Preparation and Characterization of a Lovastatin-Loaded Protein-Free Nanostructured Lipid Carrier Resembling High-Density Lipoprotein and Evaluation of its Targeting to Foam Cells

This study was designed to investigate whether a non-protein nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) resembling high-density lipoprotein (HDL) could deliver a hydrophobic anti-atherogenic drug, lovastatin, to foam cells. Lovastatin-loaded NLC (LT-NLC) was prepared by a nanoprecipitation/solvent diffusion method. The LT-NLC-apoprotein (LT-NLC-apo) was prepared by incubating LT-NLC with native HDL. The physicochemical parameters of LT-NLC were characterized in terms of particle size, zeta potential, morphology, entrapment efficiency, and crystallization behavior. Targeting behavior and mechanism were demonstrated by the incubation of LT-NLC-apo with a RAW 264.7 macrophage-derived foam cell model in the presence or absence of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and lipase. The results showed that LT-NLC was solid spherical or oval in shape with an average diameter of 13.8 ± 2.2 nm, zeta potential of −29.3 ± 0.2 mV and entrapment efficiency of 96.2 ± 1.3%. Phagocytosis studies showed that uptake of LT-NLC-apo by macrophages was significantly lower than LT-NLC (p < 0.01), suggesting that LT-NLC-apo could possibly escape recognition from macrophages in vivo. The uptake was increased twofold when LT-NLC-apo was incubated with transfected foam cells containing VLDL and lipase. These results indicated that non-protein NLC resembling HDL could be a useful tool to deliver lipophilic anti-atherogenic drugs to foam cells, and that uptake could be enhanced by the VLDL receptor pathway

Improving PBL in Empowering Meta cognitive Skill of Students

Abstract Objective: Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is a potential constructivist learning strategy that empowers students’ Meta cognitive skill. PBL focuses on problem, involves thinking activity to solve problems, and correlates to cognitive function of students. Methods: The implementation of PBL reveals various benefits, but there are also some weaknesses in this learning strategy. Thus, it is necessary to implement a certain learning strategy that can cover the PBL weaknesses, such as Reading, Questioning, and Answering (RQA) learning strategy. RQA is a new learning strategy developed based on a fact that almost all students do not read the next lecture materials, causing failure of learning strategy planned and finally the students’ comprehension becomes low. RQA is also potential to empower students’ Meta cognitive skill. Findings: The integration of RQA and PBL learning strategy is called PBL-RQA learning strategy. This study was a quasi-experimental study designed to compare the effect of PBL, RQA, and PBL-RQA learning strategies on the students’ Meta cognitive skill of Faculty of Mathematics and Science, State University of Makassar. Application: The results of the study showed that the potency of PBL learning strategy in empowering the students’ Meta cognitive skill has been increased by integrating it to RQA learning strategy. The meta cognitive skill mean score of the students taught by PBL-RQA learning strategy was 21% higher than that of the students taught by PBL and 26.9% higher than that of the students taught by RQA learning strategy. Keywords: Answering, Meta Cognitive Skill, Problem-Based Learning, Questioning, Reading, PBL-RQ

Community acceptance of tsetse control baits: a qualitative study in Arua District, North West Uganda.

BACKGROUND There is renewed vigour in efforts to eliminate neglected tropical diseases including sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis or HAT), including attempts to develop more cost-effective methods of tsetse control. In the West Nile region of Uganda, newly designed insecticide-treated targets are being deployed over an area of ∼500 km(2). The operational area covers villages where tsetse control has not been conducted previously. The effectiveness of the targets will depend, in part, on their acceptance by the local community. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We assessed knowledge, perceptions and acceptance of tsetse baits (traps, targets) in villages where they had or had not been used previously. We conducted sixteen focus group discussions with male and female participants in eight villages across Arua District. Discussions were audio recorded, translated and transcribed. We used thematic analysis to compare the views of both groups and identify salient themes. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Despite the villages being less than 10 km apart, community members perceived deployed baits very differently. Villagers who had never seen traps before expressed fear, anxiety and panic when they first encountered them. This was related to associations with witchcraft and "ghosts from the river" which are traditionally linked with physical or mental illness, death and misfortune. By contrast, villagers living in areas where traps had been used previously had positive attitudes towards them and were fully aware of their purpose and benefits. The latter group reported that they had similar negative perceptions when tsetse control interventions first started a decade ago. Our results suggest that despite their proximity, acceptance of traps varies markedly between villages and this is related to the duration of experience with tsetse control programs. The success of community-based interventions against tsetse will therefore depend on early engagements with communities and carefully designed sensitization campaigns that reach all communities, especially those living in areas new to such interventions