The Theatrics of Achebe’s Arrow of God as Matrix for Dramatic Adaptation

This paper seeks to examine the theatrics of Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God with a view to verifying their potential for the novel’s dramatic or stage adaptation. The paper is motivated by the assumption that the theatrics can be artistically synthesized to create a play script or performance that can be more aesthetically and ideologically appreciated than the novel. In view of this motivation and to inspire many effective adaptations of the novel, the following questions need to be addressed by the paper: What are theatrics? What impressions, performances, behaviours and effects exemplify the theatrics of the novel? How do these exemplary theatrics constitute a matrix for dramatic or stage adaptations of Arrow of God? While addressing these questions, the paper hopes to achieve its major objective of verifying the theatrics of the novel and suggesting how they can work together as a matrix for adaptations

The Theatrics of Achebe’s Arrow of God as Matrix for Dramatic Adaptation

This paper seeks to examine the theatrics of Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God with a view to verifying their potential for the novel’s dramatic or stage adaptation. The paper is motivated by the assumption that the theatrics can be artistically synthesized to create a play script or performance that can be more aesthetically and ideologically appreciated than the novel. In view of this motivation and to inspire many effective adaptations of the novel, the following questions need to be addressed by the paper: What are theatrics? What impressions, performances, behaviours and effects exemplify the theatrics of the novel? How do these exemplary theatrics constitute a matrix for dramatic or stage adaptations of Arrow of God? While addressing these questions, the paper hopes to achieve its major objective of verifying the theatrics of the novel and suggesting how they can work together as a matrix for adaptations

Trade Policies, Exchange Rate and Developing Country’s Real Sector Export Performance

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Financial Development and Energy Consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa : Evidence From Panel Vector Error Correction Model

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Trade Policies, Exchange Rate and Developing Country's Real Sector Export Performance

For developing countries like Nigeria, empirical evidence have shown they are faced with policy management challenge because they are mostly involved in the production and export of primary products which is often characterized by unfavourable terms of trade. The essence of this study therefore is to ascertain if trade and exchange rate policies complement each other in stimulating non-oil exports, especially the agricultural and manufacturing sectors, using both aggregated and disaggregated approach. Empirical results suggest that the various exchange rate regimes in Nigeria have not produced the desired result that accentuates export performance. Results reveal that imported input and real world income promote export performance of the entire real sector, while terms of trade has insignificant impact.The sub-sectoral analysis of reveals that exchange rate regimes over the years have neither produced the desired results of enhancing agricultural exports nor manufactured exports. This suggests that exchange rate policy has discouraged manufactured exports because its production highly depends on imported inputs. The policy implication of the above findings is that there is need to achieve an equilibrium exchange rate that when combined with export incentives will promote non-oil exports in Nigeria. Keywords: Trade, Exchange rate, Manufacturing sector, Agricultural sector JEL Classifications: C22, E22, F13, F31, O14, O2

The genetic architecture of a congenital heart defect Is related to Its fitness cost

In newborns, severe congenital heart defects are rarer than mild ones. This epidemiological relationship between heart defect severity and incidence lacks explanation. Here, an analysis of ~10,00

Identification and characterization by LC-UV-MS/MS of melanotan II skin-tanning products sold illegally on the Internet

New methods were developed and validated to determine the identity, contents, and purity of samples of melanotan II, asynthetic melanocortin receptor agonist, sold in vials as injectable skin-tanning products that were purchased from three online shops. Methods were based on liquid chromatography with ultra-violet detection (LC-UV) at wavelength 218 nm, and tandem mass spectrometric detection (MS/MS) after collision-induced fragmentation of the double charged [M+2H]²⁺precursor ion (m/z ²⁺513). Identification of melanotan II was verified by correct chromatographic retention time, and relative abundance ratios of five qualifying fragment ions. LC-UV was used to quantify melanotan II as well as impurities. Method validation was performed with reference to guidelines for assessing active substances in authorized medicinal products to reach acceptable accuracy and precision. Vials from two shops contained unknown impurities ranging from 4.1 to 5.9%; impurities from one shop were below the quantification limit. The total amount of melanotan II in vials ranged between 4.32 and 8.84 mg, although each shop claimed that vials contained 10 mg melanotan II. A broad range of drugs used for enhancement purposes can be obtained from the illicit market. However, users of these drugs may be exposed to a range of potential harms, as shown in this study, given that these products are manufactured, distributed and supplied from an illicit market

Variations in the prevalence of point (pre)hypertension in a Nigerian school-going adolescent population living in a semi-urban and an urban area

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hypertension has been shown to start in early life and to track into adulthood. Detecting adolescents with hypertension and prehypertension will aid early intervention and reduce morbidity and mortality from the disorders. This study reports the point-prevalence of the two disorders in a semi-urban and an urban population of school-going adolescents in Nigeria.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A total of 843 adolescents from two places of domicile were studied. Their blood pressures and anthropometric indices were measured using standard protocol. Point-hypertension and point-prehypertension were defined with respect to each subject's gender, age and height. The prevalence of the disorders was calculated and reported age-wise and nutritional status-wise.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prevalence of point-prehypertension in the semi-urban area was 22.2% (20.7% for girls and 23.1% for boys) while it was 25.0% (21.8% for girls and 29.2% for boys) in the urban area. The prevalence of point-hypertension was 4.6% (4.1% for girls and 4.8% for boys) in the semi-urban area and 17.5% (18.0% for girls and 16.9% for boys) in the urban area. Point-prehypertension was not detected among the thin subjects of both places of domicile. The prevalence of point-prehypertension was similar in both the urban and semi-urban areas among the subjects who had normal BMI-for-age, and over-weight/obese subjects respectively. From the semi-urban to the urban area, the prevalence of point-hypertension increased approximately 3-folds among thin and normal BMI-for-age subjects, and 10-folds among overweight/obese subjects. Systolic hypertension was more preponderant in both the semi-urban and urban areas.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The prevalence of both disorders is considerably high in the studied populations. Urgent pediatric public health action is needed to address the situation.</p

Life Cycle Management of Infrastructures

By definition, life cycle management (LCM) is a framework “of concepts, techniques, and procedures to address environmental, economic, technological, and social aspects of products and organizations in order to achieve continuous ‘sustainable’ improvement from a life cycle perspective” (Hunkeler et al.\ua02001). Thus, LCM theoretically integrates all sustainability dimensions, and strives to provide a holistic perspective. It also assists in the efficient and effective use of constrained natural and financial resources to reduce negative impacts on society (Sonnemann and Leeuw\ua02006; Adibi et al.\ua02015). The LCM of infrastructures is the adaptation of product life cycle management (PLM) as techniques to the design, construction, and management of infrastructures. Infrastructure life cycle management requires accurate and extensive information that might be generated through different kinds of intelligent and connected information workflows, such as building information modeling (BIM)