Norton University

This study aims to determine the effect of the implementation of the guided inquiry learning model on students’ conceptual understanding in learning English, specifically on descriptive text material, among tenth-grade students of SMAN 18 Palembang. The research employed a quasi-experimental method with a pretest-posttest control group design. The subjects consisted of two classes: the experimental class (X MIPA 2, 27 students) taught using the guided inquiry learning model, and the control class (X MIPA 3, 25 students) taught using conventional methods. Data were collected through pretests and posttests and analyzed using normality, homogeneity, independent sample t-test, and N-gain tests with the help of SPSS. The results showed an improvement in conceptual understanding in both classes, but the increase in the experimental class was more significant, with a mean posttest score of 81.36 and an N-gain of 0.7655 (high category), while the control class had a mean posttest score of 55.45 and an N-gain of 0.3885 (medium category). The t-test results indicated a significant effect of the guided inquiry learning model on students’ conceptual understanding (sig. 0.000 < 0.05). Therefore, it can be concluded that the guided inquiry learning model is more effective than the conventional method in improving students’ conceptual understanding of English, particularly in descriptive text material.

The interdependence of people and the connection and networking are components of today's everyday business life. It is for this reason that communication plays a major role in all aspects of life, including in business. As physical boundaries are no longer an obstacle to successful business and distance can be overcome in just a few clicks on one of the smart devices, the need to master new skills is a necessity. Availability and work with colleagues, partners, people of other cultural assumptions and understanding of relationships and business require the existence of intercultural intelligence in everyone involved in the relationship. This paper aims to show which are the sociodemographic variables that influence, and to what extent, the intercultural competence of an individual.

Bakgrunn: Denne artikkelen er en kunnskapsoppsummering og klassifisering av foreldreprogrammet De Utrolige Årene (DUÅ), rettet mot førskolebarn (3-6 år) og barn i skolealder (6-12 år). Foreldreprogrammene er rettet mot foreldre til barn med atferdsproblemer på et forebyggende, selektert, eller indikert nivå. Det vil si, programmene kan tilrettelegges som enten forebyggende tiltak eller behandlingstiltak. Foreldreprogrammene er utviklet av Carolyn Webster-Stratton, USA. I Norge er det Regionalt Kunnskapssenter for Barn og Unge – Nord (RKBU Nord) som er tiltaksleverandør og har det nasjonale ansvaret for opplæring. Metode: Kunnskapsoppsummeringen bygger på et systematisk litteratursøk fra ulike databaser (Embase, Medline, Psykinfo, NORART, Cochrane, Cristin, NORA, Scopus, SweMed, Bibsys, og Google Scholar), samt materiell gitt fra tiltakseier. Søket ble gjennomgått for å identifisere internasjonale, nordiske og norske effektstudier om tiltakene. Ni nordiske artikler (3 norske, 4 svenske,1 dansk og 1 finsk), samt tre internasjonale meta-analyser, er evaluert og inkludert i kunnskapsoppsummeringen. Resultater: Resultatene viser at DUÅs foreldreprogrammer er kunnskaps- og evidensbaserte tiltak med solid teoretisk forankring. De baserer seg på etablerte måleinstrumenter, og tiltakene har godt beskrevne implementeringsstrategier. Samtlige av de nordiske studiene viste positive resultater til fordel for de to programmene, det vil si en reduksjon i barns problematferd og en positiv endring i foreldre-barn samspill. Konklusjon: DUÅs foreldreprogrammer for førskole- og skolebarn klassifiseres på evidensnivå 5, det vil si tiltak med sterk dokumentasjon på effekt.

In his autobiography allusive of Marcel Proust’s literary autobiography À la recherche du temps perdu, Kandel describes and explores his own development as a molecular scientist who started out as a student of history and psychoanalysis with more than just a penchant for literature. Despite his conversion to neuroscience, which is told in great detail, Kandel’s motives in studying the brain are informed mainly by humanist ideals and episodes from his personal past. The author creates an image of himself as a scientist who is guided in his molecular research by both his good intuitions and received theories from the humanities. Hence, the aim of the present paper is to show how the author succeeds in modelling his scientific ethos at the interface of the humanities and the natural sciences and in what ways he generates a public image of himself as a ‘self-made man’ or, rather, scientist.

Despite optimal diagnosis and early therapeutic interventions, the prognosis for ovarian cancer patients remains dismal because the efficacy of chemotherapy is limited by the development of resistance and off-site toxicity. Berry bioactives indicate preventive and therapeutic activities against various cancer types. Here, we examined the antiproliferative activity of berry anthocyanidins (Anthos) against drug-sensitive (A2780) and drug-resistant (A2780/CP70, OVCA432 and OVCA433) ovarian cancer cells. These drug-resistant ovarian cancer cell lines overexpress p-glycoproteins (PgP) and show >100-fold resistance to the chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin compared to A2780. We observed a dose-dependent growth inhibition of ovarian cancer cells with the Anthos. Furthermore, the treatment of drug-resistant ovarian cancer (OVCA433) cells with cisplatin in combination with the Anthos (75 μM) resulted in significantly higher cell killing. The cisplatin dose required to achieve this effect was 10 to 15-fold lower than the IC50 of cisplatin alone. However, many plant bioactives including Anthos face the challenge of poor oral bioavailability and stability. Recently, we have developed strategies to overcome these limitations by delivering Anthos via milk-derived exosomes. The exosomal Anthos (ExoAnthos) significantly enhanced the antiproliferative activity against the growth of ovarian cancer cells and inhibited tumor growth more efficiently compared to Anthos alone and a vehicle control. Often patients with cisplatin-resistant tumors retain sensitivity to paclitaxel (PAC). We prepared exosomal formulations of PAC (ExoPAC) for oral delivery as the systemic administration of PAC has severe side effects. ExoPAC delivered orally showed the same therapeutic efficacy as the free PAC delivered intraperitoneally. Finally, we report that the combination of the Anthos and PAC decreased the PgP level in a dose-dependent manner in OVCA432 cells. A significantly enhanced antitumor activity was observed with the combination of ExoPAC and ExoAnthos against A2780 tumor xenografts. Together, our data indicate that the berry Anthos are highly effective against ovarian cancer and that the milk exosomes serve as an excellent nano-carrier to enhance the drug's oral bioavailability for the management of ovarian cancer.

T he pace of the assimilation of computer technology into the data processing organization is represented by the S-shaped "Data Processing Learning Curve" (see Figure The curve is approximated by the growth of the data processing budget and reflects the staged evolution of the data processing environment along four growth processes: 1. The portfolio of computer applications. The programs and procedures which are used by the organization in its business activities. The applications portfolio represents the cumulative end product of the data processing organization.

Weight and performance needs of space programs have given impetus to the use of new thermal isolation techniques. Uses are currently ranging from the control of thermal environment in spacecraft with internal energy releases and limiting temperature changes in static storable fuels to insulating cryogens in bulk for lone-term employment in space. Aspects of such applications are discussed in this paper.