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AMINU SHEHU

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Papers by AMINU SHEHU

DSTATCOM placement in distribution systems using weighted Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm

2017 IEEE 3rd International Conference on Electro-Technology for National Development (NIGERCON)

This paper presents a weighted Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm (wAFSA) based model for placement ... more This paper presents a weighted Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm (wAFSA) based model for placement of Distribution Static Compensator (DSTATCOM) in distribution systems. The bus injected to branch current technique (BIBC) has been employed for direct power flow analysis. A multi-objective function to minimize active losses and bus voltage deviation subject to satisfying the network constraints has been formulated for use in the wAFSA. The approach is evaluated on the Standard IEEE 33-bus test network and validated against harmony search algorithm (HSA) technique for steady-state constant load analysis. The results demonstrated significant improvement of the wAFSA model with a 28.96% reduction in total active power loss and a 43.11% improvement in overall system voltage profile. Against the HSA, the wAFSA approach achieved a 0.27% loss reduction and 5.15% voltage profile improvement.

Innovative Nanotechnology a Boon for Fight Against Pandemic COVID–19

Frontiers in Nanotechnology, 2021

COVID – 19 is a contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV2). The r... more COVID – 19 is a contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV2). The rate at which COVID – 19-virus spread from epidemic to pandemic within a short period is quite alarming. As of July 2020, the Dashboard of the World Health Organization (WHO) recorded over 15 million COVID – 19 cases across 213 countries, with mortality of over 620,000. The governments and healthcare agencies responsible for mitigating the virus's spread have adopted several strategies to end the pandemic. However, all hands were on deck to establish the standard treatment modalities of SARS-CoV-2 through inventing new drugs, vaccine candidates, or repurposing the existing medicines and robust diagnostic tools, in addition to other technological innovations. Therefore, nanotechnology’s employment would play a vital role in bringing multidisciplinary ways of developing affordable, reliable, and powerful tools for diagnosis, in addition to personal protection and effective medicines. Ad...

Land suitability evaluation for maize (Zea mays) production in selected sites of the Mid-Benue valley, Nigeria

International Journal of Agricultural Policy and Research, 2016

A detailed soil survey was conducted in four locations of Mid-Benue Valley (Central Niger-Benue T... more A detailed soil survey was conducted in four locations of Mid-Benue Valley (Central Niger-Benue Trough) namely: Dura Floodplain (DR), Dogo, Katsina-Ala River Bank (DG), Mu River Basin (MU) and University of Agriculture Makurdi Teaching and Research Farm (UAM) all in Benue state. The area is located within Latitude 7 o 23' and 07 o 44'N and Longitude 008 o 9'E and 009 o 12'E covering an estimated area of 3250 km 2. The aim was to evaluate the suitability of the soils for the production of maize and to have a detailed soil data base for effective land use planning. Critical land and soil requirements for maize were collected from past research works and compared with data obtained from field survey. The result showed that the upper horizons of pedons ranged from clay loam to sandy loam; DR1 and MU1 have clay loam which is optimal for maize cultivation. The pH was moderate acid, 5.48 to 5.95. The organic carbon content of the soil was highest in the surface horizons (0.45-1.63 %) and decreases down the profile with least values for UAM1 and UAM11 (0.19-0.45 %). The available Phosphorus, Exchangeable bases and CEC were generally low. Although land characteristics such as mean annual rainfall and temperature, relative humidity, topography, coarse fragments and base saturation were not major limitations to the production of maize, there was no highly suitable (S1) land for maize cultivation in the area. Sites DG1 (Dogo 1) and UAM1 (University of Agriculture Makurdi 1) were marginally suitable (S3tf) due to topography limitations; the lowlands of MU1 (MU1) with the depression land of DR1 (Dura 1) were marginally suitable (S3wf) due to flooding limitation and low nutrients levels while the midland of UAM11 (University of Agriculture Makurdi 11) was as well limited by its imperfect drainage into marginally suitable (S3wf) subclass for maize production. Thus, the lowland soils (DR/MU) were generally limited by wetness while the uplands (DG/UAM) were limited by their textural arrangements. To raise the productivity level of both lands for optimal maize production, management techniques such as continuous organic matter incorporation and mineral fertilizers application (to adjust the textures and boast fertility levels in the uplands), and efficient of use of mineral fertilizers with low levels of chemical inputs with adaption of appropriate irrigation techniques (in lowlands) would make dry season farming sustainable.

Characteristics of Different Type of Coarse Aggregate on Properties of High Performance Concrete

The weakest links of conventional cement concrete is often occurred at the transition zone around... more The weakest links of conventional cement concrete is often occurred at the transition zone around coarse aggregate particles and the bulk of the compressive load is also borne by the cement paste. However, in special concrete such as High Strength Concrete (HSC) and High Performance Concrete (HPC) where, the water/cement ratio is low and high content of cement constitute their characteristics, the bulk compressive load is borne by the aggregate. Therefore, the failure in such concrete is mostly through the aggregate. This study discussed the characteristics of different type of coarse aggregate with distinct size range, 20-14mm and 10-5mm on properties of high performance concrete. In this project, investigation such as Slump test and Unit weight were carried out on fresh properties, and also compressive strength and water absorption on hardened properties, in which, readings were taken at curing days of 7 days, 14 days, and 28 days. The water to cement ratio used is 0.35, 1% super ...

Land Suitability Classification for Maize Production in Basawa, Sabon Gari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria

All thanks goes to Almighty Allah (SWT) who gave me the opportunity, wisdom, knowledge and health... more All thanks goes to Almighty Allah (SWT) who gave me the opportunity, wisdom, knowledge and health to undertake this work. I wish to acknowledge my supervisors Dr. B. Abdulkarim and Dr. A.K. Usman. They have really tried for me despite all the tight schedules. I equally acknowledge the contribution of my teachers and colleagues at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria whom supported in the data collection and analysis which includes Mr.

Review on Optimization of Oral Bioavailability of Phyllanthin, Alignan Component of Phyllanthus Amarus Schum and Thonn Using Novel Drug Delivery System

Phyllanthus amarus is a widespread tropical plant, used for many years as the native medicine, wh... more Phyllanthus amarus is a widespread tropical plant, used for many years as the native medicine, which was found to be effective against many ailments. Researchers found the plant to be a rich source of Phyllanthin, a lignin compound isolated from the areal part of the plant, which known to be the biochemical marker of Phyllanthus amarus. Phyllanthin found effective against diabetics, liver abnormalities, cancer, et al. it was reported to exhibiting low oral bioavailability due to poor water solubility. Therefore, there isa need to optimize oral bioavailability of the compound using novel drug delivery system in order to develop aliphatic drugsfor better health care. The study focused on studying various options adopted to enhance the oral bioavailability of Phyllanthin and to open a gateway for novel drug discovery. The research summarized articles published in various journals of publications for the past two decades. The study concluded that, various techniques of a novel drug deli...

Water Vendors Participation in Domestic Water Supply in Unguwa Uku, Tarauni Local Government, Kano State, Nigeria

FUDMA JOURNAL OF SCIENCES, 2021

Water vending is seen as a signing of a failure in piped-borne water supply systems, it still pla... more Water vending is seen as a signing of a failure in piped-borne water supply systems, it still plays significant role in providing water especially to urban dwellers in many parts of developing countries, Nigeria inclusive. Therefore, this study examined water vendors participation in domestic water supply in Unguwa Uku, Tarauni LGA Kano state. The data used in this research collected from both primary and secondary sources. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, where simple percentages and tables used. The data analysis revealed that 57.4% of the residents in the study area patronized the services of water vendors. Patronage of vendor service dominated the frequency with 64.9% of respondent’s patronage of vended water. Seasonal variation in vended water supply patterns exist in the study area, with dry season account for the highest water demand and most supplies occurred during morning and evening hours. Based on the challenges bedevilled water-vending a...

Nose-To-Brain Delivery, a Route of Choice for Targeting Brain Tumors

International Journal of Applied Pharmaceutics, 2021

Brain tumours are the most lethal type of cancer, which is difficult to manage due to the inheren... more Brain tumours are the most lethal type of cancer, which is difficult to manage due to the inherent suboptimal bioavailability of the chemotherapy agent at tumour sites, consequent of high levels of protection of physiological blood-brain barrier (BBB), blood tumour barrier (BTB) and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (CSF). Improving the permeability of these barriers would enhance the disease's clinical prognosis and promote patients' quality of life. To this end, scientists have conducted several studies to determine the most suitable route for CNS delivery. Most of which show that the nose-to-brain is proposed to be the most convenient, efficacious and clinically beneficial non-invasive means of delivering chemotherapeutic agents directly to the brain. Therefore, this study compares the therapeutic benefits of intranasal and other conventional brain delivery systems and further evaluates the clinical benefits of using different nanocarriers for brain tumour targeting. Howe...

Promising Contributions of Nanotechnologyin Fight against COVID 19

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID -19 a pandemic on March 11, since then, scient... more The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID -19 a pandemic on March 11, since then, scientists have been working tirelessly to develop drugs and vaccines against it. Unfortunately, yet there is no approved drug or vaccine available for the treatment of the virus. More so, developing effective antiviral and vaccine against COVID 19 remains a major challenge. However, numerous NPs is known to have possessed an inherit antiviral effect and they have been utilized as a promising carrier for effective targeted delivery with low side effect/adverse effect. Perhaps, exploring the concept of nanotechnology in battling COVID 19 will ensure an excellent therapeutic prognosis. The review focus on emphasizing the need to explore the concept of nanotechnology as a gold possibility that could potentiate the world to win the fight against COVID -19.

Study of the residual nuclei generation in a massive lead target irradiated with 660 MeV protons

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 2020

A massive lead spallation target was irradiated with 660 MeV protons to generate a secondary neut... more A massive lead spallation target was irradiated with 660 MeV protons to generate a secondary neutron field. The field was studied via measurement of the residual nuclei generation in the lead activation samples located inside the target. Experimental results were compared with the Monte Carlo simulations using Geant4 and MCNPX 2.7.0 codes. The comparison shows a general agreement between experiment and simulation and thus serves as a validation of the utilized codes, high-energy nuclear models (ICLXX_HP, BIC_HP, BERT_HP, and INCL4.2) and nuclear data libraries (ENDF/B-VII.1), which can be used for the development of the subcritical accelerator-driven systems in the future.

Am-241 incineration measurements with activation method in the QUINTA neutron field

EPJ Web of Conferences, 2019

Am-241 sample was irradiated in spallation neutrons produced in ADS setup QUINTA at the JINR in D... more Am-241 sample was irradiated in spallation neutrons produced in ADS setup QUINTA at the JINR in Dubna. The energy was 660 MeV in the proton beam. The incineration study method was based on gamma-ray spectrometry. During the analysis of the spectra, several fission products were identified. Fission product activities yielded the number of fissions. Nevertheless, the lines are assumed to belong to the neutron capture product covered by parasitic Np-238 decay lines. The Np-238 lines as a result of neutron capture by Np-237 made impossible to determine the number of captures in Am-241.

Invasive Meningococcal Meningitis Serogroup C Outbreak in Northwest Nigeria, 2015 - Third Consecutive Outbreak of a New Strain

PLoS currents, Jan 7, 2016

In northwest Nigeria in 2013 and 2014, two sequential, localized outbreaks of meningitis were cau... more In northwest Nigeria in 2013 and 2014, two sequential, localized outbreaks of meningitis were caused by a new strain of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C (NmC). In 2015, an outbreak caused by the same novel NmC strain occurred over a wider geographical area, displaying different characteristics to the previous outbreaks. We describe cases treated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in the 2015 outbreak. From February 10 to June 8, 2015, data on cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) cases and deaths were recorded on standardized line-lists from case management sites supported by MSF. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from suspected cases at the beginning of the outbreak and throughout from suspected cases from new geographical areas were tested using rapid Pastorex® latex agglutination to determine causative serogroup. A subset of CSF samples was also inoculated into Trans-Isolate medium for testing by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Meningococci, Oslo. Reactive v...

Transmutation studies using SSNTD and radiochemistry and the associated production of secondary neutrons

Radiation Measurements, 1999

Experiments using 1.5 GeV, 3.7 GeV and 7.4 GeV protons from the Synchrophasotron, LHE, JINR, Dubn... more Experiments using 1.5 GeV, 3.7 GeV and 7.4 GeV protons from the Synchrophasotron, LHE, JINR, Dubna, Russia, on extended Pb-and U-targets were carried out using SSNTD and radiochemical sensors for the study of secondary neutron fluences. We also carried out first transmutation studies on the long-lived radwaste nuclei 12~I and 237Np. Ill addition, we carried out computer code simulation studies on these systems using LAHET and DCM/CEM codes. We have difficulties to understand rather large transmutation rates observed experimentally when they are compared with computer simulations. There seems to be a rather fundamental problem understanding the large transmutation rates as observed experimentally in Dubna and CERN, as compared to those theoretical computer simulations mentioned above.

Effect produced by the charge collection time upon the time and energy resolution of semiconductor detectors

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 1986

The effect produced by the charge collection time upon the time and energy resolution of semicond... more The effect produced by the charge collection time upon the time and energy resolution of semiconductor detectors has been studied. It is shown that sampling of pulse rise times permits one to identify in coaxial detectors a group of pulses corresponding to the detection of radiation in surface layers of the detector. Choosing pulses with the maximum rise time rate allows one to improve the time resolution of the coincidence spectrometer and achieve 2 • = 1.65 ns, instead of the 2 ~" = 5.50 ns for coincidences of the 1332 keV gamma line and fl-particles from 6o Co.

Transmutation of 129I and 237Np using spallation neutrons produced by 1.5, 3.7 and 7.4GeV protons

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 2001

First experiments on transmutation studies of129I and237Np using relativistic protons of 3.7 GeV

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 1997

Decay of 152Tb and E0 and M1+E0 transitions in 152Gd

Czechoslovak Journal of Physics, 1999

The decay of 152Tb has been investigated by means of measurements of singles ~,-spectra and ~,-ga... more The decay of 152Tb has been investigated by means of measurements of singles ~,-spectra and ~,-gamma coincidence experiment. The 704 transitions were observed, of which 347 were identified to the decay of 152Tb for the first time. Using the more precise and full data about intensities of gammatransitions and previously reported conversion electron intensities the E0 or MI + E0 multipolarities were established for several transitions. The revised decay scheme consists of about one hundred excited levels from which 46 levels were introduced for the first time. I.

Graphene based microstrip patch antenna using multiple slots for X and Ku band applications

Special Issue of the 4th International Symposium on Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology (iSAMN 2020)

Revelation of an important weakness in polio elimination efforts in Nigeria: a descriptive cross-sectional study of nomadic dynamics in Sokoto and Taraba States, May 2013

The Pan African medical journal, 2021

Introduction: Operational gaps in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative implementation had been... more Introduction: Operational gaps in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative implementation had been partly responsible for inadequate population immunity and the continued transmission of wild poliovirus in Nigeria before the African Region was declared polio-free in 2020. Missed opportunities to provide services in nomadic populations due to frequent mobility, lack of inclusion in microplans and the remoteness of their settlements were the major challenges. During May 2013 we conducted immunization outreach to nomadic and other underserved communities in Rabah LGA, Sokoto state, and Ardo Kola LGA, Taraba state, in Nigeria to identify and vaccinate children missed during supplemental immunization activities while identifying missed acute flaccid paralysis cases. Methods: An enumeration checklist and data collection instruments on Android cell phones were used to capture socio-demographic data and GPS coordinates on nomadic settlements, households, number of children aged &lt;5 years, children previously missed for vaccination and their locations. Local guides led trained enumerators to underserved communities for the enumeration and vaccination. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2007. Results: A total of 324 settlements were listed for the two states, and 111 (34.3%) of these were identified as missed when compared with microplanning for the most recent SIA. In these settlements, 3,533 households and 9,385 children aged &lt;5 years were listed. We administered oral poliovirus vaccine to all 1,946 missed children during the recent or any supplemental immunization activities. Of these, 527 (27.1%) had never been vaccinated. We found no missed acute flaccid paralysis cases. Conclusion: Nomadic populations continue to be underserved, especially for vaccination services. This results in pockets of populations with low herd immunity and increased risk for poliovirus transmission. Community leaders and nomadic settlements should be included in the micro-planning of all supplemental immunization activities to ensure all children receive vaccination services.

Intranasal Delivery in Managing Antibiotic Resistance in ‘Brain Infections’

International Journal of Current Pharmaceutical Research, 2022

According to World Health Organization, WHO, antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats ... more According to World Health Organization, WHO, antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security and development today. The means of delivering antibiotics to treat several brain infections, especially meningitis and encephalitis, have been inherently difficult, due to the presence of highly protective physiological barriers, mainly the blood-brain barrier (BBB), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that impairs the efficacy and bioavailability of antibiotics from reaching the susceptive organism. Many attempts have been made to optimize the therapeutic prognosis of such infections through the parenteral and intrathecal route of administration. These alternative routes have incited inadequate efficacy along with associated adverse effects. However, scientists have now considered the intranasal route (non-invasive) as a breakthrough to such inherent challenges. Moreover, several in vivo and ex vivo studies suggested evidence of the effectiveness of nose-to-brain ...