Arabic Gum Grafted PEGDMA Hydrogels: Synthesis, Physico-Chemical Characterization and In-vitro Release of Hydrophobic Drug

Sani Mamman Ibrahim,Teo Yin Yin,Misni Misran 한국고분자학회 2020 Macromolecular Research Vol.28 No.13

Hydrogel development using natural and synthetic polymers for biomedical applications have shown promising properties for drug delivery due to virtuous stimuli response and improvement in mechanical strength. Biomaterial hydrogel was synthesized using combination of arabic gum (AG), a natural polymer and polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate (PEGDMA), a synthetic polymer. The synthesis process follows chemical cross linking by free radical polymerization. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to characterize the hydrogels. Product yield, gel content and gelation time depends solely on the variable reacting concentrations and the mechanical properties of hydrogel depends on its compositions. Swelling studies reveal high swelling ratio in buffer solution pH 1.2 compare to buffer solution pH 7.4, and deionized water at pH 6.7. Swelling ratio raises with increase in PEGDMA concentration, but the presences of salt/ions solutions decreases the swelling ratio significantly and it depends on the charge of the ions. The kinetics of the swelling follows a second order non-linear rate equation. The rate of degradation revealed significant degradation in acidic medium and insignificant degradation was observed in basic medium. The encapsulation efficiency of quercetin introduced directly in the hydrogels during synthesis was found in the range of 85-94%. The release profile indicates the dependence of arabic gum grafted PEGDMA hydrogels on pH and compositions. The characteristic properties exhibited by the formulated hydrogels suggest the suitability of them to be applied as drug carriers.

Use of Farmer Indigenous Knowledge to Strengthen Soil and Water Management Skills by Farmers in an Irrigation Scheme in Nigeria

Bashir Sani,Yusuf Abdullahi,Ibrahim Sambo,Adamu Yakubu,Ismail Ibrahim 한국토양비료학회 2014 한국토양비료학회 학술발표회 초록집 Vol.2014 No.6

Can transformational leadership influence on teachers’ commitment towards organization, teaching profession, and students learning? A quantitative analysis

Mohammed Sani Ibrahim,Simin Ghavifekr,Sii Ling,Saedah Siraj,Mohd Ibrahim K. Azeez 서울대학교 교육연구소 2014 Asia Pacific Education Review Vol.15 No.2

This study investigates the impact of transformational leadership as idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration on teachers’ commitment towards organization, teaching profession, and students’ learning. A quantitative survey method was applied, and four broadly hypothesized relationships were tested with a sample of 1,014 trained non-graduate and graduate teachers serving in twenty-seven secondary schools in Sarawak, Malaysia. The results indicate a moderate level of teachers’ commitment and a low level of transformational leadership qualities among the respondents. This study found that inspirational motivation, individualized consideration, and intellectual stimulation were the factors contributing towards teachers’ commitment to teaching profession, and there was no dominant factor influencing commitment to students’ learning. Moreover, it was discovered that inspirational motivation was a factor to teachers’ efficacy and teaching experience. Besides, teachers’ efficacy and teaching experience were predictors to teachers’ commitment to organization, teaching profession, and students’ learning, respectively. These findings revealed that there was a significant relationship between transformational leadership and teachers’ commitment to organization and teaching profession, but not students’ learning. The results of this study indicate the necessity for leadership development of school leaders so that they could systematically acquire and internalize the effective transformational leadership qualities that are crucial in changing teachers’ attitude and improving their commitment towards their profession.

Security Challenges for Building Knowledge-Based Economy in Nigeria

L. J. Muhammad,Abdullahi Garba Ali,Ibrahim Sani Iliya 보안공학연구지원센터 2015 International Journal of Security and Its Applicat Vol.9 No.1

The world economy is changing at an unprecedented rate. The forces of globalization and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) progress are changing the way people all over the world living. Some countries, especially in the emerging world such as China, Malaysia, India, and Singapore among others, are using this wave of change to drive rapid growth in their economies. Nigeria yet to struggle to come to terms with these fundamental shifts in the global economic order. And for it (Nigeria) to secure its place in the global economy, it needs at least a decade to balance the growth that lays the foundation of this ongoing prosperity. This balanced growth can only come from one place, thus the knowledge based economy. Hence, to build the Knowledge-Based Economy in Nigeria, the security challenges of the phenomena (Knowledge-Based Economy) need to be identified and its possible solutions. This paper presents some of the security challenges for building Knowledge-Based Economy in Nigeria and their possible remedies.

Flavonoid fractions of diosmin and hesperidin mitigate lead acetate-induced biochemical, oxidative stress, and histopathological alterations in Wistar rats

Lamidi Ibrahim Yusuf,Mikail Hudu Garba,Adamu Sani,Akefe Isaac Oluwatobi,Tijjani Mohammed Bashir,Salihu Sabo Isa,Olatunji Aisha Omobolanle,Hassan Abdussalam,Daniel Nubwa,Adegoke Victoria Aderonke 한국독성학회 2021 Toxicological Research Vol.37 No.4

This study aims at investigating the protective effects of flavonoid fractions of diosmin and hesperidin in mitigating subchronic lead acetate-induced biochemical, oxidative stress, and histopathological alterations in adult male Wistar rats. Forty animals were randomly assigned into five groups, each consisting of eight animals. Group I animals was treated with deionised water only, group II, IV, and V were administered lead acetate 90 mg/Kg body weight (1/20th of the LD50), groups III, and IV was administered Daflon (100 mg/Kg), while group V was administered Daflon (200 mg/Kg), 30 min prior treatment with lead acetate. All treatments lasted for 42 days. Blood lead levels, electrolyte parameters, zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) levels, activities of antioxidant enzymes, and histopathology of vital organs, were evaluated following standard practice. Sub-chronic lead acetate exposure induced a decrease in levels of serum electrolytes, and activities of antioxidant enzymes, while blood lead levels, ZPP, and malondialdehyde levels were increased. Lead exposure also instigated marked variation in histopathology of vital organs. Conversely, co-treatment with graded doses of daflon improved the levels of blood lead, electrolytes, ZPP, activities of antioxidant enzymes, and histopathology of vital organs. Data obtained from the current study indicate that rats exposed to sub-chronic doses of lead acetate show increased blood lead levels, electrolyte imbalance, alongside impairment in ZPP levels, activities of antioxidant enzymes, and histopathology, while pretreatment using daflon mitigated the ensued perturbations. This, therefore, suggests that consumption of foods enriched with flavonoid fractions of diosmin and hesperidin may be beneficial for individuals inhabiting lead-polluted environments.

Creating Awareness on Importance and Management of Soil by Rural Farmers in Nigeria: Role of Naerls Adopted Villages Project

Bashir Sani,Yusuf Abdullahi,Aliyu Ammani,Hajara Ahmadu,Adamu Yakubu,Ismail Ibrahim 한국토양비료학회 2014 한국토양비료학회 학술발표회 초록집 Vol.2014 No.6

An analysis of dietary fiber and fecal fiber components including pH in rural Africans with colorectal cancer

Mohammed Faruk,Sani Ibrahim,Ahmed Adamu,Abdulmumini Hassan Rafindadi,Yahaya Ukwenya,Yawale Iliyasu,Abdullahi Adamu,Surajo Mohammed Aminu,Mohammed Sani Shehu,Danladi Amodu Ameh,Abdullahi Mohammed,Saad 대한장연구학회 2018 Intestinal Research Vol.16 No.1

Background/Aims: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is now a major public health problem with heavy morbidity and mortality in rural Africans despite the lingering dietary fiber-rich foodstuffs consumption. Studies have shown that increased intake of dietary fiber which contribute to low fecal pH and also influences the activity of intestinal microbiota, is associated with a lowered risk for CRC. However, whether or not the apparent high dietary fiber consumption by Africans do not longer protects against CRC risk is unknown. This study evaluated dietary fiber intake, fecal fiber components and pH levels in CRC patients. Methods: Thirty-five subjects (CRC=21, control=14), mean age 45 years were recruited for the study. A truncated food frequency questionnaire and modified Goering and Van Soest procedures were used. Results: We found that all subjects consumed variety of dietary fiber-rich foodstuffs. There is slight preponderance in consumption of dietary fiber by the control group than the CRC patients. We also found a significant difference in the mean fecal neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin contents from the CRC patients compared to the controls (P <0.05). The CRC patients had significantly more fecal pH level than the matched apparently healthy controls (P =0.017). Conclusions: The identified differences in the fecal fiber components and stool pH levels between the 2 groups may relate to CRC incidence and mortality in rural Africans. There is crucial need for more hypothesis-driven research with adequate funding on the cumulative preventive role of dietary fiber-rich foodstuffs against colorectal cancer in rural Africans “today.” (Intest Res 2018;16:99-108)

Sources of political parties’ campaign expenditure in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic: Examining the 2015 General Election

Babayo Sule,Bakri Mat,Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani,Saalah Yakubu Ibrahim 한국외국어대학교 국제지역연구센터 2019 International Area Studies Review Vol.22 No.4

A periodic election is a fundamental pillar and backbone of any democratic regime, and for a proper election to take place there must be some activities, most especially by parties and contestants to vote for them most especially competing to secure the electorates. These activities require huge expenditure from the parties and their financiers through campaigns, media advertisements and other related activities. The problem is that parties and their candidates are allowed, in Nigeria constitutionally and by the Electoral Act 2010, to source their campaign finance privately, which has led to illegal financing. The objective of this paper is to examine the sources of parties’ campaign expenditure in the Fourth Republic, taking the 2015 General Election as the case study. The research used a qualitative method of data collection and analysis where both primary and secondary sources were used. The primary source was an in-depth personal interview with some selected informants/participants from the categories of stakeholders in the electoral process, parties, and agencies responsible for regulating their activities. The secondary source was the use of available documents such as books, journals and Internet sources on the subject matter of the study. The data obtained were analysed and interpreted using thematic analytical interpretations from the informants’ views and the existing data in the field. The research discovered that there are basically six major sources of campaign expenditure for parties and that some of the sources are illegal and the spending has violated the regulations. The research recommends thorough supervision and monitoring of the sources of parties’ campaign expenditure and the spending process.

An Anomaly Detection Algorithm based on Online Learning Lagrangian SVM for Cloud Computing Environment

Mohd Rafiz Salji,Nur Izura Udzir,Mohd Izuan Hafez Ninggal,Nor Fazlida Mohd. Sani,Hamidah Ibrahim 보안공학연구지원센터 2016 International Journal of Security and Its Applicat Vol.10 No.12

Anomaly detection under Cloud computing environment plays an important role in detecting anomalous virtual machines (VMs) before real failures occur. In order to accurately characterize the new trend of VMs' performance, new samples are collected, detected, and selectively added into the training sample set. The newly added samples are used for updating the detection model, so as to improve detection accuracy. However, increasing number of training samples causes both much storage space and CPU time. To overcome this challenge, this article proposes an anomaly detection algorithm based on online learning Lagrangian SVM (termed OLLSVM) for detecting anomalous VMs. Online learning includes incremental learning and decremental learning. Single-sample and batch incremental learning algorithms are designed to update the detection model when adding a single sample or a set of samples. Similarly, single-sample and batch decremental learning algorithms are designed for deleting a single sample or a set of samples. The strategies for selecting sample(s) to be added or deleted are also designed. This article conducts experiments on Cloud datasets and KDD Cup datasets. The experimental results show that, compared with traditional Lagrangian SVM (LSVM) which retrains the detection model each time when adding or deleting sample(s), OLLSVM achieves almost similar high detection accuracy but much higher time efficiency.