A Look at the Social and Environmental Opportunities Brought by Climate Variability and Change in Kenya

Climate variability and change will definitely stress the rural livelihoods and especially the agropastoral communities in various ways which include, but not limited to, reduction of harvested produce and death of livestock. It is very important for communities to understand the actual and anticipated changes that may affect their livelihood systems to enable them make informsed choices in tackling the adverse impacts. Understanding the factors that make a certain community vulnerable and managing climate related risks opens opportunities for the communities to overcome the challenges hence increase their resilience. This paper presents empirical findings on the opportunities associated with climate variability and change that the agropastoral community in Kieni can pursue to adapt better. House hold survey, key informant interviews and focus group discussions were used to gain insight into what the community has in terms of resources and the opportunities perceived as a result of changing and variable climate. The study revealed that 91% of the agropastoral community are aware of the opportunities brought by climate variability and change. Those opportunities were seen in livelihood diversification including poultry farming, dairy goat farming and dairy cow farming; social and environmental entrepreneurship mainly in agribusiness; technological innovation and development; land use and land management; improved farm production practices; financial and market services; employment and in education. Of the 350 households who were aware of the opportunities, only 67% had taken up one or more, 33% of those households did not utilise any of the perceived opportunities. The research revealed that despite being the majority who perceived opportunities brought by climate variability and change; female headed households had a lower uptake level (48%) as compared to male headed households (52%). Some of the barriers that hinder utilisation of these opportunities include lack of financial capital, lack of knowledge and technological awareness, old age( because majority of the young people have migrated to urban areas in search of employment),health problems, unreliable water supply and hindering market services and credit facilities. Keywords: Livelihoods; climate variability and change; opportunities; Adaptatio

Service Design pedagogy and effective student engagement: Generative Tools and Methods

This practice-led investigation evaluates three generative design tools for active and tacit student engagement with postgraduate Service Design students, and their impact on the students’ approach to complex design projects. In Service Design education generative design tools have a robust pedagogical role for efficient knowledge creation and student engagement, yet are still under-explored academically. The Learn ’n’ link method delineates learning as an interactive dialogic practice for creative idea conceptualisation. The Zine Method is a visual ethnography approach that can be applied holistically to frame the problem area, propose a way forward, and prototype the solution. The Narrative Toolkit enables students to discuss and critique the narrative properties of existing designs and envision design outcomes. The students then use the Zine Method to qualitatively evaluate the methods’ contribution to their understanding of complex design problems and service user experience, and their function in bridging the gap between user research and generative design processes

PROBLEMATIKA KEWENANGAN BADAN PENYELESAIAN SENGKETA KONSUMEN DALAM MEMUTUS SENGKETA PADA SEKTOR JASA KEUANGAN MELALUI ARBITRASE

BPSK menerima banyak aduan mengenai sengketa di sektor jasa keuangan. Namun, putusan BPSK melalui arbitrase mengenai sengketa konsumen di sektor jasa keuangan yang diajukan keberatan pada Pengadilan Negeri hingga Mahkamah Agung akhirnya dibatalkan oleh Mahkamah Agung. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis mengenai kewenangan BPSK dalam menangani sengketa konsumen di sektor keuangan melalui arbitrase serta  menganalisis mengenai akibat hukum atas Putusan MA No 27 K/Pdt.Sus/2013 dengan kewenangan BPSK dalam menangani sengketa pada sektor jasa keuangan melalui arbitrase. Penelitian ini menggunakan jenis penelitian hukum normatif dengan beberapa pendekatan penelitian, yaitu pendekatan perundang-undangan, pendekatan konseptual dan pendekatan kasus. Hasil penelitian yang dapat disimpulkan adalah pertama, BPSK tidak memiliki kewenangan untuk menangani sengketa di sektor jasa keuangan melalui arbitrase berdasarkan jenis sengketa atau perkaranya. Kedua, akibat hukum Putusan MA No 27 K/Pdt.Sus/2013 terhadap kewenangan BPSK adalah sengketa yang timbul akibat wanprestasi tidak tunduk dengan ketentuan yang terdapat dalam UUPK serta tidak termasuk dalam ranah kewenangan BPSK. Penulis dapat memberikan saran yaitu BPSK seharusnya tidak menerima pengaduan dan menangani perkara yang sengketanya mengenai sengketa di sektor jasa keuangan. Konsumen seharusnya memperhatikan materi atau muatan dari aduannya sebelum mengadukannya kepada BPSK, sehingga apabila sengketanya mengenai sengketa di sektor jasa keuangan sebaiknya diperkarakan melalui Pengadilan Negeri atau LAPS OJK. Pelaku usaha sektor jasa keuangan juga seharusnya menyampaikan informasi mengenai penyelesaian sengketa yang telah disepakati sebelumnya pada konsumennya yaitu melalui Pengadilan Negeri atau LAPS OJK. Kata Kunci: Kewenangan, BPSK, Sengketa Keuangan, Arbitrase

Designer’s emotions in the design process

This is a position paper towards the establishment of a research network to address the impact of tacit experiential knowledge, emotion, and cultural perspective on a designer’s decision-making during a design process. With this network, we are aiming to start a focused discussion across geographies and cultures regarding the role and impact of designers’ emotions within their own design process. The function of this is to foreground the experiential and emotional domain of designers’ practice and examine the role of tacit experiential knowledge in design decision-making. The paper sets up the basis and context of discussion, exploring the three key areas to be addressed by the network: designers’ emotions as key drivers in decisionmaking; tacit experiential knowledge; and addressing emotion in culturally-situated design practice. This is followed by our proposed methodology and network objectives and expected impact and outcomes

Effects of allicin on human Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome cells in mediating browning phenotype

Introduction: Obesity is a major health problem because it is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and some cancers. Strategies to prevent or reduce obesity focus mainly on the possible effects of natural compounds that can induce a phenotype of browning adipocytes capable of releasing energy in the formof heat. Allicin, a bioactive component of garlic with numerous pharmacological functions, is known to stimulate energy metabolism. Methods: In the present study, the effects of allicin on human Simpson-Golabi- Behmel Syndrome (SGBS) cells were investigated by quantifying the dynamics of lipid droplets (LDs) and mitochondria, as well as transcriptomic changes after six days of differentiation. Results: Allicin significantly promoted the reduction in the surface area and size of LDs, leading to the formation of multilocular adipocytes, which was confirmed by the upregulation of genes related to lipolysis. The increase in the number and decrease in themean aspect ratio of mitochondria in allicin-treated cells indicate a shift inmitochondrial dynamics toward fission. The structural results are confirmed by transcriptomic analysis showing a significant arrangement of gene expression associated with beige adipocytes, in particular increased expression of T-box transcription factor 1 (TBX1), uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), PPARG coactivator 1 alpha (PPARGC1A), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARA), and OXPHOS-related genes. The most promising targets are nuclear genes such as retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRA), retinoid X receptor gamma (RXRG), nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group H member 3 (NR1H3), nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group H member 4 (NR1H4), PPARA, and oestrogen receptor 1 (ESR1). Discussion: Transcriptomic data and the network pharmacology-based approach revealed that genes and potential targets of allicin are involved in ligand-activated transcription factor activity, intracellular receptor signalling, regulation of cold-induced thermogenesis, and positive regulation of lipid metabolism. The present study highlights the potential role of allicin in triggering browning in human SGBS cells by affecting the LD dynamics, mitochondrial morphology, and expression of brown marker genes. Understanding the potential targets through which allicin promotes this effect may reveal the underlying signalling pathways and support these findings

Out-of-Class Activities Employed by Successful and Unsuccessful English Department Students

Abstract: This study aims at exploring the out-of-class activities employed by the successful and unsuccessful students of the English Department. The activities involve out-of-class general activities and out-of-class English learning activities. The general activities are categorized into academic activities, social activities, leisure activities, and part-time jobs, while the English learning activities are Self-In-struction, Naturalistic Language Learning and Self-Directed Naturalistic Language Learning. This study is qualitative in nature. It was done through (1) documents analysis, (2) in-depth interviews done one by one with the participants.Key Words: out-of-class activities, out-of-class general activities, out-of-class English learning activities, successful students, unsuccessful studentsAbstrak: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menelusuri aktivitas pembelajaran di luar kelas yang dilakukan oleh mahasiswa Jurusan Bahasa Inggris yang sukses dan tidak sukses. Aktivitas tersebut terdiri dari aktivitas umum dan aktivitas pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris. Pada aktivitas umum terdiri dari aktivitas akademis, aktivitas sosial, aktivitas santai, dan pekerjaan paruh waktu, sedangkan aktivitas pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris adalah pembelajaran diri, Pembelajaran Bahasa Naturalistik, dan Pembelajaran Bahasa Naturalistik Acu Diri. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian dengan rancangan kualitatif. Penelitian ini dilakukan melalui (1) analisis dokumen, (2) wawancara mendalam satu persatu dengan responden.Kata kunci: pembelajaran di luar kelas, aktivitas umum, aktivitas pembelajaran bahasa inggris, mahasiswa yang sukses, mahasiswa yang tidak sukse

Pengaruh Motivasi Belajar Terhadap Prestasi Belajar Matematika Siswa Kelas 5

Motivasi belajar berasal dari dalam diri siswa itu sendiri dan atau berasal dari luar diri siswa itu sendiri. Hal tersebut akan memaksa siswa untuk melakukan kegiatan belajar yang secara nyata dan sukarela. Siswa yang memiliki motivasi belajar diharapkan mampu meningkatkan prestasi belajarnya di sekolah. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan seberapa besar pengaruh motivasi belajar terhadap prestasi belajar matematika siswa kelas 5 SD Darussalam Semarang. Metode yang digunakan adalah analisis kuantitatif yang diungkapkan dalam distribusi skor dan kategori skala yang telah ditentukan. Data variabel x diambil menggunakan instrumen angket, sementara variabel y menggunakan data nilai pts matematika semester II. Hasil yang didapat adalah, motivasi belajar siswa kelas 5 SD Darussalam Semarang berada pada kategori baik. Diperoleh rata-rata nilai motivasi belajar sebesar 59 terletak pada interval 57-62. Nilai rata-rata prestasi belajar matematika siswa kelas 5 sebesar  71,5 terletak pada interval 68-75 termasuk dalam kategori cukup, sehingga tidak ada pengaruh yang signifikan antara motivasi belajar dan prestasi belajar matematika siswa kelas 5 SD Darussalam Semarang Tahun 2020/21. Hal ini dapat ditunjukkan dengan bukti hasil perhitungan nilai r observasi (ro) = 0,216 lebih kecil jika dibandingkan dengan nilai r pada tabel (rt) = 0,374 pada taraf signifikan 5% dan rt 0,478 pada taraf signifikan 1%

Metallization of colloidal crystals

Colloidal crystals formed by size-asymmetric binary particles co-assemble into a wide variety of colloidal compounds with lattices akin to ionic crystals. Recently, a transition from a compound phase with a sublattice of small particles to a metal-like phase in which the small particles are delocalized has been predicted computationally and observed experimentally. In this colloidal metallic phase, the small particles roam the crystal maintaining the integrity of the lattice of large particles, as electrons do in metals. A similar transition also occurs in superionic crystals, termed sublattice melting. Here, we use energetic principles and a generalized molecular dynamics model of a binary system of functionalized nanoparticles to analyze the transition to sublattice delocalization in different co-assembled crystal phases as a function of T, number of grafted chains on the small particles, and number ratio between the small and large particles $n_s$:$n_l$. We find that $n_s$:$n_l$ is the primary determinant of crystal type due to energetic interactions and interstitial site filling, while the number of grafted chains per small particle determines the stability of these crystals. We observe first-order sublattice delocalization transitions as T increases, in which the host lattice transforms from low- to high-symmetry crystal structures, including A20 to BCT to BCC, Ad to BCT to BCC, and BCC to BCC/FCC to FCC transitions and lattices. Analogous sublattice transitions driven primarily by lattice vibrations have been seen in some atomic materials exhibiting an insulator-metal transition also referred to as metallization. We also find minima in the lattice vibrations and diffusion coefficient of small particles as a function of $n_s$:$n_l$, indicating enhanced stability of certain crystal structures for $n_s$:$n_l$ values that form compounds.Comment: AE and HL-R contributed equally to this wor