Instanton representation of Plebanski gravity. Application to gravitons about DeSitter spacetime

Using the instanton representation method, we re-construct graviton solutions about DeSitter spacetime. We have used this example as a testing arena to expose the internal structure of the method and to establish that it works for known solutions. This paper is a precursor for its application to the construction of new General Relativity solutions in future work.Comment: 16 pages. Accepted by the International Journal of Modern Physics

Between Religion and Agriculture: A Roadmap to Revamping Nigeria’s Economy

This paper investigated “Between Religion and Agriculture: A Roadmap to Revamping Nigeria's Economy." Religion is meant to affect all facets of life both at the individual and community levels. This applies equally to the economy of nations including Nigeria as a sovereign state. Petroleum which has been Nigeria's mainstay economically over the past five decades has proved to be not a sustainable means of income to the country in recent times. With the fluctuation in oil price with its attendant nose-diving, Nigeria is bound to have a rethink over her means of economic stay. This informs the thrust of this paper which looks at revamping Nigeria's economy from a religious perspective. Using the creation accounts in Genesis Chapter one and two, this paper which looks at the original divine mandate given to humanity in the days of creation; it concludes that this economic mandate was agriculturally based. Hence, this paper, using the hermeneutical approach to the study of scripture and content analysis research methodology calls on all ecclesial bodies to promote the agricultural sector not only as of the way of revamping Nigeria's economy but as a positive response to the divine mandate. Apart from adding to the body of interpretations of the texts under review, the contribution of this paper to knowledge is its application of these texts to the Nigerian economy

The Parable of the Talents and Economic Management: Lessons for the Nigerian Nation

This paper investigated "The Parable of the Talents and Economic Management: Lessons for the Nigerian Nation." The subject matter of economic management in Africa in general and Nigeria, in particular, is one that concerns nearly every discipline, and which has inevitably lent itself to much pontification by economist and non-economist alike. Nigeria evolved as a nation-state in 1914 due to the amalgamation of diverse independent nationstates by the British under Lord Frederick Lugard. Since then, it has evolved different economic principles, especially with the discovery of oil in Oloibiri. Historically, the Nigerian economy showed early signs of growth but is currently in a state of recession irrespective of all the economic policies by different administrations. This is contingent on mismanagement of the country's economic and human resources. The main issue that should be in the mind of researchers now is not the inevitability of recession, but its cure and how to recover from it. It is on this note that this paper looked at the Parable of the Talents according to Matt. 25:14-30 using the principle of exegesis in the interpretation of the text. It anchors its submission using the principle of accountability and Maslow's theory of motivation to chart the pathway for the management of the Nigerian economy. The paper concluded that for the proper management of Nigeria's economy there must be accountability, motivation, dignity of labour and giving of appointments base on the capacity of a worker

A Feminist Interpretation and Reconstruction of John 7:53-8:11 in the Light Violence against Women and Its Implications Today

This paper investigates “A Feminist Interpretation and Reconstruction of John 7:53-8:11 in the light violence Against Women and its Implications Today.” This comes on the heels of the fact that violence against women is not only a fact of the contemporary times but was there in the days of Jesus Christ. The paper using two major theories of Feminist hermeneutics, especially the Hermeneutics of Recounting Tales of Terror in Memoriam and the Hermeneutic of Documenting Cases Against Women in the Bible and social feminism theories of Radical Feminism and Liberal Feminism. This work brought to the fore that in most interpretation of John 7:53-8:11, the emphasis has been on forgiveness of sin and the issue of ὁ ἀναμάρτητος (that is one without sin) without any note about the andriarchal system of which the „adulterous‟ woman was a victim of. This paper which used the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) as its preferred translation because of its gender sensitivity arrived at the conclusion that, the whole episode was male orchestrated; the Scribes and Pharisees bringing the woman to be judged by Jesus without the man in the alleged “adultery” case tantamount to judging the female fold different from the male fold; and that, there was no actual committing of adultery by the woman who was brought to Jesus, but she was brought to Jesus because of the inferiority, weak and vulnerable place of women in Jesus‟ andriarchal community. Hence, Jesus setting the woman free typified the role of religion as the vanguard in ending violence against women

Divorce: Causes and Effects on Children

This paper investigates “Divorce: Causes and Effects on Children.” Worthy of note is that the fact that, divorce is not an uncommon experience in human history. It is experienced by couples irrespective of their social, religious, academic, political, economic, etc. status. One of the most hit in the saga of divorce are children born into the wedlock where divorce is experienced. The effects of this divorce on children are most often not well considered by the parents who embark on taking the status of divorcees. This becomes the onus of this paper using sociological and psychoanalytical approaches to the study of human institutions to study these effects on children, though not without looking at the causes of divorce. The paper reveals that the effects of divorce on children often are emotional, psychological, economical and religious spheres among others and recommends ways in which these effects can be minimized among children

Finite states in four dimensional quantum gravity. The isotropic minisuperspace Asktekar--Klein--Gordon model

In this paper we construct the generalized Kodama state for the case of a Klein--Gordon scalar field coupled to Ashtekar variables in isotropic minisuperspace by a new method. The criterion for finiteness of the state stems from a minisuperspace reduction of the quantized full theory, rather than the conventional techniques of reduction prior to quantization. We then provide a possible route to the reproduction of a semiclassical limit via these states. This is the result of a new principle of the semiclassical-quantum correspondence (SQC), introduced in the first paper in this series. Lastly, we examine the solution to the minisuperspace case at the semiclassical level for an isotropic CDJ matrix neglecting any quantum corrections and examine some of the implications in relation to results from previous authors on semiclassical orbits of spacetime, including inflation. It is suggested that the application of nonperturbative quantum gravity, by way of the SQC, might potentially lead to some predictions testable below the Planck scale.Comment: 26 pages. Accepted for publication by Class. Quantum Grav. journa

Differences in meristic counts of the genus Clarias (pisces: clariidae) in Anambra river, Nigeria

Specific differences in meristic counts were exhibited in both the anal fin ray count and the vertebral count in the clariids of Anambra rver, Nigeria. There was a close numerical relationship between the number of anal fin rays and the number of vertebrae. The present study further justifies the taxonomic importance of anal fin ray count in differentiating Clarias species. Keywords: Meristic Counts, Clarias, Clariidae, Anambra River Animal Research International Vol. 1 (1) 2004: pp. 31-3

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Hand Washing Towards the Prevention of Transmissible Diseases among Hair Dressers in Uyo Metropolis of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

The study was conducted to determine the knowledge, attitude and practices of hand washing towards the prevention of transmissible diseases among hair dressers in Uyo Metropolis, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to examine the knowledge of transmissible diseases that are associated in hair dressing work, the attitudes of hand washing among hair dressers, the practices of hand washing adopted by hair dressers toward the prevention of transmissible diseases in Uyo Metropolis. Three research questions were raised and two hypotheses were also formulated for testing at .05 alpha level of significance. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted and using sampling techniques. 150 hair dressers were drawn for the study. A multi stage sampling technique was used to pick 7 major roads in Uyo Metropolis, 15 hairdressing salons and 150 hairdressers. A 22 items questionnaire (KAPPTDHQ) was formulated for the study. The questionnaire was pretested and data analyzed using Kuder Richardson 20 formula and a reliability coefficient of .78 was obtained. Frequency and percentage was used to answer the research questions while Chi-square was used to test the null hypotheses at P-value of .05. The findings revealed that knowledge of hairdressers about transmissible diseases were adequate and that knowledge significantly influence practices of hand washing which was also good. It was also noted that attitude of hairdressers towards hand washing do not significantly influence practices of hand washing among hairdressers in Uyo Metropolis. It was recommended that health education to hairdressers should be carried out to create awareness in the need for proper hand washing technique and prescribed standard for hairdressing salons should include adequate hand washing facilities to ensure regular and proper hand washing technique during working hours by hair dressers

Influence of Maternal Variables on the Occurrence of Vesico Vaginal Fistula in Uyo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

This study was conducted to assess the influence of maternal variables on the occurrence of vesico vaginal fistula. Twenty five patients of VVF were purposively selected from the Family Health Hospital at Mbribit Itam and used for the study. A questionnaire titled maternal variables and vesico vaginal fistula questionnaire (MVVVFQ) was used to collect data for testing the three null hypotheses by calculating t-test. Findings revealed that maternal age, education and income were among the maternal variables that expose women to the incidence of VVF. Recommendations were made among others that parents should send their daughters to school instead of giving them out in early marriage, teenage pregnancy should be avoided and caesarean section should be done for obstructed labour instead of allowing young mothers go through difficult labour