Why HIV Positive Patients on Antiretroviral Treatment and/or Cotrimoxazole Prophylaxis Use Traditional Medicine: Perceptions of Health Workers,Traditional Healers and Patients: A Study in Two Provinces of South Africa

The study explored the perceptions, knowledge and attitudes of patients, health workers and traditional healers about the use of traditional medicine and Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART). The study explored the perceptions, knowledge and attitudes of patients, health workers and traditional healers about the use of traditional medicine and Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART), using an exploratory qualitative design in two provinces of South Africa: an urban township health facility in the Western Cape, and a rural district hospital in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) with antennal HIV rate of 32% and 28%''respectively. In-depth interviews were conducted with 14 participants: six HIV patients on ART and using Traditional Medicine(TM), two doctors, two nurses and four traditional healers. Two focus group discussions -one at each site - were held with community health workers who work with HIV-positive patients (Western Cape [5] and in KZN [4]). Patient said to have used Traditional Healing Practices (THP) before they were diagnosed with HIV, and some who have been diagnosed with HIV continue using TM in conjunction with ART and/or Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis. Patients preferred not to disclose THP to health professionals because of lack of support and understanding. Patients utilize THP because of family expectations, privacy and confidentiality, especially when they have not disclosed their HIV status. Healthcare professionals had strong negative opinions about THP, especially for HIV-positive patients. Traditional healers supported the patient''s rationale for THP use. This study revealed a need to better understand factors involved in patients'' choosing to use THP concurrently with ART.     

Eyes wide shut - unusual two stage repair of pectus excavatum and annuloaortic ectasia in a 37 year old marfan patient: case report

We report about a 37 year old male patient with a pectus excavatum. The patient was in NYHA functional class III. After performed computed tomography the symptoms were thought to be related to the severity of chest deformation. A Ravitch-procedure had been accomplished in a district hospital in 2009. The crack of a metal bar led to a reevaluation 2010, in which surprisingly the presence of an annuloaortic ectasia (root 73 × 74 mm) in direct neighborhood of the formerly implanted metal-bars was diagnosed. Echocardiography revealed a severe aortic valve regurgitation, the left ventricle was massively dilated presenting a reduced ejection fraction of 45%. A marfan syndrome was suspected and the patient underwent a valve sparing aortic root replacement (David procedure) in our institution with an uneventful postoperative course. A review of the literature in combination with discussion of our case suggests the application of stronger recommendations towards preoperative cardiovascular assessment in patients with pectus excavatum.     

Isolation of a novel receptor tyrosine kinase cDNA expressed by developing erythroid progenitors

Activation of distinct receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK), such as the products of the c-fms and c-kit proto-oncogenes, profoundly affects hematopoietic development. We have isolated a novel RTK cDNA, called met-related kinase (MRK), which is expressed on early erythroid progenitors. MRK is also expressed in many hematopoietic cell lines, and is not lineage restricted. Several regions within the catalytic domain of MRK have amino acid similarity to the c-met proto-oncogene and v-sea oncogene. Specific polyclonal anti-MRK antisera detects an 84- Kd polypeptide in COS cells transfected with an expression vector containing the MRK cDNA. Further studies of this novel RTK will provide potential insight into its role during hematopoiesis.     

Skeletally anchored forsus fatigue resistant device for correction of Class II malocclusions—A systematic review and meta-analysis

The use of skeletal anchorage with fixed functional appliances (FFA) has been proposed by various authors to produce skeletal changes and reduce lower incisor proclination. To compare the skeletal and dentoalveolar effects of Forsus Fatigue Resistant Device (FFRD) with or without skeletal anchorage (miniplates and mini-implants). The electronic database PubMed, Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase and Google Scholar along with a manual search of orthodontic journals till the year 2019. Only randomized control trials (RCTs) were included in the systematic review. One controlled clinical trial (CCT) which involved FFRD was included in the review since it was a continuation of an RCT which was expanded to a CCT. Skeletal and dentoalveolar outcome data were extracted to collect study characteristics. After evaluating risk of bias, the standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Three RCTs and one prospective CCT were evaluated. The analysis included data from 116 Class II subjects [(58) treated with FFA along with skeletal anchorage and (58) treated with FFA]. There were no significant difference between the two groups with respect to mandibular length changes (P value = .10) and SNB angle changes (P value = .22). With respect to lower incisor inclination however, there was a significant difference between the two groups (P value = .005) signifying better results with respect to skeletal anchorage. The studies reviewed provide insufficient evidence to form a conclusion regarding the effects of the use of skeletal anchorage with FFRD. The available weak evidence suggests that the use of skeletal anchorage with FFRD has no superior skeletal effects but is able to reduce proclination of the lower incisors. Control of lower incisor proclination remains the most significant advantage of skeletal reinforcement, and miniplate-anchored FFRD showed more promising results in preventing lower incisor proclination than miniscrew-anchored FFRD.