The Value of the History and Physical for Patients with Newly Diagnosed Brain Metastases Considering Radiosurgery

Background: For patients with brain metastases, systemic disease burden has historically been accepted as a major determinant of overall survival (OS). However, less research has focused on specific history and physical findings made by clinicians and how such findings pertain to patient outcomes at a given time point. The aim of this study is to determine how the initial clinical assessment of patients with brain metastases, as part of the history and physical at the time of consultation, correlates with patient prognosis.Methods: We evaluated a prospective, multi-institutional database of 1523 brain metastases in 507 patients who were treated with radiosurgery (Gamma Knife or CyberKnife) from 2001-2014. Relevant history of present illness (HPI) and past medical history (PMH) variables included comorbidities, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, and seizure history. Physical exam findings included a sensory exam, motor exam, and cognitive function. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify predictors of OS.Results: 294 patients were included in the final analysis with a median OS of 10.8 months (95% C.I., 7.8-13.7 months). On univariate analysis, significant HPI predictors of OS included age, primary diagnosis, performance status, extracranial metastases, systemic disease status, and history of surgery. Significant predictors of OS from the PMH included cardiac, vascular, and infectious comorbidities. On a physical exam, findings consistent with cognitive deficits were predictive of worse OS. However, motor deficits or changes in vision were not predictive of worse OS. In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, predictors of worse OS were primary diagnosis (p=0.002), ECOG performance status (OR 1.73, p<0.001), and presence of extracranial metastases (OR 1.22, p=0.009).Conclusion: Neurologic deficits and systemic comorbidities noted at presentation are not associated with worse overall prognosis for patients with brain metastases undergoing radiosurgery. When encountering new patients with brain metastases, the most informative patient-related characteristics that determine prognosis remain performance status, primary diagnosis, and extent of extracranial disease

The Use of Urine Proteomic and Metabonomic Patterns for the Diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis and Bacterial Cystitis

The advent of systems biology approaches that have stemmed from the sequencing of the human genome has led to the search for new methods to diagnose diseases. While much effort has been focused on the identification of disease-specific biomarkers, recent efforts are underway toward the use of proteomic and metabonomic patterns to indicate disease. We have developed and contrasted the use of both proteomic and metabonomic patterns in urine for the detection of interstitial cystitis (IC). The methodology relies on advanced bioinformatics to scrutinize information contained within mass spectrometry (MS) and high-resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectral patterns to distinguish IC-affected from non-affected individuals as well as those suffering from bacterial cystitis (BC). We have applied a novel pattern recognition tool that employs an unsupervised system (self-organizing-type cluster mapping) as a fitness test for a supervised system (a genetic algorithm). With this approach, a training set comprised of mass spectra and 1H-NMR spectra from urine derived from either unaffected individuals or patients with IC is employed so that the most fit combination of relative, normalized intensity features defined at precise m/z or chemical shift values plotted in n-space can reliably distinguish the cohorts used in training. Using this bioinformatic approach, we were able to discriminate spectral patterns associated with IC-affected, BC-affected, and unaffected patients with a success rate of approximately 84%

1997 Wild Blueberry Progress Reports

The 1997 edition of the Wild Blueberry Progress Reports was prepared for the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine and the Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: 1. Investigation of processing damage of IQF blueberries 2. Use of sorter rejects and wild blueberry puree to prevent warmed over flavor in processed beef patties 3. Factors affecting the quality of IQF wild blueberries 4. Determination of pesticide residue levels in fresh and processed wild blueberries 5. Pollination ecology of wild blueberries in Maine 6. Control tactics for wild blueberry pest insects 7. IPM Strategies 8. Pest Biology 9. Effect of antidessication treatments on wild blueberry cold temperature tolerance 10. Phosphorus/nitrogen fertilizer ratio 11. Effect of boron application methods on boron uptake in wild blueberries 12. Effect of foliar zinc application on growth and yield of wild blueberries 13. Effect of soil pH on nutrient uptake 14. Crop year fertilization of wild blueberry 15. Effect of Photomag® on growth and yield of wild blueberries 16. Evaluation of Pronone MG® spot treatments for control of St. Johnswort, dogbane, bracken fern, witch grass/fall panicum and bunchberry 17. Effect of hexazinone formulation on movement through the soil profile 18. Effect of time of fall pruning on wild blueberry fruit set and yield 19. Effect of pre and postemergence herbicide applications on control of grasses 20. Hexazinone groundwater survey 21. Effect of plant source and density on spread of wild blueberry 22. Effect of surfactant and ammonium sulfate on glyphosate activity 23. Effect of crop year application of hexazinone on weed control, yield and hexazinone residue. 24. Long term effects of tribenuron methyl on wild blueberries and weed species composition 25. Effect of Velpar® DF/MAP on wild blueberry fruit set and yield. 26. Effect of reduced volume lmidan® 2.5 EC UL V applications on wild blueberry residue and efficacy 27. Wild blueberry extension education progra

1998 CSREES Wild Blueberry Project Results

The 1998 edition of the CSREES Wild Blueberry Project Results was prepared for the Maine Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: 1. Separation of Maggot Infested Blueberries in the IQF Processing Line 2. Assessment of Preharvest Treatments on Wild blueberry Fruit Quality 3. Blueberries as a Natural Colorant for Breakfast Cereals 4. Factors Affecting Quality of IQF Wild Blueberries 5. Control Tactics for Wild blueberry Pest Insects 6. Biology and Ecology of Wild blueberry Pest Insects 7. Sustainable Pollination of Wild blueberry 8. Evaluation of Foliar Fungicides for Control of Mummy Berry 9. Phosphorus/Nitrogen Fertilizer Ratio 10. Effect of Boron Application Methods on Boron Uptake in Wild Blueberries 11. Effect of Zinc Application on Growth and Yield of Wild Blueberries 12. Effect of Soil pH of Nutrient Uptake 13. Crop Year Fertilization of Wild blueberry 14. Effect of Fertilizer Timing on Wild blueberry Growth and Productivity 15. Alternative Methods of Grass Control 16. Cultural Weed Management Using pH 17. Investigation of Hexazinone Alternatives for Weed Control 18. Evaluation of Hexazinone Applications in the Cropping Year 19. Effect of Surfactant and Ammonium Sulfate on Glyphosate Activity 20. Evaluation of Pronone MG® Spot Treatments for Control of St Jobnswort, Dogbane, Bracken Fem, Witch Grass/Fall Panicum and Bunchberry 21. Hexazinone Groundwater Surve

The Angular Correlation Function of Galaxies from Early SDSS Data

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey is one of the first multicolor photometric and spectroscopic surveys designed to measure the statistical properties of galaxies within the local Universe. In this Letter we present some of the initial results on the angular 2-point correlation function measured from the early SDSS galaxy data. The form of the correlation function, over the magnitude interval 18<r*<22, is shown to be consistent with results from existing wide-field, photographic-based surveys and narrower CCD galaxy surveys. On scales between 1 arcminute and 1 degree the correlation function is well described by a power-law with an exponent of ~ -0.7. The amplitude of the correlation function, within this angular interval, decreases with fainter magnitudes in good agreement with analyses from existing galaxy surveys. There is a characteristic break in the correlation function on scales of approximately 1-2 degrees. On small scales, < 1', the SDSS correlation function does not appear to be consistent with the power-law form fitted to the 1'< theta <0.5 deg data. With a data set that is less than 2% of the full SDSS survey area, we have obtained high precision measurements of the power-law angular correlation function on angular scales 1' < theta < 1 deg, which are robust to systematic uncertainties. Because of the limited area and the highly correlated nature of the error covariance matrix, these initial results do not yet provide a definitive characterization of departures from the power-law form at smaller and larger angles. In the near future, however, the area of the SDSS imaging survey will be sufficient to allow detailed analysis of the small and large scale regimes, measurements of higher-order correlations, and studies of angular clustering as a function of redshift and galaxy type

Wild Blueberries 1999 CSREES Progress Reports

The 1999 edition of the Wild Blueberries CSREES Progress Reports was prepared for the Maine Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: 1. Effects of QF Processing on Microbiological Quality of Maine Wild Blueberries 2. Separation of Maggot-Infested Blueberries in the IQF Processing Line 3. Determination of Pesticide Residue Levels in Fresh and Processed Wild Blueberries 4. Control Tactics for Blueberry Pest Insects 5. IPM Strategies 6. Biology and Ecology of Blueberry Pest Insects 7. Survey of Stem Blight and Leaf Spot Diseases in Lowbush Blueberry Fields 8. Phosphorus/Nitrogen Fertilizer Ratio 9. Effect of Fertilizer Timing on Lowbush Blueberry Growth and Productivity 10. Effect of Soil pH on Nutrient Uptake 11. Effect of Boron Application Methods on Boron Uptake in Lowbush Blueberries 12. Effect of Nutri-Phite P+K on growth and yield of lowbush blueberry 13. Effect of Crop-Set on growth and yield of lowbush blueberry 14. Crop year fertilization of lowbush blueberry 15. Alternative Methods of Grass Control 16. Cultural Weed Management Using pH 17. Investigation of Hexazinone Alternatives for Weed Control 18. Comparison of Sulfosate and Glyphosate for Weed Control 19. Evaluation of VC1447 for Weed Control in Wild blueberries 20. Blueberry/ Cranberry Extension Education Program in 1999 21. Effect of Rate, Formulation and Application Method on Efficacy and Phytotoxicity of Granular Hexazinone in Wild Blueberry Fields 22. 1999 Fungicide Evaluation Field Trial 23. 1999 Hexazinone Groundwater Survey Pollination 24. Sustainable Pollination of Wild Blueberr

1996 Wild Blueberry CSREES Progress Reports/1996 Wild Blueberry Tax Reports

The 1996 edition of the Wild Blueberry CSREES Progress Reports/Wild Blueberry Tax Reports was prepared for the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: Wild Blueberry CSREES Progress Reports: 1. Factors affecting the quality of Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) wild blueberries 2. Factors affecting the physical and chemical properties of IQF wild blueberries 3. Preventing the bleeding of blueberry fruit in bakery products 4. Amylase test development 5. Determination of pesticide residue levels in freshly harvested and processed wild blueberries 6. Sustainable pollination of wild blueberry 7. Potential for biological control of insect pests of wild blueberry 8. Effect of desiccation on wild blueberry winter survival and cold temperature tolerance 9. Population variation in low-temperature tolerance of wild blueberry 10. Influence of flower delaying sprays on seasonal variation of low temperature tolerance in wild blueberry 11. Effect of various levels of disbudding on yield of wild blueberry 12. Effect of boron and the polyamine putrescine on wild blueberry fruit set and yield 13. Effect of soil pH on nutrient uptake 14. Phosphorus uptake 15. Correcting boron deficiency 16. Hexazinone groundwater survey 17. Effect of time of fall pruning on growth and productivity of wild blueberries 18. Evaluation of Pronone® spot treatments for control of St. Johnswort, dogbane, bracken fern, witch grass/fall panicum and bunchberry 19. Effect of hexazinone formulation on movement through the soil profile 20. Effect of plant source and density on spread of wild blueberry Wild Blueberry Tax Reports: 21. Control of wild blueberry diseases 22. Control of wild blueberry pest insects 23. Biology and action thresholds of secondary blueberry pest insects 24. Phosphorus/nitrogen fertilizer ratio 25. Effect of surfactant and ammonium sulfate on glyphosate activity 26. Blueberry Extension Education Program Bas

1995 CSREES Reports

The 1995 edition of the CSREES Reports was prepared for the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: 1. Factors Affecting the Quality of IQF Blueberries 2. Preventing the Bleeding of Blueberry Fruit in Bakery Products 3. Removing Water from Blueberries Before Freezing 4. Determination of Pesticide Residue Levels in Freshly Harvested and Processed Lowbush Blueberries 5. Industrial Ingredients from Cull Blueberries 6. Application of Heat as a Method of Controlling Secondary Pest Insects on Lowbush Blueberries 7. The Phenology and Biology of Bumble Bees, Bombus, spp., that Pollinate Lowbush blueberry, Vaccinium spp., in Maine 8. Pollination Ecology of Lowbush Blueberry in Maine 9. Effects of Irrigation on Lowbush Blueberry Yield 10. Effect of Brief Warming Treatments on Late Winter Low-Temperature Tolerance of Native Lowbush Blueberry 11. Correlation of Late-winter/Early-spring Cold Hardiness with Date of Flowering 12. Evaluation of Cold Tolerance of Opening Flowers of Lowbush Blueberry 13. Influence of Flower Delaying Sprays on Seasonal Variation of Low Temperature Tolerance in Lowbush Blueberry 14. Effect of Various Levels of Disbudding on Yield of Lowbush Blueberry 15. Effect of Boron and the Polyamine Putrescine on Lowbush Blueberry Fruit Set and Yield 16. Effect of Boron and the Polyamine Putrescine on Extending the Receptivity of Lowbush Blueberry Blossoms 17. Effect of Soil pH on Nutrient Uptake 18. Correcting Boron Deficiency - missing 19. Phosphorus Uptake 20. Evaluation of Hexazinone Formulation on Soil Movement and Weed Control 21. Effect of Time of Fall Pruning on Growth and Productivity of Blueberries 22. Hexazinone Ground Water Survey 23. Effect of hexazinone formulation on movement through the soil profile 24. Evaluation of Tribenuron Methyl for Bunchberry Control 25. Evaluation of Tribenuron Methyl Commercial Applications for Bunchberry Control 26. Effectiveness of Resin-Exchange Columns to Determine Efficacy in Removing Hexazinone from Well Water 27. Effect of Clopyralid for Vetch Control 28. Evaluation of Tribenuron Methyl/Velpar® Tank Mix for Bunchberry Control 29. Blueberry Extension Education Progra

2000 Wild Blueberry Project Reports

The 2000 edition of the Wild Blueberry Project Reports was prepared for the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: 1. Determination of Pesticide Residue Levels in Fresh and Processed Wild Blueberries 2. Factors Affecting the Microbiological Quality of IQF Blueberries 3. Effect of Processed Blueberry Products on Oxidation in Meat Based Food Systems 4. Separation of Maggot Infested Wild Blueberries in the IQF Processing Line 5. Water Use of Wild Blueberries 6. Control Tactics for Blueberry Pest Insects, 2000 7. IPM Strategies 8. Biology and Ecology of Blueberry Pest Insects 9. Survey of Stem Blight and Leaf Spot Diseases in Lowbush Blueberry Fields 10. Phosphorus/Nitrogen Fertilizer Ratio 11. Effect of Boron Application Methods on Boron Uptake in Lowbush Blueberries 12. Effect of Foliar Iron and Copper Application on Growth and Yield of Lowbush Blueberries 13. Effect of Soil pH on Nutrient Uptake 14. Effect of Nutri-Phite (tm) P+K on Growth and Yield of Lowbush Blueberry 15. Effect of Fertilizer Timing on Lowbush Blueberry Growth and Productivity 16. Assessment of Azafenidin for Weed Control in Wild Blueberries 17. Assessment of Rimsulfuron for Weed Control in Wild Blueberries 18. Assessment of Pendimethalin for Weed Control in Wild Blueberries 19. Assessment of VC1447 for Weed Control in Wild Blueberries 20. Cultural Management Using pH for Weed Control in Wild Blueberries 21. Evaluation of Sprout-Less Weeder® for Weed Control in Wild Blueberries 22. Evaluation of RoundUp Ultra® and Touchdown 5® for Weed Control in Wild Blueberries 23. Evaluation and Demonstration of Techniques for Filling in Bare Spots in Wild Blueberry Fields 24. Evaluation of Fungicides Efficacy in Wild Blueberry Fields 25. Velpar® and Sinbar/Karmex® Demonstration Plot Comparison Trial 26. Blueberry Extension Education Program in 2000 27. 2000 Hexazinone Groundwater Surve