Lady Justice Cannot Hear Your Prayers

The Islamic finance industry continues to grow quickly as the appetite for everything, from Sharia-compliant home mortgages and car loans to sophisticated financial products, increases. This growth has triggered an interest in sukuk, bond-like financial instruments. And while the international market for sukuk has long been dominated by foreign issuers and English law, the attraction of a niche market compatible with U.S. federal and international securities laws may propel increased participation by U.S. issuers and investors who wish to transact under U.S. federal and state laws. As with all Islamic financial products, sukuk transactions inherently pose a Sharia compliance risk. Thus far, religious compliance has not posed a significant barrier to the international market given that most sukuk transactions are governed by secular laws that incorporate Sharia law or laws that are not averse to interpreting religious law. U.S. jurisprudence, however, has strongly avoided religious questions that would require courts to interpret religious doctrines. While the application of the religious question doctrine helps maintain the separation of church and state, it can withhold secular judicial remedies from parties to a commercial agreement that incorporates religious tenets, such as a sukuk transaction. Drawing upon the example of Dana Gas PJSC, a company that sued to have its own sukuk certificates declared invalid and related payment obligations declared unenforceable due to the transaction’s alleged noncompliance with Sharia law, this Note explores the Establishment Clause obstacles to adjudication of a similar claim under New York law. Ultimately, this Note concludes that the Establishment Clause bars adjudication of the merits of such a dispute and proposes the adoption of legislation, at the state and federal level, that would permit secular courts to “certify” religious questions to party-selected religious tribunals. Pending passage of such litigation, commercial parties are encouraged to utilize alternative dispute resolution

Leadership, Participatory Democracy and Good Governance in Nigeria

Like all other nations Nigeria aspires to greatness but over five decades after Independence still ranks very low on all parameters of good governance. The objective of the paper is to examine the concepts of leadership, participatory democracy and good governance, evaluate their significance as components of the development process and articulate the implications of their absence from the administration of public institutions. The paper argues that all three elements are missing from the development process in Nigeria. Systems Analysis or systems theory as enunciated by David Easton is adopted as the theoretical framework. Methodologically the study relies mainly on secondary historical sources of data collection. The paper is significant for its identification of the need for these concepts as guiding principles of the development process in Nigeria. The scope of the paper is Nigeria as a whole from Independence in 1960 till date. It draws the conclusion that Nigerians must insist on good leadership, participatory or inclusive democracy and good governance from their leaders at all levels. Keywords:Leadership, Governance, Participation, Democracy, Development, Patriotis

Economic Survey of Oil Palm Products’ Processing and Marketing in Kogi State, Nigeria

This study was designed to ascertain the level of profitability and inherent problems derivable from oil palm products’ processing and marketing in Kogi State of Nigeria. Primary data used for the study was obtained through the use of structured questionnaire and oral interviews. From the six agricultural Zones in Kogi State a total sample size of 60 was finally drawn to form the sampling frame from 3 Agricultural Zones. Descriptive statistics were used to attain objectives 1 and 3; while objective 2 was attained by the use of gross margin analysis. Majority of the farmers obtained their Fresh Fruit Bunches for processing from the village or open market (50%); oil palm processing and marketing is profitable business in the area with a gross margin of ₦603,320.00K and gross margin ratio of 2.72 from an average enterprise; problems identified in the enterprises included fluctuating prices, lack of basic infrastructure and inputs such as capital and processing machines. The study recommended the need for government to hasten the supply of rural infrastructure, reduce taxes and let processors/marketers be encouraged to form cooperatives so as to access credit

Removal of some metal ions from aqueous solution using orange mesocarp

In this study, the use of orange mesocarp residue biomass (modified and unmodified) as a costeffective and environmentally safe technique to remove Mg2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, Pb2+ from aqueous solution was investigated. The results showed that unmodified orange mesocarp residue bound 56% of Mg2+, 81% of Zn2+, 71% of Cu2+, 73% of Pb2+, and 85.05% of Cd2+. In the case of modified orange mesocarp residue, it was able to bind the following amount of metal ions: 63.05% of Mg2+, 37.0% of Zn2+, 43.25% of Cu2+, 33.05% of Pb2+ and 86.45% of Cd2+. These results show that orange mesocarp residue biomass can be effectively used to adsorb heavy metals from aqueous solution

Formation of Enzymatic Recalcitrance during Bioethanol Production from Pernnisetum Purpureum with Three Pretreatment Methods

This research was aimed at observing the inhibiting effects of some substances that are said to be recalcitrant to enzymatic activities during the production of cellulosic ethanol, a source of liquid biofuels. The biomass used for this work was a perennial grass specie (Pernnisetum purpureum S.), which is a lignocellulosic biomass that is predominantly found in the South-South Zone of Niger Delta, Nigeria. The three pretreatment methods; Dilute acid, Sulphite Pretreatment to Overcome the Recalcitrance effects of Lignocellulose(SPORL) and Alkaline Wet Oxidation were used on three different biomass particle sizes. The saccharification reaction was carried out at 10 and 15FPUcellulase/gcellulose of enzyme loading. The fermentation reaction was carried out with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (5.40X108-5.70X108cell/ml) from yeast. Among the three organic inhibitors analyzed for in the cause of the reaction, two were generative as the reaction proceeded while one was deteriorating with time. The difference between the theoretical ethanol yield from the total amount of glucose converted (EY2) and the theoretical ethanol yield from the initial amount of glucose before fermentation (EY1) was 23.88% and 8.80% for enzyme loading of 10FPU/g and 15FPU/g respectively, which suggested the formation of side products (potential recalcitrance to enzymatic activities). This was further confirmed by the low values of enzymatic convertibility of cellulose and enzymatic convertibility of glucose; 28.92% and 25.92% respectively. Statistical analysis and optimization of data was done using ANOVA, Pearson correlation, Regression analysis, Duncan’s multiple test, t-test for comparing means and response optimization. Keywords: Cellulosic ethanol, Hydroxymethylfurfural, Acetic acid, Total Extractable Polyphenolics

Fault characterization and flow barrier detection using capacitance-resistance model and diagnostic plots

Advantageous for its speed and far less data requirements, the Capacitance-Resistance Model has been successfully applied to waterflood performance prediction and optimization, gas flood optimization and reservoir characterization. In this study, a diagnostic plot and an iterative workflow that incorporates geological and well data with calibrated CRM results, were developed for depicting injector-producer communication, thereby characterizing a reservoir of interest. These were validated using three synfield cases. Thereafter, two selected faults in a Far East Oil Field (FEOF) were characterized and sealing baffles identified around these faults. Based on the results, one fault had several sections with varying degrees of communication and sealing baffles on either side of the fault. The second fault was mostly sealing with no sealing baffles on either side. The new diagnostic plot and workflow also quality-checked interwell connectivities from calibrated CRM, thereby substantially improving the fault characterization process. With far fewer and readily available data from oilfields, reduced physics models like CRM and the Diagnostic Plots are tools for cost-effective and speedy reservoir characterization, and to corroborate results of Interference and Tracer Tests, as well as 4D Seismic

Assessment of phenotypes, physiological and behavioural responses associated with heat tolerance among Galla goats in North Eastern Kenya.

Galla goats have great adaptation vigor to different environments. However, the outcomes of the ongoing climate change have subjected livestock including the Galla goats to harsh environmental conditions like high ambient temperatures. In this study, Galla goats were characterized in the selected areas based on phenotypic, physiological, and behavioural responses to high environmental temperature. One hundred and forty-nine Galla goats selected from Isiolo, Garissa and Tana River were scored for various features such as coat colour, horn colour, skin colour, horn shape, horn length, ear orientation, ear length, wattles and horn circumference. Data collected were entered in an excel spread sheet then analyzed in R statistical software version 4.0.4. White was found to be the dominant coat colour with a percentage frequency greater than 60.0% in the studied counties. The study revealed that both male and female Galla goats possess horns with more than 88.9% of goats being horned across the three counties. There was a strong relationship between horn presence and the environmental temperature with p=0.05. A positive correlation was also observed between environmental temperature and rectal temperature, horn length, ear length and horn circumference. The findings show the presence of an important gene pool from which guidelines on conservation of heat stress phenotypes as a result of the ongoing climate change can be put in place

Fault characterization and flow barrier detection using capacitance-resistance model and diagnostic plots

successfully applied to waterflood performance prediction and optimization, gas flood optimization and reservoir characterization. In this study, a diagnostic plot and an iterative workflow that incorporates geological and well data with calibrated CRM results, were developed for depicting injector-producer communication, thereby characterizing a reservoir of interest. These were validated using three synfield cases. Thereafter, two selected faults in a Far East Oil Field (FEOF) were characterized and sealing baffles identified around these faults. Based on the results, one fault had several sections with varying degrees of communication and sealing baffles on either side of the fault. The second fault was mostly sealing with no sealing baffles on either side. The new diagnostic plot and workflow also quality-checked interwell connectivities from calibrated CRM, thereby substantially improving the fault characterization process. With far fewer and readily available data from oilfields, reduced physics models like CRM and the Diagnostic Plots are tools for cost-effective and speedy reservoir characterization, and to corroborate results of Interference and Tracer Tests, as well as 4D Seismic

Classification of Arcs in Finite Projective Plane of Order Sixteen

The aim of the paper is to classify certain geometric structures, called arcs. The main computing tool is the mathematical programming language GAP. In the plane PG(2,16),the important arcs are called complete and are those that cannot be increased to a larger arc. So far, all arcs up to size eighteen have been classified. Each of these arcs gives rise to an error-correcting code that corrects the maximum possible number of errors for its length

Prevalence of bovine mastitis and antimicrobial sensitivities of the bacterial causes in smallholder farms of Kisumu County, Kenya

Prevalence of bovine mastitis in Kisumu County, risk factors and antibiotic sensitivities of the causative bacteria were determined in this cross-sectional study. Sub-clinical mastitis (SCM) was diagnosed using California Mastitis Test (CMT). Risk factors were identified through the administration of 64 questionnaires and assessment of 134 lactating cows. Bacteria were identified by culturing 72 CMT-positive udder quarter milk samples and their sensitivities to antibiotics investigated using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion test. Only SCM was detected and had cow level prevalence of 33% (44/134). Prevalence of SCM was significantly (p0.05) higher in cows under complete and semi-zero grazing systems, at mid lactation, those pregnant and with parity of 1-3.  Staphylococcus species was the most common (63.8%, n=58) isolate. Other isolates were E. coli (13.8%), Streptococcus species (12.1%) and Pseudomonas (5.2%). Staphylococcus and Streptococcus isolates were 100% sensitive to streptomycin, kanamycin, gentamycin and chloramphenicol. Additionally, Streptococcus species were 100% sensitive to ampicillin, tetracycline and cotrimoxazole. Staphylococcus species had developed varying levels of resistance against sulphamethoxazole, cotrimoxazole, ampicillin and tetracycline. Streptococcus species was 100% resistant to sulfamethoxazole. A significantly high SCM prevalence was reported in this study thus an appropriate control strategy is needed that consists of awareness creation, good milking hygiene practices, teat disinfection, regular screening for SCM and preventing spread of mastitis in the herd by milking infected cow(s) last.