Kemampuan Literasi Sains Siswa pada Pembelajaran Ekosistem

Kemampuan literasi sains merupakan kapasitas untuk menggunakan pengetahuan ilmiah, mengidentifikasi pertanyaan dan menarik kesimpulan berdasarkan fakta dan data untuk memahami alam semesta dan membuat keputusan dari Perubahan yang terjadi karena aktivitas manusia. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengetahui kemampuan literasi sains siswa MTs pada materi ekosistem. Kemampuan literasi sains siswa ini diukur menggunakan Test of scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS) yang diadaptasi dari Gormally et al. Tes ini diberikan kepada 17 siswa di MTs Nurul Ikhsan Belawa Cirebon. Hasil yang didapatkan dengan menggunakan tes TOSLS dalam kategori sedang (42,35)

The Relationship of Students’ Thinking Level and the Ability to Develop Proposition Network Representation of Human Nervous System in Modeling Based Learning (MbL)

The purpose of this research is to reveal the relationship of thinking level with the students’ ability to form a representation of proposition network on the human nervous system concept using modeling based learning. This was quantitative research with 30 science class’ students of grade XI from one private school in Bandung as the subject research, who learned using modeling-based learning (MbL). The instruments used to measure the thinking level were 19 numbers of multiple choices and 2 essays that were developed based on Marzano and Kendall’s level thinking indicator. The result of this research shows that the thinking level of senior high school’ students has reached L3 (analysis) with minimum standard mastery ≥70. The higher the expectation of students’ thinking level, the lower the minimum standard mastery will be reached. The correlation result showS no significant relationship between thinking level and the students’ ability to form a proposition network on the study of neuron structure and function (r= 0,075; p=0,692) with low concept complexity. The significant relationship between thinking level and the ability to form proposition representation is obtained during the study of the central nervous and peripheral nervous system (r= 0,506; p= 0,004) with higher concept complexity. It means the higher students’ thinking level, the better their abilities to form a proposition network. MbL could be recommended for learning biology concept especially abstract concept like the human nervous system. This research concluded that students’ thinking level reached level 3 (analysis) and MbL can facilitate a significant relationship between thinking level and the ability to form proposition networks if the concept taught has a higher complexity compared to the lower complexity concept

Selective Killing of Cancer Cells by Ashwagandha Leaf Extract and Its Component Withanone Involves ROS Signaling

Ashwagandha is a popular Ayurvedic herb used in Indian traditional home medicine. It has been assigned a variety of health-promoting effects of which the mechanisms remain unknown. We previously reported the selective killing of cancer cells by leaf extract of Ashwagandha (i-Extract) and its purified component Withanone. In the present study, we investigated its mechanism by loss-of-function screening (abrogation of i-Extract induced cancer cell killing) of the cellular targets and gene pathways.Randomized ribozyme library was introduced into cancer cells prior to the treatment with i-Extract. Ribozymes were recovered from cells that survived the i-Extract treatment. Gene targets of the selected ribozymes (as predicted by database search) were analyzed by bioinformatics and pathway analyses. The targets were validated for their role in i-Extract induced selective killing of cancer cells by biochemical and molecular assays. Fifteen gene-targets were identified and were investigated for their role in specific cancer cell killing activity of i-Extract and its two major components (Withaferin A and Withanone) by undertaking the shRNA-mediated gene silencing approach. Bioinformatics on the selected gene-targets revealed the involvement of p53, apoptosis and insulin/IGF signaling pathways linked to the ROS signaling. We examined the involvement of ROS-signaling components (ROS levels, DNA damage, mitochondrial structure and membrane potential) and demonstrate that the selective killing of cancer cells is mediated by induction of oxidative stress.Ashwagandha leaf extract and Withanone cause selective killing of cancer cells by induction of ROS-signaling and hence are potential reagents that could be recruited for ROS-mediated cancer chemotherapy

Ashwagandha Derived Withanone Targets TPX2-Aurora A Complex: Computational and Experimental Evidence to its Anticancer Activity

Cancer is largely marked by genetic instability. Specific inhibition of individual proteins or signalling pathways that regulate genetic stability during cell division thus hold a great potential for cancer therapy. The Aurora A kinase is a Ser/Thr kinase that plays a critical role during mitosis and cytokinesis and is found upregulated in several cancer types. It is functionally regulated by its interactions with TPX2, a candidate oncogene. Aurora A inhibitors have been proposed as anticancer drugs that work by blocking its ATP binding site. This site is common to other kinases and hence these inhibitors lack specificity for Aurora A inhibition in particular, thus advocating the need of some alternative inhibition route. Previously, we identified TPX2 as a cellular target for withanone that selectively kill cancer cells. By computational approach, we found here that withanone binds to TPX2-Aurora A complex. In experiment, withanone treatment to cancer cells indeed resulted in dissociation of TPX2-Aurora A complex and disruption of mitotic spindle apparatus proposing this as a mechanism of the anticancer activity of withanone. From docking analysis, non-formation/disruption of the active TPX2-Aurora A association complex could be discerned. Our MD simulation results suggesting the thermodynamic and structural stability of TPX2-Aurora A in complex with withanone further substantiates the binding. We report a computational rationale of the ability of naturally occurring withanone to alter the kinase signalling pathway in an ATP-independent manner and experimental evidence in which withanone cause inactivation of the TPX2-Aurora A complex. The study demonstrated that TPX2-Aurora A complex is a target of withanone, a potential natural anticancer drug

Water Extract from the Leaves of Withania somnifera Protect RA Differentiated C6 and IMR-32 Cells against Glutamate-Induced Excitotoxicity

Glutamate neurotoxicity has been implicated in stroke, head trauma, multiple sclerosis and neurodegenerative disorders. Search for herbal remedies that may possibly act as therapeutic agents is an active area of research to combat these diseases. The present study was designed to investigate the neuroprotective role of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), also known as Indian ginseng, against glutamate induced toxicity in the retinoic acid differentiated rat glioma (C6) and human neuroblastoma (IMR-32) cells. The neuroprotective activity of the Ashwagandha leaves derived water extract (ASH-WEX) was evaluated. Cell viability and the expression of glial and neuronal cell differentiation markers was examined in glutamate challenged differentiated cells with and without the presence of ASH-WEX. We demonstrate that RA-differentiated C6 and IMR-32 cells, when exposed to glutamate, undergo loss of neural network and cell death that was accompanied by increase in the stress protein HSP70. ASH-WEX pre-treatment inhibited glutamate-induced cell death and was able to revert glutamate-induced changes in HSP70 to a large extent. Furthermore, the analysis on the neuronal plasticity marker NCAM (Neural cell adhesion molecule) and its polysialylated form, PSA-NCAM revealed that ASH-WEX has therapeutic potential for prevention of neurodegeneration associated with glutamate-induced excitotoxicty

Dadiah local potential-based biology learning resources to improve students’ science process skills

AbstractDadiahis a local potential of West Sumatra province. The teacher has not utilizedDadiahas a biology learning resource in school. The iam of this study is to apply biology learning resources based on the local potential to improve student’s science process skills. The design of the research was a weak experiment method. The data were collected through biology learning resources that has been developed were lesson plans, worksheets, material supplement and science process skills test. The research subjects were 30 students in one at senior high school at Sijunjung Regency, West Sumatera. The improvement of the students’ science process skills was seen based on the pre- and post-test results. The research result showed that the students’ science process skills increased as of medium category with N-gain of 0.61. Based on the result of this research, the learning resource that was based onDadiahlocal potential can be used in the learning process. Learning resources can be an alternative learning with practical activities by applying scientific method to improve science process skills.</jats:p

Development of teaching material based on multiple intelligences to improve multiple intelligences and higher order thinking skills of students in vertebrata material

Abstract This research was development research that used ADDIE design (analyze, design, develop, implementation, and evaluate). The study aimed to develop teaching material based on multiple intelligences to improve multiple intelligence and higher-order thinking skills. The characteristics of teaching material developed the insertion of multiple intelligences, namely linguistic, logical-mathematical, visual-spatial, kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist intelligence. The sample research was students of class X in one of the high schools in Juntinyuat-Indramayu. The results showed that: 1) the feasibility of teaching material based on multiple intelligences have an average score of 2.75 with proper status; 2) the results of the readability test of teaching material showed a reading rate of 82.1% in the high category; 3) interpersonal intelligence was the dominant intelligence by students in both classes, the improvement of multiple intelligences in the moderate category in the treatment class and the low category in the comparison class; 4) improvement of higher-order thinking skills in the moderate category in the treatment class and the low category in the comparison class; 5) Positive student responses to teaching material are 80.8% with strong categories.</jats:p