Wednesday, November 27, 2019

The Rise of Extremist Groups, Disparity and Poverty

Introduction Terrorism is the most immediate and significant threat to international security and peace. By definition, terrorism refers to the use of extreme violence by non-state actors against civilians or society for political and ideological goals. Although terrorism is not a new phenomenon, it has become increasingly common in the last two decades where it has led to deaths of thousands of innocent civilians across the world.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Rise of Extremist Groups, Disparity and Poverty specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Despite the negative consequences that terrorists have posed to the society, the fight against the vice has become more difficult with time, especially in the light of the increasing support for the violent actions against civilians from extremist groups. Extremist groups use radicalization to amass support for their activities. This strategy has become a very c ommon and real problem, which has led to people being radicalized into violent extremism (RVE) . However, the force that drives groups and societies vulnerable to radicalization into violent extremism has been a major issue in the quest for finding a solution to this growing problem. Looking at many programs and projects that are aimed at reducing extremism and radicalization, the use of financial aids and other programs for alleviating the lives of people where extremism is common is a major theme. Such an approach is a clear indication of the prevailing perception of the relationship between poverty, disparity, and extremism. This paper investigates the successful rise of extremist groups and their link to poverty and disparity. The Consensus Relating to Extremist Groups and Extremism What causes extremism? What motivates people to join extremist groups? Such questions have been at the center of efforts that have been put towards curbing extremism and extremist groups in the quest for making the world a better and more peaceful place. The questions are indeed set for a good reason, especially with reference to the ongoing proliferation of extremist terrorist groups across the world. Since 2010, there has been a 53% rise in the number of terrorist groups and militias across the world. According to White and Halm (2002), the group’s main agenda is to attack civilians and government installations in an outright hatred for the current leadership or international actors such as the United States and its allies who have been accused of harassing or committing other crimes against the communities where these extremist groups exist . For instance, the Al-Qaeda group, which is one of the well-known extremist and terrorist groups, has a deep hatred for the United States, which it accuses of infringing on the rights of Muslims. According to the group, the US should be attacked and exposed to extreme violence.Advertising Looking for research paper on politic al sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The extremist groups claim that such actions are aimed at ensuring that they (the groups) can be left alone to establish their governance in the areas that they control. The actions are also meant to keep away the international actors such as the US from interfering.  In the last 10 years, the effects of extremist groups have been felt across the world, especially in the Middle East and North Africa region. Following the Arab Uprising in the Arab world, many governments have been destabilized to the extent of leading to serious problems and challenges in terms of delivering services to the members of the society . Without stability and strong governance from the central governments, it is difficult for the government to provide an environment where businesses can thrive. This situation leads to an increase in unemployment and poverty among other societal problems.  From the above ana lysis, extremism and terrorism have become a serious international security agenda. In the quest for reducing the effects and reach of terrorism, the US and other international players have dedicated billions of dollars to providing relief aid that is aimed at increasing education and the economic status of communities that are viewed as vulnerable to such extremist ideologies. The perceptions of these efforts by the US and its allies are that poverty and marginalization are key factors that make people, especially the youths, vulnerable to extremism. However, so far, little has been achieved. More extremist groups are sprouting or expanding to the level of coming up with new approaches to violence (White Halm, 2002). This situation is a cause for worry concerning the future of international security. The Link between Poverty and Extremism Poverty relates to the lack and inadequacy of material possessions to enable a decent livelihood for people. More than 1.2 billion people in the world live below the poverty line. They survive on less than a dollar while approximately half of the world’s population lives on less than 2 dollars a day . Poverty levels are increasing by the day. The situation has caused many communities, and most importantly youths, who are finding the effects of poverty unbearable, and hence the reason why they have opted for new ways of making a living. It is also important to note that violence and lawlessness are majorly found in impoverished nations and/or marginalized communities and hence the reason why poverty and its linkage to violence and lawlessness has been a subject of growing research. Researches have led to different outcomes and recommendations that relate to the main factors that make people vulnerable to extremism and terrorist ideologies.  A research by Tessler and Robbins (2007) scrutinizes the link between discrete financial features and support for violence.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Rise of Extremist Groups, Disparity and Poverty specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The study confirms, â€Å"Neither personal nor societal economic circumstances are crucial factors that determine attitudes towards terrorism that is directed towards the United States and other nations† (Tessler Robbins, 2007, p. 323). Another research by Shafiq and Sinno (2010) used Pews Global Attitudes Survey (GATS) data from 2005. The study found that the relationship between income, education, and support for suicide bombing varies from one country to another and from one target to another. Another study by Chiozza (2011), which involved close to 15 Islamic countries, realized that the backing of Islamist radicalism was at the peak among the metropolitan underprivileged class. From these researches, it is important to conclude that low-income people or poor individuals are more likely to support violent extremist groups compare d to those who have a higher income. A good example is the support for Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan where it is evident that poverty has played a major role in amassing support from youths and local populations, which have been left in poverty with minimal access to government services and development. While support for terrorist groups and their violent activities may vary from one territory to another or a nation to another, such support is majorly determined by two characteristics, namely poverty and inequality. These two factors are all centered on the economic and political discrimination that has become unbearable in the marginalized communities. According to Tessler and Robbins (2007), economic discrimination against minority groups can reveal why such underprivileged communities often support domestic extremist groups . Such individuals or minority groups often support the extremist groups since the group’s ideologies resonate with the plight of those who are disappointed by domestic politics of economic marginalization. The ideologies also offer an attentive option of economic freedom or means of achieving various policy goals that they deem impossible to achieve unless the follow the approaches that the extremist groups suggest . In this case, even when an individual is not personally experiencing poverty (but he or she can witness it among other members of the society), he or she may end up being persuaded to support the extremist group’s ideologies of violence and terror to push for change . Indeed, this notion is an important explanation of why more youths, even from the rich countries, are leaving their affluent lives to take arms in support of terror activities, especially in Syria, through the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) or in Somalia through the Al-Shabaab terrorist group.Advertising Looking for research paper on political sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Marginalization and Extremism For a very long time, many Islamic nations in the Middle East and North Africa have been ruled through dictatorship where people in key government activities have had very limited freedom of expression. Such leadership has allowed the growth of dissidence, especially from the educated class and the youths who feel that there is a need for a change in governance to give people more say concerning the way they are governed . The Arab Spring is an important indicator of the end of people’s tolerance for such leadership, which only benefits the elite while marginalizing and oppressing the majority of those who are led. Beginning in 2010 in Tunisia, the ‘Spring’ or what can been viewed as a revolution saw many civilians take into streets in protests, which were both violent and non-violent, requesting changes in leadership and governance in favor of democracy and democratic leadership . Countries such as Libya are characterized by prosper ity in terms of income and living standards. However, the lack of other benefits such as the freedom of expression and the right to partake in decisions relating to leadership was enough motivation for bringing civilians together to demand the ousting of the leadership of the day, which was seen as a great hindrance to what the society wanted. By the end of the movement, the Arab world has experienced enormous changes in leadership and democratic process, which although have been slow to take root, are a clear sign of what can motivate people into supporting extremist groups . A good example is Egypt. Despite the enactment of the preferred government led by Morsi, the country’s adoption of even more strict Sharia law, which was not in line with what the society expected, led to a new revolution and consequently the ousting of Morsi. It was evident that the society was willing to go to the greatest depths to support even the extreme groups as long as dictatorial and marginaliz ing leadership was the devil that was being fought. Another important example of the way marginalization or inequality is a major reason why groups support terrorism can be obtained from the case of Somalia’s extremist group, which has launched many and often-disastrous attacks on countries it deems enemy such as Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia. Since the African Union’s AMISOM forces, which have a majority membership from the Kenya Defense Forces, Ethiopia, and Uganda entered the lawless country of Somalia to flush out the terrorist group, there has been an increasing wave of radicalization and extremism across the region . Kenyan youths form the major culprit who has become an easy target for radicalization. The youths are being turned into enemies of their nations. Indeed, the Kenyan government has been grappling with the challenges that the Al-Shabaab outfit poses, especially in terms of the radicalization of the young people. The genesis of this problem can be traced to the marginalization of youths who are growing up and becoming adults without any meaningful means of earning a living .  In this case, even the youths may not believe in the ideologies that are posed by the terrorist groups. The opportunity of making a living with very attractive packages of salary makes it very easy to radicalize such youths .   What options do they have when the choice is between poverty and prosperity even if the cost of joining the terrorist group means taking up arms and killing innocent people? The case of Al-Shabaab and its radicalization of youths across East Africa can be witnessed in other regions of the world where terrorism is thriving. This situation can solely be pinned to poverty and marginalization. Discussion From the above review of studies, it is evident that the rise of extremist groups can be greatly attributed to many factors. However, poverty and disparity play the biggest role. For a long time, many governments in areas where terrorist groups thrive have ignored the plight of their people. They have focused on only the welfare of the elite while exposing many people to poverty and helplessness. This situation has led to resentment and great hatred towards those who are viewed as being the main cause of such societal problems. Firstly, poverty makes living difficult and almost impossible to bear. When the government is not doing enough to provide the people with opportunities for making a living, it slowly loses its authority of such people. Hence, they slowly opt to carry out all possible activities to make a living . When youths are growing up without an idea of what they can make of themselves, the situation leaves many questions on the people concerning the legitimacy of the government of the day if it cannot address the obvious challenges that the society is facing. The presence of poverty provides extremist groups the best launch pad for success in the activities and their reach in two main ways. The extremi st groups understand the problems the people are undergoing. Hence, they can easily convince them on who deserves to be the enemy, in this case, the government of the day or any other group such as international actors, including the US among others. When the enemy is identified, actions that are necessary for eliminating the enemy mostly include violence (Bjorgo Horgan, 2009; Shafiq Sinno, 2010). Such actions become very viable. For instance, providing security and a means of earning a living are major motivators for many militants who join the group. Many terrorist groups have financiers or financial activities that ensure that they can support their members with good lives and a means of earning a living. When presented with such an opportunity, many youths and people willingly join these groups by taking up arms to fight against the ‘enemy’ . Therefore, it is evident that poverty is closely linked to extremism and the proliferation of extremist groups across the w orld.  Secondly, marginalization and disparities between the rich and poor are a major cause of extremism. In many nations, the ruled or the population does not have a say on matters that greatly influence their welfare. This situation attracts a major disparity between the elite or the political class and the ordinary citizens. The government and other individuals who are close to power have access to the best lives possible while the ordinary citizens are left to grapple with all kinds of problems . Of great significance is the iron fist approach to leadership that some governments use with total disregard for democratic process that can allow those who are ruled to be part of the decision-making process on issues that they hold dear. At the end, the government implements unpopular decisions where any opposition is responded to with brutal force, which often violates all human rights that the citizens should enjoy. When the people are tired of such leadership styles, extremist g roups become the only way out of such marginalization and/or the only viable option towards equality . In this case, people are oppressed to become an easy target for radicalization since they easily resonate with the ideologies of the extremist groups, which promise to use all means possible to overthrow and organize a more representative government . Even though most of such ideologies and goals never become successful, they still reflect the motivation of the members of the extremist groups as far as their quest for equality is concerned. Conclusion As long as poverty and inequality dominate the society, it will be difficult for the world to rid itself of extremism and extremist groups. The ideologies of such groups are based on the desire to fight the ‘enemy’ who has caused poverty and marginalization. While researchers have given different opinions on the causal link between poverty, marginalization, and extremism, it is evident that cases of violence and lack of p eace are majorly found in areas where poverty and marginalization prevail.  However, the support for poverty and disparity as major causal factors can be explained since the two issues give extremist groups a good starting point towards convincing members of the target communities into embracing their ideologies. Once the government or other actors are portrayed as the enemy and the cause of the problems that members of the society face, taking up arms is just a part of the problem since extremism takes root. Concisely, to eliminate extremism and terrorism, it is important for world governments and other players to find a way of ensuring inclusivity and equality for all people. Eliminating poverty must be a major goal for all governments. It is only after the achievement of prosperity for all people that the world will stand a chance to be at peace without extremist groups. Reference List Aftab, S. (2008). Poverty and Militancy. Conflict and Peace Studies, 1(10), 65-86. Bjorgo, T. , Horgan, J. (2009). Leaving Terrorism Behind: Individual and Collective Disengagement. New York, NY: Routledge. Chiozza, G. (2011). Winning Hearts and Minds: The Political Sociology of Popular Support for Suicide Bombings. Nashville, Tennessee: Vanderbilt University. Jones, G. (2014). A Persistent Threat: The Evolution of Al Qa’ida and Other Salafi Jihadists. Washington, DC: RAND Corporation. Piazza, J. (2011). Poverty, Minority Economic Discrimination, and Domestic Terrorism. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 48(3), 339-353. Shafiq, M., Sinno, A. (2010). Education, Income and Support for Suicide Bombing; Evidence from Six Muslim Countries. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 54(1), 146-178. Tessler, M., Robbins, M. (2007). What Leads Some Ordinary Men and Women to Approve of Terrorist Acts Against the United States? Journal of Conflict Resolution, 51(2), 305-328. White, J., Halm, S. (2002). Terrorism and Homeland Security. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. This research paper on The Rise of Extremist Groups, Disparity and Poverty was written and submitted by user Alexzander W. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. 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Sunday, November 24, 2019

Lord of the flies - Role of Gender Essays - Gender, Sex, Free Essays

Lord of the flies - Role of Gender Essays - Gender, Sex, Free Essays Lord of the flies - Role of Gender What was it that caused the aggression and dominance exhibited by the boys of Lord of the Flies? Was it some metaphysical, spiritual force, or perhaps their genetic makeup? Could it have been the influence of their peers or families, or was it the media that inspired this dangerous pattern? Conceivably, their gender had something to do with this appalling trait. It all begs the question, would the same experiences have occurred had females been stranded on the island instead of males? Had females been in a similar situation as the boys in Lord of the Flies, they would have fared abundantly better. Initially, this paper will address society's role in encouraging males' violent behavior, as well as females' politeness and passivity. Secondly, it will be discussed how family socialization influences females' gentle natures and males' aggressive temperaments. Finally, this research will explore both gender's leadership styles, and scientific perception behind these differences. Much of what society dictates can affect children's perceptions of the ideal gender standards, and can lead to abuse and violence. Media has a huge role in perpetuating these dangerous gender stereotypes. Numerous male images are used in advertising and television, representing themes such as "heroic masculinity" and "might is right". These portrayals of violent behavior associated with masculinity target young men and convince them that in order to live up to society's standards, they must resort to aggressive and dominant behavior, the use of assertion, and physical violence. Males are saturated with images of glorified aggression through movies such as Lethal Weapon, sports programs, and "macho" celebrities, like Bruce Willis and Arnold Shwartzenager. Female stereotypes span the opposite extreme. Innumerable young women perceive "ladylike" expectations to be neatness, passivity, politeness, and struggle to meet them, hence they appear nurturing and feminine. Women in the media who challenge these stereotypical behaviors and display assertiveness tend to be slotted into the role of "tomboy" or "dyke". These impositions contribute to the breeding of young men who act in an abusive manner, and are terribly restricting towards boys who covet deep emotion. The antagonist of Lord of the Flies, Jack Merridew, perceives himself to be higher than the others, on the basis of being the choral leader. Jack's hierarchical views cause him to verbally abuse, psychologically torture, and eventually wound and kill other children. With the influences of society's stereotyping, girls would generally more nurturing and caring towards group members. A lot of males' violent behavior and females' complaisance can be accredited to family and institutional socialization. Parents usually raise boys on aggressive sports, such as hockey and football, which encourage violence. Girls, however, are generally brought up on "feminine" activities, dance and figure skating to name a few, which promote a gentle, polite nature. It is the rare parent that heeds their four-year-old son's aspiration to be a ballet dancer by purchasing the child a pair of tights and a leotard. When a boy shows more interest in dolls than in trucks, his family may be distressed, and provoke him to reveal his "masculine" side. After striving for egalitarianism between the sexes for so many years, families still deter young girls from pursuits of hockey stardom, hoping to interest them in Pointe shoes. Displays of emotion by boys are often criticized for being "unmasculine", whereas emotional behavior in girls tends to be expected and accepted. As a result, boys tend to not only hide their feelings, but criticize friends for showing their emotions. Girls, on the other hand, encourage one another to express feelings and console one another naturally. Research shows that boys and girls have different means of reaching decisions and achieving organization. Males, on whole, like to dominate a situation, whereas females would rather resort to consensus and unanimity. Collegiality and cooperation are fundamental female traits, while the need for dominance and individual power goes hand in hand with masculinity. This male yearning is rooted before birth, when the developing nervous system is immersed in testosterone (the predominant male hormone). This pre-natal process is responsible for the maturation of the areas of the brain that arbitrate between the male hormones and their dominant behavior. Steven Goldberg, the chairman of the Department of

Thursday, November 21, 2019

The state of Human Rights in Arab countries Research Paper

The state of Human Rights in Arab countries - Research Paper Example such, their political systems and the means by which existing law impacts upon the way in which issues such as human rights are understood oftentimes have not had time to evolve; at least in the way that other political systems throughout the world have been able to define themselves with respect to the interpretation and understanding of human rights. Essentially, these more recent developments and relatively new and â€Å"young† political systems within the Arab world have effectively created a situation in which many of the Arab states have been reticent to adopt or otherwise engage with widely established norms or agreements concerning the application and provision of broader human rights.1 Thus, the overall level of ratification that many of these states have engaged with is abysmally low as compared to other regions around the globe. Interestingly, recognizing this deficit, there have been several futile attempts by certain Arab states to adopt an Arab charter of human r ights; one that would leverage a fundamentally different and cultural interpretation of human rights based on a shared identity, religion, and culture that is more or less uniform throughout these Arab states. In terms of a case in point analysis, it should readily be noted that in almost all Arab states there exist â€Å"laws of suspicion† and/or â€Å"preventative measures† that significantly stipulate that certain actions must be taken against individuals as a means of preventing the â€Å"potential† for the commission of certain crimes. Naturally, this free criminal behaviour interpretation of the means by which the law should be enforced is substantially different from the way in which many other societies throughout the world seek to punish crime and seek to improve society as a whole. Interestingly, beyond merely contradicting the norms and mores of many nations with respect to human rights, these regulations, evident in nearly each and every predominantly Arab nation, are also often

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Kingston Charcoal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Kingston Charcoal - Research Paper Example However, there is a concern in production regarding the adequacy of Kingsford's existing capacity. Grilling has been described as a passion and a way to party of common Americans during celebrations and occasions, the Clorox Company, founded in 1913, decided to acquire Kingsford Charcoal as one of its products in 1973. Kingsford Charcoal is the one of the 50 products and the largest product group that Clorox Company markets around the world to consumers. It represented around 9 percent of Clorox's revenues in the year 2000. In addition to this, in the charcoal grilling business, Kingsford is the leading in sales, constantly getting more than 50 percent of the market share from 1997 to 2000. This is as opposed to Royal Oak's 14.2 percent share in 1997, which then gradually declined to 6.4 in the year 2000, and the constant range of 33 to 34 percent of market share of private label. Charcoal briquettes are manufactured from wood, minerals, limestone, starch, borax, sodium nitrate, and sawdust in a two-part procedure. These charcoal briquettes were packaged in its present condition in blue bags and sold as Kingsford Charcoal as either "regular" or "blue bag." In addition, other briquettes are treated with Kingsford lighter fluid and sold as Kingsford Match Light in red bags, packaged as either "instant" or "red bag." Both types of briquettes were available in three sizes: 10 lbs., 20, lbs., and 48 lbs. for the regular or blue bags; and 8 lbs., 15 lbs., and 30 lbs. for the instant or red bags. Kingsford Charcoal briquettes Size and Pricing Regular or Blue Bags Instant or Red Bags 10 lbs. $4.25 8 lbs. $5.20 20 lbs. $6.78 15 lbs. $8.07 48 lbs. (2 x 24 lb. bags) Not available 30 lbs. (2 x 15 lb. bags) Not available Table 1. Various packaging sizes with prices of both types of Kingsford Charcoal briquettes. The largest sizes were usually just available in club stores like Costco amd Sam's Club. However, food stores and supermarkets, merchandisers, and drug stores, and Wal-mart, carried a variety of the other smaller sizes. The prices given varied by type and size, and it has been found that the main competitors of Kingsford, Royal Oak and private label brands, were cheaper than Kingsford by 25 to 30 percent. Key Success Drivers The business of Kingsford Charcoal was seasonal, with its peak of 60 percent between the period of May 1 and September 1, which covers the holidays Memorial Day and 4th of July. These two holidays represent about 35 percent of Kingsford's annual sales. Aside from the holidays, another factor that Kingsford sales are dependent on is the weather. When the weather is good, the tendency for sonsumers is to think that it would be a great time to barbecue. In this essence, a big part of the sales are from impulsive purchases. Factors to Consider Pricing The team of Smith Boyle and Warren found that there was a narrowing price gap because of

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Dominos Pizza in Mexico Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dominos Pizza in Mexico - Case Study Example One thing that has been common in all the above mentioned companies is that all have been very successful in capturing their audiences. Their success story hasn't only revolved around the advertising for their company but a complete team effort, hard work, determination; the will to become the leading fast food chain in the world has made them reach the zenith. If we start to compare Domino's with their opposite number, McDonalds, we will come to know that their respective road to success has been full of challenges and somewhat quite similar too. First and for most, the two companies came into existence when no such food company existed. They had to start from scratch and had to make the people feel the importance of their brand and for that the most crucial and important part was team building.( Tom Monaghan,1986) They had to search for people who were determined, fresh and eager to learn in collaboration with their respective companies. Secondly, once established the two companies had to maintain that vibe and hunger ness for the people to buy their product by launching new food items that would surround and match the eating brain of a human being. They had to keep the quality of the food as their first priority in order to attract the customers. (David A Hanks, 1989) Moreover, both Domino's and McDonald’s had to change their advertising setup when launching them selves internationally. They had to grab the local market and the local people with their innovative strategies. They also took under control the prices of their products in accordance to the economy of that country and in accordance of an average person's reach. All and all, Domino's and McDonald's are quite similar in nature excluding their distinct and unique products and because of the adaptability in all cultures; Domino's has been able to stamp their authority in the global market throughout the world. 2. Domino's rely on the work hard, play hard culture where they set themselves tasks and standards and then work collectively to succeed in those tasks. (Tom Monaghan, 1998) They do not compromise on the quality of the food and in the appearance of their company. That is why, where ever they go, in which ever country they enter, they keep their tag line, their presentation, their rules and regulations and the quality of food at the top. For them, a customer’s satisfaction is their satisfaction. (Georgia Brazil, 1986) One important thing that Domino's has followed throughout the years is that they have kept the interface of their outlets identical. This has helped them in reaching far off areas where the people used to recognize Do mino's not by their name, rather by the companies’ logo, ‘The Domino's logo’. Another area that Domino's has clicked is by hiring those people as employees who could work in their corporate sectors. (John A Jakle, 1999) Such people are aware of the local food standards and know what the customers require. In this way they can help the higher officials in the company to make them understand the psychic of the food of the local residents of that area. Another aspect that Domino's has taken into account is that in order to nullify any problems in their administration, Domino's regularly takes their managers working across the globe to stores for training. (James Mac Nair, 1987) There they are given lectures on how to run a franchise and what is

Friday, November 15, 2019

Lipase Catalysed Synthesis of Bio-based Reactive Polyester

Lipase Catalysed Synthesis of Bio-based Reactive Polyester TITLE OF THE RESEARCH PAPER: Green polymer chemistry: lipase catalysed synthesis of bio-based reactive polyester employing itaconic anhydride as renewable monomer. JOURNAL: Polymer Journal (2014) 46, 2–13 INTRODUCTION SUMMARY This paper is about the lipase catalysed synthesis of reactive polyester. In this synthesis lipase used as natural catalyst. The synthesis of reactive polyester was done by ring opening addition condensation polymerization (ROACP) reaction with dehydration. Cyclic anhydride and diol were used. Itaconic anhydride (IAn) is renewable biomass material so it was ideal monomer for synthesis of reactive polyester. IAn is five membered cyclic anhydride. ROACP did not possible between IAn and diol so the monomer succinic anhydride (SAn) or glutaric anhydride (GAn) were used with IAn and diol. The diol used were 1, 4-butanediol (BD), 1, 6-hexanediol (HD), 1, 8-octanediol (OD) and 1, 10-decanediol (DD). ROACP reaction of IAn with the diols in the ratios of IAn: diol with lipase as a catalyst in presence of molecular sieves were studied at 25 ºC in toluene for 120h. From the GPC analysis it is observed that all the reaction remained inhomogenous during the reaction and gave only low-molecular weight product with Mn between 150 and 390. The NMR result show that starting IAn completely consumed in ring opening reaction so IAn alone does not show RCACP so the addition of other component or changing reaction condition necessary. For these regioselectivity and substrate selectivity examination of IAn done by using model reaction of IAn and n-octyl alcohol. For regioselectivity observation ROA reaction was performed with Novoenzyme 435 catalyst without molecular sieve in toluene at 25 ºC with stirring. The ÃŽ ²-selectivity value without lipase was 90% and with lipase catalysis was 49%. It was because the ÃŽ ²-carbonyl group is sterically more favourable than ÃŽ ±-carbonyl group group adjacent to the vinylidene group so it confirmed that reaction catalysed by lipase. In ROACP reaction first ring opening addition (ROA) reaction between cyclic anhydride and diol and after that dehydration condensation reaction between alcohol group and carboxylic acid group occur. Out of four d iol OD gives good result in terms of yield, molecular weight and number of unit per molecule. ROACP using IAn, SAn or GAn and diol produced polyester in good yield. From the SAn polyester with Mn value of 650-3510 with 1.3-2.6 units per molecule were obtained and from GAn these value were 560-3690 and 1.2-3.1 respectively. The polymer synthesized have application as macromonomer, telechelic or crosslinking reagent. 2. LITERATURE SURVEY The review of this manuscript and presentation of perspectives has been conducted based on an extensive survey of the manuscripts describing similar or related research. Renewable biobased polymeric materials: facile synthesis of itaconic anhydride-based copolymers with poly(L-lactic acid) grafts (Okuda et.al, 2012) Biobased material are environmental friendly so these material now a days used mostly for synthesis organic compound. Current paper used itaconic anhydride (IAn) and lactic acid (LA) as a renewable starting material for synthesis of biobased polymeric material of poly (lactic acid) (PLA)-graft copolymer. Synthesis of Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) was done by two way; ring-opening polymerization of lactide with a variety of metal or nonmetal catalysts and direct polycondensation of lactic acid (LA) with acid catalysts. Poly (lactic acid) (PLA)-graft copolymer were synthesized by two way macromonomer approach and copolymer approach. First the using IAn the methacryloyl-type polymerizable PLA macromonomer (IAn-PLA Macro) were formed and then its copolymerization with n-butyl methacrylate (BMA), n-butyl acrylate (BA), methyl methacrylate (MMA) or ethyl methacrylate (EMA) to give graft copolymer with molecular weight Mn up to 1.61Ãâ€"105and biomass content more than 34wt%. When copolymer appr oached employing IAn as comonomer for radical polymerization with BMA used then IAn-BMA copolymer with Mn 5.76Ãâ€"104 obtained. These two approaches are used for synthesis of PLA-graft copolymer as â€Å"biomass plastic† having various application. 2).Enzymatic Polymerization: A New Method of Polymer Synthesis (kobayashi 1999) Enzymatic polymerization refers to polymerization using an isolated enzyme outside the biological system through non-biosynthetic pathways. The present article gives idea about development of enzymatic polymerization technique. Hydrolases and oxidoreductase types of enzyme were used for polymerization. By using these enzymatic polymerization method various material synthesized including polysaccharide like chitin, cellulose, xylan and amylose and un-natural polysaccharide by glycosidase through various monomer. Oxidoreductase initiated vinyl polymerization. The polymerizability was depend on ring size, opposing to chemical catalysis where ring strain is operative. Enzymatic polymerization has advantages of high selectivity, ability to operate under mild condition, catalyst recyclability, and biocompatibility. 3. Dehydration polycondensation in water for synthesis of polyesters by lipase catalyst. (Suda et al., 1999) Lipase is natural catalyst used for synthesis of polyester .In the present paper aliphatic polyester was synthesized by dehydration polycondensation in water by using lipase as catalyst. Polymerization was carried out at 45 °C for 24 h .size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was used for molecular weight determination. Methanol was used for isolation by reprecipitation. Effect of reaction parameter and the lipase origin on the molecular weight and the polymer yield have been systematically measured in the combination of sebacic acid and 1,8-octanediol. When the experiment was carried without the lipase (control experiment) then the polymerization did not occur indicating that polymerization takes place due to lipase as catalyst. The effect of temperature, solvent and amount of enzyme and monomer were systematically measured. When enzyme concentration increased it was observed that the yield was increased. It was seen that monomer amount also affected polymerization behaviour .The poly merization behaviour depended on chain length of the monomer in the polymerization of a co-dicaboxylic acid and glycol. NMR and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry was used for terminal structure analysis. 4 .Enzymatic polymerization towards biodegradable polyester nanoparticles (Taden et al., 2003) Biodegradable polymer nanoparticles synthesized from the direct enzymatic polymerization of miniemulsion consisting of lactone nanodroplets. For polymerization of lactone lipase as catalyst was very efficient. Lipases were ampiphilic molecule and they adsorb onto the hydro-phobic lactone nanodroplets. Ultrasonication was used for the miniemulsification until reaching equilibrium and measure by turbidity measurement. When DSC measurements was done it was observed that the dynamic crystallization point of the synthesized polyester were shifted much down that crystallization inside the droplets was supressed when polymerization condition applied. The melting point of dried polymer was determined by DSC method. Non-spherical aggregate was formed when crystallization carried out at low temperature. The pH of the minemulsion shifted to 5-6 after polymerization from 7. 5. Green Polymer Chemistry Using Nature’s Catalysts, Enzymes (Pukas et.al, 2009) Enzyme are the natural catalyst. The use of enzyme as a catalyst increases as substitute to chemical catalysis method of organic synthesis. The advantage of enzyme were ability to operate under mild condition, high selectivity, biocompatibility and recyclability. The polymer synthesis was done by enzyme and the most common example are polycondensation, oxidative polymerisation and ring opening polymerization. The use of enzyme as a catalyst in polymer science is important methodology for the synthesis of novel polymeric structure, which are impossible or difficult to prepare. 3. CRITICAL REVIEW 3.1 ORIGINALITY The present paper is about the lipase catalysed synthesis of bio-based reactive polyester employing itaconic anhydride as a renewable monomer. For reducing carbon dioxide emission polymeric material was produced from biobased renewable material. Thus poly-lactic acid has been produced using biobased renewable material. Work on the ring opening polymerization using enzyme catalyst was already done. The work on the lipase catalysed ring opening polymerization of dicarboxlyic acid was first done in 1993 for the ring opening addition condensation polymerization (ROACP) involving dehydration already carried out. The work on the â€Å"dehydration in water† using lipase catalysed polymerization to formed polyester in water was also done. From the extension of an all these studies the current paper include lipase catalysed synthesis reactive polyester employing itaconic anhydride (IAn), succinic anhydride (SAn) or glutaric anhydride as starting monomer with for diol. Even though the c oncept was not new but the work done was novel. The author done the work with using new monomer IAn and four diol. ROACP between two monomer itaconic anhydride and diol was not possible so the author added one extra polymer so that reaction completed. Author carried out model reaction for getting information about the regioselectivity and substrate selectivity of itaconic anhydride using n-octyl alcohol. 3.2 TECHNICAL CORRECTNESS Technically, this paper is almost correct. All the obtained results have been represented through lucid graphs. DATA REPRESENTATION All the employed methods have been well-described by the authors. This enabled easy and correct interpretation of some of the related plots and enabled the understanding of the associated concepts. The spectra included in the manuscript clearly represent the results obtained via various experiments and the theoretical discussion supports the results represented in these spectra; which enabled better understanding of the experiments and the concepts. FLOW OF EXPERIMENT The flow of the experiments conducted is logical. In the initial part of this paper, the scientists have given a brief introduction about biobased renewable material. The authors used some references to state the method for poly lactide synthesis using two method ring opening polymerization of lactide and direct polycondensation of lactic. Lipase catalysed ring opening polymerization of dicarboxylic acid anhydride involving dehydration. The reference also included the â€Å"dehydration in water† and have conducted green polymer chemistry. To the extension of these work done current paper utilised the itaconic anhydride as a starting biobased monomer to produce a poly (lactic acid) macromonomer. The strategy of synthesis of biobased reactive polyester from itaconic anhydride was like that itaconic anhydride does not react with diol alone so it is necessary that the monomer added so that the reaction was completed therefore succinic anhydride or glutaric anhydride was used in combination. During the synthesis all reaction were remained inhomogenous and gave only low molecular weight product with Mn values between 150 and 390 as determined by GPC analysis. The H ¹ NMR studies show that the itaconic anhydride was completely consumed during ring opening reaction. In addition to these EIS-TOF MS analysis show that reaction of itaconic anhydride with diol reaction gives mixture of 1:1 and 2:1 adduct of IAn: diol. From these it was conclude that in addition to main ROA reaction small extent of condensation and dehydration occurred. After these study the author pointed out why the itaconic anhydride alone does not initialised expected ring opening addition condensation polymerization reaction. The reason behind these was that itaconic anhydride is less reactive than succinic anhydride in dehydration step. The author gives the information from result that ROACP involves two different types of reaction a ROA between diol and cyclic anhydride and dehydration condensation between carboxylic acid group and alcohol group. Author carried out model reaction before the study of the ROACP reaction to obtain valuable information about the product polyester structure and fundamental aspects of itaconic anhydride. The model reaction carried out using n-octanol instead of a diol. The regioselectivity information obtained from reaction carried out with novoenzyme 435 catalyst without molecular sieve in toluene at 25 °C. The author interpreted from result that was obtained from H ¹ NMR. The ÃŽ ²-selectivity value with lipase catalysis was 49% and without lipase catalysis was 90% and thus demonstrate that reaction was governed by lipase catalysis. Author also focus on the substrate selectivity in the reactant in order to prepare reactive polyester. The result from H ¹ NMR studies show that after 3h the IAn and SAn were 13% and 27% consumed respectively and without lipase catalyst these reaction did not occur. Author carried ROACP reaction under different condition using IAn, SAn and diol. IAn: SAn: diol were 2.5:2.5:5.0 and 1.4.0:5.0 taken for synthesis of polyester. When reaction carried out in without novoenzyme 435 no product was formed which insoluble in n-hexane. When the reaction carried out with the lipase but without the molecular sieve, reaction system becomes homogenous to synthesized polymeric product with low Mn .When the molecular sieve were added ROACP was increased and gave the polyester with higher Mn values. Out four diol 1,8-octanediol was the most favourable diol in terms of molecular weight , yield and number of units per molecule. Then paper ended with a detailed discussion on various parameters studied and results observed, which was followed by an appropriate conclusion. 3.3 CLARITY In this paper, the authors have lucidly explained the background of the topic, which gives a clear dogma of the researched topic. Explanation of some concepts enables better understanding of the experiments and reveals the authors’ logical approach towards the work conducted. Each of the sub-topics well describe the basic concepts covered within them. There is no repetition of matter. Therefore paper is reasonably easy to follow and understand. 3.4 BIBLIOGRAPHY Authors have provided 38 references; all the references have been cited in course of the discussion. All references are formatted as per guidelines mentioned for authors by the publishers of this scientific journal. Statements in paper can be correctly interpreted by referring to the cited references. 3.5 TITLE AND ABSTRACT Title of the paper is â€Å"Green polymer chemistry: lipase catalysed synthesis of bio-based reactive polyester employing itaconic anhydride as renewable monomer†. It is self-explanatory. By looking at the title we can get clear idea that the experiment includes synthesis of biobased reactive polyester using itaconic anhydride as a renewable monomer and lipase as a natural catalyst. The abstract of the paper presents an overview of the various studies conducted in the manuscript and briefly presents experimental framework and the most important results obtained by the authors. The abstract of paper is of appropriate length and sufficient to give clear idea about what work has been done. The abstract brings out all the main points of paper. 3.6 ILLUSTRATION AND TABLES The spectra and graphical representations as well as the table represented in the paper are appropriate. The results discussed in the text are accurately represented in the graphs and spectra. They are self-explanatory and simple to understand. There searchers have provided the analytical data of material synthesized during their research. This included Mass spectra, proton NMR spectra and IR spectra of precursor material and intermediate synthesized to point out the differences between the various polymer synthesized during the work using different combination of a monomer in different ratio using different diol and different reaction condition as a proof of the polymer being synthesized varies according to a reaction condition and monomer and its concentration. 3.7 ALTERNATIVE INTERPRETATION No alternative interpretation can be made from the obtained results. All the conclusions made by the author are correct and justify the results obtained. REFERENCES 17 Kobayashi, S. (1999). Enzymatic polymerization: a new method of polymer synthesis. J. Polym. Sci. Part a 37, 3041–3056. 26 Suda, S., Uyama, H. Kobayashi, S. (1999). Dehydration polycondensation in water for synthesis of polyesters by lipase catalyst. Proc. Jpn Acad. B. 75, 201–206. 29 Taden, A., Antonietti, M. Landfester, K. (2003). Enzymatic polymerization towards biodegradable polyester nanoparticles. Macromol. Rapid Commun. 24, 512–516. 34 Puskas, J. E., Sen, M. Y. Seo, K. S. (2009). Green polymer chemistry using nature’s catalyst, enzymes. J. Polym. Sci. Part a 47, 2959–2976. 15 Okuda, T., Ishimoto, K., Ohara, H. Kobayashi, S. (2012). Renewable biobased polymeric materials: facile synthesis of itaconic anhydride-based copolymers with poly (L-lactic acid) grafts. Macromolecules 45, 4166–4174.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Project Charter

Redesign network topology in preparation for phase 2 Phase 2 Replace edge switches (I. E. Server, PC, Phone stacks) with viable Ethernet solution Increase bandwidth by using fiber instead of copper connections between the edge devices and the core routers Objectives this refresh we will be able to take advantage of newer technology that has been introduced over the past 10 years. Another goal is to increase uptime by looking into a more redundant, robust solution. Our goal, to achieve axes.Business Need To provide our customers service above and beyond their current expectations we need a modern network. This network should have the ability to expand as our company grows. Faster ports and newer technology to drive us into the next decade. Resiliency and redundancy will play a large part, helping us achieve our goal of axes. Project Manager and Stakeholders Project Manager / Principal Infrastructure Engineer Person Network Engineer – Person External Company – Person Stak eholders – Internal/external customers Milestones Request for Information Out Request for Purchase OutBudget Numbers presented POP for Phase 1 Implementation of Phase 1 POP for Phase 2 Implementation for Phase 2 Budget – Person Network Architect – This project is a high budget project spread out over the course of 2 years/ 2 phases. Approximate cost $600,000 for Hardware, Service and outside expertise. User Acceptance Criteria/Quality What are the minimum success criteria as defined by the key stakeholders? High-Level Project Assumptions The Data network is currently out of warranty and End of Life, support can be obtained for a premium, but no patches will be created.High-Level Project Constraints Time – With the company striving for axes we need the proper downtime to implement the solution Exclusions and Boundaries Core Routers Edge Switches Redesign of network topology Increase performance on the network Out of Scope: Telephony, Servers, Wireless, Dat abase and anything not otherwise noted in the scope of the project. Major Risks The project is complex, removing our current network and replacing it with a new network. If not planned correctly we could see packet loss across the network, no network connectivity or improper flow of traffic. Project Charter The goal of this project is to provide the customer with a custom hot rod that he can hop in and drive without worry. It is the goal of Phoenix Rain Customs to make this truck as dependable as possible so the customer can take the truck around the lock down the street to a local car show or be able to drive it across the country and have the vehicle as reliable as a new car.Phoenix Rain Customs is assuming there will be minimal body work to be done because the body is in overall excellent shape. Risks that are taken into account are that will have to go deeper into the body work and the suspension depending on what the customer wants. There is a budget of 50 thousand dollars approved of by the customer with the provision of an additional 10 thousand if needed.The timeline involved is that the customer would like it finished ND tested by the end of June 2014, so he can take it on a trip during the July 4th holiday Goals To provide customer with a new vehicle that has all the modern sa fety components Provide customer with modern technology and environmental comforts while retaining era correct styling cues Provide customer with modern reliability and with mild street manners This project will create a one of a kind vehicle that will incorporate modern design elements while retaining era correct styling cues.This project will involve several different vendors ranging from body and paint vendors located in the Tacoma Metro ere. The parts vendors will be located throughout the United States. Phoenix Rain Customs will coordinate with vendors locally and nationally to order and receive parts in a timely manner. The High Level Deliverables are as follows: Initial Assessment Body and Paint Interior Drive Train Electrical Assembly AQUA Project Deliverables Milestone Deliverable 1. Initial Assessment Vehicle in Shop and Stripped of components. Remove engine and drive train. Order new frame and suspension.Order new wheels and tires decided upon by customer lead time of six ty days deeded by manufacturer to custom cut wheels. Sit down with customer and go over plan and colors for construction of vehicle. 2. Body And Paint Get body panels media blasted to assess how much body work will need to be done Order new bed components Send frame and suspension for powder coating Get body panels and cab to paint shop to start body and paint process. 3. Interior Order new seats and send to upholstery shop for recovering Order new gauges and dash components Order interior kit. Coordinate with Stereo installer and order stereo components 4.Drive Train Order new engine and drive train combination Receive frame back from powder coating Install new brake system Install suspension system Install new drive train in frame 5. Electrical Install new wiring harness in truck Rewire all interior components Test electrical 6. Assembly Receive cab and body panels back from body shop Put cab and body panels on frame Install new bed wood and hardware Install new interior and dash assembly Install new glass and seals Inspect truck for fit and finish Have unit buffed Take on test drive/ assessment Have customer come in and give assessment Project Charter The goal of this project is to provide the customer with a custom hot rod that he can hop in and drive without worry. It is the goal of Phoenix Rain Customs to make this truck as dependable as possible so the customer can take the truck around the lock down the street to a local car show or be able to drive it across the country and have the vehicle as reliable as a new car.Phoenix Rain Customs is assuming there will be minimal body work to be done because the body is in overall excellent shape. Risks that are taken into account are that will have to go deeper into the body work and the suspension depending on what the customer wants. There is a budget of 50 thousand dollars approved of by the customer with the provision of an additional 10 thousand if needed.The timeline involved is that the customer would like it finished ND tested by the end of June 2014, so he can take it on a trip during the July 4th holiday Goals To provide customer with a new vehicle that has all the modern sa fety components Provide customer with modern technology and environmental comforts while retaining era correct styling cues Provide customer with modern reliability and with mild street manners This project will create a one of a kind vehicle that will incorporate modern design elements while retaining era correct styling cues.This project will involve several different vendors ranging from body and paint vendors located in the Tacoma Metro ere. The parts vendors will be located throughout the United States. Phoenix Rain Customs will coordinate with vendors locally and nationally to order and receive parts in a timely manner. The High Level Deliverables are as follows: Initial Assessment Body and Paint Interior Drive Train Electrical Assembly AQUA Project Deliverables Milestone Deliverable 1. Initial Assessment Vehicle in Shop and Stripped of components. Remove engine and drive train. Order new frame and suspension.Order new wheels and tires decided upon by customer lead time of six ty days deeded by manufacturer to custom cut wheels. Sit down with customer and go over plan and colors for construction of vehicle. 2. Body And Paint Get body panels media blasted to assess how much body work will need to be done Order new bed components Send frame and suspension for powder coating Get body panels and cab to paint shop to start body and paint process. 3. Interior Order new seats and send to upholstery shop for recovering Order new gauges and dash components Order interior kit. Coordinate with Stereo installer and order stereo components 4.Drive Train Order new engine and drive train combination Receive frame back from powder coating Install new brake system Install suspension system Install new drive train in frame 5. Electrical Install new wiring harness in truck Rewire all interior components Test electrical 6. Assembly Receive cab and body panels back from body shop Put cab and body panels on frame Install new bed wood and hardware Install new interior and dash assembly Install new glass and seals Inspect truck for fit and finish Have unit buffed Take on test drive/ assessment Have customer come in and give assessment Project Charter Redesign network topology in preparation for phase 2 Phase 2 Replace edge switches (I. E. Server, PC, Phone stacks) with viable Ethernet solution Increase bandwidth by using fiber instead of copper connections between the edge devices and the core routers Objectives this refresh we will be able to take advantage of newer technology that has been introduced over the past 10 years. Another goal is to increase uptime by looking into a more redundant, robust solution. Our goal, to achieve axes.Business Need To provide our customers service above and beyond their current expectations we need a modern network. This network should have the ability to expand as our company grows. Faster ports and newer technology to drive us into the next decade. Resiliency and redundancy will play a large part, helping us achieve our goal of axes. Project Manager and Stakeholders Project Manager / Principal Infrastructure Engineer Person Network Engineer – Person External Company – Person Stak eholders – Internal/external customers Milestones Request for Information Out Request for Purchase OutBudget Numbers presented POP for Phase 1 Implementation of Phase 1 POP for Phase 2 Implementation for Phase 2 Budget – Person Network Architect – This project is a high budget project spread out over the course of 2 years/ 2 phases. Approximate cost $600,000 for Hardware, Service and outside expertise. User Acceptance Criteria/Quality What are the minimum success criteria as defined by the key stakeholders? High-Level Project Assumptions The Data network is currently out of warranty and End of Life, support can be obtained for a premium, but no patches will be created.High-Level Project Constraints Time – With the company striving for axes we need the proper downtime to implement the solution Exclusions and Boundaries Core Routers Edge Switches Redesign of network topology Increase performance on the network Out of Scope: Telephony, Servers, Wireless, Dat abase and anything not otherwise noted in the scope of the project. Major Risks The project is complex, removing our current network and replacing it with a new network. If not planned correctly we could see packet loss across the network, no network connectivity or improper flow of traffic.