The use of molecular markers for cervical screening of women living with HIV in South Africa

OBJECTIVE : To determine the performance of molecular screening strategies for detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 or worse (CIN3+) in comparison with cytology screening in women living with HIV. DESIGN : Post-hoc analysis using data from a South African study cohort. METHODS : Cytology and human papillomavirus (HPV)-based strategies were evaluated, including single test and FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation triage strategies. Participants underwent cytology screening and a colposcopy-directed biopsy. Valid results on cytology, HPV status, 16/18 genotyping and histology were available for 318 women. Detection of HPV and FAM19A4/miR124-2 hypermethylation was performed on DNA from cervical scrapes. Histological diagnosis of CIN3+ was used as outcome. RESULTS : Cytology provided highest specificity (91.6%), but lowest sensitivity (59.3%), whereas a single HPV test provided highest sensitivity (83.1%), but lowest specificity (66.4%). Combining cytology with methylation did not improve the performance compared with cytology alone: a slight increase in sensitivity was seen, at the cost of a decrease in specificity. Triage of high-risk HPV positive women with methylation increased specificity (76.1%) compared with a single HPV or cytology test, while maintaining acceptable sensitivity (72.9%). Similar performance was observed for HPV16/18 with methylation triage (sensitivity 79.7%, specificity 74.8%). The number of women needed to refer to detect one CIN3+ ranged from 1.5 (cytology) to 2.6 (single HPV test). CONCLUSION : Molecular screening strategies using HPV, with or without HPV16/18 genotyping, and FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation have higher sensitivity with an acceptable loss in specificity compared with current cytology screening and are efficient for the detection of CIN3+ in South African women living with HIV.The VU University Research Fellowship (URF) program (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), the 1st For Women Foundation (Pretoria, South Africa), and the Carl & Emily Fuchs Foundation (Pretoria, South Africa).http://journals.lww.com/aidsonlinehj2020Medical VirologyObstetrics and Gynaecolog

The structure of Chariklo's rings from stellar occultations

Two narrow and dense rings (called C1R and C2R) were discovered around the Centaur object (10199) Chariklo during a stellar occultation observed on 2013 June 3. Following this discovery, we planned observations of several occultations by Chariklo's system in order to better characterize the physical properties of the ring and main body. Here, we use 12 successful occulations by Chariklo observed between 2014 and 2016. They provide ring profiles (physical width, opacity, edge structure) and constraints on the radii and pole position. Our new observations are currently consistent with the circular ring solution and pole position, to within the $\pm 3.3$ km formal uncertainty for the ring radii derived by Braga-Ribas et al. The six resolved C1R profiles reveal significant width variations from $\sim 5$ to 7.5 km. The width of the fainter ring C2R is less constrained, and may vary between 0.1 and 1 km. The inner and outer edges of C1R are consistent with infinitely sharp boundaries, with typical upper limits of one kilometer for the transition zone between the ring and empty space. No constraint on the sharpness of C2R's edges is available. A 1$\sigma$ upper limit of $\sim 20$ m is derived for the equivalent width of narrow (physical width <4 km) rings up to distances of 12,000 km, counted in the ring plane

Site of struggle: the Freedom Park fracas and the divisive legacy of South Africa’s Border War/Liberation Struggle

In South Africa, Carcharias taurus is commonly known as the ragged-tooth shark or raggie. The species is also referred to as the sand-tiger shark in North America and as the grey-nurse shark in Australia. It is a long-lived species with an estimated longevity of up to 40 years (Goldman 2002). Female sharks reach sexual maturity at approximately 10 years (Goldman 2002), and they exhibit a biennial reproductive cycle (Branstetter and Musick 1994, Lucifora et al. 2002, G Cliff, Natal Sharks Board, unpublished data). Intra-uterine cannibalisation results in a maximum fecundity of two pups per litter after a gestation period of approximately 9–12 months (Bass et al. 1975, Gilmore et al. 1983). These life-history characteristics make this species particularly susceptible to overexploitation

The Astropy Project: Building an inclusive, open-science project and status of the v2.0 core package

The Astropy project supports and fosters the development of open-source and openly-developed Python packages that provide commonly-needed functionality to the astronomical community. A key element of the Astropy project is the core package Astropy, which serves as the foundation for more specialized projects and packages. In this article, we provide an overview of the organization of the Astropy project and summarize key features in the core package as of the recent major release, version 2.0. We then describe the project infrastructure designed to facilitate and support development for a broader ecosystem of inter-operable packages. We conclude with a future outlook of planned new features and directions for the broader Astropy project

The end of Mugabe?

No Abstract

The Presidencies of Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki Compared

This article assesses the South African transition after the dismantling of apartheid and the negotiations for a new constitution. It points out that the process was pact-driven and that one of the principal compromises was the consensus about the desirability of a post-apartheid market-economy. Comparative analyses are made between the two presidencies of Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki, the criteria used being nation-building, public institutions, and economic policies. The analysis reveals negatives and positives from a consolidation point of view, with the latter outweighing the former, most notably the stable transition and remarkable reconciliation, an independent judiciary and media freedom. In a way, therefore, these substitute the absence of stronger parliamentary opposition. Consequently, the greatest challenge is economic development, especially of the so-called ‘second economy', in order to reduce inequalities and solidify democratic principles. The post-2009 leadership will determe whether consolidation will be the next phase in South Africa's history. African Insight Vol. 36 (3&4) 2006: pp. 173-18

The Constellation of States : a consideration /

Bibliography: p. [74]-75

Suedafrika. Die neue Verfassung

SIGLEBibliothek Weltwirtschaft Kiel A153,067 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman