Middle East Research Articles

Behind the designs: An exploration of sustainability attitudes among interior design students in Jordan

This research is an attempt to understand where interior design students in Jordan and the Middle East Region stand in the sustainable thinking process through education and practice and if their education on sustainability and environmental issues is enough or if it needs more development in terms of interior design programs curriculums to be more effective sustainable interior designers. The survey instrument was used to assess the attitudes of interior design students toward ecological responsibility and environmental sustainability; a modified New Ecological Paradigm Scale (NEP) was used in this research. Students enrolled in interior design programs at a Northern Jordanian university were surveyed. The sample comprised 160 interior design students from different levels of an interior design program at a public university in Jordan. In the study’s sample, the students showed more interest in the negative effect of human usage of many of the planet's resources and how this will impact the planet's ecological system. This attitude provides insight into the students’ minds regarding where they have those ideas. As design students, this can motivate them to take a proactive stand toward sustainability, which may be done through their projects in the future. However, many participants did not understand sustainable practices and strategies. This can be due to the lack of sustainability training at the university level.Based on the NEP score distribution in each section, it can be concluded that students support the concept of sustainability and reject the destruction happening to the planet. This data shows an increased awareness of environmental and ecological problems, which can positively push design students and future designers to adapt sustainable design strategies to their projects.

Scoping review of healthcare professionals’ views on intimate partner violence in the Middle East and North Africa

ObjectivesThis scoping review aims to survey healthcare providers (HCPs) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) about their knowledge, attitudes and barriers to working with women who have experienced...

Hegemony Of The United States And Wars In The Middle East

Hegemony Of The United States And Wars In The Middle East

Expensive but Worth It: Live Projects in Statistics, Data Science, and Analytics Courses

Students in statistics, data science, analytics, and related fields study the theory and methodology of data-related topics. Some, but not all, are exposed to experiential learning courses that cover essential parts of the life cycle of practical problem-solving. Experiential learning enables students to convert real-world issues into solvable technical questions and effectively communicate their findings to clients. We describe several experiential learning course designs in statistics, data science, and analytics curricula. We present findings from interviews with faculty from the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East and surveys of former students. We observe that courses featuring live projects and coaching by experienced faculty have a high career impact, as reported by former participants. However, such courses are labor-intensive for both instructors and students. We give estimates of the required effort to deliver courses with live projects and the perceived benefits and tradeoffs of such courses. Overall, we conclude that courses offering live-project experiences, despite being more time-consuming than traditional courses, offer significant benefits for students regarding career impact and skill development, making them worthwhile investments. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.

Effect of Apis mellifera syriaca Bee Venom on Glioblastoma Cancer: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly aggressive and fatal primary brain tumor. The resistance of GBM to conventional treatments is attributed to factors such as the blood-brain barrier, tumor heterogeneity, and treatment-resistant stem cells. Current therapeutic efforts show limited survival benefits, emphasizing the urgent need for novel treatments. In this context, natural anti-cancer extracts and especially animal venoms have garnered attention for their potential therapeutic benefits. Bee venom in general and that of the Middle Eastern bee, Apis mellifera syriaca in particular, has been shown to have cytotoxic effects on various cancer cell types, but not glioblastoma. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the potential of A. mellifera syriaca venom as a selective anti-cancer agent for glioblastoma through in vitro and in vivo studies. Our results revealed a strong cytotoxic effect of A. mellifera syriaca venom on U87 glioblastoma cells, with an IC50 of 14.32 µg/mL using the MTT test and an IC50 of 7.49 µg/mL using the LDH test. Cells treated with the bee venom became permeable to propidium iodide without showing any signs of early apoptosis, suggesting compromised membrane integrity but not early apoptosis. In these cells, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) underwent proteolytic cleavage similar to that seen in necrosis. Subsequent in vivo investigations demonstrated a significant reduction in the number of U87 cells in mice following bee venom injection, accompanied by a significant increase in cells expressing caspase-3, suggesting the occurrence of cellular apoptosis. These findings highlight the potential of A. mellifera syriaca venom as a therapeutically useful tool in the search for new drug candidates against glioblastoma and give insights into the molecular mechanism through which the venom acts on cancer cells.

Sino-Russian energy cooperation in the post-Cold War (2000-2021)

This article aims to analyze Sino-Russian energy cooperation. Energy cooperation is the cornerstone in the relations between Russia and China. The Russian interest in this cooperation is to assure demand for the country’s energy exports, to acquire investment capital, and to benefit from Chinese labour. On the Chinese side, the aim has been to obtain access to Russian natural resources and to invest surplus capital. Despite the overlap in supply and demand, as well as the geographical proximity, the Russian energy market is directed towards Europe, while Chinese energy demand primarily is covered by the Middle East and Central Asia. The need for energy diversification has changed this situation and spurred Sino-Russian cooperation. The article is structured in three parts: it first presents Sino-Russian energy trade, secondly, it treats the agreements signed between both countries, and finally, it analyses energy cooperation. We concluded that this cooperation tends to endure due to the energy-related ties formed as part of the long-term agreements and construction of infrastructure. Also, that this cooperation is of a strategic nature for both countries, as it offers an alternative to other energy relations and provides the necessary room of maneuver to defend central political and security-related interests.

From narratives to history: new perspectives on mass emigration of Jews from Islamic countries in the early 1950s

ABSTRACT Contested narratives of the mass Jewish immigration from Arab countries to the young state of Israel emphasize Israel’s central role in this episode, positively and negatively. However, new studies reveal that Israel was only one actor in the Jewish exodus, with other key roles filled by Arab states, the British Empire in the Middle East, the French Empire in North Africa, the United States, and international Jewish organizations, particularly the Jewish-American Joint Distribution Committee. This complexity is particularly evident in the case of three countries from which nearly the entire Jewish population emigrated to Israel during its early statehood: Yemen, Iraq, and Libya. This article proposes a comprehensive synthesis of research perspectives on the phenomenon of Jewish migration, with a focus on the cases of Libya, Yemen, and Iraq. I address what is common and what is unique to the migrations of these three communities, examine the entities involved in organizing their departure and those involved in their transit, and, drawing on this unique story, I propose a new historiographic interpretation of the phenomenon as a whole.

Opening the Closet

The Essay provides space for scholars to present peer-reviewed research in a manner that uses data studies and critical reflection as occasions for advancing currents in the broader academic study of religion. We are pleased to bring you two such pieces in this issue. Maroun El Houkayem looks at the Smith Sisters’ work in cataloging Syriac manuscripts and looking at the West’s view of the Middle East. El Houkayem brings to light the ways in which archives, and those who control and create them, redirect anyone looking for them, to not see the ways in which these works are preserved and why they are preserved, but only that they are saved.

Aptamer and aptasensor technology for diagnosis of infectious diseases: A mini review

BackgroundAptamers are not so new a concept, however, it is scarcely discussed by medical fraternity. Aptamers are potent, new identification molecules set to rope in a new technique in the diagnostic arena. Aptamers have started almost a revolution in diagnostic assays since their discovery in the 90s. (Radu S. Current and previous disease outbreaks around the world, U.S. News & World Report. 2020 Mar 13 [cited 2024 Jun 17]. Available from: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/slideshows/20-pandemic-and-epidemic-diseases-according-to-who) provides an overview of pandemics and epidemics as reported by the WHO. It is interesting to note that several endemic and epidemic diseases viz. Chikungunya, Cholera, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Ebola virus disease, Hendra virus infection, Influenza, Lassa fever, Marburg virus disease, Meningitis, MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus), Monkeypox, Nipah virus infection, Novel coronavirus, Plague, Rift Valley fever, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), Smallpox, Tularaemia, Yellow fever, and Zika virus disease have been identified by the WHO and are being explored for applicability of aptamer technology in their identification. ObjectivesOne of the most important necessities to control epidemic or pandemic diseases is early diagnosis. However, the majority of the diagnostic tests for these diseases are available only in tertiary care centres. The objective of this review is to discuss the potential of aptamer technology to provide undemanding, simple, specific, sensitive, and cost-effective diagnostic assays that are useable in remote and field conditions. ContentHere, we discuss recent advances and approaches in aptamer and aptamer engineering useful in the diagnosis of infectious and non-infectious conditions. This review also discusses a few sensing discoveries which are a gift of advanced engineering and technology using optical and electrochemical aptasensors. It's still a long way to go, and we need to take into account the technological challenges being faced by aptamer-aptasensor technology.

The Middle East governance Failure and the Prospect of Democratic Confederalism

Examining the notion of the state and governance in the Middle East leads to the argument that a prolonged dilemma has become embedded in the region’s political culture. Commentators suggest that these states could be considered failed states. Nevertheless, over the past century, there have been several attempts to resolve the crises and propose alternatives to the projects of states and governance in the Middle East. This paper aims to examine three key points. Firstly, it critically analyses the crises in the Middle East, the root causes, and the repercussions of the chaos in the present and future. To achieve this, the paper delves into the past and explores the causes of events to understand the complete picture of the chaos. Secondly, it suggests and contemplates alternatives for the crises by reviewing proposed alternatives implemented in the last century and the resulting changes observed. Thirdly, the paper examines a suggested project a not yet implemented alternative to the dilemma in the Middle East. The paper attempts to scrutinise a newly suggested approach that has been theoretically understudied and less discussed. The discussion about this model has hardly seen the light of mainstream academia, media, and think tank centres. Democratic Confederalism is a project suggested as a solution to the dilemma in the Middle East. It is a societal grassroots approach proposed as a realistic alternative to the model of the Nation State that has been the primary governance model in the region for the entire last century.

Islamic reform with or without Ulama? A comparative study between al-Kawakibi and Naini

ABSTRACT Through historical analysis and literature review, the current article compares the works of two contemporaneous leading Muslim advocates of reform: Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi and Ayatollah Muhammad Husain Naini. The comparison is confined to the primary political treatises of the authors, namely Tabaiʿ al-ʾIstibdad wa-Masariʿ al-ʾIstiʿbad and Tanbih al-Ummah va Tanzih al-Milla. The article delves into the multifaced factors that shaped both the style and content of the two works. Al-Kawakibi and Naini hailed from different Middle Eastern countries, belonged to distinct Islamic schools and occupied varying social strata. These differences have influenced the ways in which they conceptualized the relationship between Islam and political reform. Furthermore, despite their shared diagnosis of tyranny as a malady afflicting Islamic societies, the two authors have prescribed divergent remedies. Consequently, these two works represent the culmination of two discrete approaches to reform, rendering them not merely distinct, but in certain aspects, diametrically opposed.

A systematic review of the multifaceted impact of child marriage on victims

ABSTRACT Child marriage, deeply rooted in ancient customs, persists in Asia, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan regions. Despite its prevalence, a systematic review addressing this practice’s multifaceted nature is lacking. This research aims to fill that gap, with a focus on its causes, consequences and legal challenges that are faced by victims, and suggests intervention measures to curb it. Following PRISMA guidelines, 43 English-language sources, including all the scientific empirical research articles were analysed. The review underscores the need for a more comprehensive approach, as existing studies primarily concentrate on causes and consequences, and neglect legal challenges to the victims. This paper provides valuable insights into child marriage by offering a holistic perspective of the issue.

Urban Heat Islands, Heatwaves and Implications for Human Wellbeing: A Comparative Analysis across Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

Urban Heat Islands, Heatwaves and Implications for Human Wellbeing: A Comparative Analysis across Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

Opportunities of hydrogen and ammonia trade between Europe and MENA

This paper examines the potential role of hydrogen and ammonia in the European energy transition to reach net-zero greenhouse gas targets. We analyse trade of green hydrogen and ammonia between Europe and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), since the latter possesses a high potential for solar power, making it a possible low-cost supplier of these two clean energy carriers. The economic attractiveness of such trade depends on the additional infrastructure and transportation costs required for the roll-out of these clean energy carriers. Using a global integrated assessment model, TIAM-ECN, we evaluate the trade-off between costs and benefits of establishing import-export links between Europe and MENA for hydrogen and ammonia. Our study assumes the availability of hydrogen pipelines from North Africa to Europe, and of liquefied hydrogen and ammonia shipping from the Middle East to Europe. We find that MENA could realize cost savings of over 6% by 2050 through hydrogen and ammonia trade. Furthermore, despite the availability of gaseous green hydrogen from North Africa (via pipelines), for Europe the import of liquefied green hydrogen and ammonia from MENA (through shipping) can also be economically viable. Although this trade could generate cost savings of 40 billion dollars per year by 2050, we conclude that for Europe import diversity, rather than cost savings, could become the main factor driving hydrogen and ammonia imports.

Structural policies, FDI and economic stability effects on employment elasticities: case of emerging economies

The focus of this paper is centred on distinguishing between labour and product market policy ( Lmp and Pmp ) indicator’s role to empirically examine if foreign direct investment (FDI) and economic stability (GDPG volatility) effect the employment’s sensitivity to output fluctuations in 44 countries from Africa and Middle East Area over the period of 2000–2017. To address this objective, in the first step we provide by OLS the cross-sectional employment elasticities. Then, unlike previous studies, which are based only on linear specifications, this paper propose different nonlinear specifications to assess the floating marginal effect of the structural indicators. In a third step, each augmented nonlinear model is used to deduce the role of macroeconomic indicators. Based on U- or N-shaped floating marginal effect of only a single structural labour or product market policy ( Lmp or Pmp ), the Lmp indicator is found to have the important increasing impact on employment elasticities which depends on the initial policy condition. Based on augmented cubic model, to maximise employment responsiveness, structural policies have to be complemented by macroeconomic stability policies. Furthermore, the estimations confirm that FDI triggers aggregate employment elasticities and then employment follows the FDI promotions.

Petroglyphs as a paleobiogeographic guide for Arabian ostrich ecology and reintroduction

The Arabian ostrich (Struthio camelus syriacus) was an integral element in the wildlife of the Middle East until its extinction in the mid-20th century. Here we discuss the historic and archaeological record that provides baseline information on the past distribution of ostriches in the Negev Desert (Israel). Specifically, we focus on survey data of ancient petroglyph depictions of ostriches and examine their spatial distribution. Through the application of models of optimal habitat reconstruction using data on the houbara bustard as a proxy species for the ostrich, correlated with the spatial distribution of the ostrich petroglyphs and ecological data on the region, we identified the optimal areas that the Syrian ostrich could have inhabited in the past. Finally, we applied our model to examine reintroduction programs of a closely related ostrich subspecies, S. c. camelus, that have been carried out in the Negev to date.

A prospective epidemiological investigation of human leukocyte antigen-B*57:01 in HIV-1-infected Moroccan subjects

BackgroundThe occurrence of hypersensitivity reactions to abacavir, a significant adverse effect, affects approximately 5–8% of Caucasians. Multiple studies conducted in diverse populations have underscored the association between Human Leukocyte Antigen-B*57:01 and abacavir-hypersensitivity reactions. In late 2021, the Moroccan National AIDS Program issued new anti-retroviral therapy protocols for HIV management, including abacavir as an option for the first-line ART regimen. However, data regarding the HLA-B*57:01 prevalence of HIV in Morocco is scarce. This study aims to assess the prevalence of HLA-B*57:01 in both HIV-1-infected children and adults in Morocco. MethodsFrom April to December 2022, we screened 292 HIV-1 infected patients, 70 children and 222 adults, for the HLA-B*57:01 allele using sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes reverse hybridization method. The flow cytometry was used to assess the TCD4 lymphocyte count. The virological status was evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR. Sanger sequencing is under process to confirm the results obtained. ResultsOf 292 HIV-1-infected patients, 12 (4.1%) had the HLA-B*57:01 allele (95% CI, 2.1–7.1). 5 of 70 (7.2%) and 7 of 222 (3.2%) of children and adults were respectively, HLA-B*57:01 positive. There was no statistical association between clinical characteristics (TCD4 cell count and VL) and HLA-B*57:01 allele carriage. ConclusionThe prevalence of HLA-B*57:01 in Moroccan patients was 4.1%, comparable with that of other Middle Eastern populations, higher than that in South African populations but lower than that in Caucasians and Southwest Asians. Our findings indicate an urgent need for HLA-B*57:01 screening before abacavir to reduce the risk of hypersensitivity reactions.

Development of two competitive ELISAs based on monoclonal antibodies for the serological detection of Bovine ephemeral fever virus

Bovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV) is a member of the genus Ephemerovirus in the family Rhabdoviridae. It is an arthropod-borne virus transmitted by many species of midges and mosquitoes. It can cause severe economic consequences due to losses in milk production and the general condition of cattle and water buffalo. BEF occurs in some tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of Africa, Australia, the Middle East and Asia with seasonal outbreaks, but its possible spread to other areas (e.g. Europe) cannot be excluded. Therefore, using and developing rapid diagnostic methods with optimal performance is essential for identifying emerging pathogens and their control. In the present study, we developed two competitive serological ELISAs based on monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), designed by using BEFV inactivated antigen and the BEF recombinant nucleoprotein (N), respectively. A panel of 77 BEF-positive and 338 BEF-negative sera was used to evaluate the two tests. With a diagnostic sensitivity of 97.4 % using the inactivated virus and 98.7 % using the recombinant N, and a diagnostic specificity of 100 % using both antigens, our results suggest that these tests are suitable for the serological diagnosis of BEF.

Technical and financial interactions between Iran groundwater institutions: A stakeholder analysis approach

The over-exploitation of groundwater resources (GWR) by the agricultural sector in Lorestan province in the west of Iran has been blamed for the severe depletion of groundwater and irreparable damages to them in this province. This problem partially originates from poor institutional interactions between groundwater institutions especially, their technical and financial interactive links. In this regard, a prerequisite is to study the interactions of the institutions, identify stakeholder institutions, categorize them, and then, study their interactive links. The process of identifying, categorizing, and studying the links of these institutions can be performed by the stakeholder analysis (SA) method. Therefore, based on this method the groundwater institutions related to agricultural sector of Lorestan province were identified, they were categorized according to the interest-power matrix, and their (technical and financial) interactive links were investigated by the social network analysis (SNA) method. Based on the results, 25 institutions were identified as groundwater institutions related to agricultural sector of Lorestan province. According to the interest- power matrix, the institutions located in the two upper categories, i.e, Key Players and Subjects, are the most important groundwater institutions related to agricultural sector of this province. The SNA shows that the institutions have, in general, poor technical and financial interactions and most technical and financial interaction links are the disposal of some limited institutions, which are mostly from the public sector. Policymaking experts have so far identified institutions related to groundwater resources management (GWRM) by relying on their limited information and subjective experience. In this regard, SA method is a comprehensive method to identify relevant institutions, categorize them, and study their interaction links. This study might have significant policy implications for groundwater management concerns in western Iran and the arid and semi-arid regions of the Middle East. The results of this study not only helps policy makers in decisions related to GWRM but also in the analysis and policy-making related to it.

A unified streamflow drought index for both perennial and intermittent rivers at global scale

The modelling of streamflow drought is usually performed with different approaches for perennial and intermitted rivers, as no-flow periods require a dedicated statistical treatment. Here, a unified drought index is proposed by extending the threshold method to all flow regimes. The method generalizes the approach commonly adopted for low-flow droughts by accounting for the probability of occurrence in a yearly reference period. Application on a global dataset for 1991-2020, derived from ERA5-forced LISFLOOD model simulations, demonstrates how consistent outcomes can be obtained in all major perennial and intermittent streams. A simplified version of the method is also discussed, detailing how a reliable drought detection can be obtained in many parts of the world (e.g. central Europe, the eastern US for low-flow, and northern Russia and the Middle East for no-flow) even when the frequency distribution of the spells in time is replaced by the simpler average number of events.