0 points in the control group. By twenty-four months, 95% (eighteen) of nineteen patients in the investigational group compared with 70% (fourteen)

of twenty in the control group had a radiographically documented selleck products fusion. The overall success rate was 81% (seventeen of twenty-one) in the investigational group and 55% (eleven of twenty) in the control group (p = 0.345).

Conclusions: Compared with an iliac crest bone graft, the combination of an absorbable collagen sponge soaked with rhBMP-2 and ceramic granules resulted in trends toward improvements in clinical outcomes and toward a higher rate of radiographic fusion. This combination of an osteoinductive agent with an osteoconductive matrix may be an effective replacement for autograft in single-level posterolateral lumbar arthrodeses with instrumentation.”
“SETTING:

In Malawi, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence among newly registered tuberculosis (TB) patients is 60-70%. In 2008, an integrated TB-HIV clinic was established at a central hospital in Zomba. Despite the integration of TB-HIV activities and improved HIV service uptake, unacceptably high proportions of HIV-positive TB patients are still not receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART).

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors that motivate or discourage TB patients ML323 from accepting HIV services.

DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of patients registered for TB treatment (not yet on ART) between April 2008 and March 2009; qualitative interviews of 99 patients on TB treatment.

RESULTS: Of 1773 newly registered TB patients who were not already on ART at the time of TB registration, 86% accepted HIV testing and counselling. Among HIV-positive TB patients, 38% started ART during or after anti-tuberculosis treatment. Young adults aged 15 24 years were least likely to initiate ART. Motivation for accepting ART during TB treatment included prospects of regaining good health and longer life, and counselling by health care providers. Barriers to ART uptake included not being offered ART, high CD4 count, drug stockouts and fear of drug toxicities/interactions.

CONCLUSION: Selleckchem VX-680 Several factors that undermine uptake of ART have been highlighted; targeted measures urgently need to

be addressed by TB-HIV programmes to overcome these barriers.”
“For more bioactive compounds, phytochemical investigations of the acetone extract of the stems of Garcinia oligantha resulted in the isolation of three new xanthones (1-3) and five known analogues (4-8). Structural elucidations of 1-3 were performed by spectral methods such as 1D and 2D (HMQC, HMBC, and ROESY) NMR spectroscopy, in addition to high resolution mass spectrometry. Compounds 1, 2, 6, 7, and 8 showed anti-tobacco mosaic virus (anti-TMV) activities with inhibition rates above 10%. Crown Copyright (C) 2013 Phytochemical Society of Europe. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Background: Hard-on-hard bearings offer the potential to improve the survivorship of total hip arthroplasty implants.