The Theology and Agency of Love as the Substance of Kingian Non-Violent Philosophy and Activism.

The theology of Love focuses on King’s understanding of God as love: A Research Abstract (Project Summary) Problem: Almost 50 years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., controversy continues to swirl around the motivational forces that inspired the nonviolence approach employed by King in his fight for equality for African Americans, the economically disadvantaged and victims of injustice through peaceful protest. Some scholars argue that Kings was inspired by such advocates of nonviolence such as Mahatma Gandhi and Buddha Shakyamuni. Others believe that Dr. King’s philosophy of nonviolence was an expression of the Christian theology of God as Love. Purpose/Abstract: This research project explored the Kingian hermeneutic of the Christian theology of God as Love as inextricably bound to the existentially redemptive agency of Love. After a literature review of several primary and secondary resources, the direction of this project was thematically shaped in an attempt to better understand the interconnectedness of theology and the agency of love evident in the religious practice and philosophical expressions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The agency of love also focuses on the praxis of King’s theology in the unarmed enactment of political and economic justice, the mosaic liberation and restorative indemnification of the victimized, terrorized, and demonized, nonviolent civil disobedience and socio-economic legislative and institutional reformation, and the prophetic awakening of the moral consciousness in oppressors, for the sake of their repentance. Finally, this research project seeks to explore how King’s theology and praxis of love contravenes contemporary vestigial social maladies. Significance: The importance of this research project lies in the fact that it seeks to provide an understanding of the Judeo-Christian ethic of Love expressed in the thoughts and practices of Dr. King. Methodology: This qualitative research project involved a series of in-depth interviews with three of the most renowned scholars on King’s theological perspectives, including the Dr. Raphael Warnock, Senior Pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia; Dr. Lawrence E. Carter, professor of Religion and Dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel at Boston University; and Dr. Andre Willis, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Brown University.Each of these scholars was asked a series of questions, including: How did King define and thus demonstrate love? How was King’s explication of love applied to social criticism as a discipline? How was King’s explication of love applied to civil disobedience? Data collected during the interview process was analyzed thematically in an effort to acknowledge their interpretation of King’s religiously and philosophically heterogeneous influence, while noting the Christological synthesis of King’s influences as he ultimately sought to reveal the immanence of God. Findings: Preliminary findings from this research suggest that King’s theological anthropology of Love was the makings of a theoretical methodology for social criticism. This methodology can be an interdisciplinary model for examining and explaining social phenomena. Philosophically, writers such as Howard Thurman, Benjamin Elijah Mays, Cornel West, W.E.B. Dubois, and Mahatma Gandhi inform love as a form of “moral reasoning” (Cornel West, 1993) or social criticism

Effect of liquid nitrogen storage time on the survival and regeneration of somatic embryos of cocoa

Investigations were undertaken on the effect of liquid nitrogen (LN) storage time on survival and regeneration of somatic embryos of cocoa (Theobroma cacao l.). Somatic embryos from different cocoa genotypes (AMAZ 3-2, AMAZ 10-1, AMAZ 12, SIAL 93, and IMC 14) at 15.45% moisture content were cryopreserved in LN for one h, four and eight weeks. Somatic embryos of the genotypes emerged from the alginate beads at different periods 4 to 12 weeks post-cryopreservation. Individual genotypes subjected to low temperature storage timedid not show significant differences in post-cryopreservation survival, although different genotypes responded differently with AMAZ 12 and IMC 14 recording the highest and lowest mean survival rates of 58% and 35%, respectively. Plantlets originating from five genotypes had been weaned and developed normally comparable to non-cryopreserved somatic embryo-derived plantlets in the glasshouse. The effects of low temperature storage time on survival and genetic stability of somatic embryos using genotypes from the same parental and distinct lines may contribute to long-term storage of cocoa germplasm

Age of callus tissues and cotyledonary materials on the selection of cocoa swollen shoot virus-free somatic embryos

Research was conducted to investigate the effect of age of callus tissue and cotyledonary material on the selection of CSSV-free cocoa somatic embryos. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) capillary electrophoresis was more sensitive and quick in detecting the CSSV than PCR/agarose electrophoresis. PCR/capillary electrophoresis revealed the presence of CSSV in callus tissues in 1wk at the rate of 53(82 %), 47(94 %) and 46(85 %) for three infected Amelonado cocoa trees, T1, T2 and T4, respectively while  PCR/agarose electrophoresis recorded 23(36 %), 19(38 %) and 26(48 %) for T1, T2 and T4), respectively

Real-Time Quantitative PCR Assay Analysis, Evaluation and optimization for the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus

Cocoa swollen shoot virus (CSSV) sequence was used to design a TaqMan probe-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay from the nuclear SSR marker (mTcCIR25) in order to determine the cocoa cell number. Artificial fragment from the CSSV genome and microsatellite were used to generate calibration curves from 101 to 105 fragments per µl which were included in each real-time PCR assay. Generally, there were variations between given concentrations and observed DNA copy concentration of CSSV TaqMan assay decreasing from standard solutions 5 to 1. The accuracy of copy number detection for mTcCIR25 assay was poor at low concentrations (50 to 500 copies) compared with CSSV assay. The closeness of the amplification plots in the mTcCIR25 amplification graphs, the low Ct standard deviation values and the high correlation coefficient of the standard curves indicated that real-time PCR was robust and reproducible for the quantification of the CSSV. This holds great promises for future applications not only in quantitative real-time PCR for CSSV but may be applied to other pathogens

Video content analysis for automated detection and tracking of humans in CCTV surveillance applications

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.The problems of achieving high detection rate with low false alarm rate for human detection and tracking in video sequence, performance scalability, and improving response time are addressed in this thesis. The underlying causes are the effect of scene complexity, human-to-human interactions, scale changes, and scene background-human interactions. A two-stage processing solution, namely, human detection, and human tracking with two novel pattern classifiers is presented. Scale independent human detection is achieved by processing in the wavelet domain using square wavelet features. These features used to characterise human silhouettes at different scales are similar to rectangular features used in [Viola 2001]. At the detection stage two detectors are combined to improve detection rate. The first detector is based on shape-outline of humans extracted from the scene using a reduced complexity outline extraction algorithm. A Shape mismatch measure is used to differentiate between the human and the background class. The second detector uses rectangular features as primitives for silhouette description in the wavelet domain. The marginal distribution of features collocated at a particular position on a candidate human (a patch of the image) is used to describe statistically the silhouette. Two similarity measures are computed between a candidate human and the model histograms of human and non human classes. The similarity measure is used to discriminate between the human and the non human class. At the tracking stage, a tracker based on joint probabilistic data association filter (JPDAF) for data association, and motion correspondence is presented. Track clustering is used to reduce hypothesis enumeration complexity. Towards improving response time with increase in frame dimension, scene complexity, and number of channels; a scalable algorithmic architecture and operating accuracy prediction technique is presented. A scheduling strategy for improving the response time and throughput by parallel processing is also presented

Risk management in an organisation.

Актуальні питання розвитку економіки, харчових технологій та товарознавства. Ч.2. (Полтава, 26-27 березня, 2019 р.) - Полтава : ПУЕТ, 2019. - 358 с

Performance Appraisal System in Takoradi Polytechnic

The purpose of this study was to assess the current performance appraisal system (PAS) used at Takoradi Polytechnic. Specifically, the study was designed to find out the practice and nature of PAS in the Takoradi Polytechnic and establish the extent of staff awareness and understanding of the PAS. The descriptive survey design was used for the study and it involved survey of employees’ views on the issues, situations and processes. The study was conducted in the Takoradi Polytechnic with a sample size of 116 elements made up of both appraisers and appraises. Questionnaires and an interview guide were the instruments used to address the research questions. Statistical Package for Service Solution (SPSS version 21) was employed to examine the results. The respondents established their consciousness of the performance appraisal system in Takoradi Polytechnic and indicated further that their immediate superiors as appraisers of the performance. The performance appraisal system practiced in Takoradi Polytechnic for all staff is done once a staff serves the probation period of one year then the staff is confirmed or not. The study also revealed that majority of staff have not received training or orientation on how PA is conducted in the Polytechnic, for that matter both appraisers and appraisees required training to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. Keywords: Performance Appraisal System, Appraisers, Appraisees, Takoradi Polytechni

RISK MANAGEMENT IN AN ORGANISATION

I chose this topic because it helps in assessing each risk and determining which of them are critical for the business. Am interested in this because Risk management is important in an organization because without it, a firm cannot possibly define its objectives for the future

Factors Affecting Rural Women’s Involvement in Physical Activity in Ghana

A qualitative study approach was used to explore the factors affecting rural women’s involvement in physical activity in Ghana. Most prior research has been done in African urban areas thus, neglecting the rural areas. Purposive sampling and a semi-structured interview method were used to interview nine women aged 40-60 years living in three rural areas in the central region of Ghana. The interviews were conducted by phone, translated, transcribed, and then coded using NVivo software package. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the data. The data presented eight enablers and five barriers to physical activity involvement for rural Ghanaian women. Findings revealed that rural women get a fair amount of physical activity from their traditional occupations, household chores, and community involvement but lack involvement in organized physical activity for leisure and fun. By introducing rural women to more varied physical activity options, they could gradually replace the physical activity they traditionally gain from their livelihood as they begin to age out of them in middle adulthood