Ensuring Sustainable Water Supply in Lagos, Nigeria

Lagos, the fastest growing city in Africa is currently facing a water management crisis. Due to poor planning, lack of adequate infrastructure, insufficient funds, and a poor governance and regulatory framework, there is a vast demand gap of 330 MGD. As such, only 10% of the population in Lagos is being served by the public water utility, Lagos Water Corporation. The rest of the population gain access to water either from private boreholes or from informal private sector participants such as water vendors. This situation is further worsened by certain factors such as rapid population growth, corruption, climate change, unreliable electricity, inadequate enforcement, and water leakages and theft that cause 60% unaccounted-for-water losses. As a result, citizens experience water shortages, water pollution, inadequate sanitation and wastewater treatment, and water injustice and inequality. There have been several governmental and external efforts to resolve the crisis, however they have all been fruitless due to poor implementation, inefficient enforcement, inadequate financing and lacking water governance. The Lagos Water Supply Master Plan aims to cover the demand gap by 2020 and improve water supply through extensive infrastructure development, however this plan is non-comprehensive and one-dimensional. Lagos needs a water supply plan that includes plans and strategies to address all the gaps and challenges that the Lagos water supply system faces. It is my goal to create a plan that would incorporate demand-side management, reduce waste and unaccounted water losses, ensure improved service delivery, restructure regulatory and governance frameworks, enhance reinvestment, and increase access to potable water. This professional report will delve into the water supply crisis facing Lagos State. I will explore the geographical and political conditions in the city; explain the causes and illustrate the factors that exacerbate the water supply issues; define the barriers to resolution; and explore the efforts made by the state to resolve the water supply crisis. I will assess the effectiveness of these efforts and by highlighting the gaps and challenges faced, I aim to illustrate the importance of effective planning and management to ensure a sustainable water supply system. I hope to provide planning and management strategies that could rectify the severe water supply issues that Lagos is facing and if implemented would ensure a sustainable water supply system in Lagos

The graft copolymerisation of acrylamide onto cellulose using enhanced Fe2+ / H2O2 redox initiator system

Graft copolymers of acrylamide onto holocellulose derived from cocoa (Theobroma cacao) wood meal have been produced using hydroquinone enhanced Fe2+/H2O2 redox system. The addition of hydroquinone to the redox system affected the effectiveness of the redox system to initiate graft copolymer formation. The effects of time, monomer concentration, initiator concentration, and temperature were studied to determine the optimum condition for graft copolymer formation. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management Vol. 10(3) 2006: 151-15

The Graft Copolymerisation of Acrylamide onto Cellulose using Enhanced Fe2+/H2O2 redox initiator system

Graft copolymers of acrylamide onto holocellulose derived from cocoa (Theobroma cacao) wood meal have been produced using hydroquinone enhanced Fe2+/H2O2 redox system. The addition of hydroquinone to the redox system affected the effectiveness of the redox system to initiate graft copolymer formation. The effects of time, monomer concentration, initiator concentration, and temperature were studied to determine the optimum condition for graft copolymer formation

Studies on the Properties of Chitosan-Starch Beads and their Application as Drug Release Materials

In this work, chitosan and blends of chitosan-starch beads were prepared and crosslinked with glutaraldehyde (pentane-1,5-dial). The blends were prepared with 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1 chitosan-starch ratios. Metformin hydrochloride (N,N-dimethylimidodicarbonimidic diamide hydrochloride), a type 2 diabetis drug, was incorporated into them. The materials were subjected to swellability tests and the effects of time and pH were established. Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectrophotometeric (FTIR) analysis was also carried out on the materials and their potentials as drug release systems studied. The results obtained from the FTIR studies showed that the uncrosslinked chitosan-starch bead showed O-H stretching band at 3424cm-1 and N-H band at 1640cm-1. The chitosan-starch bead also showed a band at 597cm-1 corresponding to C-Cl band, due to the presence of metformin hydrochloride in the bead and its O-H stretching band was very strong and broad due to the numerous –OH groups in starch and chitosan. The results of swelling studies showed that the percent swellability of the polymer matrices increased in both the crosslinked and uncrosslinked beads as the amount of starch in them increased. The uncrosslinked chitosan beads had maximum swelling of 83.74%, while its crosslinked analogue had 47.93% in acidic medium (pH 2.06) within the range of test period of 60 minutes. The amount of drug released by the 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1 crosslinked chitosan-starch beads (13.90, 13.60, and 12.30mg/L, respectively) was much lower than that of their uncrosslinked analogues (22.50, 20.90, and 16.60mg/L, respectively) after 120 minutes, suggesting that the release of drug is delayed by crosslinking. This suggests that the crosslinked chitosan-starch beads can be used for regulating release of drugs in solid dosages such as beads or tablets.Keywords: chitosan, chitosan-starch beads, drug release, metformin hydrochloride, swellin

Studying the Characteristics of Polystyrene- Modified Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) Wood Cellulose Acetate Membrane

In this work, cellulose was obtained from cocoa wood (Theobroma cacao) by the chlorite pulping process. The harnessed cellulose was acetylated by the process of step-wise acetylation to a degree of acetylation (DA) of 2.06. Ten percent (10%) solution of the acetylated cellulose material in acetone was used to cast membrane. Polystyrene was used to modify the cellulose acetate and was also used to cast membranes. The modified and unmodified membranes were characterized in terms of their salt rejection capacity, extent of dissolved solid (DS) removal, fold endurance, water permeability, swellability in organic liquids and organic liquid separation potentials. The modification of the cellulose acetate with polystyrene increased its potential for salt rejection by 91.10%, dissolved solid (DS) removal by 98.06, fold endurance by 100%, but decreased its permeability to water by 10%. The result of the permeation test for organic solvents showed a variation in the permeation rate of the organic liquids ranging from 6.08x10-4molcm-2sec-1 for hexane, to 9.67x10-4molcm-2sec-1 for ethanol. Overall, the modification of the cocoa wood cellulose acetate membrane with polystyrene has led to improvement of properties.Keywords: cellulose acetate, cocoa wood, membrane, modified, polystyrene

Novel roles of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 in liver

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Protein-1 (SREBP-1) is a conserved transcription factor of the basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper family (bHLH-Zip) that primarily regulates glycolytic and lipogenic enzymes such as L-pyruvate kinase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1, and mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 1. SREBP-1c activity is higher in the liver of human obese patients, as well as ob/ob and db/db mouse models of obesity and type 2 diabetes, underscoring the role of this transcription factor as a contributor to hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance. Nonetheless, SREBP-1 deficient ob/ob mice, do not display improved glycemia despite a significant decrease in hepatic lipid accumulation, suggesting that SREBP-1 might play a role at regulating carbohydrate metabolism. By silencing SREBP-1 in the liver of normal and type 2 diabetes db/db mice, we showed that indeed, SREBP-1 is needed for appropriate regulation of glycogen synthesis and gluconeogenesis enzyme gene expression. Depleting SREBP-1 activity more than 90%, resulted in a significant loss of glycogen deposition and increased expression of Pck1 and G6pc. Hence, the benefits of reducing de novo lipogenesis in db/db mice were offset by the negative impact on gluconeogenesis and glycogen synthesis. Some studies had also indicated that SREBP-1 regulates the insulin signaling pathway, through regulation of IRS2 and a subunit of the PI3K complex, p55g. To gain insight on the consequences of silencing SREBP-1 on insulin sensitivity, we analyzed the insulin signaling and mTOR pathways, as both are interconnected through feedback mechanisms. These studies suggest that SREBP-1 regulates S6K1, a downstream effector of mTORC1, and a key molecule to activate the synthesis of protein. Furthermore, these analyses revealed that depletion of SREBP-1 leads to reduced insulin sensitivity. Overall, our data indicates that SREBP-1 regulates pathways important for the fed state, including lipogenesis, glycogen and protein synthesis, while inhibiting gluconeogenesis. Therefore, SREBP-1 coordinates multiple aspects of the anabolic response in response to nutrient abundance. These results are in agreement with emerging studies showing that SREBP-1 regulates a complex network of genes to coordinate metabolic responses needed for cell survival and growth, including fatty acid metabolism; phagocytosis and membrane biosynthesis; insulin signaling; and cell proliferation

Rapid development of myeloproliferative neoplasm in mice with Ptpn11D61Y mutation and haploinsufficient for Dnmt3a

PTPN11 gain-of-function mutation is the most common mutation found in patients with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia and DNMT3A loss occurs in over 20% of acute myeloid leukemia patients. We studied the combined effect of both Ptpn11 gain-of-function mutation (D61Y) and Dnmt3a haploinsufficiency on mouse hematopoiesis, the presence of which has been described in both juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia patients. Double mutant mice rapidly become moribund relative to any of the other genotypes, which is associated with enlargement of the spleen and an increase in white blood cell counts. An increase in the mature myeloid cell compartment as reflected by the presence of Gr1+Mac1+ cells was also observed in double mutant mice relative to any other group. Consistent with these observations, a significant increase in the absolute number of granulocyte macrophage progenitors (GMPs) was seen in double mutant mice. A decrease in the lymphoid compartment including both T and B cells was noted in the double mutant mice. Another significant difference was the presence of extramedullary erythropoiesis with increased erythroid progenitors in the spleens of Dnmt3a+/-;D61Y mice relative to other groups. Taken together, our results suggest that the combined haploinsufficiency of Dnmt3a and presence of an activated Shp2 changes the composition of multiple hematopoietic lineages in mice relative to the individual heterozygosity of these genes

Gene targets of mouse miR-709: regulation of distinct pools

MicroRNA (miRNA) are short non-coding RNA molecules that regulate multiple cellular processes, including development, cell differentiation, proliferation and death. Nevertheless, little is known on whether miRNA control the same gene networks in different tissues. miR-709 is an abundant miRNA expressed ubiquitously. Through transcriptome analysis, we have identified targets of miR-709 in hepatocytes. miR-709 represses genes implicated in cytoskeleton organization, extracellular matrix attachment, and fatty acid metabolism. Remarkably, none of the previously identified targets in non-hepatic tissues are silenced by miR-709 in hepatocytes, even though several of these genes are abundantly expressed in liver. In addition, miR-709 is upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma, suggesting it participates in the genetic reprogramming that takes place during cell division, when cytoskeleton remodeling requires substantial changes in gene expression. In summary, the present study shows that miR-709 does not repress the same pool of genes in separate cell types. These results underscore the need for validating gene targets in every tissue a miRNA is expressed

Exploring Under-Representation of Women in Top Executive Positions in The United States\u27 Banking Industry: A Phenomenological Study

The under-representation of women in top executive positions has tremendously gained attention in the corporate world, among researchers, and policymakers, which led this researcher to investigate this topic. Despite the legislation on equal employment opportunities, and the government provided solutions to eradicate discriminatory practices and inequality in the workplace, 11% of women functioned in managerial to chief executive positions in the United States banking industry (Catalyst, 2020). These numbers make experienced and qualified women feel undervalued and reduce the zeal and desire of younger women to aspire to get into top executive positions in the future. The study synthesized existing literature to have a better understanding of the research problem and applied a qualitative phenomenological approach to collect data from 18 bank executives. Data was collected through unstructured, open-ended interview questions, and analyzed to generate 15 significant themes. The findings disclosed that women are desirous of advancing their careers into top executive positions, but the continuous male dominance in top executive positions might be the likely reason for the low representation of women in top executive positions in the U.S. banking sector. The findings also suggested strategies for women to overcome challenges in the U.S. banks and provided opportunities for them to progress their careers into top executive roles