (OR = 5.43, 95% CI 4.27–6.91). There were 499 cases of birth defects reported and 85 cases of childhood cancer in the MEAO population. The unadjusted odds of childhood cancer were slightly higher (OR = 1.7, 95% CI 0.09–3.28) in the MEAO population, and the unadjusted odds of birth defects were lower (OR = 0.52, 95% CI 0.40–0.68). The male:female infant sex ratio of babies born to respondents was 102 (5939 males:5823 females). Conclusions: The MEAO Census Study presents a generally reassuring picture of reproductive health for women serving in the Australian Defence Force with regards to the risk of pregnancy loss and perinatal outcomes. The increased odds of perinatal and neonatal death and stillbirth are worthy of further study and evaluation, as is the increase in likelihood of childhood cancer in the offspring of MEAO veterans.

Australian Veterans of the Middle East Conflicts 2001–2010: Select Reproductive Health Outcomes Part 1 — Maternal and Paternal Outcomes

Background: Anecdotally, infertility concerns among serving female Australian Defense Force (ADF) members and veterans are perceived to be prevalent, but precise data are lacking. This is the first of two papers that identify reproductive, pregnancy, and infant outcomes in an exclusively Australian military cohort. This initial paper aims to describe maternal and paternal occupation and fertility characteristics of a group of ADF members who deployed to the Middle East during the period 2001–2010. Methods: Utilizing the Middle East Area of Operations Census Study data set, a descriptive analysis was performed on the demographic and clinical variables of the cohort, where data were reported. Descriptive statistics (means, frequencies, percentiles) were used to describe the population. Sociodemographic data and clinical data, including maternal/paternal outcomes, were reported. Results: The self-reported infertility rate was 9%, which was significantly lower than the reported infertility rate in the comparative Australian (non-military) population. All other outcomes were comparable to the Australian population and within normal limits. Conclusions: This survey presents a generally reassuring picture of reproductive health for men and women serving in the ADF with regard to the risk of infertility, pregnancy loss, and perinatal outcomes, although the basis for fertility concerns requires further investigation.

Awareness, knowledge, and attitudes of health professions students toward health economics and pharmacoeconomics education in Jordan

IntroductionHealth economics education (HEe) and pharmacoeconomics education (PEe) in the Middle East and North Africa area is growing, particularly in pharmacy education. Little is known about the awareness, knowledge, and attitudes of health professions students toward health economics (HE) and pharmacoeconomics (PE) and the extent of education they receive before joining the workforce.Methods: A self-completed validated questionnaire was distributed to students from medical, dental, pharmacy, and nursing schools in Jordan. The questionnaire assessed awareness, knowledge, and attitudes about HE and PE terminologies, applications, and need for training. Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis H tests were used to outline the differences between students' responses. ResultsA total of 2648 questionnaires were analysed, representing 586 medical, 414 dental, 1080 pharmacy, and 568 nursing students. Approximately 65% of respondents reported they had heard of HE or PE. Supportive views about the necessity for economic education in healthcare professions curricula were reported. Nursing students most often expressed desire to undertake training before graduation while dental students showed the least interest. ConclusionsStudents across health professions groups acquire various extents of HEe and PEe before graduation. Pharmacy schools demonstrated leading interest and progress in providing PEe in Jordan, and medical schools appeared to follow. Both dental and nursing schools were lagging. Regional support from the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research Arabic Network, accreditation, and regulatory requirements are leading social and contextual contributors to PEe in Jordan.

New insights in the allelopathic traits of different barley genotypes: Middle Eastern and Tibetan wild-relative accessions vs. cultivated modern barley.

The two alkaloids gramine and hordenine have been known for playing a role in the allelopathic ability in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). These allelochemicals can be both found in leaves and roots in some barley cultivars whereas in others one seems to exclude the other. In this study eighteen accessions of barley from the Middle-East area, one accession from Tibet and the modern spring cultivar Barke, already used as parental donor in a nested associated mapping (NAM) population, were screened for their gramine, hordenine and N-methyltyramine (the direct precursor of hordenine) content in leaves, roots and exudates. Moreover, the toxicity of the three allelochemicals on root growth inhibition on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) was evaluated. Results of this study showed the preferential production of gramine and hordenine in leaves and roots, respectively, in the nineteen barley accessions. On the other hand, in the modern barley cultivar Barke, the highest content of hordenine in roots and the general lack of gramine suggests a favored biosynthesis of the former. Gramine was not detected in the root exudates. In additions, different metabolomic profiles were observed in wild relatives compared to modern barley genotypes. The results also showed the phytotoxic effects of the three compounds on root growth of lettuce seedlings, with a reduction in root length and an increase of root surface area and diameter. In conclusion, this study highlighted the impact of the domestication effects on the production and distribution of the two allelopathic alkaloids gramine and hordenine in barley.

SUN-205 Prevalence of Cancer in End Stage Renal Disease Hemodialysis Patients

The risk of cancer among end stage renal disease patients is higher than general population. Types of malignancy, age of patients, comorbid condition and functional status can influence management of cancer. The data regarding cancer among hemodialysis patients in Middle East area is rarely reported. We aim to study the types of cancers in hemodialysis patients in a tertiary oncology center in United Arab Emirate.

Social disclosure: compliance of Islamic banks to governance standards No. 7 of AAOIFI (2010)

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the compliance of Islamic banks (IBs) with the AAOIFI standard No. 7, in Middle East and North Africa area during the period 2010-2014. The authors seek to identify, among the 15 countries and 72 banks, those which conform more to this standard. The level of compliance is expected to be more stringent in countries where AAOIFI standards are made mandatory.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses the unweighted disclosure method which measures the corporate social report disclosure (CSRD) score of a bank as additive. Each country and bank are assessed according to two obligatory and voluntary CSRDs.FindingsThe empirical results indicate that even though the global disclosure index has been improved over the observation period, it has remained relatively low. The results also allowed us to see that the global, mandatory and voluntary societal disclosures vary according to the country and banks. Further, it has been seen that banks allow more attention to the mandatory disclosure recommendations of AAOIFI Governance Standard No. 7, in comparison with the voluntary CSRD.Research limitations/implicationsOne limitation of this study is that the sample is restricted to only the Islamic banking sector. Future research could include other Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) such as insurance companies. Second, the study could be extended to other countries to better control the religious system and cultural effects. Because in our modern era, traditional laws in the Muslim world have been widely replaced by statutes inspired by European models, the authors suggest then to apply a new classification that separates, for instance, countries that rely on an Islamic model from those with a western model, and national banks from those allied with western banks. Finally, the paper’s data collection relies solely on annual reports and does not include publications from bank sites. Future research could consider all these limitations. Another possible avenue could examine the determinants of such disclosure level.Practical implicationsAlmost no study has been limited to the text of the AOIFFI. This detail is important for some countries where the AAOIFI standards are mandatory.Social implicationsThe findings may be of interest to shareholders and all those who deal with IBs that have religious expectations.Originality/valueDespite the fact that most studies investigated compliance of IB Sharia law, almost no study has been limited to the text of the AOIFFI. This detail is important for some countries where the AAOIFI standards are mandatory. The findings may be of interest to shareholders and all those who deal with IBs that have religious expectations.

Teff could contribute to the Sustainable Goals of United Nation’s Goals in low-income areas of Middle East and North Africa

Several Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nation are directly or indirectly related to nutrition, including SDG1 (no poverty) and SDG2 (zero hunger). Many parts of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are experiencing poverty or suffering from micronutrient (Calcium, Iron, and Vitamin D) deficiencies, which has contributed to a high mortality rate among children and pregnant women. Teff, an old and well-known grain in MENA and a “Super Grain” in developed countries, has a strong potential to be utilized in food product development activities in MENA. These new products can be produced by local scientists and be sold domestically or internationally. The aim of this short communication is to review the limitations and opportunities that exist in the process of food product development with Teff. Several Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nation are directly or indirectly related to nutrition, including SDG1 (no poverty) and SDG2 (zero hunger). Many parts of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are experiencing poverty or suffering from micronutrient (Calcium, Iron, and Vitamin D) deficiencies, which has contributed to a high mortality rate among children and pregnant women. Teff, an old and well-known grain in MENA and a “Super Grain” in developed countries, has a strong potential to be utilized in food product development activities in MENA. These new products can be produced by local scientists and be sold domestically or internationally. The aim of this short communication is to review the limitations and opportunities that exist in the process of food product development with Teff.

Internet of Thing (IoT) to Enhance Knowledge Sharing between Faculties, Best Practice and Proposed Modified Systems for Middle East and Gulf Region Area

Internet of Thing (IoT) to Enhance Knowledge Sharing between Faculties, Best Practice and Proposed Modified Systems for Middle East and Gulf Region Area

Pakistan-China Relations in the Big Context of the “Belt and Road Initiative”

The “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) is a massive infrastructure investment plan with a long-lasting strategic rational in its essence, namely the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) imply potential political consequences on the geopolitical basis and the regional balance of power, given that China-Pakistan relations converge on a common adversary — India. Nevertheless, China-Pakistan relations converged in the CPEC brings strategic assets for both of them, mostly to China, addressing the fact that this project implies a big shift of strategic Chinese thought, in the sense that it envisions alternative routes for the energy resources transportation, trade and, all together, Chinese influence in the Central Asia and Middle East area, at the same time, bringing development with consequences to these countries. Altogether, CPEC, and BRI in general, makes India very aware and apprehensive of this reality and the power shift of the regional balance of power to China, making the former respond with projects of its own. So, the strategic thought of China materialized by BRI will have serious consequences to the region, mostly to India.

A Review of Mother-Child and Birth Cohort Studies in the Middle East Area

A Review of Mother-Child and Birth Cohort Studies in the Middle East Area

COVID-19 and Stock Markets Response in Developing Countries. The Case of MENA Countries

Motivated by the rapid spread of novel coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak in the world. This study explores the stock markets’ response to the global COVID-19 pandemic in developing countries. We make use of a panel dataset including 685 observations from 13 countries in the Middle East and North Africa area (MENA) for the period January 29, 2020, to June 1, 2020, which was analysed using ordinary least squares regressions (OLS regression). The regression results indicate that stock markets have responded negatively to the growth in COVID-19 deaths. Meanwhile, stock markets show no reaction to the daily growth in confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The Impacts of Climate Change on the Availability of Surface Water Resources in Jordan

Climate change in the Middle East area including Jordan has started to be reflected in decreasing precipitation and increasing temperatures with their impacts on the availability of surface and groundwater. This article aims to evaluate the impacts of decreasing or increasing precipitation by 10% and 20% on the quantities of flood runoff based on recorded precipitation and runoffs of catchments during the past 60 to 70 years of observation, during which the precipitation in individual or a few years increased or decreased by tens of percentages relative to the long-term average precipitation. The results of quantification show that in Jordan as a whole, decreasing precipitation by 10% and 20% has historically (during the recording period) resulted in reductions in flood flows by 26.2% and 52.8% and that increasing precipitation by 10% and 20% has resulted in increases in flood flows by 26.4% and 56.5% respectively. These results look somehow paradox, because the general perception is that flood runoff changes in the same percentage like precipitation although flood flow is not linearly correlated with precipitation but exponentially. Decreasing precipitation in the water-scarce stressed country, Jordan due to climatic changes, will have strong implications on rain-fed and irrigated agriculture and on household water supplies with very severe socio-economic percussions expressed in increasing unemployment and poverty which may lead to social and political unrest. Therefore, proactive measures have to be implemented before disasters hit. Such measures are limited in Jordan to seawater desalination, intensified water harvesting and improved water use efficiency in agriculture.

Snapping, pinning, liking or texting: Investigating social media in higher education beyond Facebook

Commercial social media are being increasingly adopted in formal learning settings even though they have not been conceived specifically for education. Whereas highly popular social services like Facebook and Twitter have been thoroughly investigated for their benefits for teaching and learning in higher education, other social media platforms which have been gaining considerable attention among youth have been largely overlooked in scholarly literature. The purpose of this study is to fill that vacuum by analyzing whether and how social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat and WhatsApp have become an integral component of teaching and learning in higher education. A total of 46 studies are analyzed in terms of what pedagogical affordances of these four platforms they identify (e.g., mixing information and learning resources, hybridization of expertise, widening of the context of learning) and the benefits for learning that the authors go on to investigate. Results show that although the use of WhatsApp is well documented in a plethora of studies, there is a dearth of research about Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat. While more than half of the studies are carried out in the Middle East and Asian areas and investigate mostly benefits for second and foreign language learning, the overall geographical distribution of studies examining learning via social media reflects the preferences expressed for these services on the part of the general population. Moreover, it is found that the pedagogical affordances of social media are still only being partially implemented and that diverse social media exploit affordances to different degrees.

Heritage and the Middle East: Cities, power, and memory

AbstractIn a moment of global urban change, migration, and political transformation, the politics and practices of cultural heritage might seem to have little import. However, this paper argues that focusing on cultural heritage in the Middle East provides two key insights with much broader relevance. First, examining how heritage is made (and unmade) shows one way that regions are constructed through the articulation of material and symbolic connections. Second, these regions might be better understood not as containers but as complexes in and in relation to which people articulate and communicate shared meanings. These insights build upon and extend recent theorizations of cultural geopolitics. In surveying an interdisciplinary body of scholarship on Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and the Gulf, this article seeks to expand the linkages between geography and Middle East area studies scholarship. It begins by connecting current debates about planetary urbanization in relation to a historiography of the “Middle Eastern city” and suggests that thinking in terms of heritage provides a novel approach for understanding both new and old regional imaginaries. It then highlights three dynamics that make the politics of heritage distinct in this region. It closes with a discussion of the dual role that heritage can play in both contesting and facilitating top‐down projects of dispossession and urban transformation.

Molecular Phylogeny and Systematics of the Sheath-Tailed Bats from the Middle East (Emballonuridae: Taphozous and Coleura)

The family of sheath-tailed bats (Emballonuridae) constitutes a considerable part of the bat fauna of the Middle East. This region on the crossroad of three biogeographical realms represents the sole significant extension of the family range into the Palaearctic, otherwise the family is distributed mostly in the tropics. Three emballonurid species occur in the Middle East, Coleura afra, Taphozous perforatus and T. nudiventris, each with a number of morphology-based subspecies reported from the region. For this study, we assembled a dataset of more than hundred samples that covers the Middle Eastern parts of the ranges of the respective species. We generated sequences of up to three mitochondrial and five nuclear markers and reconstructed a time-calibrated phylogeny of the family to infer the evolutionary history of emballonurids in the Middle East and to revise their intra- and interspecific taxonomy. The populations of Coleura from southern Arabia and the Red Sea coast of Africa show a low genetic structure, although as a lineage are well separated from other Coleura populations of Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. We suggest this Afro-Arabian lineage to represent a separate taxon which could be regarded as a species of its own, C. gallarum. Similarly, low genetic structure across the study area we revealed in T. perforatus; this indicates that only one taxon of this bat is present in the Middle East and adjacent areas that should be co-identified with the nominotypical form. On the contrary, T. nudiventris presents two clearly separated clades; one of them comprises the nominotypical form of north-eastern Africa and southern Arabia, as well as the eastern Arabian populations assigned to T. n. zayidi, which is thus unjustified, and the latter name to be considered a junior synonym of T. n. nudiventris. On the other hand, the analysis did not resolve satisfactorily the phylogenetic position of the large body-sized Mesopotamian populations of T. nudiventris, which thus remains to be regarded as a subspecies T. n. magnus. Finally, the position of Liponycteris as a separate subgenus of Taphozous was not found to be justified, while the traditional divisions of the family into the subfamilies Taphozoinae and Emballonurinae and the latter into the tribes Emballonurini and Diclidurini were supported by the analysis results.

A498 Calibrated Gastro-Jejunostomy Reduces the Incidence of Stenosis in Omega Loop Bypass

The numbers of Omega Loop Gastric Bypass have increased dramatically in the middle east area in the last 15 years. It has been demonstrated that it is a rapid, safe and effective bariatric operation. Advantages include; lower risk of anastomotic leakage, internal herniation and the ease of reversibility. Potential complications include; marginal ulcers, chronic alkaline reflux and gastro-jejunostomy (GJ) stenosis. This retrospective analysis evaluates whether suturing the gastro-jejunostomy (GJ) over a boogie effects the rate of GJ stenosis and the need for endoscopic balloon dilatation or refashioning later on. Retrospective analysis to assess the effectiveness of anastomosing the GJ on a calibration tube in reducing GJ stenosis after omega loop surgery.

Demographic Analysis of Residents’ Support for Tourism Development in the UAE: A Bayesian Structural Equation Modeling Multigroup Approach

This study examines how the demographic profiles of residents (gender, level of education, nationality, length of residency, and age) moderate the relationship between residents’ perceptions of the impact of tourism and their support for tourism development. The aim of the study was to gain knowledge on the understudied emerging countries, the underexplored geographical area of Middle East and North Africa, and most specifically on the UAE which is the most competitive destination among them. This study is the first to use the novel Bayesian SEM multigroup approach to overcome the major issue of the non-normal distributions of data. The data are derived from 631 residents of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The results indicate that residents’ perceptions influence residents’ support for tourism development. Additionally, the multigroup analysis reveals that gender, education, and nationality influence the perceptions of residents while length of residency and age do not have a significant effect.