ABSTRACT
The clinical outcome of primary refractory (PRF) AML patients is poor and only a minor proportion of patients is rescued by allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The identification of pre-HSCT variables may help to determine PRF AML patients who can most likely benefit from HSCT. We analyzed PRF AML patients transplanted between 1999 and 2012 from a sibling, unrelated donor or a cord blood unit. Overall, 227 patients from 26 Gruppo Italiano Trapianto di Midollo Osseo e Terapia cellulare centers were included in the analysis. At 3 years, the overall survival was 14%. By multivariate analysis, the number of chemotherapy cycles, (hazard ratio (HR): 1.87; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.24-2.85; P=0.0028), the percentage of bone marrow or peripheral blood blasts (HR: 1.75; 95% CI: 1.16-2.64; P=0.0078), the adverse cytogenetic (HR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.00-2.07; P=0.0508) and the age of patients (HR: 1.77; 95% CI: 1.08-2.88; P=0.0223) remained significantly associated with survival. Thus, we set up a new score predicting at 3 years after transplantation, an overall survival probability of 32% for patients with score 0 (no or 1 prognostic factor), 10% for patients with score 1 (2 prognostic factors) and 3% for patients with score 2 (3 or 4 prognostic factors).
Subject(s)
Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation , Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute , Siblings , Unrelated Donors , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Allografts , Disease-Free Survival , Female , Humans , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/mortality , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/therapy , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective Studies , Survival RateSubject(s)
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/mortality , Stem Cell Transplantation , Transplantation Conditioning , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/therapy , Male , Middle Aged , Prognosis , Retrospective Studies , Survival Rate , Transplantation, Homologous , Young AdultABSTRACT
Microcapsules containing Bifidobacterium lactis (BI 01) and Lactobacillus acidophilus (LAC 4) were produced by complex coacervation using a casein/pectin complex as the wall material, followed by spray drying. The aim of this study was to evaluate the resistance of these microorganisms when submitted to the spray drying process, a shelf-life of 120 days at 7-37 degrees C and the in vitro tolerance after being submitted to acid pH (pH 1.0 and 3.0) solutions besides morphology of microcapsules. Microencapsulated microorganisms were shown to be more resistant to acid conditions than free ones. Microencapsulated L. acidophilus maintained its viability for a longer storage period at both temperatures. The microcapsules presented a spherical shape with no fissures. The process used and the wall material were efficient in protecting the microorganisms under study against the spray drying process and simulated gastric juice; however, microencapsulated B. lactis lost its viability before the end of the storage time.
Subject(s)
Bifidobacterium/metabolism , Drug Compounding , Lactobacillus acidophilus/metabolism , Caseins/chemistry , Food Preservation , Gastric Juice , Gastric Mucosa/metabolism , Humans , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Microscopy, Electron, Scanning , Pectins/chemistry , Probiotics/chemistry , Temperature , Time FactorsABSTRACT
For an adapted version of the Anton Brenner Developmental Gestalt Test of School Readiness, developed for experimental use in Costa Rica, the present objective was to ascertain its predictive validity. With 312 preschool children during the first semester and at the end of kindergarten, the relationship between test scores and failing or passing first grade was examined and found similar. The average hit rate (percentage of children with and without school problems who were classified correctly) was 84%, the test's sensitivity (percentage of children with difficulties identified correctly) was 23%, and its specificity (percentage of children correctly identified who did not have school problems in first grade) was 97%. The test showed almost a 7:1 ratio for misclassifying false positives and false negatives. It seems advantageous to use the test in the first semester to have time to remedy difficulties during kindergarten.
Subject(s)
Contingent Negative Variation , Learning , Child Development , Child, Preschool , False Negative Reactions , False Positive Reactions , Female , Humans , Male , SchoolsABSTRACT
Reliability coefficients of .94 for stability and .95 for internal reliability were obtained by the same rater for a Spanish version of the Body Coordination Test for Children (Köperkoordinationstest für Kinder, KTK) given to 90 children. Interrater agreement of .99 when scoring performances simultaneously and .90 over an 8-day interval were obtained with 120 subjects. Sex, grade, group of children, and treatment were significant sources of variation.
Subject(s)
Child Development , Cross-Cultural Comparison , Motor Skills , Postural Balance , Proprioception , Child , Costa Rica , Female , Humans , Kinesthesis , MaleABSTRACT
Although researchers have used drawings of the human figure to evaluate body-image in adults and children, test measures of the concepts involved have not been precisely constructed, so the purpose of this study was to estimate the body-image concept relations measured on the Goodenough-Harris Draw-a-Person Test and on the Prueba para Diagnóstico de Imagen Corporal--Universidad Nacional for 90 kindergarten, first and second graders. Factor analyses (sex by grade, 2 x 3; and sex by age, 2 x 7) showed that sex was not a significant factor on either measure, but grade and age were. A Pearson correlation for the total scores on both tests was a moderate, significant value of .45. Correlations of the total with subtest scores varied from .30 to .50. Values were strongest for first grade children from 6 to 6 1/2 yr. of age (.59 to .78), at the beginning of the developmental period in which children gradually gain an awareness of the parts of the body, their functions and left-right concepts.
