World review: Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2000-01-01

The article gives information on contracts announced (and to whom) and recently completed in some parts of the Middle East in the petroleum, natural gas and petrochemicals industries. Areas specifically mentioned are Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. The prospects for the petrochemical industry in particular are good and continued growth is expected. Gas is likely to make an increasingly important contribution to the prosperity of the Middle East and is expected to carry a higher priority than expansion of crude oil production

Soccer: Moulding the Middle East and North Africa

OpenAIRE

Dorsey, J.M.

2016-01-01

Nowhere in the world has sports in general and soccer in particular played such a key role in the development of a region than in the Middle East and North Africa. Yet, the nexus of sports, politics and society is one area that Middle East studies with few exceptions have ignored. Similarly, sports studies have focused on all parts of the world with one exception: the Middle East and North Africa. Nonetheless, sports and particularly soccer has been in various parts of the Middle East key to ...

Proceedings of the French Senate conference 'Going Nuclear in the Middle East - In search of an European Middle East policy'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larcher, G.; De Rohan, J.; Malley, R.; Francois-Poncet, J.; Boroumand, L.; Cordesman, A.H.; Alani, M.; Hourcade, B.; Cerisier-ben Guiga, M.; Shihabi, M.; Singh, M.; Siegman, H.; Aubin De La Messuziere, Y.; Boillon, B.; Yasseen, F.; Barzani, M.; Chouet, A.; Filiu, J.P.; Heisbourg, F.; Giuliani, J.D.; Asseburg, M.; Spencer, C.; Solana Madagaria, J.

2010-01-01

The Middle East today is quite clearly one of the global hotspots of the world. It is also a big challenge for the international community. The interests are due to geography, history, economics and also to the fact that what takes place in the Middle East is important for the security of rest of the world. These two days of conference organised by the French Senate took stock of the Middle East question through 6 round tables dealing with: 1 - General overview Nuclear Islam in the Middle East; 2 - How likely is a successful dialogue with Iran? 3 - What Future for the Palestinian People? 4 - 2010, A Renaissance for Iraq? 5 - The Latest on Al Qaeda? 6 - In search of a European Union Policy for the Middle East. This document gathers the talks of the different experts and the questions and answers from the participants. (J.S.)

Regional Effects of the Mount Pinatubo Eruption on the Middle East and the Red Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Osipov, Sergey; Stenchikov, Georgiy

2017-11-01

The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo had dramatic effects on the regional climate in the Middle East. Though acknowledged, these effects have not been thoroughly studied. To fill this gap and to advance understanding of the mechanisms that control variability in the Middle East's regional climate, we simulated the impact of the 1991 Pinatubo eruption using a regional coupled ocean-atmosphere modeling system set for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) domain. We used the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport (COAWST) framework, which couples the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) model with the Regional Oceanic Modeling System (ROMS). We modified the WRF model to account for the radiative effect of volcanic aerosols. Our coupled ocean-atmosphere simulations verified by available observations revealed strong perturbations in the energy balance of the Red Sea, which drove thermal and circulation responses. Our modeling approach allowed us to separate changes in the atmospheric circulation caused by the impact of the volcano from direct regional radiative cooling from volcanic aerosols. The atmospheric circulation effect was significantly stronger than the direct volcanic aerosols effect. We found that the Red Sea response to the Pinatubo eruption was stronger and qualitatively different from that of the global ocean system. Our results suggest that major volcanic eruptions significantly affect the climate in the Middle East and the Red Sea and should be carefully taken into account in assessments of long-term climate variability and warming trends in MENA and the Red Sea.

Financial resources for development. Capital markets in developing countries: a study on borrowing by developing countries in the emerging capital markets of the Middle East

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nashashibi, H S

1980-10-01

Private transfers of capital from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to developing countries are intended to complement private transfers from the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) by tapping the emerging capital markets in the Middle East. Developing countries will be able to diversify their borrowing and gain additional financing. The long-term investment of oil-producing countries will benefit and the pressures on the banking institutions to recycle funds will lessen. Middle East capital markets include international loans and international bonds. The history of the Kuwaiti dinar (KD) bond market, with its advantages for both investors and borrowers, illustrates the successful development of a capital market. Financial intermediation needs to be improved, however, if the Middle East is to become efficient enough to compete with the Euromarkets. Efficiency will require different measures and should reflect strengthening relationships among Middle East nations. (DCK)

Diabetes research in Middle East countries; a scientometrics study from 1990 to 2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niloofar Peykari

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Diabetes burden is a serious warning for urgent action plan across the world. Knowledge production in this context could provide evidences for more efficient interventions. Aimed to that, we quantify the trend of diabetes research outputs of Middle East countries focusing on the scientific publication numbers, citations, and international collaboration. Materials and Methods: This scientometrics study was performed based on the systematic analysis through three international databases; ISI, PubMed, and Scopus from 1990 to 2012. International collaboration of Middle East countries and citations was analyzed based on Scopus. Diabetes′ publications in Iran specifically were assessed, and frequent used terms were mapped by VOSviewer software. Results: Over 23-year period, the number of diabetes publications and related citations in Middle East countries had increasing trend. The number of articles on diabetes in ISI, PubMed, and Scopus were respectively; 13,994, 11,336, and 20,707. Turkey, Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt have devoted the five top competition positions. In addition, Israel, Turkey, and Iran were leading countries in citation analysis. The most collaborative country with Middle East countries was USA and within the region, the most collaborative country was Saudi Arabia. Iran in all databases stands on third position and produced 12.7% of diabetes publications within region. Regarding diabetes researches, the frequent used terms in Iranian articles were "effect," "woman," and "metabolic syndrome." Conclusion: Ascending trend of diabetes research outputs in Middle East countries is appreciated but encouraging to strategic planning for maintaining this trend, and more collaboration between researchers is needed to regional health promotion.

Drosophila Neprilysins Are Involved in Middle-Term and Long-Term Memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Turrel, Oriane; Lampin-Saint-Amaux, Aurélie; Préat, Thomas; Goguel, Valérie

2016-09-14

Neprilysins are type II metalloproteinases known to degrade and inactivate a number of small peptides. Neprilysins in particular are the major amyloid-β peptide-degrading enzymes. In mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, neprilysin overexpression improves learning and memory deficits, whereas neprilysin deficiency aggravates the behavioral phenotypes. However, whether these enzymes are involved in memory in nonpathological conditions is an open question. Drosophila melanogaster is a well suited model system with which to address this issue. Several memory phases have been characterized in this organism and the neuronal circuits involved are well described. The fly genome contains five neprilysin-encoding genes, four of which are expressed in the adult. Using conditional RNA interference, we show here that all four neprilysins are involved in middle-term and long-term memory. Strikingly, all four are required in a single pair of neurons, the dorsal paired medial (DPM) neurons that broadly innervate the mushroom bodies (MBs), the center of olfactory memory. Neprilysins are also required in the MB, reflecting the functional relationship between the DPM neurons and the MB, a circuit believed to stabilize memories. Together, our data establish a role for neprilysins in two specific memory phases and further show that DPM neurons play a critical role in the proper targeting of neuropeptides involved in these processes. Neprilysins are endopeptidases known to degrade a number of small peptides. Neprilysin research has essentially focused on their role in Alzheimer's disease and heart failure. Here, we use Drosophila melanogaster to study whether neprilysins are involved in memory. Drosophila can form several types of olfactory memory and the neuronal structures involved are well described. Four neprilysin genes are expressed in adult Drosophila Using conditional RNA interference, we show that all four are specifically involved in middle-term memory (MTM) and long-term

A panel cointegration analysis of the demand for oil in the Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narayan, Paresh Kumar; Smyth, Russell

2007-01-01

This article applies recently developed panel unit root and panel cointegration techniques to estimate the long-run income and price elasticities for oil in the Middle East. The results for the panel indicate that demand for oil is highly price inelastic and slightly income elastic in the Middle East. There is considerable variation in the results for the income variable across countries, with the coefficient on the income variable statistically insignificant for several countries. The coefficient on the price variable is statistically significant in all cases with the expected sign and the price elasticity is uniformly low. While the results for the income variable differ across countries, the results for the panel as a whole suggest that the demand for oil in the Middle East is being driven largely by strong economic growth, while consumers are largely insensitive to price changes

Early childhood obesity: a survey of knowledge and practices of physicians from the Middle East and North Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Gies, Inge; AlSaleem, Bader; Olang, Beheshteh; Karima, Berkouk; Samy, Gamal; Husain, Khaled; Elhalik, Mahmoud; Miqdady, Mohamad; Rawashdeh, Mohamad; Salah, Mohamed; Mouane, Nezha; Rohani, Pejman; Singhal, Atul; Vandenplas, Yvan

2017-04-28

Childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health issues of the twenty-first century affecting even low- and middle-income countries. Overweight and obese children are more likely to stay obese into adulthood. Due to the paucity of data on local practices, our study aimed to assess the knowledge and practices of physicians from the Middle East and North Africa region with respect to early-onset obesity. A specific questionnaire investigating the perception and knowledge on early-onset obesity was circulated to healthcare providers (general physicians, pediatricians, pediatric gastroenterologist, neonatologists) practicing in 17 Middle East and North African countries. A total of 999/1051 completed forms (95% response) were evaluated. Of all respondents, 28.9% did not consistently use growth charts to monitor growth during every visit and only 25.2% and 46.6% of respondents were aware of the correct cut-off criterion for overweight and obesity, respectively. Of those surveyed, 22.3, 14.0, 36.1, 48.2, and 49.1% of respondents did not consider hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, fatty liver disease, and decreased life span, respectively, to be a long-term complication of early childhood obesity. Furthermore, only 0.7% of respondents correctly answered all survey questions pertaining to knowledge of early childhood overweight and obesity. The survey highlights the low use of growth charts in the evaluation of early childhood growth in Middle East and North Africa region, and demonstrated poor knowledge of healthcare providers on the short- and long-term complications of early-onset obesity. This suggests a need for both continued professional education and development, and implementation of guidelines for the prevention and management of early childhood overweight and obesity.

Long-term trends of sulfur deposition in East Asia during 1981-2005

Science.gov (United States)

Kuribayashi, Masatoshi; Ohara, Toshimasa; Morino, Yu; Uno, Itsushi; Kurokawa, Jun-ichi; Hara, Hiroshi

2012-11-01

We used a chemical transport model to investigate the long-term trends of sulfur deposition in East Asia during 1981-2005. The model reproduced the observed spatial distributions in East Asia of the rate of wet deposition of non-seasalt sulfate (nss-SO42-), volume-weighted mean concentrations of nss-SO42- in precipitation, precipitation, and concentrations in air of gaseous sulfur dioxide and particulate nss-SO42-. The model also reproduced well observed seasonal variations and long-term trends of wet deposition of nss-SO42- in Japan from 1988 to 2005. The increasing rate of wet deposition of nss-SO42- in Japan during 1991-2005 was demonstrated with 99.9% significance for both observed and modeled data. The annual rate of total (wet + dry) sulfur deposition in Japan increased from 15.6 Gmol S y-1 in 1981-1985 to 23.9 Gmol S y-1 in 2001-2005 in response to both increasing contributions from Chinese emissions and the eruption of Miyakejima volcano in 2000. During that 25-year period, approximately 2.1% of the sulfur from Chinese emissions was deposited in Japan. Over the same period, the rate of deposition of sulfur in East Asia increased gradually from 14.2 mmol S m-2 y-1 to 24.0 mmol S m-2 y-1, and the contribution of emissions from China to total sulfur deposition in East Asia increased from 65% to 77%. The contribution of Miyakejima volcano was 3% during 2001-2005. The increase in the sulfur deposition rate was remarkably high on the North China Plain, around Guangzhou, and south of Chongqing. The rate of increase in East Asia was greatest in winter, although the rate of sulfur deposition was highest in summer. Sulfur flux from China to Japan increased by a factor of 2.5 at altitudes of 0-3000 m from 1981 to 2005.

Drought is a recurring challenge in the Middle East.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaniewski, David; Van Campo, Elise; Weiss, Harvey

2012-03-06

Climate change and water availability in the Middle East are important in understanding human adaptive capacities in the face of long-term environmental changes. The key role of water availability for sedentary and nomad populations in these arid to semiarid landscapes is understood, but the millennium-scale influence of hydrologic instability on vegetation dynamics, human occupation, and historic land use are unknown, which has led to a stochastic view of population responses and adaptive capacities to precipitation anomalies. Within the time-frame of the last two global climate events, the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the Little Ice Age, we report hydrologic instability reconstructed from pollen-derived climate proxies recovered near Tell Leilan, at the Wadi Jarrah in the Khabur Plains of northeastern Syria, at the heart of ancient northern Mesopotamia. By coupling climate proxies with archaeological-historical data and a pollen-based record of agriculture, this integrative study suggests that variability in precipitation is a key factor on crop yields, productivity, and economic systems. It may also have been one of the main parameters controlling human settlement and population migrations at the century to millennial timescales in the arid to semiarid areas of the Middle East. An abrupt shift to drier conditions at ca. AD 1400 is contemporaneous with a change from sedentary village life to regional desertion and nomadization (sheep/camel pastoralists) during the preindustrial era in formerly Ottoman realms, and thereby adds climate change to the multiple causes for Ottoman Empire "decline."

Green chemistry education in the Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

Kolopajlo, Larry

2017-06-01

The Middle East once dominated the age of alchemy, and today it is experiencing a resurgence by transforming the age of petroleum chemicals into a greener science through Estidama. This green conversion is taking place through green chemical research and education. This report examines and reviews the understudied subject of green chemical education in the Middle East through the lens of context and history.

The Middle East: Its role in world oil. A survey of the issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radetski, M.

1992-01-01

The importance of the Middle East oil resource base is exceptional, in quantitative as well as economic terms. A review is presented of this resource base, and the economic and political factors associated with it. In 1990 oil from the Middle East accounted for 27% of world output, and accounts for 65% of proven world oil reserves. The viability of OPEC's role in controlling market prices is discussed, and it is proposed that high prices such as those in the early 1980s are unlikely to re-occur, and that control of capacity to keep prices above competitive levels but not high enough to induce large scale expansion outside the region is the rational course of action. Political instability in the Middle East and its destabilizing impact on oil supply is discussed. 12 refs., 2 tabs

Extremely low long-term erosion rates around the Gamburtsev Mountains in interior East Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, S. E.; Thomson, S. N.; Reiners, P. W.; Hemming, S. R.; van de Flierdt, T.

2010-11-01

The high elevation and rugged relief (>3 km) of the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains (GSM) have long been considered enigmatic. Orogenesis normally occurs near plate boundaries, not cratonic interiors, and large-scale tectonic activity last occurred in East Antarctica during the Pan-African (480-600 Ma). We sampled detrital apatite from Eocene sands in Prydz Bay at the terminus of the Lambert Graben, which drained a large pre-glacial basin including the northern Gamburtsev Mountains. Apatite fission-track and (U-Th)/He cooling ages constrain bedrock erosion rates throughout the catchment. We double-dated apatites to resolve individual cooling histories. Erosion was very slow, averaging 0.01-0.02 km/Myr for >250 Myr, supporting the preservation of high elevation in interior East Antarctica since at least the cessation of Permian rifting. Long-term topographic preservation lends credence to postulated high-elevation mountain ice caps in East Antarctica since at least the Cretaceous and to the idea that cold-based glaciation can preserve tectonically inactive topography.

Forced Migration in the Middle East: The Palestinian and Syrian Refugee Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meltem YNCE YENILMEZ

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Forced migration in the Middle East has a long history, going back to, at least, the early days of the 20th century. This paper looks at the experience of two populations, the Palestinian refugees, who experienced their initial displacement in the mid-20th century, and the current day growing population of Syrian refugees. This latter group constitutes the largest group of displaced people since the Second World War. This paper uses the experience of both of these groups to explore the impact that forced migration has had on the host countries and the region at large. It looks at the economic, cultural and political impact of forced migration and concludes that, in the long-term, forced migration, although extremely disruptive to all involved, has a net benefit on the host countries. It also explores lack of regional coping mechanisms, and proposes that the terms “crisis” and “guests” should be replaced when discussing forced migrations.

Soccer: Moulding the Middle East and North Africa

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dorsey, J.M.

2016-01-01

Nowhere in the world has sports in general and soccer in particular played such a key role in the development of a region than in the Middle East and North Africa. Yet, the nexus of sports, politics and society is one area that Middle East studies with few exceptions have ignored. Similarly, sports

Trade and energy consumption in the Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadorsky, Perry

2011-01-01

Over the past 30 years many economies have experienced large increases in economic trade, income and energy consumption. This brings up an interesting question. How do increases in trade affect energy consumption? This study uses panel cointegration data estimation techniques to examine the impact of trade on energy consumption in a sample of 8 Middle Eastern countries covering the period 1980 to 2007. Short-run dynamics show Granger causality from exports to energy consumption, and a bi-directional feedback relationship between imports and energy consumption. Long run elasticities estimated from FMOLS show that a 1% increase in per capita exports increases per capita energy consumption by 0.11% while a one percent increase in per capita imports increases per capita energy consumption by 0.04%. These results are important in establishing that increased trade affects energy demand in the Middle East in both the short and long-run. This has implications for energy policy and environmental policy. - Research Highlights: → Trade affects energy consumption in Middle Eastern economies. → Short-run causality runs from exports to energy consumption. → There is a short-run feedback relationship between energy consumption and imports. → In the long-run a 1% increase in per capita exports increases per capita energy consumption by 0.11%. → In the long-run a 1% increase in per capita imports increases per capita energy consumption by 0.04%.

Long-term correlated change between personality traits and perceived social support in middle adulthood

OpenAIRE

Allemand Mathias; Schaffhuser Kathrin; Martin Mike

2015-01-01

This study investigated long-term correlated change between personality traits and perceived social support in middle adulthood. Two measurement occasions with an 8-year time interval from the Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study on Adult Development (ILSE) were used. The sample consisted of 346 middle-aged adults (46-50 years at T1). Four different types of perceived social support were assessed. Personality traits were assessed with the NEO-Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). Longitudinal meas...

The Middle East population puzzle.

Science.gov (United States)

Omran, A R; Roudi, F

1993-07-01

An overview is provided of Middle Eastern countries on the following topics; population change, epidemiological transition theory and 4 patterns of transition in the middle East, transition in causes of death, infant mortality declines, war mortality, fertility, family planning, age and sex composition, ethnicity, educational status, urbanization, labor force, international labor migration, refugees, Jewish immigration, families, marriage patterns, and future growth. The Middle East is geographically defined as Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Gaza and the West Bank, Iran, Turkey, and Israel. The Middle East's population grew very little until 1990 when the population was 43 million. Population was about doubled in the mid-1950s at 80 million. Rapid growth occurred after 1950 with declines in mortality due to widespread disease control and sanitation efforts. Countries are grouped in the following ways: persistent high fertility and declining mortality with low to medium socioeconomic conditions (Jordan, Oman, Syria, Yemen, and the West Bank and Gaza), declining fertility and mortality in intermediate socioeconomic development (Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, and Iran), high fertility and declining mortality in high socioeconomic conditions (Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates), and low fertility and mortality in average socioeconomic conditions (Israel). As birth and death rates decline, there is an accompanying shift from communicable diseases to degenerative diseases and increases in life expectancy; this pattern is reflected in the available data from Egypt, Kuwait, and Israel. High infant and child mortality tends to remain a problem throughout the Middle East, with the exception of Israel and the Gulf States. War casualties are undetermined, yet have not impeded the fastest growing population growth rate in the world. The average fertility is 5 births

Investment, stability and the politics of Middle-East embargoes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollis, R.

1996-01-01

This paper reviews the political situation in the Middle East and considers the current level of energy investment in the region. The factors affecting the stability of countries in the Middle East are examined, and the politics of western embargoes is explored. (author)

Research on energy strategy and Chinese energy investment in the middle east

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yiling

2017-08-01

The Middle East is a key node of “One Belt and One Road strategy”. Energy investment is an important part of Chinese investment in the Middle East. The political turmoil in the Middle East has brought the political risks to Chinese investors. In the future, with the globalization of Chinese resource distribution and the expansion of Chinese outward investment, it is significant for China to ensure its energy security. Based on the analysis of the situation of Chinese energy strategy in the Middle East, this paper tries to put forward some suggestion about Chinese energy investment in the Middle East in order to protect Chinese energy security effectively.

Oil and natural gas prospects: Middle East and North Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khatib, Hisham

2014-01-01

The MENA region is endowed with enormous resources of oil and gas, rendering it the world′s richest region in this regard. Endowment differs from one country to another with few countries are almost dry; however the economic benefits proliferated to almost every country in the region. In spite of some doubts being cast about the amount of proven oil reserves, these with improved technology and new discoveries are increasing year after another. With no long term feasible alternatives to oil for transport and the increasing trade in LNG, the region′s importance as a world′s leading supplier of fossil fuels will continue for decades to come. However, these favourable prospects hide many challenges facing the MENA region, among them is the difficulty in mobilizing investment funds for sustaining and increasing output to feed growing global demand. Growing local demand, due to the proliferation of subsides, is another worrying aspect that already caused few countries with modest resources to become oil importers instead of exporters, with larger exporters decreasing their surplus output. The region is also still mainly dependant on foreign technologies and skilled manpower. Regional cooperation in oil and gas networks and electricity interconnections is still modest. The region has a long history of conflict; correspondingly it is a major importer of armaments which is increasingly eating a lot of its surplus income. With the political and social changes presently taking place in many MENA countries, due to the Arab spring and continuation of local conflicts, the sustainability of supplies from the region are increasingly a source of worry to MENA exporters and its many importers. It is also causing increasing involvement of the super powers in regional affairs. - Highlights: • Global oil and gas reserves and prices. • Energy sustainability and the Middle East. • Energy economics and investments in the Middle East

Middle East political stability

OpenAIRE

2008-01-01

Henry Siegman asks whether the next US President can rescue a two-state solution to the Israel–Palestine conflict; Lakhdar Brahimi discusses Iran – war or peace in the Middle East?; Eric Rouleau assesses the Iranian nuclear threat; Walid Khadduri looks at concerns over the future of Iraq and regional implications.

The Middle East, OPEC and oil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, J.

1996-01-01

The importance of the Middle East to the oil industry, was discussed. The unresolved Arab-Israeli dispute and the ongoing conflicts in the Gulf are the two main reasons for political instability in the Middle East. This in turn, shapes the security of the region and its oil supplies. The factors which will shape the future of OPEC, including the Arab-Israeli conflict, the issue of the return of Iraqi crude to the market, and production decisions by Saudi Arabia were discussed in the context of their impact on OPEC's role as a coordinator of oil policies and of market stabilisation through price control

A New Tephrochronology for Early Diverse Stone Tool Technologies and Long-Distance Raw Material Transport in the Middle-Late Pleistocene Kapthurin Formation, East Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Blegen, N.; Jicha, B.

2017-12-01

The Middle to Late Pleistocene (780-10 ka) of East Africa records significant behavioral change, the earliest fossils of Homo sapiens and the dispersals of our species across and out of Africa. Studying human evolution in the Middle to Late Pleistocene thus requires an extensive and precise chronology relating the appearances of various behaviors preserved in archaeological sequences to aspects of hominin biology and evidence of past environments preserved in the fossils and geological sequences. Tephrochronology provides the chronostratigraphic resolution to achieve this through correlation and dating of volcanic ashes. The tephrochronology of the Kapthurin Formation presented here, based on tephra correlations and 40Ar/ 39Ar dates, provides new ages between 396.3 ± 3.4 ka and 465.3 ± 1.0 ka for nine sites showing some of the earliest evidence of diverse blade and Levallois methods of core reduction. These are >110 kyr older than previously known in East Africa. New 40Ar/ 39Ar dates provide a refined age of 222.5 ± 0.6 ka for early evidence of long-distance obsidian transport at the Sibilo School Road Site. Long-distance tephra correlation between the Baringo and Lake Victoria basins also provides a new date of 100 ka for the Middle Stone Age site of Keraswanin. By providing new or older dates for 11 sites containing several important aspects of hominin behavior and extending the chronology of the Kapthurin Formation forward by 130,000 years, the tephrochronology presented here contributes one of the longest and most refined chronostratigraphic frameworks relevant to modern human evolution. In conjunction with recent archaeological and paleoenvironmental data, this tephrochronology provides the foundation to understand the process of modern human behavioral evolution through the East African Middle and Late Pleistocene as it relates to biological and paleoenvironmental circumstances.

Middle East gas utilization and export potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cornet-Gandolphe, S.

1995-01-01

There is huge gas supply potential in the Middle East, which possesses over one third of the world's natural gas reserves. However, marketed production represents only 6% of the world total, demonstrating that gas resources in the Middle East are under utilized. The value of these resources will be realized only if the gas finds a commercial outlet that guarantees proper return on investments for gas producers and the best possible use of this nonrenewable resource for governments. Apart from the chemical sector, which has provided a good outlet for natural gas, the development of natural gas resources in the region has been very limited historically, inhibited by many factors linked to the resource itself and to the characteristics of the region. However, natural gas in the Middle East is now at a crossroads, facing both major challenges and significant opportunities. The region, which currently plays only a marginal role on the world gas market, has the potential to become a leading world supplier, provided a number of political and economic conditions are fulfilled. This paper discusses some of the challenges that Middle Eastern countries face in trying to develop their natural gas resources. It reviews development potential for Middle Eastern gas reserves, whether for local use and/or exports, and it highlights future opportunities. (Author)

The new great game : international oil markets; Middle East domination or regionalisation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Odell, P.R.

1998-01-01

The dynamics of international supply and demand for oil and its effect on world oil prices are discussed. The impact of stagnant prices over the past 15 years on the Middle East, Russia, China and OPEC members was described, together with an attempt to explain the reasons for: (1) Middle East domination or regionalisation, (2) the emergence of a regionalized oil industry, (3) the Middle East as the residual supplier, and (4) the future of Middle East oil and of traded markets. 3 tabs., 5 figs

Direct Radiative Effect of Mineral Dust on the Middle East and North Africa Climate

KAUST Repository

Bangalath, Hamza Kunhu

2016-01-01

Dust-climate interaction over the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has long been studied, as it is the "dustiest" region on earth. However, the quantitative and qualitative understanding of the role of dust direct radiative effect on MENA climate

High-altitude wind resources in the Middle East

KAUST Repository

Yip, Chak Man Andrew; Gunturu, Udaya; Stenchikov, Georgiy L.

2017-01-01

In the Middle East, near-surface wind resources are intermittent. However, high-altitude wind resources are abundant, persistent, and readily available and may provide alternative energy resources in this fossil-fuel-dependent region. Using wind field data from the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications Version 2 (MERRA-2), this study identifies areas favorable to the deployment of airborne wind energy (AWE) systems in the Middle East and computes the optimal heights at which such systems would best operate. AWE potential is estimated using realistic AWE system specifications and assumptions about deployment scenarios and is compared with the near-surface wind generation potential with respect to diurnal and seasonal variability. The results show the potential utility of AWE in areas in the Middle East where the energy demand is high. In particular, Oman and Saudi Arabia have a high level of the potential power generation with low annual variability.

High-altitude wind resources in the Middle East

KAUST Repository

Yip, Chak Man Andrew

2017-08-23

In the Middle East, near-surface wind resources are intermittent. However, high-altitude wind resources are abundant, persistent, and readily available and may provide alternative energy resources in this fossil-fuel-dependent region. Using wind field data from the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications Version 2 (MERRA-2), this study identifies areas favorable to the deployment of airborne wind energy (AWE) systems in the Middle East and computes the optimal heights at which such systems would best operate. AWE potential is estimated using realistic AWE system specifications and assumptions about deployment scenarios and is compared with the near-surface wind generation potential with respect to diurnal and seasonal variability. The results show the potential utility of AWE in areas in the Middle East where the energy demand is high. In particular, Oman and Saudi Arabia have a high level of the potential power generation with low annual variability.

African Muslim Youth and the Middle East

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ihle, Annette Haaber

this African tradition of religious scholarship in the Middle East. The paper will, with the help of Pierre Bourdieu's notion of forms of capital related to various fields, analyse the challenges which Muslim students encounter during their stay in the Middle East and the forms of capital they bring back......, marked by economic decline and political instability. In Africa a weak or even failed state often means that young people have in reality no access to political, educational or economic positions and resources. In some countries like Nigeria, Ghana and the Ivory Coast the marginalisation of the youth...

Quest for Middle East oil: the US versus the Asia-Pacific region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salameh, Mamdouh G.

2003-01-01

Two very powerful geopolitical factors will decisively determine whether the quest for Middle East oil (mainly Gulf oil) could enhance the global oil security or could lead to oil supply disruptions and also instability and conflict in the Asia-Pacific region. The two factors are the United States' growing dependence on oil imports from the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region's thirst for oil and the increasingly likely Chinese dependence on oil from the region. The Asia-Pacific countries are increasingly growing concerned about their ability to supply enough oil to fuel future economic growth. The region's phenomenal economic growth up to July 1997 and its economic recovery since then, and its steadily rising energy needs lend urgency to the question of how the region would meet its considerable energy challenges. This paper will endeavour to analyze the impact of this growing dependence on Middle East oil, on global oil supplies, the price of oil and global oil security. It will argue that such dependence on a volatile region like the Middle East and the perception of scarcer energy resources in the Asia-Pacific region, have the potential to lead to conflict in both regions unless these issues are dealt with in geoeconomic rather than geostrategic terms. The paper will strongly express the view that potential conflicts can be resolved not by force but through markets and investment and also through the diversification of energy sources and the promotion of alternative energy development and use across the region

The post-war Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tempest, P.

1992-01-01

The Middle East remains today the global energy fulcrum. One year after the Persian Gulf war, the region is in greater turmoil and political uncertainty than it has known in modern times. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and subsequent external military intervention forced neighboring states to question the need for a foreign military presence in the future. The rift between the secular revolutionary states in the region led by Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Algeria, and Syria and the traditional monarchy of Saudi Arabia and the emirates of the gulf has widened. Egypt provides, at present, an uncomfortable bridge. The balance of political forces may be shifting. This paper attempts to answer the following questions: Where will we see the new leadership in the Middle East? Will it again play a role through the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and determination of the oil price in shaping the structure of global energy supply and demand?

Environmental monitoring in the Middle East. Special evaluation review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

After the Chernobyl accident some Middles East countries approached the IAEA with their concerns about contamination. Therefore, a regional project (RER/9/003, Environmental Monitoring in the Middle East) was established in 1987. The present document is a progress report of this project. It discusses project design, project management, its implementation and achievements. Certain conclusions and recommendations are given based on the evaluation of the findings

Environmental monitoring in the Middle East. Special evaluation review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-01-19

After the Chernobyl accident some Middles East countries approached the IAEA with their concerns about contamination. Therefore, a regional project (RER/9/003, Environmental Monitoring in the Middle East) was established in 1987. The present document is a progress report of this project. It discusses project design, project management, its implementation and achievements. Certain conclusions and recommendations are given based on the evaluation of the findings.

Turkish Vector of German Policy in the Middle East

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A A Dvoryadkina

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The article considers the Middle East policy of modern Germany, taking Turkish vector as an example. The foreign EU policy in the Middle East, as a whole and cooperation of modern Germany with Turkey in attempt to join the European Union are examined. Attention is given to the modern crisis and difficulties that stand on the way of cooperation between the two states.

A report on evaluation of research and development subjects in fiscal year 2001. Evaluation subject on the 'Middle- and long-term business program'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-09-01

The middle- and long-term business program determined by the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) is for elucidation of middle- and long-term targets to be expanded by JNC and is a base to promote individual R and D. This program is to be revised at a chance established on new long-term plan on research, development and application of nuclear energy on November, 2000 by the Committee of Atomic Energy under consideration of condition change after March, 1999. This report is a summary of evaluation results on the present middle- and long-term business program established by JNC, especially at a center of its revised portion, as a form of opinion. The evaluated results are described on two forms of the subject evaluation committees on the fast reactor and fuel cycle and on the wastes processing and disposal. (G.K.)

Nuclear age in the Middle East

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yiftah, S

1976-01-01

The book analyses, clarifies and summarises, from various aspects, some of the many questions concerning the motivation, the meaning, the economics, the dangers and the risks of introducing nuclear technology into the Middle East area following the recent agreements between some Mid Eastern countries and the United States, France, Germany and the U.S.S.R. about the supply of nuclear power reactors and nuclear fuel to the Middle East. The recent strong nuclear prgrams of countries such as India and Iran, who have wide-ranging ties with the Mid-Eastern countries, coupled with the huge revenues of petrodollars by the Arab countries of the area, together with the dangers of another 1973-type oil embargo are discussed and the triple crises of energy, ecology and nuclear weapons proliferation are considered.

Management of Water Demand in Africa and the Middle East ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Management of Water Demand in Africa and the Middle East : Current Practices and Future Needs. Couverture du livre Management of Water Demand in Africa and the Middle East : Current Practices. Directeur(s) : David B. Brooks, Eglal Rached et Maurice Saade. Maison(s) d'édition : CRDI. 1 janvier 1997. ISBN : Épuisé.

Management of Water Demand in Africa and the Middle East ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

1997-01-01

Management of Water Demand in Africa and the Middle East : Current Practices and Future Needs. Couverture du livre Management of Water Demand in Africa and the Middle East : Current Practices. Editor(s):. David B. Brooks, Eglal Rached et Maurice Saade. Publisher(s):. CRDI. January 1, 1997. ISBN: Épuisé. 78 pages.

Atrial fibrillation in the Middle East: unmapped, underdiagnosed, undertreated.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Shamkhani, Warkaa; Ayetey, Harold; Lip, Gregory Y H

2018-05-01

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the commonest persistent cardiac arrhythmia with an estimated incidence rate of between 1.5-2% and an important cause of strokes. Few epidemiological studies and clinical trials on the management of AF have been conducted outside Europe and North America. These gaps in our understanding of AF likely lead to sub-optimal management of patients with AF in the rest of the world. Areas covered: We discuss the epidemiology, treatment and clinical outcomes for AF in the Middle East after systematic review of published work for AF from the Middle East. We also discuss important clinical trials on AF conducted in the West in the same period to help contextualize our findings. Expert commentary: The few available Middle East studies suggest important epidemiological differences between Middle Eastern and Western AF populations. In particular, the Middle Eastern AF population is younger and have more co-morbidities than patients in the West. We find that significant numbers of moderate to high risk patients with AF are either undertreated or untreated placing them at increased risk of complications such as stroke. More studies in the Middle Eastern population are required to aid the development of region-specific clinical guidelines to improve patient care.

Towards a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

Every year since 1974 the General Assembly adopted a resolution on the subject ''Establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East''. By that resolution, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to undertake a study on effective and verifiable measures which would facilitate the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East, taking into account the circumstances and characteristics of the Middle East, as well as the views and the suggestions of the parties of the region, and to submit this study to the General Assembly. The study was carried out between July 1989 and August 1990. The study discusses a number of steps and measures that could ease the process leading to the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East. Those measures could be undertaken independently or in conjunction with each other, as well as by individual States or jointly by several, and also on a reciprocal basis; each of them would move the States concerned closer to their ultimate objective - the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons

Petroleum and gas stakes in the Middle-East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mabro, R.

1996-01-01

In this article is explained the policy situation in the Middle-East and how it has an influence upon the petroleum market. The different situations of Israel and Arab countries, Iran, Iraq and Turkey are reviewed and some speculations are made to understand how things can evolve and their impact on the economic life of this area( for example: if Turkey wants to play a role in the Middle-East policy). If it is obvious that changes can arise the direction of these changes is not clearly established. (N.C.)

Preparedness of elderly long-term care facilities in HSE East for influenza outbreaks.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Connor, L

2015-01-01

Abstract We assessed preparedness of HSE East elderly long-term care facilities for an influenza outbreak, and identified Public Health Department support needs. We surveyed 166 facilities based on the HSE checklist document for influenza outbreaks, with 58% response rate. Client flu vaccination rates were > 75%; leading barriers were client anxiety and consent issues. Target flu vaccine uptake of 40% in staff occurred in 43% of facilities and was associated with staff vaccine administration by afacility-attached GP (p = 0.035), having a facility outbreak plan (p = 0.013) and being anon-HSE run facility (p = 0.013). Leading barriers were staff personal anxiety (94%) and lack of awareness of the protective effect on clients (21%). Eighty-nine percent found Public Health helpful, and requested further educational support and advocacy. Staff vaccine uptake focus, organisational leadership, optimal vaccine provision models, outbreak plans and Public Health support are central to the influenza campaign in elderly long-term care facilities.

Long-Term Monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 2002-2006, (NODC Accession 0012632)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Long-Term Monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 2002-2006 data include biological and oceanographic measurements...

Middle East respiratory syndrome in children. Dental considerations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fares S. Al-Sehaibany

2017-04-01

Full Text Available As of January 2016, 1,633 laboratory-confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV infection and 587 MERS-related deaths have been reported by the World Health Organization globally. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus may occur sporadically in communities or may be transmitted within families or hospitals. The number of confirmed MERS-CoV cases among healthcare workers has been increasing. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus may also spread through aerosols generated during various dental treatments, resulting in transmission between patients and dentists. As MERS-CoV cases have also been reported among children, pediatric dentists are at risk of MERS-CoV infection. This review discusses MERS-CoV infection in children and healthcare workers, especially pediatric dentists, and considerations pertaining to pediatric dentistry. Although no cases of MERS-CoV transmission between a patient and a dentist have yet been reported, the risk of MERS-CoV transmission from an infected patient may be high due to the unique work environment of dentists (aerosol generation.

The nexus between carbon emissions, energy consumption and economic growth in Middle East countries: A panel data analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozcan, Burcu

2013-01-01

The environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis assumes that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between environmental degradation and income per capita. In other words, as a country grows, it is assumed that its environmental quality improves. In this study, we aim to test the EKC hypothesis for 12 Middle East countries during the period 1990–2008 by employing recently developed panel data methods. Our results provide evidence contrary to the EKC hypothesis. We found evidence favorable to the U-shaped EKC for 5 Middle East countries, whereas an inverted U-shaped curve was identified for only 3 Middle East countries. Furthermore, there appear to be no causal links between income and CO 2 emissions for the other 4 countries. Regarding the direction of causality, there appears to be a unidirectional causality from economic growth to energy consumption in the short-run; in the long-run, however, the unidirectional causality chain runs from energy consumption and economic growth to CO 2 emissions. We also suggest some crucial policy implications depending on these results. - Highlights: • The relationship between CO 2 emissions, energy consumption, and growth is examined. • Panel data estimation methods are used for 12 Middle East countries. • We obtain a U-shaped curve contrary to the EKC hypothesis. • The causality runs from economic growth to energy consumption in the short-run. • In the long-run, causality runs from energy consumption and growth to CO 2 emissions

The development of Middle-East natural gas markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bahgat, G.

2001-01-01

The economic, political and strategic environment under which plans to explore and develop gas fields in the Middle East have been drawn and implemented are reviewed. The topic is of particular importance in view of the fact that the Middle East holds more than one third of the world's proven reserves of natural gas, largely underdeveloped and under utilized as of the beginning of the second millennium. Particular attention is paid to Saudi Arabia, Iran and Israel, where despite serious challenges and political uncertainties, significant developments are underway to develop the region's natural gas potential. 27 refs., 1 tab

False security: the effects of long-term oil supply disruptions in a slack oil market

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kah, M; Kruvant, W J

1984-01-01

The authors contention that the US should continue to be concerned about energy emergency preparedness, in the event of a long-term disruption of oil supplies, despite current slack economic conditions on the international market is outlined. One quarter of the world's total supply still comes from politically volatile areas of North Africa and the Middle East, and although oil imports have fallen off, the US is still vulnerable.

Sesame Synchrotron Light for Experimental Sciences and Application in the Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Khalafawy, T.A.

2003-01-01

Anew international center for synchrotron radiation for research excellence for scientists from throughout the Middle East as well as other parts of the world could do for science what CERN has done for science in Europe. SESAME Project (Synchrotron Light for Experimental Sciences and Application in the Middle East ) under the umbrella for UNESCO establish the first major international research center as a cooperative venture by the scientists and governments of the Middle East, opened to all qualified scientists. It will be propeller for the regional economy while promoting the peaceful development of science and technology in the Middle East. SESAME will have as its centerpiece a synchrotron radiation based on a gift from Germany of the 0.8 GeV BESSYI storage ring and injector system which stopped operation at the end of November 1999

Inexorable Conflict or Opportunity: The United States and the Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-06

effects on Palestine and the rest of the Arab-Muslim Middle East, has been a “misjudgment of gigantic proportions,” according to Amin Saikal in his book...2009, but al-Qaeda still enjoys considerable support in the Muslim world.38 Additionally, statistics show that Muslims in the Middle East want U.S

The nuclear age in the Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yiftah, Shimon.

1976-01-01

The book analyses, clarifies and summarises, from various aspects, some of the many questions concerning the motivation, the meaning, the economics, the dangers and the risks of introducing nuclear technology into the Middle East area following the recent agreements between some Mid Eastern countries and the United States, France, Germany and the U.S.S.R. about the supply of nuclear power reactors and nuclear fuel to the Middle East. The recent strong nuclear prgrams of countries such as India and Iran, who have wide-ranging ties with the Mid-Eastern countries, coupled with the huge revenues of petrodollars by the Arab countries of the area, together with the dangers of another 1973-type oil embargo are discussed and the triple crises of energy, ecology and nuclear weapons proliferation are considered. (B.G.)

Teaching Media and Culture of the Middle East to American Students

Science.gov (United States)

Muhtaseb, Ahlam; Algan, Ece; Bennett, Anne

2014-01-01

Americans know very little about the Middle East in general despite the fact that the region is at the heart of American foreign policy. While no one doubts the importance of teaching the history, culture, and politics of the Middle East in the United States, lack of basic knowledge coupled with the strong antipathy toward Arabs and Muslims make…

Chronic treatment with ginsenoside Rg1 promotes memory and hippocampal long-term potentiation in middle-aged mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, G; Wang, Y; Li, J; Wang, J

2015-04-30

Ginseng serves as a potential candidate for the treatment of aging-related memory decline or memory loss. However, the related mechanism is not fully understood. In this study, we applied an intraperitoneal injection of ginsenoside Rg1, an active compound from ginseng in middle-aged mice and detected memory improvement and the underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that a period of 30-day administration of ginsenoside Rg1 enhanced long-term memory in the middle-aged animals. Consistent with the memory improvement, ginsenoside Rg1 administration facilitated weak theta-burst stimulation (TBS)-induced long-term potentiation (LTP) in acute hippocampal slices from middle-aged animals. Ginsenoside Rg1 administration increased the dendritic apical spine numbers and area in the CA1 region. In addition, ginsenoside Rg1 administration up-regulated the expression of hippocampal p-AKT, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), proBDNF and glutamate receptor 1 (GluR1), but not p-ERK. Interestingly, the phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) inhibitor (bpV) mimicked the ginsenoside Rg1 effects, including increasing p-AKT expression, promoting hippocampal basal synaptic transmission, LTP and memory. Taken together, our data suggest that ginsenoside Rg1 treatment improves memory in middle-aged mice possibly through regulating the PI3K/AKT pathway, altering apical spines and facilitating hippocampal LTP. Copyright © 2015 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Captagon: use and trade in the Middle East.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Imam, Ahmed; Santacroce, Rita; Roman-Urrestarazu, Andres; Chilcott, Robert; Bersani, Giuseppe; Martinotti, Giovanni; Corazza, Ornella

2017-05-01

Fenetheylline, a psychostimulant drug, often branded as Captagon, is a combination of amphetamine and theophylline. Since the cessation of its legal production in 1986, counterfeited products have been produced illicitly in south-east Europe and far-east Asia. Its profitable trade has been linked to terrorist organizations, including Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. This study aims to reach up-to-date data, concerning the Captagon e-commerce and use in the Middle East. A multi-staged and multi-lingual literature search was carried out. A list of prespecified keywords was applied across medical and paramedical databases, web and Dark web, search engines, social communication media, electronic commerce websites, media networks, and the Global Public Health Intelligence Network database. The use of Captagon as a stimulant in terrorist settings has been marginally covered in the literature. Data can widely be retrieved from Google and AOL search engines, YouTube, and Amazon e-commerce websites, and to a lesser extent from Alibaba and eBay. On the contrary, Middle Eastern e-commerce websites yielded almost no results. Interestingly, the Dark web generated original data for Captagon e-commerce in the Middle East. Further investigations are needed on the role that psychoactive drugs play in terrorist attacks and civil war zones. Unless a comprehensive methodological strategy, inclusive of unconventional methods of research, is implemented, it will not be feasible to face such a threat to humanity. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Local conflicts of the 1980s in the Middle East and the interests of the Group of Seven

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nemych, O. V.

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The author studies local conflicts of the 1980s in the Middle East and the interests of the Group of Seven. The purpose of the article is to represent the motivations of G7 of solution local conflicts of the 1980s in the Middle East. The author identified that interests of Group of Seven in resolving of local conflicts 1980s in the Middle East are can be determined by numbers of economic and political factors. This article is based on the analysis of sources and historiography. As a result of this research the author came to the conclusion that control over it – in terms of pricing policy accomplished OPEC – was an important precondition for the economy depended on oil imports of G Seven countries. Political motives component of G7 participation in resolving local conflicts in the Middle East was the trying to prevent the spread of Soviet influence on this region. Priority actions in shaping strategy of Seven countries were actually delegated to the United States, who played the leader of the Western world in the fight against the socialist camp. As a result shown that the motives solution of local conflicts in the Middle East for the Group of Seven countries were built on its own geopolitical and economic interests, rather than on a deep analysis of the internal causes of crises in Afghanistan, Lebanon or Iran.

Incidence, recurrence, and long-term survival of ischemic stroke subtypes: A population-based study in the Middle East.

Science.gov (United States)

Saber, Hamidreza; Thrift, Amanda G; Kapral, Moira K; Shoamanesh, Ashkan; Amiri, Amin; Farzadfard, Mohammad T; Behrouz, Réza; Azarpazhooh, Mahmoud Reza

2017-10-01

Background Incidence, risk factors, case fatality and survival rates of ischemic stroke subtypes are unknown in the Middle East due to the lack of community-based incidence stroke studies in this region. Aim To characterize ischemic stroke subtypes in a Middle Eastern population. Methods The Mashad Stroke Incidence Study is a community-based study that prospectively ascertained all cases of stroke among the 450,229 inhabitants of Mashhad, Iran between 2006 and 2007. We identified 512 cases of first-ever ischemic stroke [264 men (mean age 65.5 ± 14.4) and 248 women (mean age 64.14 ± 14.5)]. Subtypes of ischemic stroke were classified according to the TOAST criteria. Incidence rates were age standardized to the WHO and European populations. Results The proportion of stroke subtypes was distributed as follows: 14.1% large artery disease, 15% cardioembolic, 22.5% small artery disease, 43.9% undetermined and 4.5% other. The greatest overall incidence rates were attributed to undetermined infarction (49.97/100,000) followed by small artery disease (25.54/100,000). Prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and atrial fibrillation differed among ischemic stroke subtypes. Overall, there were 268 (52.34%) deaths and 73 (14.25%) recurrent strokes at five years after incident ischemic stroke, with the greatest risk of recurrence seen in the large artery disease (35.6%) and cardioembolic (35.5%) subgroups. Survival was similar in men and women for each stroke subtype. Conclusions We observed markedly greater incidence rates of ischemic stroke subtypes than in other countries within the Mashad Stroke Incidence Study after age standardization. Our findings should be considered when planning prevention and stroke care services in this region.

The Water Conflict in the Middle East

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1997-01-01

The water conflict in the Middle East is reaching a crisis peak. The region suffers from a shortage of water, a high rate of population growth and the absence of a clear criteria for sharing waters within the region...

ISLAM AND THE FAILURE OF MODERNIZATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Sahide

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This paper tries to see the encounter between Islam and modernity in the countries where the majority of the inhabitants are Muslims, particularly in the Middle East that is currently in the state of turmoil. In General, modernity failed to adapt to the Islamic states, for example the failure of democracy, which became the current joint attention in some Arab countries where the iron fist regimes are still a part of the political system. Furthermore, this paper attempts to see why modernity is difficult to adapt itself in the Middle East which began to build relations with Europe in the 18th century. Bernard Lewis, an expert who focuses on the Islamic world, argued that the failure of modernity in the Middle East and Islamic countries because of cultural factors and understanding of religion that hampered the pace of modernity. The understanding of religion is still centered on debating the democratic system and gender equality which come from the West; all of which is part of modernity. In addition, the young generations that learn a lot from the West, are not given broader space to apply their knowledge in developing and setting up a system of nationhood and statehood. These are the core issues that will be discussed further in this paper. Keywords: Modernity, Middle East tensions, and Islam

Review and meta analysis of nontuberculous mycobacteria in the Middle East

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanaz Rahideh

2015-01-01

Conclusion: This is the first study reporting NTM species in the Middle East. In summary, this review demonstrates that the frequency of NTM has increased in this region. In addition to the limitations of the NTM study in some countries of the Middle East, there is an urgent need to develop laboratory methods for NTM identification to prepare a comprehensive report for this region.

Transmission of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... hand hygiene, and cough etiquette, would minimize the infection rate among HCPs. The required consumables for maintaining hand hygiene should be readily available to all HCPs. Keywords: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), Systematic review, healthcareassociated infections, Coronaviruses ...

The Middle East WMDFZ: hopes and fears

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hautecouverture, Benjamin

2014-05-01

The 3. Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the 2015 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference took place in New York between 28 April and 9 May 2014. Despite the failure to hold a conference in Helsinki in 2013 on a zone free of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems (WMDFZ) in the Middle East, due to a lack of consensus among States, the issue of the Middle East did not unduly disrupt this year's round of debates. This is in contrast to the Geneva PrepCom in the spring of 2013, where the Egyptian delegation's decision to leave the second session before the close first checked the momentum generated by the adoption of the 2010 Action Plan. The argument put forward by the Egyptian delegation was the lack of progress on the implementation of a commitment in the document to bring together all of the States in the region at a conference in 2012 on the Middle East WMDFZ project with the support of a facilitator. Although bilateral and multilateral (the Glion process) negotiations are in progress out of the spotlight under the auspices of Ambassador Laajava on both the agenda and outcome of a future conference, as well as on its procedural aspects, it is impossible to say with any certainty that a conference in Helsinki bringing together all of the States in the region will take place before the 2015 NPT Review Conference. One of the principal weaknesses of the Middle East WMDFZ project is its inscription almost twenty years ago in the framework of the NPT (with the resolution 'on the Middle East' of the 1995 Review and Extension Conference). The fact that Israel, a key State in the region, was absent at that time and is still absent today has naturally hindered the progress of this issue from review conference to review conference. The NPT forum is clearly inappropriate for dealing with the multiple regional security issues involved in the project. Yet, no alternative to the NPT currently exists, despite the fact that the real substance of

Critically Ill Patients With the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome: A Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Arabi, Yaseen M; Al-Omari, Awad; Mandourah, Yasser; Al-Hameed, Fahad; Sindi, Anees A; Alraddadi, Basem; Shalhoub, Sarah; Almotairi, Abdullah; Al Khatib, Kasim; Abdulmomen, Ahmed; Qushmaq, Ismael; Mady, Ahmed; Solaiman, Othman; Al-Aithan, Abdulsalam M; Al-Raddadi, Rajaa; Ragab, Ahmed; Al Mekhlafi, Ghaleb A; Al Harthy, Abdulrahman; Kharaba, Ayman; Ahmadi, Mashael Al; Sadat, Musharaf; Mutairi, Hanan Al; Qasim, Eman Al; Jose, Jesna; Nasim, Maliha; Al-Dawood, Abdulaziz; Merson, Laura; Fowler, Robert; Hayden, Frederick G; Balkhy, Hanan H

2017-10-01

To describe patient characteristics, clinical manifestations, disease course including viral replication patterns, and outcomes of critically ill patients with severe acute respiratory infection from the Middle East respiratory syndrome and to compare these features with patients with severe acute respiratory infection due to other etiologies. Retrospective cohort study. Patients admitted to ICUs in 14 Saudi Arabian hospitals. Critically ill patients with laboratory-confirmed Middle East respiratory syndrome severe acute respiratory infection (n = 330) admitted between September 2012 and October 2015 were compared to consecutive critically ill patients with community-acquired severe acute respiratory infection of non-Middle East respiratory syndrome etiology (non-Middle East respiratory syndrome severe acute respiratory infection) (n = 222). None. Although Middle East respiratory syndrome severe acute respiratory infection patients were younger than those with non-Middle East respiratory syndrome severe acute respiratory infection (median [quartile 1, quartile 3] 58 yr [44, 69] vs 70 [52, 78]; p < 0.001), clinical presentations and comorbidities overlapped substantially. Patients with Middle East respiratory syndrome severe acute respiratory infection had more severe hypoxemic respiratory failure (PaO2/FIO2: 106 [66, 160] vs 176 [104, 252]; p < 0.001) and more frequent nonrespiratory organ failure (nonrespiratory Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score: 6 [4, 9] vs 5 [3, 7]; p = 0.002), thus required more frequently invasive mechanical ventilation (85.2% vs 73.0%; p < 0.001), oxygen rescue therapies (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation 5.8% vs 0.9%; p = 0.003), vasopressor support (79.4% vs 55.0%; p < 0.001), and renal replacement therapy (48.8% vs 22.1%; p < 0.001). After adjustment for potential confounding factors, Middle East respiratory syndrome was independently associated with death compared to non-Middle East respiratory syndrome severe acute respiratory

Turkey’s Arabian Middle East Policy and Syrian Civil War

OpenAIRE

AKILLI, Erman

2017-01-01

TheMiddle East was remolded when the Ottoman Empire was divided through the SykesPicot Agreement, prepared by Great Britain and France on 19 May, 1916. Whilethe Arabs had expected to gain absolute freedom and from the empire, historyunfortunately has shown that this was merely a tale well suited to the ArabianNights. That agreement erased one region, replacing it with another; and theMiddle East has primarily been ruled since then under totalitarian regimes, atleast until the so-called Arab S...

Role of Social Media in Diabetes Management in the Middle East Region: Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Alanzi, Turki

2018-02-13

Diabetes is a major health care burden in the Middle East region. Social networking tools can contribute to the management of diabetes with improved educational and care outcomes using these popular tools in the region. The objective of this review was to evaluate the impact of social networking interventions on the improvement of diabetes management and health outcomes in patients with diabetes in the Middle East. Peer-reviewed articles from PubMed (1990-2017) and Google Scholar (1990-2017) were identified using various combinations of predefined terms and search criteria. The main inclusion criterion consisted of the use of social networking apps on mobile phones as the primary intervention. Outcomes were grouped according to study design, type of diabetes, category of technological intervention, location, and sample size. This review included 5 articles evaluating the use of social media tools in the management of diabetes in the Middle East. In most studies, the acceptance rate for the use of social networking to optimize the management of diabetes was relatively high. Diabetes-specific management tools such as the Saudi Arabia Networking for Aiding Diabetes and Diabetes Intelligent Management System for Iraq systems helped collect patient information and lower hemoglobin A 1c (HbA 1c ) levels, respectively. The reviewed studies demonstrated the potential of social networking tools being adopted in regions in the Middle East to improve the management of diabetes. Future studies consisting of larger sample sizes spanning multiple regions would provide further insight into the use of social media for improving patient outcomes. ©Turki Alanzi. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 13.02.2018.

Potential for renewable energy jobs in the Middle East

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Van der Zwaan, B.; Cameron, L.; Kober, T. [Energy research Centre of the Netherlands ECN, Policy Studies, Radarweg 60, 1043 NT, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2013-09-15

Based on employment factors derived from a recent review of publications investigating opportunities for work associated with the diffusion of renewable energy technology, we here present an analysis of the potential for renewable energy jobs in the Middle East. We use energy system optimisation results from the regionally disaggregated TIAM-ECN model as input to our study. This integrated assessment model is utilised to inspect the energy technology requirements for meeting a stringent global climate policy that achieves a stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere with a maximum additional radiative forcing of 2.9 W/m{sup 2}. This climate control target implies a massive deployment of renewable energy in the Middle East, with wind and solar power accounting for approximately 60% of total electricity supply in 2050: 900 TWh of an overall level of 1525 TWh would be generated from 210 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by the middle of the century. For this pervasive renewables diffusion scenario for the Middle East we estimate a total required local work force of ultimately about 155,000 direct and 115,000 indirect jobs, based on assumptions regarding which components of the respective wind and solar energy technologies can be manufactured in the region itself. All jobs generated through installation and O and M activities are assumed to be domestic.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria in Middle East: Current situation and future challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Velayati, Ali Akbar; Rahideh, Sanaz; Nezhad, Zahra Derakhshani; Farnia, Parissa; Mirsaeidi, Mehdi

2015-03-01

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are a diverse group of bacterial species that are distributed in the environment. Many of these environmental bacteria can cause disease in humans. The identification of NTM in environmental sources is important for both clinical and epidemiological purposes. In this study, the distribution of NTM species from environmental and clinical samples in the Middle East was reviewed. In order to provide an overview of NTM, as well as recent epidemiological trends, all studies addressing NTM in the Middle East from 1984 to 2014 were reviewed. A total of 96 articles were found, in which 1751 NTM strains were isolated and 1084 of which were obtained from clinical samples, 619 from environmental samples and 48 were cited by case reports. Mycobacterium fortuitum was the most common rapid growing mycobacteria (RGM) isolated from both clinical (269 out of 447 RGM; 60.1%) and environmental (135 out of 289 RGM; 46.7%) samples. Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) was the most common slow growing mycobacteria (SGM) isolated from clinical samples (140 out of 637 SGM; 21.9%). An increasing trend in NTM isolation from the Middle East was noted over the last 5years. This review demonstrates the increasing concern regarding NTM disease in the Middle East, emphasizing the need for regional collaboration and coordination in order to respond appropriately. Copyright © 2015 Asian African Society for Mycobacteriology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measuring Entrepreneurial Activity in the Middle East and North Africa

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Total funding. CA$ 678,500. Country(s). Middle East, North of Sahara, South of Sahara, Central Asia, Far East Asia, South Asia. Project Leader. Dr. Mohamed Derrabi. Institution. Al Akhawayn University. Institution Country. Morocco. Institution Website. http://www.aui.ma. Project Leader. Abedou Abderrahamne. Institution.

Soldiers and Civilians in Contemporary Middle East

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2017-01-01

Despite the fact that the co-called Arab Spring has spread promising winds across the Middle East and the Northern Afria (MENA) region over the past decade, several countries in the region have nevertheless been caught up in devastating and destructive intra-state conflicts. A prevailing trend...

Consented Autopsy and the Middle-East.

Science.gov (United States)

Kharoshah, Magdy A; Hussain, Syed Ather; Madadin, Mohammed; Menezes, Ritesh G

2017-02-01

Consented autopsy is almost non-existent in the Middle-East where established social and cultural beliefs regarding the procedure might discourage family members from requesting a consented autopsy. Evidence suggests that new information is obtained from consented autopsies. It would not be in the best interest of medicine if social and cultural misconceptions succeed in erasing the existence of consented autopsies entirely.

Potential for renewable energy jobs in the Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zwaan, Bob van der; Cameron, Lachlan; Kober, Tom

2013-01-01

Based on employment factors derived from a recent review of publications investigating opportunities for work associated with the diffusion of renewable energy technology, we here present an analysis of the potential for renewable energy jobs in the Middle East. We use energy system optimisation results from the regionally disaggregated TIAM-ECN model as input to our study. This integrated assessment model is utilised to inspect the energy technology requirements for meeting a stringent global climate policy that achieves a stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere with a maximum additional radiative forcing of 2.9 W/m 2 . This climate control target implies a massive deployment of renewable energy in the Middle East, with wind and solar power accounting for approximately 60% of total electricity supply in 2050: 900 TWh of an overall level of 1525 TWh would be generated from 210 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by the middle of the century. For this pervasive renewables diffusion scenario for the Middle East we estimate a total required local work force of ultimately about 155,000 direct and 115,000 indirect jobs, based on assumptions regarding which components of the respective wind and solar energy technologies can be manufactured in the region itself. All jobs generated through installation and O and M activities are assumed to be domestic. - Highlights: • An analysis of the potential for renewable energy jobs in the Middle East is presented. • With the TIAM-ECN model we inspect the technology requirements for meeting a radiative forcing of 2.9 W/m 2 . • Wind and solar power account for approximately 60% of total electricity supply in 2050. • We estimate a total required local work force of ultimately about 155,000 direct and 115,000 indirect jobs. • Manufacturing jobs are assumed to be partly local, while installation and O and M jobs are all domestic

Five bid to host Middle East synchroton

CERN Multimedia

McCabe, H

1999-01-01

Germany is willing to donate a synchrotron to a research centre to be built somewhere in the Middle East. Bids to host the centre were submitted by Turkey, Cyprus, Iran, the Palestinian Authority and Egypt. Funding of at least 30 million US dollars still needs to be found (1 page).

Environmental Economics Research Competition for the Middle East ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

, to extend its work in environmental economics by supporting a series of small research projects in the Middle East and North Africa. Project proposals will be solicited through two competitions: one with and one without a specific theme.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria in Middle East: Current situation and future challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Akbar Velayati

2015-01-01

Mycobacterium fortuitum was the most common rapid growing mycobacteria (RGM isolated from both clinical (269 out of 447 RGM; 60.1% and environmental (135 out of 289 RGM; 46.7% samples. Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC was the most common slow growing mycobacteria (SGM isolated from clinical samples (140 out of 637 SGM; 21.9%. An increasing trend in NTM isolation from the Middle East was noted over the last 5 years. This review demonstrates the increasing concern regarding NTM disease in the Middle East, emphasizing the need for regional collaboration and coordination in order to respond appropriately.

Middle East gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, V.

2001-01-01

Despite the significant contribution of the Middle East countries of Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in the Arabia Gulf to the world's oil output, they are placing increasing emphasis on natural gas as a source of exports and to fuel domestic economic growth. The region accounts for 35% of the world's proven gas resource base, with Iran and Qatar holding major reserves. The region is becoming increasingly important in global liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade and details of key LNG projects and the major players in this area are given; a key advantage is the region's position between the two main markets - the Asia Pacific and the Atlantic Basin. Brief details are also given of gas pipeline projects and gas-to-liquid (GTL) projects in the region

Aerosol optical depth trend over the Middle East

KAUST Repository

Klingmü ller, Klaus; Pozzer, Andrea; Metzger, Swen; Stenchikov, Georgiy L.; Lelieveld, Jos

2016-01-01

We use the combined Dark Target/Deep Blue aerosol optical depth (AOD) satellite product of the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) collection 6 to study trends over the Middle East between 2000 and 2015. Our analysis corroborates a

Economic Reform, Firm Survival and Competitiveness (Middle East ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

During the 1980s, it was thought that liberalizing trade and exposing industries ... of some firms but a more productive and competitive industrial sector as a whole. ... to stimulate higher firm-level productivity in the Middle East and North Africa.

Supertall Asia/Middle East: Technological Responses and Contextual Impacts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyoung Sun Moon

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Supported by rapid economic growth, major cities in Asia and the Middle East have been rising as new centers for tall buildings. This article reviews the state of tall building developments in Asian and Middle Eastern countries with an emphasis on supertall buildings, with their greater urban and global impacts. Focusing primarily on physical construction, this article examines technological responses for building tall in Asian and Middle Eastern contexts. The architectural transformation and globalization of what was once called the “American Building Type” in Asian and Middle Eastern countries is studied. Sustainable design technology transfer and adjustment in Asian and Middle Eastern climates are presented. Further, future prospects on supertall design in Asian and Middle Eastern contexts are discussed.

A new tephrochronology for early diverse stone tool technologies and long-distance raw material transport in the Middle to Late Pleistocene Kapthurin Formation, East Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Blegen, Nick; Jicha, Brian R; McBrearty, Sally

2018-05-09

The Middle to Late Pleistocene (780-10 ka) of East Africa records evidence of significant behavioral change, early fossils of Homo sapiens, and the dispersals of our species across and out of Africa. Studying human evolution in this time period thus requires an extensive and precise chronology relating behavioral evidence from archaeological sequences to aspects of hominin biology and evidence of past environments from fossils and geological sequences. Tephrochronology provides the chronostratigraphic resolution to achieve this through correlation and dating of volcanic ashes. The tephrochronology of the Kapthurin Formation presented here, based on tephra correlations and 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dates, provides new ages between 395.6 ± 3.5 ka and 465.3 ± 1.0 ka for nine sites showing diverse blade and Levallois methods of core reduction. These are >110 kyr older than previously known in East Africa. New 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dates provide a refined age of 222.5 ± 0.6 ka for early evidence of long-distance (166 km) obsidian transport at the Sibilo School Road Site. A tephra correlation between the Baringo and Victoria basins also provides a new date of ∼100 ka for the Middle Stone Age site of Keraswanin. By providing new and older dates for 11 sites containing several important aspects of hominin behavior and extending the chronology of the Kapthurin Formation forward by ∼130,000 years, the tephrochronology presented here contributes one of the longest and most refined chronostratigraphic frameworks of Middle through Late Pleistocene East Africa. This tephrochronology thus provides the foundation to understand the process of modern human behavioral evolution as it relates to biological and paleoenvironmental circumstances. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-Term Monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico, 2002 (NCEI Accession 0127071)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Long-Term Monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 2002-2006 data include biological and oceanographic measurements...

The U.S. Freedom Agenda in the Middle East

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Makepeace, Neil J

2007-01-01

.... The thesis of this paper is that the United States requires a more balanced and realistic policy agenda in the Middle East, one that discards the strident promotion of constitutional democracy...

Middle East: New Balkans of the World?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dr.Sc. Georgescu Stefan

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Middle East is a region whose geopolitical dynamics has many analogies with the role of the Balkans in the first half of the 19th century and up to the 3rd decade of the 20th century, namely a "Powder keg of Europe", defined in the same period as the "Eastern Issue".Moreover, Middle East is a region located at the junction of three continents: Europe, Asia and the Mediterranean Africa, and along with ancient Egypt is the cradle of Western civilization, providing for it political, economic, religious, scientific, military, intellectual and institutional models.Four millennia of civilization before Christian era did not pass without leaving a trace.Trade, currency, law, diplomacy, technology applied to works in time of war or peace, the profit based economy and the bureaucratized economy, popular and absolutist government, nationalist and universal spirit, tolerance and fanaticism – all these are not inventions of the modern world, but have their origins and methods of implementation, often even sophisticated methods, in this region.

Multinational uranium enrichment in the Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, Ali; Salahieh, Sidra; Snyder, Ryan

2017-01-01

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreed to by Iran and the P5+1 in July 2015 placed restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program while other Middle Eastern countries– Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates–are planning to build their own nuclear power plants to meet increasing electricity demands. Although the JCPOA restricts Iran's uranium enrichment program for 10–15 years, Iran's neighbors may choose to develop their own national enrichment programs giving them a potential nuclear weapons capability. This paper argues that converting Iran's national enrichment program to a more proliferation-resistant multinational arrangement could offer significant economic benefits–reduced capital and operational costs–due to economies of scale and the utilization of more efficient enrichment technologies. In addition, the paper examines policy aspects related to financing, governance, and how multinational enrichment could fit into the political and security context of the Middle East. A multinational enrichment facility managed by regional and international partners would provide more assurance that it remains peaceful and could help build confidence between Iran and its neighbors to cooperate in managing other regional security challenges. - Highlights: • Freezing Iran's nuclear program is an opportunity to launch joint initiatives in ME. • A joint uranium enrichment program in the Middle East offers economic benefits. • Other benefits include improved nuclear security and transparency in the region.

Analysing Security Subcomplexes in a Changing Middle East

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Seeberg, Peter

2016-01-01

This article presents a theoretical framework for a collection of articles (“special issue”), which aims at discussing the role of non-Arab state actors and non-state actors in a changing Middle East. The articles in the collection offer perspectives that have been overlooked in recent research......, namely those focusing on the role of non-Arab state actors and non-state actors in connection with the changing security environment in the region. Furthermore, these articles discuss how changes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are appearing in different and shifting contexts...... in the creation of new local, sub-regional, or regional security subcomplexes in which Arab states, non-Arab states and non-state actors enter into new conflicts, alliances and other political relations with and against each other. The role of international actors interfering in the region is also analyzed...

Middle East physics collaboration plans for the future

CERN Multimedia

CERN Bulletin

2011-01-01

The SESAME initiative, the Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East, is making progress. At a recent SESAME Council meeting at the end of May, Jordan, Iran and Israel confirmed their cash contributions to the project’s storage ring. The Palestinian Authority and Pakistan have confirmed their in-kind support and Egypt and Turkey are taking steps to allow their participation. Technically planned to start operation in 2015, SESAME has begun to show significant potential as a science for peace initiative in the Middle East.   The SESAME site in Allaan, Jordan.                   (© SESAME) Jordan has provided the land and an elegant building that will house the accelerator complex and associated infrastructure; a number of states, organizations and synchrotron light laboratories have donated the injector and booster, beam lines or components, support for infras...

Long-term smoking causes more advanced coronary endothelial dysfunction in middle-aged smokers compared to young smokers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naya, Masanao; Goto, Daisuke; Tsutsui, Hiroyuki; Morita, Koichi; Manabe, Osamu; Hirata, Kenji; Tamaki, Nagara; Yoshinaga, Keiichiro; Katoh, Chietsugu

2011-01-01

Smoking cessation has been shown to normalize the coronary endothelial dysfunction in healthy young smokers. However, its effect has not been explored in middle-aged smokers with a longer history of smoking. Therefore, we compared the effects of smoking cessation on coronary vasomotor response between both young and middle-aged smokers and identified the predictor for its improvement. This study investigated 14 young healthy smokers (age 25.2 ± 2.3 years), 13 middle-aged smokers (age 42.0 ± 6.5 years) and 10 non-smokers. Myocardial blood flow (MBF) was measured by using 15 O-water positron emission tomography (PET). At baseline, the ratio of MBF during the cold pressor test (CPT) to that at rest (MBF CPT/rest ), the index of coronary endothelial function, was significantly decreased in both young and middle-aged smokers compared to non-smokers (1.24 ± 0.20 and 1.10 ± 0.39 vs 1.53 ± 0.18, p CPT/rest at 1 month after smoking cessation significantly increased in young smokers, but not in middle-aged smokers. By multivariate analysis, baseline serum malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL) was an independent predictor for the changes in MBF CPT/rest after smoking cessation (β = -0.45, p < 0.05). Coronary endothelial dysfunction was reversible by short-term smoking cessation in young smokers, but not in middle-aged smokers, which was associated with serum MDA-LDL levels. Long-term smoking exposure could lead to more advanced coronary endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis possibly via oxidative stress. (orig.)

Reorientalizing the Middle East: The Power Agenda Setting Post-Arab Uprisings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karim Malak

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Claims to new or critical knowledge can often be non-performative. Building off of this assumption, this paper demonstrates the ways in which the 2010-2011 uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa have been analysed through approaches that claim to be critical and post-Orientalist and yet reproduce problematic assumptions about the region, revealing their connection to a longer genealogy dating back to Orientalism. This serves to sanitize the uprisings by virtue of a neoliberal agenda that reproduces the ‘Middle East’ straitjacket, in turn creating a typology not too different from realist analysis in the region that (reposits ‘Arab exceptionalism.’ Claims to being critical, or making a critical turn, are thus questioned in this paper through an analysis that shows how theory has been in the interest of power through the appropriation of native informants into the academic complex of think-tanks, Western donor institutions, and foreign media.Taking our cue from Edward Said, we explore how new approaches have presented themselves as critical and have disrobed themselves of their exotic and explicit racist discourse, despite the fact that the same assumptions continue to lurk in the background. Using Sara Ahmed’s notion of the non-performativity of claims to being critical, we survey how the Middle East is being reshaped through these ‘new’ and ‘critical’ approaches that in essence are apologetic to neoliberalism and liberal governmentality at large. We show how minorities continue to be an intervention mechanism under the so-called ‘freedom of belief’ agenda, how the ‘democracy paradigm’ advances electoralism as freedom, and how rights-based approaches with their underlying (neoliberal assumptions continue to determine gender politics and analysis despite postcolonial interventions.By creating a contemporary genealogy of Middle East area studies and surveying calls for proposals for journal articles, media

Regional Effects of the Mount Pinatubo Eruption on the Middle East and the Red Sea

KAUST Repository

Osipov, Sergey; Stenchikov, Georgiy L.

2017-01-01

variability in the Middle East's regional climate, we simulated the impact of the 1991 Pinatubo eruption using a regional coupled ocean-atmosphere modeling system set for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) domain. We used the Coupled Ocean

Opening remarks for a panel discussion on short-term vs long-term procurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Courtenay, R.H.

1990-01-01

Long-term contracting in the late 1970's and early 1980's is blamed for some of the inequities that plague the uranium industry today. Utilities are obliged to pay prices far above prevailing levels and relatively low cost producers are forced to shut down while watching less efficient suppliers stay in business thanks to their long term supply agreements. Furthermore, it is argued that long-term contracts have contributed to supply instability by forcing the buildup of surplus inventories and by supporting excess incremental production by suppliers who have a baseload of long-term contracts. The depressed prices resulting from this oversupply are in turn jeopardizing future resource development and damaging supply reliability. In summary, the author's argument is that supply reliability will be greatly enhanced by the assurance of adequate primary supply from traditional sources such as Canada. This will not happen without long-term contracts. This conclusion may not be expected coming from a representative of Canada's largest uranium producer. But the final comment is less self serving. Many of the critics of long term contracts apparently expect a continuing and plentiful supply of East Bloc uranium to the spot market. A further question is to what extent East Bloc suppliers will eventually require long-term contracts in order to maintain production facilitates in economies that are no longer centrally planned, and where there is open competition for capital. Ultimately, reliability of supply from the non-traditional suppliers may also depend on long-term contracts

The Middle East in the Emerging Global Order

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hans Köchler

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes the consequences of socio-political transformation in the Arab world for the wider region of the Middle East. After a review of the historical background, the author draws conclusions for world order in the context of a new balance of power.

Regional conflict formations: is the Middle East next?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leenders, R.

2007-01-01

As Iraq is plunging into civil war, politics and violence in the Middle East are increasingly perceived to be highly interconnected and entwined. This article offers an attempt to understand the nature and scope of this regional interconnectedness involving three of the region's states—Iraq, Syria

Regional Disease Vector Ecology Profile: The Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

1999-10-01

disturbances and blindness. The parasite is a filarial nematode worm, Onchocerca volvulus . A related species, O. fasciata, occurs in camels but does...which O. volvulus multiplies. Microfilariae in human skin are ingested by vector black flies when they suck blood. In the Middle East, vectors are

Revised East-West Antarctic plate motions since the Middle Eocene

Science.gov (United States)

Granot, R.; Cande, S. C.; Stock, J.; Damaske, D.

2010-12-01

The middle Cenozoic (43-26 Ma) rifting between East and West Antarctica is defined by an episode of ultraslow seafloor spreading in the Adare Basin, located off northwestern Ross Sea. The absence of fracture zones and the lack of sufficient well-located magnetic anomaly picks have resulted in a poorly constrained kinematic model (Cande et al., 2000). Here we utilize the results from a dense aeromagnetic survey (Damaske et al., 2007) collected as part of GANOVEX IX 2005/06 campaign to re-evaluate the kinematics of the West Antarctic rift system since the Middle Eocene. We identify marine magnetic anomalies (anomalies 12o, 13o, 16y, and 18o) along a total of 25,000 km of the GPS navigated magnetic profiles. The continuation of these anomalies into the Northern Basin has allowed us to use the entire N-S length of this dataset in our calculations. A distinct curvature in the orientation of the spreading axis provides a strong constraint on our calculated kinematic models. The results from two- (East-West Antarctica) and three- (Australia-East Antarctica-West Antarctica) plate solutions agree well and create a cluster of rotation axes located south of the rift system, near the South Pole. These solutions reveal that spreading rate and direction, and therefore motion between East and West Antarctica, were steady between the Middle Eocene and Early Oligocene. Our kinematic solutions confirm the results of Davey and De Santis (2005) that the Victoria Land Basin has accommodated ~95 km of extension since the Middle Eocene. This magnetic pattern also provides valuable constraints on the post-spreading deformation of the Adare Basin (Granot et al., 2010). The Adare Basin has accommodated very little extension since the Late Oligocene (<7 km), but motion has probably increased southward. The details of this younger phase of motion are still crudely constrained.

Leishmaniasis in the middle East: incidence and epidemiology.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nasir Salam

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Leishmaniasis is a major health problem worldwide, with several countries reporting cases of leishmaniasis resulting in loss of human life or a lifelong stigma because of bodily scars. The Middle East is endemic for cutaneous leishmaniasis, with countries like Syria reporting very high incidence of the disease. Despite several countries establishing national control programs for containing the sandfly vector and treatment of infection, the disease continues to spread. In addition to the endemicity of the region for leishmaniasis, the Middle East has seen a great deal of human migration either for earning of livelihood or due to political upheaval in the region. These factors contribute to the spread and proliferation of the causative species Leishmania and its sandfly host. This review discusses the current epidemiological scenario in Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, emphasizing the number of cases reported, vector species, Leishmania species, and treatment available. The data is primarily from WHO reports for each country and current and old literature.

Dromedary camels and the transmission of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)

Science.gov (United States)

Hemida, Maged G; Elmoslemany, Ahmed; Al-Hizab, Fahad; Alnaeem, Abdulmohsen; Almathen, Faisal; Faye, Bernard; Chu, Daniel KW; Perera, Ranawaka A; Peiris, Malik

2015-01-01

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is an existential threat to global public health. The virus has been repeatedly detected in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius). Adult animals in many countries in the Middle East as well as in North and East Africa showed high (>90%) sero-prevalence to the virus. MERS-CoV isolated from dromedaries is genetically and phenotypically similar to viruses from humans. We summarise current understanding of the ecology of MERS-CoV in animals and transmission at the animal-human interface. We review aspects of husbandry, animal movements and trade and the use and consumption of camel dairy and meat products in the Middle East that may be relevant to the epidemiology of MERS. We also highlight the gaps in understanding the transmission of this virus in animals and from animals to humans. PMID:26256102

Unraveling the Mysteries of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2014-03-11

Dr. Aron Hall, a CDC coronavirus epidemiologist, discusses Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus.  Created: 3/11/2014 by National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID).   Date Released: 3/11/2014.

Middle East oil and gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

This study is intended to shed light on structural changes occurring in six Middle East countries (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) that can be expected to have a significant impact on their oil and gas industry. These six countries provide 42% of the world's traded crude oil, on which Member countries of the International Energy Agency (IEA) are increasingly dependent. They also contain about 65% and 30% of the world's proven oil and natural gas reserves, respectively, and command a strategic location between Europe and Asia. The Middle East has been one of the most volatile parts of the world where war, revolution and embargoes have caused major upheavals that have led to oil supply disruptions. The oil resources of all six countries were initially developed by international oil companies and all are members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). In 1994, their crude oil production capacity was about 23 million barrels per day (mbd) and is planned to expand to about 28 mbd by the year 2000. Revenue from the sale of oil accounts for more than 80% of each nation's total exports and about 75% of each government's income. The objectives of this study are: to detail their announced oil and gas development plans, to describe the major trends occurring in these countries, to outline the government responses to the trends, and to analyse the impact of government policies on oil and gas development. (J.S.). 121 refs., 136 figs., 212 tabs

Long-Term Monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico, 2002-2006 (NODC Accession 0012632)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Long-Term Monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 2002-2006 data include biological and oceanographic measurements...

Long-Term Monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico, November 2004 (NCEI Accession 0127073)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Long-Term Monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 2002-2006 data include biological and oceanographic measurements...

Long-Term Monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico, August 2003 (NCEI Accession 0127072)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Long-Term Monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 2002-2006 data include biological and oceanographic measurements...

Long-Term Monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico, June 2006 (NCEI Accession 0127075)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Long-Term Monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 2002-2006 data include biological and oceanographic measurements...

'Open SESAME' for science in the Middle-East

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

A memorandum of understanding has just been signed between CERN, SESAME and Jordan. SESAME, the international centre for Synchrotron light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East, is currently being built in Jordan. Its President of Council is no other than CERN's former Director-General, Herwig Schopper.

Long-term smoking causes more advanced coronary endothelial dysfunction in middle-aged smokers compared to young smokers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naya, Masanao; Goto, Daisuke; Tsutsui, Hiroyuki [Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Morita, Koichi; Manabe, Osamu; Hirata, Kenji; Tamaki, Nagara [Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sapporo (Japan); Yoshinaga, Keiichiro [Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Molecular Imaging, Sapporo (Japan); Katoh, Chietsugu [Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Department of Health Science, Sapporo (Japan)

2011-03-15

Smoking cessation has been shown to normalize the coronary endothelial dysfunction in healthy young smokers. However, its effect has not been explored in middle-aged smokers with a longer history of smoking. Therefore, we compared the effects of smoking cessation on coronary vasomotor response between both young and middle-aged smokers and identified the predictor for its improvement. This study investigated 14 young healthy smokers (age 25.2 {+-} 2.3 years), 13 middle-aged smokers (age 42.0 {+-} 6.5 years) and 10 non-smokers. Myocardial blood flow (MBF) was measured by using {sup 15}O-water positron emission tomography (PET). At baseline, the ratio of MBF during the cold pressor test (CPT) to that at rest (MBF{sub CPT/rest}), the index of coronary endothelial function, was significantly decreased in both young and middle-aged smokers compared to non-smokers (1.24 {+-} 0.20 and 1.10 {+-} 0.39 vs 1.53 {+-} 0.18, p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively). The ratio of MBF during adenosine triphosphate infusion to that at rest was significantly decreased in middle-aged smokers compared to young smokers and non-smokers (3.34 {+-} 1.52 vs 4.43 {+-} 0.92 and 4.69 {+-} 1.25, p < 0.05, respectively). MBF{sub CPT/rest} at 1 month after smoking cessation significantly increased in young smokers, but not in middle-aged smokers. By multivariate analysis, baseline serum malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL) was an independent predictor for the changes in MBF{sub CPT/rest} after smoking cessation ({beta} = -0.45, p < 0.05). Coronary endothelial dysfunction was reversible by short-term smoking cessation in young smokers, but not in middle-aged smokers, which was associated with serum MDA-LDL levels. Long-term smoking exposure could lead to more advanced coronary endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis possibly via oxidative stress. (orig.)

Franchising in the Middle East: The Example of Egypt

OpenAIRE

Elsaman, Radwa S.

2017-01-01

With the largest population in the Arab Middle East and a central location between Europe and East Asia, Egypt offers one of the biggest sources of franchising markets in the world for new business opportunities. Egypt, however, does not have specialized laws regulating franchising, which results in real challenges for investors who are seeking to franchise their businesses in Egypt, along with their legal advisors. It also creates problems for the courts who must rule on disputes arising fro...

Long-Term Monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico, 2007-2008 (NODC Accession 0070125)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Long-Term Monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks 2007-2008 dataset includes biological and oceanographic measurements collected to satisfy the...

Obesity Researches Over the Past 24 years: A Scientometrics Study in Middle East Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Djalalinia, Shirin; Peykari, Niloofar; Qorbani, Mostafa; Moghaddam, Sahar Saeedi; Larijani, Bagher; Farzadfar, Farshad

2015-01-01

Researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers call for updated valid evidences to monitor, prevent, and control of alarming trends of obesity. We quantify the trends of obesity/overweight researches outputs of Middle East countries. We systematically searched Scopus database as the only sources for multidisciplinary citation reports, with the most coverage in health and biomedicine disciplines for all related obesity/overweight publications, from 1990 to 2013. These scientometrics analysis assessed the trends of scientific products, citations, and collaborative papers in Middle East countries. We also provided Information on top institutions, journals, and collaborative research centers in the field of obesity/overweight. Over 24-year period, the number of obesity/overweight publications and related citations in Middle East countries had increasing trend. Globally, during 1990-2013, 415,126 papers have been published, from them, 3.56% were affiliated to Middle East countries. Iran with 26.27%, compare with other countries in the regions, after Turkey (47.94%) and Israel (35.25%), had the third position. Israel, Turkey, and Iran were leading countries in citation analysis. The most collaborative country with Middle East countries was USA and within the region, the most collaborative country was Saudi Arabia. Despite the ascending trends in research outputs, more efforts required for promotion of collaborative partnerships. Results could be useful for better health policy and more planned studies in this field. These findings also could be used for future complementary analysis.

Economic analysis of milk production and consumption in the Middle East and North Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mansoor Maitah

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Milk products are considered as the essential food commodities for humans. Milk products contain essential elements for the human body such as protein, glucose, minerals and vitamins. Moreover, milk is considered the cheapest source of animal protein, an important resource for some related transformation industries and provides employment opportunities for a large number of small producers in both rural and urban areas. The aim of this paper is to analyze the factors which determine the supply and demand for liquid milk (henceforth milk in the Middle East and North Africa in order to point out the main problems and constraints obstructing the milk production in this region. The research also attempts to understand the drivers for the development in milk production in the Middle East and North Africa.Total milk production in the Middle East and North Africa increased from about 12.57 million tons in 1990 to about 25.18 millions tons in 2008. This paper attempts to identify the factors which influence the effectiveness of production, consumption and foreign trade of milk in the Middle East and North Africa. The most important factors affecting consumption is the population, per capita income and produced quantity where a 1% increase in all of them results in increasing the quantity consumed by 1.3%, 2.86% and 0.611%, respectively. Milk sector provides employment opportunities for more than 25% of the working force in some Middle East and North Africa countries.

Nasal allergies in the Middle Eastern population: results from the "Allergies in Middle East Survey".

Science.gov (United States)

Abdulrahman, Hussain; Hadi, Usamah; Tarraf, Hisham; Gharagozlou, Mohammad; Kamel, Mohamed; Soliman, Alaa; Hamad, Walid Abou; Hanna, Kamal Maurice; Mostafa, Badr Eldin; Omrani, Mohammádreza; Abdelmotal, Abdelfatah; Moukarzel, Nabil

2012-01-01

Chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR) are a major public health problem in developing countries including those in the Middle East. However, to date, there is a paucity of information related to physician-diagnosed AR in this region. The Allergies in Middle East Survey was undertaken to help clarify and broaden the understanding of physician-diagnosed AR across Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The survey explores the frequency of physician-diagnosed AR, prevalence and types of associated symptoms, the impact on quality of life (QOL), current treatment practices, and therapy expectations. In total, 7411 households in five countries (Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates) were screened to identify individuals that were ≥4 years old with a physician diagnosis of AR and either symptoms and/or treatment in the past 12 months. A total of 501 respondents from the five countries completed the survey. Standardized questionnaires were used to make comparisons across the regions; however, the data collection procedures were tailored for each country. The sample was probability based to ensure valid statistical inference to the population. Ten percent of the Middle East population surveyed had a physician diagnosis of AR, with 65% of respondents stating that their allergies were intermittent in nature. An otolaryngologist or allergist diagnosed the majority of the individuals surveyed. Runny nose, nasal and throat itching, postnasal drip, and nasal congestion or stuffed up nose were the most common and bothersome symptoms of AR. The majority of survey participants (58% of the overall survey population) with AR reported that the condition had an impact on their daily private and professional life. Seventy-two percent of adults reported that their AR symptoms limited their work/school activities and 35% reported that their AR interfered with and caused them to miss work or school within

Middle East and North Africa | IDRC - International Development ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Across the Middle East and North Africa, local economies are under strain, often relying too heavily on the oil industry. ... Our programming is designed to bring together the right partners for the most impact, in areas such as social and economic policy, the environment, politics and governance, information and ...

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Middle-East countries: Meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Ansarimoghaddam, Alireza; Adineh, Hosein Ali; Zareban, Iraj; Iranpour, Sohrab; HosseinZadeh, Ali; Kh, Framanfarma

Metabolic syndrome is an important metabolic disorder which impose noticeable burden on health system. We aimed to review and imply the prevalence of it in Middle-East countries. present study was a systematic review to present overview about metabolic disorder in Middle East. Electronic literature search of Medline database and Google scholar were done for English-language articles without time filtering, as well as for population-based or national studies of the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. The fallowing search terms were used simultaneously: prevalence of " metabolic syndrome" and "national study", "prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Middle East", "prevalence of metabolic syndrome" and "name of country", "metabolic syndrome &name of country". Additionally, relevant articles in bibliography were searched. Analysis of data was carried out in STATA version 11.0. out of 456 studies in first-step searching (selecting by title) 59 studies were recruited and reviewed. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome fluctuated by country and time of study. This amount was 2.2-44% in Turkish, 16-41% in Saudi-Arabia, 14-63 in Pakistan, 26-33 in Qatar, 9-36 in Kuwait, 22-50 in Emirate, 6-42 in Iran, and up to 23 in Yemen. Pooled estimate was 25%. Attributable risk for cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke was 15.87, 11.7, and 16.23, respectively. The prevalence rate of metabolic syndrome is high and it is noticeable cause for stroke, coronary heart disease, and cardiovascular disease. Copyright © 2017 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of technology on gas reserves, worldwide and in the Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dunlop, N.; Speers, G.R.; BP Exploration, UK)

1995-01-01

This paper reviews the distribution of gas reserves both worldwide and the Middle East. As more gas is produced in d ifficult e nvironments, either at long distances from markets or from more complex reservoirs there is a need to curtail costs by improving exploration success, reducing well costs and by increasing the reserves produced per well. Continuing advances in technology can make a major impact in achieving these goals. Historically, the innovative use of technology has resulted in significant increases in the value of oil and gas developments. (Author). 5 fig

The Unites States and the middle east: the petroleum do not make the policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noel, P.

2003-01-01

The author analyzes the USA intervention in Iraq: political reason or energy supply security? It seems difficult to find a direct petroleum rationality to the usa policy towards the Middle east. To illustrate his conclusions the author discusses the usa energy policy, the petroleum resources of the Middle east and the associated risks and the american energy ''dependence''. (A.L.B.)

Working experiences of nurses during the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Hee Sun; Son, Ye Dong; Chae, Sun-Mi; Corte, Colleen

2018-05-30

To explore working experiences of nurses during Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak. Since the first case of Middle East respiratory syndrome was reported on May 20, 2015 in South Korea, 186 people, including health care workers, were infected, and 36 died. A qualitative descriptive study. Seven focus groups and 3 individual in-depth interviews were conducted from August to December 2015. Content analysis was used. The following 4 major themes emerged: "experiencing burnout owing to the heavy workload," "relying on personal protective equipment for safety," "being busy with catching up with the new guidelines related to Middle East respiratory syndrome," and "caring for suspected or infected patients with caution." Participants experienced burnout because of the high volume of work and expressed safety concerns about being infected. Unclear and frequently changing guidelines were 1 of the common causes of confusion. Participants expressed that they need to be supported while caring for suspected or infected patients. This study showed that creating a supportive and safe work environment is essential by ensuring adequate nurse staffing, supplying best-quality personal protective equipment, and improving communication to provide the quality of care during infection outbreak. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Long-term correlated change between personality traits and perceived social support in middle adulthood.

Science.gov (United States)

Allemand, Mathias; Schaffhuser, Kathrin; Martin, Mike

2015-03-01

This study investigated long-term correlated change between personality traits and perceived social support in middle adulthood. Two measurement occasions with an 8-year time interval from the Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study on Adult Development (ILSE) were used. The sample consisted of 346 middle-aged adults (46-50 years at T1). Four different types of perceived social support were assessed. Personality traits were assessed with the NEO-Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). Longitudinal measurement invariance (MI) was established for both measures. The mean rank-order stabilities were .79 and .62 for personality traits and for perceived social support, respectively. The results demonstrated a mean-level increase for neuroticism and a decrease for extraversion and significant change variances for all constructs. The results of latent change models showed significant initial level correlations and correlated changes between personality traits and social support, implying that changes in these constructs show commonality. The results can expand our current thinking about correlated change in personality. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Maghreb and Middle East, future leaders of the market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zebouddj, I.

2006-01-01

The countries of Middle East and North Africa possess the most important resources in fossil energy and should play the first parts from now to about fifteen years, especially on the liquefied natural gas market. The famous peak oil will be the result of a lack of investments but not of a lack of resources says the president of the French Institute of petroleum. But the exporting countries have no interest to increase their production because the demand does not change in spite of high prices. Russian federation excepted, the world reserves are concentrated in the countries of Middle East and North Africa. Algeria will export 85 milliards of meters cube of natural gas in 2010 years 100 milliards in 2015; Qatar is said as the future world leader of liquefied natural gas. Europe will be dependant for its imports of gas for 80% in 2050. (N.C.)

De-linking oil and gas; The cost of Gulf gas; Middle East gas must look to Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aissaoui, Ali; Jensen, Jim; Stern, Jonathan

1994-01-01

This item consists of letters in response to an article by Robert Mabro on the prospects for gas in North Africa and the Middle East. The first letter is concerned with the issue of de-linking oil and gas. It is argued that the introduction of an ecotax, far from its creators' intentions, may deter investment in the natural gas industry to the benefit of coal and oil producers, rather than promoting gas as the fuel which best protects the environment. The second writer points out the Middle East's geographical disadvantage in aiming to supply natural gas to Europe. While reserves are ample, they are also readily available closer to European consumers, and without extra transportation costs. Markets nearby are either already functioning or, in areas such as India or Pakistan, prohibitively expensive in terms of pipeline construction or other technology. The last author also argues for investment in large-scale pipeline projects in order to use the Middle Eastern gas reserves, but stresses the need for political and security problems to be addressed at the same time. (UK)

Democracy in the Middle East: A Goal or an Impossibility?

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Carignan, Jennie

2007-01-01

Since September 11, democracy has come to dominate the discourse as authoritarian Middle East regimes, even if they are friendly to Western interests, are perceived to be at the root of the existing...

Migration to the medieval Middle East with the crusades.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Piers D; Millard, Andrew R

2009-11-01

During the 12th and 13th centuries thousands of people moved from Europe to the Middle East to fight, undertake pilgrimage, or settle and make a new life. The aim of this research is to investigate two populations from the Crusader kingdom of Jerusalem, by determining who was born in Europe and who came from the Middle East. Oxygen and strontium stable isotope analyses were conducted on the enamel of teeth from skeletal remains excavated from Crusader contexts. Twenty individuals from the coastal city of Caesarea (10 high status and 10 low status), and two local Near Eastern Christian farmers from the village of Parvum Gerinum (Tel Jezreel) were analyzed as a control sample. Results were compared with known geographic values for oxygen and strontium isotopes. The population of the city of Caesarea appears to have been dominated by European-born individuals (probably 19/20, but at least 13/20), with few locals. This was surprising as a much higher proportion of locals were expected. Both controls from the farming village of Parvum Gerinum had spent their childhood in the area of the village, which matches our understanding of limited mobility among poor Medieval farmers. This is the first time that stable isotope analysis has been applied to the study of the migration of peoples between Medieval Europe and the Middle East at the time of the crusades. In view of these findings, we must now rethink past estimations of population social structure in Levantine coastal Medieval cities during the Crusader period.

Turkmenistan and the Middle East

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael B. Bishku

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Turkmenistan is a weak country militarily, but well-­endowed with natural gas reserves. While the latter also insulates it somewhat from international criticism of its human rights abuses, unfortunately, Turkmenistan is landlocked and dependent upon the goodwill of its neighbors in order to export that commodity. Additionally, Turkmenistan is in need of technological assistance. Given its relatively homogenous population and its hydrocarbon wealth it has adopted a policy of subsidizing certain necessities—though it underfunds other—and is fairly stable internally. Nevertheless, it is ruled under an autocratic political system, suffers massive corruption, and has to contend with fears of instability on its borders. Therefore, Turkmenistan has adopted a policy of permanent neutrality and is open to cooperation with all its neighbors as well as the big powers. The countries of the Middle East as both immediate and nearby neighbors play an important part in the international relations of Turkmenistan and in providing technological assistance and economic investments. This article, which reviews and analyzes those ties, utilizes government documents, academic works and newspapers from Turkmenistan and Middle Eastern countries.

Gas projects surge in the Middle East as governments seek new revenue sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, M.D.

1997-01-01

The rapid development of natural gas and condensate reserves in the Middle East results from a simple motivation: the desire of governments to earn revenues. For the past decade, Middle East governments have run budget deficits, which they funded by drawing down foreign assets and issuing debt. Now in the process of structural economic reform, they have begun to use an under-utilized resource--natural gas, of which Middle East governments own about one third of the world's reserves. Governments receive revenues from several sources in natural gas developments, which makes the projects very attractive. Revenue comes from the sale of the natural gas in the domestic market and, if exported, the international market; the sale of associated condensates; the additional exports of crude oil or refined products if natural gas is substituted for refined products in domestic markets; the increased sale of crude oil if natural gas is injected into reservoirs to maintain pressure; and the sale of petrochemicals where natural gas is used as feedstock. Large projects under way in the Middle East highlight the consequences of multiple revenue sources and interlinked costs of natural gas and condensate development. Other countries in the region are undertaking similar projects, so examples cited represent only a portion of what is occurring. The paper describes Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Iran

Religious Broadcasting in the Middle East : Content Analysis of ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Over the past decade, television broadcasting has become central in shaping public attitudes in the Middle East. Against a backdrop of authoritarian governments, political instability, war and pervasive foreign military intervention, broadcasting has emerged as a platform for expressing views and opinions that might ...

Introduction. China and the Challenges in Greater Middle East

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Camilla T. N.; Andersen, Lars Erslev; Jiang, Yang

2016-01-01

This collection of short papers is an outcome of an international conference entitled China and the Challenges in Greater Middle East, organized by the Danish Institute for International Studies and Copenhagen University on 10 November 2015. The conference sought answers to the following questions...

MEETING THE PENETRATING SIGHT OF THE GYPSY WOMEN SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

OpenAIRE

BUJALSKA, Aleksandra

2017-01-01

Somewhere in the Middle East during journey we can meet Gypsy women. Their penetrating sight clenches their entire existence. This stare shows their struggle with life, the everlasting roam and the mysterious knowledge contained in their nature. Who is the Gypsy woman in the Middle East? Gypsy is primarily a vagabond, a woman responsible for divination but very often the beggar and also unfortunately a thief. How we can recognize her from other women? The presence of Gypsies in the Midd...

Oil jobs have big impact on heavily populated Middle East.

Science.gov (United States)

Omran, A R; Roudi, F

1993-09-01

Labor force interdependence creates a complex pattern among countries in the Middle East. Oil-rich countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) must import two-thirds of their labor force, including 80% of their professional and technical workers. These migrant workers come from Egypt (60%), Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, and South Asia, and the money they send home is a major factor in the economies of their native lands. Many Arabs who are considered foreign laborers have spent their entire lives, or have even been born, in the oil-rich countries; they have no hope of attaining citizenship. South Asians compete with Arabs for work in the Gulf States and tend to accept less-desirable jobs and lower wages. South Asian workers migrate from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand. Middle Eastern women have social constraints on labor force participation, and most of the women working n the Gulf States are Asian; they often work as domestics. The women of the Middle East are an untapped resource for this labor market.

OPEC Middle East plans for rising world demand amid uncertainty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ismail, I.A.H.

1996-01-01

The Middle Eastern members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries must plan for huge increases in oil production capacity yet wonder whether markets for the new output will develop as expected. With worldwide oil consumption rising and non-OPEC output likely to reach its resource limits soon, OPEC member countries face major gains in demand for their crude oil. To meet the demand growth, those with untapped resources will have to invest heavily in production capacity. Most OPEC members with such resources are in the Middle East. But financing the capacity investments remains a challenge. Some OPEC members have opened up to foreign equity participation in production projects, and others may eventually do so as financial pressures grow. That means additions to the opportunities now available to international companies in the Middle East. Uncertainties, however, hamper planning and worry OPEC. Chief among them are taxation and environmental policies of consuming-nation governments. This paper reviews these concerns and provides data on production, pricing, capital investment histories and revenues

Water Management in Africa and the Middle East: Challenges and ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Book cover Water Management in Africa and the Middle East: Challenges and ... key issues and trends, and map out strategies for further research and action. ... and adaptive water management: Innovative solutions from the Global South”.

Greywater Use in the Middle East: Technical, Social, Economic and ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2011-03-15

Mar 15, 2011 ... ... areas of the Middle East, greywater (household wastewater excluding toilet waste) is commonly used by poor communities to irrigate home gardens. ... in the fields of water supply, water reuse, livelihoods and agriculture.

Bush doctrine in the Middle East; The US foreign policy towards the Middle East during the George W. Bush presidency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lukáš Hoder

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The article is focused at the most important elements of the US foreign policy towards the Middle East during the administration of George W. Bush (2001 – 2009. The text has two parts. The first part shows three important influences on creation and formulation of the US foreign policy towards the region. At the first place it was an effort to preserve unipolar character of the international system, hegemonic possition of the USA and its dominance in all regions. The second source was specific decision-making process set up by president Bush and the third source of the Bush strategy was a partial transformation of the US longtime policy towards the Middle East. The second part of the article discuss results of the Bush doctrine in the region. The text is focused at five most important consequences of the US foreign policy, which are the fight against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the pursuit of the democratization throughout the region, the Israel-Palestinian conflict, regional “cold war” between Iran and Saudi Arabia and finally the struggle to stabilize the post-conflict Iraq.

[International migration in the Middle East].

Science.gov (United States)

Beauge, G

1985-01-01

This special issue contains a selection of 12 papers by various authors on aspects of international migration to the Middle East. Papers are included on the impact of migration on socioeconomic development, income distribution, and rural capitalization in Egypt; migration from rural Lebanon; the effect of emigration on Pakistan; Indian workers in Oman; inter-Arab migration and development; the role of the state in migration in the Arab peninsula; the dynamics of manpower in Kuwait; the Iraqi model and Arab unity; and the impact of this migration on the concept of the New Economic Order.

Sustainability Measures of Urban Public Transport in Cities: A World Review and Focus on the Asia/Middle East Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris De Gruyter

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Previous studies of public transport sustainability in cities have been very limited to date, particularly in more developing countries located throughout Asia and the Middle East. This paper assesses the sustainability of urban public transport systems in cities by adopting a quantitative measurement framework containing 15 public transport sustainability indicators. It compares aggregate sustainability performance of urban public transport in international regions of cities, and then examines the relative sustainability of selected cities in the Asia and Middle East region. The world region analysis shows that Eastern Europe, Asia, and Latin America achieve the highest aggregate normalised scores for sustainable public transport, in that order. In general, the results suggest that western developed countries (Western Europe, North America, and Oceania have better performance on environmental and social indicators but poorer performance on system effectiveness and economic indicators. Asia and Latin America perform the other way round; better on economic and system effectiveness and worse on social and environmental indicators. Eastern Europe is one of the few regions with higher level performance all round. The city-based analysis of Asia/Middle East suggested that out of the 26 cities studied, the top 3 cities in terms of sustainable public transport in the Asia and Middle East Region are: 1st, Manila (Philippines; 2nd, Tokyo (Japan; and 3rd, Chennai (India. Dubai (United Arab Emirates (UAE, rated 26th, Shizuoka (Japan, rated 25th and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia, rated 24th were the lowest rated cities. The paper explores the implications of the findings and makes suggestions for future research.

Suggested avenues to reduce the stigma of mental illness in the Middle East.

Science.gov (United States)

Sewilam, Ahmed M; Watson, Annie M M; Kassem, Ahmed M; Clifton, Sue; McDonald, Margaret C; Lipski, Rebecca; Deshpande, Smita; Mansour, Hader; Nimgaonkar, Vishwajit L

2015-03-01

Stigma toward mentally ill individuals acts as a barrier to accessing care and receiving treatment. To review current evidence pertaining to stigma toward mental illness in the Middle East in order to inform effective and sustainable interventions in this region. We conducted a systematic literature search using the PubMed database and evaluated all identified studies according to specific inclusion criteria. Stigma toward individuals with mental illness does exist in the Middle East. Stigmatizing attitudes are particularly high toward culturally proscribed mental illnesses like alcohol abuse and lower for other disorders such as depression and psychosis. We propose the following initiatives to reduce stigma toward mental illness in the Middle East: (a) educate families to enable them to support their affected relatives, (b) increase cooperation between psychiatrists and faith healers and (c) educate young people in schools to increase their awareness and understanding of mental illnesses and to combat negative stereotypes. © The Author(s) 2014.

Water in the Middle East, a Secondary and College Level Multi-Media Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Manneberg, Eliezer

The secondary and college level guide outlines a course of study on the Middle East, with emphasis on water problems of the area. Among the course objectives are the following: (1) make generalizations about particular Middle Eastern cultures and support them with evidence; (2) interpret environmental and social data from specific Middle Eastern…

Small amounts of tissue preserve pancreatic function: Long-term follow-up study of middle-segment preserving pancreatectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Zipeng; Yin, Jie; Wei, Jishu; Dai, Cuncai; Wu, Junli; Gao, Wentao; Xu, Qing; Dai, Hao; Li, Qiang; Guo, Feng; Chen, Jianmin; Xi, Chunhua; Wu, Pengfei; Zhang, Kai; Jiang, Kuirong; Miao, Yi

2016-11-01

Middle-segment preserving pancreatectomy (MPP) is a novel procedure for treating multifocal lesions of the pancreas while preserving pancreatic function. However, long-term pancreatic function after this procedure remains unclear.The aims of this current study are to investigate short- and long-term outcomes, especially long-term pancreatic endocrine function, after MPP.From September 2011 to December 2015, 7 patients underwent MPP in our institution, and 5 cases with long-term outcomes were further analyzed in a retrospective manner. Percentage of tissue preservation was calculated using computed tomography volumetry. Serum insulin and C-peptide levels after oral glucose challenge were evaluated in 5 patients. Beta-cell secreting function including modified homeostasis model assessment of beta-cell function (HOMA2-beta), area under the curve (AUC) for C-peptide, and C-peptide index were evaluated and compared with those after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and total pancreatectomy. Exocrine function was assessed based on questionnaires.Our case series included 3 women and 2 men, with median age of 50 (37-81) years. Four patients underwent pylorus-preserving PD together with distal pancreatectomy (DP), including 1 with spleen preserved. The remaining patient underwent Beger procedure and spleen-preserving DP. Median operation time and estimated intraoperative blood loss were 330 (250-615) min and 800 (400-5500) mL, respectively. Histological examination revealed 3 cases of metastatic lesion to the pancreas, 1 case of chronic pancreatitis, and 1 neuroendocrine tumor. Major postoperative complications included 3 cases of delayed gastric emptying and 2 cases of postoperative pancreatic fistula. Imaging studies showed that segments representing 18.2% to 39.5% of the pancreas with good blood supply had been preserved. With a median 35.0 months of follow-ups on pancreatic functions, only 1 patient developed new-onset diabetes mellitus of the 4 preoperatively euglycemic

The emerging novel Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus: The “knowns” and “unknowns”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan

2013-07-01

Full Text Available A novel lineage C betacoronavirus, originally named human coronavirus EMC/2012 (HCoV-EMC and recently renamed Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV, that is phylogenetically closely related to Tylonycteris bat coronavirus HKU4 and Pipistrellus bat coronavirus HKU5, which we discovered in 2007 from bats in Hong Kong, has recently emerged in the Middle East to cause a severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-like infection in humans. The first laboratory-confirmed case, which involved a 60-year-old man from Bisha, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA, who died of rapidly progressive community-acquired pneumonia and acute renal failure, was announced by the World Health Organization (WHO on September 23, 2012. Since then, a total of 70 cases, including 39 fatalities, have been reported in the Middle East and Europe. Recent clusters involving epidemiologically-linked household contacts and hospital contacts in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa strongly suggested possible human-to-human transmission. Clinical and laboratory research data generated in the past few months have provided new insights into the possible animal reservoirs, transmissibility, and virulence of MERS-CoV, and the optimal laboratory diagnostic options and potential antiviral targets for MERS-CoV-associated infection.

A New Perspective in the Middle East: A Comprehensive Approach To The Us-Iran Relations in the Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehdi Shokri

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the significance of the cooperation between the United States and Iran for the Middle East region. It will be argued that despite the political and ideological conflicts between the U.S. and Iran, reaching a “point by point” agreement would best help to resolve Middle East predicaments, especially the Islamic terrorism. To achieve this, the following pages examine the historical background of issues such as terrorism in the Middle East. This paper also focuses on two main paths to support the better U.S.-Iran cooperation, if not talking about relations at all. First, the theory of “point by point” approach helps both countries to tackle tough agendas and overcome the predicaments in the Middle East. Second, to reach the desired cooperation between these two countries, both the U.S. and Iran need to overcome their own internal constraints as well as the external constrains imposed by other countries. This paper takes an historical and theoretical approach to reveal the two countries’ common interests in the Middle East. The general thesis argues that the Middle East’s security requires the United States and Iran to develop a diplomatic and military cooperation.

Long term prospects for world gas trade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linder, P.T.

1991-01-01

Results are presented from a world gas trade model used to forecast long term gas markets. Assumptions that went into the model are described, including the extent of current proven gas reserves, production ratios, total energy and gas demand, gas supply cost curves for each producing country, available gas liquefaction and transportation facilities, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipping costs. The results indicate that even with generally very low supply costs for most gas producing basins, gas trade will continue to be restricted by the relatively high cost of transportation, whether by pipeline or tanker. As a consequence, future gas trade will tend to be regionally oriented. United States gas imports will come mostly from Canada, Venezuela, and Mexico; Western Europe will largely be supplied by the Soviet Union and Africa, and Japan's requirements will generally be met by Pacific Rim producers. Although the Middle East has vast quantities of gas reserves, its export growth will continue to be hampered by its remote location from major markets. 16 figs

A Brief Introduction to Astronomy in the Middle East

CERN Document Server

Steele, John M

2012-01-01

The Middle East is the birthplace of astronomy and the centre for its development during the medieval period. In this brief introduction John Steele offers an intriguing insight into Middle Eastern achievements in astronomy and their profound influence on the rest of the world. Amongst other things, the book traces the Late Babylonians' ingenious schemes for modelling planetary motion. It also reveals how medieval Islamic advances in the study of the heavens, and the design of precise astronomical instruments, led to breakthroughs by Renaissance practitioners such as Copernicus and Kepler. An

North sea: a quarter of total's reserves (excluding the Middle East)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1995-01-01

In 1994, for the fifth successive year, Total increased its proven reserves of hydrocarbons which reach 4.3 Gboe (+ 6% compared to 1993). Outside the Middle East, the reserves show a development of 9% and reach the threshold of 2 Gboe. In 1994, Total's production of hydrocarbons reached 633,000 boe/d (+ 4%), despite a fall of 3% in oil production in the Middle East. Excluding the Middle East, production was increased to 345,000 boe/d (+ 12%), including 212,000 boe/d for gas (+ 20%). Exploration/production investments were 5.8 GF in 1994 (excluding labour) and the development program for reserves and production for the coming years is based on yearly investments of some 6 GF. Total's production in Europe, essentially in the North Sea, was 154,000 boe/d in 1994 (+ 12%). This zone has potential for significant growth for the group which has undertaken exploration surveys in the Western Shetlands and in Haltenbanken. In the British zone, the Dunbar field and its neighbour Ellon were brought into production in December 1994. In the Norwegian zone, the Froy field, was brought into production last June. In the Lille-Frigg field, whose production started in May, initial reserves are estimated at 6,7 Bcm of gas. Total Norge AS also has interests in the producing fields of Ekofisk, Frigg, East-Frigg, Heimdal, Sleipner East, Veslefrikk, Oseberg, Brage, in those of Sleipner West and Huldra (start-up scheduled for 1997) and in Troll (phase 1) which should be producing in 1996. In the Dutch zone, the K4b and K5a blocks brought into production last November hold reserves estimated at 20 Bcm; their production could reach 2 Bcm/year as from 1995. (authors). 1 tab., 1 photo

Against 'green development fantasies': resource degradation and the lack of community resistance in the middle Mahakam wetlands, East Kalimantan, Indonesia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nooteboom, G.; de Jong, E. B .P.

2010-01-01

In the middle Mahakam wetlands, East Kalimantan, local populations are hit hard by ecological deterioration in the form of degraded water quality, floods, depletion of fish stocks, and increasing sedimentation and aquatic weeds. In the short term, resources such as fish and wood are being depleted,

Abrupt recent trend changes in atmospheric nitrogen dioxide over the Middle East

KAUST Repository

Lelieveld, J.

2015-08-21

Nitrogen oxides, released from fossil fuel use and other combustion processes, affect air quality and climate. From the mid-1990s onward, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) has been monitored from space, and since 2004 with relatively high spatial resolution by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument. Strong upward NO2 trends have been observed over South and East Asia and the Middle East, in particular over major cities. We show, however, that a combination of air quality control and political factors, including economical crisis and armed conflict, has drastically altered the emission landscape of nitrogen oxides in the Middle East. Large changes, including trend reversals, have occurred since about 2010 that could not have been predicted and therefore are at odds with emission scenarios used in projections of air pollution and climate change in the early 21st century.

Long-Term Monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico, June and November 2005 (NCEI Accession 0127074)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Long-Term Monitoring at the East and West Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary 2002-2006 data include biological and oceanographic measurements...

Dietary trends in the Middle East and North Africa: an ecological study (1961 to 2007).

Science.gov (United States)

Golzarand, Mahdieh; Mirmiran, Parvin; Jessri, Mahsa; Toolabi, Karamollah; Mojarrad, Mehdi; Azizi, Fereidoun

2012-10-01

Middle Eastern and North African countries are undergoing nutrition transition, a transition which is associated with an increased burden of non-communicable diseases. This necessitates the evaluation of dietary patterns in these regions. The present study aimed to assess changes in dietary patterns in Middle Eastern and North African countries between 1961 and 2007. Availability of energy and fifteen main food items during 1961-2007 was examined using FAO food balance sheets from the FAOSTAT database. Fifteen countries including nine in the Middle East and six in North Africa were selected and the average availability of total energy and different food items in these regions were compared. Over the 47 years studied, energy and food availability (apart from animal fats and alcoholic beverages) has increased in the Middle East and North Africa. In both regions the proportion of energy derived from meat and vegetable oils has increased significantly while that from cereals decreased significantly. In addition, the proportion of energy from milk and dairy products and vegetables has shown an ascending trend in North Africa while the proportion of energy from fruits has shown a descending trend in the Middle East. The study results reveal an unfavourable trend towards a Westernized diet in the Middle East and, to a certain extent, in North Africa. Tailored nutritional education encouraging healthy eating for prevention of the burden of chronic diseases in these countries seems essential.

Outdoor particulate matter (PM and associated cardiovascular diseases in the Middle East

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zeina Nasser

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Air pollution is a widespread environmental concern. Considerable epidemiological evidence indicates air pollution, particularly particulate matter (PM, as a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD in the developed countries. The main objective of our review is to assess the levels and sources of PM across the Middle East area and to search evidence for the relationship between PM exposure and CVD. An extensive review of the published literature pertaining to the subject (2000–2013 was conducted using PubMed, Medline and Google Scholar databases. We reveal that low utilization of public transport, ageing vehicle fleet and the increasing number of personal cars in the developing countries all contribute to the traffic congestion and aggravate the pollution problem. The annual average values of PM pollutants in the Middle East region are much higher than the World Health Organization 2006 guidelines (PM2.5 = 10 μg/m3, PM10 = 20 μg/m3. We uncover evidence on the association between PM and CVD in 4 Middle East countries: Iran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The findings are in light of the international figures. Ambient PM pollution is considered a potential risk factor for platelet activation and atherosclerosis and has been found to be linked with an increased risk for mortality and hospital admissions due to CVD. This review highlights the importance of developing a strategy to improve air quality and reduce outdoor air pollution in the developing countries, particularly in the Middle East. Future studies should weigh the potential impact of PM on the overall burden of cardiac diseases.

Consolidating Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

This project aims to promote health and sustainable development in Africa and the Middle East by building the capacity of the media to inform public opinion and promote evidence-based policymaking. The project will involve training 60 journalists in science reporting and 15 experienced science journalists as trainers in ...

Perceptions and Misperceptions: The Middle East and South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Michael; Tyson, G. A.

1990-01-01

Reports findings of a study examining the opinions and awareness level of South African, Israeli, and United States undergraduates about conflicts in either the Middle East or South Africa. Finds religious and racial characteristics determining differences in knowledge level and political support. Reveals South African Blacks and U.S. students…

Mineral facilities of Africa and the Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

Eros, J.M.; Candelario-Quintana, Luissette

2006-01-01

This map displays over 1,500 mineral facilities in Africa and the Middle East. The mineral facilities include mines, plants, mills, or refineries of aluminum, cement, coal, copper, diamond, gold, iron and steel, nickel, platinum-group metals, salt, and silver, among others. The data used in this poster were compiled from multiple sources, including the 2004 USGS Minerals Yearbook (Africa and Middle East volume), Minerals Statistics and Information from the USGS Web site (http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/), and data collected by USGS minerals information country specialists. Data reflect the most recent published table of industry structure for each country. Other sources include statistical publications of individual countries, annual reports and press releases of operating companies, and trade journals. Due to the sensitivity of some energy commodity data, the quality of these data should be evaluated on a country-by-country basis. Additional information and explanation is available from the country specialists. See Table 1 for general information about each mineral facility site including country, location and facility name, facility type, latitude, longitude, mineral commodity, mining method, main operating company, status, capacity, and units.

The pursuit of longevity - the bringer of peace to the middle East.

Science.gov (United States)

Stambler, Ilia

2014-01-01

Despite the common apprehensions regarding the aging population, this work aims to argue, on both deontological and utilitarian moral grounds, that any increase in general life-expectancy will be beneficial for the Middle East, countering the common fears associated with this increase. A set of ethical arguments concerning increasing longevity is presented, from both the deontological and utilitarian perspective. A wide selection of economic, psychological, demographic and epidemiological literature and databases is analyzed to determine common correlates of extended longevity. On the deontological grounds, the value of extended longevity is derived from the value of life preservation, regardless of its term. On the utilitarian grounds, the value of extended longevity is demonstrated by its correlation with further human values, such as education level and intellectual activity, economic prosperity, equality, solidarity and peacefulness. With the common apprehensions of stagnation and scarcity due to life extension found wanting, the pursuit of longevity by the population can be seen as a cross-cultural and cross-generational good. Though the current study mainly refers to sources and data relevant to the Middle East, a similar pro-longevity argument can be also made for other cultural contexts. In view of its numerous benefits, normatively, the goal of longevity should be set clearly and openly by the society, and actively pursued, or at least discussed, in academia, the political system and broader public.

Islamic Tourism as a Factor of the Middle East Regional Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gordana Kovjanic

2014-01-01

Full Text Available For long time tourism, except pilgrimage travels, has been considered as culturally inappropriate and economically unnecessary phenomenon by Arab governments. At the beginning of 21st century, many Arab states developed their tourism industries in order to diversify their economies (in the case of GCC states = Gulf Cooperation Council or to earn foreign currency (in the case of Arab Mediterranean states. Middle East importance for global stability derives from its immense oil reserves and its status as the epicentre of Muslim culture. The majority of their demand for tourism originates from neighbouring countries. The time of unrest in this part of the world has brought a need for local travellers to stay within the same cultural environment when making holiday destination choices.

The Long Game: Five Years of Simulating the Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

Hardy, Mat; Totman, Sally

2017-01-01

Scholarly literature attesting to the benefits of role play in teaching international relations or political science subjects is abundant and universally positive. However, despite many case studies presenting snapshots of single examples, long term data concerning a role play exercise is difficult to find. This study presents student feedback…

The Nuclear Question. After Iran: Toward Nuclear Proliferation in the Middle East?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Courmont, Barthelemy

2008-01-01

Iran's potential acquirement of the atomic bomb could lead to nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. Many countries in the region would be tempted to follow the Iranian example, in order to maintain their regional power. This development could produce significant geopolitical consequences in a region where relationships are already tense. In this context, one can envisage different crisis scenarios: support for terrorist acts, attacks on American bases in the region, threats against the state of Israel. Accelerated nuclear proliferation in the Middle East would also jeopardize the efforts undertaken by regional actors during the past four decades to create a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (NWFZ)

Apolipoprotein ɛ4 breaks the association between declarative long-term memory and memory-based orienting of spatial attention in middle-aged individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Salvato, Gerardo; Patai, Eva Z; McCloud, Tayla; Nobre, Anna C

2016-09-01

Apolipoprotein (APOE) ɛ4 genotype has been identified as a risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer disease (AD). The memory system is mostly involved in AD, and memory deficits represent its key feature. A growing body of studies has focused on the earlier identification of cognitive dysfunctions in younger and older APOE ɛ4 carriers, but investigation on middle-aged individuals remains rare. Here we sought to investigate if the APOE ɛ4 genotype modulates declarative memory and its influences on perception in the middle of the life span. We tested 60 middle-aged individuals recruited according to their APOE allele variants (ɛ3/ɛ3, ɛ3/ɛ4, ɛ4/ɛ4) on a long-term memory-based orienting of attention task. Results showed that the APOE ɛ4 genotype impaired neither explicit memory nor memory-based orienting of spatial attention. Interestingly, however, we found that the possession of the ɛ4 allele broke the relationship between declarative long-term memory and memory-guided orienting of visuo-spatial attention, suggesting an earlier modulation exerted by pure genetic characteristics on cognition. These findings are discussed in light of possible accelerated brain ageing in middle-aged ɛ4-carriers, and earlier structural changes in the brain occurring at this stage of the lifespan. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Observation of the medium-long term efficacy of infusion chemotherapy in middle-terminal stage esophageal carcinomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Taimin; Han Xinwei; Wu Gang

2005-01-01

Objective: To explore the infusion chemotherapeutic efficacy and clinical application value for patients with middle-terminal stage esophageal carcinomas. Methods: Eighty patients with esophageal squamous carcinoma confirmed with barium meal examination and histopathology were undergone angiography and infusion chemotherapy through catheter in the target artery of the esophageal tumor. Results: Complete relief were acquired in 26 of 80 patients after the infusion, partial relief in 42, no-change in 11 and progress in 1; the overall effective rate was 85%(68/80). The survival rates was 87.5%(70/80), 38.8%(31/80), 21.3%(17/80), 15%(12/80) at 1, 2, 3 and 5 year intervals respectively. The patients of more than 3 years survival were complete symptomlessness after infusion. The survival rate could be improved significantly with infusion as long as necessary. Conclusions: The short-term efficacy with infusion is remarkable and should be the preferable choice, but the medium-long term survival rate is still low. Accomplishment with other therapies is further to be recommended. (authors)

China's Expansion into the Middle East and Its Effects on U.S. Foreign Policy

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Saito, Henry T

2007-01-01

...% of the world's proven oil reserves located in the Middle East, and China realizes that Middle Eastern states will play a vital role in Beijing's ability to meet its energy demands in the future...

Livestock Susceptibility to Infection with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vergara-Alert, Júlia; van den Brand, Judith M A; Widagdo, W; Muñoz, Marta; Raj, V Stalin; Schipper, Debby; Solanes, David; Cordón, Ivan; Bensaid, Albert; Haagmans, Bart L; Segalés, Joaquim

Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) cases continue to be reported, predominantly in Saudi Arabia and occasionally other countries. Although dromedaries are the main reservoir, other animal species might be susceptible to MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection and potentially serve as reservoirs.

Trump, Islamophobia and US–Middle East relations

OpenAIRE

Hassan, Oz

2017-01-01

Identifying the Trump administration’s approach to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is problematic. Not only is one hundred days of a new administration too short a period to make an assessment of any potential “Trump Doctrine”, especially given the size and complexity of the region, but Trump is himself unpredictable and consistently inconsistent (Rachman 2017). For some, this has been depicted as a result of Trump following the “Jacksonian” tradition in US foreign policy, emph...

Analysis of the long and middle term effect of uterine artery embolization for uterine leiomyomas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Limin; Luo Pengfei; Chen Xiaoming

2006-01-01

Uterine artery embolization (UAE) is a safe and effective method for uterine leiomyomas but its long and middle term effects are definite. Furthermore it bears some exquisite comparison with the conventional therapy but not as a radical one, with a tendency. However, to develop new leiomyomas and recurrence after UAE, there for all patients should be monitored with clinical and imaging examinations for more than 2 years after the procedure. At present, a few literatures involving the factors that could influence the effects of UAE have been issued. It is necessary to carry on large-scale clinical research of the related factors influencing the results of UAE in order to guide clinical practice correctly and swiftly. (authors)

Russian Strategy Of Entering The Innovation Markets Of The Middle East

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. A. Maryasis

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This article is an attempt to formulate a non-standard multifactor approach to the problem of consolidating Russia’s presence in the countries of the Middle East. It explores the possibility of creating in the Arab countries a system of educational courses related to innovation. These courses will make it possible for young people in the region to form an attitude towards our country as one of the leaders in the high-tech economy, to strengthen their loyalty to representatives of domestic business. In the future, the ecosystem of innovations can be formed as a result of educational efforts. That is going to allow Russian business circles to take part in the commercialization of new technologies created by innovators of the region. Russia’s innovative presence in the Middle East region can be embodied in the form of joint ventures, the outsourcing of a number of industries and the provision of technological services as well as joint applied scientific research. Such efforts will bring changes in the existing international division of labor by creating more favorable conditions for the development of the economy of the Russian Federation and its transition to the economy of innovation. Moreover, the article draws attention to the possibility of cooperation between Russia and Israel for the organization of a platform for effective interaction between representatives of innovative communities of Muslim countries of the Middle East and participants of the high technology market of the Jewish state. The article shows that the implementation of such a strategy will allow our country to become meaningful player in the process of economic and socio-political transformation of the region. The promotion of innovative business in the region should be part of a wider strategy for promoting a positive image of Russia, creating economic grounds for existing political and military-political ties with the countries of the Middle East.

Outdoor particulate matter (PM) and associated cardiovascular diseases in the Middle East.

Science.gov (United States)

Nasser, Zeina; Salameh, Pascale; Nasser, Wissam; Abou Abbas, Linda; Elias, Elias; Leveque, Alain

2015-01-01

Air pollution is a widespread environmental concern. Considerable epidemiological evidence indicates air pollution, particularly particulate matter (PM), as a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the developed countries. The main objective of our review is to assess the levels and sources of PM across the Middle East area and to search evidence for the relationship between PM exposure and CVD. An extensive review of the published literature pertaining to the subject (2000-2013) was conducted using PubMed, Medline and Google Scholar databases. We reveal that low utilization of public transport, ageing vehicle fleet and the increasing number of personal cars in the developing countries all contribute to the traffic congestion and aggravate the pollution problem. The annual average values of PM pollutants in the Middle East region are much higher than the World Health Organization 2006 guidelines (PM2.5 = 10 μg/m(3), PM10 = 20 μg/m(3)). We uncover evidence on the association between PM and CVD in 4 Middle East countries: Iran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The findings are in light of the international figures. Ambient PM pollution is considered a potential risk factor for platelet activation and atherosclerosis and has been found to be linked with an increased risk for mortality and hospital admissions due to CVD. This review highlights the importance of developing a strategy to improve air quality and reduce outdoor air pollution in the developing countries, particularly in the Middle East. Future studies should weigh the potential impact of PM on the overall burden of cardiac diseases. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Chatty, Dawn: Displacement and Dispossession in the Modern Middle East

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mohns, Erik

2011-01-01

and resettlement with an anthropological account of life experiences of individual members of dispersed communities, Chatty allows the reader to inspect “how various peoples, forced to migrate into or within the Middle East, have survived, founded new communities, integrated, and generally exhibited remarkable...

Middle East and North Africa Data Book, September 2014

OpenAIRE

Devarajan, Shanta; Mottaghi, Lili

2014-01-01

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) data book serves as a quick reference and a reliable dataset for monitoring economic and social developments in the region. The data are drawn from the 2014 World Bank's World Development Indicators (WDI) and International Monetary Fund's (IMF's) direction of trade statistics. It contains macroeconomic, sectoral, and social indicators for 19 countrie...

An observational study of acarbose treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes from the Middle East and Morocco

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shihabi AR

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Abdul R Shihabi,1 Essam M Moussa,2 Hania Sobierajska,3 Birgit Schmidt4 1Al Ain Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; 2New Jeddah Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 3Etihad Airways Medical Centre, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 4Bayer Schering Pharma AG, Leverkusen, Germany Background: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing dramatically in the Middle East and North Africa region. However, there are few trials that have determined the effect of antidiabetic treatment in an observational setting in these countries. Methods: This was a noninterventional study performed in Morocco in 2006–2007 and in the Middle East in 2005–2006 to observe the efficacy and safety of acarbose in patients with pretreated or untreated type 2 diabetes. Glycemic parameters (fasting blood glucose, one-hour postprandial blood glucose, and HbA1c were recorded within a 3-month period. The observation period included an initial visit at the start of acarbose therapy and up to three follow-ups. Results: Acarbose was effective in reducing glycemic parameters in patients from Morocco (n = 1082 and the Middle East (n = 1737. The mean one-hour postprandial blood glucose decreased by 35.5% to 165.4 ± 47.9 mg/dL in the Middle East and by 35.5% to 179.0 ± 49.9 mg/dL in Morocco. Mean fasting blood glucose decreased by 30.8% to 126.6 ± 34.2 mg/dL (Middle East and by 34.5% to 150.6 ± 47.1 mg/dL (Morocco. The absolute reduction in HbA1c was 1.3% in the Middle East (final value 7.4% and 1.0% in Morocco (final value 7.5%. Overall, 107 patients (Middle East and 26 patients (Morocco experienced minor drug-related adverse events, which were mainly gastrointestinal. The tolerability of acarbose was rated as very good/good by 80.8% in the Middle East and by 68.6% in Morocco. Conclusion: This study illustrates the efficacy and safety of acarbose in the treatment of type 2 diabetic patients in an observational setting. Keywords: type 2 diabetes, acarbose, Glucobay®, Glucor

Energy Geopolitics in the Middle East After the Opec Summit

OpenAIRE

Çubukçuoğlu, Serhat Süha

2017-01-01

The Middle East is home to 65% of OPEC’s oil reserves and, with 32 million b/d, provides just over a third of the global oil supplies. Since 2014, the group of GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, lead by Saudi Arabia, had seen a worldwide oversupply send prices lower and reduce revenues to government budgets.1 Defending and expanding market share had been the primary goal of the low-cost Middle Eastern states with the aim to squeeze potential...

Initiation and long-term instability of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.

Science.gov (United States)

Gulick, Sean P S; Shevenell, Amelia E; Montelli, Aleksandr; Fernandez, Rodrigo; Smith, Catherine; Warny, Sophie; Bohaty, Steven M; Sjunneskog, Charlotte; Leventer, Amy; Frederick, Bruce; Blankenship, Donald D

2017-12-13

Antarctica's continental-scale ice sheets have evolved over the past 50 million years. However, the dearth of ice-proximal geological records limits our understanding of past East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) behaviour and thus our ability to evaluate its response to ongoing environmental change. The EAIS is marine-terminating and grounded below sea level within the Aurora subglacial basin, indicating that this catchment, which drains ice to the Sabrina Coast, may be sensitive to climate perturbations. Here we show, using marine geological and geophysical data from the continental shelf seaward of the Aurora subglacial basin, that marine-terminating glaciers existed at the Sabrina Coast by the early to middle Eocene epoch. This finding implies the existence of substantial ice volume in the Aurora subglacial basin before continental-scale ice sheets were established about 34 million years ago. Subsequently, ice advanced across and retreated from the Sabrina Coast continental shelf at least 11 times during the Oligocene and Miocene epochs. Tunnel valleys associated with half of these glaciations indicate that a surface-meltwater-rich sub-polar glacial system existed under climate conditions similar to those anticipated with continued anthropogenic warming. Cooling since the late Miocene resulted in an expanded polar EAIS and a limited glacial response to Pliocene warmth in the Aurora subglacial basin catchment. Geological records from the Sabrina Coast shelf indicate that, in addition to ocean temperature, atmospheric temperature and surface-derived meltwater influenced East Antarctic ice mass balance under warmer-than-present climate conditions. Our results imply a dynamic EAIS response with continued anthropogenic warming and suggest that the EAIS contribution to future global sea-level projections may be under-estimated.

America's Call to Islam in the Middle East: The Information War

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Leach, Walter H

2005-01-01

While the United States armed forces are working hard to defeat terrorists wherever they can be found the country is also engaged on the information front to accelerate the introduction of democracy into the Middle East...

The Potential Uses of Commercial Satellite Imagery in the Middle East

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vannoni, M.G.

1999-06-08

It became clear during the workshop that the applicability of commercial satellite imagery to the verification of future regional arms control agreements is limited at this time. Non-traditional security topics such as environmental protection, natural resource management, and the development of infrastructure offer the more promising applications for commercial satellite imagery in the short-term. Many problems and opportunities in these topics are regional, or at least multilateral, in nature. A further advantage is that, unlike arms control and nonproliferation applications, cooperative use of imagery in these topics can be done independently of the formal Middle East Peace Process. The value of commercial satellite imagery to regional arms control and nonproliferation, however, will increase during the next three years as new, more capable satellite systems are launched. Aerial imagery, such as that used in the Open Skies Treaty, can also make significant contributions to both traditional and non-traditional security applications but has the disadvantage of requiring access to national airspace and potentially higher cost. There was general consensus that commercial satellite imagery is under-utilized in the Middle East and resources for remote sensing, both human and institutional, are limited. This relative scarcity, however, provides a natural motivation for collaboration in non-traditional security topics. Collaborations between scientists, businesses, universities, and non-governmental organizations can work at the grass-roots level and yield contributions to confidence building as well as scientific and economic results. Joint analysis projects would benefit the region as well as establish precedents for cooperation.

Political problems in the Middle-East and the oil barrel price

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saidy, Brahim

2010-04-01

After having briefly evoked the evolution of oil prices until April 2010, the author explains these variations in relationship with a market logics, notably by an unbalanced rate between production and consumption as it has been noticed in different countries and by different institutions, and by a slowing down of the supply rate. In the next part, the author addresses and comments the influence of the geopolitical context, or the political logics of oil price, by discussing the prevailing importance of the Middle-East in terms of oil reserves and production, and the impact of geopolitical tensions and events on oil price since the 1970's. The author finally outlines how lower geopolitical tensions would result in a better energy security

Middle East geopolitics and the great new game

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Mallakh, D.H.

1998-01-01

The dynamics of supply and demand of OPEC oil was the focus of this presentation. The geopolitics involved in moving crude oil from land-locked Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan was also discussed, along with the constraints imposed by the lack of adequate means to move land-locked crude oil and natural gas, and the reality of additional investments of $8 billion to $20 billion that will be needed over the next 10 to 20 years to establish a pipeline network. A look at U.S. crude oil imports shows that OPEC's share reached a high at 85 per cent of total imports in 1977, but declined steadily to bottom out at 41 per cent in 1985. Issues of supply security have been invoked in avoiding overdependence on Middle East (Gulf) oil imports, based on concern over the region's political instability, including inter-state conflicts. The heavy reliance of governments in the Gulf states on oil exports for much of their revenue, the implications of current demographics in the region, and the probability of unmet expectations leading to rising discontent, have important implications for future oil supply and demand from the Middle East. Much of the paper is devoted to the exploration of these implications. 6 tabs

Positive response of Indian summer rainfall to Middle East dust

KAUST Repository

Jin, Qinjian

2014-06-02

Using observational and reanalyses data, we investigated the impact of dust aerosols over the Middle East and the Arabian Sea (AS) on the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) rainfall. Satellite and aerosol reanalysis data show extremely heavy aerosol loading, mainly mineral dust, over the Middle East and AS during the ISM season. Multivariate empirical orthogonal function analyses suggest an aerosol-monsoon connection. This connection may be attributed to dust-induced atmospheric heating centered over the Iranian Plateau (IP), which enhances the meridional thermal contrast and strengthens the ISM circulation and rainfall. The enhanced circulation further transports more dust to the AS and IP, heating the atmosphere (positive feedback). The aerosols over the AS and the Arabian Peninsula have a significant correlation with rainfall over central and eastern India about 2 weeks later. This finding highlights the nonlocal radiative effect of dust on the ISM circulation and rainfall and may improve ISM rainfall forecasts. © 2014. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

Positive response of Indian summer rainfall to Middle East dust

KAUST Repository

Jin, Qinjian; Wei, Jiangfeng; Yang, Zong-Liang

2014-01-01

Using observational and reanalyses data, we investigated the impact of dust aerosols over the Middle East and the Arabian Sea (AS) on the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) rainfall. Satellite and aerosol reanalysis data show extremely heavy aerosol loading, mainly mineral dust, over the Middle East and AS during the ISM season. Multivariate empirical orthogonal function analyses suggest an aerosol-monsoon connection. This connection may be attributed to dust-induced atmospheric heating centered over the Iranian Plateau (IP), which enhances the meridional thermal contrast and strengthens the ISM circulation and rainfall. The enhanced circulation further transports more dust to the AS and IP, heating the atmosphere (positive feedback). The aerosols over the AS and the Arabian Peninsula have a significant correlation with rainfall over central and eastern India about 2 weeks later. This finding highlights the nonlocal radiative effect of dust on the ISM circulation and rainfall and may improve ISM rainfall forecasts. © 2014. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

Poverty, Job Quality and Labor Market Dynamics in the Middle East ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Poverty, Job Quality and Labor Market Dynamics in the Middle East and North Africa ... This project will explore links between labour market dynamics and the quality ... public health, and health systems research relevant to the emerging crisis.

CASE STUDY: North Africa and Middle East — Breeding better barley

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2011-01-06

Jan 6, 2011 ... CASE STUDY: North Africa and Middle East — Breeding better barley — together ... In Syria, for example, "host farmers" in nine communities were ... and Yemen, the same approach is being applied to research on lentils.

Management of Water Demand in Africa and the Middle East ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Throughout Africa and the Middle East, supplies of fresh water for growing and ... As well, additional sources of supply are becoming scarce and more expensive to ... This publication documents WDM research activities in North Africa and the ... Adaptation strategies for two Colombian cities were discussed at ADAPTO's ...

Foreign Direct Investment and Energy Supply in the Middle East and North Africa: A Correlational Study

Science.gov (United States)

Elghali, Siddig

Middle East and North Africa countries have been criticized for failing to utilize foreign direct investment energy resources efficiently. The changing of energy resources environment of the past decades with its growing emphasis on the importance of imminent energy supply challenges require strategists to consider different types of energy resources investment to improve energy supply. One type of energy investment will show effectiveness and efficiency in utilizing foreign direct investment in exposing RE, fossil fuels, natural gas, and reducing CO2 emissions. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to utilize foreign direct investment to predict total primary energy supply in the Middle East and North Africa region between 1971 and 2013. The study was conducted using a sample size of 43 years of energy supply resources and foreign direct investment from 1971 to 2013, which includes all of the years for which FDI is available. RE potential may equip Middle East and North Africa countries with sustainable and clean electricity for centuries to come, as non-renewable energy resources may not meet the demands globally and domestically or environmentally. As demands for fossil fuels grow, carbon emissions will increase. RE may be a better option of CO 2 emissions sequestration and will increase electricity to rural areas without government subsidies and complex decision-making policies. RE infrastructure will reduce water desalinization costs, cooling systems, and be useful in heating. Establishing concentrated solar power may be useful for the region cooperation, negotiations, and integration to share this energy. The alternative sought to fossil fuels was nuclear power. However, nuclear power depends on depleting, non-renewable uranium resources. The cost of uranium will increase if widely used and the presence of a nuclear plant in an unstable region is unsafe. Thus, renewable energy as a long-term option is efficient. A nonlinear regression

Dust Storm over the Middle East: Retrieval Approach, Source Identification, and Trend Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Moridnejad, A.; Karimi, N.; Ariya, P. A.

2014-12-01

The Middle East region has been considered to be responsible for approximately 25% of the Earth's global emissions of dust particles. By developing Middle East Dust Index (MEDI) and applying to 70 dust storms characterized on MODIS images and occurred during the period between 2001 and 2012, we herein present a new high resolution mapping of major atmospheric dust source points participating in this region. To assist environmental managers and decision maker in taking proper and prioritized measures, we then categorize identified sources in terms of intensity based on extracted indices for Deep Blue algorithm and also utilize frequency of occurrence approach to find the sensitive sources. In next step, by implementing the spectral mixture analysis on the Landsat TM images (1984 and 2012), a novel desertification map will be presented. The aim is to understand how human perturbations and land-use change have influenced the dust storm points in the region. Preliminary results of this study indicate for the first time that c.a., 39 % of all detected source points are located in this newly anthropogenically desertified area. A large number of low frequency sources are located within or close to the newly desertified areas. These severely desertified regions require immediate concern at a global scale. During next 6 months, further research will be performed to confirm these preliminary results.

78 FR 42779 - Authorization of Emergency Use of an In Vitro Diagnostic for Detection of Middle East Respiratory...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-17

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2013-N-0754] Authorization of Emergency Use of an In Vitro Diagnostic for Detection of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome... Authorization) for an in vitro diagnostic device for detection of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus...

Unites States and the oil of the Middle-East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noel, P.

2005-08-01

The author discusses different aspects of the United States intervention and behavior in the Middle-East petroleum management. The Iraq and Iran potentials are largely under used. The Saudi Arabia defines its own oil policy, but benefits of the Unites States military help. The United States intervention is in the domain of the security of flux on the world market. (A.L.B.)

A Historical Analysis of Three Main Issues Affecting United States Foreign Policy in the Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

1979-06-01

4 Objectives . . . . . .. . . . 5 Reserach Questions .a. . . . . . . . . . 6 Literature Review .. a .a . .a aa 7 The United...Question . . . . 12 The Importance of Middle East Oil 14 The Soviet Threat t . . . 15 II. METHODOLOGY ..... b 18 III. THE BIRTH OF ISRAEL AND UNITED...thoroughly’analyzing the history behind these problems can one begin to understand United States foreign policy in the Middle East. 17 17i CHAPTER II METHODOLOGY This

Dengue in the Middle East and North Africa: A Systematic Review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Humphrey, J.M. (John M.); N.B. Cleton (Natalie); C.B.E.M. Reusken (Chantal); Glesby, M.J. (Marshall J.); M.P.G. Koopmans D.V.M. (Marion); L.J. Abu-Raddad (Laith J)

2016-01-01

textabstractBackground: Dengue virus (DENV) infection is widespread and its disease burden has increased in past decades. However, little is known about the epidemiology of dengue in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Methodology / Principal Findings: Following Cochrane Collaboration

Middle East energy megaprojects after the millennium: the need to start now

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shammas, Pierre

1997-01-01

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region will become the heart of the world energy supply in the new millennium. Integrated energy megaprojects upon which the oil majors want to embark will be urgently needed and given typical lead times of five to ten years need to be started now. Although perhaps in the most unstable part of the energy world, MENA has the potential to become the most profitable market for such projects in the light of such factors as the security of world energy supply and the decrease in commercial oil inventories. Other considerations include the link between MENA's political stability and socio-economic reforms, and the influence of multinational organisations in promoting privatisation and structural change. A key factor is the link between the Middle East peace process and economic growth. The integrated megaprojects include the Middle East loop of gas pipelines to supply Europe and Asia. Together with the related mini independent power projects and communications links, this will raise MENA living standards and promote MENA's growing liquefied natural gas business. In the energy integration of MENA with both Europe and Asia, Turkey, Egypt, Iran and Iraq will have major roles to play. Data on MENA power requirements to 2005 and private wealth in the Arab world are appended. (2 tables). (UK)

Water Management in Africa and the Middle East: Challenges and ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Book cover Water Management in Africa and the Middle East: Challenges and Opportunities. Directeur(s) : Eglal Rached, Eva Rathgeber, and David B. ... HarassMap et Uber Égypte nouent un partenariat pour sensibiliser la population à la question du harcèlement sexuel. L'organisation HarassMap, soutenue par le CRDI, ...

Adapting pediatric psychology interventions: lessons learned in treating families from the Middle East.

Science.gov (United States)

Hilliard, Marisa E; Ernst, Michelle M; Gray, Wendy N; Saeed, Shehzad A; Cortina, Sandra

2012-09-01

Pediatric psychologists are increasingly called upon to treat children from non-Western countries, whose cultures may contrast with a Western medical setting. Research on cultural adaptations of evidence-based treatments (EBTs), particularly for individuals from the Middle East, is sparse. To address this need, we discuss clinical issues encountered when working with patients from the Middle East. Synthesis of the literature regarding culturally adapted EBTs and common themes in Middle Eastern culture. Case vignettes illustrate possible EBT adaptations. Integrating cultural values in treatment is an opportunity to join with patients and families to optimize care. Expectations for medical and psychological treatment vary, and collaborations with cultural liaisons are beneficial. Critical next steps include systematic development, testing, and training in culturally adapting EBTs in pediatric medical settings. Increased dialogue between clinicians, researchers, and cultural liaisons is needed to share knowledge and experiences to enhance patient care.

Middle East Regional Irrigation Management Information Systems project-Some science products

Science.gov (United States)

Similarities in the aridity of environments and water scarcity for irrigation allow common approaches to irrigation management problems and research methods in the Southern Great Plains of the United States and the Middle East. Measurement methods involving weighing lysimeters and eddy covariance sy...

Panorama 2012 - The oil and gas producing countries of North Africa and the Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cueille, Jean-Philippe

2011-11-01

Despite the extent of their reserves, oil production in most countries of the Middle East and North Africa is not likely to increase significantly in the years ahead. Exports from the Middle East, 75% of which are to Asia, and those from North Africa, most of which are focused on Europe, should remain stable overall. The increase in gas production will contribute more to meeting fast-growing domestic demand than to boosting exports. Indeed, many Middle Eastern countries are paradoxically experiencing strains on domestic energy supplies due to energy demand stimulated by energy prices that are generally - and artificially - very low, and the adoption of economic development models based on energy-intensive industries. (author)

Corporate governance in the Middle East – Which way to go?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Udo C. Braendle

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The Interest in corporate governance is not a new phenomenon in the transition economies of the Middle East, but corporate governance is especially important in these economies since these countries do not have the long-established (financial institutional infrastructure to deal with corporate governance issues. This article focusses on a cross-country analysis of the most important topics in corporate codes – shareholder rights, board systems and executive remuneration. By analysing three representative MENA countries, we discuss if codes based on directives or standards are better for these economies. The introduction of corporate governance codes for these economies seems useful but should not rely on broad standards but on legally enforced binding rules accounting for the discussion of directives versus standards. The paper argues against the blindfold implementation of corporate governance codes and argues for country specific solutions

Coronary artery disease in Africa and the Middle East

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kurdi MI

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Wael Almahmeed1, Mohamad Samir Arnaout2, Rafik Chettaoui3, Mohsen Ibrahim4, Mohamed Ibrahim Kurdi5, Mohamed Awad Taher6, Giuseppe Mancia71Heart and Vascular Institute, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; 2American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon; 3General and Cardiovascular Clinic of Tunis, Tunisia; 4Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt; 5King Khalid University Hospital and The Kingdom Hospital, Saudi Arabia; 6Ain Shams University School of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt; 7University of Milan, Bicocca, Milan, ItalyAbstract: Countries in Africa and the Middle East bear a heavy burden from cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of coronary heart disease is promoted in turn by a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, particularly smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and sedentary lifestyles. Patients in Africa and the Middle East present with myocardial infarction at a younger age, on average, compared with patients elsewhere. The projected future burden of mortality from coronary heart disease in Africa and the Middle East is set to outstrip that observed in other geographical regions. Recent detailed nationally representative epidemiological data are lacking for many countries, and high proportions of transient expatriate workers in countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates complicate the construction of such datasets. However, the development of national registries in some countries is beginning to reveal the nature of coronary heart disease. Improving lifestyles (reducing calorie intake and increasing physical activity in patients in the region will be essential, although cultural and environmental barriers will render this difficult. Appropriate prescribing of pharmacologic treatments is essential in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease. In particular, recent controversies relating to the therapeutic profile of beta-blockers may have reduced their use. The

PROSPECTS OF TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN THE MIDDLE EAST COUNTRIES AND CHINA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ms. Zanna V. Petrunina

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Policy management of modern China aims to achieve a high level of welfare state. One of the important components that contributes to the achievement of this goal is the expansion of China's cooperation with the Middle East countries in all fields. At present, China is interested in obtaining energy from the Middle East oil fields. Of great importance is the transport infrastructure expansion between the regions. Construction and operation of oil pipelines, gas pipelines and land transport routes will reduce the risks of transporting raw materials and other goods from one region to another. The paper discusses the features of the development of rail and sea links as part of the strategy of «economic belt of the Silk Road» and «Marine Silk Road of XXI century».

Research for Development in the Middle East and North Africa ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

This book explores the current challenges and opportunities of research for development in the Arab countries of the Middle East and North Africa. Experts from the region and ... HarassMap et Uber Égypte nouent un partenariat pour sensibiliser la population à la question du harcèlement sexuel. L'organisation HarassMap ...

Water resources trends in Middle East and North Africa towards 2050

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Droogers, P.; Immerzeel, W.W.; Terink, W.; Hoogeveen, J.; Bierkens, M.F.P.; Beek, L.P.H. van; Debele, B.

Changes in water resources availability can be expected as consequences of climate change, population growth, economic development and environmental considerations. A two-stage modeling approach is used to explore the impact of these changes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. An

Recent warming reverses long-term arctic cooling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

kaufman, D.S.; Vinther, Bo Møllesøe

2009-01-01

continued through the Middle Ages and into the Little Ice Age. A 2000-year transient climate simulation with the Community Climate System Model shows the same temperature sensitivity to changes in insolation as does our proxy reconstruction, supporting the inference that this long-term trend was caused...

Agrarian Reform Policies and Development in the Arab Middle East.

Science.gov (United States)

Baali, Fuad

The purpose of this paper is to analyze and evaluate the nature, scope, and implications of the rural development in the Arab countries of the Middle East and North Africa. The first section of the paper deals with the forces that have caused changes in agrarian reform policies as they affected rural development in these countries. Specifically…

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in dromedary camels: An outbreak investigation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

B.L. Haagmans (Bart); S.H.S. Al Dhahiry (Said); C.B.E.M. Reusken (Chantal); V.S. Raj (Stalin); M. Galiano (Monica); R.H. Myers (Richard); G-J. Godeke (Gert-Jan); M. Jonges (Marcel); E. Farag (Elmoubasher); A. Diab (Ayman); H. Ghobashy (Hazem); F. Alhajri (Farhoud); M. Al-Thani (Mohamed); S.A. Al-Marri (Salih); H.E. Al Romaihi (Hamad); A. Al Khal (Abdullatif); A. Bermingham (Alison); A.D.M.E. Osterhaus (Albert); M.M. AlHajri (Mohd); M.P.G. Koopmans D.V.M. (Marion)

2014-01-01

textabstractBackground: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causes severe lower respiratory tract infection in people. Previous studies suggested dromedary camels were a reservoir for this virus. We tested for the presence of MERS-CoV in dromedary camels from a farm in Qatar

A Matter of Perspective: Teaching International Relations in the Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Sean

2014-01-01

In this article, the author looks at several popular international relations textbooks in light of his experience teaching students in the Middle East. He finds that, for their many strengths, most of the books lack some key features that would make them more useful for students abroad.

Immediate and Long-term Hearing Outcomes With the Middle Cranial Fossa Approach for Vestibular Schwannoma Resection.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Sameer; Arts, H Alexander; El-Kashlan, Hussam; Basura, Gregory J; Thompson, B Gregory; Telian, Steven A

2018-01-01

To analyze the immediate postoperative and long-term hearing outcome data in patients who have undergone hearing preservation attempts with the middle cranial fossa (MCF) approach for the resection of sporadic vestibular schwannoma. Retrospective review of a surgical patient cohort. Tertiary academic referral center. Adult patients with unilateral sporadic vestibular schwannoma. Surgical treatment with a MCF approach. Comparison of pre- and postoperative audiometric data in accordance with the 1995 and 2012 American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery guidelines on reporting hearing outcomes and with a word recognition score only scale. Long-term hearing outcome data were analyzed in the following postoperative groups: 3 to 5, 6 to 8, 9 to 11, and 12+ years after surgery. From 1999 to 2016, 174 patients underwent the MCF approach and 155 of them met inclusion criteria for analysis of hearing outcome data. Class A or B hearing was preserved in 70% of the entire cohort after recovery. Seventy-one patients with measurable hearing met criteria for long-term data analysis. The rate of American Academy of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery class A or B hearing preservation was 82% at 3 to 5 years and declined thereafter. The rate of word recognition score class I or II hearing preservation was 98% at 3 to 5 years and declined less rapidly thereafter. Patients with preoperative Class A hearing had significantly higher rates of successful hearing preservation at all postoperative intervals. Delayed hearing loss occurs in a progressively increasing fashion but speech understanding remains durable for a majority of patients whose hearing is initially preserved with the MCF approach.

Need for refining capacity creates opportunities for producers in Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, M.S.S.

1994-01-01

Oil industry interest in refining has revived in the past few years in response to rising oil consumption. The trend creates opportunities, for countries in the Middle East, which do not own refining assets nearly in proportion to their crude oil reserved. By closing this gap between reserves and refining capacity, the countries can ease some of the instability now characteristic of the oil market. Some major oil producing countries have begun to move downstream. During the 1980s, Venezuela, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Libya, and other members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries acquired refining assets through direct total purchase or joint ventures. Nevertheless, the oil industry remains largely unintegrated, with the Middle East holding two thirds of worldwide oil reserves but only a small share downstream. As worldwide refining capacity swings from a period of surplus toward one in which the need for new capacity will be built. The paper discusses background of the situation, shrinking surplus, investment requirements, sources of capital, and shipping concerns

Current dietary supplement use of Australian military veterans of Middle East operations.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Pols, Jolieke C; Kanesarajah, Jeeva; Bell, Alison; Lui, Chi-Wai

2017-12-01

To assess patterns and levels of dietary supplement use among Australian Defence Forces, previously deployed to the Middle East Area of Operations. A cross-sectional study. Participants of a large survey self-completed questions about dietary supplement use, health status, personal and job-related characteristics, and lifestyle factors. Frequency of current use of supplements was assessed in three categories (bodybuilding, energy and weight loss). Middle East Area of Operations post-deployment health survey. Current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force personnel (n 14 032) who deployed to the Middle East between 2001 and 2009. Bodybuilding supplements were used by 17·5 % of participants, energy supplements by 24·5 % and weight-loss supplements by 7·6 %. Overall, 32·3 % of participants used any of these supplements. Bodybuilding and energy supplements were more often used by men, younger persons and those in the Army, while weight-loss supplements were more commonly used by women and Navy personnel. Supplements in all three categories were more commonly used by persons in lower ranks, active service and combat roles. Users of bodybuilding supplements had healthier lifestyles and better health status, while users of energy and weight-loss supplements had less healthy lifestyles and poorer mental and physical health status. Overall, 11·7 % of participants used supplements containing caffeine and 3·6 % used a creatine-containing product. Use of dietary supplements among Australian Defence Force personnel is common, and patterned by lifestyle factors and health status.

SESAME: physics for peace in the Middle East

CERN Multimedia

2008-01-01

Allan, Jordan: a bridge of peace between nations is being constructed with the help of particle physics. Scheduled to be operational by 2011, SESAME, the Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East, brings together countries from all over the region. SESAME construction site (Photo R. Sarraf, copyright: Al-Balqa Applied University). On the east bank of the river Jordan, 30 km from Amman, lies SESAME. A collaboration of nine members, including Jordan, Israel, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Palestine, the project was created under the auspices of UNESCO. Following the same model as CERN, the underlying expectation is that SESAME will encourage peace by training a new generation of scientists from all over the region to work on a new synchrotron facility. Just as scientists from all over Europe collaborated at CERN in the aftermath of the Second World War, SESAME hopes to provide an environment where ...

Development of a daily gridded precipitation data set for the Middle East

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Yatagai

2008-03-01

Full Text Available We show an algorithm to construct a rain-gauge-based analysis of daily precipitation for the Middle East. One of the key points of our algorithm is to construct an accurate distribution of climatology. One possible advantage of this product is to validate high-resolution climate models and/or to diagnose the impact of climate changes on local hydrological resources. Many users are familiar with a monthly precipitation dataset (New et al., 1999 and a satellite-based daily precipitation dataset (Huffman et al., 2001, yet our data set, unlike theirs, clearly shows the effect of orography on daily precipitation and other extreme events, especially over the Fertile Crescent region. Currently the Middle-East precipitation analysis product is consisting of a 25-year data set for 1979–2003 based on more than 1300 stations.

Entrepreneurs could hold key to job creation in the Middle East ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2016-06-22

Jun 22, 2016 ... Despite reforms, labour markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have been unable to absorb the growing number of job seekers. Women and educated youth are particularly vulnerable to high unemployment. However, data on entrepreneurship and the private enterprise sector in the region ...

Abrupt recent trend changes in atmospheric nitrogen dioxide over the Middle East

KAUST Repository

Lelieveld, J.; Beirle, S.; Hormann, C.; Stenchikov, Georgiy L.; Wagner, T.

2015-01-01

economical crisis and armed conflict, has drastically altered the emission landscape of nitrogen oxides in the Middle East. Large changes, including trend reversals, have occurred since about 2010 that could not have been predicted and therefore are at odds

Middle East authoritarianisms: governance, contestation, and regime resilience in Syria and Iran

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heydemann, S.; Leenders, R.

2013-01-01

The developments of early 2011 have left the political landscape of the Middle East changed but recognizable. Even as urgent struggles continue, it remains clear that authoritarianism will survive this transformational moment. The study of authoritarian governance, therefore, remains essential for

Climate change in Africa and the Middle East in light of health ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

thought about how climate change, by which I primarily mean global warming, is expected to ... investment in these areas is likely to decrease,[9] which would presumably leave people in a ..... Pilifosova 0. Middle East and Arid Asia. In: Watson ...

Geopolitics of European natural gas demand: Supplies from Russia, Caspian and the Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bilgin, Mert

2009-01-01

This paper addresses issues of natural gas which raise questions about European energy security. It first focuses on the rising gas demand of the EU27 and elaborates alleged risks of dependence on Russia such as Gazprom's disagreement with Ukraine, which became an international gas crisis in January 2006 and also more recently in January 2009. Incentives and barriers of Europe's further cooperation with selected Caspian (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan) and Middle Eastern (Iran, Iraq and Egypt) countries are discussed. Supplies from Caspian are analyzed with a particular focus on Russia's role and the vested interests in the region. Supplies from the Middle East are elaborated with regard to Iran's huge and Iraq's emerging potentials in terms of natural gas reserves and foreign direct investments in the energy sector. The geopolitical analysis leads to a conclusion that the best strategy, and what seems more likely, for the EU is to include at least two countries from Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Iraq within its natural gas supply system.

Middle east gas: supply source of Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vivies, P. de

1995-01-01

The evolution of gas demand, the decreasing of reserves leads to the question of European future needs satisfaction. The european market can call on the russian production or middle east production. Iran has the most important reserves but the needs of the population can limit the gas supply. Yemen and Oman which have less important reserves but also less important needs to satisfy can be a serious alternative; Abu dhabi reserves are destined to asia market. The qatar has the most important gas offshore field in the world. The LNG (liquefied natural gas) seems to have a better position than gas pipeline to dispatch gas towards Europe

Sleep medicine education and knowledge among undergraduate dental students in Middle East universities.

Science.gov (United States)

Talaat, Wael; AlRozzi, Balsam; Kawas, Sausan Al

2016-05-01

The aim of this study was to assess the undergraduate dental education in sleep medicine in Middle East universities as well as the students' knowledge in this field. A cross-sectional observational study was carried out during the period from September 2013 to April 2014.Two different questionnaires were used. A self-administered questionnaire and a cover letter were emailed and distributed to 51 randomly selected Middle East dental schools to gather information about their undergraduate sleep medicine education offered in the academic year 2012-2013.The second questionnaire was distributed to the fifth-year dental students in the 2nd Sharjah International Dental Student Conference in April 2014, to assess their knowledge on sleep medicine. A survey to assess knowledge of sleep medicine in medical education (Modified ASKME Survey) was used. Thirty-nine out of 51 (76%) responded to the first questionnaire. Out of the responding schools, only nine schools (23%) reported the inclusion of sleep medicine in their undergraduate curriculum. The total average hours dedicated to teaching sleep medicine in the responding dental schools was 1.2 hours. In the second questionnaire, 29.2% of the respondents were in the high score group, whereas 70.8% scored low in knowledge of sleep-related breathing disorders. Dental students in Middle East universities receive a weak level of sleep medicine education resulting in poor knowledge in this field.

The Coming Environmental Crisis in the Middle East: A Historical Perspective, 1750-2000 CE

OpenAIRE

Burke, Edmund

2005-01-01

This essay argues that the Middle Eastern environment, with its legacy of squandered water resources, deforestation and pollution of all kinds, reveals a distilled essence of the coming environmental crisis of the planet. This is so because of the evident vulnerability of Middle Eastern semi-arid and arid landscapes. The essay examines the transformation of the regional environment over the period 1750-2000 CE. It considers modern human impacts in three broad ecological zones: the Middle East...

Long-term Evaluation of Landuse Changes On Landscape Water Balance - A Case Study From North-east Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Wegehenkel, M.

In this paper, long-term effects of different afforestation scenarios on landscape wa- ter balance will be analyzed taking into account the results of a regional case study. This analysis is based on using a GIS-coupled simulation model for the the spatially distributed calculation of water balance.For this purpose, the modelling system THE- SEUS with a simple GIS-interface will be used. To take into account the special case of change in forest cover proportion, THESEUS was enhanced with a simple for- est growth model. In the regional case study, model runs will be performed using a detailed spatial data set from North-East Germany. This data set covers a mesoscale catchment located at the moraine landscape of North-East Germany. Based on this data set, the influence of the actual landuse and of different landuse change scenarios on water balance dynamics will be investigated taking into account the spatial distributed modelling results from THESEUS. The model was tested using different experimen- tal data sets from field plots as well as obsverded catchment discharge. Additionally to such convential validation techniques, remote sensing data were used to check the simulated regional distribution of water balance components like evapotranspiration in the catchment.

Water: The Hydraulic Parameter of Conflict in the Middle East and North Africa

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kiser, Stephen D

2000-01-01

...). Water is a primary concern of most governments in the Middle East and North Africa. A myriad of synergistic variables are exponentially increasing demands for water, while simultaneously decreasing the region's ability to supply...

Poverty, Job Quality and Labor Market Dynamics in the Middle East ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Unemployment is one of the main economic, social and political problems facing governments in the Middle East and North Africa. The nature and ... This project will explore links between labour market dynamics and the quality of jobs in three varied settings. ... Effects of the new labor law on informality & job quality. 41985.

Long-term deposition patterns of airborne wastes in the North-East of Estonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaasik, M.; Kaasik, H.

1999-01-01

The deposition loads of fly ash and sulfur have been high in the North-East Estonia since the late fifties, when the oil shale energetics, chemical and cement industry achieved the remarkable extent. The combined effects of both pollutants have seriously damaged sensitive ecosystems (forest on podsolic soils and bog). Most of sulphur deposition is closely related to the oil shale fly ash deposition. The main effects are related with alkalisation due to accumulation of fly ash components and the Sphagnum growth inhibition due to sulfur load. These effects have the time scale of several years or even more. The pollution loads have been changed during recent 40 years due to launching and reconstruction of enterprises (incl. purification systems) and variations of production capacity. First representative data on air pollution deposition originate from the middle of eighties. Only model estimations could be used to quantify the deposition fluxes before that time, as well as for assessing the future scenarios

Aquifer storage and recovery of treated sewage effluent in the middle east

KAUST Repository

Maliva,, Robert G.

2011-01-01

Treated sewage effluent (TSE) is becoming a critical resource in arid parts of the world. The high costs of desalinated potablewater and the depletion of fresh groundwater resources necessitate increased use of TSE as an important component of water resource management throughout the Middle East. TSE can replace potable-quality water in irrigation, with the latter becoming too valuable a resource to use for irrigation purposes. In urban regions of theMiddle East and North Africa, excess TSE is often available because of seasonal variations in demand and supply or that the development of reuse infrastructure has not kept pace with population growth, concomitant water use and TSE generation. Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) technology provides an opportunity to store large volumes of TSE for later beneficial use. Natural attenuation processes that occur during underground storage in an ASR system can also act to improve the quality of stored water and thus provide an opportunity to \\'polish\\' already high-quality TSE. Aquifers containing brackish water or those depleted from over-pumping are present throughout much of the Middle East. These aquifers could potentially be used as storage zones for ASR systems. However, currently available hydrogeologic data are insufficient for assessment of potential system performance. Other key design issues are the selection of ASR system locations and storage zones so that TSE will not enter potable water supplies, and ensuring that the ASR systems will be readily integrated into existing or planned sewage treatment, TSE transmission and reuse infrastructure. © King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals 2010.

Analysis of aerosol absorption properties and transport over North Africa and the Middle East using AERONET data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Farahat

2016-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper particle categorization and absorption properties were discussed to understand transport mechanisms at different geographic locations and possible radiative impacts on climate. The long-term Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET data set (1999–2015 is used to estimate aerosol optical depth (AOD, single scattering albedo (SSA, and the absorption Ångström exponent (αabs at eight locations in North Africa and the Middle East. Average variation in SSA is calculated at four wavelengths (440, 675, 870, and 1020 nm, and the relationship between aerosol absorption and physical properties is used to infer dominant aerosol types at different locations. It was found that seasonality and geographic location play a major role in identifying dominant aerosol types at each location. Analyzing aerosol characteristics among different sites using AERONET Version 2, Level 2.0 data retrievals and the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory model (HYSPLIT backward trajectories shows possible aerosol particle transport among different locations indicating the importance of understanding transport mechanisms in identifying aerosol sources.

Strategic Stability Reconsidered: Prospects for Escalation and Nuclear War in the Middle East

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Russell, J.A.

2009-07-01

for survival'. The paper first draws upon Thomas Schelling's ideas to assess the regional strategic framework, and finds systemic uncertainties which suggest that escalation by various parties - state and non-state actors - is a possible outcome. Both near-term and long-term scenarios are considered. The near-term nuclear use scenarios are all predicated on the assumption that nuclear use will occur within the context of escalation to or within war. As dangerous as these circumstances are, longer-term scenarios for nuclear use will also be proposed, which, like the alarming near-term scenarios, flow from the same unstable regional dynamics. The Middle East's unstable dynamics occur within a global environment characterized by a general sense of insecurity about various nuclear issues. Reflecting this situation, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists recently moved its 'Doomsday Clock' from seven- to five minutes to midnight - the most advanced setting since 1981. Citing Iran's nuclear ambitions, North Korea's test of a nuclear weapon, the failure to secure nuclear materials, a controversial U.S. nuclear doctrine that some argue suggests an expanded role for nuclear weapons, and the continued presence of 26,000 nuclear weapons in the United States and Russia, the Bulletin expressed new concerns about global strategic stability. These developments occurred against a backdrop of the collapse of the 2005 Nonproliferation Treaty Review conference due, among other things, to disinterest in the global community in supporting the spread of nonproliferation norms. (author)

Strategic Stability Reconsidered: Prospects for Escalation and Nuclear War in the Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russell, J.A.

2009-01-01

Thomas Schelling's ideas to assess the regional strategic framework, and finds systemic uncertainties which suggest that escalation by various parties - state and non-state actors - is a possible outcome. Both near-term and long-term scenarios are considered. The near-term nuclear use scenarios are all predicated on the assumption that nuclear use will occur within the context of escalation to or within war. As dangerous as these circumstances are, longer-term scenarios for nuclear use will also be proposed, which, like the alarming near-term scenarios, flow from the same unstable regional dynamics. The Middle East's unstable dynamics occur within a global environment characterized by a general sense of insecurity about various nuclear issues. Reflecting this situation, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists recently moved its 'Doomsday Clock' from seven- to five minutes to midnight - the most advanced setting since 1981. Citing Iran's nuclear ambitions, North Korea's test of a nuclear weapon, the failure to secure nuclear materials, a controversial U.S. nuclear doctrine that some argue suggests an expanded role for nuclear weapons, and the continued presence of 26,000 nuclear weapons in the United States and Russia, the Bulletin expressed new concerns about global strategic stability. These developments occurred against a backdrop of the collapse of the 2005 Nonproliferation Treaty Review conference due, among other things, to disinterest in the global community in supporting the spread of nonproliferation norms. (author)

Autonomy and Acceptance of Long-Term Care

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Hui-Chuan; Ting, Yu-Shan; Jiang, Ting-Wen; Chien, Ming-Chih; Chien, Chih-Hsin

2009-01-01

This study explored the relationship between four types of autonomy (health autonomy, informational autonomy, living autonomy, and financial autonomy) and the acceptance of five types of long-term care (adult day care, respite care, assisted living, unit care, and group home) for the elderly in Taiwan. Data were collected from 167 middle-aged and…

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Antibodies in Dromedary Camels, Bangladesh, 2015

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, Ariful; Rostal, Melinda K.; Islam, Shariful; Rahman, Mohammed Ziaur; Hossain, Mohammed Enayet; Uzzaman, Mohammed Salim; Munster, Vincent J.; Peiris, Malik; Flora, Meerjady Sabrina; Rahman, Mahmudur; Daszak, Peter

2018-01-01

Dromedary camels are bred domestically and imported into Bangladesh. In 2015, of 55 camels tested for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in Dhaka, 17 (31%) were seropositive, including 1 bred locally. None were PCR positive. The potential for infected camels in urban markets could have public health implications and warrants further investigation. PMID:29664373

Diasporic dreaming: return reproductive tourism to the Middle East.

Science.gov (United States)

Inhorn, Marcia C

2011-11-01

This article attempts to capture the dynamics of return reproductive tourism to the Middle East, based on ethnographic research undertaken at four different Middle Eastern locales (Egypt, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates and Arab America). Across the Middle Eastern diaspora, which is now vast, due to the disruptions of war and political violence, infertile couples often dream of making a test-tube baby 'back home' for a variety of cultural, moral and psychological reasons. These reasons – including medical expatriotism, the language of medicine, co-religion and moral trustworthiness, donor phenotype, the comforts of home and discrimination – are rarely highlighted in the scholarly literature on cross-border reproductive care. Thus, further empirical investigation is needed in order to assess additional reasons for reproductive travel beyond Euro-America. Of particular concern are the needs of 'stranded' refugee populations, who are constrained from seeking assisted reproduction technology 'back home', but who may face economic constraints and cultural discrimination in host communities. Copyright © 2011 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-term hearing result using Kurz titanium ossicular implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Hess-Erga, Jeanette; Møller, Per; Vassbotn, Flemming Slinning

2013-05-01

Titanium implants in middle ear surgery were introduced in the late 90s and are now frequently used in middle ear surgery. However, long-term studies of patient outcome are few and have only been published in subgroups of patients. We report the long-term effect of titanium middle ear implants for ossicular reconstruction in chronic ear disease investigated in a Norwegian tertiary otological referral centre. Retrospective chart reviews were performed for procedures involving 76 titanium implants between 2000 and 2007. All patients who underwent surgery using the Kurz Vario titanium implant were included in the study. Audiological parameters using four frequencies, 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 kHz, according to AAO-HNS guidelines, was assessed pre and postoperatively. Otosurgical procedures, complications, revisions, and extrusion rates were analyzed. The study had no dropouts. The partial ossicular replacement prosthesis (PORP) was used in 44 procedures and the total ossicular replacement prosthesis (TORP) in 32 procedures, respectively. Mean follow-up was 5.2 years (62 months). The ossiculoplasties were performed as staging procedures or in combination with other chronic ear surgery. The same surgeon performed all the procedures. A postoperative air-bone gap of ≤ 20 dB was obtained in 74 % of the patients, 82 % for the Bell (PORP) prosthesis, and 63 % for the Arial (TORP) prosthesis. The extrusion rate was 5 %. We conclude that titanium ossicular implants give stable and excellent long-term hearing results.

A new hereditary colorectal cancer network in the Middle East and eastern mediterranean countries to improve care for high-risk families.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghorbanoghli, Zeinab; Jabari, Carol; Sweidan, Walid; Hammoudeh, Wail; Cortas, George; Sharara, Ala I; Abedrabbo, Amal; Hourani, Ijad; Mahjoubi, Bahareh; Majidzadeh, Keivan; Tözün, Nurdan; Ziada-Bouchaar, Hadia; Hamoudi, Waseem; Diab, Osama; Khorshid, Hamid Reza Khorram; Lynch, Henry; Vasen, Hans

2018-04-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has a very high incidence in the western world. Data from registries in the Middle East showed that the incidence of CRC is relatively low in these countries. However, these data also showed that CRC incidence has increased substantially over the past three decades and that a high proportion of cases are diagnosed at an early age (Middle East was discussed and the idea was conceived to establish a network on hereditary colorectal cancer (HCCN-ME) with the goal of improving care for high-risk groups in the Middle East and (Eastern) Mediterranean Countries.

Oil and the economic geography of the Middle East and North Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kortepeter, C.M.

1990-01-01

This book gives us the opportunity to follow the development of the field of economic geography as applied to the Middle East during the past half century. The materials are arranged under the following three headings: Geography and Petroleum: Boundaries and Boundary Disputes: and Social Geography

Security concerns in the Middle East for oil supply: Problems and solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sen, Samil; Babali, Tuncay

2007-01-01

Comprising 65-70% of the world's oil reserves, the Gulf States (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, UAE and Qatar) are key countries for the solutions to the energy supply matters of the world. Free flow of oil to the world markets from Gulf region is an indispensable part of the major security issues. The Middle East has had mainly security related problems such as Arab-Israeli wars and conflicts, Arab-Iranian war and conflicts, Arab-Arab war and conflicts, US-Gulf wars and conflicts and more recently radicalism and terrorist attacks. Energy supply security requires the enhancement of the peace and cooperation between countries instead of competition. Preventive policy approaches are more suitable to address energy supply matters. Preventive strategy might be possible with the active participation of NATO within the 'out of area' type operations to the Middle East and quite possibly indirectly to the Asia-Pacific regions. Religious and ethnic radicalism and terrorist attacks has also direct effects over oil supply security matters

Long-Term Developmental Changes in Children's Lower-Order Big Five Personality Facets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.D. de Haan (Amaranta); S.S.W. de Pauw (Sarah); A.L. van den Akker (Alithe); M. Deković (Maja); P.J. Prinzie (Peter)

2016-01-01

markdownabstract__Objective:__ This study examined long-term developmental changes in mother-rated lower-order facets of children's Big Five dimensions. __Method:__ Two independent community samples covering early childhood (2-4.5 years; N=365, 39% girls) and middle childhood to the end of middle

Principles of establishing a Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone (MEWMDFZ)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammad, F.H.; Ali, Adel M.

2001-01-01

The Middle East is one of the most dangerous regions in the world. It has suffered conflicts and wars - with weapons of mass destruction (WMD) implications - at higher frequency and intensity than any other region during the last 60 years. The Middle East was the largest importer of conventional weapons in the world since the second gulf war and the UNSCR 687, which aimed at destroying the Iraqi WMD capabilities and capacity. This arms race is fueled by stockpiles of nuclear and other WMD. In addition several countries remain outside the global nonproliferation and disarmament regimes such as the NPT, CWC and BWC. The situation is further complicated by the serious problems facing the Middle East peace process, which is not only threatening peace and security in the region but also in the world. This unstable risky situation cannot continue like this and cannot be handled step by step any more. The establishing of a MEWMDFZ in the context of a regional security system is the only way out. It is a difficult and remote objective but a tenable one. It is essential to work out the technical, legal and political framework of the envisaged system. This paper deals with efforts undertaken to establish a MEWMDFZ and the development of the underlying principles, based on lessons learnt from the evolution of NWFZs as well as regional and global nonproliferation, arms control and disarmament (NPACD) developments

The Future of Iran’s Influence in The Middle East

OpenAIRE

ELİAS, Firas

2017-01-01

Iran hasthe potential to become a significant regional and international player. Iranuses all its soft and military power in this regard. However, it is facing aproblem in exporting its theocratic model to regional countries. The Iranian strategyis one of the most controversial strategiesin the Middle East. Since the Cold War era, the Iranian foreign policy has seenvarious political patterns in regional and international levels. Iran’sgeostrategic location, population weight, imperial legacy,...

The Spread of Nuclear Weapons in the Middle East: “More May Be Better”? - 10.5102/uri.v4i2.228

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amena Yassine

2007-10-01

Full Text Available The present paper assesses the post-Cold War debate on whether the spread of nuclear weapons is either central or peripheral to stability in the Middle East. The argument here is that in the current unipolar structure the spread of such weapons is a major destabilising force in the Middle East. Nuclear deterrence is no guarantee of stability to the region. As security dilemmas are mutable overtime, this paper argues that a condition precedent to stability in the Middle East is a refinement of intersubjective knowledge.

Long-term outcome of Tunisian children with primary ciliary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Objective: To study the long-term outcome of PCD in Tunisian children with ciliary ultra-structure defects detected by electron .... The middle lobe was as much affected as the right up- .... distress syndrome (ARDS) after one and four years of.

Water Hyacinth in Africa and the Middle East: A Survey of Problems ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2001-01-01

Jan 1, 2001 ... Freshwater infestation by the water hyacinth weed has reached crisis proportions in many areas of Africa and the Middle East. Accumulated environmental, economic, and social damages to date are estimated in the billions of dollars. Most severely affected are riparian communities and those people who ...

Solar cycle and long term variations of mesospheric ice layers

Science.gov (United States)

Lübken, Franz-Josef; Berger, Uwe; Kiliani, Johannes; Baumgarten, Gerd; Fiedler, Jens; Gerding, Michael

2010-05-01

Ice layers in the summer mesosphere at middle and polar latitudes, frequently called `noctilucent clouds' (NLC) or `polar mesosphere clouds'(PMC), are considered to be sensitive indicators of long term changes in the middle atmosphere. We present a summary of long term observations from the ground and from satellites and compare with results from the LIMA model (Leibniz Institute Middle Atmosphere Model). LIMA nicely reproduces mean conditions of the summer mesopause region and also mean characteristics of ice layers. LIMA nudges to ECMWF data in the troposphere and lower stratosphere which influences the background conditions in the mesosphere and thereby the morphology of ice clouds. A strong correlation between temperatures and PMC altitudes is observed. Applied to historical measurements this give s negligible temperature trends at PMC altitudes (approximately 0.01-0.02 K/y). Trace gas concentrations are kept constant in LIMA except for water vapor which is modified by variable solar radiation. Still, long term trends in temperatures and ice layer parameters are observed, consistent with observations. As will be shown, these trends originate in the stratosphere. Solar cycle effects are expected in ice layers due to variations in background temperatures and water paper. We will present results from LIMA regarding solar cycle variations and compare with NLC observations at our lidar stations in Kühlungsborn (54°N) and ALOMAR (69°N), and also with satellite measurements.

Aerosol Radiative Impact on the Middle East Regional Climate and the Red Sea

KAUST Repository

Osipov, Sergey

2017-01-01

The climate in the Middle East is complex and remains poorly understood. Due to the vast Arabian Desert, it is very sensitive to radiative forcing. Mineral dust is the dominant aerosol in this region. High background dust loading and frequent dust

Hepatitis B epidemiology in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

André, F

2000-02-18

Asia and Africa have previously been classified as areas of high endemicity for hepatitis B virus (HBV), but in some countries highly effective vaccination programmes have shifted this pattern towards intermediate or low endemicity. Thus, China is now the only country in Asia where HBV endemicity is high. Countries with intermediate endemicity include India, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand, and those with low endemicity include Japan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. Most countries in Africa have high HBV endemicity, with the exceptions of Tunisia and Morocco, which have intermediate endemicity. Zambia has borderline intermediate/high endemicity. In the Middle East, Bahrain, Iran, Israel and Kuwait are areas of low endemicity, Cyprus, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates have intermediate endemicity, and Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Palestine, Yemen and Saudi Arabia have high endemicity. All of these Middle East countries reach a large proportion of their population with hepatitis B vaccination, which is reducing the infection rate, particularly in Saudi Arabia. The vaccination programme in Taiwan has also greatly reduced the HBV infection rate. Future vaccination programmes must take into account the mode of transmission of HBV, the healthcare infrastructure to deliver vaccination, and the socioeconomic and political factors in each individual country, to determine the most cost-effective way of infection control.

Preliminary fundamental aspects on the thyroid volume and function in the population of long term heavily polluted area in East Slovakia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Langer, P. [Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, SAS, Bratislava (Slovakia); Tajtakova, M. [Safarik Univ., Kosice (Slovakia). First Clinic of Internal Medicine; Kocan, A. [Slovak Health Univ. - IPCM, Bratislava (SK). Research Base] (and others)

2004-09-15

Our previous examinations of employees of chemical factory formerly producing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) repeatedly showed increased thyroid volume as measured by ultrasound as well as increased frequency of thyroperoxidase, thyroglobulin and thyrotropin (TSH) receptor autoantibodies. At the same time a considerable PCB pollution of soil, waters and food chain in large area surrounding that chemical factory was found. The aim of present preliminary evaluation of data obtained within the EC project PCBRISK was to search for further interrelations between long-term organochlorine pollution and fundamental markers of thyroid volume and function in large cohorts of population from three districts of East Slovakia.

Climate change in Africa and the Middle East in light of health ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article principally addresses the likely effects of global warming on health in developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, northern Africa and the Middle East as well as how medical professionals, such as doctors, nurses, bioethicists and public health researchers, should respond to them in light of ubuntu and Islam, ...

Demanding a religious place. Three female Christian visionaries in the Middle East

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansen, W.H.M.

2011-01-01

Recently, a number of scholars have attempted to bring to light the forgotten and neglected history of religious Christian women in the Middle East. For this paper I will review this literature and compare the life stories of three female mystics in order to understand whether and how these women

Long-term developmental changes in children's lower-order Big Five personality facets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haan, A.D. de; Pauw, S. de; Akker, A.J. van den; Dekovic, M.; Prinzie, P.

2017-01-01

Objective: This study examined long-term developmental changes in mother-rated lower-order facets of children's Big Five dimensions. Method: Two independent community samples covering early childhood (2-4.5 years; N = 365, 39% girls) and middle childhood to the end of middle adolescence (6-17 years;

Consistent response of Indian summer monsoon to Middle East dust in observations and simulations

KAUST Repository

Jin, Q.

2015-06-11

The response of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) circulation and precipitation to Middle East dust aerosols on sub-seasonal timescales is studied using observations and the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with online chemistry (WRF-Chem). Satellite data show that the ISM rainfall in coastal southwest India, central and northern India, and Pakistan is closely associated with the Middle East dust aerosols. The physical mechanism behind this dust–ISM rainfall connection is examined through ensemble simulations with and without dust emissions. Each ensemble includes 16 members with various physical and chemical schemes to consider the model uncertainties in parameterizing short-wave radiation, the planetary boundary layer, and aerosol chemical mixing rules. Experiments show that dust aerosols increase rainfall by about 0.44mmday1 ( 10% of the climatology) in coastal southwest India, central and northern India, and north Pakistan, a pattern consistent with the observed relationship. The ensemble mean rainfall response over India shows a much stronger spatial correlation with the observed rainfall response than any other ensemble members. The largest modeling uncertainties are from the boundary layer schemes, followed by short-wave radiation schemes. In WRF-Chem, the dust aerosol optical depth (AOD) over the Middle East shows the strongest correlation with the ISM rainfall response when dust AOD leads rainfall response by about 11 days. Further analyses show that increased ISM rainfall is related to enhanced southwesterly monsoon flow and moisture transport from the Arabian Sea to the Indian subcontinent, which are associated with the development of an anomalous low-pressure system over the Arabian Sea, the southern Arabian Peninsula, and the Iranian Plateau due to dust-induced heating in the troposphere. The dust-induced heating in the mid-upper troposphere is mainly located in the Iranian Plateau rather than the Tibetan Plateau. This study demonstrates

Consistent response of Indian summer monsoon to Middle East dust in observations and simulations

KAUST Repository

Jin, Q.; Wei, J.; Yang, Z.-L.; Pu, B.; Huang, J.

2015-01-01

© Author(s) 2015. The response of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) circulation and precipitation to Middle East dust aerosols on sub-seasonal timescales is studied using observations and the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with online chemistry (WRF-Chem). Satellite data show that the ISM rainfall in coastal southwest India, central and northern India, and Pakistan is closely associated with the Middle East dust aerosols. The physical mechanism behind this dust-ISM rainfall connection is examined through ensemble simulations with and without dust emissions. Each ensemble includes 16 members with various physical and chemical schemes to consider the model uncertainties in parameterizing short-wave radiation, the planetary boundary layer, and aerosol chemical mixing rules. Experiments show that dust aerosols increase rainfall by about 0.44 mm day^-1 (∼10 % of the climatology) in coastal southwest India, central and northern India, and north Pakistan, a pattern consistent with the observed relationship. The ensemble mean rainfall response over India shows a much stronger spatial correlation with the observed rainfall response than any other ensemble members. The largest modeling uncertainties are from the boundary layer schemes, followed by short-wave radiation schemes. In WRF-Chem, the dust aerosol optical depth (AOD) over the Middle East shows the strongest correlation with the ISM rainfall response when dust AOD leads rainfall response by about 11 days. Further analyses show that increased ISM rainfall is related to enhanced southwesterly monsoon flow and moisture transport from the Arabian Sea to the Indian subcontinent, which are associated with the development of an anomalous low-pressure system over the Arabian Sea, the southern Arabian Peninsula, and the Iranian Plateau due to dust-induced heating in the troposphere. The dust-induced heating in the mid-upper troposphere is mainly located in the Iranian Plateau rather than the Tibetan

Consistent response of Indian summer monsoon to Middle East dust in observations and simulations

KAUST Repository

Jin, Q.

2015-09-02

© Author(s) 2015. The response of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) circulation and precipitation to Middle East dust aerosols on sub-seasonal timescales is studied using observations and the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with online chemistry (WRF-Chem). Satellite data show that the ISM rainfall in coastal southwest India, central and northern India, and Pakistan is closely associated with the Middle East dust aerosols. The physical mechanism behind this dust-ISM rainfall connection is examined through ensemble simulations with and without dust emissions. Each ensemble includes 16 members with various physical and chemical schemes to consider the model uncertainties in parameterizing short-wave radiation, the planetary boundary layer, and aerosol chemical mixing rules. Experiments show that dust aerosols increase rainfall by about 0.44 mm day^-1 (∼10 % of the climatology) in coastal southwest India, central and northern India, and north Pakistan, a pattern consistent with the observed relationship. The ensemble mean rainfall response over India shows a much stronger spatial correlation with the observed rainfall response than any other ensemble members. The largest modeling uncertainties are from the boundary layer schemes, followed by short-wave radiation schemes. In WRF-Chem, the dust aerosol optical depth (AOD) over the Middle East shows the strongest correlation with the ISM rainfall response when dust AOD leads rainfall response by about 11 days. Further analyses show that increased ISM rainfall is related to enhanced southwesterly monsoon flow and moisture transport from the Arabian Sea to the Indian subcontinent, which are associated with the development of an anomalous low-pressure system over the Arabian Sea, the southern Arabian Peninsula, and the Iranian Plateau due to dust-induced heating in the troposphere. The dust-induced heating in the mid-upper troposphere is mainly located in the Iranian Plateau rather than the Tibetan

Nontuberculous mycobacteria in Middle East: Current situation and future challenges

OpenAIRE

Velayati, Ali Akbar; Rahideh, Sanaz; Derakhshani Nezhad, Zahra; Farnia, Parissa; Mirsaeidi, Mehdi

2015-01-01

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are a diverse group of bacterial species that are distributed in the environment. Many of these environmental bacteria can cause disease in humans. The identification of NTM in environmental sources is important for both clinical and epidemiological purposes. In this study, the distribution of NTM species from environmental and clinical samples in the Middle East was reviewed. In order to provide an overview of NTM, as well as recent epidemiological trends, a...

Aerosol Radiative Impact on the Middle East Regional Climate and the Red Sea

KAUST Repository

Osipov, Sergey

2017-10-01

The climate in the Middle East is complex and remains poorly understood. Due to the vast Arabian Desert, it is very sensitive to radiative forcing. Mineral dust is the dominant aerosol in this region. High background dust loading and frequent dust outbreaks significantly perturb the radiative balance and contribute to climate variability in the Middle East. To assess the climatological impact of dust in the region, we derived the aerosol optical properties and used a standalone column model to quantify radiative forcing sensitivity to a range of parameters representative of the Arabian Peninsula and the Red Sea. Simulations and modeling assumptions were validated using available in situ observations and satellite retrievals for fair weather and dust storm conditions. We incorporated the optical properties into the regional coupled ocean-atmosphere model and conducted simulations that represent the regional climate. The analysis shows that dust cools the Earth-atmosphere system and thus offsets the warming due to greenhouse gases. Dust reduces the sea surface temperature by 0.4 K, significantly perturbs energy balance, overturning circulation, and its purely dynamical impact reduces biological productivity in the Red Sea. In the real world, dust is present permanently and this does not allow to directly observe the climate response to the dust forcing. Volcanic eruptions produce a transient radiative impact that causes a detectable climate response that could be evaluated from observations and compared with simulations. Large equatorial eruptions are known to significantly perturb the Earth’s climate on the global scale, but their regional impact on the Middle East has not been thoroughly investigated. For example, the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption had a profound effect on the MENA and caused extensive coral bleaching in the Gulf of Aqaba. The analysis shows that observed cooling in the Middle East was mostly driven by changes in the atmospheric large

Geopolitics of European natural gas demand: Supplies from Russia, Caspian and the Middle East

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bilgin, Mert, E-mail: mert.bilgin@bahcesehir.edu.t [Bahcesehir University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Political Science and International Relations Department, Ciragan Caddesi Besiktas, 34353 Istanbul (Turkey)

2009-11-15

This paper addresses issues of natural gas which raise questions about European energy security. It first focuses on the rising gas demand of the EU27 and elaborates alleged risks of dependence on Russia such as Gazprom's disagreement with Ukraine, which became an international gas crisis in January 2006 and also more recently in January 2009. Incentives and barriers of Europe's further cooperation with selected Caspian (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan) and Middle Eastern (Iran, Iraq and Egypt) countries are discussed. Supplies from Caspian are analyzed with a particular focus on Russia's role and the vested interests in the region. Supplies from the Middle East are elaborated with regard to Iran's huge and Iraq's emerging potentials in terms of natural gas reserves and foreign direct investments in the energy sector. The geopolitical analysis leads to a conclusion that the best strategy, and what seems more likely, for the EU is to include at least two countries from Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Iraq within its natural gas supply system.

Geopolitics of European natural gas demand. Supplies from Russia, Caspian and the Middle East

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bilgin, Mert [Bahcesehir University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Political Science and International Relations Department, Ciragan Caddesi Besiktas, 34353 Istanbul (Turkey)

2009-11-15

This paper addresses issues of natural gas which raise questions about European energy security. It first focuses on the rising gas demand of the EU27 and elaborates alleged risks of dependence on Russia such as Gazprom's disagreement with Ukraine, which became an international gas crisis in January 2006 and also more recently in January 2009. Incentives and barriers of Europe's further cooperation with selected Caspian (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan) and Middle Eastern (Iran, Iraq and Egypt) countries are discussed. Supplies from Caspian are analyzed with a particular focus on Russia's role and the vested interests in the region. Supplies from the Middle East are elaborated with regard to Iran's huge and Iraq's emerging potentials in terms of natural gas reserves and foreign direct investments in the energy sector. The geopolitical analysis leads to a conclusion that the best strategy, and what seems more likely, for the EU is to include at least two countries from Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Iraq within its natural gas supply system. (author)

Middle East food safety perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Idriss, Atef W; El-Habbab, Mohammad S

2014-08-01

Food safety and quality assurance are increasingly a major issue with the globalisation of agricultural trade, on the one hand, and intensification of agriculture, on the other. Consumer protection has become a priority in policy-making amongst the large economies of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries following a number of food safety incidents. To enhance food safety, it is necessary to establish markets underpinned by knowledge and resources, including analysis of international rejections of food products from MENA countries, international laboratory accreditation, improved reporting systems and traceability, continued development and validation of analytical methods, and more work on correlating sensory evaluation with analytical results. MENA countries should develop a national strategy for food safety based on a holistic approach that extends from farm-to-fork and involves all the relevant stakeholders. Accordingly, food safety should be a regional programme, raising awareness among policy- and decision-makers of the importance of food safety and quality for consumer protection, food trade and economic development. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

(Dis Integration and the Emergence of the State System in the Middle East

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dr. Imad El-Anis

2011-07-01

Full Text Available The fall of the Ottoman Empire during World War One and theemergence of the modern state system in the Middle East have receivedsignificant attention in academic literature. However, the impacts thatthe proliferation of state borders in the 19th and 20th centuries havehad on political and economic integration within the Middle East isoften ignored. This study argues that between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries the region underwent significant structural changes.Furthermore, these changes were driven by external intervention andinternal decline. A number of theoretical assumptions are positedconcerning the importance on integration and cooperation of thefollowing: the increase in borders and claims to sovereignty and theseparation of peoples/markets. The conclusions drawn are that thechange from a system characterised by large political actors andintegrated markets to one which is characterised by smaller states andseparated markets led to the disintegration of the region’s internalrelations.

The U.S. Role in Restructuring the Middle East

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arslan Muhammetkurbanovich Gurbangeldiyev

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Within the framework of global leadership strategy, cooperation with regional powers turns out to be beneficial for the U.S. In the beginning of the XXI century, the United States relied on Turkey in the Middle East, but “neo-Ottoman” ambitions of Turkish government have caused such strong fears in Washington that in order to control its influence on the neighboring countries, the United States decided to limit the mediating role of Ankara in overall conflicts and dissentions in the region, by giving the prerogative to the other Sunni countries. At the same time, in order to deter the Sunni countries as a whole, US decided to soften its stance on Shiite Iran - a longtime political opponent. The situation in Iraq and the passive position of the U.S. in Syria allowed Shiite Iran to expand its influence in the region. The emerging Sunni-Shiite conflict in the Middle East provoked the rise of extremism in the region, as well as the armed conflict in Yemen. One of the main problems that threatens the regional and global security is a newly emerged radical terrorist organization ISIL, which to fight against, the U.S. provides a military and technical support to the Iraqi Kurds striving for their own sovereignty. The possibility of a rise of a Kurdish state in the region, in turn, poses a threat to the territorial integrity of Iran, Turkey, Syria and Iraq.

Aerosol optical depth trend over the Middle East

KAUST Repository

Klingmüller, Klaus

2016-04-22

We use the combined Dark Target/Deep Blue aerosol optical depth (AOD) satellite product of the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) collection 6 to study trends over the Middle East between 2000 and 2015. Our analysis corroborates a previously identified positive AOD trend over large parts of the Middle East during the period 2001 to 2012. We relate the annual AOD to precipitation, soil moisture and surface winds to identify regions where these attributes are directly related to the AOD over Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran. Regarding precipitation and soil moisture, a relatively small area in and surrounding Iraq turns out to be of prime importance for the AOD over these countries. Regarding surface wind speed, the African Red Sea coastal area is relevant for the Saudi Arabian AOD. Using multiple linear regression we show that AOD trends and interannual variability can be attributed to soil moisture, precipitation and surface winds, being the main factors controlling the dust cycle. Our results confirm the dust driven AOD trends and variability, supported by a decreasing MODIS-derived Ångström exponent and a decreasing AERONET-derived fine mode fraction that accompany the AOD increase over Saudi Arabia. The positive AOD trend relates to a negative soil moisture trend. As a lower soil moisture translates into enhanced dust emissions, it is not needed to assume growing anthropogenic aerosol and aerosol precursor emissions to explain the observations. Instead, our results suggest that increasing temperature and decreasing relative humidity in the last decade have promoted soil drying, leading to increased dust emissions and AOD; consequently an AOD increase is expected due to climate change.

Bioinformatics in Middle East Program Curricula--A Focus on the Arabian Gulf

Science.gov (United States)

Loucif, Samia

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the inclusion of bioinformatics in program curricula in the Middle East, focusing on educational institutions in the Arabian Gulf. Bioinformatics is a multidisciplinary field which has emerged in response to the need for efficient data storage and retrieval, and accurate and fast computational and…

MERS-CoV: Middle East respiratory syndrome corona virus: Can radiology be of help? Initial single center experience

OpenAIRE

Hamimi, Ahmed

2016-01-01

Human infection with a novel coronavirus named Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was first identified in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East in September, 2012. The aim of this study was to establish the most pathognomonic radiological sign(s) to diagnose MERS CoV. Patients and methods: This is a retrospective descriptive study. All patients were subjected to serial X-ray. High resolution non-contrast CT chest was also obtained for 10 patients. The scans were reviewed fo...

Lg Attenuation Modeling in the Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

Pasyanos, M. E.; Matzel, E. M.; Walter, W. R.; Rodgers, A. J.

2008-12-01

We present a broadband tomographic model of Lg attenuation in the Middle East derived from source- and site-corrected amplitudes. The study region spans from Turkey through the Arabian Peninsula and Iran to Pakistan, Afghanistan, and northwest India. Absolute amplitude measurements are made on hand-selected and carefully windowed seismograms for tens of stations and thousands of crustal earthquakes resulting in excellent coverage of the region. We have modified the standard attenuation tomography technique to more explicitly define the earthquake source expression in terms of the seismic moment. This facilitates the use of the model to predict the expected amplitudes of new events, an important consideration for earthquake hazard or explosion monitoring applications. We will discuss the updated method and implications of this parameterization. A conjugate gradient method is used to tomographically invert the amplitude dataset of over 8000 paths. We solve for Q variation, as well as site and source terms, for a wide range of frequencies ranging from 0.5 -- 10 Hz. The attenuation results have a strong correlation to tectonics. Shields have low attenuation, while tectonic regions have high attenuation, with the highest attenuation at 1 Hz found in eastern Turkey. The results also compare favorably to other studies in the region made using Lg propagation efficiency, Lg/Pg amplitude ratios and two-station methods. We tomographically invert the amplitude measurements for each frequency independently. In doing so, it appears the frequency-dependence of attenuation is not compatible with the power law representation of Q(f). This research was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract number DE-AC52-07NA27344. This is LLNL contribution LLNL-ABS-406761.

Long-term care financing: lessons from France.

Science.gov (United States)

Doty, Pamela; Nadash, Pamela; Racco, Nathalie

2015-06-01

adjusted and amounts are low. Nevertheless, expenditures have exceeded projections, burdening local governments. Private supplemental insurance covers 11% of French, mostly middle-income adults (versus 3% of Americans 18 and older). Whether policyholders will maintain employer-sponsored coverage after retirement is not known. The government's interest in pursuing an explicit public/private partnership has waned under President François Hollande, a centrist socialist, in contrast to the previous center-right leader, President Nicolas Sarkozy, thereby reducing the prospects of a coordinated public/private strategy. American private insurers are showing increasing interest in long-term care financing approaches that combine public and private elements. The French example shows how a simple, cheap, cash-based product can gain traction among middle-income individuals when offered by employers and combined with a steeply income-adjusted universal public program. The adequacy of such coverage, however, is a concern. © 2015 Milbank Memorial Fund.

Welcomed and Unwelcomed Actors of Middle East's Sociopolitical Change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucian Sanda

2012-02-01

Full Text Available The present research aims at determining whether the current socio-political transformations in the Middle East are the results of an internal need for change, or rather the effects of the geostrategic interests of the U.S.? Following this question, we stress that the current political order in the Islamic world – that is in the Arab states with authoritarian, often dictatorial regimes, such as Iran and Libya – is the mere result of the overlapping collaboration of the two categories of „participants” and interests.

Medium and Long Term Natural Gas Outlook - February 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lecarpentier, Armelle

2015-02-01

World natural gas demand is expected to grow by 1.8%/year over 2013- 2035. Asia-Oceania explains 42% of the incremental demand (China: 28%), followed by the Middle East (24%). Natural gas share in world primary energy supply is projected to increase from an estimated 21.3% in 2013 to 23.6% in 2035 to the detriment of other fossil fuels. Although the expansion of gas demand is spread across all of the main consuming sectors, gas-fired power generation remains the largest contributor to growth. Natural gas production is growing everywhere, with the exception of Europe (-2.1%/year). The largest regional production gains are expected in Asia Oceania, the Middle East and North America. Shale gas will provide one third of the incremental natural gas supply by 2035. In the US, shale gas production will account for 56% of national output by 2035, versus 44% in 2013. Net inter-regional trade is forecast to grow by 3.1%/year to 821 bcm by 2035. The CIS will record the largest volumetric growth in net exports (+ 191 bcm). The share of LNG in net inter-regional flows will increase from 46% in 2013 to 50% in 2035. The international LNG market is expected to tighten after 2020. The price differentials between the US, Europe and Japan will narrow in a context of globalization of gas markets via a strong expansion of the LNG trade (flexible LNG). A number of powerful factors argue in favour of a growing contribution of natural gas to meet the economic, environmental and security challenges of the world energy system. In terms of supply, costly investments must be made to meet future demand, limit tensions on international markets and favour supply security, flexibility and diversification. Despite a growing component of spot indexing in pricing formulas, oil indexing (Asia) and long term contracts will remain necessary to meet the massive investment requirements in new and capital-intensive projects. The competitiveness of natural gas remains a major challenge. The orientation of

The development of Middle Eastern gas: analyses of the graveyard of export projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mabro, Robert

1994-01-01

There are three types of opportunities for gas developments in the Middle East. The first are those provided by the domestic energy market, the second by regional trade and the third by the potential for exports outside the region. The development of the full gas potential of the region, given the size of the reserves held by several countries, will only be possible through export. Of course, there is still room for the expansion of gas use within the producing countries and their regional neighbours but growth of domestic demand would not make a significant dent in the regional reserves before several decades. The potential for exports is constrained, however, by the uncertainty about future oil prices, the long lead-in time of major gas projects and the associated financing problems. There is a graveyard of gas export projects in the Middle East. New projects are continually conceived and then abandoned or indefinitely postponed. Even the famous Qatargas project which took so long to bring to the threshold of implementation appears in the present climate to be unattractive for both the country and the foreign investors involved. Gas in the Middle East will remain for a very long time a resource for an ever more distant future. There is still too much oil around for its price to rise to a support level for big gas projects in the Middle East. And there is no significant demand yet in Europe for Middle East oil which only leaves the Far East as a potential market. The paradox is that if gas resources are not developed ahead of needs, gas will not be available in sufficient volumes when required. (Author)

The determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in the Middle East North Africa region

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rogmans, T.J.; Ebbers, H.A.

2006-01-01

Although, there has been increasing interest in the determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in emerging markets, FDI into the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region has so far received little attention among academics. The MENA region provides a useful ground for the testing of traditional

Middle East respiratory syndrome: A new global threat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pradeep Kumar Bhatia

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS is reported from Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Korea. It is a respiratory disease caused by coronavirus. Camels are considered as a source for MERS transmission in humans, although the exact source is unknown. Human-to-human transmission is reported in the community with droplet and contact spread being the possible modes. Most patients without any underlying diseases remain asymptomatic or develop mild clinical disease, but some patients require critical care for mechanical ventilation, dialysis and other organ support. MERS is a disease with pandemic potential and awareness, and surveillance can prevent such further outbreaks.

The 21st Century Challenges and the Food-Energy-Water-Security (FEWS) Nexus in the Middle East Region

Science.gov (United States)

Moradkhani, H.; Hameed, M.

2017-12-01

Developing countries have experienced crucial conditions in meeting the needs for food, energy, and water security. This paper presents a country-level quantitative assessment of the current issues associated with the Food-Energy-Water-Security (FEWS) Nexus in the Middle East region. In this study, sixteen countries in the Middle East region are chosen, namely, Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Egypt, and Turkey. The most recent datasets are used to study and analyze the factors that have emerged the demand to understand and manage the linkage of FEW systems in the region. Water scarcity, extreme events, population growth, urbanization, economic growth, poverty, and political stability are found to be the key drivers of the current challenges in the Middle East region. Additionally, the results suggest that these factors have created a subsequent stress on FEW resources specifically on water sector in the region. Therefore, more attention is required to sustain the FEW resources and cope with the socio-economic development.

Tackling cancer burden in the Middle East: Qatar as an example.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Robert; Kerr, Karen; Haoudi, Abdelali; Darzi, Ara

2012-11-01

Cancer prevalence is increasing in the Middle East, partly because of increased life expectancy and adoption of western lifestyle habits. Suboptimum delivery of health care also contributes to late diagnosis and poor survival of people with cancer. Public awareness of cancer risk is frequently low and misconceptions high, thereby preventing patients from seeking treatment early and constituting a substantial barrier to improvement of cancer outcomes. Screening programmes might have low uptake in Arab populations because of social and health beliefs about cancer. This review outlines the opportunities available to Middle Eastern countries and their emerging economies to learn from global experiences in cancer care, service provision, and research partnerships. The Middle East has begun to develop several health-care transformation programmes. Qatar, in particular, has published a National Health Strategy, in which cancer is one of the main commitments; this Strategy provides the focus of this review. The development of effective health-care strategies and evidence-based medicine directly linked to innovative cancer research is needed to improve cancer care. Although the full extent of the proposed solutions are not necessarily implementable in all Middle Eastern countries, wealthy states can lead derivation of population-specific approaches that could have effects throughout the region. Key challenges are outlined-namely, human capacity and training, subspecialisation of services, building on international cancer research initiatives, and the need for earlier diagnosis and awareness in the population. Countries in the Gulf Region (ie, countries bordering the Persian Gulf, including Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, and Oman) need to address these challenges to be at the forefront of integrated cancer care and research and ensure that the latest innovations and best possible care are delivered to their populations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd

Water and Land Limitations to Future Agricultural Production in the Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

Koch, J. A. M.; Wimmer, F.; Schaldach, R.

2015-12-01

Countries in the Middle East use a large fraction of their scarce water resources to produce cash crops, such as fruit and vegetables, for international markets. At the same time, these countries import large amounts of staple crops, such as cereals, required to meet the nutritional demand of their populations. This makes food security in the Middle East heavily dependent on world market prices for staple crops. Under these preconditions, increasing food demand due to population growth, urban expansion on fertile farmlands, and detrimental effects of a changing climate on the production of agricultural commodities present major challenges to countries in the Middle East that try to improve food security by increasing their self-sufficiency rate of staple crops.We applied the spatio-temporal land-use change model LandSHIFT.JR to simulate how an expansion of urban areas may affect the production of agricultural commodities in Jordan. We furthermore evaluated how climate change and changes in socio-economic conditions may influence crop production. The focus of our analysis was on potential future irrigated and rainfed production (crop yield and area demand) of fruit, vegetables, and cereals. Our simulation results show that the expansion of urban areas and the resulting displacement of agricultural areas does result in a slight decrease in crop yields. This leads to almost no additional irrigation water requirements due to the relocation of agricultural areas, i.e. there is the same amount of "crop per drop". However, taking into account projected changes in socio-economic conditions and climate conditions, a large volume of water would be required for cereal production in order to safeguard current self-sufficiency rates for staple crops. Irrigation water requirements are expected to double until 2025 and to triple until 2050. Irrigated crop yields are projected to decrease by about 25%, whereas there is no decrease in rainfed crop yields to be expected.

Management challenges faced by managers of New Zealand long-term care facilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Madas, E; North, N

2000-01-01

This article reports on a postal survey of 78 long-term care managers in one region of New Zealand, of whom 45 (58%) responded. Most long-term care managers (73.2%) were middle-aged females holding nursing but not management qualifications. Most long-term care facilities (69%) tended to be stand-alone facilities providing a single type of care (rest home or continuing care hospital). The most prominent issues facing managers were considered to be inadequate funding to match the growing costs of providing long-term care and occupancy levels. Managers believed that political/regulatory, economic and social factors influenced these issues. Despite a turbulent health care environment and the challenges facing managers, long-term care managers reported they were coping well and valued networking.

Future of Management of Multiple Sclerosis in the Middle East: A Consensus View from Specialists in Ten Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed Aljumah

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS is now considered to be medium-to-high in the Middle East and is rising, particularly among women. While the characteristics of the disease and the response of patients to disease-modifying therapies are generally comparable between the Middle East and other areas, significant barriers to achieving optimal care for MS exist in these developing nations. A group of physicians involved in the management of MS in ten Middle Eastern countries met to consider the future of MS care in the region, using a structured process to reach a consensus. Six key priorities were identified: early diagnosis and management of MS, the provision of multidisciplinary MS centres, patient engagement and better communication with stakeholders, regulatory body education and reimbursement, a commitment to research, and more therapy options with better benefit-to-risk ratios. The experts distilled these priorities into a single vision statement: “Optimization of patient-centred multidisciplinary strategies to improve the quality of life of people with MS.” These core principles will contribute to the development of a broader consensus on the future of care for MS in the Middle East.

The ‘complete gospel’ revisited: Middle East and African influences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glenna S. Jackson

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The author focuses on the historically-reliable gospel pericopes in which a woman is the lead character. She argues that these women provide the complete gospel − Jesus teaches, heals, preaches and is anointed in the context of female-based stories and, of course, the women take him from conception to resurrection. Jackson argues, not only from an analysis of the texts themselves, but also from her personal experiences in the Middle East and Africa.

Time is ripe to act on Middle East weapons. Op-ed essay, published in the Financial Times

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ElBaradei, M.; Rotblat, J.

2004-01-01

Full text: The writing is on the wall: the Middle East is fertile ground for proliferation concerns. Despite progress in obtaining greater transparency on the nuclear programmes of Iran, Iraq and Libya, a deep sense of insecurity remains. The symptoms are everywhere in the region: the Arab-Israeli conflict continues to fester. Regime change is talked of as the most efficient route to democracy. The situation in Iraq, and its regional security implications, remains far from certain. Tensions with the west have increasingly become subtly - and not so subtly - associated with Muslim culture. More countries in the Middle East have refused to sign global treaties banning nuclear, biological and chemical weapons than in any other region. In the absence of a comprehensive settlement, Israel refuses to discuss its purportedly sizeable nuclear arsenal and shrugs off repeated requests to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). This and the accompanying sense of insecurity have served as an incentive for countries to arm themselves with equal or similar weapons capacity. A recent poll by the Arabic-language Al-Jazeera website showed that more than 80 per cent of respondents favoured acquisition of nuclear weapons by the Arab world. But this mini arms-race has made no one feel more secure. In addition, the increasing sophistication of clandestine programmes, greater access to nuclear and other weapons technology and the increasingly evident black market for illicit acquisition of designs, components and expertise increase the prospect that extremist groups will acquire weapons of mass destruction. If we had any doubts before, it should be clear now that the Middle East situation is unsustainable. If we do nothing, catastrophe is only a matter of time. A great deal of rhetoric has emerged over the idea of making the Middle East a WMD-free region. The establishment of a nuclear-weapons-free zone has been the topic of UN resolutions for 30 years, with

Security concerns in the Middle East for oil supply: Problems and solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sen, Samil [Istanbul Univ., Dept. of Geology, Istanbul (Turkey); Babali, Tuncay [Houston Univ., Dept. of Political Science, Houston, TX (United States)

2007-03-15

Comprising 65-70% of the world's oil reserves, the Gulf States (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, UAE and Qatar) are key countries for the solutions to the energy supply matters of the world. Free flow of oil to the world markets from Gulf region is an indispensable part of the major security issues. The Middle East has had mainly security related problems such as Arab-Israeli wars and conflicts, Arab-Iranian war and conflicts, Arab-Arab war and conflicts, US-Gulf wars and conflicts and more recently radicalism and terrorist attacks. Energy supply security requires the enhancement of the peace and cooperation between countries instead of competition. Preventive policy approaches are more suitable to address energy supply matters. Preventive strategy might be possible with the active participation of NATO within the 'out of area' type operations to the Middle East and quite possibly indirectly to the Asia-Pacific regions. Religious and ethnic radicalism and terrorist attacks has also direct effects over oil supply security matters. (Author)

Assessment of prescribing information for generic drugs manufactured in the Middle East and marketed in Saudi Arabia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gebran, N.; Al-Haldari, K.

2006-01-01

Little research has assessed the quality of manufacturer provided prescribing information or documented difference in key aspects of drug information among different marketed generic products of the same drug particularly in Middle East and Arabian Gulf. We assessed the quality of written prescribing information for selected generic drugs marketed in Saudi Arabia and manufactured in various countries of Middle East. We assessed the correctness and completeness of information pertaining to indications, dosage cautions/contraindications, side effects and drug interactions in 37 packages inserts for generic products registered in Saudi Arabia and manufactured in the Middle East, including atenolol (6 inserts), fluoxetine (4 inserts), ciprofloxacin (11 inserts), melformin (7 inserts) and omeprazole (9 inserts). We also described deficiencies in quality and quantity of manufacturers provided information that could be misleading to patients and prescribes. We found substantial disagreement in information between generic packages inserts versus the British National Formulary and the package insert of the brand product marketed in Saudi Arabia. A cumulative average of 63.16% of drug information indicators were in agreement with these standard references. Section headings with the least conformity with study references were those related to dosage (57, 28%) and side effects (54+-30%). Our results indicate that national authorities should implement appropriate measures aimed at removing misleading and incorrect information in generic package inserts and incorporating crucial prescribing information that is missing. National authorities in the Middle East and Arabian Gulf should strengthen collaboration and information interchange among each other and with international agencies to maintain common quality standards for delivering information through package inserts. (author)

The acceptance of dental operating microscope among advance education specialty programs in endodontics in the middle east

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mansour Alrejaie

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Aim: To present the current situation of dental operating microscopy (DOM training in the available Advance Specialty Education Programs in Endodontics in Arab Middle-Eastern countries. Materials and Methods: A web-based survey was sent to the electronic mail address of Advance Specialty Education programs of 15 Arab and middle east countries. The questions were limited to those who have an advanced specialty education program in Endodontics at their University if they are using an operating microscope? Results: Out of 15 countries, only 4 countries have microscopic technology in their Advance Education Programs in Endodontics. Conclusion: Few Arab Middle-Eastern countries have DOM in their advance education programs in endodontics. The highest authority in advancing endodontic education in the Arab Middle-East should consider in the near future the importance of this technology as standard care in teaching advance endodontics. An advance workshops should be organized regularly to provide enough knowledge about this standard educational technology.

News reported on 30 November 1993 by the Middle East News Agency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-01-10

The document reproduces a letter dated 27 December 1993 from the Alternate Resident Representative of Iraq to the IAEA including in an annex the news reported on 30 November 1993 by the Middle East News Agency concerning the detection of nuclear radiations in Iraqi military equipment left behind by the Iraqi army during the war for Kuwait liberation.

News reported on 30 November 1993 by the Middle East News Agency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

The document reproduces a letter dated 27 December 1993 from the Alternate Resident Representative of Iraq to the IAEA including in an annex the news reported on 30 November 1993 by the Middle East News Agency concerning the detection of nuclear radiations in Iraqi military equipment left behind by the Iraqi army during the war for Kuwait liberation

A short narrative - Challenges and opportunities in expanding research in the Middle East, North Afr

Science.gov (United States)

CGH CRTA, Hedieh Mehrtash interviews CGH's Dr. Marie Ricciardone who works with a network of partners in the Middle East and North Africa region, on experiences, challenges, and opportunities in the region.

Security Threats Emerging from the Middle East and North Africa

OpenAIRE

Çınar, Bekir

2015-01-01

The main security threats affecting the Middle East and North African (MENA) region arise from energy insecurity, immigration and terrorism. These threats would remain if authorities and other stake holders do not address the root causes of the problems, which are artificial national borders, authoritarian regimes and lack of pluralist education. This paper suggests that lifting state borders and setting up regional economic communities such as the EU may ease conflicts in the region which ca...

The Agia Marina Xyliatou Observatory: A remote supersite in Cyprus to monitor changes in the atmospheric composition of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

Sciare, Jean

2016-04-01

The Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) region has been identified as one of the hot spot region in the world strongly influenced by climate changes impacts. This region is characterized by rapidly growing population with contrasting economic development, strong environmental gradients and climate extremes. However, long-term observations of the atmospheric constituents (gaseous and particulate) of the atmosphere at a remote site representative of EMME is still missing making difficult to assess current and future impacts on air quality, water resources and climate. In collaboration with the Department of Labour Inspection and in the frame of French research programs (ChArMEx and ENVI-Med "CyAr") and the EU H2020 "ACTRIS-2" (2015-2019) project, CyI and CNRS are putting unprecedented efforts to implement at a rural site of Cyprus (Agia Marina Xyliatou) a unique infrastructure to monitor key atmospheric species relevant to air quality and climate. A large set of real-time instrumentations is currently deployed to characterize reactive gases (incl. O3, CO, NOx, SO2, VOC), in-situ aerosol properties (mass, size distribution, light scatt./absorption/extinction coef. and chemistry) and as well as integrated optical properties (sunphotomer, solar flux). Through Transnational access (H2020 ACTRIS2), this station is offering to (non-)EU partners (Research, SMEs) a new atmospheric facility to monitor long range transported clean/polluted air masses from 3 different continents (Europe, Africa, Middle East) and investigate aerosol-cloud interactions through the use of UAV and a mountain site (Troodos, 1900m asl). We will present here an overview of this new research infrastructure and provide a first glance of key features observed from gas/aerosol measurements obtained in 2015

Exploring crude oil production and export capacity of the OPEC Middle East countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Ken'ichi; Voudouris, Vlasios; Stasinopoulos, Dimitrios; Rigby, Robert; Di Maio, Carlo

2012-01-01

As the world economy highly depends on crude oil, it is important to understand the dynamics of crude oil production and export capacity of major oil-exporting countries. Since crude oil resources are predominately located in the OPEC Middle East, these countries are expected to have significant leverage in the world crude oil markets by taking into account a range of uncertainties. In this study, we develop a scenario for crude oil export and production using the ACEGES model considering uncertainties in the resource limits, demand growth, production growth, and peak/decline point. The results indicate that the country-specific peak of both crude oil export and production comes in the early this century in the OPEC Middle East countries. On the other hand, they occupy most of the world export and production before and after the peak points. Consequently, these countries are expected to be the key group in the world crude oil markets. We also find that the gap between the world crude oil demand and production broadens over time, meaning that the acceleration of the development of ultra-deep-water oil, oil sands, and extra-heavy oil will be required if the world continuous to heavily rely on oil products. - Highlights: ► We simulate the future scenario of crude oil export and production using ACEGES. ► The simulated results are analyzed using the GAMLSS framework. ► The peak points of oil export and production will come early in this century. ► The OPCE Middle East will produce most of the world crude oil in the near future. ► These countries will continuously be the key players in the crude oil markets.

A brief encounter with the middle east: A narrative of one Muslim woman diagnosed with breast cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lea Baider

2016-01-01

Full Text Available One of the major challenges the healthcare profession face is understanding the variability and different meanings of the concepts of age and aging within different cultural, social, religious, and ethical contexts. People over the age of 65 in the Middle Eastern countries are estimated to comprise 4.7% of the population and are expected to grow rapidly. In the Middle East, cancer is the leading cause of death among women aged 40-79 and one of the leading causes of death for women over 70 years of age. Many women in the Middle East live within a system of religious values and moral perceptions based on an intergenerational family structure and clear family roles. We present a singular case study describing the importance of the ability to successfully understand cross-cultural issues in a clinical setting. Attention should be given to barriers and facilitators related to health and cancer education. It is recognized that personal, psychological, religious, environmental, social, and economic factors influence participation in any health programs. Cultural and religious factors, in particular, have been shown to play a vital role in women′s attitudes to breast cancer screening. It has to be noted that the case presented is meant to present and demonstrates cross-cultural issues rather than to represent Muslims in the Middle East.

Water as a Human Right for the Middle East and North Africa | IDRC ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2008-07-11

Jul 11, 2008 ... Water as a Human Right for the Middle East and North Africa ... Asit K. Biswas is President of the Third World Centre for Water Management, Atizapan, Mexico. ... the International Centre for Water, Zaragoza, Spain and President, International Water Resources Association. ... Careers · Contact Us · Site map.

Nuclear war in the Middle East: where is the voice of medicine and public health.

Science.gov (United States)

Dallas, Cham E; Burkle, Frederick M

2011-10-01

Once again, the politically volatile Middle East and accompanying rhetoric has escalated the risk of a major nuclear exchange. Diplomatic efforts have failed to make the medical consequences of such an exchange a leading element in negotiations. The medical and academic communities share this denial. Without exaggeration, the harsh reality of the enormous consequences of an imminently conceivable nuclear war between Iran and Israel will encompass an unprecedented millions of dead and an unavoidable decline in public health and environmental devastation that would impact major populations in the Middle East for decades to come. Nuclear deterrence and the uncomfortable but real medical and public health consequences must become an integral part of a broader global health diplomacy that emphasizes health security along with poverty reduction and good governance.

Transnational Ireland on Stage: America to Middle East in Three Texts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei H. Kao

2014-05-01

Full Text Available British imperialism had once channelled Ireland into becoming not only a subjugator of non-white colonies while itself subjugated, but also a transnational agent that nestled exceedingly well between cultural homogenisation and differentiation. Having said this, this essay will initiate a conversation among three dramatic texts that either question the ambiguity of the Irish role in international politics or unveil the ignored experiences of Irish exiles and their interactions with ethnic Others in a distant land. These Irish texts, to differing degrees, resist the normative impositions of a globalised world-view, and present a hybridised yet unsettling facet of Irish diasporic life in America, France, and Middle East, as it is mediated with the difficulties of changing concepts of space and time in a transnational landscape. The discussion on the three texts will illuminate not only the commonality of ethical problems in general, but also how the individual playwrights reflect on the emerging ethical crises through Irish people's own historical experiences and the concurrent Middle East conflict. The three plays to be discussed are Sebastian Barry's White Woman Street (1992, Frank McGuinness's Someone Who'll Watch Over Me (1992, and Colin Teevan's How Many Miles to Basra? (2006.

Long-term developmental changes in children’s lower-order big five personality facets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Haan, A.; de Pauw, S.; van den Akker, A.; Deković, M.; Prinzie, P.

2017-01-01

Objective This study examined long-term developmental changes in mother-rated lower-order facets of children's Big Five dimensions. Method Two independent community samples covering early childhood (2–4.5 years; N = 365, 39% girls) and middle childhood to the end of middle adolescence (6–17 years;

Long-term developmental changes in children’s lower-order Big Five personality facets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Haan, A.D.; de Pauw, S.; van den Akker, A.L.; Dekovic, M.; Prinzie, Peter

2017-01-01

Objective This study examined long-term developmental changes in mother-rated lower-order facets of children's Big Five dimensions. Method Two independent community samples covering early childhood (2–4.5 years; N = 365, 39% girls) and middle childhood to the end of middle adolescence (6–17 years;

Using Satellite Data and Land Surface Models to Monitor and Forecast Drought Conditions in Africa and Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

Arsenault, K. R.; Shukla, S.; Getirana, A.; Peters-Lidard, C. D.; Kumar, S.; McNally, A.; Zaitchik, B. F.; Badr, H. S.; Funk, C. C.; Koster, R. D.; Narapusetty, B.; Jung, H. C.; Roningen, J. M.

2017-12-01

Drought and water scarcity are among the important issues facing several regions within Africa and the Middle East. In addition, these regions typically have sparse ground-based data networks, where sometimes remotely sensed observations may be the only data available. Long-term satellite records can help with determining historic and current drought conditions. In recent years, several new satellites have come on-line that monitor different hydrological variables, including soil moisture and terrestrial water storage. Though these recent data records may be considered too short for the use in identifying major droughts, they do provide additional information that can better characterize where water deficits may occur. We utilize recent satellite data records of Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) terrestrial water storage (TWS) and the European Space Agency's Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) soil moisture retrievals. Combining these records with land surface models (LSMs), NASA's Catchment and the Noah Multi-Physics (MP), is aimed at improving the land model states and initialization for seasonal drought forecasts. The LSMs' total runoff is routed through the Hydrological Modeling and Analysis Platform (HyMAP) to simulate surface water dynamics, which can provide an additional means of validation against in situ streamflow data. The NASA Land Information System (LIS) software framework drives the LSMs and HyMAP and also supports the capability to assimilate these satellite retrievals, such as soil moisture and TWS. The LSMs are driven for 30+ years with NASA's Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2), and the USGS/UCSB Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Stations (CHIRPS) rainfall dataset. The seasonal water deficit forecasts are generated using downscaled and bias-corrected versions of NASA's Goddard Earth Observing System Model (GEOS-5), and NOAA's Climate Forecast System (CFSv2) forecasts

Changes of deep Pacific overturning circulation and carbonate chemistry during middle Miocene East Antarctic ice sheet expansion

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Xiaolin; Tian, Jun; Ma, Wentao; Li, Ke; Yu, Jimin

2018-02-01

East Antarctic ice sheet expansion (EAIE) at ∼13.9 Ma in the middle Miocene represents a major climatic event during the long-term Cenozoic cooling, but ocean circulation and carbon cycle changes during this event remain unclear. Here, we present new fish teeth isotope (εNd) and benthic foraminiferal B/Ca records from the South China Sea (SCS), newly integrated meridional Pacific benthic foraminiferal δ18O and δ13C records and simulated results from a biogeochemical box model to explore the responses of deep Pacific Ocean circulation and carbon cycle across EAIE. The εNd and meridional benthic δ13C records reveal a more isolated Pacific Deep Water (PDW) and a sluggish Pacific meridional overturning circulation during the post-EAIE with respect to the pre-EAIE owing to weakened southern-sourced deep water formation. The deep-water [CO23-] and calcium carbonate mass accumulation rate in the SCS display markedly similar increases followed by recoveries to the pre-EAIE level during EAIE, which were probably caused by a shelf-basin shift of CaCO3 deposition and strengthened weathering due to a sea level fall within EAIE. The model results show that the ∼1‰ positive δ13C excursion during EAIE could be attributed to increased weathering of high-δ13C shelf carbonates and a terrestrial carbon reservoir expansion. The drawdown of atmospheric CO2 over the middle Miocene were probably caused by combined effects of increased shelf carbonate weathering, expanded land biosphere carbon storage and a sluggish deep Pacific meridional overturning circulation.

Long-term Follow-up Results of a Multi-institutional Phase 2 Study of Concurrent Chemoradiation Therapy for Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer in East and Southeast Asia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kato, Shingo, E-mail: s_kato@saitama-med.ac.jp [Department of Radiation Oncology, International Medical Center, Saitama Medical University, Saitama (Japan); National Institute of Radiological Sciences of Japan, Chiba (Japan); Ohno, Tatsuya [Gunma University Heavy Ion Medical Center, Gunma University, Gunma (Japan); Thephamongkhol, Kullathorn; Chansilpa, Yaowalak [Division of Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiology, Siriraj Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok (Thailand); Cao, Jianping [School of Radiation Medicine and Public Health, Soochow University, Soochow (China); Xu, Xiaoting [Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow (China); Devi, C. R. Beena; Swee, Tang Tieng [Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Hospital Umum Sarawak, Kuching (Malaysia); Calaguas, Miriam J.C. [Department of Radiation Oncology, St. Luke' s Medical Center, Quezon City, the Philippines (Philippines); Reyes, Rey H. de los [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, Manila, the Philippines (Philippines); Cho, Chul-Koo [Department of Radiation Oncology, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Dung, To Anh [Department of Breast and Gynecology Radiotherapy, National Cancer Institute, Hanoi (Viet Nam); Supriana, Nana [Department of Radiation Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, Dr Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Jakarta (Indonesia); Erawati, Dyah [Division of Radiotherapy, Dr Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya (Indonesia); Mizuno, Hideyuki [National Institute of Radiological Sciences of Japan, Chiba (Japan); Nakano, Takashi [Department of Radiation Oncology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma (Japan); Tsujii, Hirohiko [National Institute of Radiological Sciences of Japan, Chiba (Japan)

2013-09-01

Purpose: To report the long-term survival and toxicity of a multi-institutional phase 2 study of concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) for locally advanced cervical cancer in east and southeast Asia. Methods and Materials: Ten institutions from 8 Asian countries participated in the study. Between April 2003 and March 2006, 120 patients (60 with bulky stage IIB and 60 with stage IIIB) were treated with CCRT. Radiation therapy consisted of pelvic external beam radiation therapy and either high-dose-rate or low-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy. Five cycles of weekly cisplatin (40 mg/m{sup 2}) were administered during the course of radiation therapy. Treatment results were evaluated by the rates of local control, overall survival, and late toxicities. Results: Median follow-up was 63.7 months, and the follow-up rate at 5 years was 98%. The 5-year local control and overall survival rates for all patients were 76.8% and 55.1%, respectively. The 5-year rates of major late toxicities of the rectum and bladder were 7.9% and 0%, respectively. Conclusions: The long-term results have suggested that CCRT is safe and effective for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer in east and southeast Asia. However, further efforts are needed to improve overall survival.

Natural gas in the Middle East and North Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enay, P.

1997-02-01

Natural Gas in the Middle East and North Africa gives an in-depth country-by-country survey of both the region's ambitious gas development plans and the problems it faces. It provides details of production costs, the extent and accessibility of gas reserves and the degree of host government support. The report addresses all the essential questions surrounding investment opportunities in this area and guides you through gas demand in the region. It also includes a detailed study of 11 major gas producing and consuming countries in the area, covering: Algeria; Egypt; Iran; Kuwait; Libya; Oman; Qatar; Saudia Arabia; Syria; UAE; Yemen. The report is divided into two sections for ease of use. The first section examines the demand factors for the region's gas exports, the second provides details of gas exploitation programmes in individual countries. The report also provides you with details of: gas reserves, production and use - a country-by-country review; maps of major pipelines - internal networks and export routes; growth in international gas trade; political and fiscal analysis - key to measuring investment risk and short- to medium-term political stability; and major limitations to the region's gas development - geography, political instability and US geopolitical influence in the region. (author)

Long-Term Surveillance and Maintenance Plan for the Gnome-Coach, New Mexico, Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kreie, Ken [USDOE Office of Legacy Management, Grand Junction, CO (United States); Findlay, Rick [Navarro Research and Engineering, Inc., Grand Junction, CO (United States)

2016-06-08

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management (LM) prepared this Long-Term Surveillance and Maintenance Plan (LTSMP) for the Gnome-Coach, New Mexico, Site (the Gnome site). The Gnome site is approximately 25 miles east of Carlsbad in Eddy County, New Mexico (Figure 1). The site was the location of a 3-kiloton-yield underground nuclear test and radioisotope groundwater tracer test. The tests resulted in residual contamination and post-detonation features that require long-term oversight. Long-term responsibility for the site was transferred from the DOE National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office to LM on October 1, 2006. Responsibilities include surveillance, monitoring, and maintenance of institutional controls (ICs) as part of the long-term stewardship of the site. Long-term stewardship is designed to ensure protection of human health and the environment.

Chinese-Middle East Relations and Their Implications for U.S. Policy

Science.gov (United States)

1992-06-01

temporary hiatus of 13 enforced isolation, predominantly to the United States. This youthful and/or professional peregrination provides another very rich ...an extensive millenial westward migration from the Middle East and Persia through to and including Greece, Rome, Europe and finally into the New...either radical or moderate reform wings. They are variously referred to in the western press as go-for-it and to-get- rich -is-glorious "reformers" on

Faculty Response to Ethical Issues at an American University in the Middle-East

Science.gov (United States)

Tabsh, Sami W.; El Kadi, Hany A.; Abdelfatah, Akmal S.

2012-01-01

Purpose: The objective of this study is to get feedback on faculty perception of ethical issues related to teaching, scholarship and service at a relatively new American-style university in the Middle-East. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire involving 21 scenarios with multiple choice answers was developed and distributed to all faculty…

The Global Online Sexuality Survey (GOSS): male homosexuality among Arabic-speaking internet users in the Middle East--2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaeer, Osama; Shaeer, Kamal

2014-10-01

The prevalence of male homosexuality is difficult to elicit considering the sensitivity of one's sexual orientation. The Global Online Sexuality Survey (GOSS) is an online epidemiologic study of male and female sexuality. The online nature of GOSS allows more confidentiality and wider geographic reach, particularly important in investigating sexual issues within the more conservative societies. This study aims to determine the prevalence of male homosexuality among Internet users in the Arabic-speaking Middle East and the unique characteristics of this subset of the population. Prevalence of male homosexuality. In the year 2010, GOSS was offered to Arabic-speaking web surfers above 18 years of age in the Middle East. Potential participants were invited via advertising on Facebook®. Invitations were dispatched randomly with the exception of geographic region and age, regardless web surfing preferences. GOSS relied in part on validated questionnaires such as the International Index of Erectile Function, as well on other nonvalidated questions. 17.1% reported desire toward the same sex, of whom 5.6% had homosexual encounters, mostly in the form of external stimulation rather than intercourse, and exclusively undercover. An overwhelming majority was ego-dystonic (78.2%). This is--to our knowledge--the first online survey to address the prevalence of homosexual orientation and practice in the Middle East, discriminating desire from practice, ego-syntonic from ego-dystonic, and investigating the pattern of practice. Homosexual desire is present in the Middle East as it is around the world, and homosexual encounters are as prevalent. Yet, the undercover and ego-dystonic states prevail. © 2014 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Understanding the routes of contamination of ready-to-eat vegetables in the Middle East

OpenAIRE

Faour-Klingbeil, D; Murtada, M; Kuri, V; Todd, ECD

2016-01-01

publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Understanding the routes of contamination of ready-to-eat vegetables in the Middle East journaltitle: Food Control articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2015.10.024 content_type: article copyright: Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Guidelines for acute management of hyperammonemia in the Middle East region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alfadhel M

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Majid Alfadhel,1,2 Fuad Al Mutairi,1,2 Nawal Makhseed,3 Fatma Al Jasmi,4 Khalid Al-Thihli,5 Emtithal Al-Jishi,6 Moeenaldeen AlSayed,7 Zuhair N Al-Hassnan,7,8 Fathiya Al-Murshedi,5 Johannes Häberle,9 Tawfeg Ben-Omran10 Middle East Hyperammonemia and Urea Cycle Disorders Scientific Group (MHUSG 1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetics, 2King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3Department of Pediatrics, Jahra Hospital, Ministry of Health, Jahra City, Kuwait; 4Department of Pediatric, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates; 5Genetic and Developmental Medicine Clinic, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman; 6Salmaniya Medical Complex, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain; 7Department of Medical Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, 8The National Newborn Screening Program, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 9Department of Pediatrics, Division of Metabolism and Children’s Research Center, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; 10Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar Background: Hyperammonemia is a life-threatening event that can occur at any age. If treated, the early symptoms in all age groups could be reversible. If untreated, hyperammonemia could be toxic and cause irreversible brain damage to the developing brain.Objective: There are major challenges that worsen the outcome of hyperammonemic individuals in the Middle East. These include: lack of awareness among emergency department physicians about proper management of hyperammonemia, strained communication between physicians at primary, secondary, and tertiary hospitals, and shortage of the medications used in the acute management of hyperammonemia. Therefore, the urge to develop regional guidelines is

Analysis of the summertime buildup of tropospheric ozone abundances over the Middle East and North Africa as observed by the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jane J.; Jones, Dylan B. A.; Worden, John R.; Noone, David; Parrington, Mark; Kar, Jay

2009-03-01

We use the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model to interpret observations of tropospheric ozone from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) satellite instrument in summer 2005. Observations from TES reveal elevated ozone in the middle troposphere (500-400 hPa) across North Africa and the Middle East. Observed ozone abundances in the middle troposphere are at a maximum in summer and a minimum in winter, consistent with the previously predicted summertime "Middle East ozone maximum." This summertime enhancement in ozone is associated with the Arabian and Sahara anticyclones, centered over the Zagros and Atlas Mountains, respectively. These anticyclones isolate the middle troposphere over northeast Africa and the Middle East, with westerlies to the north and easterlies to the south, facilitating the buildup of ozone. Over the Middle East, we find that in situ production and transport from Asia provides comparable contributions of 30-35% to the ozone buildup. Over North Africa, in situ production is dominant (at about 20%), with transport from Asia, North America, and equatorial Africa each contributing about 10-15% to the total ozone. We find that although the eastern Mediterranean is characterized by strong descent in the middle and upper troposphere in summer, transport from the boundary layer accounts for about 25% of the local Middle Eastern contribution to the ozone enhancement in the middle troposphere. This upward transport of boundary layer air is associated with orographic lifting along the Zagros Mountains in Iran and the Asir and Hijaz Mountain ranges in Saudi Arabia, and is consistent with TES observations of deuterated water.

The long-term outlook for nuclear capacity in Ontario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Archinoff, G.H.

1979-04-01

This report derives three estimates of long-term nuclear growth in Ontario for use in strategy studies of alternate nuclear fuel cycles. The low and high estimates encompass the full range of possible long-term nuclear growth rates. The middle, or base growth, estimate represents the nuclear growth pattern which seems at the present time most likely to occur. For the base growth estimate, nuclear capacity in Ontario reaches 31 GWe in 2000, grows to 175 GWe by 2060, and then remains constant. For the high growth estimate, the capacity in 2000 is 33 GWe, and climbs continuously to 833 GWe by the year 2100. (auth)

Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. Part 10. Bat fauna of Iran

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Benda, P.; Faizolahi, K.; Andreas, M.; Obuch, J.; Reiter, A.; Ševčík, M.; Uhrin, M.; Vallo, Peter; Ashrafi, S.

2012-01-01

Roč. 76, 3-4 (2012), s. 163-562 ISSN 1211-376X Institutional support: RVO:68081766 Keywords : distribution * ecology * echolocation * ectoparasites * Chiroptera * Iran * Middle East * Palaearctic Subject RIV: EG - Zoology

Clinical Assessment and Management of Spondyloarthritides in the Middle East: A Multinational Investigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed Hammoudeh

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Data on spondyloarthritis (SpA from the Middle East are sparse and the management of these diseases in this area of the world faces a number of challenges, including the relevant resources to enable early diagnosis and referral and sufficient funds to aid the most appropriate treatment strategy. The objective was to report on the characteristics, disease burden, and treatment of SpA in the Middle East region and to highlight where management strategies could be improved, with the overall aim of achieving better patient outcomes. This multicenter, observational, cross-sectional study collected demographic, clinical, laboratory, and treatment data on 169 consecutive SpA patients at four centers (Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The data collected presents the average time from symptom onset to diagnosis along with the presence of comorbidities in the region and comparisons between treatment with NSAIDs and biologics. In the absence of regional registries of SpA patients, the data presented here provide a rare snapshot of the characteristics, disease burden, and treatment of these patients, highlighting the management challenges in the region.

Molecular phylogeny of the tribe Torini Karaman, 1971 (Actinopterygii: Cypriniformes) from the Middle East and North Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Borkenhagen, Kai

2017-02-22

Freshwater fishes of the cyprinid tribe Torini are widespread in Africa the Middle East and Indomalaya. The relationships of Middle-Eastern Torini are analysed based on mitochondrial markers (Cyt b, ND4) of the majority of relevant species. I present a larely well resolved phylogeny, which confirms the validity of the morphologically defined genera Arabibarbus, Carasobarbus, Mesopotamichthys and Pterocapoeta. The Torini originated in Indomalaya and colonised Africa via the Middle East. Morocco was colonised two times independently, first from sub-Saharan Africa and secondly along the southern margin of the Mediterranean Sea. The Tigris-Euphrates system is an important crossroad for the colonisation of the Jordan River, the Orontes River and the watercourses of the Arabian Peninsula by freshwater fishes. The Jordan lost its connection to the Euphrates earlier than the Orontes. The Arabian Peninsula was colonised from the Tigris-Euphrates system in at least two independent events.

Middle East Respiratory Coronavirus Accessory Protein 4a Inhibits PKR-Mediated Antiviral Stress Responses

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rabouw, Huib H; Langereis, Martijn A; Knaap, Robert C M; Dalebout, Tim J; Canton, Javier; Sola, Isabel; Enjuanes, Luis; Bredenbeek, Peter J; Kikkert, Marjolein; de Groot, Raoul J; van Kuppeveld, Frank J M

2016-01-01

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causes severe respiratory infections that can be life-threatening. To establish an infection and spread, MERS-CoV, like most other viruses, must navigate through an intricate network of antiviral host responses. Besides the well-known type I

Snowpack Variation and Hydrologic Impacts across the Middle East and North Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, D. A.; Ward, M. N.

2017-12-01

The Middle East is a region historically sensitive to climate variability and change, and contains snowpacks that have been shown to be important inputs to key regional water resources, including the Tigris-Euphrates river system. Focusing on the Middle East (and the smaller snowpacks of northwestern Africa), this presentation aims to (i) quantify each year's snowpack development and recession over recent decades, highlighting interannual to decadal variability, and (ii) advance understanding on the connection between the snowpack variations and aspects of regional hydrology. The presentation draws on satellite-based products, station data, and model reanalyses. Variation is summarized using space-time statistical techniques, as well as simpler regional indices: Northwestern Iran / Southern Caucasus (NWIC, includes Zagros Mountains); Eastern Turkey (ETKY, includes Taurus Mountains); and smaller scale indices for Lebanon and the Atlas Mountains. The Interactive Multisensor Snow and Ice Mapping System archives daily snow cover extent at 24 km resolution for 1999-present (primarily from visible satellite imagery). These data show that for both NWIC and ETKY, the mean snow extent peaks in late January with substantial coverage ( 300,000 km2 in each region), contracting to near zero by late June. A very large mid-winter interannual variance is also shown, implying substantial variation in hydrologic impacts during spring melt. Variability and decadal trends are compared with station snow depth reports (Global Historical Climatology Network - Daily). Strong agreement gives confidence in data quality, as well as, indicating high covariation of depth and extent. The connection with hydrologic impacts is investigated using reanalysis products, including the Global Land Data Assimilation System V2, which for the Middle East, shows broad agreement with observed maximum snow extent and spring retreat. The connections internal to the reanalysis between snow cover, melt and

a Heritage Inventory for Documenting Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Sheldrick, N.; Zerbini, A.

2017-08-01

The heritage of the Middle East and North Africa is under growing threat from a variety of factors, including agricultural expansion, urban development, looting, and conflict. Recording and documenting this heritage is therefore a key priority to aid heritage practitioners tasked with protecting sites and evaluating their condition on the ground. The Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa (EAMENA) project has developed a methodology for the identification, documentation, analysis, and monitoring of sites across the region to aid heritage professionals in these efforts. The project uses remote sensing techniques along with traditional archaeological research and prospection methods to collect data, which are stored and managed in a custom-designed database adapted from open-source Arches v.3 software, using CIDOC CRM standards and controlled vocabularies. In addition to these activities, the EAMENA project has initiated an international conference series and training workshops to support and establish partnerships with heritage professionals and institutions across the region.

A HERITAGE INVENTORY FOR DOCUMENTING ENDANGERED ARCHAEOLOGY IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Sheldrick

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The heritage of the Middle East and North Africa is under growing threat from a variety of factors, including agricultural expansion, urban development, looting, and conflict. Recording and documenting this heritage is therefore a key priority to aid heritage practitioners tasked with protecting sites and evaluating their condition on the ground. The Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa (EAMENA project has developed a methodology for the identification, documentation, analysis, and monitoring of sites across the region to aid heritage professionals in these efforts. The project uses remote sensing techniques along with traditional archaeological research and prospection methods to collect data, which are stored and managed in a custom-designed database adapted from open-source Arches v.3 software, using CIDOC CRM standards and controlled vocabularies. In addition to these activities, the EAMENA project has initiated an international conference series and training workshops to support and establish partnerships with heritage professionals and institutions across the region.

Astronomy in the Middle East and North Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Athem Alsabti, Abdul

2015-08-01

Recent turbulent events in the Middle East and North Africa have influenced all aspects of life. Education in general, including astronomy, teaching and research has all been greatly affected. In this presentation, the current situation regarding astronomy in this region is reviewed in detail. This is based on visits made to Tunisia and Algeria recently on behalf of the IAU and other visits to Iraq, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan in recent years, as well as on discussions and communications with astronomers, officials and astronomical and educational institutes in the region. Discussions have also been established with astronomers from Iran, Oman and Morocco. Ideas and proposals will be presented on the best ways for the IAU and the international academic community to help under these circumstances.

Escalation and Intrawar Deterrence During Limited Wars in the Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

2009-09-01

Regional Security ( ACRS ) Track 2 talks, which are part of the Middle East Peace Process. He also served as a member of the military and security...documents relating to the Iraqi BW program at his chicken farm in Iraq. The UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) which helped to monitor the WMD and missile...6. Zeev Maoz, Defending the Holy Land: A Critical Analysis of Israel’s Security & Foreign Policy, Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press, 2009, p

Child Physical Abuse Prevalence, Characteristics, Predictors, and Beliefs about Parent-Child Violence in South Asian, Middle Eastern, East Asian, and Latina Women in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Maker, Azmaira H.; Shah, Priti V.; Agha, Zia

2005-01-01

The present study examined the prevalence, characteristics, beliefs, and demographic predictors of parent-child physical violence among South Asian, Middle Eastern, East Asian, and Latina women in the United States. Two hundred fifty-one college-educated women from a middle to high SES (South Asian/Middle Eastern, n = 93; East Asian, n = 72;…

Molecular dynamics of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS CoV) fusion heptad repeat trimers

KAUST Repository

Kandeel, Mahmoud; Al-Taher, Abdulla; Li, Huifang; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Alnazawi, Mohamed

2018-01-01

Structural studies related to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS CoV) infection process are so limited. In this study, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was carried out to unravel changes in the MERS CoV heptad repeat domains (HRs

The Middle East - a mixture of oil and politics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skeet, I.

1992-01-01

The paper deals with the prospects for stability, in the context both of Middle East politics and of oil price and security. It shows that, because political stability is viewed differently by the actors who would be required to create the constituent parts of a stable political system, the likelihood of such stability is not high. In the case of oil, the objectives of the so-called producer/consumer dialogue are also different for both sides and a stable system is more likely to persist (although always subject to political upsets) as a result of whatever price management naturally evolves rather than through the creation of newly constructed mechanisms. (author)

“New Periphery” as a Factor For Strengthening The Positions of Israel in The Middle East

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yury I. Kostenko

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Since its establishment the State of Israel has sought alliances with non-Arab and non- Muslim countries and minorities in the Middle East, as well as Arab states geographically distant from the Arab-Israel conflict. The article presents and explains this regional orientation. It examines Israel's strategy of outflanking. The "periphery doctrine" was a grand strategy, meant to attain the major political-security goal of countering Arab hostility through relations with alternative regional powers and potential allies. This periphery strategy had been internalized to some extent in Israel's strategic thinking and it began to reappear after 2010, following a new era of Arab revolution. The rise of political Islam in Egypt, Turkey, Gaza and southern Lebanon coupled with the Islamic regime in Iran, has generated concern in Israel that it is again being surrounded by a ring of hostile states - in this case, Islamists rather than Arab nationalists. The article analyzes Israel's strategic thinking about the Middle East region. It looks at the importance of the "new periphery strategy" for Israeli efforts to advance the Arab-Israel peace process, and its potential role as the Arab Spring brings about greater Islamization of the Arab Middle East. Israeli strategic planners are talking of "spheres of containment" wherein countries like Cyprus, Greece, Azerbaijan, and Ethiopia constitute a kind of new periphery.

Progreen Online Engineering Diploma in the Middle East: Assessment of the Educational Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Baytiyeh, Hoda

2018-01-01

Little is known about the status of online learning in the Middle East. This study investigates educational experiences of engineers enrolled in the new joint online ProGreen diploma programme offered by three universities, two in Lebanon and one in Egypt. Forty-eight working engineers responded to an online survey based on the three components of…

The Middle East in 2015: The Impact of Regional Trends in U.S. Strategic Planning

Science.gov (United States)

2002-07-01

iii Chapter 1 The Middle East in 2015: An Overview Judith S. Yaphe In the year 2000, two stereotypes of a “typical” Middle Easterncountry and...to the Leader’s call were actually moonlighting , driving cabs, and working in shops and restaurants to support their families. The Iraqi government...been said that the Hollywood film industry is inca- pable of dealing with marriage in its pictures. It is good at depict- ing romance and getting people

Risk scores for diabetes and impaired glycaemia in the Middle East and North Africa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Handlos, Line Neerup; Witte, Daniel Rinse; Almdal, Thomas Peter

2013-01-01

AIMS: To develop risk scores for diabetes and diabetes or impaired glycaemia for individuals living in the Middle East and North Africa region. In addition, to derive national risk scores for Algeria, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and to compare the performance of the regional risk...

View of the LP gas supply/demand in Asia and a survey of the Middle East trend; Asia no LP gas jukyu tenbo to Chuto doko chosa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-09-01

A study was made on the LP gas supply/demand in Asia including an outlook for 2000. Eleven countries in Asia including NIES countries, ASEAN countries, China and India have been continuing their rapid growth of economy and have rapidly been increasing their energy consumption. There, LP gas spreads as a home use fuel, and countries excluding some LP gas producing countries depend considerably upon the import from the Middle East. The LP gas consumption quantity is steadily increasing in China and India having huge population, etc., and dependence of LP gas is increasing upon LP gas producing countries of the Middle East. Nevertheless, in the Middle East, the domestic consumption of LP gas, mostly butane, is increasing. Namely, butane is used as raw material of MTBE, and LP gas as that of petroleum chemicals. The Middle East has a lot of plant projects of a sizable size in the future, which predicts that LP gas export from LP gas producing countries of the Middle East is decreasing. 2 refs., 62 figs., 57 tabs.

The Jurassic of Denmark and Greenland: Shallow marine syn-rift sedimentation: Middle Jurassic Pelion Formation, Jameson Land, East Greenland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Engkilde, Michael

2003-10-01

Full Text Available The Middle Jurassic Pelion Formation – Fossilbjerget Formation couplet of Jameson Land, East Greenland, is a well-exposed example of the Middle Jurassic inshore–offshore successions characteristicof the rifted seaways in the Northwest European – North Atlantic region. Early Jurassic deposition took place under relatively quiet tectonic conditions following Late Permian – earliest Triassic and Early Triassic rift phases and the Lower Jurassic stratal package shows an overall layer-cake geometry. A long-term extensional phase was initiated in Middle Jurassic (Late Bajocian time, culminated in the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian–Volgian, and petered out in the earliest Cretaceous (Valanginian. The Upper Bajocian – Middle Callovian early-rift succession comprises shallow marine sandstones of the Pelion Formation and correlative offshore siltstones of theFossilbjerget Formation. Deposition was initiated by southwards progradation of shallow marine sands of the Pelion Formation in the Late Bajocian followed by major backstepping in Bathonian–Callovian times and drowning of the sandy depositional system in the Middle–Late Callovian. Six facies associations are recognised in the Pelion–Fossilbjerget couplet, representing estuarine, shoreface, offshore transition zone and offshore environments. The north–southtrendingaxis of the Jameson Land Basin had a low inclination, and deposition was sensitive to even small changes in relative sea level which caused the shorelines to advance or retreat over tens to several hundreds of kilometres. Eight composite sequences, termed P1–P8, are recognised and are subdivided into a total of 28 depositional sequences. The duration of the two orders of sequences was about 1–2 Ma and 360,000 years, respectively. The Upper Bajocian P1–2 sequencesinclude the most basinally positioned shallow marine sandstones, deposited during major sealevel lowstands. The lowstands were terminated by significant marine

Consensus clinical recommendations for the management of plasma lipid disorders in the Middle East.

Science.gov (United States)

Al Sayed, Nasreen; Al Waili, Khalid; Alawadi, Fatheya; Al-Ghamdi, Saeed; Al Mahmeed, Wael; Al-Nouri, Fahad; Al Rukhaimi, Mona; Al-Rasadi, Khalid; Awan, Zuhier; Farghaly, Mohamed; Hassanein, Mohamed; Sabbour, Hani; Zubaid, Mohammad; Barter, Philip

2016-12-15

Plasma lipid disorders are key risk factors for the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and are prevalent in the Middle East, with rates increasing in recent decades. Despite this, no region-specific guidelines for managing plasma lipids exist and there is a lack of use of guidelines developed in other regions. A multidisciplinary panel of regional experts was convened to develop consensus clinical recommendations for the management of plasma lipids in the Middle East. The panel considered existing international guidelines and regional clinical experience to develop recommendations. The panel's recommendations include plasma lipid screening, ASCVD risk calculation and treatment considerations. The panel recommend that plasma lipid levels should be measured in all at-risk patients and at regular intervals in all adults from the age of 20years. A scoring system should be used to calculate ASCVD risk that includes known lipid and non-lipid risk factors. Primary treatment targets include low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Lifestyle modifications should be first-line treatment for all patients; the first-line pharmacological treatment targeting plasma lipids in patients at moderate-to-high risk of ASCVD is statin therapy, with a number of adjunctive or second-line agents available. Guidance is also provided on the management of underlying conditions and special populations; of particular pertinence in the region are familial hypercholesterolaemia, diabetes and metabolic dyslipidaemia. These consensus clinical recommendations provide practicing clinicians with comprehensive, region-specific guidance to improve the detection and management of plasma lipid disorders in patients in the Middle East. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Questions cloud outlook for oil production capacity growth in the Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tippee, B.

1994-01-01

Future expansion of crude oil production capacity in the Middle East is anything but certain-at least with crude prices at recent levels. There is little doubt that the world will need more production capacity than now exists unless petroleum consumption sags. And there is even less doubt about where prospects are best for production capacity growth. The paper discusses the normal surplus, growing demand, financial conditions, and political stability

The price of oil and the future of Middle East Gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaki Yamani, A.

1997-01-01

Most LNG contracts relate the LNG price received by the supplier at the point of delivery to a relevant oil price. Gas and oil are thus closely connected so that when the price of landed oil decreases so dose the price of delivered LNG. With large fixed transportation and liquefaction costs, accounting for around 85% of the supply cost of delivered LNG in the case of Qatari LNG supplied to japan, you can imagine how large falls in the price paid for delivered LNG would squeeze the net back to the producer back in Qatar. However, low oil price can do some damage to the economics of existing LNG projects in the Middle East. More importantly, persistently low oil prices can prevent new LNG projects from leaving the drawing board-which will stifle the exciting export potential of Middle Eastern gas

Spot sale of uncommitted LNG from Middle East: Japan or the UK?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikhalat-Jahromi, Hamed; Bell, Michael G.H.; Fontes, Dalila B.M.M.; Cochrane, Robert A.; Angeloudis, Panagiotis

2016-01-01

The importance of liquefied natural gas (LNG) is rising as demand for it grows rapidly and steadily due to growth in energy demand, the transition to a low carbon economy and the longer distances over which natural gas is now traded. Given its importance, this work proposes an optimization model that assists to decide on when and where LNG should be delivered by coordinating tanker type, assignment and routing, inventory management, contract obligations, arbitrage and uncommitted LNG. The model maximizes the profit mainly by taking advantage of price differences between different markets. The contributions of this work are twofold. First, following the analysis of expenses and revenues, a new mixed integer programming model for LNG liquefaction and shipping is proposed from a corporate finance perspective. Furthermore, a solution approach for it is implemented and tested. Second, the model is used to derive a short term trade policy for the Middle Eastern LNG producers regarding the spot sale of their uncommitted product to Japan or to the UK, namely to: dispatch to whichever market has the higher current spot price, regardless of the variability of the transport expenses. - Highlights: •The cash-flow of an LNG producer in operational planning is examined. •An LNG inventory routing problem for EBITDA maximization is formulated. •A project in Middle East for studying the spot sale of uncommitted LNG is created. •In sale to Japan and the UK the market with the higher price should be picked.

Natural gas survey, middle east and North Africa, 2005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

This book provides an exhaustive, unrivaled and quarterly updated analysis of the gas industry in the Arab countries and Iran. In addition to the country-by-country reports, it includes a regional overview section on the objectives and priorities of the national companies: ADNOC, EGAS, NIGC, NOC, PDO, QATARGAS, RASGAS, SAUDI ARAMCO, SONATRACH, etc... It includes: 18 country reports, 51 maps illustrating gas fields and facilities, as well as 62 tables and 87 graphs, and 2420 addresses of oil and gas companies operating in the Middle East and North Africa, with contact names, e-mail, phone and fax numbers. Each country report outlines the government policy, reserves, production, field development, foreign companies involved, export schemes, domestic consumption, etc

A Research on the Middle East Market within the Context of Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaşar Sarı

2015-03-01

Full Text Available In this study, it is aimed to reveal Middle Eastern tourists' place among the target market of local tourism establishments at Ayder tourism center in the province of Rize and local tourism establishments’ perceptions of Middle Eastern tourists based on the growth in the number of tourists from the Middle East. The study also aims to find out whether there is sufficient diversity of products and services for the target market and how local tourism establishments segment the market. As a method of data collection, semi-structured interviews were used. 16 different types of hospitality businesses representatives and 3 restaurants / fast food representatives located in the researegion have been interviewed. Deductive thematic analysis technique was usedin the analysis of data. In this regard, tourism establishments interviewed could group the tourists based on 13 market segmentation variables except gender. Different answers were received regarding the target market of tourism establishments and none of the tourism operators mentioned Middle Eastern tourists as the target market. Finally, it was found out that the vast majority of tourism establishments have been applying undifferentiated marketing strategy

The Age of Rift-Related Basalts in East Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Leitchenkov, G. L.; Belyatsky, B. V.; Kaminsky, V. D.

2018-01-01

The Lambert Rift, which is a large intracontinental rift zone in East Antarctica, developed over a long period of geological time, beginning from the Late Paleozoic, and its evolution was accompanied by magmatic activity. The latest manifestation of magmatism is eruption of alkaline olivine-leucite basalts on the western side of the Lambert Rift; Rb-Sr dating referred its time to the Middle Eocene, although its genesis remained vague. In order to solve this problem, we found geochronometer minerals in basaltic samples and 68 apatite grains appeared to be suitable for analysis. Their ages and ages of host basalts, determined by the U-Pb local method on the SIMS SHRIMP-II, were significantly different (323 ± 31 Ma) from those assumed earlier. This age corresponds to the earliest stage of crustal extension in East Antarctica and to most of Gondwana. The new data crucially change the ideas about the evolution of Lambert Rift and demonstrate the ambiguity of K-Ar dates of the alkali effusive formed under long-term rifting.

Investigation of short and long term trends in chemical composition of Eastern Mediterranean aerosols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

A collaborative study was started with the Middle East Technical University, Environmental Engineering Department in 2004 in order to determine the transport of air pollutants and their deposition rates to Eastern Mediterranean with the ultimate aim of filling the gaps in knowledge on the current status of Eastern Mediterranean air quality profile. Collection sufficient amount of representative samples, analyzes of the collected samples with high accuracy and precision and interpretation of generated data are crucial efforts. To attain this goal, EDXRF spectrometer, which is a rapid, reliable and sensitive analytical instrument, located at our center was employed in analysis of the collected samples after calibration with 'NIST 2783 Air Particles on Filter'. The effectiveness of the control strategies taken on the emissions was discussed by investigating the short and long term variations in the chemical composition of samples collected between 1993 and 2001 at Antalya station. In this context, generated data set was studied for short (daily) term, seasonal and long term variations. It has been found that short term variations in the concentrations of pollutants in short time scale are highly episodic. The concentration of measured pollutants was changed 10-20 folds in the subsequent two days. The most important factors affecting the chemical composition of pollutants in short time interval are meteorological factors such as precipitation and variations observed at the emission strength of pollutants. The declined in Pb concentrations at the Antalya station was attributed to observed decrease in Pb emissions in Europe after the introduction of leaded gasoline. Highest summer averages were reported for anthropogenic pollutants in summer months. Aegean Sea (Izmir-Aliaga) studies of the project will be completed this year

Challenges Facing Medical Residents' Satisfaction in the Middle East: A Report From United Arab Emirates.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdulrahman, Mahera; Qayed, Khalil I; AlHammadi, Hisham H; Julfar, Adnan; Griffiths, Jane L; Carrick, Frederick R

2015-01-01

PHENOMENON: Medical residents' satisfaction with the quality of training for medical residency training specialists is one of the core measures of training program success. It will also therefore contribute to the integrity of healthcare in the long run. Yet there is a paucity of research describing medical residents' satisfaction in the Middle East, and there are no published studies that measure the satisfaction of medical residents trained within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This makes it difficult to develop a quality residency training program that might meet the needs of both physicians and society. The authors designed a questionnaire to assess medical residents' satisfaction with the Dubai residency training program in order to identify insufficiencies in the training, clinical, and educational aspects. The survey was a self-report questionnaire composed of different subscales covering sociodemographic and educational/academic profile of the residents along with their overall satisfaction of their training, curriculum, work environment, peer teamwork, and their personal opinion on their medical career. Respondents showed a substantial level of satisfaction with the residency training. The vast majority of residents (80%, N = 88) believe that their residency program curriculum and rotation was "good," "very good," or "excellent." Areas of dissatisfaction included salary, excessive paperwork during rotations, and harassment. INSIGHTS: This is the first report that studies the satisfaction of medical residents in all specialties in Dubai, UAE. Our findings provide preliminary evidence on the efficiency of different modifications applied to the residency program in UAE. To our knowledge, there has not been any previous study in the Middle East that has analyzed this aspect of medical residents from different specialties. The authors believe that this report can be used as a baseline to monitor the effectiveness of interventions applied in the future toward

The Impact of the SESAME Project on Science and Society in the Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

Winick, Herman

2008-04-01

SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East) is a UNESCO-sponsored project that is constructing an international research laboratory, closely modeled on CERN, in Jordan (www.sesame.org.jo). Ten Members of the governing Council (Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, Palestinian Authority, and Turkey) have responsibility for the project, led by Herwig Schopper, Council President since 1999. In late 2008 Chris Llewellyn-Smith will become Council President. SESAME was initiated by a gift from Germany of the decommissioned BESSY I facility. The BESSY I 0.8 GeV injector is now being installed in the recently completed building, funded by Jordan, as components are procured for a new 133 m circumference, 2.5 GeV third-generation storage ring with 12 locations for insertion devices. Beam line equipment has been provided by laboratories in France, UK, and US. Support also comes from EU, IAEA, ICTP, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the US Department of Energy and State Department, and laboratories around the world. The broad scientific program includes biomedical, environmental, and archaeological programs particularly relevant to the Middle East. Five scientific workshops and six annual Users' meetings have brought together several hundred scientists from the region, along with researchers from around the world. Training programs have enabled about 100 scientists from the region to work at synchrotron radiation laboratories. These activities have already had significant impact on science and society in the Middle East, for example leading to collaborations between scientists from countries that are not particularly friendly with each other, and to national planning emphasizing synchrotron radiation research. When research starts in 2011 this impact will grow as graduate students are trained in the region in many scientific disciplines, and scientists working abroad are attracted to return.

ADAPTIVE CHANGES OF MYOSIN ISOFORMS IN RESPONSE TO LONG-TERM STRENGTH AND POWER TRAINING IN MIDDLE-AGED MEN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raivo Puhke

2006-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the study was to examine the adaptive changes in myosin heavy chain (MHC and light chain (MLC isoforms in human vastus lateralis muscle caused by long-term strength and power training (54 weeks, approximately 3 times a week in untrained middle- aged men (16 in the training and 6 in the control group. Muscular MHC and MLC isoforms were determined by means of SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis. During the training period, maximal anaerobic cycling power increased by 64 W (p < 0.001 and the maximal jumping height by 1.5 cm (p < 0. 05 in the training group, but no significant changes were found in the control group. However, the group by time effect was not significant. In the training group, the increase of the maximal jumping height correlated with the number of strength and power training sessions (r = 0.56; p < 0.05. The change of the proportion of MHC IIa isoform from 52.6 ± 12.2% to 59.4 ± 11.6% did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.070 for group by time; within training group p = 0.061 and neither did the change of the proportion of MHC IIx isoform from 18.1 ± 11.4% to 11.1 ± 9.1% (p = 0.104 for group by time; within training group p=0.032. The degree of change of MHC IIx isoform correlated with the amount of earlier recreational sports activity (r = 0.61; p < 0.05. In the training group, the changes of MLC1s isoform correlated negatively with the changes of MLC1f isoform (r = -0. 79; p < 0.05 as well as with the changes in maximal anaerobic cycling power (r = -0.81; p < 0.05, and positively with those of MHC I isoform (r = 0.81; p < 0.05. In conclusion, the long- term strength and power training ~3 times a week seemed to have only slight effects on fast MHC isoforms in the vastus lateralis muscle of untrained middle-aged men; the proportion of MHC IIa tended to increase and that of MHC IIx tended to decrease. No changes in MLC isoform profile could be shown

Water and power for the desert -- Energy solutions for the Near and Middle East

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Siersdorfer, D.

2007-07-01

2007 will mark a unique milestone in human history: for the first time ever, more people on earth will live and work in cities than in rural areas. Moreover, only four of the twenty biggest megacities with populations over 10 million will be in industrial nations; the others will be in threshold and developing countries. Accelerating urbanization and economic growth will fuel a massive demand for adequate infrastructures - such as power and water supplies. Reliable and economical supply of power and water to populations in regions of harsh environments, e.g. in the Near and Middle East, ensures basic survival rather than merely providing for a pleasant life. Economical supply of power and water for desert regions requires a wide mix of reliable technologies already available today and new technologies under development for future needs. Siemens Power Generation's Energy Solution Division, having proven its responsiveness in the past by playing a vital role in the development of the Near and Middle East, will continue to provide answers in future for meeting power and water demand within the regionally specific environment. (auth)

Perception and Attitude of Emergency Room Resident Physicians toward Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Outbreak

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed Al Ghobain

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS outbreaks have had a considerable negative impact on health systems in Saudi Arabia. We aimed to study the psychological impact of a Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV outbreak on emergency room resident physicians (ERRPs. Methods. We assessed the MERS-related psychological impact and concerns of ERRPs using a self-report questionnaire. Results. The majority (91% of the ERRPs agreed that their work put them at risk of infection, but most (65% did not agree that they should not be looking after patients infected with MERS. Despite that, 54% of ERRPs reported being afraid of contracting the infection from infected patients and only 4.2% of them were willing to change their current job. The majority of the ERRPs (85% felt that their job would expose their families to risk of infection. Conclusions. Our study demonstrated the considerable psychological impact of MERS outbreaks on ERRPs. The ERRPs’ concerns and the psychological impact of MERS outbreaks should be considered in greater detail by hospital policymakers.

Impacts of The Future Changes in Extreme Events on Migration in The Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

An, Nazan; Turp, M. Tufan; Ozturk, Tugba; Kurnaz, M. Levent

2016-04-01

Natural hazards are defined as extreme events that threat people, their homes and their neighborhoods. They damage housing, food production system and other infrastructures. The frequency of natural hazards namely drought, floods can influence the residential decision-making and can cause substantial residential mobility by affecting relatively greater numbers of people in the region. Developing countries are more vulnerable to the impacts of natural hazards. Therefore, environmental migration can be associated with natural hazards especially in the developing countries. Limited water resources and demographic dynamics of the Middle East make the region one of the most affected domains from the impacts of natural hazards. In this study, we consider the relationship between migration as a demographic process and the frequency of natural hazards in the Middle East for the period of 2020 - 2045 with respect to 1980 - 2005 by performing the projection according to the scenario of IPCC, namely RCP8.5 through the RegCM4.4 and combining them with an econometric analysis. This research has been supported by Boǧaziçi University Research Fund Grant Number 10421.

Performance Analysis and Optimization of a Parabolic Trough Solar Power Plant in the Middle East Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Praveen R. P.

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The Middle East is one among the areas of the world that receive high amounts of direct solar radiation. As such, the region holds a promising potential to leverage clean energy. Owing to rapid urbanization, energy demands in the region are on the rise. Along with the global push to curb undesirable outcomes such as air pollution, emissions of greenhouse gases, and climate change, an urgent need has arisen to explore and exploit the abundant renewable energy sources. This paper presents the design, performance analysis and optimization of a 100 MWe parabolic trough collector Solar Power Plant with thermal energy storage intended for use in the Middle Eastern regions. Two representative sites in the Middle East which offer an annual average direct normal irradiance (DNI of more than 5.5 kWh/m2/day has been chosen for the analysis. The thermodynamic aspect and annual performance of the proposed plant design is also analyzed using the System Advisor Model (SAM version 2017.9.5. Based on the analysis carried out on the initial design, annual power generated from the proposed concentrating solar power (CSP plant design in Abu Dhabi amounts to 333.15 GWh whereas that in Aswan recorded a value of 369.26 GWh, with capacity factors of 38.1% and 42.19% respectively. The mean efficiency of the plants in Abu Dhabi and Aswan are found to be 14.35% and 14.98% respectively. The optimization of the initial plant design is also carried out by varying two main design parameters, namely the solar multiple and full load hours of thermal energy storage (TES. Based on the findings of the study, the proposed 100 MW parabolic trough collector solar power plant with thermal energy storage can contribute to the sustainable energy future of the Middle East with reduced dependency on fossil fuels.

A middle Pleistocene through middle Miocene moraine sequence in the central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Balter, A.; Bromley, G. R.; Balco, G.; Thomas, H.; Jackson, M. S.

2017-12-01

Ice-free areas at high elevation in the central Transantarctic Mountains preserve extensive moraine sequences and drift deposits that comprise a geologic record of former East Antarctic Ice Sheet thickness and extent. We are applying cosmogenic-nuclide exposure dating to determine the ages of these moraine sequences at Roberts Massif and Otway Massif, at the heads of the Shackleton and Beardmore Glaciers, respectively. Moraines at these sites are for the most part openwork boulder belts characteristic of deposition by cold-based ice, which is consistent with present climate and glaciological conditions. To develop our chronology, we collected samples from 30 distinct ice-marginal landforms and have so far measured >100 3He, 10Be, and 21Ne exposure ages. Apparent exposure ages range from 1-14 Ma, which shows that these landforms record glacial events between the middle Pleistocene and middle Miocene. These data show that the thickness of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in this region was similar to or thicker than present for long periods between the middle Miocene and today. The time range represented by these moraine sequences indicates that they may also provide direct geologic evidence for East Antarctic Ice Sheet behavior during past periods of warmer-than-present climate, specifically the Miocene and Pliocene. As the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is the largest ice sheet on earth, understanding its sensitivity to warm-climate conditions is critical for projections of ice sheet behavior and sea-level rise in future warm climates.

Lions in the Path of Stability and Security: Oman's Response to Pressing Issues in the Middle East

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Howk, Jason C

2008-01-01

.... These factors range from large youth populations to Islamic extremism. This thesis examines responses adopted by the Sultanate of Oman when faced with two structural sources of instability commonly found in the Middle East...

Water as a Source of Cooperation or Conflict in the Middle East,

Science.gov (United States)

1984-05-14

supported Middle East study on "The Future of Islamic Fundementalism in the Arab World in the 1980’s," and find them very helpful. We will welcome...into an economic crisis that permitted no investment in industrial Infrastruc- ture. The austerity program and food rationing only ended in 1955. Jordan...agricultural facilities were installed in the 1970s, is already heavily invested in water-saving drip irrigation. Israel’s installation& installed earlier, are

Middle East oil refining in the World context

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenkins, Gilbert

1998-01-01

The building of new refining capacity in the Middle East which will operate in the early part of the next century will be the decision of just a few men. They will include the heads of the state petroleum agencies in Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia and the CEOs of BP, Exxon and Shell. They will not want for advice from their corporate planners and external consultants, but the key decisions will be in the hands of just a few people. There is nothing new in this decision-making process. The oil consuming countries will react in a similar way to their common environment. In a paper such as this, it is possible to examine the present environment and to extrapolate that environment into the next decade. This is what planners and forecasters are doing everywhere in the petroleum industry. (author)

Ensemble empirical model decomposition and neuro-fuzzy conjunction model for middle and long-term runoff forecast

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Q.

2017-12-01

Forecasting the runoff over longer periods, such as months and years, is one of the important tasks for hydrologists and water resource managers to maximize the potential of the limited water. However, due to the nonlinear and nonstationary characteristic of the natural runoff, it is hard to forecast the middle and long-term runoff with a satisfactory accuracy. It has been proven that the forecast performance can be improved by using signal decomposition techniques to product more cleaner signals as model inputs. In this study, a new conjunction model (EEMD-neuro-fuzzy) with adaptive ability is proposed. The ensemble empirical model decomposition (EEMD) is used to decompose the runoff time series into several components, which are with different frequencies and more cleaner than the original time series. Then the neuro-fuzzy model is developed for each component. The final forecast results can be obtained by summing the outputs of all neuro-fuzzy models. Unlike the conventional forecast model, the decomposition and forecast models in this study are adjusted adaptively as long as new runoff information is added. The proposed models are applied to forecast the monthly runoff of Yichang station, located in Yangtze River of China. The results show that the performance of adaptive forecast model we proposed outperforms than the conventional forecast model, the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient can reach to 0.9392. Due to its ability to process the nonstationary data, the forecast accuracy, especially in flood season, is improved significantly.

Overview of long pulse H-mode operation on EAST

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, X.; Garofalo, A. M.; Wan, B.; Li, J.; Qian, J.; Li, E.; Liu, F.; Zhao, Y.; Wang, M.; Xu, H.; EAST Team

2017-10-01

The EAST research program aims to demonstrate steady-state long-pulse high-performance H-mode operations with ITER-like poloidal configuration and RF-dominated heating schemes. In the recent experimental campaign, a long pulse fully non-inductive H-mode discharge lasting over 100 seconds using the upper ITER-like tungsten divertor has been achieved in EAST. This scenario used only RF heating and current drive, but also benefitted from an integrated control of the wall conditioning, plasma configuration, divertor heat flux, particle exhaust, impurity management and superconducting coils safety. Maintaining effective coupling of multiple RF heating and current drive sources on EAST is a critical ingredient. This long pulse discharge had good energy confinement, H98,y2 1.1-1.2, and all of the plasma parameters reach a true steady-state. Power balance indicates that the confinement improvement is due partly to a significantly reduced core electron transport inside minor radius rho<0.4. This work was supported by the National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Program of China Contract No. 2015GB10200 and the US Department of Energy Contract No. DE-SC0010685.

Progress on high performance long-pulse operations in EAST

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, H.Y.; Li, J.; Wan, B.N.; Gong, X.Z.; Xu, G.S.; Liang, Y.F.

2013-01-01

Significant progress has been made in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) on both technology and physics fronts, achieving long pulse L-mode discharges over 400 s, entirely driven by Lower Hybrid Current Drive (LHCD), with improved plasma facing components, active Li gettering, cryopumping and flexible divertor configurations. High confinement plasmas, i.e., H-modes, have been extended over 30 s with combined operation of LHCD and Ion Cyclotron Resonant Heating (ICRH). Various means for mitigating ELMs have also been explored to facilitate high power, long pulse operation in EAST, such as supersonic molecular beam injection, D 2 pellet injection, as well as innovative solid Li granule injection. (author)

Déploiement de la stratégie des groupes chinois dans les pays émergents et en développement : analyse contextuelle et culturelle. Comment les fleurons chinois s'emparent de territoires et préemptent le long terme

OpenAIRE

Mazé , Dominique

2016-01-01

The rising power of industrial firms and conglomerates from Asia, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, shakes up the agendas of many global companies and opens the door to further academic research. We argue that it challenges the sustainability of the multinational corporations of Anglo-Saxon inspiration. The Periphery of the global economy composed of emerging and developing countries is likely to shift to the Center in the mid- and long-term. Both Chinese...

The Real Issues of the Middle East and the Arab Spring Addressing Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

CERN Document Server

Djeflat, Abdelkader

2013-01-01

The wave of protests and populist uprisings in the Middle East has heightened the focus on a volatile region. But the emphasis on political issues has obscured underlying issues concerning education, infrastructure, research, innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable environmental and social development. This volume, emerging in the aftermath of a conference and workshop on science and technology in the region, presents contributions from a range of experts from the Middle East, Europe, and the world to provide fresh new insights and perspectives on the challenges and prospects for regional development in the changing global context of our time. The authors explore such topics as: the role of information and communication technologies; mindset change in support of investment in intangible assets and risk-taking; how to approach cultural issues, institutions and governance; collaborations with other regions, and; benchmarking performance while drawing lessons of relevance for the special local context. Ulti...

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus specific antibodies in naturally exposed Israeli llamas, alpacas and camels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

David, D. (Dan); Rotenberg, D. (Ditza); Khinich, E. (Evgeny); Erster, O. (Oran); Bardenstein, S. (Svetlana); van Straten, M. (Michael); N.M.A. Okba (Nisreen); Raj, S.V. (Stalin V.); B.L. Haagmans (Bart); Miculitzki, M. (Marcelo); Davidson, I. (Irit)

2018-01-01

textabstractThus far, no human MERS-CoV infections have been reported from Israel. Evidence for the circulation of MERS-CoV in dromedaries has been reported from almost all the countries of the Middle East, except Israel. Therefore, we aimed to analyze MERS-CoV infection in Israeli camelids, sampled

Middle East and North African Health Informatics Association (MENAHIA): Building Sustainable Collaboration.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Shorbaji, Najeeb; Househ, Mowafa; Taweel, Adel; Alanizi, Abdullah; Mohammed, Bennani Othmani; Abaza, Haitham; Bawadi, Hala; Rasuly, Hamayon; Alyafei, Khalid; Fernandez-Luque, Luis; Shouman, Mohamed; El-Hassan, Osama; Hussein, Rada; Alshammari, Riyad; Mandil, Salah; Shouman, Sarah; Taheri, Shahrad; Emara, Tamer; Dalhem, Wasmiya; Al-Hamdan, Zaid; Serhier, Zineb

2018-04-22

There has been a growing interest in Health Informatics applications, research, and education within the Middle East and North African Region over the past twenty years. People of this region share similar cultural and religious values, primarily speak the Arabic language, and have similar health care related issues, which are in dire need of being addressed. Health Informatics efforts, organizations, and initiatives within the region have been largely under-represented within, but not ignored by, the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA). Attempts to create bonds and collaboration between the different organizations of the region have remained scattered, and often, resulted in failure despite the fact that the need for a united health informatics collaborative within the region has never been more crucial than today. During the 2017 MEDINFO, held in Hangzhou, China, a new organization, the Middle East and North African Health Informatics Association (MENAHIA) was conceived as a regional non-governmental organization to promote and facilitate health informatics uptake within the region endorsing health informatics research and educational initiatives of the 22 countries represented within the region. This paper provides an overview of the collaboration and efforts to date in forming MENAHIA and displays the variety of initiatives that are already occurring within the MENAHIA region, which MENAHIA will help, endorse, support, share, and improve within the international forum of health informatics. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart.

Migrant Workers in the Middle East: Not an In Shah Allah Situation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alwyn Sebastian

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The Middle East is seen by many developing nations as a region of opportunity and prosperity. With the cost of living spiralling, coupled with mass unemployment, most Indian families are left economically strangulated. Education, healthcare, rent, fuel, electricity and other essential commodities are becoming unaffordable to the ordinary masses. In lieu of a better future for their families, most workers migrate to the Middle East in search of well paying jobs. Although the workers are paid as promised, their lives are burdened with many obstacles. Immigrants are discriminated against and made to endure strenuous working conditions. These workers are met with harsh realities, both during the course of employment and otherwise. With a poor dispute redressal mechanism and forcefully signed indemnity agreements, these workers are left neglected and abused. Although free trade agreements have been entered into, the discrimination and hostility has persisted. Religion and nationality are often used as a ground to discriminate. Wages below minimum wages, restriction on job applications, heavy taxation on foreigners, etc. are often used tactics to propagate nepotism towards locals. The international community has warned the Gulf States and surrounding States of the same. Yet, there has been no visible change in the system. The paper seeks to identify, through primary and secondary sources of information, a suitable mechanism to help protect these migrant workers from such inequalities.

The role of external partners in regional cooperation projects in the Middle East

OpenAIRE

Raphael Bar-El; Miki Malul

2008-01-01

This article analyzes the extent to which external partners contribute to the internalization of externalities arising from regional cooperation in the Middle East, that is, the degree to which they help increase welfare gains generated by the projects. This is classified by extent, intensity, and sectors of cooperation. Externalities are defined macroeconomically and sociopolitically. The results show that the international community does play a role in the internalization of externalities. ...

The Arab Awakening and US counterterrorism in the Greater Middle East: A missed opportunity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugenio Lilli

2015-05-01

Full Text Available 'In 2011, the Arab Awakening offered an opportunity to the Obama administration to advance the US interest to counter terrorism in the Greater Middle East without compromising its commitment to the promotion of democracy. As of early 2015, however, with the exception of still-hopeful Tunisia, democracy has not made any significant progress in Middle Eastern countries. Additionally, old and new regional extremist groups have become increasingly active. How did the Obama administration miss the opportunity offered by the Arab Awakening? What actions could the United States take to reverse current unfavorable trends and advance US policies of counterterrorism and democratization in the region?'''

American Missionary Universities in China and the Middle East and American Philanthropy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bertelsen, Rasmus Gjedssø

2014-01-01

This article investigates the interacting soft power of two important categories of American transnational actors: American missionary universities in China and the Middle East and American religious, foundation and individual philanthropy. These transnational actors have had and have soft power...... in the host societies. The universities and their philanthropic donors have strengthened US national soft power regarding milieu goals of elite attraction to education, language and liberal norms. However, US national soft power concerning possession goals of acceptance of foreign policies in China...

International Trends in Health Science Librarianship Part 18: The Middle East (Iran, Qatar and Turkey).

Science.gov (United States)

Zeraatkar, Kimia; Ayatollahi, Haleh; Havlin, Tracy; Neves, Karen; Şendir, Mesra

2016-06-01

This is the 18th in a series of articles exploring international trends in health science librarianship in the 21st century. The focus of the present issue is the Middle East (Iran, Qatar and Turkey). The next feature column will investigate trends in the Balkan States JM. © 2016 Health Libraries Group.

The Islamic State" in the Context of Political Changes in the Middle East

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Alexander A. Kuznetsov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article "The Islamic State phenomenon in the framework of the political changes in the Middle East" is dedicated to the "Islamic State", one of the most powerful and dangerous extremist organizations. Author realizes in this article: research of the genesis and causes of appearance of the movement "Islamic State"; analysis of the sociopolitical and geopolitical situation of the Iraqi Sunni community after the American invasion of 2003; bringing to the light factors of the high scale propagation of the Islamic extremism in Syria and Iraq; research of the military and political potential of the "Islamic State" and factors which could impede its expansion. Author considers "Islamic State" as an emergent phenomenon giving huge impact on the political situation in the Middle East. It provoked repartition of the old frontiers existed since the Sykes-Pico treaty of 1916. To the author's opinion oppression of the Iraqi Sunni community by the government of Nuri al-Maliki was the main cause of the Sunni revolt in Summer of 2014. Sunni tribes of Northern Iraq and former Baath party members were the driving forces of the revolt but then Jihadi extremists hijacked this revolt. To the author's mind elimination of the "Islamic State" is impossible without reconciliation between various religious communities in Syria and Iraq.

REVENUE FROM EXPORTING OIL, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, AND ECONOMIC PROGRESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

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Mehdi MOHAGHEGH

2009-07-01

Full Text Available The increases in petrodollars received by oil produ cing countries of the Middle East in the past few years can become a reality again when the wo rld economy recovers from this recession. The access to so much hard currency in the past co uld have potentially impr oved the economies of these nations beyond imagination. Economic de velopment specialists regard reaching some goals such as higher growth rate of real output, less chronic inflation, Improvements in education and healthcare services, greater diversity in the economy and in exports, greater equality in the distribution of income, and lower unemployment rate as indication of economic progress or socio –economic improvements in a developing country. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the relative success of the Oil-Produc ing Countries of the Middle East in achieving the above socio- economic goals within the context of huge inflows of petrodollars into their countries every year. Through analysis of data from the region the author of this paper has obtained convincing evidence in support of the view that the oil-exporting nations have, for the most part, wasted the abundant and extremely valuable foreign curr encies that they have received every year for the past several decades.

Middle and long-term prediction of UT1-UTC based on combination of Gray Model and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Song; Xu, Tian-he; Sun, Zhang-zhen; Li, Jia-jing

2017-02-01

UT1-UTC is an important part of the Earth Orientation Parameters (EOP). The high-precision predictions of UT1-UTC play a key role in practical applications of deep space exploration, spacecraft tracking and satellite navigation and positioning. In this paper, a new prediction method with combination of Gray Model (GM(1, 1)) and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) is developed. The main idea is as following. Firstly, the UT1-UTC data are preprocessed by removing the leap second and Earth's zonal harmonic tidal to get UT1R-TAI data. Periodic terms are estimated and removed by the least square to get UT2R-TAI. Then the linear terms of UT2R-TAI data are modeled by the GM(1, 1), and the residual terms are modeled by the ARIMA. Finally, the UT2R-TAI prediction can be performed based on the combined model of GM(1, 1) and ARIMA, and the UT1-UTC predictions are obtained by adding the corresponding periodic terms, leap second correction and the Earth's zonal harmonic tidal correction. The results show that the proposed model can be used to predict UT1-UTC effectively with higher middle and long-term (from 32 to 360 days) accuracy than those of LS + AR, LS + MAR and WLS + MAR.

THE INFLUENCE OF ARAB SPRING EFFECT ON ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE MIDDLE EAST COUNTRIES: STRUCTURAL BREAK PANEL DATA ANALYSIS

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Murat Beser

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Civil commotions that are started in December, 2010 and named as “Arab Spring” had been spread to Middle East countries and had also brought with it economic and political crises. Many economic, social and political factors that are mostly structural had been effective on starting this process. In this research, influence of Arab Spring on economic growth had been investigated with the help of cross-sectional dependency and structural break unit root test in five Middle East countries by using annual data in between 1990-2014. While cross-sectional dependency has been determined for the overall of panel, it had been reached to the conclusion that there is not structural break unit root.

Is Long-Term Food Insecurity Inevitable in Asia

OpenAIRE

Cuesta, Jose

2014-01-01

This article questions two widely accepted claims on long-term food insecurity in Asia, the world's (heterogeneous) region with the largest number of undernourished individuals. The first claim is that food production may not grow as fast as the pace of population growth in Asia, which will reach 5 billion by 2050. The second claim is that an unstoppable emergence of a middle class in Asia will dramatically change the composition of food demand. On the first claim, the region's contribution t...

A Geological and Geophysical Information System for the Middle East and North Africa,

Science.gov (United States)

1995-08-14

Saad, D., Sawaf, T., and Gebran, A., 1990, Bouguer gravity trends and crustal structure of the Palmyride Mountain belt and surrounding northern Arabian ...that occurred between 1977 and 1992 (Figure 2). We have finished compiling a crustal scale Bouguer gravity data for Syria, Israel and Lebanon (Figure...3). This Bouguer gravity database is a part of our attempt to form a uniform grided Bouguer gravity data set for the entire Middle East, which then

Long-term seizure, cognitive, and psychiatric outcome following trans-middle temporal gyrus amygdalohippocampectomy and standard temporal lobectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bujarski, Krzysztof A; Hirashima, Fuyuki; Roberts, David W; Jobst, Barbara C; Gilbert, Karen L; Roth, Robert M; Flashman, Laura A; McDonald, Brenna C; Saykin, Andrew J; Scott, Rod C; Dinnerstein, Eric; Preston, Julie; Williamson, Peter D; Thadani, Vijay M

2013-07-01

Previous comparisons of standard temporal lobectomy (STL) and selective amygdalohippocampectomy (SelAH) have been limited by inadequate long-term follow-up, variable definitions of favorable outcome, and inadequate consideration of psychiatric comorbidities. The authors performed a retrospective analysis of seizure, cognitive, and psychiatric outcomes in a noncontemporaneous cohort of 69 patients with unilateral refractory temporal lobe epilepsy and MRI evidence of mesial temporal sclerosis after either an STL or an SelAH and examined seizure, cognitive, and psychiatric outcomes. The mean duration of follow-up for STL was 9.7 years (range 1-18 years), and for trans-middle temporal gyrus SelAH (mtg-SelAH) it was 6.85 years (range 1-15 years). There was no significant difference in seizure outcome when "favorable" was defined as time to loss of Engel Class I or II status; better seizure outcome was seen in the STL group when "favorable" was defined as time to loss of Engel Class IA status (p=0.034). Further analysis revealed a higher occurrence of seizures solely during attempted medication withdrawal in the mtg-SelAH group than in the STL group (p=0.016). The authors found no significant difference in the effect of surgery type on any cognitive and most psychiatric variables. Standard temporal lobectomy was associated with significantly higher scores on assessment of postsurgical paranoia (p=0.048). Overall, few differences in seizure, cognitive, and psychiatric outcome were found between STL and mtg-SelAH on long-term follow-up. Longer exposure to medication side effects after mtg-SelAH may adversely affect quality of life but is unlikely to cause additional functional impairment. In patients with high levels of presurgical psychiatric disease, mtg-SelAH may be the preferred surgery type.

Overview of preparedness and response for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Oman.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Abaidani, I S; Al-Maani, A S; Al-Kindi, H S; Al-Jardani, A K; Abdel-Hady, D M; Zayed, B E; Al-Harthy, K S; Al-Shaqsi, K H; Al-Abri, S S

2014-12-01

Several countries in the Middle East and around 22 countries worldwide have reported cases of human infection with the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The exceptionally high fatality rate resulting from MERS-CoV infection in conjunction with the paucity of knowledge about this emerging virus has led to major public and international concern. Within the framework of the national acute respiratory illness surveillance, the Ministry of Health in the Sultanate of Oman has announced two confirmed cases of MERS-CoV to date. The aim of this report is to describe the epidemiological aspects of these two cases and to highlight the importance of public health preparedness and response. The absence of secondary cases among contacts of the reported cases can be seen as evidence of the effectiveness of infection prevention and control precautions as an important pillar of the national preparedness and response plan applied in the health care institutions in Oman. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Overview of preparedness and response for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV in Oman

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I.S. Al-Abaidani

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Several countries in the Middle East and around 22 countries worldwide have reported cases of human infection with the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV. The exceptionally high fatality rate resulting from MERS-CoV infection in conjunction with the paucity of knowledge about this emerging virus has led to major public and international concern. Within the framework of the national acute respiratory illness surveillance, the Ministry of Health in the Sultanate of Oman has announced two confirmed cases of MERS-CoV to date. The aim of this report is to describe the epidemiological aspects of these two cases and to highlight the importance of public health preparedness and response. The absence of secondary cases among contacts of the reported cases can be seen as evidence of the effectiveness of infection prevention and control precautions as an important pillar of the national preparedness and response plan applied in the health care institutions in Oman.

The composition and physicochemical characteristics of MSW generated from a city of the Middle East at Ramadan Period

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeon, Yong Woo; Park, In Chul; Kim, Nam Yeol; Kim, Sung Soo; Cho, Yeun Haeng; Yoon, Kyoon Duk

2010-01-01

We investigated the worlds first composition and physicochemical characteristics of municipal solid waste (MSW) which was generated from a city of the Middle East at Ramadan period (one month in a year). 17 places in a city of the Middle East were selected for sampling MSW which were roughly classified into three categories - residential area, hotel and public facilities, and commercial area. Investigation and analysis about specific weight, physical characteristics, 3-components (moisture/ combustible/ ash), chemical characteristics, and calorific value were carried out for this research. Specific weight of waste samples depends on the physical characteristics of them, the higher moisture and non-combustible component content, the higher specific weight value. Office building, shopping mall, and school were relatively lower than other places. The average specific weight of waste in this city was equal to 0.129 ton/ m 3 which was lower than in Korea (0.2 ton/ m 3 ). Moisture and combustible component content showed a big difference between residential area and other areas. Residential area, hotel and public facilities, and commercial area showed 37.58 %, 21.80 %, and 18.81 % of moisture content, 54.79 %, 70.28 %, and 70.74 % of combustible component content, 7.63 %, 7.92 %, and 10.46 % of ash content on a wet basis, respectively. Residential area showed relatively high value of moisture content because of high content of food waste. To eat food is prohibited during the day at Ramadan period of the Middle East. But much more food than usual is made for eating after dark, and also is put into the garbage can. The results of chemical characteristics, meanwhile, are similar to Koreas. The low calorific value (LCV) of waste in residential area, hotel and public facilities, and commercial area was 2,875 kcal/ kg, 4,142 kcal/ kg, and 4,279 kcal/ kg on a wet basis, respectively. It could provide the economical and optimum design for MSW treatment system in the Middle East

Effects of treadmill exercise intensity on spatial working memory and long-term memory in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiao-Qin; Wang, Gong-Wu

2016-03-15

Moderate exercise promotes learning and memory. Most studies mainly focused on memory exercise effects of in the ageing and patients. There is lack of quantitative research about effect of regular exercise intensity on different memory types in normal subjects. Present study investigated the effects of different intensities of treadmill exercise on working memory and long-term memory. Fifty female Wistar rats were trained by T-maze delayed spatial alternation (DSA) task with 3 delays (10s, 60s and 300s). Then they got a 30min treadmill exercise for 30days in 4 intensities (control, 0m/min; lower, 15m/min; middle, 20m/min, and higher, 30m/min). Then animals were tested in DSA, passive avoidance and Morris water maze tasks. 1. Exercise increased the neuronal density of hippocampal subregions (CA1, CA3 and dentate gyrus) vs. naïve/control. 2. In DSA task, all groups have similar baseline, lower intensity improved 10s delay accuracy vs. baseline/control; middle and higher intensities improved 300s delay accuracy vs. baseline/control. 3. In water maze learning, all groups successfully found the platform, but middle intensity improved platform field crossing times vs. control in test phase. Present results suggested that treadmill exercise can improve long-term spatial memory and working memory; lower intensity benefits to short-term delayed working memory, and middle or higher intensity benefits to long-term delayed working memory. There was an inverted U dose-effect relationship between exercise intensity and memory performance, but exercise -working memory effect was impacted by delay duration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Power, Arab media Moguldum & gender rights as entertainment in the Middle East

OpenAIRE

El Mkaouar, L.

2016-01-01

Discourse is a giant field of research and gender related rights are still a disputed area of thinking. Thus, when Arab transnational satellite televisions produce dialogues, images, stories and narratives about the disputed “universal” gender rights in the Middle East, the big questions remain how and why. According to De Beauvoir (1949), one becomes woman and to Butler (1990) one is not born a gender at all but is “done” and “undone” to become one via discourse. Islamic feminism speaks of a...

Caffeine suppresses exercise-enhanced long-term and location memory in middle-aged rats: Involvement of hippocampal Akt and CREB signaling.

Science.gov (United States)

Cechella, José L; Leite, Marlon R; da Rocha, Juliana T; Dobrachinski, Fernando; Gai, Bibiana M; Soares, Félix A A; Bresciani, Guilherme; Royes, Luiz F F; Zeni, Gilson

2014-11-05

The cognitive function decline is closely related with brain changes generated by age. The ability of caffeine and exercise to prevent memory impairment has been reported in animal models and humans. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether swimming exercise and caffeine administration enhance memory in middle-aged Wistar rats. Male Wistar rats (18months) received caffeine at a dose of 30mg/kg, 5days per week by a period of 4weeks. Animals were subjected to swimming training with a workload (3% of body weight, 20min per day for 4weeks). After 4weeks, the object recognition test (ORT) and the object location test (OLT) were performed. The results of this study demonstrated that caffeine suppressed exercise-enhanced long-term (ORT) and spatial (OLT) memory in middle-aged and this effect may be related to a decrease in hippocampal p-CREB signaling. This study also provided evidence that the effects of this protocol on memory were not accompanied by alterations in the levels of activated Akt. The [(3)H] glutamate uptake was reduced in hippocampus of rats administered with caffeine and submitted to swimming protocol. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

To succeed in the long-term, focus on the middle-term.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Geoffrey A

2007-01-01

When a mature company fails to endure over the long term, it's often due to the "Horizon 2 vacuum," argues Moore, author of Crossing the Chasm and several other books on innovation strategy, and managing director of the consulting firm TCG Advisors. The reference is to the strategic horizons outlined by McKinsey's Mehrdad Baghai and colleagues in The Alchemy of Growth: Horizon 1 is today's cash-generating business, Horizon 2 is the set of innovations just being commercialized, and Horizon 3 consists of forward-thinking R&D. Most companies understand they must invest in their future, so the funding and management of Horizon 3 is not the problem. The trouble starts when those innovations are brought to market and must compete with the mainstay business for company resources. They disappear from top management's radar screen and suffer a level of neglect few ventures could survive. Cisco Systems is one company that has recognized the problem and tried to address it. To begin with, CEO John Chambers has insulated Horizon 2 projects from many of the pressures of Horizon 1--for example, by reorchestrating sales coverage so that emerging markets won't be neglected. He has also kick-started some Horizon 2 businesses by augmenting them with acquisitions, increasing their scale, and giving them more management attention. For the same reason, he has challenged his head of product development to think in terms of new businesses, not simply new products--knowing that the latter tend to get lost in salespeople's bags. Most important, Cisco is handicapping its Horizon 2 projects so that they need not compete head-to-head with established businesses. Their success is judged by metrics that are appropriate to new businesses, and they are given the benefit of Cisco's best managerial talent.

Long-term effect of social skills training program for second graders

OpenAIRE

Motiejūnaitė, Miglė; Žardeckaitė-Matulaitienė, Kristina

2017-01-01

Middle childhood is an important period for reducing social and behavioural difficulties, though existing social skills training programs in Lithuania are not effective to help solving these problems. The aim of this study was to create and evaluate the short-term and long-term effects of a social skills training program based on an integrated theoretical model for second grade schoolchildren. The purpose of the program was to teach children non-verbal language, empathy, conflict resolution, ...

Climate change in Africa and the Middle East in light of health ubuntu and Islam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thaddeus Metz

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This article principally addresses the likely effects of global warming on health in developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, northern Africa and the Middle East as well as how medical professionals, such as doctors, nurses, bioethicists and public health researchers, should respond to them in light of ubuntu and Islam, values characteristically held in those regions.

Climate change in Africa and the Middle East in light of health, ubuntu and Islam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thaddeus Metz

2017-02-01

Full Text Available This article principally addresses the likely effects of global warming on health in developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, northern Africa and the Middle East as well as how medical professionals, such as doctors, nurses, bioethicists and public health researchers, should respond to them in light of ubuntu and Islam, values characteristically held in those regions.

Low cost carriers in the Middle East and North Africa: Prospects and strategies

OpenAIRE

Morrison, W.G.; Mason, Keith J.

2016-01-01

We examine socio-economic indicators relevant to ‘low cost carriers’ (LCCs) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and review the evolution of air transport liberalization and air service agreements in the region. We analyse the business strategies of MENA-based LCCs and using a benchmarking methodology, we compare the business strategy of Air Arabia Group with those of dominant European LCCs EasyJet and Ryanair. Our economic development indicators suggest future potential for...

Cooperation or confrontation? The Middle East after the nuclear deal. Conference report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller-Haerlin, Bernhard (ed.)

2015-07-15

In the West, views differ to which extent the agreement on the nuclear issue would open up opportunities for future cooperation between Iran and the E3+3. The US continues to play an essential role in diplomacy and security policy in the Middle East. However, it is only partly fulfilling the demands and expectations that come with this role. Even confronted with a massive deterioration in the region's security situation, Iran's and Saudi Arabia's willingness to cooperate would still be very limited.

Recent progress in EAST towards long-pulse high-performance operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Liang; Wan Baonian; Li Jiangang; Guo Houyang; Liang Yunfeng; Xu Guosheng; Gong Xianzu; Garofalo, Andrea

2015-01-01

Significant advance has been made in EAST on both physics and technology fronts towards the long-pulse operation of high-confinement plasma regimes since the last IAEA-FEC. The EAST capabilities have been greatly upgraded, including the significantly enhanced CW H and CD system with up to 26 MW heating power, more than 70 diagnostics, ITER-like W monoblock top divertor, two internal cryo-pumps and RMP coils, enabling EAST to investigate long-pulse H-mode operation with dominant electron heating and low input torque, and to address some of critical issues for ITER. Remarkable physics progress has been made on controlling transient ELM and stationary divertor heat fluxes, e.g., ELM mitigation/suppression/pacing with LHCD and SMBI, real-time Li aerosol injection for long pulse ELM-free H-mode, edge coherent mode for continuous pedestal particle and power removal, and the combination of LHCD and SMBI to actively modify the stationary power footprint by regulating the divertor conditions. In the 2014 commissioning campaign, long-pulse high-performance H-mode up to 28 s has been obtained with H_9_8∼1.15, i.e., about ∼ 30% higher than the record 32 s H-mode achieved in the 2012 campaign. Other key new experimental achievements are: (1) high performance H-mode with β_N ∼ 2 and plasma stored energy ∼ 220 kJ, (2) high performance operation with core T_e ∼ 4.5 keV, (3) H-mode plasma enabled by NBI alone or LHW+NBI modulation for the first time in EAST, (4) demonstration of a quasi snowflake divertor configuration, (5) new findings on L-H transition and pedestal physics. (author)

Presence of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus antibodies in Saudi Arabia : a nationwide, cross-sectional, serological study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Müller, Marcel A; Meyer, Benjamin; Corman, Victor M; Al-Masri, Malak; Turkestani, Abdulhafeez; Ritz, Daniel; Sieberg, Andrea; Aldabbagh, Souhaib; Bosch, Berend-J; Lattwein, Erik; Alhakeem, Raafat F; Assiri, Abdullah M; Albarrak, Ali M; Al-Shangiti, Ali M; Al-Tawfiq, Jaffar A; Wikramaratna, Paul; Alrabeeah, Abdullah A; Drosten, Christian; Memish, Ziad A

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Scientific evidence suggests that dromedary camels are the intermediary host for the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). However, the actual number of infections in people who have had contact with camels is unknown and most index patients cannot recall any such

Financing concentrating solar power in the Middle East and North Africa-Subsidy or investment?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trieb, Franz; Mueller-Steinhagen, Hans; Kern, Juergen

2011-01-01

The paper presents a strategy for the market introduction of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) that will not require considerable subsidization and will not constitute a significant burden for electricity consumers in the region. In the first section, the paper explains the need of MENA countries for sustainable supply of electricity and calculates the cost of electricity for a model case country. In the second part, the cost development of concentrating solar power plants is calculated on the basis of expectations for the expansion of CSP on a global level. After that, the challenges for the market introduction of CSP in MENA are explained. Finally, we present a strategy for the market introduction of CSP in MENA, removing the main barriers for financing and starting market introduction in the peak load and the medium load segment of power supply. The paper explains why long-term power purchase agreements (PPA) for CSP should be calculated on the basis of avoided costs, starting in the peak load segment. Such PPA are not yet available, the paper aims to convince policy makers to introduce them. - Research Highlights: → Concentrating Solar Power in the Mediterranean Region (MED-CSP 2005) (www.dlr.de/tt/med-csp). → Trans-Mediterranean Interconnection for Concentrating Solar Power (TRANS-CSP 2006) (www.dlr.de/tt/trans-csp). → Concentrating Solar Power for Seawater Desalination (AQUA-CSP 2007) (www.dlr.de/tt/aqua-csp). → Risk of Energy Availability: Common Corridors for Europe Supply Security (REACCESS 2009) (http://reaccess.epu.ntua.gr/). → Combined Solar Power and Desalination in the Mediterranean (MED-CSD 2010) (www.med-csd-ec.eu).

Prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among hemodialysis patients in the Middle-East: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashkani-Esfahani, Soheil; Alavian, Seyed Moayed; Salehi-Marzijarani, Mohammad

2017-01-07

To determine hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection prevalence in each country of the Middle-East and the overall prevalence of the region. In this systematic review, we gathered all documents related to HCV infection prevalence among hemodialysis patients in 17 middle-east countries from April 2006 to March 2016. We selected only cross-sectional studies that had proper sampling and measurement methods as well as a valid statistical analysis. After screening of 7311 documents, 56 studies were selected reporting the prevalence of HCV infection among hemodialysis patients from 10 countries of the region. Seven countries including United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Israel, and Cyprus did not have any relevant document; thus, their latest reports were just mentioned. We performed the meta-analysis and determined the prevalence rates for each country as well as the whole region. The overall HCV infection prevalence among hemodialysis patients in the region was reported to be 25.3%; Egypt and Syria had the highest reported rates while Iran and Lebanon had the lowest. Further investigations are still needed to provide more reliable databases, find main risk factors, and to improve diagnosis and treatment plans, particularly in higher prevalent countries. Controlling the prevalence and improving the management methods of HCV infection among hemodialysis patients are of a great concern in the Middle-East region.

Child physical abuse: prevalence, characteristics, predictors, and beliefs about parent-child violence in South Asian, Middle Eastern, East Asian, and Latina women in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Maker, Azmaira H; Shah, Priti V; Agha, Zia

2005-11-01

The present study examined the prevalence, characteristics, beliefs, and demographic predictors of parent-child physical violence among South Asian, Middle Eastern, East Asian, and Latina women in the United States. Two hundred fifty-one college-educated women from a middle to high SES (South Asian/Middle Eastern, n = 93; East Asian,n = 72; Latina,n = 86) completed a self-report survey on childhood experiences and beliefs regarding physical abuse. Seventy-three percent of the South Asian and Middle Eastern sample, 65% of the East Asian sample, and 78% of the Latina sample reported experiencing at least one type of physical abuse. Significant differences in characteristics and perpetrators of abuse were found across groups. Demographic factors did not predict physical abuse. Experiencing physical abuse was the only predictor for acceptance of physical discipline and as a parental privilege or right across groups. Implications of alternate cultural models of family violence based on beliefs and exposure to violence are discussed.

Climate change projections of precipitation and reference evapotranspiration for the Middle East and Northern Africa until 2050

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Terink, W.; Immerzeel, W.W.; Droogers, P.

2013-01-01

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region can be considered as the most water-scarce region of the world. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects strong changes in climate across MENA, further exacerbating pressure on available water resources. The objective of this study is to

Potential for the international spread of middle East respiratory syndrome in association with mass gatherings in saudi arabia.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Kamran; Sears, Jennifer; Hu, Vivian Wei; Brownstein, John S; Hay, Simon; Kossowsky, David; Eckhardt, Rose; Chim, Tina; Berry, Isha; Bogoch, Isaac; Cetron, Martin

2013-07-17

A novel coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causing severe, life-threatening respiratory disease has emerged in the Middle East at a time when two international mass gatherings in Saudi Arabia are imminent. While MERS-CoV has already spread to and within other countries, these mass gatherings could further amplify and/or accelerate its international dissemination, especially since the origins and geographic source of the virus remain poorly understood. We analyzed 2012 worldwide flight itinerary data and historic Hajj pilgrim data to predict population movements out of Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East to help cities and countries assess their potential for MERS-CoV importation. We compared the magnitude of travel to countries with their World Bank economic status and per capita healthcare expenditures as surrogate markers of their capacity for timely detection of imported MERS-CoV and their ability to mount an effective public health response. 16.8 million travelers flew on commercial flights out of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates between June and November 2012, of which 51.6% were destined for India (16.3%), Egypt (10.4%), Pakistan (7.8%), the United Kingdom (4.3%), Kuwait (3.6%), Bangladesh (3.1%), Iran (3.1%) and Bahrain (2.9%). Among the 1.74 million foreign pilgrims who performed the Hajj last year, an estimated 65.1% originated from low and lower-middle income countries. MERS-CoV is an emerging pathogen with pandemic potential with its apparent epicenter in Saudi Arabia, where millions of pilgrims will imminently congregate for two international mass gatherings. Understanding global population movements out of the Middle East through the end of this year's Hajj could help direct anticipatory MERS-CoV surveillance and public health preparedness to mitigate its potential global health and economic impacts.

Long-Term Effects of Early-Life Otitis Media on Language Development

Science.gov (United States)

Zumach, Anne; Gerrits, Ellen; Chenault, Michelene; Anteunis, Lucien

2010-01-01

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to examine the long-term consequences of early-life otitis media (OM) and the associated hearing loss (HL) on language skills of school-aged children. Method: In a prospective study, the middle-ear status of 65 Dutch healthy-born children was documented every 3 months during their first 2 years of life;…

Long-term effects of organized violence on young Middle Eastern refugees' mental health.

Science.gov (United States)

Montgomery, Edith

2008-11-01

The pre- and post-displacement factors associated with psychological problems among young refugees are not clear. From the existing research it appears that refugee children and adolescents are vulnerable to the effects of pre-migration exposure to trauma, but the long-term effects of such exposure are mediated by certain risk and protective factors at the individual, family and community level. The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of traumatic experiences before emigration, as well as social life after immigration, on the mental health of young Middle Eastern refugees 8-9 years after immigration into Denmark. The study group comprises 131 young refugees (76 girls and 55 boys; mean age 15.3 years) from 67 families. They were assessed in 2000-2001 as part of a follow-up study of 311 children, who in 1992-1993 were consecutively registered in Denmark as asylum seekers with at least one parent. Predictors of more externalizing behaviour were: witnessing attack on others after arrival, more schools attended, less attending school or work, lower mother's education in the home country and lower age. Predictors of more internalizing behaviour were: numbers of types of traumatic events before arrival, numbers of types of stressful events after arrival, and numbers of types of experiences of discrimination, lower mother's education in the home country, fewer Danish friends, not Muslim or Christian religion, less Danish proficiency and female gender. It is concluded that aspects of social life in Denmark, including mother's education and indicators of adaptation, as well as a stressful life context in exile, including discrimination, predicted psychological problems 8-9 years after arrival, more than traumatic experiences before arrival. Thus, the prevention of psychopathology in young refugees depends to a large extent on the political will to make provision for the necessary changes regarding reception and treatment of refugees.

THE SUNNI-SHI'ITE RIVALRY AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE GEOPOLITICAL SITUATION OF THE MIDDLE EAST

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander A. Kuznetsov

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The article "The Sunni-Shi'ite rivalry and its influence on the geopolitical situation of the Middle East" is dedicated to the sectarian conflicts in the Middle East region in last 30 years. Author considers the Islamic revolution of 1979 in Iran as the point of departure of this conflict. Author of the article makes a difference between the Shi'ite Islamic revolutionary doctrine of Khomeini and the Salafi Islamic fundamentalism of Saudi Arabia. Author realizes the analysis of the war between Iran and Iraq in 1980-1988. This analysis is emphasized on the regional geopolitical situation and positions of the outside actors (Saudi Arabia, USA, France, Germany. Then it is covered the American invasion of Iraq in 2003 and its geopolitical consequences. To the author's mind this aggression and further empowerment of the Shi'ite majority reduced to the civil war in Iraq and exacerbation of the sectarian conflict. Author of the article considers these events as a part of the geopolitical rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia to unfold in the areas of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

The Sunni-Shi'ite Rivalry And Its Influence On The Geopolitical Situation Of The Middle East

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander A. Kuznetsov

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The article "The Sunni-Shi'ite rivalry and its influence on the geopolitical situation of the Middle East" is dedicated to the sectarian conflicts in the Middle East region in last 30 years. Author considers the Islamic revolution of 1979 in Iran as the point of departure of this conflict. Author of the article makes a difference between the Shi'ite Islamic revolutionary doctrine of Khomeini and the Salafi Islamic fundamentalism of Saudi Arabia. Author realizes the analysis of the war between Iran and Iraq in 1980-1988. This analysis is emphasized on the regional geopolitical situation and positions of the outside actors (Saudi Arabia, USA, France, Germany. Then it is covered the American invasion of Iraq in 2003 and its geopolitical consequences. To the author's mind this aggression and further empowerment of the Shi'ite majority reduced to the civil war in Iraq and exacerbation of the sectarian conflict. Author of the article considers these events as a part of the geopolitical rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia to unfold in the areas of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

The glass ceiling and women in management in the Middle East: Myth or reality

OpenAIRE

Marinakou, Evangelia

2014-01-01

Although globalization and equal employment have created opportunities for female managers, they are still underrepresented in the corporate ladder. Gender and gender role stereotypes are persistent in organizations that operate in the Middle East, challenging women’s employment and showing evidence of the glass ceiling in management. This paper explores the position of women in management in the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well as the barriers they face in climbing the career ladder. The findings...

Seismicity of the Earth 1900–2010 Middle East and vicinity

Science.gov (United States)

Jenkins, Jennifer; Turner, Bethan; Turner, Rebecca; Hayes, Gavin P.; Davies, Sian; Dart, Richard L.; Tarr, Arthur C.; Villaseñor, Antonio; Benz, Harley M.

2013-01-01

No fewer than four major tectonic plates (Arabia, Eurasia, India, and Africa) and one smaller tectonic block (Anatolia) are responsible for seismicity and tectonics in the Middle East and surrounding region. Geologic development of the region is a consequence of a number of first-order plate tectonic processes that include subduction, large-scale transform faulting, compressional mountain building, and crustal extension. In the east, tectonics are dominated by the collision of the India plate with Eurasia, driving the uplift of the Himalaya, Karakorum, Pamir and Hindu Kush mountain ranges. Beneath the Pamir‒Hindu Kush Mountains of northern Afghanistan, earthquakes occur to depths as great as 200 km as a result of remnant lithospheric subduction. Along the western margin of the India plate, relative motions between India and Eurasia are accommodated by strike-slip, reverse, and oblique-slip faulting, resulting in the complex Sulaiman Range fold and thrust belt, and the major translational Chaman Fault in Afghanistan. Off the south coasts of Pakistan and Iran, the Makran trench is the surface expression of active subduction of the Arabia plate beneath Eurasia. Northwest of this subduction zone, collision between the two plates forms the approximately 1,500-km-long fold and thrust belts of the Zagros Mountains, which cross the whole of western Iran and extend into northeastern Iraq. Tectonics in the eastern Mediterranean region are dominated by complex interactions between the Africa, Arabia, and Eurasia plates, and the Anatolia block. Dominant structures in this region include: the Red Sea Rift, the spreading center between the Africa and Arabia plates; the Dead Sea Transform, a major strike-slip fault, also accommodating Africa-Arabia relative motions; the North Anatolia Fault, a right-lateral strike-slip structure in northern Turkey accommodating much of the translational motion of the Anatolia block westwards with respect to Eurasia and Africa; and the Cyprian

Purdah and overpopulation in the Middle East.

Science.gov (United States)

Misch, A

1990-01-01

The Middle East and North Africa constitute the Islamic world. From Morocco to Afghanistan the population is 340 million and growing at a rate of 3% annually and will double in 23 years. Currently food, water, and land resources are being taxed to their limit and continued growth will only cause larger scale problems for the region. To complicate the issue public policies and private practices and attitudes are leading to continued population growth. The rise of Islamic fundamentalism does not recognize the problem of over population. In fact the revision of family law by fundamentalist politicians has done a great deal of damage to the improvements in the status of women throughout the region. The revival of Purdah, the practice of keeping women out of the public eye and confined to home, is just one example or how the rise of Islamic fundamentalism is turning back the clock in terms of women's rights. The primary disadvantage is that since women are being returned to the home, their only source of values is as child bearers. Women cloistered at home are expected to be prolific child bearers, in fact their value as human beings is judged primarily on this basis. It is their ability to bear sons that is coveted. This of course will only compound the population problems being experienced in the region. Few countries have tried to institute state wide family planning programs, namely: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Yemen, but none of these programs has been very successful. In Iraq, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia, population growth is viewed as a positive event because it will help eliminate the need for foreign workers. Even in this region, educated people have a lower fertility rate. For example in Jordan 60% of illiterate males "did not believe in" contraception while only 15% of men educated past the secondary level felt the same way. If women are forced out of the labor force and into the home to have children, the population problem will only grow.

Statistical analysis of long term spatial and temporal trends of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

(2011–2099) in the middle catchment of Sutlej river basin, India. The future time series of ... to the Purvanchal in east and is arcuate in shape. It covers a vast area of ... of climate change because of the fact that perturba- tion occurring due to ...

Thermal analysis of EAST neutral beam injectors for long-pulse beam operation

Science.gov (United States)

Chundong, HU; Yongjian, XU; Yuanlai, XIE; Yahong, XIE; Lizhen, LIANG; Caichao, JIANG; Sheng, LIU; Jianglong, WEI; Peng, SHENG; Zhimin, LIU; Ling, TAO; the NBI Team

2018-04-01

Two sets of neutral beam injectors (NBI-1 and NBI-2) have been mounted on the EAST tokamak since 2014. NBI-1 and NBI-2 are co-direction and counter-direction, respectively. As with in-depth physics and engineering study of EAST, the ability of long pulse beam injection should be required in the NBI system. For NBIs, the most important and difficult thing that should be overcome is heat removal capacity of heat loaded components for long-pulse beam extraction. In this article, the thermal state of the components of EAST NBI is investigated using water flow calorimetry and thermocouple temperatures. Results show that (1) operation parameters have an obvious influence on the heat deposited on the inner components of the beamline, (2) a suitable operation parameter can decrease the heat loading effectively and obtain longer beam pulse length, and (3) under the cooling water pressure of 0.25 MPa, the predicted maximum beam pulse length will be up to 260 s with 50 keV beam energy by a duty factor of 0.5. The results present that, in this regard, the EAST NBI-1 system has the ability of long-pulse beam injection.

Technology, Political Economy, and Economic Development in the Middle East and North Africa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brach, Juliane

2009-01-01

Comparing the pace and extent of economic development across the developing regions yields that Arab countries have displaced a weak economic performance over the past 20 years, despite their favorable geo-strategic location and a high density of national and international structural adjustment...... efforts. Using cross-country regressions, this paper identifies two binding constraints to economic development in the Arab countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA): 1) Most countries are not able to apply or adopt existing technologies efficiently and 2) The economically inefficient...

SESAME - A 3rd Generation Synchrotron Light Source for the Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ulkue, Dincer; Rahighi, Javad; Winick, Herman

2007-01-01

SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East) will be the Middle East's first international research center. It is a cooperative venture by the scientists and governments of the region with founding members Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, Palestine Authority, and Turkey. Iran is in the process of finalizing its formal membership. Other countries (Cyprus, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates) are also expected to join. The permanent Council of member states has full responsibility for the project. Members provide the annual operating budget. Observer countries are Germany, Greece, Italy, Kuwait, Portugal, Russian Federation, Sweden, the UK, and the US. SESAME is being developed under the umbrella of UNESCO. Jordan was selected as the building site. SESAME will offer excellent opportunities for training of Middle East scientists and attract those working abroad to consider returning. SESAME will be a 2.5GeV 3rd Generation light source (emittance 26nm-rad, circumference ∼133m), providing excellent performance for structural molecular biology, molecular environmental science, surface and interface science, microelectromechanical devices, x-ray imaging, archaeological microanalysis, and materials characterization. It will cover a broad spectral range from the infrared to hard x-rays and will have 12 straight sections for insertion devices (average length 2.75m). The injector will be the BESSY I 0.8 GeV booster synchrotron which has been given as a gift from Germany. Four committees advise the Council and assist in developing the technical design, beam lines, user community, and scientific Program. The SESAME building, now in construction with funds and a site provided by Jordan, is scheduled for completion in late 2006 after which the BESSY I injector will be installed. First stored beam in the new 2.5 GeV ring is planned for 2009 with six initial beamlines planned. Some beamlines will be built by member countries

SESAME - A 3rd Generation Synchrotron Light Source for the Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

U˝Lkü, Dinçer; Rahighi, Javad; Winick, Herman

2007-01-01

SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East) will be the Middle East's first international research center. It is a cooperative venture by the scientists and governments of the region with founding members Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, Palestine Authority, and Turkey. Iran is in the process of finalizing its formal membership. Other countries (Cyprus, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates) are also expected to join. The permanent Council of member states has full responsibility for the project. Members provide the annual operating budget. Observer countries are Germany, Greece, Italy, Kuwait, Portugal, Russian Federation, Sweden, the UK, and the US. SESAME is being developed under the umbrella of UNESCO. Jordan was selected as the building site. SESAME will offer excellent opportunities for training of Middle East scientists and attract those working abroad to consider returning. SESAME will be a 2.5GeV 3rd Generation light source (emittance 26nm-rad, circumference ~133m), providing excellent performance for structural molecular biology, molecular environmental science, surface and interface science, microelectromechanical devices, x-ray imaging, archaeological microanalysis, and materials characterization. It will cover a broad spectral range from the infrared to hard x-rays and will have 12 straight sections for insertion devices (average length 2.75m). The injector will be the BESSY I 0.8 GeV booster synchrotron which has been given as a gift from Germany. Four committees advise the Council and assist in developing the technical design, beam lines, user community, and scientific Program. The SESAME building, now in construction with funds and a site provided by Jordan, is scheduled for completion in late 2006 after which the BESSY I injector will be installed. First stored beam in the new 2.5 GeV ring is planned for 2009 with six initial beamlines planned. Some beamlines will be built by member countries

Impact of GDP, spending on R&D, number of universities and scientific journals on research publications in pharmacological sciences in Middle East.

Science.gov (United States)

Meo, S A; Usmani, A M; Vohra, M S; Bukhari, I A

2013-10-01

Research in pharmacological science is vital to support the health needs of human beings. Measuring the research output provides information that forms the basis of strategic decisions. This study aimed to investigate the impact of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), spending on Research and Development (R&D), number of universities and scientific journals on research documents (papers), citable documents, citations per document and H-index in pharmacological science among Middle East countries. All the 16 Middle East countries were included in the study. The information regarding GDP, spending on R&D, total number of universities and indexed scientific journals were collected. We recorded the total number of research documents, citable documents, citations per document and H-index in pharmacological science during the period 1996-2011. The main sources for information were World Bank, Web of Science, Journal Citation Reports (Thomson Reuters) and SCI-mago/Scopus. The mean per capita GDP of all the Middle East countries is 18125.49±5386.28 US$, spending on R&D 0.63±0.28% of GDP in US$, number of universities 36.56±11.33 and mean ISI indexed journal are 8.25±3.93. The number of research documents published in pharmacological science among the Middle East countries during the period 1996-2011 is 1344.44±499.34; citable documents 1286.37±476.34; citations per document 7.62± 0.84; and H-index is 30.68±6.32. There was a positive correlation between spending on R&D and citations per documents (r = 0.56, p = 0.02), H-Index (r = 0.56, p = 0.02); number of universities and research documents (r = 0.72, p = 0.002), citable documents (r = 0.72, p = 0.001); ISI indexed journals and research documents (r = 0.88, p = 0.0001), citable documents (r = 0.88, p = 0.0001), H-Index (r = 0.67, p = 0.004). However, there was no correlation between the GDP per capita and research outcome in pharmacological science. There is a positive association between spending on R&D, number of

Audit of long-term and short-term liabilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Korinko M.D.

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The article determines the importance of long-term and short-term liabilities for the management of financial and material resources of an enterprise. It reviews the aim, objects and information generators for realization of audit of short-term and long-term obligations. The organizing and methodical providing of audit of long-term and short-term liabilities of an enterprise are generalized. The authors distinguish the stages of realization of audit of long-term and short-term liabilities, the aim of audit on each of the presented stages, and recommend methodical techniques. It is fixed that it is necessary to conduct the estimation of the systems of internal control and record-keeping of an enterprise by implementation of public accountant procedures for determination of volume and maintenance of selection realization. After estimating the indicated systems, a public accountant determines the methodology for realization of public accountant verification of long-term and short-term liabilities. The analytical procedures that public accountants are expedient to use for realization of audit of short-term and long-term obligations are determined. The authors suggest the classification of the educed defects on the results of the conducted public accountant verification of short-term and long-term obligations.

Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. Part 8. Bats of Jordan: fauna, ecology, echolocation, ectoparasites

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Benda, P.; Lučan, R. K.; Obuch, J.; Reiter, A.; Andreas, M.; Bačkor, P.; Bohnenstengel, T.; Eid, E. K.; Ševčík, M.; Vallo, Peter; Amr, Z. S.

2010-01-01

Roč. 74, 3-4 (2010), s. 185-353 ISSN 1211-376X Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60930519 Keywords : bats * distribution * ecology * echolocation * ectoparasites * Middle East * Jordan * Arabia * Palaearctic Region Subject RIV: EG - Zoology

The social implications of population displacement and resettlement in the Middle East. Conference report.

Science.gov (United States)

Shami, S; Mccann, L

1993-01-01

The focus was on a conference on population displacement and resettlement in the Middle East and on brief summaries of 8 papers in the first study group and 9 papers in the second study group. The conference was held at the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at the Yarmouk University in Ibid, Jordan, on February 21-24, 1990, and on July 29-31, 1991. Scholars from diverse disciplines gathered to fill a gap in the literature on displacement in the Middle East and to develop a regional theoretical and comparative framework for the study of population movement. A concluding definition of displacement and/or resettlement was determined. The first study group determined that labor or seasonal migration and displacement were both on a continuum with intersecting characteristics, and not divergent. Research should account for the nature, the forcing agents, the underlying causes, the implications, and the outcome of the displacement. The second study group had a more empirical agenda and included the first study group as discussants. The first study group began with a presentation by Dr. Seteney Shami, which reviewed existing literature, outlined unique characteristics for displacement in the Middle East, and discussed the literature on the Nubians, Palestinians, and Bedouins. Other topics included the official settlement of peasants in Iraq and the impact on women and work, the political and economic roles of class among the Palestinian coastal bourgeoisie and other classes, migratory cycles of the Bedouin and disruption by the oil exploration, and historical displacement in Turkey. The second study group focused on migration to the Khartoum area in Sudan among nine unplanned settlements, the two-stage displacement of low-income households from rent-controlled buildings in Cairo and its impact on community structure and employment and social supports, migration from the Suez Canal to Zagazig City in Egypt, displacement due to the Gulf crisis (a case study, the

The increasing importance of the oil issue in the Middle East by the 1970's. Oil and development: the trap of oil income in the Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chatelus, Michel

2015-10-01

In a first article, after having recalled some aspects of the context of the Middle East during the second half of the 1960's and the first half of the 1970's, notably in terms of GDP and population in the different countries, the author comments how these countries tried to take possession of what they considered as their own oil, how some of them tried to reorganise oil production (notably Iraq and Syria) when others tried to act differently in collaboration with western companies or through specific bodies (OPEC). The author outlines that evolutions which occurred during this period (1960's-1970's) resulted in an unprecedented, brutal and uneven enrichment (particularly at the beginning of the 1970's) of oil producing states. He comments how oil was then used as a weapon against some western countries (first oil crisis), and that Arab countries also had different policies in terms of development, finance or reserve management. In the second article which addresses the fact that high oil incomes could become a trap, the author comments the consequences of the existence of high oil incomes. He discusses the policies adopted by Arab countries except Iraq: creation of a welfare economy, development of activities related to hydrocarbon availability, a minimum redistribution to other countries of the region, lucrative and safe investments, and requirements in terms of peacekeeping. Then, the author briefly comments the situation of countries of the regions. He distinguishes those which are not oil producers but are involved in wealth circulation and can take some profit out of it (Lebanon, Jordan), those which are excluded (Syria and Yemen), and the specific case of Iraq. He finally evokes the perspectives and contradictions of the growth scheme

A middle Eocene carbon cycle conundrum

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sluijs, A.; Zeebe, R.; Bijl, P.K.; Bohaty, S.M.

2013-01-01

The Middle Eocene Climatic Optimum (MECO) was an approximately 500,000-year-long episode of widespread ocean-atmosphere warming about 40 million years ago, superimposed on a long-term middle Eocene cooling trend. It was marked by a rise in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, biotic changes and prolonged

Middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus spike protein delivered by modified vaccinia virus ankara efficiently induces virus-neutralizing antibodies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

F. Song (Fei); R. Fux (Robert); L.B.V. Provacia (Lisette); A. Volz (Asisa); M. Eickmann; S. Becker (Stephan); A.D.M.E. Osterhaus (Albert); B.L. Haagmans (Bart); G. Suttera (Gerd)

2013-01-01

textabstractMiddle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has recently emerged as a causative agent of severe respiratory disease in humans. Here, we constructed recombinant modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) expressing full-length MERS-CoV spike (S) protein (MVA-MERS-S). The genetic

Early diagnosis and treatment of ankylosing spondylitis in Africa and the Middle East.

Science.gov (United States)

Rachid, Bahiri; El Zorkany, Bassel; Youseif, Ehab; Tikly, Mohammed

2012-11-01

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is the prototype for spondyloarthritis primarily affecting young men. Geographic and ethnic variations exist in the prevalence and severity of AS and relate to the wide disparity in the frequency of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27, a major genetic risk factor. The strength of the disease association with HLA-B27 is lower in most Arab populations (25-75 %) than in Western European populations (>90 %), and there is no association in sub-Saharan Africa, where the prevalence of HLA-B27 is Africa, and the high rate of spondyloarthropathies associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Diagnosis of AS is often delayed 8-10 years; potential reasons for the delay in Africa and the Middle East include low awareness among physicians and patients, the requirement for radiographic evidence of sacroiliitis for diagnosis, and limited access to magnetic resonance imaging in some countries. Treatment should be initiated early to prevent or reduce skeletal deformity and physical disability. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are effective first-line treatment and anti-tumor necrosis factor-α drugs are indicated for patients who have an inadequate response to first-line therapy. In Africa and the Middle East, such treatments may be precluded either by cost or contraindicated because of the high prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection. Research is sorely needed to develop cost-effective tools to diagnose AS early as well as effective, inexpensive, and safe treatments for these developing regions.

Energy infrastructure in the Middle East and North Africa to 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Enav, Peter

1998-01-01

Between 1998 and 2010, the 19 countries of the Middle East and North Africa will need to spend approximately $500bn on new energy infrastructure to meet their declared needs and priorities. Private sector involvement will be inevitable with many countries operating under strict budgetary limitations. The opportunities this represents for foreign investment cannot be ignored. This report assesses both power generation and hydrocarbon financing needs on a country-by-country basis. It also identifies the likely financing modalities for each country with a detailed appraisal of country credit-worthiness, highlighting risks and opportunities for outside investors. For each country, the report examines: macro-economic profiles; political risk profiles; prospects for hydrocarbon; and electricity infrastructure development. (author)

Middle East respiratory syndrome clinical practice guideline for hemodialysis facilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hayne Cho Park

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The Korean Society of Nephrology participated in the task force team consisting of government authorities and civilian experts to prevent and control the spread of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS in 2015. The Korean Society of Nephrology MERS Task Force Team took an immediate action and drafted ‘the clinical recommendation for hemodialysis facilities’ to follow when the first and the only confirmed case was reported in the hemodialysis unit. Owing to the dedicated support from medical doctors, dialysis nurses, and related medical companies, we could prevent further transmission of MERS infection successfully in hemodialysis units. This special report describes the experience of infection control during MERS outbreak in 2015 and summarizes the contents of ‘the clinical practice guideline for hemodialysis facilities dealing with MERS patients’ built upon our previous experience.

Revolutionising engineering education in the Middle East region to promote earthquake-disaster mitigation

Science.gov (United States)

Baytiyeh, Hoda; Naja, Mohamad K.

2014-09-01

Due to the high market demands for professional engineers in the Arab oil-producing countries, the appetite of Middle Eastern students for high-paying jobs and challenging careers in engineering has sharply increased. As a result, engineering programmes are providing opportunities for more students to enrol on engineering courses through lenient admission policies that do not compromise academic standards. This strategy has generated an influx of students who must be carefully educated to enhance their professional knowledge and social capital to assist in future earthquake-disaster risk-reduction efforts. However, the majority of Middle Eastern engineering students are unaware of the valuable acquired engineering skills and knowledge in building the resilience of their communities to earthquake disasters. As the majority of the countries in the Middle East are exposed to seismic hazards and are vulnerable to destructive earthquakes, engineers have become indispensable assets and the first line of defence against earthquake threats. This article highlights the contributions of some of the engineering innovations in advancing technologies and techniques for effective disaster mitigation and it calls for the incorporation of earthquake-disaster-mitigation education into academic engineering programmes in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Hopeless Case for U.S. Policy in the Middle East?

Science.gov (United States)

2007-05-24

the liberation of Palestine. The fusion of Fatah with the PLO following the 1967 war, the formal adoption of...fostering democracy and free market economies in the Middle East. Goals also included guaranteeing the survival and security of the state of Israel...of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, “for Jews, whose attachment to the Land the Bible , the West Bank is Judea and Samaria, is sacred land. For

Application of Fiscal Incentives for Development of East Natuna Gas Field for Long-Term National Natural Gas Demand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marwan Batubara

2015-08-01

Full Text Available East Natuna gas field, which has proven reserves of 46 trillion cubic feet, is projected to meet long-term natural gas needs. However, CO2-content of the gas reserves reaches 71%, leading to expensive development costs. This research investigates the feasibility of the field based on several fiscal incentives. Firstly, gas supply-demand until year 2040 was analyzed. Then, based on the analysis, the field was developed using high CO2 gas separation technology to produce gas of 1300 MMSCFD in 2023, 2600 MMSCFD in 2031, and 3900 MMSCFD in 2039. Finally, the economic feasibility was assessed using cash flow analysis in accordance with Indonesia’s production sharing contract scheme. The results show that the supply-demand gap continues to increase and thus the development is urgently needed. The development cost is estimated around US$ 27.59 billion. The gas selling prices are assumed at US$ 8/MMBTU for wellhead, US$ 11/MMBTU for pipelines, and US$ 11/MMBTU for LNG. To achieve minimum IRR value of 12%, the government needs to offer incentives of 30-year contract period, profit sharing of 55%: 45%, first tranche petroleum to 10%, and tax holiday of 10 years. Toll fee for Natuna-Cirebon pipeline is US$ 2.3/MMBTU at IRR of 12.6%.

Long-term follow-up study and long-term care of childhood cancer survivors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyeon Jin Park

2010-04-01

Full Text Available The number of long-term survivors is increasing in the western countries due to remarkable improvements in the treatment of childhood cancer. The long-term complications of childhood cancer survivors in these countries were brought to light by the childhood cancer survivor studies. In Korea, the 5-year survival rate of childhood cancer patients is approaching 70%; therefore, it is extremely important to undertake similar long-term follow-up studies and comprehensive long-term care for our population. On the basis of the experiences of childhood cancer survivorship care of the western countries and the current Korean status of childhood cancer survivors, long-term follow-up study and long-term care systems need to be established in Korea in the near future. This system might contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of childhood cancer survivors through effective intervention strategies.

Cases of human brucellosis in Sweden linked to Middle East and Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Garofolo, Giuliano; Fasanella, Antonio; Di Giannatale, Elisabetta; Platone, Ilenia; Sacchini, Lorena; Persiani, Tiziana; Boskani, Talar; Rizzardi, Kristina; Wahab, Tara

2016-05-17

Human brucellosis cases are still reported each year in Sweden despite eradication of the disease in animals. Epidemiological investigation has never been conducted to trace back the source of human infection in the country. The purpose of the study was to identify the source of infection for 16 human brucellosis cases that occurred in Sweden, during the period 2008-2012. The isolates were identified as Brucella melitensis and MLVA-16 genotyping revealed 14 different genotypes of East Mediterranean and Africa lineages. We also reported one case of laboratory-acquired brucellosis (LAB) that was shown to be epidemiological linked to one of the cases in the current study. Brucella melitensis was the only species diagnosed, confirming its highest zoonotic potential in the genus Brucella, and MLVA-16 results demonstrated that the cases of brucellosis in Sweden herein investigated, are imported and linked to travel in the Middle East and Africa. Due to its zoonotic concerns, any acute febrile illness linked to recent travel within those regions should be investigated for brucellosis and samples should be processed according to biosafety level 3 regulations.

A Bibliometric Analysis of PubMed Literature on Middle East Respiratory Syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhengting; Chen, Yongdi; Cai, Gaofeng; Jiang, Zhenggang; Liu, Kui; Chen, Bin; Jiang, Jianmin; Gu, Hua

2016-06-13

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), a pandemic threat to human beings, has aroused huge concern worldwide, but no bibliometric studies have been conducted on MERS research. The aim of this study was to map research productivity on the disease based on the articles indexed in PubMed. The articles related to MERS dated from 2012 to 2015 were retrieved from PubMed. The articles were classified into three categories according to their focus. Publication outputs were assessed and frequently used terms were mapped using the VOS viewer software. A total of 443 articles were included for analysis. They were published in 162 journals, with Journal of Virology being the most productive (44 articles; 9.9%) and by six types of organizations, with universities being the most productive (276 articles; 62.4%).The largest proportion of the articles focused on basic medical sciences and clinical studies (47.2%) and those on prevention and control ranked third (26.2%), with those on other focuses coming in between (26.6%). The articles on prevention and control had the highest mean rank for impact factor (IF) (226.34), followed by those on basic medical sciences and clinical studies (180.23) and those on other focuses (168.03). The mean rank differences were statistically significant (p = 0.000). Besides, "conronavirus", "case", "transmission" and "detection" were found to be the most frequently used terms. The findings of this first bibliometric study on MERS suggest that the prevention and control of the disease has become a big concern and related research should be strengthened.

Basic East German Words, Terms, Names: Why Know Them?

Science.gov (United States)

Mayer, Elizabeth M.

Terms basic to any understanding of East German culture and politics are defined in this paper. The items selected are grouped in five categories: (1) the state, (2) political and philosophical terms, (3) economics, (4) education, and (5) the family, ethics, and the arts. The author emphasizes semantic differences despite similarities to words in…

Long-term trend of foE in European higher middle latitudes

Science.gov (United States)

Laštovička, Jan

2016-04-01

Long-term changes and trends have been observed in the whole ionosphere below its maximum. As concerns the E region, historical global data (Bremer, 2008) provide predominantly slightly positive trend, even though some stations provide a negative trend. Here we use data of two European stations with the best long data series of parameters of the ionospheric E layer, Slough/Chilton and Juliusruh over 1975-2014 (40 years). Noon-time medians (10-14 LT) are analyzed. The trend pattern after removing solar influence is complex. For yearly average values for Chilton first foE is decreasing in 1975-1990 by about 0.1 MHz, then the trend levels off or a little increase occurs in 1990-2004, and finally in 2004-2014 again a decrease is observed (again by about 0.1 MHz but over shorter period). Juliusruh yields a similar pattern. Similar analysis is also done for some months to check seasonal dependence of trends. The stability of relation between solar activity and foE is tested to clarify potential role of this factor in apparent trend of foE.

Enfranchised Minors: Women as People in the Middle East after the 2011 Arab Uprisings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rania Maktabi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The civic status of female citizens in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA region is conceptualized as “enfranchised minorhood” which reflects the confined position of adult women as legal minors under the trusteeship of male kin in family law, criminal law, and nationality law. During and in the aftermath of the Uprisings that erupted throughout MENA in 2011, female lawyers in Morocco, Lebanon, and Kuwait allied with women’s groups and pressured for reforms in patriarchal state laws. By 2015, reforms were manifest in criminal law; incremental in family law; and absent in nationality law. Theoretical conclusions based on comparative analysis of societal pressures in three states indicate that long historical trajectories are imperative for substantiating the expansion of female citizenship following the 2011 Uprisings. Additionally, the civic status of women in the MENA region is being strengthened under authoritarian monarchical rule in Kuwait and Morocco. A third finding is that pressures for reform have more visible reverberations in legal spheres with a clerical imprint such as family law and criminal law, while strengthened pressures in a secular legal sphere such as nationality law have been opposed more forcefully five years after the Uprisings.

Why did occidental modernity fail in the Arab Middle East: the failed modern state?

OpenAIRE

Sardar, Aziz

2011-01-01

This thesis asks a straightforward but nevertheless a complex question, that is: Why did modernity fail in the Arab Middle East? The notion of modernity in this thesis signifies the occidental modernity which reached the region in many different forms and through various channels. This occidental modernity had an impact on many areas and changed the societies and politics of the region. But these changes stopped short of reaching modernity, in other words it failed to change the society from ...

Jobs for Shared Prosperity : Time for Action in the Middle East and North Africa

OpenAIRE

Gatti, Roberta; Morgandi, Matteo; Grun, Rebekka; Brodmann, Stefanie; Angel-Urdinola, Diego; Moreno, Juan Manuel; Marotta, Daniela; Schiffbauer, Marc; Mata Lorenzo, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, when thousands of young women and men fought for the opportunity to realize their aspirations and potential, the question of jobs continues to be crucial in the Middle East and North Africa region. This report uses jobs as a lens to weave together the complex dynamics of employment creation, skills supply, and the institutional environment of labor markets. Consistent with the framework of the 2013 World Development Report on jobs, of which this report is...

Detection and molecular characterization of feline hemoplasmas in wild felid species in Iran in the Middle East.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghazisaeedi, Fereshteh; Atyabi, Nahid; Zahraei Salehi, Taghi; Tabatabaei, Saeid; Ashrafi Tamai, Iraj; Memarian, Iman; Tasker, Séverine

2017-10-01

Three feline hemoplasma species exist in felids: Mycoplasma haemofelis, 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum', and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis'. The aims of the study were to determine the presence of, and molecularly characterize, any hemoplasmas in wild felids, including the endangered Persian leopard in Iran, the Middle East. Blood samples were collected from 19 wild felids, including three Persian leopards. Using species-specific hemoplasma PCRs and ELISA serological testing for feline leukaemia virus and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), two Persian leopards were found to be infected with 'Ca. M. haemominutum' and were seropositive for FIV. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequences were generated for these 'Ca. M. haemominutum' species and subsequent phylogenetic analysis revealed 97.70% to 99.45% sequence identity with those found in domestic cats from Iran and other countries. This study confirms the presence of 'Ca. M. haemominutum' and concurrent FIV antibody in wild felids in Iran. This represents the first report of hemoplasma in wild felids in the Middle East as well as the first report of infection in Persian leopards. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seismicity of the Earth 1900-2013 East African Rift

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Gavin P.; Jones, Eric S.; Stadler, Timothy J.; Barnhart, William D.; McNamara, Daniel E.; Benz, Harley M.; Furlong, Kevin P.; Villaseñor, Antonio; Hayes, Gavin P.; Jones, Eric S.; Stadler, Timothy J.; Barnhart, William D.; McNamara, Daniel E.; Benz, Harley M.; Furlong, Kevin P.; Villaseñor, Antonio

2014-01-01

The East African Rift system (EARS) is a 3,000-km-long Cenozoic age continental rift extending from the Afar triple junction, between the horn of Africa and the Middle East, to western Mozambique. Sectors of active extension occur from the Indian Ocean, west to Botswana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is the only rift system in the world that is active on a continent-wide scale, providing geologists with a view of how continental rifts develop over time into oceanic spreading centers like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Mobilizing the Global Scientific Enterprise to Foster Cooperation with the Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

Turekian, Vaughan

2007-03-01

International science cooperation - e.g. science for diplomacy - has long been an important tool in the US foreign policy approach. Cold War science exchanges and development of institutions such as IIASA in Vienna, Austria played a critical role in increasing contacts and building trust between the adversaries. American - Chinese science exchanges starting in the 1970's laid the groundwork for increased interactions between the two countries. While such a deep history of exchange with the Muslim world U.S. policy, scientific diplomacy should now be a central point of any broader diplomatic engagement with these countries. Although perceptions of the U.S. are at historical lows throughout the region, recent polling continues to show that U.S. science and scientists remain highly respected. In part as a response to this unpopularity of the U.S. throughout the broader Middle East, President Bush appointed Karen Hughes, one of his most trusted advisers, to serve as the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy - a position that is charges with improving the U.S. image abroad. This presentation will demonstrate that Under Secretary Hughes has valuable resources within the scientific community that are willing, able and proactively engaging with the Muslim world. The paper will highlight some of the key areas of cooperation, and highlight areas and programs that AAAS is using to further engage elements of the Muslim scientific community.

A scientometric study of general internal medicine domain among muslim countries of middle East (1991 - 2011).

Science.gov (United States)

Hodhodinezhad, Niloofar; Zahedi, Razieh; Ashrafi-rizzi, Hassan; Shams, Asadollah

2013-03-01

The position of General Internal Medicine in the Islamic countries in the Middle East has been investigated in the present study. The scientific productions of the countries in the area on Web of science database during 1990-2011 constitute were examined. The result of the survey showed that the share of these countries in world scientific productions is very low. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran are the first to third ones in this domain in order. In view of annual growth rate, Kuwait having high growth rate, is the first one. Libya and Syria are the next ones. The scientific poverty line of Islamic countries in the area was surveyed. The result showed that in view of the scientific poverty line, the highest is Kuwait with the population of 0.04 percent of the world. Next to it, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are the second and third ones. The results of this research showed that the share of Islamic countries in the Middle East in scientific production of this medicine domain is very low. It needs to be paid more attention by the countries in the area.

Crystal structure of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus helicase.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Hao

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV remains a threat to public health worldwide; however, effective vaccine or drug against CoVs remains unavailable. CoV helicase is one of the three evolutionary most conserved proteins in nidoviruses, thus making it an important target for drug development. We report here the first structure of full-length coronavirus helicase, MERS-CoV nsp13. MERS-CoV helicase has multiple domains, including an N-terminal Cys/His rich domain (CH with three zinc atoms, a beta-barrel domain and a C-terminal SF1 helicase core with two RecA-like subdomains. Our structural analyses show that while the domain organization of nsp13 is conserved throughout nidoviruses, the individual domains of nsp13 are closely related to the equivalent eukaryotic domains of Upf1 helicases. The most distinctive feature differentiating CoV helicases from eukaryotic Upf1 helicases is the interaction between CH domain and helicase core.

Identification of Tropical-Extratropical Interactions and Extreme Precipitation Events in the Middle East based on Potential Vorticity and Moisture Transport

KAUST Repository

de Vries, A. J.; Ouwersloot, H. G.; Feldstein, S. B.; Riemer, M.; El Kenawy, A. M.; McCabe, Matthew; Lelieveld, J.

2017-01-01

) intrusion reaches deep into the subtropics and forces an incursion of high poleward vertically integrated water vapor transport (IVT) into the Middle East. This study presents an object-based identification method for extreme precipitation events based

Dominant Middle East oil reserves critically important to world supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riva, J.P. Jr.

1991-01-01

This paper reports that the location production, and transportation of the 60 million bbl of oil consumed in the world each day is of vital importance to relations between nations, as well as to their economic wellbeing. Oil has frequently been a decisive factor in the determination of foreign policy. The war in the Persian Gulf, while a dramatic example of the critical importance of oil, is just the latest of a long line of oil-influenced diplomatic/military incidents, which may be expected to continue. Assuming that the world's remaining oil was evenly distributed and demand did not grow, if exploration and development proceeded as efficiently as they have in the U.S., world oil production could be sustained at around current levels to about the middle of the next century. It then would begin a long decline in response to a depleting resource base. However, the world's remaining oil is very unevenly distributed. It is located primarily in the Eastern Hemisphere, mostly in the Persian Gulf, and much is controlled by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Scientific resource assessments indicate that about half of the world's remaining conventionally recoverable crude oil resource occurs in the Persian Gulf area. In terms of proved reserves (known recoverable oil), the Persian Gulf portion increase to almost two-thirds

Adult Asylum Seekers from the Middle East Including Syria in Central Europe: What Are Their Health Care Problems?

Science.gov (United States)

Pfortmueller, Carmen Andrea; Schwetlick, Miriam; Mueller, Thomas; Lehmann, Beat; Exadaktylos, Aristomenis Konstantinos

2016-01-01

Forced displacement related to persecution and violent conflict has reached a new peak in recent years. The primary aim of this study is to provide an initial overview of the acute and chronic health care problems of asylum seekers from the Middle East, with special emphasis on asylum seekers from Syria. Our retrospective data analysis comprised adult patients presenting to our emergency department between 01.11.2011 and 30.06.2014 with the official resident status of an "asylum seeker" or "refugee" from the Middle East. In total, 880 patients were included in the study. Of these, 625 (71.0%) were male and 255 (29.0%) female. The median age was 34 (range 16-84). 222 (25.2%) of our patients were from Syria. The most common reason for presentation was surgical (381, 43.3%), followed by medical (321, 36.5%) and psychiatric (137, 15.6%). In patients with surgical presentations, trauma-related problems were most common (n = 196, 50.6%). Within the group of patients with medical presentation, acute infectious diseases were most common (n = 141, 43.9%), followed by neurological problems (n = 70, 21.8%) and gastrointestinal problems (n = 47, 14.6%). There were no differences between Syrian and non-Syrian refugees concerning surgical or medical admissions. The most common chronic disorder of unclear significance was chronic gastrointestinal problems (n = 132, 15%), followed by chronic musculoskeletal problems (n = 108, 12.3%) and chronic headaches (n = 78, 8.9%). Patients from Syria were significantly younger and more often suffered from a post-traumatic stress disorder than patients of other nationalities (pSyria when compared to other nationalities of asylum seekers from the Middle East.

Elucidating Transmission Patterns From Internet Reports: Ebola and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome as Case Studies

OpenAIRE

Chowell, Gerardo; Cleaton, Julie M.; Viboud, Cecile

2016-01-01

The paucity of traditional epidemiological data during epidemic emergencies calls for alternative data streams to characterize the key features of an outbreak, including the nature of risky exposures, the reproduction number, and transmission heterogeneities. We illustrate the potential of Internet data streams to improve preparedness and response in outbreak situations by drawing from recent work on the 2014–2015 Ebola epidemic in West Africa and the 2015 Middle East respiratory syndrome (ME...

the run for arming and conflicts in Middle-East menace the safety of petroleum supplies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1995-01-01

The situation in the Middle-East is always a run to get arming equipment. Conflicts between Bahrain and Qatar, between Qatar and Saudi Arabia or between this last one and Yemen are a danger for the stability in this area; without forgetting Iran power rising. This situation is an obstacle to economic development, stability of policy and it goes against local populations interests, against industrialized countries interests and against petroleum industry interest itself

What can Iran gain by having a nuclear weapons program that threatens to destabilize security in the Middle East?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Thomas Galasz

and a lot of neigh- bouring countries fear such a development for security reasons. But why is Iran following a nuclear path that may further destabilise the fragile security situation in the Middle East? It is to do with Iran’s own perception of security risks, its desire for greatness in the region......- bination with its important strategic location by the Strait of Hormuz, and supports various political groupings in and around Syria and Iraq to attract the attention of the United States of American in an attempt to become recognised as the most important player in the Middle East. Should Iran succeed...... in its brinkmanship and the outcome could be the lifting of the UN sanctions, international recognition, improved security, and even a possible end to internal political power struggles due to likely economic reforms post-sanctions. Much is at stake for Iran, but, if it succeeds, it could shift...

A systematic review on the prevalence of conduct disorder in the Middle East.

Science.gov (United States)

Salmanian, Maryam; Asadian-Koohestani, Fatemeh; Mohammadi, Mohammad Reza

2017-11-01

Several epidemiological studies have been done on conduct disorder in the Middle East, but no systematic review has been conducted on this topic. Thus, we aimed at investigating the prevalence of conduct disorder in the Middle East in this systematic review of the literature. We searched all the cross-sectional studies in the scientific databases of PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Index Medicus for the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Islamic World Science Citation Center, and Grey Literature including conference proceedings, and hand searching of key journals from 1995 to the end of 2014. Included studies described the prevalence of conduct disorder prior to age of 18, with any type of random or non-random sampling for at least one gender in the general or school-based populations who resided in Middle Eastern countries. Two reviewers assessed the quality of the included studies independently and extracted the relevant data. Twenty-four studies were included in this review. Sample sizes varied from 136 to 9636 with the age range of 6-18 years. These studies were conducted in Iran, Turkey, Israel, Cyprus, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Palestine. Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used in most of the included studies. The prevalence of conduct disorder was reported from 2.4% by diagnostic criteria taken from DSM-IV-TR in Iraq to 32.9% by SDQ in Iran; the prevalence rates ranged from 1 to 29.9% for females and from 3.3 to 34.6% for males. However, the prevalence of conduct disorder was reported 0.34% by the diagnostic instrument of Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime in Iranian children and adolescents. The prevalence of conduct disorder in this study was higher than the worldwide prevalence, thus, it seems essential to design preventive and treatment programs for children and adolescents with conduct disorder.

Middle Holocene Organic Carbon and Biomarker Records from the South Yellow Sea: Relationship to the East Asian Monsoon

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Liang; Hu, Bangqi; Li, Jun; Dou, Yanguang; Xie, Luhua; Dong, Liang

2018-03-01

The East Asian monsoon system influences the sedimentation and transport of organic matter in East Asian marginal seas that is derived from both terrestrial and marine sources. In this study, we determined organic carbon (OC) isotope values, concentrations of marine biomarkers, and levels of OC and total nitrogen (TN) in core YSC-1 from the central South Yellow Sea (SYS). Our objectives were to trace the sources of OC and variations in palaeoproductivity since the middle Holocene, and their relationships with the East Asian monsoon system. The relative contributions of terrestrial versus marine organic matter in core sediments were estimated using a two-end-member mixing model of OC isotopes. Results show that marine organic matter has been the main sediment constituent since the middle Holocene. The variation of terrestrial organic carbon concentration (OCter) is similar to the EASM history. However, the variation of marine organic carbon concentration (OCmar) is opposite to that of the EASM curve, suggesting OCmar is distinctly influenced by terrestrial material input. Inputs of terrestrial nutrients into the SYS occur in the form of fluvial and aeolian dust, while concentrations of nutrients in surface water are derived mainly from bottom water via the Yellow Sea circulation system, which is controlled by the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM). Variations in palaeoproductivity represented by marine organic matter and biomarker records are, in general, consistent with the recent EAWM intensity studies, thus, compared with EASM, EAWM may play the main role to control the marine productivity variations in the SYS.

Far East and Middle East: An Investigation of Strategic Linkages

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hassig, Kongdan

2002-01-01

.... Key factors linking the two regions include Muslim populations in China, China and the DPRK's need for Middle Eastern oil, the pursuit of several Middle Eastern states for weapons of mass destruction...

Challenges to Secular Movements in the Middle East: A Comparison ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

... analysts have long argued that Islamists constitute the most popular, growing, ... to contribute to a more robust democratic political process over the long-term. ... long-term climate action to reduce social inequality, promote greater gender ...

Simultaneous Inversion of Receiver Functions, Multi-Mode Dispersion, and Travel-Time Tomography for Lithospheric Structure Beneath the Middle East and North Africa

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Ammon, Charles J; Kosarian, Minoo; Hermann, Robert B

2006-01-01

.... Towards this goal, we perform receiver function analysis using teleseismic waveforms recorded at permanent and temporary broadband seismic stations located in Middle East, Europe, Asia, and North Africa...

Brain morphometry shows effects of long-term musical practice in middle-aged keyboard players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanna eGärtner

2013-09-01

Full Text Available To what extent does musical practice change the structure of the brain? In order to understand how long-lasting musical training changes brain structure, 20 male right-handed, middle-aged professional musicians and 19 matched controls were investigated. Among the musicians, 13 were pianists or organists with intensive practice regimes. The others were either music teachers at schools or string instrumentalists, who had studied the piano at least as a subsidiary subject, and practiced less intensively. The study was based on T1-weighted MR images, which were analyzed using Deformation Field Morphometry. Cytoarchitectonic probabilistic maps of cortical areas and subcortical nuclei as well as myeloarchitectonic maps of fiber tracts were used as regions of interest to compare volume differences in the brains of musicians and controls. In addition, maps of voxel-wise volume differences were computed and analyzed.Musicians showed a significantly better symmetric motor performance as well as a greater capability of controlling hand independence than controls. Structural MRI-data revealed significant volumetric differences between the brains of keyboard players, who practiced intensively and controls in right sensorimotor areas and the corticospinal tract as well as in the entorhinal cortex and the left superior parietal lobule. Moreover, they showed also larger volumes in a comparable set of regions than the less intensively practicing musicians. The structural changes in the sensory and motor systems correspond well to the behavioral results, and can be interpreted in terms of plasticity as a result of intensive motor training. Areas of the superior parietal lobule and the entorhinal cortex might be enlarged in musicians due to their special skills in sight-playing and memorizing of scores. In conclusion, intensive and specific musical training seems to have an impact on brain structure, not only during the sensitive period of childhood but throughout

Relationship between diffusion tensor fractional anisotropy and long-term motor outcome in patients with hemiparesis after middle cerebral artery infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Koyama, Tetsuo; Marumoto, Kohei; Miyake, Hiroji; Domen, Kazuhisa

2014-10-01

Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor fractional anisotropy (DTI-FA) is often used to characterize neural damage after stroke. Here we assessed the relationship between DTI-FA and long-term motor outcome in patients after middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction. Fractional anisotropy (FA) maps were generated from diffusion tensor brain images obtained from 16 patients 14-18 days postinfarction, and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analysis was applied. Regions of interest were set within the right and left corticospinal tracts, and mean FA values were extracted from individual TBSS data. Hemiparesis motor outcome was evaluated according to Brunnstrom stage (BRS: 1-6, severe-normal) for separate shoulder/elbow/forearm, hand, and lower extremity functions, as well as the motor component score of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM-motor: 13-91, null-full) 5-7 months after onset. Ratios between FA values in the affected and unaffected hemispheres (rFA) were assessed by BRS and FIM-motor scores. rFA values were .636-.984 (median, .883) and BRS scores were 1-6 (median, 3) for shoulder/elbow/forearm, 2-6 (median, 3) for hand, and 3-6 (median, 5) for the lower extremities. FIM-motor scores were 51-90 (median, 75). Analysis revealed significant relationships between rFA and BRS data (correlation coefficient: .687 for shoulder/elbow/forearm, .579 for hand, and .623 for lower extremities) but no significance relationship between rFA and FIM-motor scores. The results suggest that DTI-FA is applicable for predicting the long-term outcome of extremity functions after MCA infarction. Copyright © 2014 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Long-term psychiatric hospitalizations].

Science.gov (United States)

Plancke, L; Amariei, A

2017-02-01

Long-term hospitalizations in psychiatry raise the question of desocialisation of the patients and the inherent costs. Individual indicators were extracted from a medical administrative database containing full-time psychiatric hospitalizations for the period 2011-2013 of people over 16 years old living in the French region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais. We calculated the proportion of people who had experienced a hospitalization with a duration of 292 days or more during the study period. A bivariate analysis was conducted, then ecological data (level of health-care offer, the deprivation index and the size of the municipalities of residence) were included into a multilevel regression model in order to identify the factors significantly related to variability of long-term hospitalization rates. Among hospitalized individuals in psychiatry, 2.6% had had at least one hospitalization of 292 days or more during the observation period; the number of days in long-term hospitalization represented 22.5% of the total of days of full-time hospitalization in psychiatry. The bivariate analysis revealed that seniority in the psychiatric system was strongly correlated with long hospitalization rates. In the multivariate analysis, the individual indicators the most related to an increased risk of long-term hospitalization were: total lack of autonomy (OR=9.0; 95% CI: 6.7-12.2; P<001); diagnoses of psychological development disorders (OR=9.7; CI95%: 4.5-20.6; P<.001); mental retardation (OR=4.5; CI95%: 2.5-8.2; P<.001): schizophrenia (OR=3.0; CI95%: 1.7-5.2; P<.001); compulsory hospitalization (OR=1.7; CI95%: 1.4-2.1; P<.001); having experienced therapeutic isolation (OR=1.8; CI95%: 1.5-2.1; P<.001). Variations of long-term hospitalization rates depending on the type of establishment were very high, but the density of hospital beds or intensity of ambulatory activity services were not significantly linked to long-term hospitalization. The inhabitants of small urban units had

HeartCare+: A Smart Heart Care Mobile Application for Framingham-Based Early Risk Prediction of Hard Coronary Heart Diseases in Middle East

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hoda Ahmed Galal Elsayed

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Healthcare is a challenging, yet so demanding sector that developing countries are paying more attention to recently. Statistics show that rural areas are expected to develop a high rate of heart diseases, which is a leading cause of sudden mortality, in the future. Thus, providing solutions that can assist rural people in detecting the cardiac risks early will be vital for uncovering and even preventing the long-term complications of cardiac diseases. Methodology. Mobile technology can be effectively utilized to limit the cardiac diseases’ prevalence in rural Middle East. This paper proposes a smart mobile solution for early risk detection of hard coronary heart diseases that uses the Framingham scoring model. Results. Smart HeartCare+ mobile app estimates accurately coronary heart diseases’ risk over 10 years based on clinical and nonclinical data and classifies the patient risk to low, moderate, or high. HeartCare+ also directs the patients to further treatment recommendations. Conclusion. This work attempts to investigate the effectiveness of the mobile technology in the early risk detection of coronary heart diseases. HeartCare+ app intensifies the communication channel between the lab workers and patients residing in rural areas and cardiologists and specialist residing in urban places.

Active screening and surveillance in the United Kingdom for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in returning travellers and pilgrims from the Middle East: a prospective descriptive study for the period 2013–2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sowsan F. Atabani

2016-06-01

Conclusions: Respiratory tract infections in travellers/pilgrims returning to the UK from the Middle East are mainly due to rhinoviruses, influenza A, and influenza B. Whilst MERS-CoV was not detected in the 202 patients studied, heightened awareness of the possibility of MERS-CoV and continuous proactive surveillance are essential to rapidly identify cases of MERS-CoV and other seasonal respiratory tract viruses such as avian influenza, in patients presenting to hospital. Early identification and isolation may prevent outbreaks in nosocomial settings.

SESAME — A 3rd Generation Synchrotron Light Source for the Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

Å°lkü, Dinçer; Rahighi, Javad; Winick, Herman

2007-01-01

SESAME (Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East) will be the Middle East's first international research center. It is a cooperative venture by the scientists and governments of the region with founding members Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, Palestine Authority, and Turkey. Iran is in the process of finalizing its formal membership. Other countries (Cyprus, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates) are also expected to join. The permanent Council of member states has full responsibility for the project. Members provide the annual operating budget. Observer countries are Germany, Greece, Italy, Kuwait, Portugal, Russian Federation, Sweden, the UK, and the US. SESAME is being developed under the umbrella of UNESCO. Jordan was selected as the building site. SESAME will offer excellent opportunities for training of Middle East scientists and attract those working abroad to consider returning. SESAME will be a 2.5GeV 3rd Generation light source (emittance 26nm-rad, circumference ˜133m), providing excellent performance for structural molecular biology, molecular environmental science, surface and interface science, microelectromechanical devices, x-ray imaging, archaeological microanalysis, and materials characterization. It will cover a broad spectral range from the infrared to hard x-rays and will have 12 straight sections for insertion devices (average length 2.75m). The injector will be the BESSY I 0.8 GeV booster synchrotron which has been given as a gift from Germany. Four committees advise the Council and assist in developing the technical design, beam lines, user community, and scientific Program. The SESAME building, now in construction with funds and a site provided by Jordan, is scheduled for completion in late 2006 after which the BESSY I injector will be installed. First stored beam in the new 2.5 GeV ring is planned for 2009 with six initial beamlines planned. Some beamlines will be built by member countries

Assessment of long-term gas sampling design at two commercial manure-belt layer barns.

Science.gov (United States)

Chai, Li-Long; Ni, Ji-Qin; Chen, Yan; Diehl, Claude A; Heber, Albert J; Lim, Teng T

2010-06-01

Understanding temporal and spatial variations of aerial pollutant concentrations is important for designing air quality monitoring systems. In long-term and continuous air quality monitoring in large livestock and poultry barns, these systems usually use location-shared analyzers and sensors and can only sample air at limited number of locations. To assess the validity of the gas sampling design at a commercial layer farm, a new methodology was developed to map pollutant gas concentrations using portable sensors under steady-state or quasi-steady-state barn conditions. Three assessment tests were conducted from December 2008 to February 2009 in two manure-belt layer barns. Each barn was 140.2 m long and 19.5 m wide and had 250,000 birds. Each test included four measurements of ammonia and carbon dioxide concentrations at 20 locations that covered all operating fans, including six of the fans used in the long-term sampling that represented three zones along the lengths of the barns, to generate data for complete-barn monitoring. To simulate the long-term monitoring, gas concentrations from the six long-term sampling locations were extracted from the 20 assessment locations. Statistical analyses were performed to test the variances (F-test) and sample means (t test) between the 6- and 20-sample data. The study clearly demonstrated ammonia and carbon dioxide concentration gradients that were characterized by increasing concentrations from the west to east ends of the barns following the under-cage manure-belt travel direction. Mean concentrations increased from 7.1 to 47.7 parts per million (ppm) for ammonia and from 2303 to 3454 ppm for carbon dioxide from the west to east of the barns. Variations of mean gas concentrations were much less apparent between the south and north sides of the barns, because they were 21.2 and 20.9 ppm for ammonia and 2979 and 2951 ppm for carbon dioxide, respectively. The null hypotheses that the variances and means between the 6- and 20

Long-term prognostic significance of homocysteine in middle-aged and elderly

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Julie Falkenberg; Larsen, Bjørn Strøjer; Sabbah, Muhammad

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association among increased levels of plasma homocysteine (Hcy), all-cause mortality, and cardiovascular events. METHODS: Hcy was measured in 670 middle-aged and elderly subjects with no previous manifest cardiovascular disease. The follow-up period was 15 years...

The Palestinian Problem In The Middle East Policy Of The USSR / Russia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. V. Nosenko

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article reveals the stages in the formation of the USSR policy in the field of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict resolution, the features of the developed policy and practical conclusions that could be useful in advancing the current Middle East policy of the Russian Federation. Initially, the Soviet Union perceived the Palestinian theme primarily from the point of view of the problem of refugees. However, Moscow increasingly felt the need for reliable allies in the region. The movement for cooperation between the Palestine Liberation Organization and the USSR was bilateral: the PLO departed from revolutionary romanticism and began to follow a pragmatic line to expand contacts with opponents of Israel. Moscow began to consider the activities of the PLO as part of the national liberation movement, took a sharply anti-Israeli stance. Such a distortion led to a loss of freedom of maneuver in the region and to the announcement of deliberately non-constructive proposals for a Palestinian-Israeli settlement. Only since 1985 the USSR returned to a more flexible position, which sought to combine the interests of the Palestinian people and Israel. At the present stage, Russian diplomacy uses Soviet experience and connections, especially in the sphere of personal contacts. But Russia’s role in the Middle East conflict resolution has decreased due to subjective and objective reasons. Against the backdrop of the Arab Spring and the Civil War in Syria, Palestinian issues have become secondary in the agenda of Moscow, which, however, can lead to a new surge of violence and tension. Special relations with the Palestinian national liberation movement have always been an advantage of Soviet and then Russian diplomacy. The authors believe that this advantage should be used more actively to strengthen Russia’s positions in the region.

Entrepreneurs’ gender, age and education affecting their networks in private and public spheres: Denmark, Middle East and North Africa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ashourizadeh, Shayegheh; Schøtt, Thomas

2013-01-01

The purpose is to account for entrepreneurs’ networking in private and public spheres, as influenced by gender, age and education in the context of culture. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor has surveyed 17,742 entrepreneurs’ networking for advice in Denmark and 14 countries representative of t....... Education influences networking in the way that networking in the public sphere is especially extensive among educated entrepreneurs.......The purpose is to account for entrepreneurs’ networking in private and public spheres, as influenced by gender, age and education in the context of culture. The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor has surveyed 17,742 entrepreneurs’ networking for advice in Denmark and 14 countries representative...... of the Middle East and North Africa. Analyses show that entrepreneurs are networking in the private sphere of family and friends, especially in traditional culture in Middle East and North Africa, and are networking in public spheres, especially in secular-rational culture in Denmark. Male entrepreneurs network...

Long-term potentiation and long-term depression: a clinical perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timothy V.P. Bliss

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Long-term potentiation and long-term depression are enduring changes in synaptic strength, induced by specific patterns of synaptic activity, that have received much attention as cellular models of information storage in the central nervous system. Work in a number of brain regions, from the spinal cord to the cerebral cortex, and in many animal species, ranging from invertebrates to humans, has demonstrated a reliable capacity for chemical synapses to undergo lasting changes in efficacy in response to a variety of induction protocols. In addition to their physiological relevance, long-term potentiation and depression may have important clinical applications. A growing insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes, and technological advances in non-invasive manipulation of brain activity, now puts us at the threshold of harnessing long-term potentiation and depression and other forms of synaptic, cellular and circuit plasticity to manipulate synaptic strength in the human nervous system. Drugs may be used to erase or treat pathological synaptic states and non-invasive stimulation devices may be used to artificially induce synaptic plasticity to ameliorate conditions arising from disrupted synaptic drive. These approaches hold promise for the treatment of a variety of neurological conditions, including neuropathic pain, epilepsy, depression, amblyopia, tinnitus and stroke.

Impact of GDP, spending on R&D, the number of universities and scientific journals on research publications in environmental sciences in the Middle East

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sultan Ayoub Meo

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP, spending on Research and Development (R&D, the number of universities and scientific journals on the published research documents, citable documents, citations per document and H-index in environmental sciences in the Middle East countries. Materials and Methods: All the 16 Middle East countries were included in the study. Information regarding the GDP, spending on R&D, the total number of universities and indexed journals was collected. Total number of research documents (papers, citable documents, citations per document and H-index in environmental sciences during the period 1996-2011 was recorded. The study used the World Bank, SCI-mago/Scopus, Web of Science, Journal Citation Reports (Thomson Reuters as the main sources of information. Results: The mean GDP per capita of all the Middle East countries amounted to 18 125.49±5386.28 US$, spending on R&D was 0.63±0.28 US$, the number of universities equaled 36.56±11.33 and mean ISI indexed journals amounted to 8.25±3.93. The mean number of research documents published in environmental sciences in the Middle East countries during the period 1996-2011 was 2202.12±883.98; citable documents: 2156.87±865.09; citations per document: 8.74±0.73; and the H-index: 35.37±6.17. There was a positive correlation between the money spent on R&D and citations per documents (r = 0.6, p = 0.01, H-Index (r = 0.6, p = 0.01; the number of universities and a total of research documents (r = 0.65, p = 0.006, citable documents (r = 0.65, p = 0.006, H-Index (r = 0.50, p = 0.04, as well as ISI indexed journals and total research documents (r = 0.94, p = 0.0001, citable documents (r = 0.94, p = 0.0001, H-Index (r = 0.73, p = 0.001. Conclusions: The Middle East countries which spend more on R&D and which have a large number of universities and ISI indexed journals are likely to produce more significant volume of research papers in

Impact of GDP, spending on R&D, the number of universities and scientific journals on research publications in environmental sciences in the Middle East.

Science.gov (United States)

Meo, Sultan Ayoub; Al Masri, Abeer A; Usmani, Adnan Mahmood; Halepoto, Dost Muhammad

2013-10-01

This study aimed to assess the impact of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), spending on Research and Development (R&D), the number of universities and scientific journals on the published research documents, citable documents, citations per document and H-index in environmental sciences in the Middle East countries. All the 16 Middle East countries were included in the study. Information regarding the GDP, spending on R&D, the total number of universities and indexed journals was collected. Total number of research documents (papers), citable documents, citations per document and H-index in environmental sciences during the period 1996-2011 was recorded. The study used the World Bank, SCI-mago/Scopus, Web of Science, Journal Citation Reports (Thomson Reuters) as the main sources of information. The mean GDP per capita of all the Middle East countries amounted to 18 125.49±5386.28 US$, spending on R&D was 0.63±0.28 US$, the number of universities equaled 36.56±11.33 and mean ISI indexed journals amounted to 8.25±3.93. The mean number of research documents published in environmental sciences in the Middle East countries during the period 1996-2011 was 2202.12±883.98; citable documents: 2156.87±865.09; citations per document: 8.74±0.73; and the H-index: 35.37±6.17. There was a positive correlation between the money spent on R&D and citations per documents (r = 0.6, p = 0.01), H-Index (r = 0.6, p = 0.01); the number of universities and a total of research documents (r = 0.65, p = 0.006), citable documents (r = 0.65, p = 0.006), H-Index (r = 0.50, p = 0.04), as well as ISI indexed journals and total research documents (r = 0.94, p = 0.0001), citable documents (r = 0.94, p = 0.0001), H-Index (r = 0.73, p = 0.001). The Middle East countries which spend more on R&D and which have a large number of universities and ISI indexed journals are likely to produce more significant volume of research papers in the field of environmental science.

Improving students' long-term knowledge retention through personalized review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindsey, Robert V; Shroyer, Jeffery D; Pashler, Harold; Mozer, Michael C

2014-03-01

Human memory is imperfect; thus, periodic review is required for the long-term preservation of knowledge and skills. However, students at every educational level are challenged by an ever-growing amount of material to review and an ongoing imperative to master new material. We developed a method for efficient, systematic, personalized review that combines statistical techniques for inferring individual differences with a psychological theory of memory. The method was integrated into a semester-long middle-school foreign-language course via retrieval-practice software. Using a cumulative exam administered after the semester's end, we compared time-matched review strategies and found that personalized review yielded a 16.5% boost in course retention over current educational practice (massed study) and a 10.0% improvement over a one-size-fits-all strategy for spaced study.

Climate change impacts in the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) region and their implications for vulnerable population groups

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Waha, Katharina; Krummenauer, Linda; Adams, Sophie; Aich, Valentin; Baarsch, Florent; Coumou, Dim; Fader, Marianela; Hoff, Holger; Jobbins, Guy; Marcus, Rachel; Mengel, Matthias; Otto, Ilona M.; Perrette, Mahé; Rocha, Marcia; Robinson, Alexander; Schleussner, Carl Friedrich

2017-01-01

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region emerges as one of the hot spots for worsening extreme heat, drought and aridity conditions under climate change. A synthesis of peer-reviewed literature from 2010 to date and own modeling work on biophysical impacts of climate change on selected sectors

Trust and tolerance across the Middle East and North Africa: A comparative perspective on the impact of the Arab uprisings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spierings, N.

2017-01-01

The protests that swept the Arab Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are expected to have influenced two key civic attitudes fundamental to well-functioning democracies: trust and tolerance. However, systematic comparative assessments of the general patterns and particularities in this region are

Long-term changes of tropospheric NO2 over megacities derived from multiple satellite instruments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Hilboll

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Tropospheric NO2, a key pollutant in particular in cities, has been measured from space since the mid-1990s by the GOME, SCIAMACHY, OMI, and GOME-2 instruments. These data provide a unique global long-term dataset of tropospheric pollution. However, the observations differ in spatial resolution, local time of measurement, viewing geometry, and other details. All these factors can severely impact the retrieved NO2 columns. In this study, we present three ways to account for instrumental differences in trend analyses of the NO2 columns derived from satellite measurements, while preserving the individual instruments' spatial resolutions. For combining measurements from GOME and SCIAMACHY into one consistent time series, we develop a method to explicitly account for the instruments' difference in ground pixel size (40 × 320 km2 vs. 30 × 60 km2. This is especially important when analysing NO2 changes over small, localised sources like, e.g. megacities. The method is based on spatial averaging of the measured earthshine spectra and extraction of a spatial pattern of the resolution effect. Furthermore, two empirical corrections, which summarise all instrumental differences by including instrument-dependent offsets in a fitted trend function, are developed. These methods are applied to data from GOME and SCIAMACHY separately, to the combined time series, and to an extended dataset comprising also GOME-2 and OMI measurements. All approaches show consistent trends of tropospheric NO2 for a selection of areas on both regional and city scales, for the first time allowing consistent trend analysis of the full time series at high spatial resolution. Compared to previous studies, the longer study period leads to significantly reduced uncertainties. We show that measured tropospheric NO2 columns have been strongly increasing over China, the Middle East, and India, with values over east-central China tripling from 1996 to 2011. All parts of the developed world

The long-term dynamics of mortality benefits from improved water and sanitation in less developed countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeuland, Marc A; Fuente, David E; Ozdemir, Semra; Allaire, Maura C; Whittington, Dale

2013-01-01

The problem of inadequate access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in less-developed nations has received much attention over the last several decades (most recently in the Millennium Development Goals), largely because diseases associated with such conditions contribute substantially to mortality in poor countries. We present country-level projections for WASH coverage and for WASH-related mortality in developing regions over a long time horizon (1975-2050) and provide dynamic estimates of the economic value of potential reductions in this WASH-related mortality, which go beyond the static results found in previous work. Over the historical period leading up to the present, our analysis shows steady and substantial improvements in WASH coverage and declining mortality rates across many developing regions, namely East Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The economic value of potential health gains from eliminating mortality attributable to poor water and sanitation has decreased substantially, and in the future will therefore be modest in these regions. Where WASH-related deaths remain high (in parts of South Asia and much of Sub-Saharan Africa), if current trends continue, it will be several decades before economic development and investments in improved water and sanitation will result in the capture of these economic benefits. The fact that health losses will likely remain high in these two regions over the medium term suggests that accelerated efforts are needed to improve access to water and sanitation, though the costs and benefits of such efforts in specific locations should be carefully assessed.

The long-term dynamics of mortality benefits from improved water and sanitation in less developed countries.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marc A Jeuland

Full Text Available The problem of inadequate access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH in less-developed nations has received much attention over the last several decades (most recently in the Millennium Development Goals, largely because diseases associated with such conditions contribute substantially to mortality in poor countries. We present country-level projections for WASH coverage and for WASH-related mortality in developing regions over a long time horizon (1975-2050 and provide dynamic estimates of the economic value of potential reductions in this WASH-related mortality, which go beyond the static results found in previous work. Over the historical period leading up to the present, our analysis shows steady and substantial improvements in WASH coverage and declining mortality rates across many developing regions, namely East Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The economic value of potential health gains from eliminating mortality attributable to poor water and sanitation has decreased substantially, and in the future will therefore be modest in these regions. Where WASH-related deaths remain high (in parts of South Asia and much of Sub-Saharan Africa, if current trends continue, it will be several decades before economic development and investments in improved water and sanitation will result in the capture of these economic benefits. The fact that health losses will likely remain high in these two regions over the medium term suggests that accelerated efforts are needed to improve access to water and sanitation, though the costs and benefits of such efforts in specific locations should be carefully assessed.

"But Oh! What Tales": Portraying the Middle East in U.S. Homophile Periodicals of the 1950s and 1960s.

Science.gov (United States)

Milo, Marva

2017-01-01

This essay examines Middle East representations in U.S. homophile periodicals from 1953 to 1964. The essay uses more than 120 Middle East-related items that were published in ONE, Mattachine Review, and The Ladder to address the periodicals' engagement with the region (particularly ancient history and biblical themes) and discuss the types of sexual "knowledge" that the homophile periodicals created about the region. It then assesses the role of periodicals as a genre in the creation of a transnational homophile community, showing both their potential for democratizing participation in this community and their limits. The essay argues that the periodicals made visible the process of assembling a homosexual identity and the fragmentary nature of the parts it strove to unify. Though the views of key U.S. homophile organizations became hegemonic in the international gay rights movement, the periodicals show a more complex, ambivalent, and contested process.

Long-Term Symbolic Learning

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Kennedy, William G; Trafton, J. G

2007-01-01

What are the characteristics of long-term learning? We investigated the characteristics of long-term, symbolic learning using the Soar and ACT-R cognitive architectures running cognitive models of two simple tasks...

U0126 attenuates cerebral vasoconstriction and improves long-term neurologic outcome after stroke in female rats

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahnstedt, Hilda; Mostajeran, Maryam; Blixt, Frank W

2015-01-01

, responses to this treatment in females and long-term effects on outcome are not known. Initial experiments used in vitro organ culture of cerebral arteries, confirming ERK1/2 activation and increased ETB receptor-mediated vasoconstriction in female cerebral arteries. Transient middle cerebral artery......-mediated contraction was studied with myograph and protein expression with immunohistochemistry. In vitro organ culture and tMCAO resulted in vascular ETB receptor upregulation and activation of ERK1/2 that was prevented by U0126. Although no effect on infarct size, U0126 improved the long-term neurologic function...

Identification of Tropical-Extratropical Interactions and Extreme Precipitation Events in the Middle East based on Potential Vorticity and Moisture Transport

KAUST Repository

de Vries, A. J.

2017-12-26

Extreme precipitation events in the otherwise arid Middle East can cause flooding with dramatic socioeconomic impacts. Most of these events are associated with tropical-extratropical interactions, whereby a stratospheric potential vorticity (PV) intrusion reaches deep into the subtropics and forces an incursion of high poleward vertically integrated water vapor transport (IVT) into the Middle East. This study presents an object-based identification method for extreme precipitation events based on the combination of these two larger-scale meteorological features. The general motivation for this approach is that precipitation is often poorly simulated in relatively coarse weather and climate models, whereas the synoptic-scale circulation is much better represented. The algorithm is applied to ERA-Interim reanalysis data (1979-2015) and detects 90% (83%) of the 99th (97.5th) percentile of extreme precipitation days in the region of interest. Our results show that stratospheric PV intrusions and IVT structures are intimately connected to extreme precipitation intensity and seasonality. The farther south a stratospheric PV intrusion reaches, the larger the IVT magnitude, and the longer the duration of their combined occurrence, the more extreme the precipitation. Our algorithm detects a large fraction of the climatological rainfall amounts (40-70%), heavy precipitation days (50-80%), and the top 10 extreme precipitation days (60-90%) at many sites in southern Israel and the northern and western parts of Saudi Arabia. This identification method provides a new tool for future work to disentangle teleconnections, assess medium-range predictability and improve understanding of climatic changes of extreme precipitation in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Identification of Tropical-Extratropical Interactions and Extreme Precipitation Events in the Middle East Based On Potential Vorticity and Moisture Transport

Science.gov (United States)

de Vries, A. J.; Ouwersloot, H. G.; Feldstein, S. B.; Riemer, M.; El Kenawy, A. M.; McCabe, M. F.; Lelieveld, J.

2018-01-01

Extreme precipitation events in the otherwise arid Middle East can cause flooding with dramatic socioeconomic impacts. Most of these events are associated with tropical-extratropical interactions, whereby a stratospheric potential vorticity (PV) intrusion reaches deep into the subtropics and forces an incursion of high poleward vertically integrated water vapor transport (IVT) into the Middle East. This study presents an object-based identification method for extreme precipitation events based on the combination of these two larger-scale meteorological features. The general motivation for this approach is that precipitation is often poorly simulated in relatively coarse weather and climate models, whereas the synoptic-scale circulation is much better represented. The algorithm is applied to ERA-Interim reanalysis data (1979-2015) and detects 90% (83%) of the 99th (97.5th) percentile of extreme precipitation days in the region of interest. Our results show that stratospheric PV intrusions and IVT structures are intimately connected to extreme precipitation intensity and seasonality. The farther south a stratospheric PV intrusion reaches, the larger the IVT magnitude, and the longer the duration of their combined occurrence, the more extreme the precipitation. Our algorithm detects a large fraction of the climatological rainfall amounts (40-70%), heavy precipitation days (50-80%), and the top 10 extreme precipitation days (60-90%) at many sites in southern Israel and the northern and western parts of Saudi Arabia. This identification method provides a new tool for future work to disentangle teleconnections, assess medium-range predictability, and improve understanding of climatic changes of extreme precipitation in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Pediatric polytrauma : Short-term and long-term outcomes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

vanderSluis, CK; Kingma, J; Eisma, WH; tenDuis, HJ

Objective: To assess the short-term and long-term outcomes of pediatric polytrauma patients and to analyze the extent to which short-term outcomes can predict long-term outcomes. Materials and Methods: Ail pediatric polytrauma patients (Injury Severity Score of greater than or equal to 16, less than

The NPT and the Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freier, S.

1987-01-01

Written by an Israeli, this article looks at the nuclear proliferation risks in the Middle Eastern area. It firsts sets the Middle Eastern political scene, then discusses the Non-Proliferation Treaty as perceived in Israel. The nuclear capabilities and intentions of the Middle Eastern Countries are examined and an assessment made of the prospects for non-proliferation. The author is not optimistic as it is felt that Iraq, Iran and possibly Egypt will all want to develop a nuclear weapon capability in spite of their formal commitment to the NPT. (U.K.)

The earliest long-distance obsidian transport: Evidence from the ∼200 ka Middle Stone Age Sibilo School Road Site, Baringo, Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Blegen, Nick

2017-02-01

This study presents the earliest evidence of long-distance obsidian transport at the ∼200 ka Sibilo School Road Site (SSRS), an early Middle Stone Age site in the Kapthurin Formation, Kenya. The later Middle Pleistocene of East Africa (130-400 ka) spans significant and interrelated behavioral and biological changes in human evolution including the first appearance of Homo sapiens. Despite the importance of the later Middle Pleistocene, there are relatively few archaeological sites in well-dated contexts (n obsidian transport, important for investigating expansion of intergroup interactions in hominin evolution, is rare from the Middle Pleistocene record of Africa. The SSRS offers a unique contribution to this small but growing dataset. Tephrostratigraphic analysis of tuffs encasing the SSRS provides a minimum age of ∼200 ka for the site. Levallois points and methods of core preparation demonstrate characteristic Middle Stone Age lithic technologies present at the SSRS. A significant portion (43%) of the lithic assemblage is obsidian. The SSRS obsidian comes from three different sources located at distances of 25 km, 140 km and 166 km from the site. The majority of obsidian derives from the farthest source, 166 km to the south of the site. The SSRS thus provides important new evidence that long-distance raw material transport, and the expansion of hominin intergroup interactions that this entails, was a significant feature of hominin behavior ∼200 ka, the time of the first appearance of H. sapiens, and ∼150,000 years before similar behaviors were previously documented in the region. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geologic Map of the Middle East Rift Geothermal Subzone, Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

Science.gov (United States)

Trusdell, Frank A.; Moore, Richard B.

2006-01-01

K'lauea is an active shield volcano in the southeastern part of the Island of Hawai'i. The middle east rift zone (MERZ) map includes about 27 square kilometers of the MERZ and shows the distribution of the products of 37 separate eruptions during late Holocene time. Lava flows erupted during 1983-96 have reached the mapped area. The subaerial part of the MERZ is 3-4 km wide and about 18 km long. It is a constructional ridge, 50-150 m above the adjoining terrain, marked by low spatter ramparts and cones as high as 60 m. Lava typically flowed either northeast or southeast, depending on vent location relative to the topographic crest of the rift zone. The MERZ receives more than 100 in. of rainfall annually and is covered by tropical rain forest. Vegetation begins to grow on lava a few months after its eruption. Relative heights of trees can be a guide to relative ages of underlying lava flows, but proximity to faults, presence of easily weathered cinders, and human activity also affect the rate of growth. The rocks have been grouped into five basic age groups. The framework for the ages assigned is provided by eight radiocarbon ages from previous mapping by the authors and a single date from the current mapping effort. The numerical ages are supplemented by observations of stratigraphic relations, degree of weathering, soil development, and vegetative cover.

NATO’s Out-of-Area Disputes: Prospects for Common Western Strategies in the Middle East

Science.gov (United States)

1992-12-01

behalf for inclusion in the alliance. In a telegram to Secretary of State Acheson, Italian Ambassador Alberto Tarchiani candidly requested Italy’s...West European Defence Identity," p. 335. lu’For an excellent essay on establishing institutional links between the WEU and NATO see, Joao de Deus...Returns to the Middle East." American-Arab Affairs No. 24 (Fall 1990): 46-52. Pmheiro, Joao de Deus . "The European Security Architecture Translantic