Holographic description of boundary gravitons in (3+1) dimensions

Gravity is uniquely situated in between classical topological field theories and standard local field theories. This can be seen in the the quasi-local nature of gravitational observables, but is nowhere more apparent than in gravity's holographic formulation. Holography holds promise for simplifying computations in quantum gravity. While holographic descriptions of three-dimensional spacetimes and of spacetimes with a negative cosmological constant are well-developed, a complete boundary description of zero curvature, four-dimensional spacetime is not currently available. Building on previous work in three-dimensions, we provide a new route to four-dimensional holography and its boundary gravitons. Using Regge calculus linearized around a flat Euclidean background with the topology of a solid hyper-torus, we obtain the effective action for a dual boundary theory which describes the dynamics of the boundary gravitons. Remarkably, in the continuum limit and at large radii this boundary theory is local and closely analogous to the corresponding result in three-dimensions. The boundary effective action has a degenerate kinetic term that leads to singularities in the one-loop partition function that are independent of the discretization. These results establish a rich boundary dynamics for four-dimensional flat holography.Comment: 43 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl

The state of Ghana’s local government system: the case of Assembly Members

International development organisations have, for a long time, presented Ghana as having a highly functional intergovernment system or decentralisation. While this projection is far from the country’s grounded reality, Ghana continues to benefit from the ‘misrepresentation’ as one of the preferred destinations in the sub-Saharan region for foreign aid and development assistance. This paper discusses some of the weaknesses inherent in Ghana’s local government system. Specifically, it unravels the issues affecting the operations of Assembly Members, who are key facilitators of developments at the local level. The paper is based on the ethnographic study of the World Bank-funded Community-Based Rural Development Projects (CBRDP) implemented in Ghana between 2005-2011. The analysis of the empirical data collected in 2010/2011 from nine localities in the Eastern, Greater Accra and Volta Regions indicates that Assembly Members are faced with many challenges, some of which would require national civic education and constitutional amendments to address. The paper seeks to show the complex factors that impact on decentralisation and local government systems.Keywords: Assembly Members, local government, decentralisation, Ghana, community-driven development, CDD, traditional chiefs, partisan politics

Dynamic atmospheric signal analysis for improving mine safety and health

There are a number of contaminants generated from strata and equipment usage in underground mines including poisonous and combustible gases, as well as heat. Mine ventilation is utilized to dilute the gases and cool the mine to provide conducive environment for mine workers. In order to ensure that contaminant levels are within acceptable regulatory limits, various sensors are installed in strategic places in the mine for monitoring.Continuous atmospheric monitoring is one of the tools used to achieve health and safety limit compliance and to ensure the quality of air conditions in underground mines. It is challenging to interpret monitoring sensor signal for accident prevention due to different contributing factors. The possibility of contaminant accumulation can be dangerously high as the concentration pulse traveling in the air moves from one location to another. This can be attributed to the inherent delay processes associated with the concentration pulse as it travels with the air velocity. As such, the identification of the delay hazard processes is of prime importance in predicting and preventing any future contaminant concentration increase in the traveling front.An increase of hazardous contaminant concentrations can be predicted by signal pattern recognition, root-cause analysis of rapid changes toward deterioration and forward prediction in time using algorithms and numerical models. This study focuses on analyzing signal patterns to recognize dangerous trends due to delayed processes by predicting contaminant concentrations for safety checking in underground mines. Efficient numerical ventilation model with contaminant simulation components is needed for the analysis of real-time atmospheric monitoring data. Examples of signal analysis and forward prediction of concentration are demonstrated in mine examples and the new results are presented for the application to improve mine safety and health

The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus in the Qur\u27an and Islamic Scholarship: The Swoon Theory and the Medical Perspective

The crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ is a profound event that holds immense theological significance within Christianity. However, the Islamic perspective as presented in the Qur\u27an, offers a distinct portrayal of this event, giving rise to an argument known as the Swoon Theory. This theory suggests that Jesus did not die on the cross but instead survived the crucifixion, prompting various interpretations and implications. This thesis aims to explore the depiction of the crucifixion and death of Jesus in the Qur\u27an, focusing specifically on the swoon theory and its relationship with the medical perspective. By examining relevant Qur\u27anic verses and exploring medical knowledge and historical context, this research will delve into the plausibility and implications of the Swoon Theory from a medical standpoint

Compliance with International Financial Reporting Standard 7 (IFRS 7): A Study of Listed Banks in Ghana

The aim of this study is to identify the extent to which listed banks in Ghana comply with International Financial Reporting Standards, with particular reference to financial instruments IFRS 7. The level of mandatory compliance with IFRS 7 was measured using a mandatory disclosure index (MDI) from a self-constructed compliance checklist. The sample consisted of six listed banks and covers the period 2008 and 2009.The overall results show a high degree of compliance with IFRS 7, though not absolute.  The study recommends that though the enforcement mechanism seems to be working well in the short-run resulting in high compliance, effort should be made to sustain it in the long run. Keywords: IFRS, Compliance, Listed Banks, mandatory disclosure inde

Daily activity rhythm of the African stingless bee Hypotrigona gribodoi (Hymenoptera: Meliponini) in the dry season, with notes on nest structure and colony composition

We studied 18 colonies of Hypotrigona gribodoi (Magretti) nesting in the tubing of a disused horticultural sprinkler system during the late dry season in Ghana, West Africa.  Flight activity began around dawn (about 06:00), rising to a peak in the half-hour starting 07:30 and gradually declining to end around dusk (about 18:00).  Bees returning with pollen showed a more extended peak from 07:30 to 09:00.  Dissection of 18 nests showed a mean inner volume of 466.5 ml, while 17 active colonies had a mean number of 851 adults.  Colony size is positively correlated with nest size.  It is likewise positively correlated with the fraction of fully mature adult females. Several nests had branching entrance tubes with an angle of roughly 30⁰ between branches.  In each of three such nests studied, there was a marked division in the use of the two branches, such that one served mainly as an exit and the other as an entrance

Solving the area-length systems in discrete gravity using homotopy continuation

Area variables are intrinsic to connection formulations of general relativity, in contrast to the fundamental length variables prevalent in metric formulations. Within 4D discrete gravity, particularly based on triangulations, the area-length system establishes a relationship between area variables associated with triangles and the edge length variables. This system is comprised of polynomial equations derived from Heron's formula, which relates the area of a triangle to its edge lengths. Using tools from numerical algebraic geometry, we study the area-length systems. In particular, we show that given the ten triangular areas of a single 4-simplex, there could be up to 64 compatible sets of edge lengths. Moreover, we show that these 64 solutions do not, in general, admit formulae in terms of the areas by analyzing the Galois group, or monodromy group, of the problem. We show that by introducing additional symmetry constraints, it is possible to obtain such formulae for the edge lengths. We take the first steps toward applying our results within discrete quantum gravity, specifically for effective spin foam models.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, 4 table

Genetic Diversity of Wild Rice (Oryza longistaminata) in Ghana

Oryza longistaminata is a wild rice taxon and an excellent source of genetic variation that remains largely unexploited. This study was conducted to understand the genetic diversity between and within O. longistaminata populations, collected from different geographic locations in Ghana. In this study, SSR markers were used to determine the intra-specific variability in O. longistaminata, and how the variation is partitioned within and between different populations. Analysis of molecular variance revealed high levels of polymorphism (95.9%) within the populations. The overall genetic diversity for all the loci in the six populations was high (Shannon's Information Index I = 0.579, Nei's unbiased expected heterozygosity, He = 0.405). Hierarchical partitioning also indicated a high genetic diversity between and within populations, with some level of relatedness between samples taken from the Savannah agroecological area. The high genetic diversity observed in this study offer a great opportunity for screening useful traits among the populations of O. longistaminata in Ghana for rice breeding programs