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

ARAB MUSICIANS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AREA: ETHNICITY AND IDENTITY

Musicians living in the Arab Diaspora around the Washington, D.C. metro area are a small group of multi-faceted individuals with significant contributions and intentions to propagate and disseminate their music. Various levels of identity are discussed and analyzed, including self-identity, group/ collective identity, and Arab ethnic identity. The performance and negotiation of Arab ethnic identity is apparent in selected repertoire, instrumentation, musical style, technique and expression, shared conversations about music, worldview on Arabic music and its future. For some musicians, further evidence of self-construction of one's ethnic identity entails choice of name, costume, and venue. Research completed is based on fieldwork, observations, participant-observations, interviews, and communications by phone and email. This thesis introduces concepts of Arabic music, discusses recent literature, reveals findings from case studies on individual Arab musicians and venues, and analyzes Arab identity and ethnicity in relation to particular definitions of identity found in anthropological and ethnomusicological writings. Musical lyrics, translations, transcriptions, quotes, discussions, analyses, as well as charts and diagrams of self-identity analyses are provided as evidence of the performance and negotiation of Arab identity

Synthesis and Applications of Polymeric Reagent p-Substituted Triphenylamine

Chemical modification of chloromethylstyrene - styrene copolymer throughout reaction of p-substituted carboxylic acid group of bis-(4,4`-dibromo)-4``-triphenylamine carboxylic acid with the chloromethyl group attached to a phenyl group was carried out on soluble copolymer and polymeric cross-linked copolymer. Chemical oxidation of the neutral p-substituted triphenylamine with antimony pentachloride in dichloromethane solvent gives the corresponding cation - radical salt with the counter ion antimony hexachloride (SbCl6-). The isolated deep blue color cation radical salt is soluble or in insoluble (resin) form in the copolymer was used as a thermal cationic initiator for the polymerization of epoxy and vinyl monomers at room temperature. The cation radical resin showed good activity and stability compared to the soluble polymeric cation radical, both can initiate the cationic polymerization of cyclohexene oxide and N-vinylcarbazole in dichloromethane at room temperature

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

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