Serratiopeptidase reduces the invasion of osteoblasts by Staphylococcus aureus

Finding new strategies to counteract periprosthetic infection and implant failure is a main target in orthopedics. Staphylococcus aureus, the leading etiologic agent of orthopedic implant infections, is able to enter and kill osteoblasts, to stimulate pro-inflammatory chemokine secretion, to recruit osteoclasts, and to cause inflammatory osteolysis. Moreover, by entering eukaryotic cells, staphylococci hide from the host immune defenses and shelter from the extracellular antibiotics. Thus, infection persists, inflammation thrives, and a highly destructive osteomyelitis occurs around the implant. The ability of serratiopeptidase (SPEP), a metalloprotease by Serratia marcescens, to control S. aureus invasion of osteoblastic MG-63 cells and pro-inflammatory chemokine MCP-1 secretion was evaluated. Human osteoblast cells were infected with staphylococcal strains in the presence and in the absence of SPEP. Cell proliferation and cell viability were also evaluated. The release of pro-inflammatory chemokine MCP-1 was evaluated after the exposure of the osteoblast cells to staphylococcal strains. The significance of the differences in the results of each test and the relative control values was determined with Student’s t-test. SPEP impairs their invasiveness into osteoblasts, without affecting the viability and proliferation of bone cells, and tones down their production of MCP-1. We recognize SPEP as a potential tool against S. aureus bone infection and destruction

Red Rosella Tea and Avocado as Simvastatin Therapy Support Reduce Total Cholesterol

Introduction: Hypercholesterolemia is a condition characterized by high levels of total cholesterol in the blood. Many studies have proven that steeping tea rosella and flesh of an avocado can reduce total cholesterol levels. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of therapy companion rosella tea and avocado in lowering total cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemia clients. Method: This type of research is a quasi-experimental study with pre-post test control group design. The population study was a client with hypercholesterolemia in the working area of menganti health centers. First sample group consisted of nine respondents received the drug Simvastatin 10 mg and rosella tea consumed as much as 2 g 1x / day. The second group consisted of nine respondents received the drug Simvastatin 10 mg and avocado meat weighing 330 grams were consumed 1x / day. The control group consisted of 11 respondents have a drug Simvastatin 10 mg oral 1x daily at night before bed. All groups examined total cholesterol levels before treatment and after treatment on day 15. Result: The results of one-way ANOVA test showed a significant difference between before and after treatment in the first group (p=0,001) and second group (p= 0,005), and there is no significant difference before and after treatment in the control group (p= 0,248). The difference between the three groups showed p= 0.025. Conclusion: The conclusion of this study is giving rosella tea and avocado has the same effectiveness in lowering total cholesterol levels so that health workers can suggest the use of rosella tea and avocado as a companion therapy to reduce total cholesterol level

Analysis of Authenticity of Teachers' Made Assessment and Its Contribution to Students' English Achievement (a Study in Junior High Schools in Buleleng Regency)

This research aimed at analyzing the authenticity of teacher's made assessment and its contribution to students' English achievement. 35 Junior High School English teachers in Buleleng Regency were used as the subjects in this research. Data collection methods employed were document study, questionnaire, and interview to answer the research questions quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings demonstrated that teachers' made assessments have sufficient authenticity level of planning, have high authenticity level of assessment implementation as perceived by teachers, have sufficient authenticity level of assessment implementation as perceived by students, and is considered as having high level on the students' English achievement after being assessed with teachers' made assessment. The findingsalso showed that only assessment implementation as perceived by studentsand simultaneous predictors gave significant contribution to students' English achievement. Assessment planning and assessment implementation as perceived by teachers did not show significant contribution because there was found inconsistent finding between what teachers planned with what teachers have implemented. This study has positive contribution to the importance of considering the authenticity of assessment in teaching English as a foreign language

Pengaruh Nilai Tukar Rupiah terhadap Return Saham dengan Profitabilitas sebagai Variabel Intervening

Returns and profitability is the target to be achieved by all companies. Many things affect the return of which is the exchange rate. The research is aiming to determine the effect of the exchange rate on stock returns in the stock exchanges of Indonesia hospitality industry with profitability as an intervening variable The population in this research are all the companies in the hospitality industry are listed in the Indonesia Stock Exchange during the period 2012-2013. The data is analyzed by path analysis (path analysis), supported by SPSS version 17.0 The results of this study shows that: (1) exchange rate negative effect on the profitability of return while positive impact on return. (2) the effect of the exchange rate returns through greater profitability than the direct effect of exchange rate on return. Recommended for future research to increase the variables that affect the return and also expand the sample to the research results could be better

Pengaruh Model Pembelajaran Kooperatif Tipe Think Pair and Share Terhadap Kemampuan Berbicara Bahasa Inggris Ditinjau Dari Tingkat Kreativitas Siswa

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui dan menganalisis pengaruh model pembelajaran kooperatif tipe Think Pair and Share terhadap kemampuan berbicara Bahasa Inggris ditinjau dari tingkat kreativitas siswa kelas VIII MTS NW Lenek dengan menggunakan metode eksperimen post test-only control group design dengan rancangan factorial 2x2. Dari populasi sebanyak 126 siswa diambil 102 siswa sebagai sampel yang kemudian dimasukkan pada kelompok eksperimen dan control menggunakan teknik random sampling. Instrument yang digunakan dlam penelitian yaitu tes keterampilan berbibicara bahasa Inggris berupa tes kinerja dan kuesioner kreativitas siswa. Kemudian data dianalisis dengan menggunakan ANAVA dua-jalur, selanjutnya dialakukan Uji Tukey. Hasil penelitian ini adalah (1) ada perbedaan kemampuan berbicara bahasa Inggris antara siswa yang mengikuti pembelajaran model TPS dengan siswa yang mengikuti pembelajaran konvensional. (2) ada interaksi antara model pembelajaran kooperatif tipe TPS dengan tingkat Kreativitas terhadap kemampuan berbicara bahasa Inggris pada siswa kelas VIII MTS NW LENEK. (3) ada perbedaan kemampuan berbicara bahasa Inggris antara siswa dengan tingkat Kreativitas tinggi yang mengikuti model TPS dengan siswa yang mengikuti model Konvensional.(4) ada perbedaan kemampuan berbicara bahasa Inggris antara siswa dengan tingkat Kreativitas rendah yang mengikuti model TPS dengan siswa yang mengikuti pembelajaran model Konvensional.Kata Kunci : Model Pembelajaran Kooperatif TipeTPS (Think Pair and Share), Model Pembelajaran Konvensional, Tingkat kreativitas siswa, Kemampuan Berbicara This research aims at investigating the effect of cooperative learning type Think Pair Share on English speaking skill viewed from creativity of eight grade students of MTS NW Lenek using experimental method of posttest only control group design with 2x2 factorial. Form the population of 126 students, 102 students were taken as the sample which then divided into experimental and control group using random sampling technique. Instruments used for this research were English speaking skill performance test and students’ creativity questionnaire. Data were analyzed using two-way anova and followed using Tukey test. The result of the research shows that: (1) there is a difference of English speaking skill between students following Think Pair Share model and those following conventional model, (2) there is an interaction between learning model used and creativity on English speaking skill, (3) for those having high creativity, there is a difference of English speaking skill between students following Think Pair Share model and those following conventional model, (4) for those having low creativity, there is a difference of English speaking skill between students following Think Pair Share model and those following conventional model

On the dc Magnetization, Spontaneous Vortex State and Specific Heat in the superconducting state of the weakly ferromagnetic superconductor RuSr2_{2}GdCu2_{2}O8_{8}

Magnetic-field changes $<$ 0.2 Oe over the scan length in magnetometers that necessitate sample movement are enough to create artifacts in the dc magnetization measurements of the weakly ferromagnetic superconductor RuSr$_{2}$GdCu$_{2}$O$_{8}$ (Ru1212) below the superconducting transition temperature $T_{c} \approx$ 30 K. The observed features depend on the specific magnetic-field profile in the sample chamber and this explains the variety of reported behaviors for this compound below $T_{c}$. An experimental procedure that combines improvement of the magnetic-field homogeneity with very small scan lengths and leads to artifact-free measurements similar to those on a stationary sample has been developed. This procedure was used to measure the mass magnetization of Ru1212 as a function of the applied magnetic field H (-20 Oe $\le$ H $\le$ 20 Oe) at $T < T_{c}$ and discuss, in conjunction with resistance and ac susceptibility measurements, the possibility of a spontaneous vortex state (SVS) for this compound. Although the existence of a SVS can not be excluded, an alternative interpretation of the results based on the granular nature of the investigated sample is also possible. Specific-heat measurements of Sr$_{2}$GdRuO$_{6}$ (Sr2116), the precursor for the preparation of Ru1212 and thus a possible impurity phase, show that it is unlikely that Sr2116 is responsible for the specific-heat features observed for Ru1212 at $T_{c}$.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figure

Tribological behavior of 316L stainless steel reinforced with CuCoBe + diamond composites by laser sintering and hot pressing: a comparative statistical study

The aim of this work was to perform a statistical analysis in order to assess how the tribological properties of a laser textured 316L stainless steel reinforced with CuCoBe - diamond composites are affected by diamond particles size, type of technology (laser sintering and hot pressing) and time of tribological test. The analysis started with the description of all response variables. Then, by using IBM® SPSS software, the Friedman’s test was used to compare how the coefficient of friction varied among samples in five-time points. From this test, results showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the coefficient of friction mean values over the selected time points. Then, the two-samples Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test was used to test the effect of the diamond particles size and the type of technology on the mean of the coefficient of friction over time. The results showed that, for both sintering techniques, the size of the diamond particles significantly affected the values of the coefficient of friction, whereas no statistical differences were found between the tested sintering techniques. Also, the two-way ANOVA test was used to evaluate how these factors influence the specific wear rate, which conducted to the same conclusions drawn for the previous test. The main conclusion was that the coefficient of friction and the specific wear rate were statistically affected by the diamond particles size, but not by the sintering techniques used in this work.This work was supported by FCT national funds, under the national support to R&D units grant, through the reference projects UIDB/04436/2020 and UIDP/04436/2020. Additionally, this work was supported by FCT with the reference projects UIDB/00319/2020 and PTDC/CTM-COM/30416/2017

Follicular fluid content and oocyte quality: from single biochemical markers to metabolomics

The assessment of oocyte quality in human in vitro fertilization (IVF) is getting increasing attention from embryologists. Oocyte selection and the identification of the best oocytes, in fact, would help to limit embryo overproduction and to improve the results of oocyte cryostorage programs. Follicular fluid (FF) is easily available during oocyte pick-up and theorically represents an optimal source on non-invasive biochemical predictors of oocyte quality. Unfortunately, however, the studies aiming to find a good molecular predictor of oocyte quality in FF were not able to identify substances that could be used as reliable markers of oocyte competence to fertilization, embryo development and pregnancy. In the last years, a well definite trend toward passing from the research of single molecular markers to more complex techniques that study all metabolites of FF has been observed. The metabolomic approach is a powerful tool to study biochemical predictors of oocyte quality in FF, but its application in this area is still at the beginning. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge about the biochemical predictors of oocyte quality in FF, describing both the results coming from studies on single biochemical markers and those deriving from the most recent studies of metabolomic

Human cell types important for Hepatitis C Virus replication in vivo and in vitro. Old assertions and current evidence

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is a single stranded RNA virus which produces negative strand RNA as a replicative intermediate. We analyzed 75 RT-PCR studies that tested for negative strand HCV RNA in liver and other human tissues. 85% of the studies that investigated extrahepatic replication of HCV found one or more samples positive for replicative RNA. Studies using in situ hybridization, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, and quasispecies analysis also demonstrated the presence of replicating HCV in various extrahepatic human tissues, and provide evidence that HCV replicates in macrophages, B cells, T cells, and other extrahepatic tissues. We also analyzed both short term and long term in vitro systems used to culture HCV. These systems vary in their purposes and methods, but long term culturing of HCV in B cells, T cells, and other cell types has been used to analyze replication. It is therefore now possible to study HIV-HCV co-infections and HCV replication in vitro