The Sporozoite Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay : Application in Malaria Epidemiology

Recent biotechnological breakthroughs have led to the development of various methods for detection and identification of human pathogens in their vectors. Monoclonal antibodies produced against malaria sporozoite antigens have permitted the development of several sensitive, species specific immunological tests (IFA, IRMA, ELIS A). One of these, a two-site enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELIS A) has been developed as a useful epidemiological tool in the identification of malaria-infected mosquitoes. This method employs highly species specific monoclonal antibodies that recognize the repetitive immunodominant epitope of the circumsporozoite (CS) protein. Monoclonal antibodies have been developed for all four species of human malaria The key feature of the ELISA technique is the use of an enzyme indicator for an immunological reaction. The antigen capture or "sandwich" ELISA configuration uses the purified monoclonal both as the solid phase and, conjugated to enzyme, as a marker for the presence of CS protein in a mosquito homogenate incubated in the wells of a microtitration plate. This technology has shown advantages over other methods for epidemiological data collection. Mosquitoes can be caught, dried and stored until a time convenient for examination. The sporozoite rate by Plasmodium species can be identified easily, and when combined with the man-biting rate provides the sporozoite inoculation rate, an important entomologic estimate of the number of potential infective bites a person could expect over a given period of time. Presently, mosquitoes can be tested individually or pooled up to 20 anophe lines. The assay is sensitive enough to detect 1 infected mosquito per pool or as few as 25 sporozoites per 50 pi of mosquito extract. Basic principles and procedures are covered concerning solid substrate, adsorption to solid substrate, buffers and wash solutions, conjugates and enzyme substrates. The advantages and limitations of this technique in present malaria studies is discussed

A 31P, 13C, and 1H NMR Study of the Direct Interaction of Cocaine HC1 and Magnesium ATP

In vivo 31P NMR studies recently have shown that cocaine causes an imbalance of the free magnesium in the brain which results in pH lowering, ischemia, and even death. This direct interaction with the free Mg+2 inthe brain also affects the Ca+2 balance which controls arterial and vascular contraction. This research has addressed the mechanism of the cocaine interaction withmagnesium adenosine 5-triphosphate (ATP) using 31P, 13C, and 1H NMR using a Bruker 200 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) system. Data are presented and discussed which shows that cocaine and ATP form a complex species which directly affects the NMR spectra

The Use of Species Sanitation and Insecticides for Malaria Control in Coastal Areas of Java

Aktivitas pengendalian penyakit malaria dimulai sejak awal abad ke-20. Beberapa peneliti malaria terkemuka memulai karimya di pulau Jawa, dan banyak pakar lain memperoleh keuntungan dari berbagai pengalaman dalam aktivitas pengendalian malaria di Indonesia. Salah satu peristiwa terpenting yang telah terjadi adalah suksesnya pengendalian di sebagian besar daerah di pulau Jawa, yang merupakan salah satu daerah terpadat penduduknya di dunia. Alasan-alasan yang sebenarnya dari keberhasilan dan kegagalan dalam pengendalian malaria di Jawa sering dikemukakan dalam literatur dan jarang mendapat perhatian sepenuhnya. Informasi yang disajikan di sini mengulas tentang faktor-faktor penting ekologi malaria di sepanjang pantai pulau Jawa, dan terutama menyangkut USAha-USAha pengendalian terhadap vektor utama, yaitu nyamuk Anopheles sundaicus. Penggunaan insektisida secara tepat dan bijaksana, perbaikan lingkungan untuk mengurangi habitat perkembangan larva, dan kebiasaan masyarakat yang menyangkut pengaturan/ pengolahan tanah dan tambak mempakan faktor-faktor penting untuk mencapai keberhasilan yang cukup tinggi. Usaha-USAha pemberantasan terhadap An. sundaicus dapat berhasil dengan adanya pemahaman biologi vektor dan ekologi pantai muara yang dipadukan dengan Perubahan cara hidup dan pengendalian populasi dalam masyarakat. Meskipun pengendalian vektor sepanjang pantai utara pulau Jawa telah tercapai, akan tetapi ketidakmampuan untuk mengatasi kendala-kendala teknis dan lingkungan telah menghalangi keberhasilan USAha-USAha pengendalian An. sundaicus di sepanjang pantai selatan pulau Jawa

The bloodstream differentiation - division of Trypanosoma brucei studied using mitochondrial markers

In the bloodstream of its mammalian host, the African trypanosome Trypanosoma brucei undergoes a life cycle stage differentiation from a long, slender form to a short, stumpy form. This involves three known major events: exit from a proliferative cell cycle, morphological change and mitochondrial biogenesis. Previously, models have been proposed accounting for these events (Matthews & Gull 1994a). Refinement of, and discrimination between, these models has been hindered by a lack of stage-regulated antigens useful as markers at the single-cell level. We have now evaluated a variety of cytological markers and applied them to investigate the coordination of phenotypic differentiation and cell cycle arrest. Our studies have focused on the differential expression of the mitochondrial enzyme dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase relative to the differentiation-division of bloodstream trypanosomes. The results implicate a temporal order of events: commitment, division, phenotypic differentiation

Contrasting Decollement and Prism Properties over the Sumatra 2004-2005 Earthquake Rupture Boundary

Styles of subduction zone deformation and earthquake rupture dynamics are strongly linked, jointly influencing hazard potential. Seismic reflection profiles across the trench west of Sumatra, Indonesia, show differences across the boundary between the major 2004 and 2005 plate interface earthquakes, which exhibited contrasting earthquake rupture and tsunami generation. In the southern part of the 2004 rupture, we interpret a negative-polarity sedimentary reflector ~500 meters above the subducting oceanic basement as the seaward extension of the plate interface. This predécollement reflector corresponds to unusual prism structure, morphology, and seismogenic behavior that are absent along the 2005 rupture zone. Although margins like the 2004 rupture zone are globally rare, our results suggest that sediment properties influence earthquake rupture, tsunami hazard, and prism development at subducting plate boundaries

Ecology And Infection Rates Of Natural Vectors Of Filariasis In Tanah Intan, South Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia

Data ekologi nyamuk vektor dan tingkat infeksi filaría secara alami dan secara buatan telah diperoleh dari perkebunan karet di Kalimantan Selatan, Indonesia. Berbagai macam cara penangkapan dalam kondisi ekologi yang berbeda telah dipakai dalam pengumpulan 51 jenis nyamuk (N = 95.735). Pembedahan nyamuk, infeksi buatan dan identifikasi larva filaría mengikuti prosedur dan kunci yang sudah baku. Infeksi filaría Brugia, Breinlia dan Cardiofílaria secara alami ditemukan pada nyamuk Coquillettidia crassipes. Dari penelitian ini dapat dijelaskan hasil infeksi buatan, kepadatan populasi nyamuk secara musiman dan perbandingan cara penangkapan nyamuk