GB virus C infection in Indonesian HIV‐positive patients

GB virus C (GBV‐C), a human virus of the Flaviviridae family that is structurally and epidemiologically closest to hepatitis C virus (HCV), has been reported to confer beneficial outcomes in HIV‐positive patients. However, the prevalence of GBV‐C in HIV‐positive individuals in Indonesia is unknown. Since GBV‐C is more prevalent in anti‐HCV positive patients than in anti‐HCV negative subjects, transmission of GBV‐C and HCV could be by the same method. This study examined the prevalence and molecular characteristics of GBV‐C infection in HIV patients in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The prevalence of GBV‐C among HIV patients (n = 125, median age 31 years) based on the 5′UTR region was 111/125 (88.8%), including 39/48 (81.3%) and 72/77 (93.5%) HIV‐infected patients with and without HCV infection, respectively. GBV‐C isolates were of genotype 2a, 3 and 6 in 58.3%, 12.6% and 28.4% of patients, respectively. Patients with genotype 3 were significantly younger than those with genotypes 2a or 6 (P = 0.001 and P = 0.012, respectively). Genotypes 3 and 6 were significantly associated with injection drug use (P = 0.004 and P = 0.002, respectively) and HCV co‐infection (P < 0.001 for both genotypes), indicating a shared transmission route with HCV. In conclusion, the prevalence of GBV‐C among HIV‐positive patients in Indonesia is high, and three genotypes were detected, namely genotype 2a, 3 and 6.     

An ocular cysticercosis in Bali, Indonesia caused by Taenia solium Asian genotype

An ocular cysticercosis case of a nine-year-old Balinese girl in Indonesia is reported. She presented with redness and pain in the left eye and showed a cysticercus in the anterior chamber in December 2010. Morphological feature of the cysticercus removed from the anterior chamber indicated that it was an immature cysticercus of Taenia species with no hooklets. However, mitochondrial DNA analysis using a piece of histopathological specimen revealed it a cysticercus of Taenia solium Asian genotype. Serology by immunoblot and ELISA highly specific to cysticercosis was negative.     

Sequence diversity in the amino-terminal region of the malaria-vaccine candidate serine repeat antigen in natural Plasmodium falciparum populations

The amino-terminal region of the serine repeat antigen (SERA) of Plasmodium falciparum is a major malaria-vaccine candidate. Variation in this molecule is essentially dimorphic and alleles may be grouped into the types FCR3, K1 and Honduras1. The Honduras1-type is thought to be the product of homologous recombination between FCR3 and K1 alleles. Here we have examined patterns of sequence diversity in exon II of SERA gene, which encodes most of the amino-terminal region of the antigen, in wild P. falciparum isolates from Indonesia (n=60), Myanmar (n=10) and Thailand (n=14). Among the Indonesian isolates the FCR-3 type predominated (56/60), twenty of which we characterized as novel alleles. A new K1-type allele was also found. In Myanmar, however, all isolates displayed K1-type SERA sequences, which included one new allele. The Honduras1-type was not detected in both countries. In contrast, the 14 isolates from Thailand displayed all three allelic types, with one new Honduras1-type and three new K1-type alleles. On examining the global distribution of SERA alleles by combining previously published sequence data with our results, the FCR3-type alleles predominated in Indonesia, Brazil, and Solomon Islands, but were not found in wild isolates from Myanmar and Africa. Brazil was the only area where K1-type alleles were not found. The distribution of Honduras1-type alleles seems to be mostly restricted to parasite populations from Vietnam, Thailand and Africa. In the allelic families FCR3 and K1, most diversity resulted from variation in sequence and number of octamer repeat units and of allotypes encoding the stretch of serine residues. Sequence analysis indicated that both insertions and deletions of repetitive motifs (creating variation within dimorphic allelic families) and homologous recombination between alleles belonging to different allelic families (creating Honduras1-type alleles) play a role in generating new SERA alleles. Since repeat motifs in the amino-terminal region of SERA contain epitopes recognized by parasite-inhibitory antibodies, sequence variation in exon II may represent one of the parasite's immune-evasion strategies.     

A potential bacterial biocontrol agent,strain S2V2 against pathogenic marine <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vibrio</Emphasis> in aquaculture

We isolated a marine bacterium strain S2V2 which inhibited the growth of pathogenic marine Vibrio spp. The aims of this research were to identify a new antibiotic-producing marine bacterium strain S2V2, and evaluate its spectrum activity and pathogenic property. Analysis of 16S rDNA sequence placed strain S2V2 in the genus Pseudoalteromonas, but the sequence similarity was low (95.46%) implying the strain might be a new species in this genus. Strain S2V2 inhibited the growth of 67.9% of 28 Vibrio strains tested. This strain inhibited V. alginolyticus, V. anguillarum, V. fluvialis, V. harveyi, V. metschnikovii, V. splendidus, V. ordalii, V. parahaemolyticus, and V. vulnificus, but inactive against V. campbellii, Aeromonas hydrophyla and Staphylococcus aureus. Strain S2V2 produced extracellular non proteinaceous antibacterial substances. The highest antibacterial activity was found when strain S2V2 was cultured for 96 h in ZoBell broth medium. An artificial infection to post larvae of Lithopenaeus vanname indicated that strain S2V2 was a non pathogenic bacterium. Non pathogenic property and specific antibacterial activity against a broad range of fish pathogenic marine Vibrio of strain S2V2 suggest that this strain is a prospective source of unique antibiotic and a potential biocontrol agent in marine aquaculture.     

Monosomy 9pter and trisomy 9q34.11qter in two sisters due to a maternal pericentric inversion

Pericentric inversions of chromosome 9 leading to unbalanced live-born offspring are relatively rare and so far only four cases have been reported. Here we present two sisters with an unbalanced recombinant chromosome 9 which resulted from a large maternal pericentric inversion inv(9)(p24.3q34.1). Further molecular characterisation of the aberrant chromosome 9 by 250k SNP array analysis showed a terminal 460 kb loss of 9p24.3 and a terminal 8.9 Mb gain of 9q34.11. We compared the clinical features of these two patients with the previous reported four cases as well as with patients with similar sized 9pter deletions or 9qter duplications. Based upon this study, we suggest that the recombinant chromosome 9 phenotype is mainly the result of duplication of a 3.4 Mb region of chromosome 9q34.11q34.13.     

Effect of Cold-Water Immersion,Foam Rolling,and Slow Jogging Recovery to Aid Futsal Athlete’s Recovery after One-Off Futsal Match

Human Physiology - This study examined the effects of cold-water immersion group (CWI), foam rolling group (FR), and a slow jogging group (SJR) on creatine kinase activity (CK), blood lactate...     

Unusual plasmodium malariae-like parasites in southeast Asia

During malaria surveys in Myanmar, 2 peculiar forms of Plasmodium malariae-like parasites were found. The morphologies of their early trophozoite stages were distinct from that of the typical P. malariae, resembling instead that of Plasmodium vivax, var. minuta, reported by Emin, and Plasmodium tenue, reported by Stephens, both in 1914. Two polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnoses, which target the same regions in the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSUrRNA) genes, indicated that these parasites were new variant forms of P. malariae and that they could be separated into 2 genetic types that correlated with the 2 morphological types. Sequence analysis of the SSUrRNA and the circumsporozoite protein genes revealed that they were distinct both from each other and from other known P. malariae isolates and that the P. tenue-like type was closer to a monkey quartan malaria parasite, Plasmodium brasilianum. These results illustrate that the microscopic appearance of human P. malariae parasites may be more varied than previously assumed and suggest the value of molecular tools in the evaluation of malaria morphological variants.     

Getting the Data Flowing: Lessons Learned from Existing Reporting Systems in the Forestry Sector in Indonesia for REDD+ MRV

In the context of REDD+, Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) is one way to manage forest change information. A national carbon and non-carbon database will be used in REDD+ to negotiate compensation schemes with the international community. Much of this data will be collected at the local level, thus a reporting system that can integrate these locally collected data into the national database is crucial. In this paper we compare and draw lessons from three existing local to national reporting systems that include the participation of local communities: 1) the government extension services, 2) the government owned forestry company, and 3) a private logging company in Indonesia, and provide recommendations for REDD+ reporting systems. The results suggest that the main desired conditions for effective data flow are: benefits to motivate local participation, based on contributions to reporting activities; simple data format and reporting procedures to allow local participation in the reporting process, and to support data aggregation at the national level; a facilitator to mediate data aggregation at the village level to ensure data consistency, completeness and accuracy; and a transparent and clear data flow. Under these conditions, continuous, accountable and consistent data flow from the local level will reach the national level where it can be fully utilized.     

Hepatitis E virus infection in two different regions of Indonesia with identification of swine HEV genotype 3

Hepatitis E is an emerging disease with a high incidence globally. Few data are available on hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in Indonesia. To obtain molecular information on HEV infection in two regions of Indonesia with different customs and swine breeding conditions, serum samples from 137 swine farm workers, 100 blood donors and 100 swine (27 fecal samples also obtained) in Yogyakarta (Central Java) and from 12 and 64 swine farm workers, 42 and 135 local residents and 89 and 119 swine in Tulungagung (East Java) and Mengwi (Bali), respectively, from our previous study, were compared. Serological tests for anti‐HEV antibodies by ELISA, HEV‐RNA detection by RT‐PCR and phylogenetic analysis were performed. The total prevalence of anti‐HEV antibodies in humans was higher in Bali (11.6%) than in Java (5.1%; P = 0.015). No significant differences in anti‐HEV prevalence among swine farm workers and local residents in Java were found. The finding of swine HEV genotype 3 in specimens from Yogyakarta and genotype 4 from Tulungagung and Bali is somewhat different from other reports. We suggest other factors in addition to close contact with swine might play an important role in HEV transmission of non‐endemic/related custom groups. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on swine HEV genotype 3 in Indonesia.     

Neglected seed dispersers: endozoochory by Javan lutungs (Trachypithecus auratus) in Indonesia

Leaf monkeys are known to be leaf eaters, and thus, their potential role as seed dispersers has been neglected. However, they do also feed on fruits. To examine the role of leaf monkeys as endozoochorous seed dispersers, we studied the Javan lutung (Trachypithecus auratus) in Indonesia. We compared multiple aspects of seed dispersal processes (amount and diversity of seeds ingested, dispersal distance, and germination rate) of lutungs with that of the sympatric long‐tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis). Over the study period, 54 percent of the lutung feces contained intact seeds, which was equivalent to the macaque feces contained seeds (62%). Seeds of at least six plant species were detected in the lutung feces, which was less than those found in the macaque feces (>19 plant species). The main species of seeds defecated by both lutungs and macaques was Ficus spp. (seed size: 0.7 mm). Seed shadow, estimated from travel distance (range: 1–299 m) and gut passage rate (24–96 h), had a unimodal‐distribution with a peak at 51–100 m, and was shorter than that reported in published accounts of macaques and other similar and smaller sized frugivores. Finally, germination rates of Ficus spp. seeds ingested by both lutungs and macaques were lower than that of the control seeds. These results imply that the dispersal effectiveness of lutungs would be lower than that of the sympatric primate frugivores. However, at a population level, lutungs could play a significant role as seed dispersers for the small‐seeded species, and therefore, more research into their frugivorous habits is warranted.