FINANCING OPTIONS FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMEs) IN NIGERIA

Small and Medium enterprises act as catalysts in the economic development of the developed and developing countries. Developing countries like Nigeria that require sustained economic growth in their economies must pay attention to the SME sector and harness the great potential to generate employment, improved local technology, output diversification, developed indigenous entrepreneurship and forward integration with large-scale industries that can be provided by the sector. Unfortunately, the SMEs in Nigeria have underperformed despite the fact that the SMEs in Nigeria constitute more than 90% of Nigerian businesses, their contribution to the nation’s GDP is below 10%. This very low percentage contribution of the SMEs to Nigeria’s GDP could be attributed to amongst others; unfriendly business environment, poor funding, low management skills and lack of assess to modern technology. However, this paper focuses on adequate funding which will take care of some of the problems such as provision of modern technology and low managerial skills. It examines the financing of SMEs in Nigeria and the various financing options available to the SMEs. This involved looking at debt financing by considering the role commercial, microfinance banks, co-operatives and other finance institutions play in the financing of SMEs in Nigeria. It also considered the role of equity financing through Venture capital and Business angels financing. It concluded that funding of SMEs in Nigeria is very critical if they are to perform their role of growth and development of the nation’s economy

Molecular predictors of response to azacitidine therapy: the results of the UK trials acceleration programme RAVVA study

Abstract of NL1026321C The apparatus comprises a gas bubble holder, an ultrasound transducer for generating periodic oscillations in the liquid a passive flow element (2-2'') located inside the liquid vessel. - An apparatus for generating a streaming flow of liquid inside a vessel comprises a vessel for the liquid, a gas bubble holder located in a gas bubble region of the vessel, an ultrasound transducer for generating periodic oscillations in the liquid in order to make the gas bubble (1, 1') shape oscillate and one or more passive flow elements next to the gas bubble region for generating a flow of liquid from the gas bubble in the direction of and past the flow element. Independent claims are also included for the following: - (A) Second apparatus for generating a streaming flow of liquid, comprising a vessel for the liquid, a gas bubble holder located in a slanting gas bubble region of the vessel so that the bubble is held in a slanting position and an ultrasound transducer for generating periodic oscillations in the liquid in order to make the gas bubble shape oscillate, in which the slanting region slopes downwards in the downstream direction; - (B) First method for generating a streaming flow of liquid using the first apparatus; and - (C) Second method for generating a streaming flow of liquid using the second apparatus, in which the liquid flows from the upper part to the lower part of the gas bubble region

Manifest zur Europäischen Kriminalpolitik/A Manifesto on European Criminal Policy/Manifeste pour une politique criminelle européenne/Manifiesto sobre la política criminal europea/Manifesto sulla politica criminale europea/Keiméno Arkón gia mia europaika anteuklematiké politiké/Manifest referitor la politica penala europeana

Il Manifesto sulla politica criminale europea elabora una serie di principi fondamentali della materia penale che dovrebbero fungere da guida per l'esercizio del potere di armonizzazione penale da parte del legislatore europeo, così come possono fungere da criterio per la valutazione degli atti di armonizzazione già emanati o in corso di emanazione

Manifesto sulla politica criminale europea

Il Manifesto sulla politica criminale europea \ue8 frutto del lavoro collettivo di un gruppo di 14 penalisti di 11 paesi dell'Unione Europea (European Criminal Policy Initiative) ed elabora una serie di principi guida per l'esercizio del potere di armonizzazione penale dell'UE, nonch\ue9 una griglia per la valutazione degli atti di armonizzazione emanati o in corso di emanazione

Outcome of azacitidine therapy in acute myeloid leukemia is not improved by concurrent vorinostat therapy but is predicted by a diagnostic molecular signature

Purpose: Azacitidine (AZA) is a novel therapeutic option in older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but its rational utilization is compromised by the fact that neither the determinants of clinical response nor its mechanism of action are defined. Co-administration of histone deacetylase inhibitors, such as vorinostat (VOR), is reported to improve the clinical activity of AZA, but this has not been prospectively studied in patients with AML. Experimental Design: We compared outcomes in 259 adults with AML (n = 217) and MDS (n = 42) randomized to receive either AZA monotherapy (75 mg/m2 × 7 days every 28 days) or AZA combined with VOR 300 mg twice a day on days 3 to 9 orally. Next-generation sequencing was performed in 250 patients on 41 genes commonly mutated in AML. Serial immunophenotyping of progenitor cells was performed in 47 patients. Results: Co-administration of VOR did not increase the overall response rate (P = 0.84) or overall survival (OS; P = 0.32). Specifically, no benefit was identified in either de novo or relapsed AML. Mutations in the genes CDKN2A (P = 0.0001), IDH1 (P = 0.004), and TP53 (P = 0.003) were associated with reduced OS. Lymphoid multipotential progenitor populations were greatly expanded at diagnosis and although reduced in size in responding patients remained detectable throughout treatment. Conclusions: This study demonstrates no benefit of concurrent administration of VOR with AZA but identifies a mutational signature predictive of outcome after AZA-based therapy. The correlation between heterozygous loss of function CDKN2A mutations and decreased OS implicates induction of cell-cycle arrest as a mechanism by which AZA exerts its clinical activity