Comprehension Level Of Non-Technical Terms In Science: Are We Ready For Science In English

Most students find the learning of science not an easy task. These difficulties arise not only from the use of symbols to represent concepts, but also the language that must be mastered, in particular the technical and non-technical vocabulary. Students who learn science not in their first language face the problem of understanding both the scientific terminologies (technical terms) and regular explanation of the knowledge itself. Non-technical vocabulary refers to terms that have one or many meanings in everyday language but which have a precise and sometimes different meaning in a scientific context. Studies indicated that technical language of science posed a problem of familiarity, but students were seen to be able to cope reasonably well with this. Where a more acute problem lay, was in the use in science of normal, familiar language in a highly specific, often-changed and unfamiliar way. This paper will present the finding from a survey that aim at investigating form 4 students' comprehension of common nontechnical terms used in science. Sample consisted of 91 students (form 4 students of different streams – arts, science and engineering) who were requested to respond to 50-item questionnaire. Facilities index were calculated for each item. Analysis of the result showed that these students do encounter some difficulties in understanding the meanings of the non-technical terms

Brand Loyalty and Relationship Marketing in Islamic Banking System

Islamic banks ability to withstand the global downturn has fuelled an expansion of Islamic finance around the world. Islamic banks have learned that customer loyalty and brand loyalty must be earned. Brand loyalty and relationship marketing among banking consumers particularly in the islamic banking system in Malaysia has captured great interest among the Malaysian public as a whole (i.e. relationship between employees and customers). Relationship marketing is not more than just getting the customers but it is also how to maintain the existing customers as much as possible. There are important dimensions that supported the strength of relationship marketing that can lead to brand loyalty. In relation, brand loyalty refers to the favorable attitude towards a brand in addition to purchasing it repeatedly by the customer. The customer tend to be loyal since there is relationship marketing between them and the organization. This study will show the influence of relationship marketing through Bank Islam employees in Malaysia on Brand Loyalty.The data for this study will be acquired from 3 Bank Islam business premises in Pulau Pinang, Kedah, and Perlis which represent the northern states of Peninsular Malaysia. Various data-analytic tools will be used to analyze the data such as test of differences, reliability analysis, factor analysis, and multiple regression analysis.The study tries to determine how relationship marketing which is measured through three dimensions, that is Customer trust on Bank Islam staff, Bank Islam Staff commitment during the service delivery, and the communication skills among Bank Islam Staff can have an influence on Brand Loyalty among Bank Islam customers. Key words: Islamic Banking System; Brand Loyalty; Relationship MarketingRésumé: La capacité des banques islamiques à résister au ralentissement mondial a alimenté une expansion de la finance islamique dans le monde. Les banques islamiques ont appris que la fidélité des clients et la fidélité à la marque doivent être obtenues. La fidélité à la marque et le marketing relationnel auprès des consommateurs, notamment dans le système bancaire islamique en Malaisie, ont captivé beaucoup d’attention du public malaisien en général (à savoir la relation entre les employés et les clients). Le marketing relationnel n'est pas seulement d'attirer les clients mais aussi de maintenir la clientèle existante autant que possible. Il y a des dimensions importantes qui ont soutenu la force du marketing relationnel qui peut mener à la fidélité des clients à la marque. La fidélité à la marque fait référence à une attitude favorable vis à vis d’une marque et des acquisitions de ses produits à plusieurs reprises. Les clients ont tendance à être fidèles car il y a un marketing relationnel entre eux et l'organisation. Cette étude montrera l'influence du marketing relationnel à travers les employés de la Banque islamique en Malaisie sur la fidélité des clients à la marque. Toutes les données utilisées dans cette étude sont procurées par 3 banques islamiques à Pulau Pinang, Kedah et Perlis, qui représentent les états du nord de la péninsule malaisienne. Divers outils d’analyse de données seront utilisés pour analyser les données tels que le test des différences, l'analyse de la fiabilité, l'analyse factorielle et des analyses de régression multiple. Cette recherche tente de déterminer comment le marketing relationnel, mesuré à travers trois dimensions, c'est-à-dire la confiance des clients sur le personnel des banques islamiques, l’engagement du personnel des banques islamiques au cours de la prestation et les compétences de communication entre le personnel des banques islamiques, peut avoir une influence sur la fidélité parmi les clients des banques islamiques.Mots-Clés: système des banques islamiques; fidélité à la marque; marketing relationne

Jurnal Pendidik dan Pendidikan

Abstract: Most students find the learning of science not an easy task. These difficulties arise not only from the use of symbols to represent concepts, but also the language that must be mastered, in particular the technical and non-technical vocabulary. Students who learn science not in their first language face the problem of understanding both the scientific terminologies (technical terms) and regular explanation of the knowledge itself. Non-technical vocabulary refers to terms that have one or many meanings in everyday language but which have a precise and sometimes different meaning in a scientific context. Studies indicated that technical language of science posed a problem of familiarity, but students were seen to be able to cope reasonably well with this. Where a more acute problem lay, was in the use in science of normal, familiar language in a highly specific, often-changed and unfamiliar way. This paper will present the finding from a survey that aim at investigating form 4 students' comprehension of common nontechnical terms used in science. Sample consisted of 91 students (form 4 students of different streams -arts, science and engineering) who were requested to respond to 50-item questionnaire. Facilities index were calculated for each item. Analysis of the result showed that these students do encounter some difficulties in understanding the meanings of the non-technical terms. Abstrak: Kebanyakan pelajar mendapati bahawa mempelajari sains bukannya suatu tugas yang mudah. Kerumitan ini timbul bukan hanya dalam penggunaan simbol bagi mewakili konsep malahan bahasa yang perlu dikuasai terutamanya perbendaharaan kata berbentuk teknikal dan perbendaharaan kata bukan teknikal. Pelajar yang menggunakan bahasa bukan bahasa ibundanya untuk mempelajari ilmu sains menghadapi masalah memahami kedua-dua terminologi saintifik dan penjelasan biasa ilmu tersebut. Perbendaharaan kata bukan teknikal merujuk kepada terminologi yang bukan sahaja mempunyai satu atau beberapa maksud dalam bahasa harian tetapi juga satu maksud tepat dan kadangkala maksud yang berlainan dalam konteks saintifik. Kajian menunjukkan bahawa bahasa teknikal sains menimbulkan masalah yang lazim tetapi pelajar didapati dapat menanganinya dengan baik. Masalah yang lebih runcing adalah dalam penggunaan bahasa saintifik biasa yang amat spesifik, selalu bertukar dan gaya yang tidak lazim bagi pelajar. Kertas kerja ini akan membincangkan dapatan daripada soal selidik yang bertujuan menyiasat kefahaman pelajar-pelajar tingkatan 4 tentang terminologiterminologi bukan teknikal biasa yang diguna dalam sains. Sampel terdiri daripada 91 pelajar (pelajar tingkatan 4 daripada aliran berlainan -sastera, sains dan kejuruteraan) yang dikehendaki menjawab soal selidik yang mengandungi 50 item. Indeks kesukaran dihitung bagi setiap item. Analisis terhadap keputusan respons menunjukkan bahawa 73 Maznah Ali and Zurida Ismail pelajar-pelajar ini menghadapi masalah untuk memahami maksud sesetengah terminologi bukan teknikal

Salesperson Professional Selling and the Effect on Buyer and Salesperson Relationship

Regardless of the growing importance and emphasis on relationship marketing, a complete operation of this concept is still unclear. There is a lack of studies that explore the impact of factors such as salesperson professional selling on customer loyalty. This study seeks to verify the relationship between salesperson knowledge and adaptive selling. Computer retail customers with different cultural backgrounds were used as respondents in this study. Respondents were asked to rate their evaluations of customer loyalty towards the salesperson knowledge and adaptive selling skills through a self-administered questionnaires which were written in English language and Bahasa Malaysia. Correlation analyses with Pearson’s r coefficient were performed to identify the degree of one variable’s position that occupies the same relative position on another variable. In addition, preliminary analyses were carried out to ensure no violation of the assumptions for linearity, normality, and homoscedasticity. No violations of the assumptions were found. The results of inter-correlation variables of the study indicate that the salesperson professional selling abilities which comprise of salesperson knowledge and adaptive selling managed to show a strong relationship with customer loyalty

Hippuric acid nanocomposite enhances doxorubicin and oxaliplatin-induced cytotoxicity in MDA-MB231, MCF-7 and Caco2 cell lines.

Background: The aim of the current study is to design a new nanocomposite for inducing cytotoxicity of doxorubicin and oxaliplatin toward MDA-MB231, MCF-7, and Caco2 cell lines. A hippuric acid (HA) zinc layered hydroxide (ZLH) nanocomposite was synthesized under an aqueous environment using HA and zinc oxide (ZnO) as the precursors. Methods: The hippuric acid nanocomposite (HAN) was prepared by the direct reaction of a HA solution with an aqueous suspension of ZnO. Results: The basal spacing of the nanocomposite was 21.3 Å, which is average of four harmonics at 2θ = 8.32°, 12.50°, 16.68°, and 20.84°. This result indicates that the hippurate anion was successfully intercalated into the interlayer space of ZLH. The combinations of HAN with chemotherapy (drugs) has inhibited the cell growth of the MDA-MB231, MCF-7, and Caco2 cancer cells when compared to drugs alone. An IC50 value for the combination of HAN with doxorubicin toward MCF-7 is 0.19 ± 0.15 µg/mL and toward MDA-MB231 is 0.13 ± 0.10 µg/mL. Similarly, the IC50 for the combination of HAN with oxaliplatin toward Caco2 is 0.24 ± 0.11 µg/mL. In the antiproliferative results, the equal combination of HAN (0.5 µg/mL) with doxorubicin (0.5 µg/mL) has reduced the cell proliferation in MCF-7 and MDA-MB- 231 cells into 37.3% and 17.6%, respectively after 24 hours. Similarly, the antiproliferation percentage for equal combination HAN with oxaliplatin (5.00 µg/mL) toward Caco2 is 72.7% after 24 hours. Conclusion: The resulting combination HAN with drugs has exhibited higher inhibition in cells growth in all cancer cell line

Controlled release and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition properties of an antihypertensive drug based on a perindopril erbumine-layered double hydroxide nanocomposite.

The intercalation of perindopril erbumine into Zn/Al-NO3-layered double hydroxide resulted in the formation of a host-guest type of material. By virtue of the ionexchange properties of layered double hydroxide, perindopril erbumine was released in a sustained manner. Therefore, this intercalated material can be used as a controlled-release formulation. Results: Perindopril was intercalated into the interlayers and formed a well ordered, layered organic-inorganic nanocomposite. The basal spacing of the products was expanded to 21.7 Å and 19.9 Å by the ion-exchange and coprecipitation methods, respectively, in a bilayer and a monolayer arrangement, respectively. The release of perindopril from the nanocomposite synthesized by the coprecipitation method was slower than that of its counterpart synthesized by the ion-exchange method. The rate of release was governed by pseudo-second order kinetics. An in vitro antihypertensive assay showed that the intercalation process results in effectiveness similar to that of the antihypertensive properties of perindopril. Conclusion: Intercalated perindopril showed better thermal stability than its free counterpart. The resulting material showed sustained-release properties and can therefore be used as a controlled-release formulation

Penerapan nilai-nilai murni dalam perkhidmatan institusi kewangan

Penerapan nilai-nilai murni amat penting kepada setiap anggota masyarakat tertutama individu yang berkerja dalam perkhidmatan awam mahupun swasta. Institusi kewangan yang berteraskan produk dan perkhidmatan sangat bergantung kepada nilai-nilai murni dalam kalangan setiap pekerjanya dari peringkat pengurusan tertinggi sehingalah di peringkat pelaksanaan dan operasi termasuk perkhidmatan kaunter dan pekerja am.Kertas kerja ini memfokuskan kepentingan nilai-nilai murni dalam perkhidmatan institusi kewangan dan pengukuhannya. Nilai-nilai murni yang dimaksudkan seperti amanah, bersih, jujur, bertanggungjawab, ikhlas, dedikasi, tekun, cekap, berkerjasama, adil dan saksama, berdisiplin, berkecuali, taat setia dan ramah mesra. Nilai-nilai tersebut amat penting kepada setiap individu yang melaksanakan tugas terutama ketika memberi perkhidmatan dan kepercayaan kepada pelanggan yang berurusan dengan institusi tersebut.Sehubungan itu imej dan martabat sesebuah institusi kewangan dapat dipertingkatkan.Pelbagai gejala kurang sihat yang berlaku dalam kalangan sebahagian institusi kewangan adalah berpunca daripada kelonggaran nilai-nilai murni individu yang diberi amanah untuk melaksanakan tugas.Nilai-nilai murni boleh diterapkan oleh setiap individu sekiranya ianya berpegang teguh kepada agama dan peranan kekeluargaannya dalam membentuk akhlak dan peribadi yang mulia.Di samping itu, program-program pembangunan modal insan yang berbentuk kerohanian boleh disisipkan dalam pekerjaan di institusi kewangan

The contribution of adaptive selling to positive word-of-mouth in Malaysian computer retail business

The application of salesperson adaptive selling skills and sales presentation skills by a salesperson during their interaction with customers in the sales situation can have a significant effect on customer intention to promote through word-of-mouth in the Malaysian Computer retail business. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relations between salesperson adaptive selling skills, positive word-of-mouth and the relative roles played by cognitive satisfaction in the development of customer satisfaction which will lead to customer’s intention to promote through word-of-mouth in a computer retail setting in Malaysia. This will then lead to increased benefits for the organization in the form of customer loyalty. The cognitive evaluation of customer satisfaction was found to explain customer loyalty in a retail setting significantly. This finding holds importance to those retailers who have been able to generate high expectations in the eyes of their customers