Egyptian-American Relations Under Obama’s Presidency: A Defensive Realist Analysis

For the past few decades, Egyptian-American relations had been established on the cornerstone that is the Camp David Accords. It codified a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, the first Arab country to recognize Israel’s existence officially. This Egyptian-American relationship had started a long time after Nasser had broken ties with the Americans and backed the Soviet Union. Since then, all Egyptian Presidents since Sadat’s peace negotiations with Israel had maintained a steady relationship with the United States. Even when comparing two American Presidents from different political factions of the United States political arena, Republican George Bush and Democrat Barack Obama, the resulting foreign policy always seem to carry the same core aim of stabilizing and securing US interests vis-à-vis Egypt. The question here is why the US would support such regimes that were clearly against what the US would regard as human rights, or American values, or dignified democratic ideals that the world should abide by? The argument of the thesis is based on 2 levels of analysis: the international and the individual.The hypothesis of this thesis is that the decisions that were made were done in order to maintain and sustain US-Egyptian relations under any circumstances without regards to the type of rulers of Egypt who all have been labeled by numerous human rights organizations as authoritarian, not completely democratic and not in line with what the US values represents as it will be elaborated upon over the next coming chapters. Corruption, police brutality, oppression and aggressive treatment of demonstrations have been what Egypt is characterized of the past few years. Employing defensive realists techniques to solve Egyptian problem while trying to counter the challenge of a China and Russia rising in power and influence with the US being the great power that needs to address this challenge meant that the United States was interested in decreasing aggression in the Middle East to address the international structure pressure to deal with China and Russia

Synthesis and Polymerization of 4-Vinylbenzylphenylsulfone

The preparation of new sulfone monomer and polymer based on 4-Vinylbenzylphenylsulfone (4-VBPS) and free radical polymerization was investigated, based on the reaction of chloromethyl styrene with sodium phenyl sulfone (phSO2Na) in dimethylformamide (DMF), using the phase transfer catalysts 18-crown-6. Copolymerization of the prepared sulphone monomer with p-methylstyrene was carried out at 65 ˚C. Nonpolymerizable 4-Ethylbenzylphenylsulfone was also prepared. The prepared monomers and polymers were characterized by different spectroscopic techniques, the number-average molecular weights (Mn) of the resulting polymer was found to be in the range of 70,100 -73,100, with polydispersity indices (Mw/Mn) vary from 1.8 to 1.9. Photolysis of the prepared polysulfone polymer and possible grafting of methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer will be reported

Soil radioactivity and elemental characterization of area proposed for the first nuclear power plant at Red Sea state, eastern Sudan

Abstract  This work was carried out with the aim to establish baseline data of soil radioactivity prior commissioning the first nuclear power plant for electricity production in the Sudan. A total of 105 soil samples from the proposed area were collected and analyzed using Gamma-ray spectrometer, X-ray Fluorescence and Atomic Absorption. Ambient dose rates were measured during sampling using radiation survey meters. Based on radionuclides in soil; some radiological hazard indices (such as absorbed dose rates, Radium-Equivalent Activity, External Hazard, and Gamma index) were computed. The results exhibit that226Ra, 232Th,40Kand 137Cs concentration ranged from0.55-88.9, 1.63-76.6, 24-1100 and 0.001-1.03 Bq/kg with an average value of10.43, 11.12, 361.2and 0.045Bq/kg respectively. The average value of absorbed dose rate(29.92nGy/h), Radium equivalent (70.55 Bq/Kg), external hazard (0.19), Gamma index. (0.25) and those parameters are lower than the corresponding global average. The results of the study revealed that the average values of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs fall within the global average value. GIS Predictive exhibited the spatial distribution of radioactivity trends with low levels at eastern part towards the Red Sea while high values observed at the desert (western part). This trend in addition to low levels has a very good impact to decision makers for consideration in site selection of NPP. Pearson correlation coefficient shows a correlation between the variables 226Ra and 232Th (0.69); Cr and Au (0.82); Br and Nb (0.84),Hf and Sb (+0.75) with no significant correlations between radioactive and radioactive elements. Keywords: Road map, GIS, Gamma-ray Spectrometer, Effective dose. 

Recent Studies on Seismic Centrifuge Modeling of Liquefaction and Its Effects on Deep Foundations

The effects of liquefaction on deep foundations are very damaging and costly, and they keep recurring in many earthquakes. The first part of the paper reviews the field experience of deep foundations affected by liquefaction during earthquakes in the last few decades, as well as the main lessons learned. The second part of the paper presents results of physical modeling of deep foundations in the presence of liquefaction conducted mostly in the U.S. and Japan in the 1990’s, with emphasis on the work done by the authors and others at the 100 g-ton RPI centrifuge. Centrifuge models of instrumented single piles and pile groups embedded in both level and sloping liquefiable soil deposits have been excited in-flight by a suitable base acceleration. End-bearing and floating piles with and without a pile cap, with or without a mass above ground, free at the top or connected to a lateral or rotational spring to simulate the superstructure\u27s stiffness, with the foundation embedded in two- or three-layer soil profiles, have been tested. Tests with a mass above ground have allowed backfiguring the degradation of the lateral resistance of the loose saturated sand against the pile as the soil liquefies, while tests in sloping ground without a mass have allowed studying the effect of lateral spreading. Interpretations of these centrifuge experiments and their relation to field observations, soil properties, theory and analytical procedures are also discussed

Integration of evolutionary algorithm in an agent-oriented approach for an adaptive e-learning

This paper describes an agent- oriented approach that aims to create learning situations by solving problems. The proposed system is designed as a multi-agent that organizes interfaces, coordinators, sources of information and mobiles. The objective of this approach is to get learners to solve a problem that leads them to get engaged in several learning activities, chosen according to their level of knowledge and preferences in order to ensure adaptive learning and reduce the rate of learner abundance in an e-learning system. The search for learning activities procedure is based on evolutionary algorithms typically: genetic algorithm, to offer learners the optimal solution adapted to their profiles and ensuring a resolution of the proposed learning problem. In terms of results, we have adopted “immigration strategies” to improve the performance of the genetic algorithm. To show the effectiveness of the proposed approach we have made a comparative study with other artificial intelligence optimization methods. We conducted a real experiment with primary school learners in order to test the effectiveness of the proposed approach and to set up its functioning. The experiment results showed a high rate of success and engagement among the learners who followed the proposed adaptive learning scenario

The Oud Across Arabic Culture

This study is a compilation and compendium of information on the oud, the most important instrument in Arabic classical music. It has grown out of my own long-time involvement in studying and playing the oud, and in particular out of my interest in the lack of sources and knowledge available to the vast majority of oud players and researchers, as well as for the readers. My own path started from an intensive study of the oud, which included exposure to several treaties; some housed in museums around the globe, and some only available in the Arabic language. The study combines archival research (including Arabic poetry and pre-Islamic Era and medieval treaties), symbolism, new archaeological discoveries, field interviews, and analysis of existing scholarship, and draws on my professional performance experience for detailed stylistic analysis of the oud's performance practice and its historical development. The study consists of participant observation, personal performance, and interviews conducted in person, via telephone, and/or via e-mail, according to the choice of the performers. The performers have been selected from networks of musicians who perform regularly at lounges, concert halls, and private events. These performers have been chosen according to their musical knowledge, technical skill, experience, and activity in Arabic music and oud performance. Chapter one deals with the purpose of this study and the methods of investigation, as well as giving a brief overview of the history of the oud. In addition, there will be an introduction to the Arabic musical system (mâqâm), which is primarily based on the mechanics and sound production of the oud. Chapter two deals with the oud in Arabic sources: the first source is Arabic poetry in the pre-Islamic Era. The second source is Arabic poetry in the medieval era, in which I found a significant number of poets who allude to the oud, providing accurate descriptions of the player, singers, and the scenes within the contexts of oud performance. The third source is the Arab scholars' intensive treatises with meticulous accounts of the instrument's apparatii, including descriptions and measurements of the parts, strings, and tuning. While chapter three deals with the classification, the development of the oud, chapter four deals with topics such as: the symbolism of the oud and its relation to cosmology, astronomy, mathematics and anatomy. In most of the pertinent Arabic writings, philosophers mention a significant correlation between the oud and the other sciences. Chapter five deals with recreating the performance practice of the oud. A case study of the oud performers focuses on their style, technique, training, and personal experiences. Topics such as improvisation and ornamentation, the oud in the Arabic musical ensemble, the social uses and functions, and gender in musical performance practices will be included in detailed analysis. Other important topics will be analyzed such as traditional vs. modern technique, and the repertoire of the oud. Specifically, in regard to technique, the study outline the style of the music, the role of the oud in Arabic ensembles, the function of the oud in music composition, and the form of the ensembles in Arabic performance and practice