1,602 research outputs found
A Leishmania infantum FML-ELISA for the Detection of Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis in an Endemic Area of Iran
No full textBackground: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is caused by Leishmania infantum in
Mediterranean basin and is an endemic disease in some parts of Iran. Canines are the main
reservoirs of VL in most of the endemic areas. Different serological methods have been
introduced for diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL). Objective: In this survey a
Fucose-Mannose Ligand (FML) ELISA, using native L. infantum antigen, was developed and
its validity for detection of infected dogs in comparison with direct agglutination test (DAT)
and PCR was evaluated. Methods: Blood samples of sixty ownership dogs (≤ 3 years old)
were collected from Meshkin-shahr district in Ardabil province, North-west of Iran. Sera
were separated for serological assays (DAT and FML-ELISA) and the buffy coats were
collected for molecular evaluation. Results: Two out of the 60 (3.33%) samples were found
to be positive (antibody titer of ≥ 1/320) in DAT while seven of the 60 (11.66%) samples
were positive by FML-ELISA. Nine out of 60 (15%) buffy coat samples showed a band about
680 bp indicative of L. infantum in PCR. Three out of 60 dogs had Kala-azar symptoms and
were positive by PCR and FML-ELISA, while two of these three dogs had antibody titers
>1/320 in their serum samples. The sensitivity and specificity of FML-ELISA for the
detection of CVL in both symptomatic and asymptomatic dogs were found to be 77.8% and
100%, respectively. Conclusion: Considering the acceptable sensitivity and high specificity
of FML-ELISA, use of this serological method can be recommended for epidemiological
surveys of CVL
Studies in epidemiology and seroepidemiology of visceral leishmaniasis in Iraq.
No full textA defined population
was
studied
over
a
period
of
7
months
to
elucidate the epidemiology of visceral
leishmaniasis in Iraq,
using
serological methods as a screening
test.
Seroepidemiological
methods
were
also used in the search for a
canine reservoir
of
infection
and
the tests
used were studied in defined animal
systems
and
in
confirmed
human
cases.
A cross-sectional survey was
made
of
the
population
of
a
defined
rural area of 300 km2, south
of
Baghdad. It included
19
villages with
1,171 houses and a total population
of
9,889.
Houses
were
mapped
and a
census completed. The 3,403 persons
under
7
years
of
age
were
screened
using two serological tests for
visceral leishmaniasis: indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and enzyme-linked
immunosorbent
assays
(ELISA).
Seropositive children were fully examined
clinically and
by the leishmanin
test. The blood picture and
serum proteins
were
determined
and,
in the
absence of clinical signs, follow-up was
by
monthly
serological
examination.
Symptomatic children were admitted
to
hospital for bone
marrow
biopsy.
Results showed a range from subclinical cases
defined
only
by
sero-conversion through to severe
disease
needing
hospital treatment
and
with
a
high mortality.
A repeat survey of
the
same
child population after
7
months
showed serological changes following the
main
transmission
season.
66 of the parasitologically
confirmed sero-positive
cases
from
this area and elsewhere in the
endemic region
were
examined, and
in
some,
monthly serology was determined at
domiciliary follow-up. IFAT
was
found
to be more sensitive than ELISA. 33%
of cases of visceral
leishmaniasis
were
found to revert to negative
within
9
months
of
treatment.
435 hospital inpatients with
a variety
of
diagnoses
were
studied
to determine the specificity of
tests.
ELISA
was
found
of
greater
specificity than IFAT. These cases
included
124
clinically suspected
leishmaniases of which 45 were subsequently culture-positive.
A longitudinal serological study
was carried
out
in inbred
mice
of varying genetically determined susceptibility
to infection.
All
innately
susceptible mice were seropositive by
day
50
and
the titre
continued
to
increase until the end of the experiment at
day
130
regardless
of
the
parasitological course of infection. In a search for the postulated canine
reservoir
of visceral
leishmaniasis 151 jackals and 65 dogs, largely
strays,
were
studied
parasitologically and serologically.
Neither from these
nor
from
a
limited
sample of rodents could the parasite
be isolated, though
several
jackals
were seropositive.
The results clarify
the
epidemiology
of
visceral
leishmaniasis
but do not demonstrate an animal
reservoir
unequivocally.
They
do however
define criteria which any satisfactory quantitative
hypothesis
of
transmission needs to fulfil
Incidence of symptomatic and asymptomatic Leishmania donovani infections in high-endemic foci in India and Nepal: a prospective study.
No full textIncidence of Leishmania donovani infection and Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) was assessed in a prospective study in Indian and Nepalese high-endemic villages. DAT-seroconversion was used as marker of incident infection in 3 yearly surveys. The study population was followed up to month 30 to identify incident clinical cases. In a cohort of 9034 DAT-negative individuals with neither active signs nor history of VL at baseline, 42 VL cases and 375 asymptomatic seroconversions were recorded in the first year, giving an infection:disease ratio of 8.9 to 1. In the 18 months' follow-up, 7 extra cases of VL were observed in the seroconverters group (N=375), against 14 VL cases among the individuals who had not seroconverted in the first year (N=8570) (RR=11.5(4.5<RR<28.3)). Incident asymptomatic L. donovani infection in VL high-endemic foci in India and Nepal is nine times more frequent than incident VL disease. About 1 in 50 of these new but latent infections led to VL within the next 18 months
Direct replacement of antibodies with molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) nanoparticles in ELISA - development of a novel assay for vancomycin
No full textA simple and straightforward technique for coating microplate wells with molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles (nanoMIPs) to develop ELISA type assays is presented here for the first time. NanoMIPs were synthesized by a solid phase approach with immobilized vancomycin (template) and characterized using Biacore 3000, dynamic light scattering and electron microscopy. Immobilization, blocking and washing conditions were optimized in microplate format. The detection of vancomycin was achieved in competitive binding experiments with a HRP-vancomycin conjugate. The assay was capable of measuring vancomycin in buffer and in blood plasma within the range 0.001-70 nM with a detection limit of 0.0025 nM (2.5 pM). The sensitivity of the assay was three orders of magnitude better than a previously described ELISA based on antibodies. In these experiments nanoMIPs have shown high affinity and minimal interference from blood plasma components. Immobilized nanoMIPs were stored for 1 month at room temperature without any detrimental effects to their binding properties. The high affinity of nanoMIPs and the lack of a requirement for cold chain logistics make them an attractive alternative to traditional antibodies used in ELIS
Aiuti di Stato e ambiente nell’emergenza pandemica
No full textIl contributo muove dai seguenti interrogativi: come impattano gli aiuti in risposta all’emergenza Covid-19 sull’evoluzione del generale rapporto aiuti di Stato-ambiente, da anni indirizzato al sostegno delle politiche pubbliche ambientali dell’UE? Può considerarsi la risposta pandemica una semplice parentesi, dotata di una logica esclusivamente emergenziale? Qual’è l’interferenza di tale risposta con il contesto e quali le convergenze e divergenze? Quali le potenzialità di ricongiunzione del regime emergenziale con i percorsi in atto, il cui corso rischia altrimenti di essere gravemente ostacolato?
L’Autore giunge alla proposta di introdurre e rendere effettive condizionalità ambientali nella concessione di aiuti e finanziamenti pubblici in risposta alla crisi pandemica. Sottolinea l’importanza di un ripensamento dell’istituto nel quadro delle nuove funzioni dello Stato di guida della transizione ambientale (e digitale) dei mercati e di sostegno all’economia post-pandemica.The article raises the following questions: what is the impact of the Covid-19 aids on link between state aid and the environment, which has been aimed at supporting EU public environmental policies for years? Can the pandemic response be considered a simple parenthesis, with an exclusively emergency logic? What is the interference of this response with the context, and what are the convergences and divergences? What is the potential for the emergency regime to reconnect with the existing pathways, the course of which otherwise risks being seriously hampered?
The Author comes to a proposal to introduce and implement environmental conditionalities in the granting of public aid and funding in response to the pandemic crisis
Applying a kinetic method to an indirect ELISA measuring Ostertagia ostertagi antibodies in milk
No full textIndirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are frequently run as endpoint ELISAs (e-ELISAs). However, kinetic ELISAs (k-ELISAs) have certain advantages over e-ELISAs. The objective of this study was to understand the relationship between e-ELISA and k-ELISA results. Specifically, to determine whether it was possible to run both k-ELISA and e-ELISA on the same plate and establish an appropriate time interval for k-ELISA measurements. A normalization method for k-ELISA slopes (slope ratio) is proposed. Using an indirect e-ELISA test measuring antibodies against Ostertagia ostertagi in milk from dairy cattle, we found that running a k-ELISA had no effect on optical density ratio results of an e-ELISA on the same plate, and that agreement was very strong at 10, 15, and 28 min, allowing for a reduction in the total processing time for ELISA tests
L’eccezione che conferma la regola. Le azioni di mero accertamento di diritti costituzionali e l’incidentalità costituzionale come misura
No full textIl saggio si interroga sulla possibilità di contestare direttamente la costituzionalità di una legge, per il tramite di questioni di legittimità costituzionale sollevate nel corso di azioni di mero accertamento preventivo di diritti costituzionali. Auspicando la necessaria prudenza della Corte costituzionale nell’ammettere le questioni sollevate tramite tali azioni, l’Autrice sottolinea i costi che si avrebbero nel lungo termine, se tali questioni fossero ammesse al di fuori dell’ipotesi delle cosiddette zone franche: l’approdo verso un controllo di costituzionalità preventivo e astratto e la sovraesposizione del giudice costituzionale.The essay investigates the possibility of directly challenging the constitutionality of a law, through questions of constitutionality raised in the course of declaratory judgements actions of constitutional rights. In calling for the Constitutional Court’s necessary caution in accepting questions raised through these actions, the Author points out the long-term costs that would be expected, if these questions were accepted outside the so-called zone franche hypothesis: the landing towards a pre-emptive and abstract review of constitutionality and the overexposure of the Constitutional Court
Sulla governabilità oggi e nel pensiero di Serio Galeotti, ovvero su come ‘le idee camminano’
No full textA partire dalle riflessioni sull'argomento di Serio Galeotti, l'autrice si interroga criticamente sul concetto di governabilità e sul suo uso nel contesto dell'ingegneria costituzionale e delle riforme istituzionali.Starting from Serio Galeotti's reflections on the subject, the Author critically questions the concept of governability and its use in the context of constitutional engineering and institutional reforms
Omogeneità e manipolatività dei quesiti referendari nella giurisprudenza costituzionale. parabola discendente o corto circuito
No full textIl saggio indaga la tendenza della Corte costituzionale a riconoscersi ampi margini di apprezzamento nella verifica delle ragioni di inammissibilità del referendum abrogativo. Alla luce delle più recenti sentenze può ritenersi che tale tendenza non si sia affatto arrestata. L’ultima tornata referendaria dimostra semmai che il referendum è stato consegnato da tempo nelle mani delle tecnicalità apparentemente neutre del giudice costituzionale. L’Autrice esamina, quindi, tale tendenza in particolar modo sotto il profilo del controllo sull’omogeneità e sulla manipolatività dei quesiti referendari.The essay investigates how the Constitutional Court is recognizing itself an ever-widening margin of appreciation in verifying the reasons for the inadmissibility of the abrogative referendum.
In the light of the most recent judgments, it can be considered that this trend has by no means stopped. If anything, the latest decisions proves that the referendum has long since been handed over to the apparently neutral technicalities of the constitutional judge.
The Author examines this trend from the specific point of view of controlling the homogeneity and manipulative character of referendum questions
IGIENE E DECORO: BOLOGNA E RIMINI TRA XIII E XV SECOLO
No full textL'articolo prende in considerazione la gestione dei rifiuti a Rimini e a Bologna tra il XIII e il XIV secolo. Le due città sono confrontate con i provvedimenti emanati anche in altre città dell'Emilia-Romagna attraverso gli statuti cittadini. L'analisi delle fonti dimostra che i problemi di igiene e decoro nella maggior parte delle città permasero anche nei secoli successivi, documentati anche da suppliche da parte dei cittadini.The author reviews waste disposal management in Rimini and Bologna in the 13th and 14th centuries. These cities are compared to other cities in the Emilia-Romagna region, by examining the statuti, in order to assess what laws were applied and the effectiveness thereof. The statuti were intents, political proposals aimed at finding solutions to complex issues, most of which were never solved and reappeared in subsequent centuries
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