A Bioassay To Investigate Movement of Wood Preservatives From Poles Into Soil A Research Note

A promising method was found for investigating migration of preservative from preservative-treated poles into surrounding soil. The presence and relative amounts of preservative are indicated by suppression of decay (weight loss) in birch coffee-stirring sticks buried at various distances from the pole

A Comparative Study of the Energy Cost and Maneuverability for Pushers of Two Pediatric Wheelchairs Designed for Use in Low Income Countries

A comparative study of the energy cost and maneuverability for pushers of two pediatric wheelchairs designed for use in low income countries. Stormie Goodwin (undergraduate), Ruth Inwards (undergraduate), Karen Rispin LeTourneau University-Wheels Project Introduction Many wheelchairs are donated to developing countries without proper consideration of physical, cultural, and social needs1. Many children in wheelchairs around the world are unable to self-propel and are dependent on assistants to push their wheelchairs. Organizations designing wheelchairs for low-income countries are eager for outcomes research to inform design. We are performing a set of comparative tests on two pediatric wheelchairs designed for less-resourced settings, the Hope Haven KidsChair built in Guatemala, and a pediatric wheelchair built in Kenya by the Association of the Physically Disabled of Kenya (APDK). This is a partner study to a long term field study done in Kenya. Our results will give quantitative feedback to the manufacturers, with the goal of facilitating design improvements to the pediatric wheelchairs. Materials and methods In our study comparing the KidsChair and the APDK chair, volunteer college students completed six tasks: pushing each of the wheelchairs on rough and smooth ground, up and down a curb and ramp, on a track at a constant speed, and through a figure eight. The curb, ramp, and figure eight timed maneuverability test came from the Wheelchair Skills Test2. Fifty pounds of weight were placed on the chair to simulate the weight of a child. Physiological Cost Indices (PCI) and Time Walk Tests (TWT) were used to record the energy cost of pushing the wheelchairs. Additionally, each volunteer was asked to place a mark on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) questionnaire to give user input on the difficulty of each task. Preliminary Results Paired T tests of PCI, TWT and questionnaire data indicated the APDK chair outperformed the KidsChair on rough ground. Questionnaire data indicated the KidsChair outperformed the APDK chair on smooth ground. Subjects indicated it was significantly easier to push on smooth ground and up and down a ramp on the VAS questionnaire. Discussion Preliminary results seem to indicate that the APDK chair may be better suited for rough ground than the KidsChair. However, in the comment section of the VAS questionnaire, the APDK chair was repeatedly criticized for poor construction, suggesting that there may be need for improvement in manufacturing quality control. For the KidsChair, users mentioned front castors and stoppers caused difficulty maneuvering on rough ground. In May, we are planning to perform a parallel study at Joytown, a boarding school for children with disabilities in Kenya. References Fuhrer MJ. Am J Phys Med and Rehab. 80(7), 528-35, 1999. Kirby RL, Swuste J, Dupuis DJ, MacLeod DA, Monroe Mandi. 2002. The wheelchair skills test: a pilot study of a new outcome measure. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2(83): 10-18

Osteosarcoma of the Pelvis: Outcome Analysis of Surgical Treatment

Risk factors to explain the poor survival of patients with osteosarcoma of the pelvis are poorly understood. Therefore, we attempted to identify factors affecting survival and development of local recurrence and metastasis. We retrospectively reviewed 43 patients who had high-grade pelvic tumors and were treated surgically. Twenty lesions were chondroblastic, 10 fibroblastic, 11 osteoblastic, and one each was giant cell-rich and small cell osteosarcomas. At a median of 3.5years (range, 0.3-21years) postoperatively, 13 patients were alive with no evidence of disease. The overall and disease-free 5-year survival rates were 38% and 29%, respectively, at 5years. Anatomic location, tumor size, and margin predicted survival. Fifteen patients (35%) had local recurrence. The 5-year cumulative incidence of recurrence with death as a competing risk factor was 34%. Location in the ilium and size of the tumor predicted local recurrence. Twenty-one (49%) of 43 patients had metastases develop. The cumulative incidence of metastasis with death as a competing risk factor was 48% at 5years. Six patients who presented with metastasis had a worse survival than patients who had no evidence of metastasis at presentation (2-year survival, 33% versus 76%). If distant metastasis is diagnosed subsequent to primary treatment, aggressive therapy may be justified. Level of Evidence: Level II, prognostic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidenc

Interleukin-15 Affects Patient Survival through Natural Killer Cell Recovery after Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas

Natural killer cells at day 15 (NK-15), after autologous peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (APHSCT), is a prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The potential role of the immunologic (homeostatic) environment affecting NK-15 recovery and survival post-APHSCT has not been fully studied. Therefore, we evaluate prospectively the cytokine profile in 50 NHL patients treated with APHSCT. Patients with an interleukin-15 (IL-15) ≥ 76.5 pg/mL at day 15 post-APHSCT experienced superior OS and PFS compared with those who did not; median OS; not reached versus 19.2 months, P < .002; and median PFS; not reached versus 6.8 months, P < .002, respectively. IL-15 was found to correlate with (rs = 0.7, P < .0001) NK-15. Multivariate analysis showed only NK-15 as a prognostic factor for survival, suggesting that the survival benefit observed by IL-15 is most likely mediated by enhanced NK cell recovery post-APHSCT

Maintenance Therapies for Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas after Autologous Transplantation: A Consensus Project of ASBMT, CIBMTR, and the Lymphoma Working Party of EBMT

Importance: Maintenance therapies are often considered as a therapeutic strategy in patients with lymphoma following autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (auto-HCT) to mitigate the risk of disease relapse. With an evolving therapeutic landscape, where novel drugs are moving earlier in therapy lines, evidence relevant to contemporary practice is increasingly limited. The American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT), Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR), and European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) jointly convened an expert panel with diverse expertise and geographical representation to formulate consensus recommendations regarding the use of maintenance and/or consolidation therapies after auto-HCT in patients with lymphoma. Observations: The RAND-modified Delphi method was used to generate consensus statements where at least 75% vote in favor of a recommendation was considered as consensus. The process included 3 online surveys moderated by an independent methodological expert to ensure anonymity and an in-person meeting. The panel recommended restricting the histologic categories covered in this project to Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and follicular lymphoma. On completion of the voting process, the panel generated 22 consensus statements regarding post auto-HCT maintenance and/or consolidation therapies. The grade A recommendations included endorsement of: (1) brentuximab vedotin (BV) maintenance and/or consolidation in BV-na\uefve high-risk HL, (2) rituximab maintenance in MCL undergoing auto-HCT after first-line therapy, (3) rituximab maintenance in rituximab-na\uefve FL, and (4) No post auto-HCT maintenance was recommended in DLBCL. The panel also developed consensus statements for important real-world clinical scenarios, where randomized data are lacking to guide clinical practice. Conclusions and Relevance: In the absence of contemporary evidence-based data, the panel found RAND-modified Delphi methodology effective in providing a rigorous framework for developing consensus recommendations for post auto-HCT maintenance and/or consolidation therapies in lymphoma.