17 research outputs found
Matnu al-Qurtabī fī al-ʿIbāda (Imām Qurtabī’s Islamic Rituals)
No full textThe entire manuscript is available for download as a single PDF file. Higher-resolution images may be available upon request. For technical assistance, please contact [email protected]. Fieldwork Team: Dr. Mustapha Hashim Kurfi (Principal Investigator), Mohammed Bara’u Musa & Hauwa Usman (Local Project Managers), Adamu Mohammed, Abacha Kachalla, Abdrra’uf Abdullahi & Falmaa Madu Ibrahim (General Field Facilitators), and Haladu Mamman (Photographer). Technical Team: Prof. Fallou Ngom (Director African Studies Center), and Eleni Castro (Technical Lead, BU Libraries). These Collections of Fulfulde & Kanuri Ajami materials are copied as part of the African Studies Center’s African Ajami Library.
Access Condition and Copyright: These materials are subject to copyright. All rights reserved to the author. For use, distribution or reproduction contact Professor Fallou Ngom ([email protected]).
Citation: Materials in this web edition should be cited as: Kurfi, Mustapha Hashim, Ngom, Fallou, and Castro, Eleni (2019). African Ajami Library: Digital Preservation of Fulfulde & Kanuri Ajami Materials of Northeastern Nigeria. Boston: Boston University Libraries: http://hdl.handle.net/2144/38242. For Inquiries: Please contact Professor Fallou Ngom ([email protected]).Provenance / Custodial history: This manuscript is owned by Bukar Mustapha, who was born in Yusufari, a town in Yobe State (formerly Borno State) in northeastern Nigeria. Bukar has an advanced Islamic education, and serves as Imām and cleric. His father, Goni Mustapha, was a renowned Islamic scholar and Bukar’s mentor. The manuscript owner does not remember exactly how long he has owned the manuscript, but believes that it has been with him for about 15 years.This manuscript is a collection of Imām Qurtabī’s poems on Islamic rituals. It contains the original Arabic version with extensive glosses in Kanuri Ajami. The poems deal with means of purifying the body and ritual prayers. Details on the key requirements principles of ritual purification and prayers are provided in addition to how to avoid mistakes in ritual prayers and on how to correct them when they occur. This manuscript has 23 pages and is a complete unbound copy. Though, not dated, it has page numbers. It is handwritten in traditional ink and has no physical damage or stains. It represents a typical market edition manuscript. The glosses in Kanuri Ajami are easy to read.The contents of this collection were developed with support of the Title VI National Resource Center grant # P015A180164 from the U.S. Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government
Manẓūm ibn ʿĀshur (Ibn ʿĀshur's Poems)
No full textThe entire manuscript is available for download as a single PDF file. Higher-resolution images may be available upon request. For technical assistance, please contact [email protected]. Fieldwork Team: Dr. Mustapha Hashim Kurfi (Principal Investigator), Mohammed Bara’u Musa & Hauwa Usman (Local Project Managers), Adamu Mohammed, Abacha Kachalla, Abdrra’uf Abdullahi & Falmaa Madu Ibrahim (General Field Facilitators), and Haladu Mamman (Photographer). Technical Team: Prof. Fallou Ngom (Director African Studies Center), and Eleni Castro (Technical Lead, BU Libraries). These Collections of Fulfulde & Kanuri Ajami materials are copied as part of the African Studies Center’s African Ajami Library.
Access Condition and Copyright: These materials are subject to copyright. All rights reserved to the author. For use, distribution or reproduction contact Professor Fallou Ngom ([email protected]).
Citation: Materials in this web edition should be cited as: Kurfi, Mustapha Hashim, Ngom, Fallou, and Castro, Eleni (2019). African Ajami Library: Digital Preservation of Fulfulde & Kanuri Ajami Materials of Northeastern Nigeria. Boston: Boston University Libraries: http://hdl.handle.net/2144/38242. For Inquiries: Please contact Professor Fallou Ngom ([email protected]).Provenance / Custodial history: The owner is Bukar Mustapha. Born in the town of Yusufari in Yobe State (formerly Borno State) in northeastern Nigeria. The owner has an advanced Islamic education and serves as an Imām and Islamic cleric in Yusufari. His father, Goni Mustapha, was a renowned Islamic scholar, and Bukar's mentor. The owner does not recall the length of time the book has been with him, but he is certain that it has been with him no less than 15 years.This manuscript is a collection of Ibn ʿĀshur's poems in Arabic with extensive explicatory glosses in Kanuri Ajami. The Arabic text is written in a regular poetic style. This text is one of the famous works on Islamic jurisprudence, especially in the Mālikī School. Considered by most as an intermediate mid-level work on classical Islamic education in Nigeria, the text is a collection of poems addressing rulings on various forms of Islamic rituals. The text includes an introduction to the work, details on the kinds of ritual purifications necessary before engaging in spiritual rituals, ablution, required prayers, fasting, alms giving, and pilgrimage. Similar texts with glosses in Kanuri, Hausa, Fulfulde, and Tamashek exist. The text has no publication date. It is numbered. It is a complete unbound copy and is in good condition.The contents of this collection were developed with support of the Title VI National Resource Center grant # P015A180164 from the U.S. Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government
Ecological Finance and Sustainable Environmental Management in Listed Nigerian Real Estate Institutions
No full textAs environmental challenges intensify globally, ecological finance has emerged as a transformative instrument to promote eco-conscious practices, particularly in sectors with high environmental footprints such as real estate. This study investigates ecological finance on sustainable environmental management within Nigeria’s listed real estate institutions. The study categorizes ecological finance into ecological funds, ecological support, ecological rights and ecological interests. Drawing from the Triple Bottom Line and Environmental Economics theories. A quantitative ex-post facto design was adopted using panel data from ten listed Nigerian real estate firms between for the period of ten (10) years 2015 to 2024. The results, analyzed using STATA, reveal that all ecological finance components have significant positive effects on sustainable environmental management, with ecological rights exerting the strongest influence. Correlation and regression analyses affirm the robustness of the findings, while heteroskedasticity and multicollinearity checks validate the model’s reliability. The study concludes that ecological finance is vital for enhancing environmental resilience and aligning real estate development with national and global sustainability targets. It recommends regulatory reforms, stakeholder education and tailored ecological finance products to strengthen adoption and drive green urban transformation in Nigeria’s real estate sector
Climate Change and Economic Growth in Nigeria: Moderating Effect of Tax Reform
No full textClimate change presents significant challenges to Nigeria\u27s economic growth, primarily through temperature anomalies, rainfall variability and deforestation. This study examines how tax reforms can moderate these environmental impacts, ensuring economic stability and sustainability. Using multiple regression and heteroskedasticity-robust regression models, the study analyzes the relationship between climate change indicators and GDP growth. Findings reveal that rainfall variability negatively affects economic performance, while temperature anomalies and deforestation exhibit mixed effects. Tax reforms as an interacting variable moderating role, influencing how environmental factors impact economic outcomes. Interaction analyses indicate that well-structured tax policies can either amplify or mitigate environmental risks, reinforcing the need for balanced fiscal approaches. The study underscores the importance of adaptive climate policies, sustainable tax frameworks and economic diversification to enhance resilience against climate change. Informing policymakers on optimizing tax structures for sustainable development, the research contributes to the ongoing discourse on balancing economic growth and environmental responsibility. The findings also offer valuable insights for businesses and investors navigating Nigeria’s evolving economic landscape in response to climate change challenges
Two decades of neuroscience publication trends in Africa
No full textAbstract: Neuroscience research in Africa remains sparse. Devising new policies to boost Africa’s neuroscience landscape is imperative, but these must be based on accurate data on research outputs which is largely lacking. Such data must reflect the heterogeneity of research environments across the continent’s 54 countries. Here, we analyse neuroscience publications affiliated with African institutions between 1996 and 2017. Of 12,326 PubMed indexed publications, 5,219 show clear evidence that the work was performed in Africa and led by African-based researchers - on average ~5 per country and year. From here, we extract information on journals and citations, funding, international coauthorships and techniques used. For reference, we also extract the same metrics from 220 randomly selected publications each from the UK, USA, Australia, Japan and Brazil. Our dataset provides insights into the current state of African neuroscience research in a global context
An approach to failure prediction in a cloud based environment
No full textYesFailure in a cloud system is defined as an even that occurs when the delivered service deviates from the correct intended behavior. As the cloud computing systems continue to grow in scale and complexity, there is an urgent need for cloud service providers (CSP) to guarantee a reliable on-demand resource to their customers in the presence of faults thereby fulfilling their service level agreement (SLA). Component failures in cloud systems are very familiar phenomena. However, large cloud service providers' data centers should be designed to provide a certain level of availability to the business system. Infrastructure-as-a-service (Iaas) cloud delivery model presents computational resources (CPU and memory), storage resources and networking capacity that ensures high availability in the presence of such failures. The data in-production-faults recorded within a 2 years period has been studied and analyzed from the National Energy Research Scientific computing center (NERSC). Using the real-time data collected from the Computer Failure Data Repository (CFDR), this paper presents the performance of two machine learning (ML) algorithms, Linear Regression (LR) Model and Support Vector Machine (SVM) with a Linear Gaussian kernel for predicting hardware failures in a real-time cloud environment to improve system availability. The performance of the two algorithms have been rigorously evaluated using K-folds cross-validation technique. Furthermore, steps and procedure for future studies has been presented. This research will aid computer hardware companies and cloud service providers (CSP) in designing a reliable fault-tolerant system by providing a better device selection, thereby improving system availability and minimizing unscheduled system downtime
African Neuroscience on the Global Stage: Nigeria as a Model
No full textSeveral challenges contribute to Africa’s trailing position in the global production of knowledge. Decades of focused work through international and local programmes have thus far been unable to lift the continent onto its scientific feet. To learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of neuroscience research carried out on the continent today, that would enable the development of robust programmes focusing on specific needs, a strategy is required to extract information about specific contributions of African laboratories. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is among the top beneficiaries of international programmes promoting neuroscience research in Africa. Therefore, to establish and test a framework for evaluating neuroscience output from the continent, we here focussed on Nigeria’s neuroscience publications over the past two decades. Using PubMed key-word search and defined exclusion criteria, we extracted 572 neuroscience articles from Nigeria-based laboratories published between 1996 and 2017. Articles were automatically categorised into clinical and epidemiological studies (55.5%) or basic neuroscience (44.5%) using a support vector machine and decision tree algorithm. From here, we extracted each publication’s use of model species, methods, citations received and the publishing journal’s metrics.
We find that over the 21 year period surveyed, only one Nigerian-led neuroscience paper was published in a “top-tier” international journal with an impact factor of >8. However, about half (55%) of PubMed indexed articles were published in reputable journals with an impact factor between 1-4. These publications primarily comprised basic (61%), rather than clinical and epidemiological studies (39%) which were instead mostly published in lower-ranking journals. Next, we find a worrying account of model species and research tools employed in Nigerian-based neuroscience. For example, no studies used genetically amenable model systems such as zebrafish, Drosophila, C.elegans, or transgenic mouse strains. Instead, popular model species were human (54%), rat (30%) and wild-type mice (11%). In line, research techniques employed were dominated by “basic” techniques such as Hematoxylin and Eosin stainings or classical behavioural analysis, with only 8% of studies using more modern techniques like PCR, Western blotting or forms of fluorescence microscopy. Perhaps as one consequence, even though medicinal plants have been used to treat diseases for decades by locals, and 41% of basic neuroscience studies investigated their potential utility in treating disease, none made it into local clinical research.
Together, these findings highlight two clear access points for the support of Nigerian neuroscience in the future: Investment in the training and infrastructure in the use of more modern research techniques, and the widespread promotion of genetically amenable model species. Moreover, any such effort might consider specifically targeting existing basic over clinical or epidemiological research efforts. In time, it will be important to also assess the neuroscience output across the entire continent
African Neuroscience on the Global Stage Nigeria as a Model
No full textSupplemental Materials: https://osf.io/2eg5m/Several challenges contribute to Africa’s trailing position in the global production of knowledge. Decades of focused work through international and local programmes have thus far been unable to lift the continent onto its scientific feet. To learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of neuroscience research carried out on the continent today, that would enable the development of robust programmes focusing on specific needs, a strategy is required to extract information about specific contributions of African laboratories. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is among the top beneficiaries of international programmes promoting neuroscience research in Africa. Therefore, to establish and test a framework for evaluating neuroscience output from the continent, we here focussed on Nigeria’s neuroscience publications over the past two decades. Using PubMed key-word search and defined exclusion criteria, we extracted 572 neuroscience articles from Nigeria-based laboratories published between 1996 and 2017. Articles were automatically categorised into clinical and epidemiological studies (55.5%) or basic neuroscience (44.5%) using a support vector machine and decision tree algorithm. From here, we extracted each publication’s use of model species, methods, citations received and the publishing journal’s metrics. We find that over the 21 year period surveyed, only one Nigerian-led neuroscience paper was published in a “top-tier” international journal with an impact factor of >8. However, about half (55%) of PubMed indexed articles were published in reputable journals with an impact factor between 1-4. These publications primarily comprised basic (61%), rather than clinical and epidemiological studies (39%) which were instead mostly published in lower-ranking journals. Next, we find a worrying account of model species and research tools employed in Nigerian-based neuroscience. For example, no studies used genetically amenable model systems such as zebrafish, Drosophila, C.elegans, or transgenic mouse strains. Instead, popular model species were human (54%), rat (30%) and wild-type mice (11%). In line, research techniques employed were dominated by “basic” techniques such as Hematoxylin and Eosin stainings or classical behavioural analysis, with only 8% of studies using more modern techniques like PCR, Western blotting or forms of fluorescence microscopy. Perhaps as one consequence, even though medicinal plants have been used to treat diseases for decades by locals, and 41% of basic neuroscience studies investigated their potential utility in treating disease, none made it into local clinical research. Together, these findings highlight two clear access points for the support of Nigerian neuroscience in the future: Investment in the training and infrastructure in the use of more modern research techniques, and the widespread promotion of genetically amenable model species. Moreover, any such effort might consider specifically targeting existing basic over clinical or epidemiological research efforts. In time, it will be important to also assess the neuroscience output across the entire continent
African Neuroscience on the Global Stage: Nigeria as a Model
No full textSeveral challenges contribute to Africa’s trailing position in the global production of knowledge. Decades of focused work through international and local programmes have thus far been unable to lift the continent onto its scientific feet. To learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of neuroscience research carried out on the continent today, that would enable the development of robust programmes focusing on specific needs, a strategy is required to extract information about specific contributions of African laboratories. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is among the top beneficiaries of international programmes promoting neuroscience research in Africa. Therefore, to establish and test a framework for evaluating neuroscience output from the continent, we here focussed on Nigeria’s neuroscience publications over the past two decades. Using PubMed key-word search and defined exclusion criteria, we extracted 572 neuroscience articles from Nigeria-based laboratories published between 1996 and 2017. Articles were automatically categorised into clinical and epidemiological studies (55.5%) or basic neuroscience (44.5%) using a support vector machine and decision tree algorithm. From here, we extracted each publication’s use of model species, methods, citations received and the publishing journal’s metrics.
We find that over the 21 year period surveyed, only one Nigerian-led neuroscience paper was published in a “top-tier” international journal with an impact factor of >8. However, about half (55%) of PubMed indexed articles were published in reputable journals with an impact factor between 1-4. These publications primarily comprised basic (61%), rather than clinical and epidemiological studies (39%) which were instead mostly published in lower-ranking journals. Next, we find a worrying account of model species and research tools employed in Nigerian-based neuroscience. For example, no studies used genetically amenable model systems such as zebrafish, Drosophila, C.elegans, or transgenic mouse strains. Instead, popular model species were human (54%), rat (30%) and wild-type mice (11%). In line, research techniques employed were dominated by “basic” techniques such as Hematoxylin and Eosin stainings or classical behavioural analysis, with only 8% of studies using more modern techniques like PCR, Western blotting or forms of fluorescence microscopy. Perhaps as one consequence, even though medicinal plants have been used to treat diseases for decades by locals, and 41% of basic neuroscience studies investigated their potential utility in treating disease, none made it into local clinical research.
Together, these findings highlight two clear access points for the support of Nigerian neuroscience in the future: Investment in the training and infrastructure in the use of more modern research techniques, and the widespread promotion of genetically amenable model species. Moreover, any such effort might consider specifically targeting existing basic over clinical or epidemiological research efforts. In time, it will be important to also assess the neuroscience output across the entire continent
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE AMONGST SICKLE CELL ANAEMIA PATIENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI TEACHING HOSPITAL, NORTH EASTERN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS
No full textABSTRACT
Introduction: Involvement of the kidneys in patient with sickle cell anaemia is a well recognized chronic complication of this disorder. The index study seeks to determine the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in patients with homozygous sickle cell disease (HbSS) and to identify risk factors associated with its development.
Methodology: The subjects consisted of adolescents and adults with HbSS recruited sequentially from the adult haematology outpatient clinic and Day care ward of the unit. Clinical variables including age of diagnosis of SCA, frequency of vaso-occlusive crisis and transfusion therapy, as well as laboratory data including haematological profile, renal function test were obtained from routine blood result. The glomerular filtration rate was estimated (eGFR) using the ‘modification of diet in renal disease’ (MDRD) formula..
Results: Two hundred and eighty-four HbSS patients were recruited. The prevalence of CKD amongst them was 38.9%. Further stratification of the patients based on eGFR showed that sixty-nine (26.8%) had hyperfiltration; 35 (13.6%) stage 1 CKD; 53 (20.6%) stage 2 CKD; 61 (23.7%) stage 3 CKD; 30 (11.7%) stage 4 CKD and 9 (3.5%) had end stage renal disease. There was significant association between eGFR and clinical parameters such as age (r -0.353, p=0.000), SBP (r -0.148, p= 0.021), DBP (r -0.213, p=0.001) and total number of blood received (r -0.276, p=0.000); and laboratory parameters such as PCV (r 0.371, p=0.000); urea ( r 0.527, p=000 ); creatinine (r 0.625, p=0.000) and uric acid ( r -0.419, p=0.000).
Conclusion
The present study has revealed a high prevalence of CKD amongst patients with SCA in this region. Various clinical and laboratory predictors of eGFR were also identified. Monitoring and detection of early stages of these groups of patients may allow for interventions which may delay progression into advance stages and ESRD
