Middle East Research Articles

Regional perspectives on patient safety policies and initiatives: a focus group study with patient safety leaders in the Middle East and Asian regions

Preventing and reducing risks and harm to patients is of critical importance as unsafe care is a leading cause of death and disability globally. However, the lack of consolidated information...

OXA-48-like carbapenemases in Proteus mirabilis - novel genetic environments and a challenge for detection.

OXA-48-like enzymes represent the most frequently detected carbapenemases in Enterobacterales in Western Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. In contrast to other species, the presence of OXA-48-like in Proteus mirabilis leads to an unusually susceptible phenotype with low MICs for carbapenems and piperacillin-tazobactam, which is easily missed in the diagnostic laboratory. So far, there is little data available on the genetic environments of the corresponding genes, blaOXA-48-like, in P. mirabilis. In this study susceptibility phenotypes and genomic data of 13 OXA-48-like-producing P.mirabilis were investigated (OXA-48, n=9; OXA-181, n=3; OXA-162, n=1). Ten isolates were susceptible to meropenem and ertapenem and three isolates were susceptible to piperacillin-tazobactam. The gene blaOXA-48 was chromosomally located in 7/9 isolates. Thereof, in three isolates blaOXA-48 was inserted into a P.mirabilis genomic island. Of the three isolates harbouring blaOXA-181 one was located on an IncX3 plasmid and two were located on a novel MOBF plasmid, pOXA-P12, within the new transposon Tn7713. In 5/6 isolates with plasmidic location of blaOXA-48-like, the plasmids could conjugate to E. coli recipients in vitro. Vice versa, blaOXA-48-carrying plasmids could conjugate from other Enterobacterales into a P. mirabilis recipient. These data show a high diversity of blaOXA-48-like genetic environments compared to other Enterobacterales, where genetic environments are quite homogenous. Given the difficult-to-detect phenotype of OXA-48-like-producing P.mirabilis and the location of blaOXA-48-like on mobile genetic elements, it is likely that OXA-48-like-producing P. mirabilis can disseminate, escape most surveillance systems, and contribute to a hidden spread of OXA-48-like.

Bacterial dysbiosis in newly diagnosed treatment naïve pediatric ulcerative colitis in Saudi Arabia.

The role of microbiota in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC) has been increasingly recognized. However, most of the reports are from Western populations. In Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, little is known about the role of microbiota. Therefore, our aim was to describe the bacterial microbiota profile and signature in pediatric UC in Saudi Arabia. Twenty children with UC and 20 healthy controls enrolled in the study gave stool samples. Twenty rectal mucosal samples were taken from UC and 20 from non-UC controls. Inclusion criteria included newly diagnosed and untreated children and lack of antibiotic exposure for at least 6 months before stool collection was required for children with UC and controls. Bacterial deoxyribonucleic acid was extracted and sequenced using shotgun metagenomic analysis. Statistical analysis included Shannon alpha diversity metrics, Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, DESeq2, and biomarker discovery. The demographic characteristics were similar in children with UC and controls. There was a significant reduction in alpha diversity (P = 0.037) and beta diversity in samples from children with UC (P = 0.001). Many taxa were identified with log2 abundance analysis, revealing 110 and 102 species significantly depleted and enriched in UC, respectively. Eleven bacterial species' signatures were identified. In Saudi Arabian children with UC, we demonstrate a dysbiosis similar to reports from Western populations, possibly related to changes of lifestyle. Microbial signature discovery in this report is an important contribution to research, leading to the development of adjunctive non-invasive diagnostic options in unusual cases of UC.

Digital economy and urban innovation level: A quasi-natural experiment from the strategy of “Digital China”

The digital economy is an essential engine of the innovation-driven development strategy and plays a valuable role in promoting the high-quality development of the regional economy. Based on the panel data of 286 cities in mainland China with the help of the digital economy strategic plans issued by local governments as a quasi-natural experiment, we use the multi-temporal double-difference (DID) method to examine the impact of the digital economy on the urban innovation level. Findings show that the digital economy can significantly improve the urban innovation level. After a series of robustness tests, such as parallel trend test, updating sample and period, and repeated placebo test, the innovation-driving effect generated by the development of the digital economy remains significant. Results of the mechanism analysis indicate that the digital economy enhances the level of innovation through upgrading industrial structures. In addition, we find through the heterogeneity test that the digital economy has a stronger effect on improving the quality of innovation. Meanwhile, the innovation output in the Middle Eastern region is more significantly affected by the “Digital China” strategy than the Western region. Therefore, we should accelerate the implementation of the local digital economy development strategy to realize the high-quality development of the regional economy.

Tea Trade Scenario in the Pre and Post Liberalization Period in India

Indian tea, which has maintained its supremacy both in production and export for more than a century, has started to lose its pre-eminence. Other tea producing countries like China,  Kenya, Sri Lanka and Kenya are strongly competing for Market share. The increase in production in China has pushed India to second position in production and the country lost its domination of the export market to Kenya, China and Sri Lanka. Given this backdrop, the present study attempts to analyse the export growth, instability in export earnings, export quantity and unit value and concentration of export destinations evaluate India’s tea export performance. The growth of export quantity, value and unit value from India (1988-2022) was worked out using compound growth rate and the results indicated an increased growth in the post–WTO period which could be attributed to the expansion in trade to the Near East, with their growth and strength of the economies in the region (Hicks, 2009). Instability in export can affect the economic growth of the country as it has adverse effect on the countries export earnings, trade balance, and confidence of international trading partners. The export instability calculated using Coppock’s instability index showed an increasing trend in the post-WTO period. In 1990’s about 6 countries viz., U.S.S.R, U.K, Iran, Iraq, Egypt and Poland accounted for about 90 per cent of total tea exports from India. But over a period of time the demand in these countries weakened. The Indian exports continue to lose volume in countries like Russia Europe, USA and some middle east countries (Dutt, 2007). The share in Iraq, Netherland and Poland was maintained and it improved in UAE, Germany, Pakistan and china. Overall in the past 3 decades, India’s world ranking as an exporter has dropped to fourthowing to competition from China, Kenya and Sri Lanka. (Majumder et al., 2010). The reduction in values of the Hirschmann index indicated increased geographic diversification of tea exports thereby reducing the possibility of market risk due to dependence on few markets. The commodity diversification in the form of various tea products exported is very limited, the major share of exports being in the form of black tea especially in bulk form.    Received: 1 February 2024 / Accepted: 29 April 2024 / Published: 5 May 2024

The Archimedean Cuboctahedron: A Medieval Journey from the Middle East to Northern Russia

The Archimedean Cuboctahedron: A Medieval Journey from the Middle East to Northern Russia

Recent and projected changes in climate patterns in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region

Observational and reanalysis datasets reveal a northward shift of the convective regions over northern Africa in summer and an eastward shift in winter in the last four decades, with the changes in the location and intensity of the thermal lows and subtropical highs also modulating the dust loading and cloud cover over the Middle East and North Africa region. A multi-model ensemble from ten models of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project—sixth phase gives skillful simulations when compared to in-situ measurements and generally captures the trends in the ERA-5 data over the historical period. For the most extreme climate change scenario and towards the end of the twenty-first century, the subtropical highs are projected to migrate poleward by 1.5°, consistent with the projected expansion of the Hadley Cells, with a weakening of the tropical easterly jet in the summer by up to a third and a strengthening of the subtropical jet in winter typically by 10% except over the eastern Mediterranean where the storm track is projected to shift polewards. The length of the seasons is projected to remain about the same, suggesting the warming is likely to be felt uniformly throughout the year.

Real-World Clinical, Psychosocial, and Economic Burden of Atopic Dermatitis: Results From the ESSENTIAL AD Multicountry Study.

Limited real-world evidence exists about the burden of atopic dermatitis (AD) in patients receiving systemic or non-systemic therapies in clinical practices. ESSENTIAL AD was an observational study that aimed to fill this information gap. ESSENTIAL AD enrolled (September 2021-June 2022) adult patients with physician-confirmed AD that was routinely managed with systemic and non-systemic treatment in a real-world setting from 15 countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Primary outcome variables were Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI), SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD), and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) assessed during one office visit. A total of 799 enrolled patients fulfilled selection criteria and were included in the study. Patients mean (standard deviation [SD]) age was 36.3 (14.4) years, 457 (57.2%) were female, and the majority of patients were white (647 [81.0%]). Mean (SD) time since AD diagnosis was 17.6 (15.2) years (median 16.5; interquartile range [IQR] 3.3-26.8). The mean (SD) EASI, SCORAD, and DLQI total scores were 11.3 (11.3 [median 8.1; IQR 3.6-15.8]), 37.8 (17.9 [median 35.5; IQR 24.2-49.0]), and 10.6 (7.2 [median 10.0; IQR 5.0-15.0]), respectively. Patients receiving systemic treatment had significantly higher disease burden (mean [SD] EASI 13.3 [13.0]; median [IQR] 9.6 [3.9-17.9]) versus non-systemic treatment (mean [SD] 9.3 [8.7]; median [IQR] 6.8 [3.0-13.2]; P < 0.0001). Results were similar for SCORAD (39.9 [19.6] vs 35.6 [15.7]; median [IQR] 38.6 [24.7-53.1] vs 32.6 [23.9-44.6]; P = 0.0017), and DLQI total scores (11.4 [7.4] vs 9.9 [6.9]; median [IQR] 11.0 [5.0-16.0] vs 9.0 [5.0-14.0]; P = 0.0033, respectively). Patients with AD continue to have substantial disease burden despite treatment with systemic therapy, suggesting that a need for effective disease management remains, including effective therapies that improve psychological outcomes and reduce economic burden of AD, in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Measuring the evolution of Arab States’ perceptions of the Iranian threat: a quantitative text analysis of Arabic-language state media, 2010–20

ABSTRACT After the Arab Uprisings, inter-state relations in the Middle East became polarized between the two camps of the Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Iran and its allies, which strengthened the threat perception of Iran among Arab states. This study aims to empirically elucidate the changes in the perception of threats against Iran among Arab states through a quantitative text analysis of major state media in 10 Arab states. Through this analysis, we first substantiated that the Arab threat perception of Iran increased, especially in GCC members, after the Arab Uprisings. Second, there were significant differences in threat perception, even among the GCC states, according to their political stance towards key events in international relations. We also propose a new empirical method for studying securitization in critical security theory based on quantitative text analysis.

ISRAEL'S APPROACH TO LIMITATION OF FOREIGN INVESTMENTS ON THE EXAMPLE OF COOPERATION WITH CHINA, JAPAN AND INDIA

The article focuses on the specifics of the Israeli mechanism of foreign investments control that was created primarily under the influence of the political will of Israel's main global partner, the United States, but not on the basis of the country’s economic interests. The author considers the course of negotiations between the government of B. Netanyahu and the administration of D. Trump on the formation of an advisory committee for foreign investment approval, its goals, objectives and directions of work, as well as the differences from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The cases of China, Japan and India are consistently analyzed. The choice of these examples is motivated by both by the level of their business activity in Israel and the dynamics of contacts with the United States, which forces the White House to support or hinder their cooperation with its Middle Eastern partner. The author comes to conclusion that the Israeli government did not completely repeat the American experience of control over foreign investment, although it is moving towards tightening this practice. The study shows that that the main focus of the Israeli advisory committee since its creation in 2019 has been transactions with China, while relations with representatives of Japan and India have particularly no restrictions.

The infectious divide: a comparative study of the social impact of gated communities on the surrounding in the middle East

AbstractIn recent years, gated communities have increasingly become an attractive lifestyle residence worldwide and in the Middle fostering security, privacy, seclusion, and exclusivity. Nonetheless, it seems that with these benefits, other impacts had unfolded and exposed the urban fabric to new attributes such as segregation, fragmentation, and social exclusion. However, gaps exist in the literature on comparative studies on gated communities in regions such as GCC (Gulf Corporation Council) countries and the Middle East (Glasze &amp; Alkhayyal, 2002). This paper aims to examine the social impact of gated communities on the surrounding neighbourhoods through a comparative analysis of cases from the Middle East and GCC. The methodology was implemented to develop a qualitative framework of social segregation indicators to examine similarities and differences between the cases, aiming to identify patterns and gain insights to answer the article’s question of whether this phenomenon can be contagious in different settings. Findings reveal that gated communities can have negative and positive impacts on the social well-being of the surrounding neighbourhoods and may lead to social segregation and exclusion in different geographical settings despite their emergence motives. The paper concludes that isolation and lack of interaction between residents inside and outside the walls may have impacts on the social aspect of the surroundings.

Predictive factors and quality of life assessment among patients with spinal cord injury in the Middle East: a systematic review.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is impairment of the spinal cord that adversely affects patients' health and quality of life (QoL). The aim of the study was to assess the quality of life (QoL) and related factors in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury in Middle Eastern countries. PubMed, Ovid Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EBSCOhost, psycINFO, and Google Scholar were systematically searched for eligible studies published in peer-reviewed journals up till October 2023. Out of 1060 papers found in the literature, only 18 studies from Iran, Lebanon, and Turkey met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies employed the SF-36 scale to assess for QoL. In general, all SCI patients had reduced QoL scores when compared to the healthy population. Some of the factors such as age, education level, the level of injury, time since injury onset, marriage, and job opportunities were correlated with SCI subjects QoL. Our papers were assessed and found to be of both good and high quality. This review emphasizes the significant shortage of QoL studies among SCI patients in the Middle East countries and highlights the importance of improving the QoL of this marginalized population. This work should enhance the governments to establish rehabilitation centers, social and economic support systems, and mental health services to diminish complications arising from SCI.

STATE AND PROSPECTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ISLAMIC FINANCE INSTRUMENTS (SUKUK) IN RUSSIA AND ABROAD

The search for new sources of financing investment projects in modern Russia in the context of external sanctions and the implementation of geopolitical threats actualizes the problem of incorporating Islamic finance instruments into the structure of the financial market. The early twentieth century development experience of a number of foreign countries shows the steady growth of the assets of Islamic banks, investment funds and the volume of issuance of investment certificates (sukuk), which constitute the main segments of Islamic finance in the world. Islamic financial assets are widely represented in the Gulf countries, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and South Asia, and Africa. The implementation of the principles of Islamic finance in the Russian Federation is hampered by legal, cultural, historical and political factors. While there are certain Islamic financial products in Russia, there is no issue of sukuk at all. In this regard, the purpose of this paper is to study the principles of Islamic finance and the functioning mechanism of the market for the investment certificates (sukuk), possibilities and limitations of their implementation in the modern Russian economy. The author defines sukuk as an Islamic financial instrument used for securitization of assets, and identifies its differences from traditional bonds. Alternative approaches to solving the problem of compliance of sukuk with Sharia principles are analyzed. The prerequisites for realizing the potential of sukuk in modern Russia are determined and the obstacles to their issuance are formulated. It is concluded that the adoption of the Federal Law of 04.08.2023 N 417-FZ "On Conducting an Experiment to Establish Special Regulation in Order to Create the Necessary Conditions for Carrying out Partnership Financing Activities in Certain Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation and on Introducing Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation" and its implementation, taking into account its provisions of pilot projects in a number of Russian regions, will make it possible to intensify the process of incorporation of project financing instruments into the structure of the financial markets of modern Russia.

Enhancing employability through university-industry linkages: Omani engineering students’ perspectives of the Eidaad internship programme

Like many Middle East and North Africa countries, one of the main socio-economic challenges facing Oman is the creation of meaningful graduate employment opportunities. A combination of factors that include the gap between the expertise and skills acquired in higher education and workforce requirements means many students struggle to find suitable jobs upon graduation. Consequently, providing quality education and developing national talents are key objectives of the country’s Vision 2040 development roadmap. Higher levels of cooperation between tertiary institutions and industry within the framework of government policy are necessary to achieve these outcomes. This study explores undergraduate engineering student perceptions of one example of this collaboration – the Eidaad internship programme. To better understand interns’ perceptions of the programme’s personal and professional benefit across targeted areas and means for further improvement, a three-part on-line questionnaire was administered to current and former programme participants. Results indicate overwhelmingly positive perceptions of the programme, including in terms of enhancing interns’ teamwork skills, workplace participation, communication skills, clarity of career plans and objectives, and so on. Participant suggestions for improvement include the creation of concrete employment pathways and the provision of further on-the-job training opportunities. Implications for the Eidaad and similar internship programmes are discussed.

Water for Food in the Tigris–Euphrates River System

Water scarcity is an important threat to food security in the Tigris–Euphrates river system. Water scarcity is a huge worldwide problem that results from the rapid increase in water demand, which exceeds the amount of available water. The most significant problems currently affecting countries are food insecurity water scarcity. The Tigris–Euphrates river system countries suffer from different political issues, such as the Syrian war and internal civil conflicts in Iraq. In addition, this area consists of only three countries: Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, but it affects the entire Middle East. Turkey has established many irrigation projects compared to Iraq, which still suffers from the previous American invasion. Therefore, this study examines the Tigris–Euphrates river system (using two countries) to examine the relationship between water scarcity and food security from 1992 to 2020. This study will be conducted using a fixed and random regression approach over 18 years. The results show a negative relationship between water scarcity and food security in the short run, at a 10% significance level, and a long-term positive relationship of 1%. Thus, the use of research and development and the encouragement of investments will help policymakers to develop a nexus between water scarcity and food security.

Predictive modelling of transport decisions and resources optimisation in pre-hospital setting using machine learning techniques.

The global evolution of pre-hospital care systems faces dynamic challenges, particularly in multinational settings. Machine learning (ML) techniques enable the exploration of deeply embedded data patterns for improved patient care and resource optimisation. This study's objective was to accurately predict cases that necessitated transportation versus those that did not, using ML techniques, thereby facilitating efficient resource allocation. ML algorithms were utilised to predict patient transport decisions in a Middle Eastern national pre-hospital emergency medical care provider. A comprehensive dataset comprising 93,712 emergency calls from the 999-call centre was analysed using R programming language. Demographic and clinical variables were incorporated to enhance predictive accuracy. Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost) algorithms were trained and validated. All the trained algorithm models, particularly XGBoost (Accuracy = 83.1%), correctly predicted patients' transportation decisions. Further, they indicated statistically significant patterns that could be leveraged for targeted resource deployment. Moreover, the specificity rates were high; 97.96% in RF and 95.39% in XGBoost, minimising the incidence of incorrectly identified "Transported" cases (False Positive). The study identified the transformative potential of ML algorithms in enhancing the quality of pre-hospital care in Qatar. The high predictive accuracy of the employed models suggested actionable avenues for day and time-specific resource planning and patient triaging, thereby having potential to contribute to pre-hospital quality, safety, and value improvement. These findings pave the way for more nuanced, data-driven quality improvement interventions with significant implications for future operational strategies.

Analysis of the Development of Zakat Accounting Research: A Bibliometric Approach

This study addresses the scarcity of bibliometric research in zakat accounting literature by qualitatively analyzing 321 articles from the Dimension AI database spanning 1994 to 2023. The study has found the Journal of Islamic Economics and Theory as a journal that is very relevant and has a significant impact, besides the Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research and the Journal of Islamic and Middle Eastern Finance and Management. The study also found several well-known writers, including Ahmad Kudhori and Hedi Pandowo, as well as influential figures such as Abu Bakar. Key themes encompass Financial Statements, PSAK, and Analysis, with 2023 trends focusing on information, accountability, quality research, and impact in zakat accounting. The study foresees ongoing significance of accountability and accounting information in 2023. Employing bibliometric analysis, the research facilitates the identification of zakat accounting issues, enhancing economic efficiency, and guiding researchers in prioritizing topics based on prevailing trends. This comprehensive overview contributes significantly to the evolving landscape of zakat accounting literature.

Association of Recalled Childhood Sex-Typed Behavior with Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Iranian Adult Males and Females

ABSTRACT Same-sex sexual attraction in both males and females has been associated with childhood sex-atypical behavior. Gynephilic females recall behaving in a manner that is less female-typical and more male-typical compared to cisgender androphilic females, whereas androphilic males recall behaving in a manner that is less male-typical and more female-typical compared to cisgender gynephilic males. In addition, male and female ambiphilic individuals exhibit intermediate levels of childhood sex-atypicality. In this study, we examined recalled childhood sex-typed behavior among Iranian cisgender gynephilic males (n = 236), cisgender ambiphilic males (n = 51), cisgender androphilic males (n = 191), transgender androphilic males (n = 60), cisgender androphilic females (n = 243), cisgender ambiphilic females (n = 96), cisgender gynephilic females (n = 32), and transgender gynephilic females (n = 122). Both cisgender androphilic males and cisgender gynephilic females recalled elevated childhood sex-atypicality, scoring intermediate between cisgender gynephilic males and cisgender androphilic females. Male and female ambiphilic participants scored intermediate between their other- and same-sex attracted cisgender counterparts. Transgender androphilic males exhibited hyper-feminized childhood behavior, scoring even more female-typical than cisgender androphilic females. Transgender gynephilic females recalled behaving as male-typical as cisgender gynephilic males. Consistent with previous research, our findings from Iran – a non-Western, Middle Eastern culture – provide cross-cultural support for the universality of childhood sex-atypicality as a normative developmental precursor of monosexual or ambisexual same-sex attraction in both males and females who are cisgender and transgender.

Abstract PO4-17-09: Epidemiological Analysis and Overall Survival of Male Breast Cancer in a Developing Middle Eastern Country Over 18 Years

Abstract Background: despite the profound rarity of breast cancer in males, it remains of importance given the associated morbidity and mortality, including the association with worse prognosis than female patients. Nonetheless, male breast cancer epidemiology remains poorly studied in middle eastern populations. Methodology: This retrospective cohort study examined male patients aged 15 to 85 years who were diagnosed with breast cancer between 2000 and 2018, using data from the Jordan Cancer Registry. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to assess the 5-year overall survival of the patients over time. Results: A total of 22,600 patients were diagnosed with breast cancer since 2000 in Jordan, of which 362 (1.6%) patients were males. 39.8% of male breast cancer cases occurred in the right breast, while the left breast was affected in 43.4% of the cases, and 3.3% of the cases were bilateral. Meanwhile, laterality was not mentioned in 13.5% of registry records. All male breast cancer cases were malignant in origin with the breast being the primary cancer. Most male patients had grade II (N=112, 30.9%) followed by grade III breast cancer (N=88, 24.3%). Among the male breast cancer cohort, 224 (62.2%) were treated with surgical intervention, 103 (28.8%) patients were given chemotherapy, 84 (23.4%) patients had radiotherapy and 24 (6.70%) patients had hormonal therapy. 27 patients died during the follow up period. The 5-year overall survival rate for the patients was 92.5% (95% CI, 89.9% to 95.3%). Conclusion: Breast cancer in middle eastern males tends to more commonly present in the left breast, and at a more advanced stage in comparison to females. Citation Format: Zaid Abdulelah, Ahmed Abdulelah, Abdulrahman Alhajahjeh, Ahmad Ghazzawi, Layla El-Amayreh, Hikmat Abdel-Razeq. Epidemiological Analysis and Overall Survival of Male Breast Cancer in a Developing Middle Eastern Country Over 18 Years [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO4-17-09.

Capturing CO2 through high surface area activated carbon derived from seed shells of Balanites aegyptiaca.

Activated carbon is an attractive adsorbent for capturing various environmental pollutants, including CO2. Herein, an optimal synthesis and impressive performance of activated carbon made from Balanites aegyptiaca (Desert date) seed shells is reported, which is an abundant agricultural waste in the Middle East and Africa. The synthesis route involved pretreating the biomass with KOH and heating it under a suitable temperature profile. An optimal KOH-to-biomass ratio and multi-stage carbonization yielded activated carbon with a surface area above 3000 m2/g and an average pore size of nearly 4.1 nm. At 0 °C, this activated carbon exhibited CO2uptake of 11.3 mmol·g-1that surpassed the uptake capacity of previously reported activated carbons. The selectivity towards CO2 was also found to be significantly higher compared to other gases. Thus, the present approach demonstrates an efficient conversion of agricultural waste to activated carbon for capturing CO2 and other environmental contaminants.