Sustainability of the Nigerian Environmental Resources Conservation and Management: Interrogating the Principles of Conservation in Biblical Christian Perspective

Human environments everywhere are seriously being abused due to different kinds of environmental pollutions which man indiscriminately unleashes on them thereby making these environments almost unsafe and inhabitable engendering unfavourable atmosphere for man’s survival. This paper examines how depreciated Nigerian environmental resources have become nowadays and how this is contributing in making life unbearable in this 21st century. This study adopts descriptive and analytical approaches which were basically employed to describe the phenomenon of environmental destruction and conservation, interpret and analyse data in the study. There were also the use of personal observations, in-depth interviews and focused group discussions on the subject. It was found out that due to the expansion of Christianity which finds expression in the proliferation of churches and ministries in Nigeria, encroachment of all kinds into forest reserve areas is steadily ongoing which is the destruction of the environments. Each denomination and ministry competes over acquisition of large land mass running to hundreds of hectares for either camp grounds for their church retreats or for the establishments of church-based business centres, filling stations, bakery, Television centres, primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and universities thereby depleting the environments. The results show that there is a destruction of the environment on the one hand and the conservation of same on the other hand. The findings show the environmental crisis devastates living organisms which is gradually engendering the total collapse of human environment if no quick attention is given to its proper management. The paper submits that the quicker attention is given in taking better care of the environmental resources by the government, organizations and individuals, the sooner the world becomes inhabitable for human beings

Expression and regulation of the neutral amino acid transporter B0AT1 in rat small intestine

Absorption of neutral amino acids across the luminal membrane of intestinal enterocytes is mediated by the broad neutral amino acid transporter B0AT1 (SLC6A19). Its intestinal expression depends on co-expression of the membrane-anchored peptidase angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and is additionally enhanced by aminopeptidase N (CD13). We investigated in this study the expression of B0AT1 and its auxiliary peptidases as well as its transport function along the rat small intestine. Additionally, we tested its possible short- and long-term regulation by dietary proteins and amino acids. We showed by immunofluorescence that B0AT1, ACE2 and CD13 co-localize on the luminal membrane of small intestinal villi and by Western blotting that their protein expression increases in distal direction. Furthermore, we observed an elevated transport activity of the neutral amino acid L-isoleucine during the nocturnal active phase compared to the inactive one. Gastric emptying was delayed by intragastric application of an amino acid cocktail but we observed no acute dietary regulation of B0AT1 protein expression and L-isoleucine transport. Investigation of the chronic dietary regulation of B0AT1, ACE2 and CD13 by different diets revealed an increased B0AT1 protein expression under amino acid-supplemented diet in the proximal section but not in the distal one and for ACE2 protein expression a reverse localization of the effect. Dietary regulation for CD13 protein expression was not as distinct as for the two other proteins. Ring uptake experiments showed a tendency for increased L-isoleucine uptake under amino acid-supplemented diet and in vivo L-isoleucine absorption was more efficient under high protein and amino acid-supplemented diet. Additionally, plasma levels of branched-chain amino acids were elevated under high protein and amino acid diet. Taken together, our experiments did not reveal an acute amino acid-induced regulation of B0AT1 but revealed a chronic dietary adaptation mainly restricted to the proximal segment of the small intestine

Model Kepemimpinan Situasional dan Transformasional Kepala Sekolah SMAK Yos Sudarso Batu

The focus of this study is to explain the situational and transformational leadership models that exist in the Principal of SMAK Yos Sudarso Batu. The leadership models that can be observed from this school principal are situational leadership and transformational leadership. These two terms are quite foreign to the ears, because they are rarely mentioned in an organization or institution that are encountered on a daily basis. This leadership model is an expression of how Principal Yos Sudarso is in the organization or foundation he leads. This study aims to describe and analyze the basis, character, and pattern of situational and transformational leadership of school principals. The researcher uses descriptive qualitative method which produces data in the form of words and in writing or verbally from the people and observed behavior. The findings of this study are that a leader who lives a situational and transformational leadership model is a leader who is able to set clear, specific and measurable organizational goals. Cooperative, capable and militant leader. This leader also has a strong determination and commitment, is able to create synergies within the organization and is able to mobilize all member resources

Mycolicibacterium stellerae sp. nov., a rapidly growing scotochromogenic strain isolated from Stellera chamaejasme

A polyphasic study was undertaken to establish the taxonomic provenance of a rapidly growing Mycolicibacterium strain, CECT 8783T, recovered from the plant Stellera chamaejasme L. in Yunnan Province, China. Phylogenetic analyses based upon 16S rRNA and whole-genome sequences showed that the strain formed a distinct branch within the evolutionary radiation of the genus Mycolicibacterium . The strain was most closely related to Mycolicibacterium moriokaense DSM 44221T with 98.4 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, but was distinguished readily from this taxon by a combination of chemotaxonomic and phenotypic features and by low average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values of 79.5 and 21.1 %, respectively. Consequently, the strain is considered, to represent a novel species of Mycolicibacterium for which the name Mycolicibacterium stellerae sp. nov is proposed; the type strain is I10A-01893T (=CECT 8783T=KCTC 19843T=DSM 45590T)

Two novel species of rapidly growing mycobacteria: Mycobacterium lehmannii sp. nov. and Mycobacterium neumannii sp. nov.

Two rapidly growing mycobacteria with identical 16S rRNA gene sequences were the subject of a polyphasic taxonomic study. The strains formed a well-supported subclade in the mycobacterial 16S rRNA gene tree and were most closely associated with the type strain of Mycobacterium novocastrense . Single and multilocus sequence analyses based on hsp65, rpoB and 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strains SN 1900T and SN 1904T are phylogenetically distinct but share several chemotaxonomic and phenotypic features that are are consistent with their classification in the genus Mycobacterium . The two strains were distinguished by their different fatty acid and mycolic acid profiles, and by a combination of phenotypic features. The digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values for strains SN 1900T and SN 1904T were 61.0 % and 94.7 %, respectively; in turn, the corresponding dDDH and ANI values with M. novocastrense DSM 44203T were 41.4 % and 42.8 % and 89.3 % and 89.5 %, respectively. These results show that strains SN1900T and SN 1904T form new centres of taxonomic variation within the genus Mycobacterium . Consequently, strains SN 1900T (40T=CECT 8763T=DSM 43219T) and SN 1904T (2409T=CECT 8766T=DSM 43532T) are considered to represent novel species, for which the names Mycobacterium lehmannii sp. nov. and Mycobacterium neumannii sp. nov. are proposed. A strain designated as ‘ Mycobacterium acapulsensis’ was shown to be a bona fide member of the putative novel species, M. lehmannii