Skyline University Nigeria

Knowledgebase & Articles

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Quantum Computing are two transformative technologies shaping the future of science, industry, and information systems. AI focuses on developing intelligent systems capable of learning, reasoning, and decision-making, while quantum computing leverages the principles of quantum mechanics—such as superposition and entanglement—to perform computations far beyond the capabilities of classical computers. As the complexity of data and computational problems continues to increase, the integration of AI with quantum computing is emerging as a powerful interdisciplinary field that can revolutionize problem-solving across domains such as healthcare, finance, cybersecurity, and scientific research.

Innovation in Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence has advanced rapidly through developments in machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing, and neural networks. These technologies enable computers to analyze massive datasets, detect patterns, and make predictions with high accuracy. Recent innovations in AI include generative AI models, reinforcement learning, and autonomous decision-making systems. AI systems are now capable of optimizing complex processes, improving automation, and supporting intelligent analytics in areas such as medical diagnosis, climate modeling, and smart infrastructure. The growth of AI has also increased the demand for faster and more efficient computing systems, which has opened new opportunities for quantum technologies.

 Relationship Between AI and Quantum Computing

AI and quantum computing are closely interconnected and mutually supportive. Quantum computers can potentially accelerate AI algorithms by processing large-scale data and performing complex optimizations at unprecedented speeds. For example, quantum machine learning algorithms can enhance pattern recognition, data clustering, and predictive analytics.

Conversely, AI can help improve quantum computing itself. Machine learning techniques are used to optimize quantum circuits, reduce noise in quantum hardware, and improve error correction methods. AI-driven models can also assist researchers in discovering new quantum algorithms and materials for building stable quantum processors. This symbiotic relationship creates a new research field known as Quantum Artificial Intelligence (QAI), where AI techniques are applied to quantum systems and quantum computing enhances AI capabilities.

Applications and Emerging Impact

The integration of AI with quantum computing has the potential to transform several sectors. In healthcare, quantum-enhanced AI can accelerate drug discovery and genomic analysis. In cybersecurity, quantum algorithms combined with AI can strengthen encryption and threat detection. Financial institutions may use quantum-AI models to optimize portfolios and risk analysis. Similarly, climate science, logistics, and materials science can benefit from faster simulations and predictive models enabled by this technological convergence.

Conclusion

The convergence of Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing represents one of the most promising frontiers in modern technology. AI contributes intelligent algorithms and data-driven decision making, while quantum computing provides immense computational power to solve complex problems that classical computers struggle to address. Together, these technologies have the potential to reshape scientific discovery, industrial innovation, and digital infrastructure in the coming decades. Continued research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and responsible technological development will be essential to fully harness the transformative potential of AI-driven quantum computing.

References

  1. Nielsen, M. A., & Chuang, I. L. (2010). Quantum Computation and Quantum Information. Cambridge University Press.
  2. Biamonte, J., et al. (2017). Quantum machine learning. Nature, 549(7671), 195–202.
  3. Schuld, M., & Petruccione, F. (2018). Supervised Learning with Quantum Computers. Springer.
  4. Preskill, J. (2018). Quantum computing in the NISQ era and beyond. Quantum, 2, 79.
  5. Dunjko, V., & Briegel, H. (2018). Machine learning and artificial intelligence in the quantum domain. Reports on Progress in Physics, 81(7).                                                                                Written by,Dr. A. Senthilkumar, Dean, School of Science and Information Technology,   Skyline University Nigeria

The World in the 21st Century

Globalization and the advancements in ICT after the Second World War (WW II)  has  knitted and interconnected countries and rendered territorial boundaries void, thereby expanding the constitutive role of the United Nations (UN). Today, terrorism, climate change, cybercrime, drug trafficking, illegal migration, and trafficking in persons, among others, are global issues that a single state cannot solve, but must be resolved through the collective efforts of states. The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic first broke out in Wuhan, China, but as of April 13, 2022, 14:13 GMT, Worldometer reported that 501,406,088 people were affected, with 6,210,759 deaths across the globe. Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye described the interconnection of the states as a complex dependency. In a world of complex interdependence, the policies, actions, and inactions of one state might have a profound effect on another or other states in the world. With the increased interdependence of states, many concepts and events in the world are experiencing a shift in meaning. For instance, there is a shift in understanding from absolute to relative sovereignty. Sovereignty refers to the right and authority of a state to exercise total control over its own affairs without any form of external interference. What states held tenaciously was absolute sovereignty, barring any form of external intervention of any sort. But the concept is shifting in meaning from absolutism to relativism. Simonovic (2002) argues that the traditional absolute sovereignty principle of noninterference in the “internal affairs of a state” is being challenged by the international community’s belief in its “responsibility to protect” the world’s citizens from persecution, large-scale human rights abuses, and other suffering. Today, no state can say that it has complete control over its own affairs without being influenced by outside forces in some way. There is also a shift in the conception of nationalism to internationalism. Nationalism is understood to be one’s love for his nation. But the notion has given way to internationalism. People now see themselves not only as citizens of a particular country, but as global citizens. Humanity is seen as general regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, and country of residence. In a complex, interdependent world, an injury to one country or society is regarded as an injury to all peoples of the world. The global outrage over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shows how humanity is cared for, regardless of territorial boundary. Foreign policies used to be rather basic, largely limited to imports and exports. Agriculture, fiscal aid, terrorism, the environment, health, and education are all areas where today’s foreign policies have grown dramatically. Most institutions around the world aspire to engage in practices that are globally accepted and commonly referred to as “global best practices.” Interdependence has made educational institutions and their services reflect not only domestic need but also global exigency. Skyline University Nigeria was established in 2018 and is leaving to the reality of the 21st century where states are complexly interdependent, thereby preparing students to not just be productive citizens of their respective countries, but responsible global citizens. This stems from the fact that any meaningful education that a college, university, or any educational institution provides must be to prepare students to favorably compete with their peers across the globe and also prepare them for not just their national challenges, but global challenges. As the African proverb says, “When the rhythm of the music changes, the dance steps must change also.” Globalization and ICT have reduced the world to a global village, states are complexly interdepended, everyone must brace up to the new reality.   References Simonovic, I (2002). Relative sovereignty of the twenty first century. Hastings International and Comparative Law Review, 25(5). https://repository.uchastings.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1569&context=hastings_int   ernational_comparative_law_review Keohane, R. O. & Nye, J. S. (1977). Power and Interdependence: World politics in transition. Boston: Little, Brown & Co. Keohane, R. O. & Nye, J. S. (1987). Power and Interdependence Revisited. International   Organization, 41, 725-753.   Nyam Elisha YAKUBU is a lecturer II in the Department of International Relations of the School of Arts, Management and Social Science in Skyline University Nigeria. He holds an M.Sc. in International Relations and Strategic Studies, from the University of Jos. You can join the conversation on Facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on Twitter @SkylineUNigeria

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Urban Computing and Its Applications in Our Society

The rapid development in population density in metropolitan cities has necessitates a reasonable provision of services and infrastructures to meet the needs of the residents. There is no doubt that the rapid urbanization has not only modernized many people lives and also improved their standard of living but also brought about major issues such as pollution, increased energy consumption, traffic congestion, natural disasters among others. Torres-Ruiz & Lytras [1] defined urban computing as the process of acquiring, integrating, and analyzing big and heterogeneous data generated by a variety of sources in urban spaces, such as sensors, devices, vehicles, buildings, and humans. Urban computing brings together inconspicuous and ubiquitous sensing technologies, powerful data management and analytics models, and unique visualization approaches to provide win-win-win solutions that improve the urban environment, human life quality, and city operations systems. Urban computing also aids in the understanding of urban phenomena and even the forecasting of futures cities. Urban computing is an interdisciplinary field that combines computing science with traditional fields such as transportation, civil engineering, business, ecology, and sociology. The application of urban computing in the management of transportation is one of the most significant application in urban computing. The amount of information generated today in the transport sector is massive which is where BigData, an aspect of urban computing comes into play. The data collected is analyzed and used to improve the different aspects in the transport sector which is the goal of having a smooth smart transport services with high efficiency, increased level of travel experience and cost effectiveness [2] [3]. Moreover, air pollution is one of the problems brought about by urbanization of our cities and there have been different proposals by governments on addressing the issue like building air quality stations but the problem still lingers because of factors like land uses, traffic volume and meteorology. The application of urban computing in addressing it is now getting attention with several studies being conducted in this area. An example of such studies is carried out by Zheng  et. al [4], where the authors introduced a cloud-based knowledge discovery system that infers real-time and fine-grained air quality information across a city based on historical and real-time air quality data given by existing monitor stations and a number of data sources observed around the city such as point of interest (POI), human mobility, traffic flow, meteorology, road network structures. Other areas where urban computing have been applied is the housing and real estate sector as discussed in several studies [5], [6], health sector also as discussed in [7], [8], environment sector especially in disaster management as discussed in several studies [9], [10], [11] among others. Recent advancements in wireless communications, smart gadgets, and social computing applications have enable new urban sensing and management opportunities. In summary, urban computing is an interdisciplinary discipline that investigates how real-time technology may help us better understand our cities while also imagining ways in which these technologies can improve them. REFERENCES Torres-Ruiz, Miguel & Lytras, Miltiadis. (2016). Urban Computing and Smart Cities Applications for the Knowledge Society. International Journal of Knowledge Society Research. 7. 113-119. 10.4018/IJKSR.2016010108. Nagy, Albert & József, Tick. (2016). Improving transport management with big data analytics. 199-204. 10.1109/SISY.2016.7601497. Munizaga, Marcela. (2019). Big data and transport. 10.4337/9781788970204.00032. Zheng, Y., Liu, F., & Hsieh, H.-P. (2013). U-Air: When urban air quality inference meets big data. Proceedings of the 19th ACM SIGKDD International Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (pp. 1436–1444). ACM. doi:10.1145/2487575.2488188 Mohammed, Jibrin & Bello, M. & Saidu, Umar & Mohammed, Maikudi. (2018). A MODEL FOR INTEGRATED SMART REAL ESTATE. Barkham, Richard & Bokhari, Sheharyar & Saiz, Albert. (2022). Urban Big Data: City Management and Real Estate Markets. 10.1007/978-3-030-84459-2_10. Cook, Diane & Duncan, Glen & Sprint, Gina & Fritz, Roschelle. (2018). Using Smart City Technology to Make Healthcare Smarter. Proceedings of the IEEE. PP. 1-15. 10.1109/JPROC.2017.2787688. Cabo, Javier & Uceda, Jose & Muiños, Verónica & Lopez, Javier & De Castro Lozano, Carlos. (2018). Ubiquitous Computing and Its Applications in the Disease Management in a Ubiquitous City. Journal of Computer and Communications. 06. 19-42. 10.4236/jcc.2018.63002. Chaudhuri, Neha & Bose, Indranil. (2019). Application of Image Analytics for Disaster Response in Smart Cities. 10.24251/HICSS.2019.367. Hartama, Dedy & Zarlis, M & Sembiring, Rahmat Widia. (2017). Smart City: Utilization of IT resources to encounter natural disaster. Journal of Physics: Conference Series. 890. 012076. 10.1088/1742-6596/890/1/012076. You, Jianyi & Muhammad, Auwal & He, Xin & Xie, Tianqi & Wang, Zhiyuan & Fan, Xiaoliang & Yu, Zhiyong & Chen, Longbiao & Wang, Cheng. (2022). PANDA: predicting road risks after natural disasters leveraging heterogeneous urban data. CCF Transactions on Pervasive Computing and Interaction. 10.1007/s42486-022-00095-5.   Mr Muhammad Auwal Sagir is a lecturer at the Department of Computer Science, School of Sciences and Information Technology at Skyline University Nigeria. He obtained his MSc. Cloud Computing from University of Essex (UK). You can join the conversation on Facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on Twitter @SkylineUNigeria

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The Internet: Social Networking and Data Privacy Violations

Do you mind a stranger monitoring your digital life, I mean tracking your calls, mining videos, pictures, text messages, and all the sites explored on your smartphone? Have you ever thought of a mobile application that pries what you do in your private space? It could be a spy when you are not aware, but what if your permission is sought and granted, could it still be an offense? Perhaps yes when you don’t know the depth of personal information gathered about you before granting access. Advancement in the internet and internet of things technologies in a couple of decades has transformed information creation, dissemination, and consumption into a most flexible eased, and interesting experience. The unprecedented surge of the internet and the supportive internet-of-things resulted in agglutination and obsession with the technologies, particularly among teenagers and young adults who spent an hour navigating across a plethora of social media and none social media platforms to gratify their needs. It is quite a hard thing for the netizens to pass a day without exploring a social networking platform except perhaps they are eluded of connectivity. In some societies, excessive use of internet technologies poses the menace of social media addiction and fling such users into a pool of psychological and physical effects (Hughes, 2015). Social media as a key player in modern communication succeeded in shrinking the globe into a village that can be explored by mere “clicking” on a palm-size device. The sites are so pervasive that they penetrate virtually every home, organization, institution, and sector knitting social, business, educational, and religious domains. The sudden growth of social media comes with both benefits and losses as it becomes a prime target of cybercriminals, corporate bodies, and the platforms’ developers who work tirelessly strategizing ways of tapping users’ personal information for various criminal, commercial, and surveillance activities. Winseck, as summarized in Lyon, (2003), laments that valuable private information is generated in form of the user profile, customer details, or enrolment data while some of the systems are quite aware of the weakness of their data protection mechanisms. This situation is obtainable on virtually all social platforms. Installation and signing up for certain mobile applications require “agreeing to the term and condition” part of which you give the application access to your media, Text, and sound on your device. Media in this context means all videos, pictures, and audio information; Text comprised text messages, documents in text form, and symbols; and sound encompasses calls, recorded voices, downloaded voices, and all auditory information including those on other platforms. The ever-growing availability of big data; its spreading and the great impact it has on the human privacy risks prompted many companies to consider the integration of privacy requirements into their business model (CHI 2018, April 21–26, 2018, Montréal, QC, Canada), observes that, if you do not pay for a product, you are then the product (CHI 2018, April 21–26, 2018, Montréal, QC, Canada). Moreover, most social networking site subscribers use their mobile phones to access the platforms. According to 2022 research statistics, 98.5% access Facebook on their smartphones. Most cybernauts are destitute of the implication of exploring the sites on a smartphone, perhaps due to inadequate digital literacy, a behavior that often lands innocent cyber citizens into a barrage of unjustifiable abuse and violation of privacy. The greatest mistake users often make is accepting cookies and agreeing to the terms and conditions of the platforms without reading the content. Most social networking site users lack the understanding of the privacy policies and settings, hence, allowing default settings that are prone to multifaceted violations from the applications designers, cybercriminals, and desperate economic tycoons. Unfortunately, the terms and conditions composed by such platforms are intentionally designed with semantic noise, lousy construction, and vague to smear reading appetite. Moreover, users should frequently be checking and customizing privacy and security settings to avoid violations. Similarly, European Union (EU), the USA, and Canada have laws that govern social networking sites in their countries, to avoid any stinking experiences. Therefore, all countries need to sensitize social users of these platforms in their country so that they explore the depth of internet safety. Reference  Ackerman, S., & Schutte, K. (2015). Social Media as a Vector for Cyber Crime. www.clarkschaefer.com Aldhafferi, N., Watson, C., & Sajeev,  a S. M. (2013). Personal Information Privacy Settings of Online Social Networks and their Suitability for Mobile Internet Devices. International Journal of Security, Privacy and Trust Management, 2(2), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.5121/ijsptm.2013.2201 Calbalhin, J. P. (2019). Facebook User ’ s Data Security and Awareness : A Literature Review. Journal of Academic Research, 3(2), 0–13. Chewae, M., Hayikader, S., Hasan, M. H., & Ibrahim, J. (2015). How Much Privacy We Still Have on Social Network ? 5(1), 1–5. Das, B., & Sahoo, J. S. (2011). Social Networking Sites – A Critical Analysis of Its Impact on Personal and Social Life. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(14), 222–228. http://www.ijbssnet.com/journals/Vol._2_No._14;_July_2011/25.pdf Dey, K., & Mondal, P. (2019). Privacy awareness among the academic social network users. Library Philosophy and Practice, 2019(September). Finn, R. L., Wright, D., & Friedewald, M. (2013). Seven types of privacy. European Data Protection: Coming of Age, 3–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5170-5_1 Fourth Amendment Search and Seizure, Authenticated U.S. Government Information 1197 (1992). http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/rightofprivacy.html Holvast, J. (2007). History of privacy. The History of Information Security, 737–769. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-044451608-4/50028-6 How Apps on Android Share Data with Facebook. (2018). December. Hughes, R. L. D. (2015). Two concepts of privacy. Computer Law & Security Review, 31(4), 527–537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clsr.2015.05.010 Jin, G. Z. (2018). Artificial Intelligence and Consumer Privacy (No. 24253; NBER WORKING PAPER SERIES).   Mr. Bashiru Usman is working as a Lecturer in Skyline University Nigeria in the Department of Mass Communications. He has obtained a Masters’ Degree in Communication and Media Studies, Cyprus International University, Cyprus You can join the conversation on Facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on Twitter @SkylineUNigeria

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Negative Impact of Consuming Junk Foods

Introduction Junk food generally refers to eatables that contribute to monstrous calories but are of exceptionally little nutritional value. These are prepared foods, regularly high in salt, fat, and sugar. Due to this, they are moreover known as HFSS (tall in fat, salt and sugar) food. These food recipes are tasty and engaging, but as well much intake of junk food items can affect one’s health drastically. It can be a treat to the taste buds, but their sick impacts are broadly known. Consuming them routinely can have adverse impacts on your health and may cause irreparable harm to the body. Getting a fast snack on your way to work is the modern breakfast slant. Moreover, solid home-made dinners are supplanted by easily available foods from your favorite quick food items. Presently in modern days’ children and adults favor these foods and tend to satisfy their nutrition necessity. Whereas it may be only satisfying the taste for tongue, there’s exceptionally insignificant nutrition value in these junk foods.   What are junk foods? Any food with zero or negligible nutritional value high in fat and trans fat substance, can be named junk food. Most of the fast foods, including candy, chocolate, fried pies, soft drinks, pastries, pizza, cookies bakery products, crackers, burgers, Samosas, Bondas, Poorie-paratha-chapati (Indian food) etc.  along with salty and oily foods can be termed junk food. They are high in calories, salts and fats, and are typically low in vitamins, minerals and other nutritional contents.   Harmful effects of consuming Junk foods Obesity – can lead to numerous medical issues, such as diabetes, joint pain, and heart diseases. Depression – Eating intemperate sums of junk food may increase your chance of depression. Insulin resistance – Fast food is filled with purge carbohydrates, which can lead to expanded blood sugar and insulin resistance. Learning and memory issues – High intake of sugars and fats tend to suppress the work of the brain that makes a difference in learning and memory formation. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition) Loss of appetite and digestion – One of the terrible impacts of junk food is overeating. One may end up eating more than they require due to the variance in their blood sugar levels. It makes the brain demand more food than the normal requirement. Heart disease – Diet high in salt regularly increases a person’s blood pressure, making a individual more inclined to heart attacks, stroke, kidney infection, or heart disease. (The Food & Drug Administration). Dental Issues – The sugar and carbohydrates in fast food consuming may create acids that can hurt tooth enamel which can bring dejected dental cleanliness. Skin Issues – Junk food devours carbohydrates and fats which may lead to generate spots on the skin. starch and sugar are huge in fast food like potato fries, finger chips, pizza, ground sirloin sandwich bread, potato chips can additionally make your skin irritation and pain. High Blood Pressure – Fast food is for the foremost portion overwhelming in sodium which can raise blood pressure or irritate heart issues, including blockage and heart failure. Guidelines for avoiding junk food consumption and practicing home food Drink Water Avoid getting extremely hungry Eat More Protein and regular meals Take Spinach leaves Extract Good sleep and manage the stress Eat fresh fruits and vegetables Eat cooked food alternatives to junk food Healthy snacks   Conclusion Junk food can harm both children and adults since it contains a lot of sugar and fat. Consuming junk food habitually lead to distinctive serious and chronicle illnesses. Moreover, as few those might not be cured. Subsequently, always we should be little alert in consuming fast food consuming concurring to your well-being conditions to evade any long lasting suffering. Basic supplements are key to solid development and improvement. Such unhealthy habits and insufficient levels of nutrition will affect the improvement of the brain and different other parts of the body. As a result, nutritionists don’t favor intake of junk foods in abundance due to their sick effects on a body’s growth and development. Reference https://www.godigit.com/health-insurance/health-guides/harmful-effects-of-junk-food https://www.eatthis.com/what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-eat-fast-food/ https://www.wellcurve.in/blog/harmful-effects-of-junk-food-you-must-know-about/ https://www.icicilombard.com/blogs/health-insurance/hi/harmful-effects-of-junk-foods   Dr. Senthil Kumar, is an Associate Professor of Finance and Business Management in Skyline University Nigeria. He has a PhD. in Business Management from Bharathiar University, India. You can join the conversation on Facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on Twitter @SkylineUNigeria

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BASICS OF RESEARCH

Description of Research

The principal goal is for academicians to develop a structural framework of basic research concepts and escalate the importance of conducting research and keeping an eye with an approved statement of the problem. We hope this enhanced knowledge and understanding of research concepts and responsible practices will contribute to the integrity of the research and the value of the research results.

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GENE EDITING- A GREAT TECHNOLOGICAL TOOL

Introduction Genome editing is a relevant, versatile, and preferred tool for crop improvement, as well as for functional genomics. In this update, I summarize the advances in gene-editing techniques, such as zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like (TAL) effector nucleases (TALENs), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) associated with the Cas-9 and Cpf-1 proteins. These tools support great opportunities for the future development of plant science and rapid remodeling of crops. Among the various genome-editing tools, CRISPR has become the most popular. CRISPR has helped clarify the genomic structure and its role in plants: For example, the transcriptional control of Cas9 and Cpf1, genetic locus monitoring, the mechanism and control of promoter activity, and the alteration and detection of epigenetic behavior between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) investigated based on genetic traits and related genome-wide studies. The present update describes how CRISPR/Cas-9 systems can play a valuable role in the characterization of the genomic re-arrangement and plant gene functions, as well as the improvement of the important traits of field crops with the greatest precision. In addition, the speed editing strategy of gene-family members was introduced to accelerate the applications of gene-editing systems to crop improvement. For this, the CRISPR technology has a valuable advantage that particularly holds the scientist’s mind, as it allows genome editing in multiple biological systems. The rapidly growing population and a wide range of competitive dairy products and meat are pushing agricultural output and expanding the demand for feed, food, biofuels, and livestock [1]. By 2050, the worldwide population will expand up to >9 billion, which may boost crop production demand by 100–110%. Consequently, the effective production of staple crops, such as Oryza sativa (rice), Triticum aestivum (wheat), Zea mays(maize), and Glycine max (soybean), will increase by just 38–67% [1,2]. Currently, numerous genome-editing tools and techniques have been adopted to overcome the problems arising in plants to compensate for the increased demand for food in the future [3]. Gene-editing techniques, such as engineered endonucleases/meganucleases (EMNs), zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), TAL effector nucleases (TALENs), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) [4], are important tools in plant research, as they allow the remodeling of future crops. ZFNs were the first truly targeting protein reagents to revolutionize the genome manipulation area of research. ZFNs are binding domains for DNA that recognize three base pairs at the target site [5]. ZFNs have been commonly used for targeted genome modification in different plant species, such as Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis), Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco), and maize [6–8]. Another site-driven mutagenesis genome-editing system, TALENs, was defined first in plant pathogenic bacteria (Xanthomonas) and is based on a concept similar to that of ZFNs. TALENs target one nucleotide at the target site (instead of three), thus rendering TALENs precise [9]. TALENs were successfully used for genome editing in angiosperms and bryophytes [10,11]. Extensive investigation in this field led to the development of new genome-editing tools, such as CRISPR/Cas9 and CRISPR/Cpf1 [12,13]. Initially, these techniques were developed in prokaryotes, because there were no efficient genome-editing techniques for eukaryotes at specific sites. However, at the advent of eukaryotic genome editing, the CRISPR technology has revolutionized our ability to generate specific changes in crops [14]. The CRISPR system requires only the guide RNA sequence to be changed for each DNA target site. Under different circumstances, the usage and modification of CRISPR technology are quite simple and efficient [15,16]. In this review, we highlight the use of genome-editing techniques to achieve highly precise and desired modifications in plants, as well as examples of the application of EMNs, ZFNs, TALENs, and CRISPR/Cas9/Cpf1 in various plants (Figure 1). CRISPR/Cas9 This genome-editing technique, which relies on the activity of RNA-guided nucleases and their mode of action, has gained much attention because of its versatility, potency, adequacy, and simplicity. The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a highly conserved system that originated from the bacterial species Streptococcus pyogenes. Its discovery was a significant breakthrough of the 20th century, as it represented an entirely distinct and divergent tool that was quickly examined by many bioinformaticians, biotechnologists [12,13], and microbiologists. In the 2012–2013 period, the CRISPR/Cas9 system was successfully implemented with remarkable cutting efficiency and simplicity to modify animal and plant genes. Studies reported three CRISPR/Cas systems (I, II, and III), each of which has distinct molecular mechanisms for nucleic acid piercing and targeting. The initial identification of Cas9 (formerly known as COG3513, Csx12, Cas5, or Csn1) through bioinformatics analyses revealed that it acts as a large multifunctional protein structure that comprises two nuclease domains, HNH and RuvC-like. The development of the CRISPR system proved to be advantageous for the manipulation of genetically modified cells in living organisms, as well as in culture. Because of its versatility, simplicity, efficacy, and wide range of applications, the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been applied in many fields of research, such as biotechnology, genetic engineering, and fundamental and applied biology. With the expansion of the plant genome-editing system, the expression cassette of CRISPR/Cas9 [12,13] is transformed into the cells, incorporated into the nuclear genome, and expressed, followed by the cleavage of its target DNA sequence, usually 3 bp upstream of the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) site. Double-stranded breakage of DNA activates two separate mechanisms of DNA repair, NHEJ and homology-directed repair (HDR). In the absence of a homologous template, NHEJ mediates the direct re-ligation of the broken DNA molecules, normally leading to insertions and deletions (InDels), or substitutions at the DSB site. However, in the presence of a donor DNA sequence, HDR may add new alleles, correct existing changes, or insert new sequences of interest. Although DNA becomes integrated into the plant genomic site at a low frequency, the integrated transgene can still be expressed and becomes functional only for a short period. Therefore, the expression of CRISPR/Cas9 via transgenesis may offer an alternative method for genome editing in plants. Interestingly, two simple and effective methods adopted for genome editing rely on the expression profile of the CRISPR/Cas9 DNA or RNA. For these methodologies, antibiotic and herbicide selection steps are adopted

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Does Multinational Corporations influence State Sovereignty?

Introduction The international system is influenced by two dominant approaches; Neo-Realism and Liberalism. Neo realist views the international system as a structure influenced by anarchy due to lack of central authority. Therefore, for states to survive, they must acquire power and security. While the latter argues that the international system can be cooperative and peaceful through international institutions; UN, IMF World Bank, etc. They put forward motion that through international trade and economic ties relationships between nations will lessen tension and prevent war. Globalization in the 21st century has paved the way for multinational cooperation (MNC) to become key players in shaping economies, especially in developing nations. Third world countries grow their economy either through official development aid (ODA) from other states and international institutions (IMF, World Bank) or through foreign direct investment (FDI) where MNC plays significant roles. Historically, MNC can be traced back to the 18th century with the establishment of the British India Company, the company was granted rights to trade between Europe and East Indies. However, the system was state-dominated then, but as MNC evolved the dependency on states lessen over time (Kapfer, 2006).  Contemporary, the dynamics of the international system has laid the foundation for cooperation’s to be efficient in coordinating global strategies for production, management practice, Profit maximization and adaptive in a different environment to take advantage of opportunities provided by the states. Hence, power gradually shifted from states to cooperation (Kapfer, 2006). The advancement and growth of MNC such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, and other telecommunication companies have begun to be at the expense of states sovereignty. Here we use the term Sovereignty in one’s ability to control its affairs both internally and externally. Accordingly, these MNC play a significant role in supporting sustainable development in developing economies by providing investment and jobs. However, due to their level of influence and their financial power bank, their ability to determine or interfere in domestic’s politics is alarming to the world leaders. Domestic politics influence international politics, and developing states tend to suffer most domestically when non-state actors begin to dabble into their affairs. This is be done through lobbying of politicians and interests groups that plays a significant role is state’s legislative process. So, where does the power lie, States or corporations? Well, the answer is not quite simple, both actors do play vital role to the progress of the other. Despite the power and influence of MNC, states power can control to an extent over MNC actions, they have the authority to allow a company do business in their territory and can provide protectionist policies to shield local firms. However, this can hinder or stagnate economic growth if done extremely. Why? Because MNC find manipulative ways to reduce their cost of production by unwilling using outdated production techniques, For example, the Chrysler used outdated and inefficient practices in Mexico. On the other states must accommodate the reality of given some sovereignty in order for their economies to develop through multinational cooperation’s   References Kapfer, S. (2006). Multinational corporations and the erosion of state sovereignty. Illinois State University. Kline, J. (2006). MNCs and Surrogate Sovereignty. The Brown Journal of World Affairs, 13(1), 123-133. Retrieved July 12, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/24590648 Lawrence, Robert Z. 2005. Comment. In does foreign direct investment promote development? Washington, DC: Institute for International Economics.   Mr.  Farid Iliyasu Illo is a Lecturer II of the Department of International Relations, Skyline University Nigeria. He holds a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from University Utara Malaysia (UUM) You can join the conversation on Facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on Twitter @SkylineUNigeria

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Some Basic Knowledge about the Interior of the Earth and its Composition

The interior of the earth is divided into crust, mantle, and core based on composition and depth. The crust is the uppermost shell of the earth, it is primarily (roughly 95%) made up of igneous rock and metamorphic rock with an overall composition between intermediate and felsic. The remaining 5% is made up of sedimentary rock, which is dominated by mudstone.  The mantle, which is the second major part of the earth, includes several layers, all with the same overall ultramafic composition. The upper mantle extends from below the Mohrovicic discontinuity up to a depth of 1000 km and is typically composed of peridotite, a rock dominated by olivine and pyroxene. The lower mantle extends from 1000 km to the core boundary (Gutenberg discontinuity) and it has a similar chemical composition, but different minerals because of the extreme pressures that are present. The core is the innermost part of the earth. Core constitutes around 17% of the volume and 34% of the mass of the earth. It is separated from the mantle by the Gutenberg discontinuity, and is composed of iron, with lesser amounts of nickel (about 5%) and several percent oxygen. It is extremely hot (roughly 3500° to 5000°C). The outer core is liquid while the inner core is solid—even though it is hotter—because the pressure is so much greater at that depth (Mahapatra, 2018). The Seismic Structure of the Earth’s Interior Crust: The seismic structure of the continental crust is variable, but it has an average thickness of 35 km and an average P-wave velocity of about 6.5 kms−1. The oceanic crust is thinner, 7–8 km thick, with an average P-wave velocity of more than 6 kms−1 Mantle: Since primary and secondary waves record a definite increase in their velocities with depth, it is logical that material of the mantle is denser than that of the crustal rocks. The normal P-wave velocity at the top of the mantle is 8.1 km s−1. The uppermost mantle is very heterogeneous, its structure being dependent upon plate processes and history. Standard velocity models vary in representation of the uppermost mantle depending upon the data used and the assumptions made. Core: At the core–mantle boundary (Gutenberg discontinuity) the P-wave velocity drops from about 13.7 to about 8.1 km s−1, and also the S-wave velocity drops from about 7.3 km s−1 to zero. This structure is determined by the strong reflections and so on. The P-wave velocity increases slowly through the outer core until the boundary of the inner core. The Temperature of Earth’s Interior The internal temperature of the earth increases with depth. Thus, the rate of increase is not linear. The temperature gradient is around 15° to 30°C per km within the lithosphere (upper 100 kilometres); it then drops off dramatically through the mantle and increases more quickly at the base of the mantle, and then increases slowly through the core. The temperature is around 1000°C at the bottom of the crust, around 3500°C at the base of the mantle, and around 5,000°C at centre of the earth (inner core). The temperature gradient within the lithosphere is quite variable depending on the tectonic setting and are lowest in the central parts of continents, higher in the vicinity of subduction zones, and higher still at divergent boundaries (Steven Earle, 2019). Sources of heat of Earth’s interior The heat of interior of the earth comes from two main sources, each contributing about 50% of the heat. One of those is the frictional heat left over from the collisions of large and small particles that formed Earth in the first place, plus the subsequent frictional heat of redistribution of material within Earth by gravitational forces. The other source is radioactivity, specifically the spontaneous radioactive decay of the isotopes 235U, 238U, 40K, and 232Th, which are primarily present in the mantle. The total heat produced that way has been decreasing over time, and is now roughly 25% of what it was when Earth created. This means that the interior of the earth is slowly becoming cooler (Steven, 2019). Reference Steven Earle, (2019). Physical geology. BCcampus pub 2nd ed. ISBN 9781774200285.  Mahapatra G. B. (2018). The text book of Physical Geology. CBS pub. ISBN 8123901100.   Mr. Aliyu Mohammed Lawan is a Lecturer II at the Department of Geology, Skyline University Nigeria.  He holds a Master’s degree in Applied Geophysics from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria. You can join the conversation on Facebook @SkylineUniversityNG and on Twitter @SkylineUNigeria

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Insomnia Among University Students

Insomnia is a universal epidemy amongst university students, and it is related to a number of psychiatric disorders. Insomnia is a disorder condition in which an individual has trouble sleeping or staying asleep, and it is linked to a number of psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. More than 100 million Africans of all ages are sleep deprived. Sleep is very essential. Sleep deprivation can have an adverse effect on academic and occupational performance, interpersonal relationships, mental well-being, and safety. According to numerous recent studies, insomnia is a communal psychiatric dilemma among college students and university students. Further studies have established that poor sleeping habits are prevalent among undergraduate students across the globe. Sleep quality and quantity have changed as a result of the advancement of technology, such as the use of social media, the internet, and so on, and there is a significant relationship between insomnia and the use of these technologies. Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, but the quantity of sleep needed to properly function varies from person to person. The quantity and quality of your sleep are equally important. Insomnia is more common in women than in men. Pregnancy and hormonal changes can interfere with sleep. Insomnia becomes more prevalent after the age of 60. Older people may be less likely to sleep soundly due to physiological changes associated with aging, along with health issues or medications that disrupt sleep. Many factors, including psychological, environmental, and physiological issues, can contribute to the development of insomnia Work, relationships, and financial difficulties, amongst others, are examples of life stressors, including unhealthy eating and sleeping traditions and chronic pain caused by arthritis, fibromyalgia, or other diseases. Hormone fluctuations are caused by thyroid disease, menopause, menstruation, or other factors. There is no specific test for diagnosing insomnia. It is critical to review your sleep history with your doctor in order to diagnose insomnia. Students’ physical and mental health can be negatively affected by sleep deprivation in the long run. Sleep medications should only be administered on rare occasions or for a short period of time, as prescribed by doctors. They are not the first line of treatment for chronic insomnia. Changes in your lifestyle, before going to bed, avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol. Reduce your intake of caffeine, such as coffee, soda, and chocolate, throughout the day and especially at night. Remove smartphones, TVs, laptops, and other screens at least 30 minutes before going to bed. Stop smoking. Make your bedroom a dark, quiet, and cool haven. Relax with relaxing music, a good book, or media. Although the pervasiveness of insomnia amongst people is increasing on a daily basis, university students have acknowledged less thoughtfulness than others. According to one study, one-third of the adult population in various countries suffers from insomnia symptoms, while others found a high dominance of insomnia without using any preventive and regimented measures, and still, others only use quantitative scales to assess the rate of insomnia. Reference Huang Y, Zhao N. Generalized anxiety disorder, depressive symptoms and sleep quality during COVID-19 outbreak in China: a web-based cross-sectional survey. Psychiatry Res. (2020) 288:112954. 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112954 Darchia, N., Oniani, N., Sakhelashvili, I., Supatashvili, M., Basishvili, T., Eliozishvili, M., Maisuradze, L., & Cervena, K. (2018). Relationship between sleep disorders and health related quality of life—Results from the Georgia SOMNUS study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(8), 1588. https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph15081588 Riemann, D., Nissen, C., Palagini, L., Otte, A., Perlis, M. L., & Spiegelhalder, K. (2015). The neurobiology, investi- gation, and treatment of chronic insomnia. The Lancet Neurology, 14(5), 547–558. https://doi.org/10. 1016/S1474-4422(15)00021-6 Jiang, X.-L., Zheng, X.-Y., Yang, J., C-p, Y., Chen, Y.-Y., Zhang, Z.-G., & Xiao, Z.-J. (2015). A systematic review of studies on the prevalence of insomnia in university students. Public Health, 129(12), 1579–1584. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2015.07.030

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