Implementasi Alat Peraga Bentuk-bentuk Geometri Untuk Meningkatkan Kreativitas Dan Perkembangan Kognitif Anak Kelompok B Tk Lumbung Sari Denpasar

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis dan mendeskripsikan peningkatan kreativitas dan kecerdasan kognitif anak melalui implementasi alat peraga bentuk-bentuk geometri. Sukjek penelitian ini adalah siswa Kelompok B Tamaan Kanak-Kanak Lumbung Sari Denpasar berjumlah 25 orang. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian tindakan kelas yang dilaksanakan bersiklus. Metode pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah metode observasi dengan instrumen kreativitas dan kecerdasan kognitif, analisis data dilakukan secara deskriptif dengan kriteria keberhasilan baik. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan dalam 2 siklus, hasil penelitian menunjukkan akhir siklus II kreativitas anak dengan nilai rata-rata sebesar 38,72 dengan kategori baik. Begitu juga dengan kecerdasan kognitif anak akhir tindakan siklus II dengan nilai rata-rata 49,9 dengan kategori keberhasilan tinggi. Ini berarti kegiatan pembelajaran implementasi alat peraga bentuk-bentuk geometri sesuai nilai rata-rata indikator keberhasilan yang diharapkan dalam penelitian iniKata Kunci : Alat peraga bentuk-bentuk geometri, kecerdasan kognitif, kreativitas This study aims to analyze and describe the increase of children's creativities and cognitive intelligent through the implementation of geometrical forms of learning media. The subjects of this research are 25 children of Taman Kanak-kanak Lumbung Sari Denpasar group B. This research is a class action research which was conducted in cycles. Data collection methods used was observational methods using creativities and cognitive intelligent as instruments; data analysis performed descriptively with the criteria of good success. This research was done in 2 cycles, the result of the research shows : Cycle II Children Creativities with averaging value 38.72 with category : good. So is the cognitive intelligent, in the end action of cycles II with the average value 49.9 in the category of high success. This means that learning activities implementing geometrical forms as media is parallel (in accordance) to average value of success indicator expected in this researc

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

Oxidative Stress-Related Signaling Pathways Predict Oocytes’ Fertilization In Vitro and Embryo Quality

Oocyte development and fertilization are largely influenced by the microenvironment of the follicular fluid (FF), and the exploration of its molecular/metabolic composition may help in improving in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. Here, the concentrations of molecules related to oxidative stress/inflammation were measured in FF from follicles at oocyte retrieval during IVF. Here, the FF antioxidant potential was correlated with the number of retrieved/mature oocytes and the number of fertilized ones. FF collected from the follicles of normal fertilized oocytes presented an elevated antioxidant capability, lower levels of pro-inflammatory molecules (i.e., IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, TGF-beta, and HIF-1 alpha), and a higher IL-10 concentration. FF samples from follicles at oocyte retrieval that resulted in top-quality embryos displayed a peculiar antioxidant capability and a further decrease in proinflammatory molecules when compared with FF, giving rise to poor-quality embryos. Finally, pro-inflammatory molecules were lower and accompanied by a high antioxidant capability in samples giving rise to successful embryo implantation. The antioxidant capability and IL-10 displayed a good predictive ability for fertilization and embryo quality. Overall, our data showed the great influence of oxidative stress on the oocytes' fertilization, and shed light on the importance of controlling the inflammatory and oxidative status of FF to obtain good-quality embryos with significant implantation potential

Cumulus cells surrounding oocytes with high developmental competence exhibit down-regulation of phosphoinositol 1, 3 kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signalling genes involved in proliferation and survival

STUDY QUESTION: Is the phosphoinositol 1, 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathway expression profile in cumulus cells (CCs) a potential marker of oocyte competence and predictive of pregnancy outcome? SUMMARY ANSWER: Eleven genes (AKT1, ARHGEF7, BCL2L1, CCND1, E2F1, HRAS, KCNH2, PIK3C2A, SHC1, SOS1 and SPP1) in the PI3K/AKT pathway were significantly down-regulated in CCs from oocytes that went on to produce a pregnancy compared to CCs associated with a negative outcome. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: The PI3K/AKT pathway plays a pivotal role in the interdependence and continuous feedback between the oocyte and CCs. STUDY DESIGN SIZE, DURATION: The expression analysis of 92 transcripts in the PI3K/AKT pathway in CCs from patients with negative or positive pregnancy outcome, after single embryo transfer, was performed. Mouse CCs target gene expression was conducted to associate the expression profile of PI3K/AKT pathway to oocyte developmental profile. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Fifty-five good prognosis IVF patients who had been referred to IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment for male-factor infertility or tubal disease were enroled. CCs from single cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) from 16 patients who underwent a single embryo transfer were analyzed. Twenty-five CD-1 mice were used to assess gene expression in CCs associated with oocytes with different competence in relation to hCG priming. A total 220 human COCs were collected. The RNA extracted from CCs of 16 selected patients was used to analyze PI3K/AKT pathway gene expression employing a 96-well custom TaqMan Array. Expression data of CCs associated to positive IVF outcome were compared to data from negative outcome samples. Mice were sacrificed after 9, 12, 15, 21 and 24 h post-hCG administration to obtain CCs from MII oocytes with different developmental competence. Akt1, Bcl2l2 and Shc1 expression were tested in the collected mouse CCs. In addition, the expression of upstream regulator ESR1, the gene encoding for the oestrogen receptor ERβ, and the downstream effectors of the pathway FOXO1, FOXO3 and FOXO4 was evaluated in human and mouse samples. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Transcripts involved in the PI3K Signaling Pathway were selectively modulated according to the IVF/ICSI outcome of the oocyte. Eleven transcripts in this pathway were significantly down-regulated in all samples of CCs from oocytes with positive when compared those with a negative outcome. These outcomes were confirmed in mouse CCs associated with oocytes at different maturation stages. Expression data revealed that the down-regulation of ESR1 could be related to oocyte competence and is likely to be the driver of expression changes highlighted in the PI3K/AKT pathway. LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION: Small sample size and retrospective design. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: The CCs expression profile of PI3K/AKT signaling genes, disclosed a specific CCs gene signature related to oocyte competence. It could be speculated that CCs associated with competent oocytes have completed their role in sustaining oocyte development and are influencing their fate in response to metabolic and hormonal changes by de-activating anti-apoptotic signals. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): Supported by Merck Serono an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany (research grant for the laboratory session; Merck KGaA reviewed the manuscript for medical accuracy only before journal submission. The authors are fully responsible for the content of this manuscript, and the views and opinions described in the publication reflect solely those of the authors). The authors declare no conflict of interest

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