Depression Essay Example Clinical Depression

Clinical Depression It is believed that much can be said about how a person reacts to a situation. In times of successes and positive moments, most people celebrate with joyous reactions. However, in troubled times, people react with different shades of negative emotions.   Some spring back right away and take positive action while others dwell in doom and even fall into a dark depressive state.   In this complicated world of ours, many people find it difficult to cope, especially in a fast-paced country like America where decisions must be made at every turn. When problems which people cannot handle beset them, their emotions run low.   Such downward spiral of emotions usually comes with a host of symptoms that affect physical and mental functioning. For these people, how do they find their way back to the light? Depression may be caused by a host of factors and is usually manifested with negative behaviors stemming from negative emotions. Sometimes, the person experiencing it is not even aware that he is undergoing depression.   Clinical Depression as a psychological disorder is characterized by severe and debilitating depressive episodes. People suffering from Clinical Depression experience inability to go on with work, establish harmonious relationships in their social and family life.   They become withdrawn, and cease to enjoy things they have enjoyed before and eventually becomes hopeless. Causes for Clinical Disorder may be linked to organic neurological causes such as disruption in neural circuits and neurochemicals in the brain.   It may also be genetically predisposed in the patient or caused by post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder or generalized anxiety disorder (www.bipolarcenteral.com/otherillnesses/unipolar_disorder.asp). Symptoms of unipolar depression include: the inability to concentrate or make decisions; being apathetic or neutralized emotional behavior; irritability, nervousness and anxiety; lowered energy and complaints of consistent fatigue; feelings of sadness, hopelessness, low self-esteem, worthlessness; withdrawal from social and family activities; decreased sexual desire and activity; suicidal tendencies and disturbance in eating and sleep patterns. Diagnosis of this disorder includes physical and mental evaluations to rule out the presence of other diseases or illnesses.   The patient exhibits most, if not all of the symptoms for a prolonged period of time.   Treatment may include Psychotherapy; Electroconvulsive Therapy in severe cases; pharmacotherapy with antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)-the tricyclics, and the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). The SSRIs-and other newer medications that affect neurotransmitters such as dopamine or norepin ephrine-generally have fewer side effects than tricyclics.; or hospitalization in severe cases. Brent and Birmaher (2002) noted that depression in both children and adolescents is not always featured by sadness, but rather takes the form of irritability, boredom, and the inability to find pleasure. Symptoms of depression may also vary depending upon the stage of adolescence. Younger adolescents may show more anxiety-related symptoms—clinging behaviors, unexplained fears, and physical symptoms—while older adolescents may experience a greater loss of interest and pleasure and also have more morbid thinking (Mondimore, 2002). Lewinsohn, Rhode, and Seeley (1998) found that nearly 89% of depressed adolescents reported disturbances in sleep. Other symptoms that were frequently reported included a disturbance in weight/appetite (79.5%) and anhedonia (77.3%).   The average length of a depressive episode is about 6 months however, about 25% of patients have episodes of more than a year and about 10-20% develop it chronically.   About 80% of patients with major depressi on will experience further episodes (http://www.depression-guide.com/unipolar-depression.htm) In America, depression may be more common than people know because of the high stress produced in work settings. For most depressed people, however, it is something they may keep to themselves, as it may not be acceptable in a generally positive environment. It may even go undetected and undiagnosed which may lead to a more serious disorder.   Another reason why some depressed people may ignore this disorder is the need to keep working for a living no matter how poor their performance may be due to the depression. In any case, people should be more attune to their mental and psychological health.   Depression may be interpreted as mere sadness or feeling low, but as earlier mentioned, may lead to more serious illnesses that may manifest physically as serious diseases such as ulcers or even cancer, since stressful states trigger strong physical sensations and symptoms (Lewinsohn, Rhode, and Seeley, 1998). Depression should not be taken lightly, and in the first signs, must be dealt with accordingly to prevent its progression into a more serious psychological and physical disorder. References Brent, A., Birmaher, B., Adolescent depression. The New England Journal of Medicine, 347, 667–671. August 29, 2002. http://www.bipolarcenteral.com/otherillnesses/unipolar_disorder.asp http://www.depression-guide.com/unipolar-depression.htm Lewinsohn, P. M., Rhode, P., Seely, J. R., Major depressive disorder in older adolescents: Prevalence, risk factors, and clinical implications. Clinical Psychology Review, 18, 765–794. 1998   Mondimore, F. M., Adolescent depression: A guide for parents. Baltimore, MD: The John Hopkins University Press, 2002 We Look Forward to Helping You Our customers are our pride. They bring us business, and we deliver them quality work. So just open the Live Chat, write â€Å"do my essay for me† to the support staff. They will instantly help you register after which, you may order your essay. Sign up now.

Where the Red Fern Grows Quotes

'Where the Red Fern Grows' Quotes Where the Red Fern Grows is a famous work by Wilson Rawls. The novel is a coming of age story. It follows the protagonist Billy as he saves up for and trains two coonhounds. They have many adventures while hunting in the Ozarks. The book is however probably best known for its tragic ending. Quotes from the Novel Its strange indeed how memories can lie dormant in a mans mind for so many years. Yet those memories can be awakened and brought forth fresh and new, just by something youve seen, or something youve heard, or the sight of an old familiar face.- Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, Ch. 1 Lying back in the soft hay, I folded my hands behind my head, closed my eyes, and let my mind wander back over the two long years. I thought of the fishermen, the blackberry patches, and the huckleberry hills. I thought of the prayer I had said when I asked God to help me get two hound pups. I knew He had surely helped, for He had given me the heart, courage, and determination.- Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, Ch. 3 I wanted so much to step over and pick them up. Several times I tried to move my feet, but they seemed to be nailed to the floor. I knew the pups were mine, all mine, yet I couldnt move. My heart started aching like a drunk grasshopper. I tried to swallow and couldnt. My Adams apple wouldnt work. One pup started my way. I held my breath. On he came until I felt a scratchy little foot on mine. The other pup followed. A warm puppy tongue caressed my sore foot. I heard the station master say, They already know you. I knelt down and gathered them in my arms. I buried my face between their wiggling bodies and cried.- Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, Ch. 5 I had a time with this part of their training, but my persistence had no bounds.- Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, Ch. 7 Although they couldnt talk in my terms, they had a language of their own that was easy to understand. Sometimes I would see the answer in their eyes, and again it would be in the friendly wagging of their tails. Other times I could hear the answer in a low whine or feel it in the soft caress of a warm flicking tongue. In some way, they would always answer.- Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, Ch. 7 I thought about that, Papa, I said, but I made a bargain with my dogs. I told them that if they would put one in a tree, Id do the rest. Well, they fulfilled their part of the bargain. Now its up to me to do my part, and Im going to, Papa. Im going to cut it down. I dont care if it takes me a year.- Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, Ch. 8 I always took their kidding with a smile on my face, but it made my blood boil like the water in Mamas teakettle.- Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, Ch. 10 I opened my mouth to call Old Dan. I wanted to tell him to come on and wed go home as there was nothing we could do. The words just wouldnt come out. I couldnt utter a sound.- Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, Ch. 11 I told them I wasnt giving up until my dogs did.- Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, Ch. 12 As I sat there on the limb, looking at the old fellow, he cried again. Something came over me. I didnt want to kill him. I hollered down and told Rubin I didnt want to kill the ghost coon. He hollered back, Are you crazy? I told him I wasnt crazy. I just didnt want to kill him. I climbed down. Rubin was mad. He said, Whats the matter with you? Nothing, I told him. I just dont have the heart to kill the coon.- Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, Ch. 13 As I skipped along, it was hard for me to realize all the wonderful things that had happened to me in such a few short years. I had two of the finest little hounds that ever bawled on the trail of a ringtail coon. I had a wonderful mother and father and three little sisters. I had the best grandpa a boy ever had, and to top it all, I was going on a championship coon hunt. It was no wonder that my heart was bursting with happiness. Wasnt I the luckiest boy in the world?- Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, Ch. 14 As graceful as any queen, with her head high in the air, and her long red tail arched in a perfect rainbow, my little dog walked down the table. With her warm gray eyes staring straight at me, on she came. Walking up to me, she laid her head on my shoulder. As I put my arms around her, the crowd exploded.- Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, Ch. 15 Regardless of all the discouraging talk, the love and belief I had in my little red hounds never faltered. I could see them now and then, leaping over old logs, tearing through the underbrush, sniffing and searching for the lost trail. My heart swelled with pride. I whooped, urging them on.- Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, Ch. 16 Ive been out in storms like this before, all by myself. Ive never left my dogs in the woods, and Im not going to now, even if I have to look for them myself.- Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, Ch. 17 Men, said Mr. Kyle, people have been trying to understand dogs ever since the beginning of time. One never knows what theyll do. You can read every day where a dog saved the life of a drowning child, or lay down his life for his master. Some people call this loyalty. I dont. I may be wrong, but I call it lovethe deepest kind of love.- Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, Ch. 18 I knelt down and put my arms around them. I knew that if it hadnt been for their loyalty and unselfish courage I would have probably been killed by the slashing claws of the devil cat. I dont know how Ill ever pay you back for what youve done, I said, but Ill never forget it.- Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, Ch. 19 Im sure the red fern has grown and has completely covered the two little mounds. I know it is still there, hiding its secret beneath those long, red leaves, but it wouldnt be hidden from me for part of my life is buried there too. Yes, I know it is still there, for in my heart I believe the legend of the sacred red fern.- Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, Ch. 20

Theory of Constraints Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Theory of Constraints - Assignment Example on in project management, production control, performance measurement, supply chain management, and other areas of business for non-profit like hospitals and military depots. However, it is important to note that the theory has specifically been widely applied in service units to identify bottlenecks in in the processes of production through its five-step process as outlined below: (B) The United States is believed to be one of the countries of the world where the ToC has found wide application. Although much of this appraisal would be simulacrum of the real situation, there are a definable number of organizations, which uses ToC in the US. (B1) A number of them have uses ToC in solving problems in their service operation units. For instance, ToC has led to processes improvement and proved to be a milestone concept in organizations like General Motors, Bethlehem Steel, National Semiconductor, Avery Dennison, Procter gamble, ITT, United Airlines, and the Boeing. In addition, the United States Air Force Logistics Command uses ToC to improve performance of their aircrafts repair depots on the other hand the United States Navy uses the concept in their Transport Corps. (C) The United States adopted the concept of ToC after a two-year quasi-experiment proved that the system could work even in more complex administrative environment. (C1)Therefore, it was theorized and empirically accepted that the concept of ToC would be even used beyond the manufacturing service centers. (C2)Managers thus, saw ToC as a vehicle for increasing performance through elimination of bottlenecks in the chains of production and hence started implementing the concept of ToC to boost their performance. Further, the managers realized that the concept of ToC challenged them to rethink about their fundamental assumptions of achieving their organizational goals and the purpose of cost management by laying emphasize on maximization of throughput-revenues generated through sales. (C4) The state also

Is English a Dying Lingua Franca Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Is English a Dying Lingua Franca - Essay Example This is a contact language of those persons who are not able to speak each others’ language but they do share a specific language which facilitates them for communication when they come into contact with each other. Due to the reasons mentioned above English language is a lingua franca for many people in the world. It is shared by nearly all the communities of the world. Most of the discourse between the people of South Asia, South East Asia and Africa and Middle East takes place by using English as a lingua franca. Can we say that English will continue to command this acceptance even in future? This question has initiated a debate that has generated response in its favour or against it. It was Graddol (1997) who first came up with certain interesting predictions about the future of language. It was he who had vigilant eye on certain socio-political changes across the globe. The socio-political changes along with new patterns of demographic shifts made Graddol claim that Engli sh language may lose its popularity and the present status of a being lingua franca due to the emergence of certain South East Asian and South Asian languages. Graddol reasoned that population explosions in China and India may increase the number of speakers of these languages who may outnumber the speaker of English language. He also predicts an uncertain future of English due to certain socio-economic transitions. Graf’s (2011) research reflects a departure from assumptions of Graddol as it sees no observable shift in the world’s lingua franca from English to any other language like Chinese or Urdu/Hindi due increase in number of speakers. Graf’s study has taken into academic and economic measures like bibliometric analysis and Gross Domestic Product to ascertain the possibility of Graddol’s claims. The study describes that although Chinese language is showing some developments at global level, yet it does not seem to have assumed the role and internati onal lingua franca in near future. All the above given indicators seems to suggest that â€Å" English-language cluster seems to remain unchallenged as the world’s most important academic and economic language (p . 77). Widdowson’s stand on the issue has been explained with reference of two quotations from poetry (Jenkins, para 30-31).The first is an excerpt from Yeats's TheSecond Coming: Things fall apart: the centre cannot hold Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world The second has been taken from Tennyson's  Idylls of the King: The old order changeth, yielding place to new, And God fulfills himself in many ways, Lest one good custom should corrupt the world. Widdowson’s analogies sum up the controversy in the form of two conclusions: According to the first analogy taken from Yeat’s poem Widdowson seems to assume that if the Inner Circle is able not able to maintain its authority then there will be situation of linguistic anarchy in world which uses En glish language as its primary mode of discourse. His second observation seems to view a situation where the non native varieties of English will take the place of English language. In both cases the status of English as a lingua franca is compromised (cited in Jenkins, 2005). Jenkins(2005) also shares the views expressed in Tennyson’s poem which seem to suggest a replacement theory regarding status of English. She also views a shift in favour of

Spaceflight (Commentary Paper Essay) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Spaceflight (Commentary Paper ) - Essay Example r, 2014 on the website of Al-Jazeera America deal with the UK entrepreneur Richard Branson’s response to the crash of the suborbital vehicle SpaceShipTwo developed by his company to conduct tourist flights into space. The focus of the article is Richard Branson’s intention to find out what exactly went wrong during the test flight of the spaceship and what caused the death of the co-polite and severe injuries of the pilot. In addition to this, the article highlights Branson’s plan to continue testing and improving the spaceship as well as his optimistic attitude towards the future of the project. To render Richard Branson’s stance and attitude towards the discussed issue, the author of the article widely quotes Branson’s speech delivered on the press conference on the crash of the suborbital vehicle SpaceShipTwo. More specifically, with the aim to show the audience the UK entrepreneur’s optimism, the author quotes Branson’s statements in which he draws a parallel between the development of aviation and the possible bright future of the sphere of space tourism. Also, the fact that Branson himself is going to flight travel into space on the first flight is used as reasoning. In addition to this, to prove that Branson is actually determined to define the reasons of the crash, the author of the article mentions the fact of the beginning of the investigation. The possible audience of the article is not only the common readers of the periodical but also those who are actually interested in the development of the sphere of space tourism and possible tourist flights into space, such as potential tourists. It is so because the author of the article seems to try to reassure people that space tourism does have a future, especially if the head of Virgin Galactic does not give up on further attempts to improve the spaceship. In other words, the purpose of the article is to reassure the audience that the crash will not happen again as the specialists are working

Synthesis of Levulinate Ester in Solvent-free System

Synthesis of Levulinate Ester in Solvent-free System MUHAMMAD YUSUF BIN YAAKUB 1.0 INTRODUCTION Fabrication of several of oxygenated fuels and chemical from biomass is not an easy task. This is because biomass needs to use catalytic processes to defunctionalized selectively (D.L.Klass, 2006). Both biological and chemical catalysts are being tailed by the global to transform biomass into biofuel and chemicals (A.Corma, 2007). There is some of the potential alternative to non-renewable energy like lignocellulosic biomass for the future demand (M. Aresta, 2012). Feedstock like biomass is supposed to reduce the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere (E.S. Olson, 2001). As we know, ester is one of the important derivatives that can be ready by using heterogeneous catalysis (G.D. Yadav, 2012)) including feedstock that can be renewed which is based ester as oxygenated fuels. Making of levulinate ester from glucose, cellulose and sucrose which known as one of the admirable renewable fuel additives under acid catalysis by using anhydrous condition is quite desirable (M.E. Harmon, 1990). Biomass which is from derivatives of levulinate acid also known as one of the top twelve building block as a precursor for resins and polymer, and to produce a spectrum of fuel additives (B.V. Timokhim, 1999)). There are a few reviews already appear on the commercial application about levulinate acid and its derivatives (M. Kitano, 1975). Ethyl levulinate or levulinate ester which is ester of levulinic acid find application as blending agents in biodiesel, flavour and perfume industry, as solvents, plasticizer, etc (R.I. Khusnutdinov, 2007). Also, one of the derivatives from levulinic acid like 2-methyl-tetrahydrofuran can be employed as the additives in gasoline and diesel. Besides that, levulinic acid that undergoes process of animation which leads to the formation of ÃŽ ´-aminolevilunate is used as herbicide (J.J. Bozell, 2000). Among every ester of levulinic acid, ethyl levulinate is the one that has been used in fuel as oxygenated additives on a large scale (P.M. Ayoub, 2005). Therefore, levulinate ester which derived from levulinic acid is important in industry which is made by the process of esterification fuel grade ethanol and carboxylic group (Wetzel et al., 2006) 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 levulinic acid Levulinic acid is one of the simplest sugar group of the organic compounds which known as gamma-ketovaleric acid. Levulinic acid also called as 4-oxopentanoic acid in the terms of chemical formula. It contains two groups which are acidic carboxyl group and ketonic carbonyl group. (Ghorpade Hanna, 2011). Some of the agricultural wastes such as starch, cane sugar and lignocellulostic are used for the production of levulinic acid. And these renewable biomasses are commercially used for its productions (Wetzel et al., 2006). There are some of the researches have been done on biomass and found that it is one of the important sources for chemical product and biofuel.( Klass, D. L., 1998). Biomass can be found abundantly such as in forest, industrial activities like paper industry and also in the form of waste from agricultural. Considerable amounts of research have been done throughout the world to determine a good way to change biomass into organic chemicals by identified attractive chemical transformation method and also to develop economically possible processes for these transformations on a commercial scale. And one of the interesting option is the formation of levulinic acid from the conversion of lignocellulosic by acid treatment.(Buana girisuta,2007) 2.1.1 Application of levulinic acid in industrial field There are some of interesting derivatives that can be found in levulinic acid as the chemical platform (Timokhin, 1999). The derivatives of levulinic acid and its application have been looked extensively (Bozell, 2000). Besides that, there are also extensive reviewed about the production of levulinic acid from the acid catalysed degradation of hexoses; however, there are not much information available for the underlying reaction mechanism (Horvat, 1985). In reaction of nucleophilic additions upon carbonyl group, several of valuable levulinic acid derivatives are produced. For instance, when nitrogen which contain nucleophiles react with levulinic acid will give either the cyclodehydration products of the amide or amide (7), depends on carboxyl group of levulinic acid which is whether it is protected or not (Shilling, 1966). The reactions of several amines with levulinic acid which form amides are interesting because of their biological activity. Also, one of the product produced from the reaction between levulinic acid with ammonium hydroxide or ammonia in the presence of hydrogen gas and metal catalyst which is 5-methyl-2-pyrrolidone(8) (Manzer, 2004) is quite useful for the pharmaceutical industry. Levulinic acid is quite important for the synthesis of chemicals for the applications like resin precursors, polymer and fuel additives. There are several article published which described the properties and potential application for the industry about levulinic acid and its derivatives (Timokhin, 1999) 2.2 levulinate ester There are some research has been studied by the global to determine and study about the biological and chemical transformations to change biomass into feedstock chemicals and biofuels. Among this research, one of the interesting approaches is the production of levulinate ester from the direct conversion of carbohydrates named hexose like sucrose, cellulose and glucose in anhydrous system which contain alcohols using acid catalysts (Peng et al., 2011)-thesis senior. For the production of ester in high yield production, one of the common chemical or acid to use is sulphuric acid. But, there are some problems like formation of polymerization products or by-products due secondary reaction with possible alcohol dehydration or double bounds of the molecule (Aracil et al., 2006). Also, there will be several drawbacks when using this type of classical method for the synthesis of ester like energy consumption, high temperature, requirement for special apparatus, formation of substantial amount of by-products, prolonged reaction period and high waste generation (Chaibakhsh et al., 2011). 2.2.1 Synthesis of ester levulinate Esterification of levulinic acid with etanol which produce ethyl 4-oxopentanoate or commonly known as ethyl levulinate, is used as an intermediate for the synthesis of more multifaceted commercial products, as an lubricant additive oxygenate additives for petrodiesel (Joshi et al., 2011). In industry, levulinate ester was obtained via esterification process between alkyl alcohol and levulinic acid with the presence of acid like H2SO4 or sulphuric acid which lead to the production of a high yield products. Also, immobilized lipase which acts as the biocatalyst for this process can become quite effective under milder reaction conditions (Peng et al., 2011). Yadav and Borkar (2008), previously have been report about the enzymatic synthesis of levulinate ester (Lee et al., 2010). Their work focused on kinetics and mechanism study of lipase-catalyzed esterification of levulinic acid with n-butanol using tetrabutyl methyl ether as the solvent. There are also reported by several researchers about the synthesis of levulinylated nucleosides in organic solvent-based system via enzymatic hydrolysis (Garcia et al., 2002; Lee et al., 2010). The application of biocatalysts has impressive advantages for the synthesis of esters. These advantages are milder reaction conditions, high yield and purity, shorter reaction time, biocatalyst reusability and low energy requirement ( Chaibakhsh et al., 2011). 2.2.2 Applications of levulinate ester in industry Levulinate ester are a kind of short chain fatty esters like methyl levulinate, ethyl levulinate and butyl levulinate with their properties similar to the biodiesel fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) (Peng et al., 2011). Such ester are good to be used as gasoline additives and diesel of transportation fuels, which have quite great performances like high lubricity, non-toxic, better flow properties under cold condition and flashpoint stability (Peng et al., 2011). Not like FAME, ethyl levulinate which is fatty ester with larger head groups and significantly different hydrocarbon tail give disorder by disrupting the spacing between molecules in lamellae. This disorder is the result from the formation of crystal nuclei with less stable chain packing followed by transformation to a more stable form at lower temperatures (Joshi et al., 2011). Ester levulinate is quite useful as solvents and plasticizers and have been promoted as fuel additives (Ghorpade Hanna, 2011). Levulinate ester is adaptable chemical feedstock with abundant potential in applications for the industry either in fragrance industry, flavouring or as blending component in biodiesel (Peng et al., 2011). For that reason, esterifications of levulinic acid to ethyl levulinate is quite significant as it can be used as plasticizing agents, fuel additives and odorous substances. (Dharne Bokade, 2011). 2.3 Ethanol Ethanol known as ethyl alcohol is a flammable, volatile and colorless liquid. Its molecular formula is C2H5OH and its molar mass is 46.07. The ethanol plays a role as organic solvent, increase the mutual solubility in water, ester and glycerides. The production of methyl ester is not quite desirable rather than ethyl ester which has considerable interest because of the extra carbon atom brought by the ethanol molecule slightly increases the cetane number and heat content (Tongboriboon et al., 2010). Besides that, ethyl ester also has cloud and pour points that are lower than methyl ester. This fact improves the cold start (Tongboriboon et al., 2010). Also, ethanol as extraction solvent is preferable than methanol because it has much more power for dissolving in oils. This could thus enable the product production in a solvent-free system (Tongboriboon et al., 2010). 2.4 Biomass The term biomass is defined as any organic matter which is available on a renewable basis, including dedicated energy crops and tree, feed crop residue, agricultural food, wood and wood residue, aquatic plants, animal wastes and other waste material (Kamm, 2006). The once a year production of biomass is about 1.7–2.0Ãâ€"1011 tons (Zoebelin, 2001); however, only 6Ãâ€"109 tons are currently used for food and non-food applications. Food applications are by far the most important (96.5−97%). And the rest is used in non-food applications, such as a feedstock for the chemical industry. There are a lot biomass sources which is available for further conversion and utilisation. For the biomass feedstock, its selection is very important for the points of view of both socio- and techno-economical. Actually, biomass feedstock should not compete with the food chain for some ethical reason. Waste streams like agricultural waste with a low or even negative value are more preferable. It is good to choose sources that not tend to cause diseases. Normally, there are only a few fertilisers that can give the high growth rate per ha per year and available throughout the year. For that particular reason, water hyacinth should be excellent feedstock for biomass for further utilisation and conversions (Buana Girisuta, 2007). 2.3.1 Chemical composition of biomass The chemical composition of biomass depends strongly on its source. Generally biomass consists of 23–32% hemicellulose, 38–50% of cellulose, and 15–25% lignin (see Figure 1). Cellulose is a non-branched water-insoluble polysaccharide consisting of several hundred up to tens of thousands of glucose units. Cellulose is the most abundant biopolymer synthesised by nature, its amount is estimated at approximately 2Ãâ€"109 tons year-1 (Sasaki, 2003). Hemicellulose is a polymeric material, although lower in molecular weight than cellulose, consisting of C6-sugars (glucose, mannose and galactose) and C5-sugars (mainly arabinose and xylose). The third component (lignin) is a highly cross-linked polymer made from substituted phenylpropene units (see Figure 2). It acts as glue, holding together the cellulose and hemicellulose fibres. Figure 1: show the distribution of important constituents in biomass. Figure 2: show the molecular structures of the building blocks of lignin. 3.0 PROBLEM STATEMENTS In this research, there are some of the problems that need to be solved. One of them is what method or technique can be used to increase the production yield of levulinate ester. Besides that, how to improve levulinate ester as fuel additives in biofuel and what is the advantageous of enzymatic synthesis rather than conventional chemical esterifications. 4.0 OBJECTIVES Increase the production yield of ester levulinate Improves the levulinate ester as the fuel additives in biofuel To study the advantages of enzymatic synthesis over conventional chemical esterifications.

Qualitative and Quantitative Research Essay -- Research Methods

Qualitative and Quantitative study designs both can be beneficial in research design. They both provide valuable options for researchers in the field. These techniques can either be used separately in a research study or they can be combined to achieve maximum information. This paper will define the terms qualitative and quantitative; describe the similarities and differences between each; discuss how qualitative and/or quantitative research designs or techniques could be used in the evaluation of my proposed research; and discuss why linking analysis to study design is important. Quantitative studies are primarily numbers based. They deal with large cohort groups as well as analyze large amounts of data. â€Å"A quantitative researcher typically tries to measure variables in some way, perhaps by using commonly accepted measures of the physical world (e.g., rulers, thermometers, oscilloscopes) or carefully designed measures of psychological characteristics or behaviors (e.g., tests, questionnaires, rating scales)† (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010, p. 94). Qualitative studies are slightly different in that they do not use large cohorts and they are not analyzing large data sets. Qualitative studies also look to answer question â€Å"why†. They use smaller numbers but go more in-depth with the small group they have. â€Å"In contrast, qualitative research involves looking at characteristics, or qualities, that cannot easily be reduced to numerical values. A qualitative researcher typically aims to examine the many nuances and complexities of a particular phenomenon† (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010, p. 94). Qualitative and Quantitative studies can be used separately or together in a mixed methodology. â€Å"Mixed methods research is characterized as research... ... Hughes, C. (2006). Qualitative and quantitative approach to social research. Retrieved fromhttp://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/staff/academicstaff/chughes/h ughesc_index/teachingresearchprocess/quantitativequalitative/quantitativequalitati ve/ Leedy, P. D., & Ormrod, J. E. (2010). Practical research: Planning and design (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.-Merrill McKerghan, D. L. (1998). Quantitative versus qualitative research: An attempt to clarify the problem. Retrieved from http://home.comcast.net/~lady.socrates/qvq.html Rocco, T. S., Bliss, L. A., Gallagher, S., & Perez-Prado, A. (2003). Taking the next step: Mixed methods research in organizational systems. Information Technology, Learning, and Performance Journal. Vol. 21, No. 1. Retrieved from http://www.osra.org/itlpj/roccoblissgallagherperez-pradospring2003.pdf