CONTEXTUALISING URBAN ENGINEERING EDUCATION FOR FUTURE CITIES

While rapidity in service activities have strengthened the role of urban areas as engines of economic growth, high population density and increased industrialization, has brought needless social and environmental complaints in cities. This phenomenon necessitates a change in societal attitude in f avor of the creation of responsible living conditions, which demands requisite skills and knowledge that would shape the cities. Thus, this paper explores the adequacy of current urban engineering education in terms of the knowledge, skills and competencie s required to plan and develop future cities. The paper examines how “wicked problems” that marginalize effective sustainable city planning can be addressed through astute understanding of social and environmental challenges, urban governance systems and s takeholder involvement. Based on current education system, initial findings suggest that competencies in urban planning will not necessarily enable students to address challenges related to the development of smart and sustainable cities. Rather, engineeri ng, science and social knowledge, which would engender the ability to predict future social dynamics, should enable graduates to become active drivers of sustainable and livable cities&nbsp

SOME RISK MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AMONG THE BEEF CATTLE FARMERS OF THE NORTH WEST PROVINCE OF CAMEROON: EFFECT ON TECHNOLOGY DISSEMINATION

The North West Province of Cameroon is one of the four provinces that account for 90 % of Cameroon's estimated 6 million cattle heads. The cattle production in the area involves the rural poor population who are associated with a reluctance to take risks, presumably because risk taking would jeopardize their subsistence. That being the case, it becomes imperative to know what risk management methods they use. The overall objective of this study was to identify and examine the risk management practiced by the beef cattle farmers in the North West Province of Cameroon so as to determine their effects on technology dissemination. The beef cattle farmers were selected for the survey on the basis of their involvement in beef cattle farming. The researchers visited the selected farmers at their homesteads / farmsteads to collect the required information using a structured questionnaire. Quantitative data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics while qualitative ones were analyzed using percentages and frequency counts. Eighty one percent of the respondents followed a mixed agro pastoral strategy in which cattle production was combined with crop farming. More than 90 % of the respondents had secondary economic activities other than crop farming. This is a major means of spreading risk across economic sectors and geographical space, and securing alternative sources of income. Sixty five percent of the respondents go on transhumance during the dry season for search of water and pasture for their animals. The cattle farmers relied on the use of their traditional cattle species that are more drought and disease resistant. Cattle and small ruminants were kept by more than 60 % of the respondents, subdivided into herds for risk avoidance, proper management and hand deticking.Livestock Production/Industries, Risk and Uncertainty,

CONTEXTUALISING URBAN ENGINEERING EDUCATION FOR FUTURE CITIES

Published ArticleWhile rapidity in service activities have strengthened the role of urban areas as engines of economic growth, high population density and increased industrialization, has brought needless social and environmental complaints in cities. This phenomenon necessitates a change in societal attitude in favor of the creation of responsible living conditions, which demands requisite skills and knowledge that would shape the cities. Thus, this paper explores the adequacy of current urban engineering education in terms of the knowledge, skills and competencies required to plan and develop future cities. The paper examines how “wicked problems” that marginalize effective sustainable city planning can be addressed through astute understanding of social and environmental challenges, urban governance systems and stakeholder involvement. Based on current education system, initial findings suggest that competencies in urban planning will not necessarily enable students to address challenges related to the development of smart and sustainable cities. Rather, engineering, science and social knowledge, which would engender the ability to predict future social dynamics, should enable graduates to become active drivers of sustainable and livable cities

Pembuatan Web Application Untuk Mendukung Pelayanan Asisten Tutor Di Universitas Kristen Petra

Tutor assistant is a term for students who serve new students in small groups, in a coaching program for new students known as Ethics Enrichment. Currently, every support tools that have been used by tutor assistants were printed. In comparison with the number of tutor assistants, the printing of support tools is a waste and not really practical, especially when compared to the advancement of technologies which actually can ease the service of tutor assistants.Web application was made with the purpose of helping tutor assistant service by providing a system that can be accessed across devices and can fulfill the needs of tutor assistants while doing their services. Some features in web application include material access, grade assignment, online attendance form and interactions with new students via sharing or meeting agreement form. Web application also use JSON Web Token to provide login service and email notifications if any content addition occur in web application.After doing some testing, it can be concluded that web application can be accessed nicely across devices. Survey also shows that web application answers the needs in providing a system that support the service of tutor assistants in Petra Christian University, with 59% of respondents agree that the web application is useful and 53% of respondents agree that web application as a whole has been good

Isotopic evidence for contrast diets of early hominins Homo habilis and Australopithecus boisei of Tanzania

Isotopic dietary studies of early hominins have hitherto been confined to specimens from South Africa. We are now able to report isotopic analyses of two species of early hominins from Tanzania : Homo habilis and Australopithecus boisei. The results show that these two species had very different diets. The isotopic analyses of three South African species of early hominins, in contrast, show considerable variation in individual diets, but no marked differences between species

Repurposing of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for the management of COVID-19

The Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted adversely on the global health and socio-economic activities. There is currently no evidence-based anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug for COVID-19 therapy. This review highlights some pharmacological properties of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine and prospects of repurposing them for the treatment of COVID-19. Google scholar was employed in searching relevant published journal articles (n=118) in English. The search was later narrowed down to SARS-CoV-2, pathophysiology of COVID-19, available drugs for the management of COVID-19, clinical trials on repurposing drugs for COVID-19 therapy, and the role of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of COVID-19. Documented evidence revealed that chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have antiviral and immune-modulatory properties. Their antiviral effect is due to inhibition of the spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 from binding to the cellular transmembrane receptors, angiotensin converting enzyme-2 thereby preventing viral infections. Also, sequestration of these drugs into the lysosomes elevates lysosomal pH thus inhibiting lysosomal enzymatic functions vital for viral replication in those cells. Whereas, their immune-modulatory activity averts the inflammatory complications of COVID-19, particularly acute respiratory syndrome, by preventing cytokine storm through suppression of the production and putative release of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The adverse effects from these drugs, notably irreversible retinopathy and cardiac arrhythmia are rare but become life-threatening when they occur. These are minimal with hydroxychloroquine compared to chloroquine. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine could be repurposed for managing COVID-19 cases because they are already extensively used for treating acute nonresistant malaria and auto-immune diseases. Also, a viable vaccine cannot be available in the near future while there is a pressing need for treatments to lower the daily rise in morbidity and mortality associated with the disease. Nevertheless, we suggest that emphasis should be on hydroxychloroquine because of its superior antiviral effect and clinical safety