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Fusarium circinatum is a globally important fungal pathogen that causes pitch canker on a wide range of Pinus species. In this study, we considered mycelial growth in culture and aggressiveness of a South African population of F. circinatum isolates. The specific aim was to determine how these phenotypes are correlated with one another and other isolate characteristics, including mating type, host species and geographic origin of the isolates. The study involved the selection of 102 isolates of F. circinatum from five provinces of South Africa based on genotype, mating type and original host from which they were isolated, after which pathogenicity tests were carried out on Pinus patula seedlings. Mycelial growth in culture was also determined for all the isolates at three different temperatures. In the pathogenicity tests, most of the isolates produced significant lesions. While seven had low levels of aggressiveness, other isolates tested were as or more aggressive than a standard set of isolates routinely used for resistance/ tolerance screening. Most F. circinatum isolates grew best at 25 °C, followed by growth at 20 °C and 30 °C. A notable correlation between aggressiveness and the geographical origin was identified. Moreover, the study highlighted a moderately positive relationship between the growth rate of F. circinatum isolates and their reported aggressiveness. The extensive data gathered on the aggressiveness of F. circinatum will offer a broad range of isolates for future comparative studies using other genotypes of F. circinatum and will also aid in the consideration of F. circinatum isolates used for tolerance screening studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial microwave links are installed and maintained for the purpose of telecommunication. Hydrometeors between transmitting and receiving antennas cause the microwave signal to be attenuated. From signal attenuation, the path-averaged rainfall intensity can be calculated. A 7-month dataset of instantaneously logged signal powers from almost 2000 unique links in the Netherlands is analyzed. Rainfall intensities are calculated with the RAINLINK package with a novel preprocessing module, enabling the package to be applied on instantaneously logged data from now on. Rainfall intensities per link are validated with the path-averaged rainfall intensities according to a gauge-adjusted radar product. Both the overall performance and the dependence of errors on link characteristics and measurement conditions are evaluated. The coefficient of variation decreases from 3.70 to 2.32 and the correlation increases from 0.30 to 0.63 from instantaneous to daily estimates of rainfall accumulations. The coefficient of variation is also smaller during heavy rainfall. Errors are largest for pathlengths shorter than 2 km, for observations during the late night and early morning, and for observations during colder months (when solid or melting precipitation could occur and dew is more likely to form on the antennas). Comparison of our results with those of earlier studies shows that minimum/maximum sampling (widely employed in network management systems) outperforms instantaneous sampling regarding detection of both quantity and occurrence of rain at a 15-min sampling rate in the Dutch climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) infections may increase the risk of vertical transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In resource-limited settings, symptomatic screening, and syndromic management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) during pregnancy continue to be the standard of care. In the absence of diagnostic testing, asymptomatic infections in pregnant women go untreated.Objective: To describe the acceptability and feasibility of integrating diagnostic STI screening into first antenatal care visits for HIV-infected pregnant women.Methods: HIV-infected pregnant women were recruited during their first antenatal care visit from three antenatal care clinics in Tshwane District, South Africa, between June 2016 and October 2017. Self-collected vaginal swabs were used to screen for CT, NG, and TV with a diagnostic point-of-care (POC) nucleic acid amplification test. Those with STIs were provided treatment per South African national guidelines.Results: Of 442 eligible women, 430 (97.3%) agreed to participate and were tested. Of those with a positive STI test result (n = 173; 40.2%), 159 (91.9%) received same-day results and treatment; 100% of STI-infected women were treated within seven days.Conclusions: Integration of POC diagnostic STI screening into first-visit antenatal care services was feasible and highly acceptable for HIV-infected pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of immunotargcting, and the challenges met when this technique is applied in experimental animals or in patients, are reviewed. Even with highly specific monoclonal antibodies, non-specific uptake in normal tissues and high background level of unbound radioactivity in blood and extravascular body fluids remain significant problems. Further experimental work in animal model systems is needed to bring this technique from the state of being an experimental method, with limited clinical application, to a routine diagnostic or therapeutic method. Different animal models are available, and their potential for elucidation of the various methodological problems in radio-immunotargeting are discussed in the present paper. In our laboratory, two intraperitoneal models were devised, having relevance for gynecologic and other forms of intraperitoneal malignancies. These models were elaborated with special emphasis on the possibility for exact measurement of important parameters in immunotargcting reactions. In the first model, hybridoma cells are inoculated intraperitoneally to mimic intraperitoneal carcino-matosis, and the monoclonal antibody produced by the hybridoma is used as serum tumor marker. In the second model the tumor cells are contained within intraperitoneally implanted micropore chambers, resembling a localized tumor. An artificial tumor like this allows control with the antigen load in the target, and measurement of the concentration of the injected antibody in the fluid within the target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a well-defined risk factor for peripheral artery disease (PAD), but protects against the development and growth of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Diabetes mellitus is associated with arterial stiffening and peripheral arterial media sclerosis. Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are increased in diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. AGEs are known to form cross-links between proteins and are associated with arterial stiffness. Whether AGEs contribute to the protective effects of diabetes mellitus in AAA is unknown. Therefore, the ARTERY (Advanced glycation end-pRoducts in patients with peripheral arTery disEase and abdominal aoRtic aneurYsm) study is designed to evaluate the role of AGEs in the diverging effects of diabetes mellitus on AAA and PAD. Methods and analysis: This cross-sectional multicentre study will compare the amount, type and location of AGEs in the arterial wall in a total of 120 patients with AAA or PAD with and without diabetes mellitus (n=30 per subgroup). Also, local and systemic vascular parameters, including pulse wave velocity, will be measured to evaluate the association between arterial stiffness and AGEs. Finally, AGEs will be measured in serum, urine, and assessed in skin with skin autofluorescence using the AGE Reader. Ethics and dissemination: This study is approved by the Medical Ethics committees of University Medical Center Groningen, Martini Hospital and Medisch Spectrum Twente, the Netherlands. Study results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and scientific events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This first survey of fish in the Betty's Bay Marine Protected Area (MPA), on the south coast of South Africa, was conducted using baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVs). A total of 58 deployments recorded 42 species in 20 km2, including reef, kelp and sand habitats in protected and exploited zones, at between 5 and 40 m depth. Chondrichthyans accounted for 28% of diversity.Teleost diversity was dominated by Sparidae, Cheilodactylidae, Sciaenidae and Ariidae. Diversity (H′) was highest in kelp and lowest over sand. Species composition differed among habitat and depths, but protection had no effect. Among four commercial species, onlyPachymetopon blochiiresponded positively to protection. The apparent failure of protection may attest to poor compliance, but an investigation into fish size might show an effect. Many species were detected at the western extreme of their range. Diversity in Betty's Bay was predictably lower than in the more eastward Stilbaai MPA, but also lower than in the westward Table Mountain National Park MPA. Fish diversity did not follow a linear increase eastwards from Cape Point. Betty's Bay includes the most easterly protected kelp forests and contains seven species not recorded in the other two areas, and is therefore an important element in the MPA network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global declines in chondrichthyan populations necessitate evidence‑based planning for their conservation. False Bay, in south‑west South Africa, has a high diversity of marine biota, with Atlantic and Indian Ocean influences, but its chondrichthyan fauna is poorly described ecologically. False Bay has a long fishing history and supports various harvesting methods, including shark‑directed fishing. This is the first baited remote underwater video system (BRUVs) survey of the relative abundance, diversity and seasonal distribution of chondrichthyans in False Bay. Nineteen species from 11 families were recorded across 185 sites at between 4 and 49 m depth. Diversity was greatest in summer, on reefs and in shallow water. Endemic scyliorhinids, especially Haploblepharus edwardsii, dominated everywhere, in summer and winter. Habitat and season were key predictors of species composition, and a significant interaction between depth and season indicated migration patterns for Mustelus mustelus. By avoiding the selectivity associated with catch records, BRUVs data are superior to fishery‑dependent catch‑per‑unit‑effort data to monitor chondrichthyan diversity and abundance. Baited remote underwater video systems access greater depths and more habitats than previously surveyed in False Bay and avoid taxonomic lumping typical of catch records in the region, making them more efficient than other methods of surveying chondrichthyan diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erlotinib has been shown to prolong progression-free ( PFS) and overall survival ( OS) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer ( NSCLC). We report here on effectiveness data on the subsample of 261 patients from 40 centres in Belgium involved in the TRUST study. Median age was 63 years. Most (69.0%) were male and current/former smokers (84.7%); with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group ( ECOG) performance status ( PS) of 0 or 1 (74.3%), stage IV disease (75.1%) and adenocarcinoma by histology (54.0%). Erlotinib was administered mainly as second- (47.1%) or third-line treatment (48.3%). Response rate was 6.5%; disease control rate 58.3%. Median PFS was 2.2 months. Better PS ( P = 0.0384), stage IIIB disease ( P = 0.0018) and presence of rash ( P < 0.0001) were associated with longer PFS. OS rates at 1, 2 and 3 years were 26.4%, 10.9% and 6.4% respectively. Median OS was 5.9 months. Female gender ( P = 0.007), better PS ( P < 0.0001), stage IIIB disease ( P = 0.0355) and presence of rash ( P < 0.0001) were associated with longer OS. The findings confirm the therapeutic benefit of erlotinib in a broad range of patients in a sample from a country with a historically high lung cancer morbidity and mortality burden. Several determinants of PFS and OS are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erlotinib has been shown to prolong progression-free ( PFS) and overall survival ( OS) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer ( NSCLC). We report here on effectiveness data on the subsample of 261 patients from 40 centres in Belgium involved in the TRUST study. Median age was 63 years. Most (69.0%) were male and current/former smokers (84.7%); with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group ( ECOG) performance status ( PS) of 0 or 1 (74.3%), stage IV disease (75.1%) and adenocarcinoma by histology (54.0%). Erlotinib was administered mainly as second- (47.1%) or third-line treatment (48.3%). Response rate was 6.5%; disease control rate 58.3%. Median PFS was 2.2 months. Better PS ( P = 0.0384), stage IIIB disease ( P = 0.0018) and presence of rash ( P < 0.0001) were associated with longer PFS. OS rates at 1, 2 and 3 years were 26.4%, 10.9% and 6.4% respectively. Median OS was 5.9 months. Female gender ( P = 0.007), better PS ( P < 0.0001), stage IIIB disease ( P = 0.0355) and presence of rash ( P < 0.0001) were associated with longer OS. The findings confirm the therapeutic benefit of erlotinib in a broad range of patients in a sample from a country with a historically high lung cancer morbidity and mortality burden. Several determinants of PFS and OS are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine protected areas (MPAs) play an important role in coastal conservation, but there is presently no uniformly applied methodology for monitoring the efficacy of coastal fish protection. Whereas underwater visual census and controlled angling surveys have been used, their skilled-labour requirements and environmental impact have prevented their nation-wide application in South Africa. We used a baited remote underwater video system (BRUVs) to provide the first survey of reef fishes in the Stilbaai MPA (SMPA), and assessed the deployment time and sample size requirements of BRUVs for reef fish monitoring. Thirty-eight species, including 13 chondrichthyans, were recorded in one-hour deployments across 29 sites in the 11.3 km2no-take zone of the SMPA, in depths ranging from 5 to 41 m. Bait was limited to sardineSardinops sagaxhomogenate, but the species recorded by BRUVs comprised several feeding guilds, including herbivores. Optimal deployment time was 49 min, but 60 min is recommended as a conservative and practical standard. Over a five-year period, annual BRUVs sample sizes required to detect increases in abundance of 0.1 y−1with 80% power would be 28 deployments for abundant species and 129 for rare species. Detection of decreases of equivalent magnitude will require more samples. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In order to use whole eukaryotic cells as an active element in the detection and amplification of biological signals, for both in vitro and in vivo applications, we have undertaken a first approach to interface live cells and integrated circuit, and evaluate the possibility to develop a microbioreactor. An amplified photodiode system was designed and built as an electronical circuit in a way that it could easily be miniaturised. In parallel micro-chips with silicium chambers were used as microbioreactors to adhere cells. We showed here that this etched silicon chamber allows endothelial and CHO cells spreading, permitting determination of a number of cell properties {\it on line} providing appropriate integrated circuits are designed to perform the desired functions. The photodiode system reacting to the luminescent luciferase system permitted, through the use of appropriate software from a personal computer (PC) connected on line in vitro, the determination of ATP concentration, and using different luciferase transfected bacteria permitted the detection of constitutive or induced luminescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the ichthyogeography of Lake Kivu. Geological history; History of the ichthyofaunal status of the lake; Comments on species distributions; Ichthyofaunal composition.

The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of irradiation on the craniofacial development of NMRI mouse embryos. Two populations of pregnant mice were irradiated with a single dose of 2 Gray on day 8 of gestation for the first population (Po. 1) and on day 9 of gestation for the second population (Po. 2). On gestational days 9 to 17, embryos were submitted to histological and scanning electron microscope examinations. The two populations of embryos presented a high percentage of centro-facial hypoplasia (74.7% for Po.1 and 75% for Po. 2) which was more pronounced in the latter one. Ocular anomalies were present in 16% of the first population. Cases of anencephaly, cleft palate and anomalies of the central nervous system were found in both populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]